Question:
Lapband or Gastric? Open or Lap?

Can anyone tell me there experencies with either one. I am thinking about Lapband becasue it is less time to recovery however been researching Gastric bypass lap and it is less time to recover than open gastric. Anyone out that can tell me what they know?    — mgrimplin (posted on May 20, 2003)

May 19, 2003
See my profile, scroll down some for recovery activities ater my rny. I nearlly got the band but settled on the RNY since I loved milkshakes and such pre op. With the Lap band adjustable band I woiuld of failed.
   — bob-haller

May 20, 2003
You will find a wealth of information at this site: http://www.spotlighthealth.com/common/SG/topics.asp?m=1&sb=25 Good luck with your research. I chose the lap band and have been very happy with my progress. I'm 3 months post-op, have lost 30 pounds, and have had no problems at ALL.
   — TMF

May 20, 2003
That is a choice you have to make for yourself! I chose the open rny b/c I felt it was the safest way to go, but of course ones who have had other WLS will say they had the safest surgery. It all comes down to research, education and YOUR decision :o) Good luck to you!
   — Sandy M.

May 20, 2003
I had RNY LAP, I was in the hospital 24 hrs. I spent the first week at home then went back to work. 4 small 1 inch incisions are used. It's been 7 weeks and my scars are already gone. The band has a lower success rate. Open takes much more healing time. Best regards.
   — M B.

May 20, 2003
It MAY be a choice you can make for yourself or it may be a choice your insurance makes for you. Many insurances won't pay for a lap band because it's success rate is less than that of RNY. My insurance will only pay for open RNY, not even a lap. So before you get your heart set on one kind of surgery, check to see what insurance will pay for and if it's not what you want and you are set on one kind of surgery, you may have to rethink how it will be paid for.
   — antiques55

May 20, 2003
Originally my PCP wanted me to get a lap band, but my surgeon told me there is a 30-40% faillure rate with it. You can still eat ice cream, milkshakes, etc...so, like Bob, I know I would have failed. Again, it's up to you; research it thoroughly before making decision...or talk to your surgeon.
   — Gail G.

May 20, 2003
I asked this very same question when I was doing my research. I'll tell you what hit home with me with one of the responses I got. It is your decision fully. But for me with the lap band you can still eat sweets and not be in trouble. With the RNY most of us are in severe trouble if we do. I figured I had a bad relationship with sweets and wanted something that would teach me not to eat them. I think you just have to take a look at your eating habits. Do you eat totally healthy but still gain weight, or do you know you make bad food choices? The latter problem tells you to have gastric bypass. As far as which lap or open, I pesonally had Lap becuase I'm 23 and didn't want to a huge scar. Unlike the last poster I had 6 incisions and stayed in the hospital for 3 days. Good luck to you!!
   — Heather B.

May 20, 2003
As the others have said, you have to do the research and decide for yourself. Check the library for tons of info on both questions. The spotlighthealth.com site has a support group for lapbanders so you will get tons of positive support in that direction there. I chose lap RNY for several reasons- I wanted the malabsorption and possible dumping from sugar as that was my big problem that got me fat, and the long term success rate statistics for RNY were the highest. Lap because I had had lap surgeries before and the recovery rate is much quicker with less scaring (just choose experienced lap surgeons). Also I had heard that with the band the success rate was not as high, took longer to lose the weight and needed frequent adjusting. And the biggest drawback to getting the band, insurance didn't pay for it!
   — Cindy R.

May 20, 2003
I just got my lapband on Friday. One of my incisions is larger than normal (due to my high BMI), and that is the only source of pain I have had since the day of surgery. Even with that, I felt almost back to normal by the day after surgery. I have had no pain from the normal sized lap incisions I have. I think that recovery should not be the sole consideration though. Things like safety of the operation, effectiveness of the operation, and what you can/can't eat after the different operations are also important. The lapband is the safest procedure, but also depends more on the individual's effort, so it is possible you will lose less with it than the RNY. However, remember that the RNY is not foolproof and you still need to make an effort to eat right and exercise for it to work well. The duodenal switch is widely considered the most effective operation in terms of weight loss (although it's still NOT a guarantee), yet the DS is also more risky and complex surgery than the RNY. Only you can decide how much risk is justified in your situation. No one surgery is right for everyone, so I definitely second the advice to do a lot of research so you can decide for yourself. Personally, one of the reasons I chose the lapband is because I don't think dumping is necessary for me personally. I haven't had a fill yet because my band is so new, but just from the normal swelling of my stomach from surgery, which stopped me from feeling hunger for a few days, I find that my cravings and obsessing over food became almost non-existent.
   — K M.

May 20, 2003
Am I understanding this correctly? Some people are choosing bypass over the band because they are relying on the *chance* that they'll have dumping syndrome to help them battle their bad habits? What if you're a sweet eater who doesn't develop dumping syndrome? I find it amazing that a side effect which was previously represented as a negative complication has now been spun into a positive by the medical community. While the FDA trial results (which the majority of US doctors quote statistics from) don't reflect results which are quite as good as the bypass, in Europe, Australia, and Mexico the lap band remains the weight loss surgery of choice since 1993. Studies in Sweden, for example, reflect that approximately 75% of band patients loose 75% or more of their excess weight within 18 months after the lap band surgery. On the issue of the regaining of weight, this quote is taken from the Beth Israel Medical Center website about gastric bypass: "Results from longer term follow-up data of the gastric bypass show that over a 5 year period, patients lost 58% of their excess weight. Over 10 years the loss was 55% and after 14 years, excess weight loss was 49%." The bottom line is that anyone who is determined to sabotage their weight loss will find a way to do so, regardless of which WLS they have. Gastric bypass and the lap band are tools and neither of them come with a written guarantee. They do, however, come with a very different set of risks and complications.
   — TMF

May 20, 2003
I don't think any surgery is better than the other...It all depends on what you are looking for and knowing yourself.I personally chose the rny.The fact is that the majority of people do dump with the rny so if you are a sweet eater this is a plus.I personally wanted and need this aspect of the surgery.Another reason that I decided on the rny is the 20% malabsorption that you get with it.Another reason that I chose it is because generally there is a slightly faster weightloss with the rny.Also...I got honest with myself...I know that I would probably work around the lapband and not be as successful.Notice how I've used the terms "generally" and "majority". I used those terms because nothing is absolute.Isn't it great though that we have choices in the types of surgery that we want.
   — jennifer A.

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