Search the Community

I met with Robbins yesterday. Nice guy. He's cleared me to the next phase. He told me he doesn't think I need a bypass that the sleeve would work just fine for me. Which surgery are you having? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

You need to concentrate on getting over the infection first. Then make sure you are taking in the correct amounts of protein, vitamins and water that you are supposed to each day. My dr suggested vitamins from Celebrate. They are designed especially for band, sleeve & bypass patients. If you do those things, you should get well, and start losing.

Autumn, I do not have lupus but my ex did. Tough disease. Please let me know (pm?) if you get some good info about lupus and VSG. My ex wanted bariatric surgery and I'd like to be able to give her some more info. What's the problem with bypass and lupus? Many people with lupus already have to do B12 shots because of the lupus attacking the intrinsic factor in their gut, so it seems that bypass wouldn't make it any worse. But then again, I don't hsve lupus and don't know the full scale of all the problems it can cause.

Not at all. Yes i had my operation in Kuwait. VSG is very popular here as with Gastric Bypass, Lap Band and Lap Balloon surgeries. Actually the first Lap Gastric Bypass surgery in the ME was performed in Kuwait in 2003 by my doctor Prof Jarallah, also the Misiter of Health 1999 - 2006. There are many ways to get financing, mainly through banks. For example a certain bank offers a " Health Loan " with very easy payments and with an interest rate of only 1%. You also get to pay your first installment in six months. Most medical insurance companies do not cover VSG unless the client has at least type 2 diabetes. Hope i answered your question.

A lot of people think the sleeve or even the bypass will prevent them from eating certain things. The thing is even with surgery. food addictions will make people eat things they shouldn't ignoring pain and discomfort. Nothing but not wanting to is going to stop people from eating things. I purposely chose the sleeve over the band and the bypass because it offered the most normal life post op. I knew I would be able to eat basically anything if I didn't have complications. That was the appeal of the sleeve. After months of eating healthy and getting results from it. I never want to go back to eating how I did before. Not even a little bit. The benefits of losing weight and being small far out weigh the taste of any food. Yet, I don't feel deprived at all because the sleeve helped me change my attitude about food. I hope that more people can make the life changing mental changes with food that are really the key to success. Surgery, the physical part is such a small fleeting thing.

woke up feeling like a semi truck sitting on my chest... My old band tubing was tucked in behind my liver and the dr found a soft mass on my bowel near my pancreas. He sent it off for pathology but says not to worry because they don't think it's anything to worry about... Sipping fluids yesterday was awful because of nausea and pain but today I'm feeling better . Walking halls and showered . Trying to begin sipping better .

My band slipped twice and was finally removed in March of 2015. 12 months later I am 130 lbs heavier and pre-op for the bypass. My date was set for June 15th and I am so excited. It took a bit for me to make the decision to move forward because of all the mental and physical torture the band put me in the last two years I had it. Then without the band I felt like a failure and watched my weight come back. the 15th cannot come fast enough. I know it will be different this time!

Hi.... Just viewed your video. Smart woman wanting answers. I had lap band in March, 2009. Immediately dropped 46 pounds, but plateaued after my first fill. At this point, I have gained several of my pounds back....aggravating and annoying. Lap band is nothing more than a TOOL. When they band you, they do surgery on your stomach, not your brain. Your emotional eating is still going to plague you and...consider this...with lap band you don't give up any foods. Yes, you can eat everything after you recover from surgery. However, that's a very crucial thought! All the 'bad' foods go down fairly easy and stay! In all honesty, if I could back track and do over....the Sleeve would be my choice. It's not as radical as bypass, but I think for me, it would have worked far better. You are just in going through the mental hunt prior to doing this. Just remember...quality of life is what your seeking in the future and for now, 100 pounds gone so you can participate in life. I have a friend who did the sleeve...lost her weight has kept it off...no extra effort in exercise or anything. I have a cousin/male...was severe diabetic and many other health issues plagued him. He had bypass and never looked back. No more health issues, runs marathons and loves life! It saved his life...he is 60. My health issues did subside...hypertension, diabetes type II, etc...I strongly urge you to consider the sleeve...it's between the other two...if this important to you...toss all the fear and move forward. We all need to do something 'special' for ourselves! Make yourself special and go for it! You will be glad you did! Pat

I agree with Aubrie. My doc tried to push the bypass too. More money. You have to do the research and do what is right for you. I agree, the band is not for everyone. You have to follow the rules. One thing for certain, morbid obesity is a disease. Just think for a minute about any surgical procedure. If you needed back surgery you would hear a hundred horror stories if you did enough research. Who really knows why complications arise? Every person is different. I love my band! At close to 300 lbs. I could have dropped dead at age 52 with my high blood pressure and other complications from obesity. Something had to be done.

