Question:
dont' know which one to choose
Thought i wanted lap band done, but have talked to lots of people with lap band they said that it is easy to cheat with. you can eat sweets and as long as you chew well it will go down with no dumping like with RNY,plus going to get filled and unfilled and I saw that needle, but i did not want to get cut on with having the Rny done.Right now I am getting all my test done, also the doctors said that there is not enough information about the lap band for long term used. They mainly talked about the Rny, also when they took our weight they said that we can not gain weight from here on in, if we gain weight when we get ready to have our operations will be postponed, because it is telling them that we are not ready if we cannot lose weight some first. Any advice out there for this confused one, it well be greatly appreciated. thanks — [Deactivated Member] (posted on March 29, 2010)
March 29, 2010
I was told the RNY was the gold standard for WLS. Most people don't get as
hungry as those with the Band. And with RNY, part of the food calories are
never absorbed, less Dr. visits. Different doctors and ins co.require
different things. Neither my doctor or ins. co. required me to loose wt.
Will enjoy seeing other posts. Good luck with your decission. :)
— Jane W.
March 29, 2010
Hi Dorothy....it's really a very personal decision that you have to make.
I chose the RNY for several reasons. One, I'd heard too many horror
stories about the band "slipping" and repair surgery having to be
done. Two, I didn't like the idea of having a long needle stuck into my
stomach so that the "fills" can be done (plus I'd also heard
about the ports becoming unattached from their anchors, or flipped over).
And, like you've heard, many people say that it is very easy to cheat. I
WANTED the consequences of the RNY. I WANTED the threat of getting dumping
syndrome if I ate too much, or the wrong things. I don't like to get sick,
and that's a major reason I went with the RNY. Other reasons are that you
lose weight faster, and you lose more with the RNY. And people with lots
of co-morbidities like high blood pressure, type II diabetes,
hyper-lipidemia, joint pain and depression seem to find themselves off of
most, if not all of their meds before they even leave the hospital. I have
not taken a high blood pressure medication since the day before my surgery
one year ago. And, I have lost 140 pounds, and am at my surgeon's goal
weight for me. I want to lose another 10 pounds to reach my own goal
weight. Those are just MY reasons. Other people may have different
reasons. And there is nothing saying that you have to have an
"open" RNY. Mine was laparoscopic, I have 6 tiny incisions that
never gave me any problems and have almost completely disappeared now. I
started out my journey weighing 307 pounds, although that was not my
highest weight. I now weigh 167. I would do it all over again in a
nano-second. I hope this helps. Of course, you can look into other types
of surgery too... they now have the gastric sleeve, which also doesn't lose
quite as fast, but there are no real consequences of eating anything you
want. And for some REALLY morbidly obese people, they have the DS
(duodenal switch procedure). It's fairly new, and I was more comfortable
going with an established procedure where the outcome is pretty predictable
assuming that you stick to the program and consider your surgery to be a
TOOL and not a MAGIC BULLET. It will only do the work for you for the
first few months, after that, you have to take over. And you have to
realize that with any of these surgeries, you have to totally change your
relationship with food in order for them to work. You can't have the
surgery and then go back to eating the way you ate before. You'll be on a
very high protein, low fat program, and you'll be taking lifetime
supplements (if you have the RNY). But, like I said, I was overjoyed to
have it done, and wouldn't change a thing.
— Erica Alikchihoo
March 29, 2010
As a person who's had both lapband and then RNY, I can highly recommend the
RNY. Don't waste your time, money, sweat, and tears on the lapband!! My
experience with the lapband was painful from the beginning. Although I did
lose 75 lbs. in 1 1/2 years, it hurt to eat most foods even with eating
slowly and chewing very well. I had a lot of acid reflux that I'd not had
before surgery, couldn't sleep at night because of constant coughing and
spitting up when I'd lie down, and lots of throwing up. I tried to stick
it out hoping it'd get better, and finally had the band removed by
emergency surgery because of prolapse--the food wasn't going through the
band like it should. This was after many visits to the surgeon trying to
tell him my problems. I then regained all the weight plus more and had to
qualify again with insurance to have the RNY. I lost 113 lbs. with
absolutely no problems and will soon be 2 years post-op. Very happy and
satisfied with RNY!!
— ksp1155
March 29, 2010
Please research all the surgeries,there is Duodenal Switch,RNY,Sleeve,band.
I choose duodenal switch.Please check out all the surgery boards. There
is a board where old timers,have had problems with differant surgeries
called the (revision Board ) this made my mind up, alot of failed bands and
RNY,s.But remember its your body,only you can choose whats right for
you!Remember cut once!If your Dr. does not offer all 4 surgeries he is not
there for you,and does not have the propper training,to be in your best
interest!
— rebecca W.
March 29, 2010
This is my advice. Ask the surgeon what procedure they believe YOU are best
suited for. They will be the best to ask since they are the professional in
this line of work & will be able to answer based on your situation
& health. I asked my surgeon which he believes best for me so I'm
having the RNY tomorrow the 31st. good luck.
