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I can understand your feelings. I am scheduled for surgery July 17 and I am anxious & happy. But my happiness is outweighing me being anxious. Kind of weird to have them at the same time. I had two surgeries on my feet in the past and risks were discussed & I understood them. Unfortunately, surgery wasnt successful so I will have to have another surgery next year. I have chronic pain too. I can accept that because I understood the risk & possible outcome. So, with the gastric bypass surgery I have a good understanding of the risks and to always check in with my doctor if I encounter any problems and or if something is not right. My surgeon Dr Joyce is such a great surgeon. I trust him. It really helps when you and your surgeon can bond. You trust him and he trusts you to call him when there is a problem. This is a big decision and it will get us on a healthier pathway. Choosing to be healthy is always a good thing. The thoughts I have about being healthy outweighs the risks or complications that may happen. God is good God give us strength

I was really interested in the sleeve at first but upon further research im liking the bypass better, mainly for the long term success and because of dumping. I love the fact that eating bad food will make you regret it. my mom and my surgeon are really on board with the sleeve though! I dont know what to do here... I really trust the surgeons opinions and recommendations but i really feel the bypass is the way to go for me! help! anyone in similar situations? which surgery did you have and what are your results? did you wish you had chosen differently? any info about your surgery would be great thanks! TIA, very confused bariatric patient

Most doctors won't do lap band anymore because the results aren't very good - most people don't lose too much weight and many people have a lot of complications. A lot of people end up having to have them removed and getting it revised to sleeve or bypass. Is there a reason you really want lap band rather than sleeve or bypass?

Friends of mine are discouraging me against the bypass. I've spoken with them about what I've read with its results regarding pcos etc. They're concerned I'll look sickly afterwards.

Count me in too, Nanook! Had a HORRIBLE experience with the band (it almost killed me....it really did!), it was removed a year ago, and at the same time I had a RNY. I have since lost 100 pounds exactly, and I am at my very perfect weight. I have had a few complications; stricture and ulcer, but they are coming under control. As time goes on, I think there will be many more who have "revised"......either to RNY or perhaps the sleeve..... HH

Actually, my surgeon says that the Gastric Bypass (or RNY) is reversible. It's an involved surgery, not often done, but it is possible to undo it and return the patient to almost presurgery status. The sleeve truly is irreversible. At least in it's current form. If the Gastric plication turns out to be effective, then the sleeve could possibly be reversible too.

Here's a list of questions (with recent updates) that I posted quite some time ago. Since you're coming up on your last appointment you'll likely have answers to some of these already but hopefully you'll find others that will prove useful. What are the risks? How often do patients have complications following surgery? What side effects are the most common? What are the benefits? What should I expect after surgery? Realistically, what weight loss should I expect following surgery and over what period of time? What are "stalls" or "plateaus"? How long do they last and if I do experience them, what can I do to shorten their duration? Will any new technology be used e.g. robotics? Is the hospital and surgeons office accredited by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP)? This is a combination of the programs formerly offered by two highly respected surgical societies - The American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). Beginning in 2012, this accreditation replaced the former Bariatric Centers of Excellence. Are you board certified in bariatric surgery? How many roux-en-y gastric bypass surgeries have you performed? Have you experienced any surgery related mortalities? Do you have patients that are willing to share their weight loss surgery experiences, positive and negative? What types of support groups and counseling will be available post-op? What information can you give me to help family and friends better understand the surgery? How often do you see your patients following surgery? What is the significance of Protein following surgery? Does your practice offer support services for psychological needs? What assistance is available for helping me secure insurance approval? Who should I speak with regarding insurance related questions? What pre-op testing will be done? What post-op testing will be done? Will I need Vitamins after my surgery and if so, what types? When can I start exercising after my surgery? How likely is it that I will regain weight after surgery? Think of the meeting with your surgeon as an interview. You're looking for an answer to "Why are you and your team the most qualified for the job?" You're gonna love the new you!!

First I like to congratulate you on your choice to be healthy, the above comments are true, but you can also research both on line on buy both the sleeve book and gastric bypass book they both are great I bought both. I had the choice yo get either one but my husband reminded me about all of the tums I pop from early ulcer so it was recommended. For me to get the bypass because the sleeves makes ulcers worse . Good luck .

You might be allergic to the surgical glue they used. Cortisone cream will help, and oral Benadryl at night is good too. I am very allergic to chlorhexidine, which is the typical cleanser they use to clean your skin in the operating room. I had a bad rash from groin to neck that lasted for almost a month after my bypass surgery. It was extremely itchy and miserable. I now have it listed as an allergy, but my vascular surgeon used it on my leg for a procedure at the beginning of this month. The rash is finally just gone. I am having plastic surgery tomorrow and will remind them repeatedly to not use chlorhexidine. Talk to your surgeon to find out what they used so it does not get used on you again.