Those are common quotes against the band. Here are some common quotes against the sleeve I found in a few minutes with Google: The stomach remaining after your sleeve gastrectomy WILL gradually stretch and permit larger meals. VSG is not reversible, and quite often, additional weight loss surgery is performed some time later after gastric sleeve. One study comparing gastric sleeve to gastric banding that shows the gastric sleeve to be about as effective as the lap band at 1 and 3 years following surgery. Less than 1000 patients with VSG have been studied and we really don't know what happens beyond 3 years! A portion of your stomach is cut out using a stapling device and then the surgeon sews over the staple line to try to prevent leaks. However, this is not fool proof. If your stomach leaks or there is a small perforation, it could cause a condition called peritonitis, which is life threatening. These metal staples stay in your body forever, much like the silicon lap band. Although thought to be safer than gastric bypass, truth be known, the safety of this procedure has NOT YET been established because it is very new. Of concern is the amount of stomach removed. Most surgeons are now removing and throwing out, 90-95 percent of the stomach and since the stomach is a critical digestive organ, this might cause some Vitamin deficiencies as well as Protein deficiencies. Vertical sleeve gastrectomy patients are told they have "fully functional stomachs" but since the stomach is now only 1-2 oz, this is highly UNLIKELY. In truth, all that is left from their stomach is 1-2 oz pouch which is the same size as a gastric bypass patient except the gastric bypass patient can have their stomach reconnected if there are problems. A percentage of patients get severe reflux... not only of acid but of bile as well. The risk of death with the gastric sleeve is likely considerably less than the bypass but higher than with the adjustable lap band. In the long term, you may be in higher risk for a herniated stomach or distention of the esophagus. Some patients have complained that the tiny part of the stomach left can "twist" Because of most of the stomach being cut away, the digestion of protein and vitamin B12 may be compromised. This is due to less stomach acid and also possibly a lower amount of "intrinsic factor" being produced. You may have to take vitamin B12 shots. - should check levels often. Unlike the lap band, the amount of restriction is not adjustable. If you need a revision, it's another risky surgery. Again, all I'm saying is that all surgery has risks, what is the right choice for one person may not be the right choice for another, and that choosing a good doctor is critical.

All else aside, for me the bottom line was this: the band is usually reversible. The sleeve, bypass, duodenal switch, vertically banded gastroplasty...not. I didn't want them to cut out my stomach, my duodenum... if I have problems with the band in a year or two or ten we'll see what wonderful new thing they have then. For now, I don't care if the sleeve would do back flips and call me "honey"...if it isn't reversible, I don't want it.