— SPIRIT2002
March 29, 2010
Hi Dorothy,
I began my adventure thinking lap band all the way. I then did my research
and went thru the extensive counseling that my Dr requires. I had RNY on
12/09. I have lost 54 lbs so far and am extremely happy. I felt it was
best for me... I needed something I couldn't try to trick, after all I
didn't get in this situation because I ate things that were good for me. I
have a friend who went the other way 6/09 and has lost 82 lbs and is very
happy with her decision. So neither of us have any regrets, so as others
have said it's what ever you feel will work for you and that you can work
with. I also have to share the main reason for weight loss before the
surgery, according to my surgeon, is to shrink your liver making it easier
to manouver around during surgery. Good Luck and keep us posted.
Debbie
~live as if all your dreams came true~
— fortywhat2
March 29, 2010
I suggest that you research the Duodenal Switch. Most doctors are
completely ignorant of the surgery. I attended seminars where doctors who
only performed banding and/or RNY tell me a lot of incorrect information
about the DS. Check out the dsfacts.com site. It has a lot of good
information.
When I went to my primary/family doctor I went armed with information. I
took print outs of long term studies and initial results. I took
comparisons of the amount of regain expected with Lap Band, RNY and DS.
With this information I was able to convince my doctor to write a letter
saying the DS was the best choice for me. Before surgery I was taking oral
meds for diabetes as well as other pills for edema, stage II hypertension,
cholesterol, GERD and had an emergency inhaler for asthma symptoms.
I weighed 452 lbs last January. I weighed 428 lbs on the day of my surgery
on May, 5th, 2009. I currently weigh 215 lbs. I take no meds but a LOT of
vitamin/mineral supplements. I was off my diabetes meds within two weeks of
surgery. I was off all meds with three months of surgery. Did I mention
that I take a LOT of supplements? Should you choose this surgery please
know that it will involve a lifetime of vitamin/mineral suplements. Most of
them are pretty inexpensive. Even with my health insurance - which is
pretty darn good - I paid more for prescriptions meds than I currently
spend on my supplements.
I have no food restrictions but that varies person to person. I do eat a
very Atkins-like diet in order to get my protein - I hate protein
supplements' taste. I love being able to drink while I eat. I love having
my stomach intact.
IMO the best tool you can have right now is information. Above all know
that any surgery is going to require a life style change to be successful.
Any surgery can fail. Any surgery can have life threatening complications.
Find the one that will best fit your life and give you the best chance of
success. I wish you all the best,
Mike.
— Mike A.
March 30, 2010
It is a very personal choice, but I want to share my experience in the
hopes that it will help you decide. I worked several years for a surgery
center that specialized in WLS. My highest weight was 230, I am 5'6".
I had the Lap-Band done in 2004 at the doc's recommendation, and lost
about 50 pounds...could never loose any more, had fills, unfills, had a
slip, and had to have the band removed. I gained almost all of my weight
back, then had the sleeve done last August. I have lost 40 pounds, and the
weight loss stopped. Now...I am by no means a perfect patient, but not a
bad one either. I do feel that the sleeve is for patients who have a
greater amount of weight to loose, and have been eating a great deal of
food. It is not for someone who wants to loose 50 pounds or so. The
advantage of the sleeve is that if it is not enough to get all the weight
off, it is also the first half of a RNY. They can go back in and do the
bypass part, and you will continue to loose weight. There are people out
there who have been successful with all of these procedures, but if I were
doing it all again, I would definately go for the RNY, which they can now
do laproscopically, and be done with it. Having had the others, I truly
believe it is the best of both worlds. You have both restriction limiting
how much food you CAN eat, and malabsorbtion limiting what your body will
absorb in calories. That way, you are getting the most for your money. I
wish you the very best with your surgery, and please let us hear from you
about your decision and your success....God bless!
— Bonnie H.
March 30, 2010
OMG, Bonnie H is clueless no matter who she works for.
The VSG is not half of a RNY. There is no pouch, but a fully functioning
stomach with the stretchy, outer curvature removed. Expectations of the
VSG and LapBand are about 60% of excess weight loss over 5 years and there
is plenty of data on LapBand, albeit not the greatest. RNY gives you about
70% or so, but know that only about half of them ever experience dumping
syndrome. It's the VSG that has the shortest for long term results to
report on (just about 5 years), but the duodenal switch has the highest
rate of long term weight loss (85%) and shortest rate of regain than any
other procedure. Do yourself a favor and learn all you can about all 4 of
these procedures and compare how they work to how your own body works (I
mean, your diet result history and why you are obese). Do not go by what
is most convenient or what the girl down the street got. WLS is not
one-size-fits-all.
— Valerie G.
March 30, 2010
You have to make your own decision based on how much weight you need to
lose and your doctors recommendations. I have lap band system band, will be
3yrs in May lost 77 lbs and 23 more to go. If you choose the band my only
suggestion is to make sure you doctor is close to your home, I was
traveling 2 hours for a fill and if it was too tight believe me its a long
ride back. But the bottom line is whatever your choice the surgery is only
a tool you need to work on food choices not matter which you choose.
Joann Engelman
— Redhead7977
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