The sleeve is a good choice for many. But not all. I'm pretty happy with my RNY. I think malabsorbtion is necessary for some types of people....it does play a role with some kinds of weight issues. As much as the sleeve SOUNDS like a perfect solution, well, it's still pretty new. I know, they've been doing them for a long time, but in very, very small numbers. It's only recently "taken off". So, there are not the huge numbers of patients to draw statistics from....we really don't have any idea what the long-term outcome is, in large numbers. There WILL be some flaw, some point of common difficulty that will be realized eventually....there is in EVERY form of WLS. One of the good things about the bypass is that they have doing them for 50 years, in very large numbers (in recent years), and we have more long-term stats with GB than any other WLS. The drs know pretty much what is going to happen short and long term with the majority of patients. The great thing is that we have choices. And I suspect that in the next decade there will be even more choices, surgical and medication and who-knows-what-else. And, I do believe that they will ultimately perfect REVERSALS for many of these surgical procedures so that down the road, if something better surfaces, we can enjoy those options as well. It's a pretty neat time to be alive, eh?:thumbup: HH

When I saw the heading Kaiser Nor Cal, it sparked my interest. I live in the Sac area and was sent to SF Kaiser because I was trying to get them to pay for band removal and revision. This was about 4 years ago. Frankly the doc was a jerk. He told me it was waaaay too dangerous and if I had my band removed and a revision, I would probably end up dead or in a nursing home. Yes! He actually used those words! He offered to remove my band and have me go through the whole new patient process all over again and ..."then we'll see". I was just wondering if anyone here has had Kaiser approve and pay for any type of bariatric revision surgery?

I am not sure about the "lower class" but it could be jealously because we have to actually put in more work than they do. They may feel like they took the easier way out. Plus, there are a lot of doctors that try to paint such an ugly picture of the band to convince them not to get it. I know my sister's doctor kept trying to convince her to do the Gastric Bypass but she stuck to her wants. Some of us are still able to eat some of our favorite foods vs. them getting sick (some of us do too). We have the option of going to get adjustments vs. them streching their stomach back out over the years. I know we can strech our pouch too but if we follow the rules and get our adjustments we don't have to worry about that.

We did not let them ruin our fun, but I just never had an idea that they looked down on us. One support groups I go to is all types of surgeries and most of them do have the bypass but they have never made us feel we were less then them. The other one is all people with bands. I love my band and am so happy with the choice I made even though my surgeon did try to talk me into the bypass. Sad people all just can't be happy for each other with the choice they made for themselves Cheri

Hi I had a band in 2009 - it was extremely successful. The band eroded when I was pregnant so I had to have it out last year. I was sleeved in February 2014 and I haven't had any restriction since day 1 ( I know all about slider foods/what I should be eating). I saw my surgeon yesterday. I was thinking of getting a bypass but he is talking about putting on another band. I'm having a barium swallow tomorrow. My questions are: has this happened to anyone else? Did you have another band or a bypass and what were the results. I would really appreciate some feedback - this situation is killing me:(