The LONG TERM issues are greater in number with banding. You can have: Esophageal damage, Esophageal dilation, Esophageal spasms, Pouch dilation, Stoma spasms, Port flips, Port infections (possible each time you get a fill), Band intolerance, Slips, Obstruction due to swelling, Erosion, Band intolerance, Scarring growing under the band causing too much restriction even with no fill, Mechanical malfunctions such as tubing being disconnected, holes, leaks, kinked tubing all requiring surgery to repair. Sleeves long term can have: The need to take B12 Vitamins, Strictures. Many food cravings do disappear with sleeves because of the removal of Ghrelin. If you check out the sleeve section of LBT you'll see many (most?) people that no longer have the cravings we used to have. Not to the same degree. I fully relate to the food addiction issue but for me it's a food obsession. We really don't go through withdrawal like a cocaine addict. We obsess over food. We think about it all the time. The difference really needs to be made because there is no effective treatment for an addiction but there is effective treatment for obsession. With an addiction you suck it up and deal with it. With an obsession you take meds and it can potentially kill your head hunger and the way you think about food all the time. This is one area where I LOVE LOVE LOVE my doc! He will give Luvox or Paxil for food obsessions. If you are really struggling he'll treat it. I have a lot more control over food obsession today than I did three years ago. But sometimes it gets hard and I take Luvox for a few weeks and that kills my head hunger. I just quit taking it a few days ago because it's under control again. I take Luvox probably 2-3 weeks maybe 2-3 times a year. When I take Luvox I become one of those people that needs to remember to eat. With no head hunger and no stomach hunger it makes life easier. When both are kicking it, life is hard. Very hard. There is actually a huge amount of information on the internet about sleeves. Thing is, you have to go to a website of a doctor that does them or the information is outdated. Long term studies just came out last summer. Many doctors have not updated their websites. I was a little apprehensive of being sleeved but now that it's done it's no big deal. I was far more aware of my band than I am of my sleeve. I just get full quickly. It's done by lap surgery just like a band. Recovery is about the same. Having been banded and sleeved I know being sleeved is so much easier. I don't have to worry about fills, unfills, restriction issues, sweet spots, getting stuck, etc. For the sleeve they remove the fundus of your stomach. That part of your stomach does two things, it is elastic so it holds a great deal of food and it produces Ghrelin. That's all it does. All the important stuff is still there. The nerves, the pyloric valve, etc. It's just smaller, that's all. With a band if you don't chew well you get stuck. I don't have to chew as much as I did with a band. We have to chew better than we did before when we inhaled food but nothing like with banding. I view the fundus of my stomach the same as I would a diseased appendix or gallbladder. It does nothing positive for me. I do not want the ability to eat a large quantity of food, I want to eat small portions without chewing to a paste and be full quickly. This does it for me. You choose not to alter your anatomy. What if you had gallbladder problems such as stones? Wouldn't you alter your anatomy to remove it? I would. The fundus of my stomach was nothing short of unhealthy because it permitted me to eat, gain weight, and be obese. And btw, you are altering your anatomy with a band. Mother Nature did not intend to put a band around your stomach and grow layers of scar tissue engulfing the band. People think that you can remove the band and your stomach is exactly like it was before banding. Not true. Sleeves are not for everyone, bands are not for everyone. Same with Bypass and DS. You have to find what works for you and go for it.

Sleeves, RNY, bypass, lap band, etc. All of these are surgery. All of these have dire risks if done improperly. All of these can work or not work. A Lap band implant is the quickest of the options. Because of this, there are a lot of doctors out there setting up high volume "band mills" geared around quick surgical turnaround. Equalize away the hack doctors jumping on the "bandwagon" and I personally believe the band is the safest of all possible surgeries long term, simply due to it being the least invasive and not going down the malabsorption path. Bottom line? Whatever WLS you choose, use the best doctor you can find. It amazes me to read about surgery decisions made solely on best possible price. Some people research the shampoo they use more than the doctor they pick.

Hi everyone, I recently saw my surgeon and was very excited to get my lap band surgery scheduled. However, while with the surgeon she actually recommended against the lap band!! I felt this would be the safer less extreme weight loss surgery and was very optimisitc that it would be the best for me. My doctor said the complication rate was much higher with the band than the gastric bypass. She said if it was her friend or family members she would not want them to have the lap band. She told me of the many complictions and of all the fills that would be needed and kinda freaked me out. She said it was up to me that she would do the surgery if that is what I decided to go with but now I am not so sure. Can anyone advise me on this? I am not sure what to think about this anymore. Other than trying to decide to go forward I am all ready to be scheduled for surgery. Thanks Dawn :thumbup:

Hello I would suggest that you go with what surgery is best for you - not let your schooling decide for you! School can be postponed, your health cannot! However, that being said, I would say that in your situation, a band would be better as there's less healing to go through. Remember that with a Bypass you'll have had major major surgery, spent some time in Intensive Care and been pretty poorly. With a band there is not a single change to your anatomy, and to be honest, after 10 days I was feeling more or less back to normal. The "lack of food thing" you speak about - I feel no different - no ligtheadedness etc. I've had my 2nd fill and I'm still not at my sweet spot yet, but I'm getting there and am losing weight slowly. To those that don't know i've had the band, my diet is working well!!!! After the band the pain was completely tolerable - only 2 or 3 days of taking pain killers, and then rest for a few days. after 10 days I was out walking 3 miles a day and enjoying the rest of my time off work (My GP signed me off work for 3 weeks!!!!! - totally unecessary!)

