Question:
Can't seem to decide between Lap Band and RNY. Help
I went to my initial consult and the doctor recommended that I have RNY, since my problem is sweets. I decided to seek a second opinion and the doctor was singing praises to Lap Band. I must note that this is the only type of WLS that the second doctor does, whereby the first one does both. I really want to lose weight badly, but I am worried about long term health after effects. Please help — love to shop (posted on April 14, 2003)
April 14, 2003
All I can say is click on my name below and read my summary then go to my
webpage and read about why I chose the surgery I chose. I know I made the
best decision for me.
— M. B.
April 14, 2003
If you look at my profile it starts out all band but I choose the RNY and
am very happy. I loved high calorie liquids like chocloate milk and shakes
pre op. The mild dumping helps keep me on the straight and narrow waist:)
My surgeons bander loss rate isnt as good as the RNY about 53%, and I only
wanted one surgery, the RNY is approved by the NIH, and the gold standard
for WLS. Some banders loose it all but I WOULD NOT HAVE HAD ENOUGH
WILLPOWER to be a success.
— bob-haller
April 14, 2003
If you look at my profile it starts out all band but I choose the RNY and
am very happy. I loved high calorie liquids like chocloate milk and shakes
pre op. The mild dumping helps keep me on the straight and narrow waist:)
My surgeons bander loss rate isnt as good as the RNY about 53%, and I only
wanted one surgery, the RNY is approved by the NIH, and the gold standard
for WLS. Some banders loose it all but I WOULD NOT HAVE HAD ENOUGH
WILLPOWER to be a success.
— bob-haller
April 14, 2003
I think this is a decision you have to make after being VERY honest with
yourself about WHO YOU ARE. For me it wasn't about what choices everybody
and their mother, brother, or girlfriends cousin made. :-) I could sit
here and tell you why I choose the procedure I did, but it has nothing to
do with YOUR food habits, exercise commitment, emotional issues, etc. For
example, you mentioned sweets. Are you absolutely committed to curtailing
your intake of sweets on your own, or do you need the negative
reinforcement of dumping? It's not a bad thing to admit you may need to
undergo a more drastic procedure to be successful. This is said over and
over again, but no matter what procedure you choose, wls is a mere tool.
The question is which tool are you committed to making work, and are the
complications of each tool worth the ride?
— Leni M.
April 14, 2003
I am for both of the surgeries. I have researched them both. My research
shows that there is the same approximate weight loss with both. The MEAN
(average) weight loss for both is about 69% of excess weight loss after 3
years. The lap-band takes a while longer to lose the weight, whereas, the
RNY the loss is a lot quicker making it a lot more desirable. I know there
are a lot of pro-RNYers out there who say they "wouldn't want some
foreign object in them" but who wants their insides rearranged either
and have to wonder what the future ahead may bring them with the
malabsorbtion issues. Each type of surgery is a miracle to us and it is
completely up to you which types you decide on. May God bless you on
whatever you choose.
— lindadougherty
April 14, 2003
I agree with the previous posters that you must make this decison for
yourself after careful research and consideration. You need to take into
consideration what your particular demons are. I believe you said sugar is
a problem for you - well dumping would definitely help with that.
For me, it was a no brainer. I wanted the benefit of less comsumption,
less absorption and dumping. I had a tremendous amount to lose and didn't
want to rely strictly on limited intake. With the lab band, you can cheat
pretty easily - milk shakes go down very well. I have a young cousin who
had the adjustable lab band in October and she isn't losing but about 8
pounds a month - and her doctor told her that 10 pounds a month was
normal. But I know for a fact that she drinks milk shakes, eats ice cream
and drinks soft drinks - and not the sugar free ones either. For me, that
would be way too easy to mess up.
I had my RNY (open) 11/29/01 and lost 160 pounds in less than a year. I
had my panniculectomy (tummy tuck) Feb. 4 of this year and have now lost a
total of 181 pounds in just over 16 months. This worked for me. You will
have to decide what will work best for you. By the way, I am 56 years old
and now weigh less than the amount I lost. Would I do it again? You bet I
would.
Good luck with your decision and your surgery.
— Patty_Butler
April 15, 2003
Erina, something else to check out is whether your insurance company will
cover the lap band. When I was first considering which surgery, I was
intrigued by the lap band but since it was fairly new in this Country, my
insurance company did not cover it, so that made my decision easy. I, too,
had heard that the loss rates are less with the lap band long term and my
surgeon continues to say to this day it is about 65% with lap band and 80+
percent with RNY (I may not have these figures exact...). I, too, have a
problem with sweets and wanted the dumping, but be aware that with the RNY
about 30 percent do not dump at all, and some of us, like me, only feel ill
if I eat alot of sugar. There are some,however, that do dump on just
little bits of sugar. As for long term health, no one knows for sure, as
most of us RNY'ers are under 5 years post-op. There are no long term
studies out there. But I feel fairly sure that as long as I get my blood
tested regularly, eat protein and take my vitamins/supplements every day, I
will remain much healthier as a post-op RNY'er than I would have being
morbidly obese.
— Cindy R.
Click Here to Return