Is it true that weight loss with the band is basically the same as weight loss with a diet? And if it is, why have surgery at all? From time to time, a bandster will comment (sometimes in the context of a complaint, sometimes just in surprise or confusion) that weight loss with the band is basically the same as weight loss with a diet. They’re disappointed by this. They expected WLS to make weight loss easier than it is with dieting, and while that's true, it's only part of weight loss success. They may hold the mistaken belief that the band itself is what causes weight loss, but that’s not true either. The band is just a piece of plastic. Although it’s inside the patient’s body, it does not directly affect the way nutrients from food are ingested or metabolized. It releases no weight loss instructions into the patient’s bloodstream, nervous system, or endocrine system. It doesn’t directly affect the patient’s eating behavior or exercise habits. It doesn’t compel the patient to make good food choices, limit portion sizes, eat slowly, or resist the urge to graze or binge because of boredom, stress, cravings, etc. After reading that long list of what the band doesn’t do, you may be thinking that it’s a mighty expensive and not very helpful weight loss tool. Why go through the risk, trouble and expense of WLS when you could achieve the same results with plain old dieting? HALF EMPTY OR HALF FULL? Here’s some news that may shock you: I lost 100% of my excess weight by dieting after my band surgery. My dietitian gave me a food plan to follow, and I followed it. It never occurred to me to do otherwise or to complain about that because my bariatric team had made it clear that I, not my band, was going to have to make some significant lifestyle changes in order to succeed. It wasn’t until after the excess weight was gone, after a big unfill to treat an irritated esophagus and stoma (after swallowing a large, corrosive antibiotic capsule), that I realized how much my band had been helping me by reducing my appetite and giving me early (if not always prolonged) satiety. I had been taking my band for granted – out of sight, out of mind. I suppose it’s possible that I had been experiencing a placebo effect; that my band worked for me simply because I believed it would. If so, it was a remarkable and long-lived placebo effect. It wasn’t until my band was being refilled after a complete unfill (to treat a band slip) when I was 3 years post-op that I experienced a stunning, “Oh, so this is what it’s all about!” aha moment. My experience of restriction then was quite different than it had been the first time around, because I understood more about my band’s effects and how to optimize those effects, and because my body had changed so drastically since my surgery. Whether your 8-ounce water glass is half empty or half full, it still contains 4 ounces. Getting the most out of those 4 ounces is largely a matter of attitude adjustment. You can accept that you have 4 ounces, then make the best of it, or you can give up all together and spend your life in wistful regret. You can find another way to fill your WLS glass – complain to your surgeon, or the band manufacturer, revise to a different WLS procedure – or give up altogether and spend your life in angry regret. Taking the “half full” viewpoint may be easier for me than for others because I’m an opportunist who actually enjoys making a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. Webster defines “opportunist” as one who uses the art, policy, or practice of taking advantage of opportunities or circumstances, often with little regard for principles or consequences. Since I do have immense regard for principles and consequences, perhaps I’m not a classic opportunist. But I see nothing wrong with taking advantage of opportunities and circumstances when my own careful plans aren’t working or have led me into unknown territory. Resourcefulness has been a handy life skill for me. BUT I WANT IT TO BE RIGHT THE FIRST TIME I do know what it’s like to be disappointed with a purchase, though, be it a band, a blouse, or a bicycle. I want the item I purchase to be suitable, if not perfect, for its intended use. During a shift at my retail “day job” the other day, I helped a customer whose garment size wasn’t in stock. She didn’t want to order that garment – she wanted it now, so much so that she considered buying the wrong size and having it altered to fit her. Before I could volunteer an opinion, this woman uttered the very words I was thinking: “I hate to pay good money for something new and have to alter it. I just want to buy it and wear it.” If I were a better (or pushier) salesperson, she might have bought that garment, but I’m not and she didn’t. If your adjustable gastric band hasn’t (yet) lived up to your expectations, you do have my sympathy. It’s not easy – if even possible – to return a disappointing medical implant, and it’s maddening to have to “alter” it (by dieting, for example) to make it work for you. I could tell you (unhelpfully) that your expectations were not realistic, but it’s also possible that your surgeon educated you well, you’re a “compliant” patient, and yet your band just isn’t up to snuff. According to Doctors Jerome Groopman and Pamela Hartzband, authors of Your Medical Mind, “Medicine is an uncertain science.” No one, not even your doctor, can say with certainty what impact a condition “will have on an individual’s life or how someone will experience the side effects from a particular treatment. Each of us is unique in the interplay of genetic makeup and environment. The path to maintaining or regaining health is not the same for everyone.” Doctors Groopman and Hartzband go on to describe what they call the ‘focusing illusion’. “In trying to forecast the future, all of us tend to focus on a particular aspect of our lives that would be negatively affected by a proposed treatment. This then becomes the overriding element in decision making. The focusing illusion neglects our extraordinary capacity to adapt, to enjoy life with less than ‘perfect’ health. Imagining life with a colostomy, after a mastectomy, or following prostate surgery can all be skewed by the focusing illusion. We cannot see how the remaining parts of our lives expand to fill the gaps created by the illness and its treatment.” Despite carefully-devised formulas and scoring systems (intended to direct resources and money to those most likely to survive) for calculating a patient’s chances of surviving a treatment or illness, doctors are lousy at predicting outcomes. A study in England found that one out of 20 ICU patients who doctors predicted would die actually lived, and most of those who survived had a good quality of life. I don’t think that’s a sign of medical incompetence. I think it’s a sign of the unquenchable human spirit and its enduring will to survive and even thrive against all odds. One of my life goals is to survive and thrive, no matter what. That’s an ambition you can’t get from a medical device or bottle of medicine. It comes from within you, and if you think you don’t have it, or not enough of it, I suggest that you look again. You might be pleasantly surprised.

Hi there, I had a gastric bypass on 29th November and bleeding started a few days later. Still bleeding. Been on depo for 9 months and had no periods at all. Did your bleeding resolve or did your doctor prescribe you something to help with it. Tried asking the nurse when I went for my b12 jab and she wasn't interested.