Actually my point was that long term effects are primarily keyed off of the quality of the surgeon and not the type of procedure. For example, check out this web site. I wouldn't buy a ShamWow from this hard-sell clown college. - The Mini Gastric Bypass There are Sleeve Mills and Bypass Mills just like there are Band Mills. PS to "clos.net": Since you like to take our out-of-context quotes from lapbandtalk and use them without our permission to imply that lap band surgery is deadly and ineffective, I'm giving you permission to use this post on your site as well. :thumbup:

Mjalways, I agree! My doctor actually recommends anyone over 100 lbs. to lost to have the bypass, but I was just scared to death of having that type of surgery and am glad is went with the band. It was actually this site that helped me make my decision. The doctor did support my band decision, but just wanted to give me the facts so I could my "my" decision wisely. He is happy with my progress so far. Going into my third year I am still thrilled.

wow. I'm amazed (though in my line of work, i shouldn't be) at how many bad surgeons are out there. Mine is very well respected, has done tons of RNYs and Bands (he's mid 50's, the perfect age to be cutting me in the opinion of my attorney, who happens to be me)-- he put on no pressure for either procedure, even though he charges about 5k more for the bypass. This is the kind of guy who is booked ahead by almost 5 months, because he's THE guy in the Pittsburgh area... He talked to me about what kind of eater I am, and outlined the things needed for success with the band--- he said only rarely did he try and push an option that wasn't what the patient had in mind---because in his experience, most people know what is going on and what they want well before they see him. He will advise them to go the other way when he thinks they are making the wrong choice, but told me that happens less than 10% of the time for him. Glad I got my guy---this thread was making me apprehensive about tomorrow--- but my group has been in existence for quite a while, is a "center of excellence" --and has experience with the band back to US clinical trials. I've been told that even 5 years out, they've seen very few coplications, and that they are very proactive about fixing things when they do go wrong. My surgeon said that from what he has seen, that the band is the safer way to go. everyone is different, but i'm damned glad i'm in good hands, and intend on following the post op to the letter.

Fantastic because Ibhave to get all this weight off...bypass hopefully will help me get on track.

@@Pinkgirl1234 I'm so sorry to hear that happened. I know you must be devastated. Does this mean that you can never have a revision, or that they just have to wait awhile to give you a chance to heal? I sure hope it's the latter.

I am revising. I was previously banded Nov 2011. Lost 80 pounds, but developed problems with my band about 2.5 yrs out. I hit the green zone once. Long story short, my band cause so many reflux issues, heartburn all the time, vomiting. It eventually slipped and I just had it removed in August 2015. I am revising to bypass 11/30/15. I initially wanted sleeve, but because of the damage caused from my band with my reflux issues, the sleeve would make reflux worse. I am happy with my bypass decision. I should have chosen bypass in the first place. I am told that revision patients lose a little bit slower than a new WLS patient. We shall see.

@ I assume you're talking to me because it was my revision that just failed. The doc said I can try again in about three months but now I have to hope I heal, hope the insurance approves another go, and come up with all the money for out of pocket and travel expenses

All day today, I was not able to keep down any liquids at all. I would take the smallest sip and I could feel it just sitting there. I was almost panicking and getting ready to call the doctor. As I was standing in the bathroom at work, looking in the mirror, I noticed my clothes were a little disheveled, so I began to straighten them up...you know...in case I had to go to ER. Well.....I adjusted my sexy VS front clasp bra and felt immediate relief. I could fill the Water going down. Apparently, my bra was hindering my ability to digest liquids today. LOL It would have been nice to discovered this early this morning instead of spending all day planning my bypass apocalypse.

Agree with the reply to research research research and make your own decision. The main things I found after a couple of yrs research was that the band is less invasive and less tramatic to the body. And it is reversible if some sever illness or complication occurs. The bypass is not reversible if there are severe problems. I chose banding because of existing medical conditions and felt it would be less of a risk of complications for me. However the results have not been what I expected so I decided to join this forum to see what others have experienced.

I all I'm finding some comfort reading your stories. I am due for bypass surgery next week and am a little bit afraid. X