Question:
I got approved for lap banding and now I am thinking about switching to lapbypass.

any suggestions? I need to lose 110 lbs to meet goal.    — teresa A. (posted on January 24, 2003)

January 24, 2003
Hi, I have an opinion about this. You can read on the internet that while you may loose less weight with the band it is a less invasive surgery and it is also more easily reversavle if you have major problems adjusting. I personally don't like the idea of all that equipment. I think I would feel strange. I haven't studied the lap band extensively but from what I've read it seems to be an easier surgery. Overall I think you shouls discuss it with your doc and see what's best for you.
   — Heather R.

January 24, 2003
See my profile I almost ad the band but am happy with my RNY. Malabsorbtion and minor dumping helped me a lot. With the band a person who likes high calorie liquids like milkshakes or orange juice can easily eat out there surgery. Plus liquids and junk food are band friendly:( I think the band is better for volume eaters. My surgeon says his AVERAGE band loss is 55% RNY 80% Hopes this helps with your decision. You can go to the bandersyahoo site for more info. I think having the port would of bothered me:(
   — bob-haller

January 24, 2003
This biggest difference between the surgeries is that with the Bypass you will have a small portion of the intestine bypassed--the portion that absorbs fats and refined sugars (hence the interolance of these things and dumping). That is why it has a high amount of weight loss...its also the more risker of the two and the more invasive of the two. I personally think the Lap Band should be considered if EATING TOO MUCH is your only issue......my issue is the absorption of the fats and sugars and I need both tools to help me. Hope this helps a little more.
   — Kerry R.

January 24, 2003
I've noticed that you can re-gain your weight with either of these surgeries, unfortunately. Both require a commitment to changing your eating habits and keeping up with your exercise if you want to lose the weight AND keep it off.<P>Also, a number of RNY patients never dump (I'm one of those), or stop dumping after a year or so out (when their systems re-adjust after surgery). There may be calories saved by the malabsorption, but still, without dumping, you're getting stuck with vitamin deficiencies that you MUST supplement for, without the corresponding "benefit" of dumping. That doesn't make it any easier to choose, does it? ;)<P>If you're a sweets eater, maybe the RNY is the better choice for you, since chances are good that you will be someone who "dumps" (at least initially) -- most people do, despite the fact that some don't. If you're merely a volume eater (not so much sweets), maybe the band makes more sense. Having said that, as a volume eater, I chose the RNY because I also didn't like the idea of a port, and a band seemed somehow more temporary. I don't know much about banding, though, clearly there are many others who can give you better info on the technical workings of it.
   — Suzy C.

January 24, 2003
I had the band on 9/30/02, I've read everyones posts so far and they are right about one thing, if you are a sweet freak you will not be as successful with the band unless you make life changes. I'm a sweet freak myself so I should know. I've lost 34 pounds in almost four months, I know that doesn't seem like a lot compaired to what people with RNY or others, but the holidays and me didn't get a long too well. I'm back on track now. As far as the port is concerned I don't have any problems with it now, it was alittle uncomfortable for about a month. I hope this helps and let me know if you have any questions.
   — Genn2973

January 25, 2003
I like sweets and I am successful with my band. I've had it 6 months. I have averaged a loss of 11 pounds per month. IF a person deals with the emotional issues that have caused him or her to overeat, the sweet issue shouldn't be a big deal at all. You learn to live with the band. For instance, I could have a chocolate chip cookie but that would take up almost all the space in my pouch and I wouldn't be able to get in my protein, which I know I need to lose weight. I do eat sweets every once in a while, but why would I eat them all the time-knowing that they are preventing me from getting the nutrition I need. Eating sweets instead of actual nutritious food on a regular basis seems like repeating behavior that got us NOWHERE. Why would we do it? My advice, no matter which surgery anybody chooses, is do some MAJOR emotional work alone or with a therapist on why you overeat. Then you have a huge chance of being successful over the LONG TERM.
   — M. B.

January 26, 2003
You really need to assess your eating habits now in order to decide which procedure is best for you. Are you a volume eater who feels that simply cutting back on the quantity that you eat is the solution? If that's the case, then the Lap-Band makes some sense. If you feel that your weight is largely a result of genetics, and that you are MO despite the fact that you don't eat huge quanities of food, then a bypass might be a better choice, because it provides some level of malabsorption. A proximal RNY is the most common bypass procedure, and it provides more restriction/less malabsorption, so that the initial weight comes off mostly due to food limits and restrictions, but over the long term after your intestine adapts, the weight maintenance will depend on you maintaining some fundamental changes to your eating behavior. A choice that allows you a moderate amount of restriction and a higher level of malabsorption is the Duodenal Switch procedure. If you're like I was -- not a perfect eater but certainly never a binger -- then the DS may be the best solution, because it permanently changes the way your body processes food. You can eat normal amounts, normal variety of foods, including high fat items, and your weight will stay off long term. The trade-off is that a more malabsorptive surgery means you also malbsorb more nutrients, so you must compensate for that by being very committed to lifelong vitamin supplementation and aftercare. My vitamin regimen is comprised of 1 prenatal, 1 iron, a 6 calcium tablets per day. Only 8 pills, not a biggie, but it would eventually be a biggie if I didn't stay diligent in taking them every day. I'm three years, three months post-op now, all my labs are perfect, and my body is finally FIXED with regard to food. If you sat down to a meal with me, you would never in a million years guess that I'd had any WLS. I eat normally. I live normally. I eat what I want, when I want, as much as I want. The DS gives you "normal" better than any other option. See my profile for more information.
   — mmagruder

January 26, 2003
you can eventually have regain issues with both the Lap Band and the RNY surgeries,and although they are less invasive than the Duodenal Switch or DS,the Ds offers not only a regain potential of almost none, but also offers the highest percentage lost weight of all the surgeries. feel free to check out the duodenal switch website that offers comparison charts. duodenalswitch.com.I had my surgery 8 months ago and am eating small normal meals. I caneat a 6 oz steak , 1/2 a baked potatoe with butter and sour cream and a small salad with a fat based dressing. We malabsorb fats so it passes right through us also I can eat sweets as I have room for them and still lose weight.I love my DS.
   — Laura W.