I just found out today that I have to have revision surgery to correct an incorrect band placement. Is the recovery time the same as for the first surgery?

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 had surgery in 2009 started off fine lost 40 lbs within the first 4 months i was excited! in Novemeber of 2009 i moved to nyc (from MA) i lost insurance and everything went down hill! i stayed steady at my weight 230. Got my insurance and looked for a new DR and no one wanted "someone elses bander" in March of 2010 i found out i was Pregnant Gained normal pregnancy weight climbed to 260. The last filled i recieved was in december of 2009.During my pregnancy i wasnt unfilled. December 2010 i gave birth to my first child healthy little girl!! Finally in January after complaining of having trouble eating i was referred to a DR that would take me. She Did a swallow study and it showed that i have a dialated esophogus =0( i was never treated for my lapband during my pregnancy. i have about 4cc's in my band that i learned to eat around. Im not gaining besides the weight i gained while pregnant but not loosing either. After 3 years in nyc i decided to move back to MA and am going to see my DR who banded me on April 19th. Im ready to do what needs to be done i admit i cheated alot but have cut that out and started making healthier choices. In ny i was offered the option of switching to another form of surgery which i objected to. i love my band and it worked for me i guess im just wondering if theres any one out there who has dealt with or is dealing with this similiar dilemma? IS another surgery (bypass) the only option?! I feel like a failure and feel ashamed that i have failed my lapband by neglecting it. please feel free to get in contact with me i could use a buddy or two!

I had Lap Band surgery in 2004. I can't eat fruits and anything else that is not soft. I have severe GERD and acid reflux. I would like to have revision to Mini Gastric Bypass, all that done in Toronto, Canada. What is that like, is it a good choice? What are the possible problems with Mini Gastric Bypass? How do you maintain weight since it is not adjustable?

Hello everyone. I got word from my coordinator at my doctors office that my paperwork will go to submission within 7 days and then it may take 2-3 weeks for the approval. Does anyone else have any experience with BC- BS NC? I am getting RNY gastric bypass.

You don't mention what kind of revision you are seeking. Are you thinking of just redoing sleeve or converting to a DS? I am also in Florida. I live in Orlando but had my band and revision to sleeve in Miami. My insurance (BCBS FED) covered my revision from band to sleeve even though I self paid for band. There is a new doctor in Celebration doing the DS if that is what you are looking for. Best of luck!

I go monday for my seminar for the lap band and was wondering if any one had been approved thru health reach ppo, I wa denied for the gastric bypass due to lack of evidince saying my weight was life threating however my family doctor has gave me a knew letter that sounds very convincing but know i am sure i dont want to get the bypass (thank God )i want the lap band more safer .but i was wondering what my chances are since i was denied for the bypass.and well i have to repeat all the testing i did for the bypass?probly so since it has been a year?thank you to those who have allready responeded to the questions about no insurance .I have decided to do it either way but we really just cant afford it ,so i m going to try the insurance first again.thank you Brandy

Hello. I was looking into gastric bypass surgery 2 years ago, however at the time I was 18 and felt that a permenant operation like that was not what I truly wanted. Anyway I was told briefly about Lap Banding by the specialist I saw who also does gastric bypasses and he sort of ruled it out seeing as at that time it was $15,000 CDN. I am trying to find out if there is anyway possible to cover the expenses for a LB procedure? I am not sure if there are any other Canadians on here that might know but I figured it was worth a shot. I already know that OHIP does not cover it, and I believe I was told that health benefits are also not covering it here. At any rate any help or comments are greatly appreciated. I am essentially in a state where the surgery would turn my life around as I am 20, 6'3 and either reaching or surpassing the 500lb plateau :straight...take care! Oh and I will be discussing this with my family doctor on Thursday, but I wanted to get a move on my research.

I had a kink in my tubing, it was not pretty. You can read about what happened on my blog if you like. I was told that the reason it kinked is because when you lose weight all the excess tubing has no where to go and will kink up at that point. I only have about 27 more pounds to go to get to my goal so I am electing not to have the port revision surgery that will move my port and trim the excess tubing. I am hoping that I will be able to make it through finishing this up on my own! My doctor is able to get Fluid in my band but not out of the band. I begged him last week to give me a tennsy fill and he did but he will not do anything else until i schedule surgery and have it done so I am on my own for now. My insurance will not cover it or I would just have the surgery. Good Luck and congrats on your weight loss. I have lost 93 pounds so far. My goal is to lose 120 so I am very very close! You can do it!