Question:
Right now I am scheduled for Lap-band, however should I have gastric bypass?

After reading alot of the Q & A section I'm confusing myself. I need to lose at least 100# and I wanted lapband because I feel comfortable with that, however, the majority of the success stories I read all had actual gastric bypass surgery. Has anyone else felt this way?    — dogbuzzer (posted on March 19, 2007)

March 19, 2007
if you are asking this question now and you have signed for a Lap I think you need to cancel surgery date and talk to your Dr. more. the surgeries are so very different from eachother I had gastric bypass and it is serious. Y ou have to be totally ready for a surgery like this and really have the will power to stick by it. Good Luck on your decision. Go to some more support meetings they help a great deal.
   — cherylann0922

March 19, 2007
I know exactly how you feel, but my surgeon told me that over a five year time frame the weight loss is the same. I am also going to be doing lap band.
   — danosteve

March 19, 2007
The decision to have lapband or bypass really depends on your health problems and eating habits. You need to discuss each surgery with your doctor and have him give you all the pros and cons. I decided against lapband because it wasn't restrictive enough and I didn't want to go back to my old eating habits. I didn't want a foreign object inside of me or a port (for fills) on my abdomen. I didn't want to go for fills on a regular basis either and have to pay for that as well.
   — Sheri A.

March 19, 2007
I had the same problem when I decided i wanted to do weight loss surgery. I thought I would prefer the lap band because you are not rerouting your insides. But the more I research, I thought lap ryn was the best for me. I have a problem of eating fatty foods and sweats. The band does not prevent you eating those kind of foods. You might just want to do more research and talk with your doctor. Its been two months now I'm doing good and I have lost 50lbs. I'm still a little tire most of the time. Good luck!
   — barfiep01

March 20, 2007
One reason you read more success stories of bypass patients is that there are more bypass patients than Band patients, and relatively few Band patients post on the Q&A. Take some time off from others' stories. You can't compare yourself to them anyway, so why start now? Do some basic fact-finding on the Band, the Bypass, and (why not?) the DS. You said you were comfortable with the Band. Review why. Make a good old fashioned "pros and cons" list, pros on one side, cons on the other. Only you can answer this. Remember that others' experiences belong only to them and do not affect you, your eventual choice, or, most importantly, your eventual outcome. You are in control of that. :) Best of luck.
   — Jeanie

March 21, 2007
From what I have been reading the end results are the same but it takes longer to get there with lap band. The reason is you maintain your entire system ie. your colon. With RNY they actually shorten the colon by half making the digestive system shorter so you drop the weight faster but the surgery is of course different. You have your stomach cut and stapled into a small pouch and the shorter colon is reattached to the pouch. I had this done just two months ago and am happy with my decision but it is one each of us has to make. Please rid yourself of the confusion before any surgery. If you are not sure what you want to do don't do anything. Talk to your Dr. again and reconsider all your options before surgery. Good Luck and God Bless, Norma
   — njkbutton

March 21, 2007
I have not had surgery yet, but I decided on the RNY. I had a good discussion after a seminar with my surgeon and he basically said that it is a personal choice, not his -- yours. He said that most people who chose the lap band are people who have concerns about the cutting and stapling of your "innards" (my term :-). The statistics are a little better in the short term, but you need to make the decision based upon your comfort level with what is being done. I decided on the RNY because I have always been able to lose lots of weight in the short term, but always gain it back. The "dumping" syndrome which comes with the RNY is the deterrent that I will need to keep my self from regaining weight. Just know why YOU want one surgery over the other. Whatever decision you make, if you follow your doctor's instructions and program you will be successful.
   — Jennifer S.