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they usually recommend bypass for people who have GERD, because for a significant minority, it does get worse. Although there are people on here whose GERD actually improved. And for others, it stayed the same. It's more likely to get worse than better, but then, it's all a giant crap shoot. It's hard to predict how it'll turn out for you since it's an individual thing.

First of all, I would meet with a bariatric surgeon, not a general surgeon. You want a bariatric surgeon because they see these issues regularly, and are at the top of their game with weight loss surgeries. Secondly, if you live in an area that has a university with medical school, find out which hospital they teach at and find a professor of bariatric surgery that is practicing and teaching. They are on the forefront of bariatric surgery. My bariatric surgeon is a professor and she told me that she does revisions that other bariatric surgeons won't touch. Don't take the general surgeons word for it. Seek second opinions with bariatric surgeons. Best wishes!

Thanks for all the input. I guess I should have clarified -- the 2 weeks pre-op liquids doesn't freak me out at all (I've done liquid diets before and short-term any diet is pretty easy for me to stick to). It's what my lifestyle's going to be like after surgery that freaks me out. It does help to know that "it's fine have an occasional meal that doesn't follow the Protein first rule" -- for some reason I had it in my head that if you DIDN'T eat protein first you'd feel sick. I think I had this in my head because of original research on gastric bypass instead. So thank you, Anne, for posting this and making me realize it wasn't LAW, just a good general guideline to follow.

Didnt she lose over 150 lbs? I think she had bypass. I think she lost a very large amount in a relatively short time, it seems much more like bypass results to me. More power to her however, she is simply trying to get back control of her weight....just like we are. I cant wait for someone to scan the darn pic though, lol!!! Bensmum, can you do you a "before" pic with the bikini one?

I had thought about the band, then "heard" you need a BMI under 40 for the band so considered bypass...but my surgeon (who I found via the seminar) ONLY does the band and his biggest patient had a MBI if 86!!! It varies doctor to doctor, but larger people DO qualify for the band. (my BMI was 53, now around 51-52). I know erosion has decreased because surgeons have started putting the bulky part of the band NOT under where the stomach is stitched to itself to secure the band. You very liekly can keep the band for a lifetime, as I understand it erosion is no longer common (but remains a risk) So, I can tell you why i opted for the band vs the bypass. It's such a personal decision. 1. Everyone i know with the bypass has horrible gas (maybe it's coincidence but that's what I've noticed). By bad I mean very smelly. 2. Because the bypass removes a portion of intestine, it leads to dumping syndrome with certain foods (sugars I think)...sudden diarrhea and vomiting. I can;t risk this with my job, where I cannot always get to a bathroom. I'm a labor & delivery nurse and cannot always step away from the patient's bedside (literally life or death situations) 3. Because of the missing intestines, it also leads to malabsorption. Not everything you put in your mouth is used by the body as fuel. It leads to weight loss, sure, but IMO it's not the healthiest choice for ME. I feel that I need to retrain my BRAIN to only eat what my body will use, and the band is a tool that will allow that. Every bite I take I have to account for. I can;t depend on it going thru my body unused. Sure I can have treats on occasion, but my daily habits need to be changed. 4. I plan to use the band for life, but it is reversible...and adjustable. I have people at work who REALLY discouraged the band, saying they both had/have it (one switched to bypass) and both only lost about 30 pounds. I guess all I have to say to that is...you gotta work it, and use it correctly. Their lack of "success" does not mean I will follow suit. In the end I went with what my heart told me was right for me. I hope that helps a bit?

I initialy started this quest to get the lapband. I went to the seminar and It kinda scares me . The main thing was that they said alot of people have erosion from it and most are later on when you may not have the insurance to cover it . They also said that since at that time I was 403 lbs that I was a better canidate for bypass. IN the last 3 weeks I lost the 20lbs I had to lose to qualify and have my first appt . on the 23rd. Im worried about going bypass due to it not being reversable . Please give me some input . I have My 1st appt . tommorrow .

Hi, Just a quick update -- after debating long and hard about what to do, and talking to my surgeon and family, I decided to have the port reinstalled. My weight was creeping upwards and I was within 10 pounds of my starting weight one year ago, so clearly I need help. I asked the surgeon about alternate WLS and he said I wasn't a candidate for gastric bypass because the band had scarred my stomach. Yesterday the new port was reinstalled and it was, to be honest, a piece of cake (no pun intended!) I went under general anesthesia but the surgery was short in duration, he said, and I was allowed to go home same day. Today I am on Roxicet but the pain is manageable and my energy level is good. I sincerely hope this turns out to have been the right decision! Thanks for your input and support, everyone. Diana

For me I chose lapband because it is less invasive. I strongly considered bypass a number of years ago, but I work in the veterinary field and I've seen quite a few post op cases of peritonitis with intestinal surgeries. I did not feel comfortable with any cutting. Also, now this may seem wrong to other people banded) I did not want to completely give up things like chocolate, which you get dumping with bypass. I am losing weight and I still can have a treat once in a while

My only opinion is do your research and see what you can live with. Each surgery has its own challenges and potential problems. Make sure you know what it is going to take to keep yourself healthy. Not just losing weight. I lost my sister as a complication to a bypass surgery and honestly it was all her fault, she choose not to take care of herself the way she needed to and had a doctor who didn't guide her well. As for erosion, I talked to several doctors in my area and they all said the same thing, there was a higher rate in the old version of the band. The newer version, Yes it still can happen but it happens a whole lot less. Good luck on making your decision and keep us posted.

My surgeon also agrees the band is not only for people needing to lose under XX-amount. According to Australian studies, of course bypass patients lose FASTER but in 15-year studies ultimate weight loss between the two procedures is about the same. Part of my reason for chosing lap band vs bypass included acknowledging that this will be a lengthy process, and a lifelong one. I'm not in the big rush to lose the weight like many people who chose bypass (because it's faster) are. It's taken me almost 36 years to get this heavy...and I have time to get rid of it. Time to change my habits, time to lose at a healthy pace.

I am very happy to be here and have enjoyed reading this site over the past few weeks. I would love to get down some of my thoughts and hear any feedback anyone has for me. I tend to write essays so I apologize for the length. I am scheduled to meet with a surgeon in two weeks. I also have the psych eval and nutritionist appointment as well as some medical tests that day. The hospital is almost two hours away so I'm packing as much as I can into each trip. I have bcbs fep so still have the 3 months supervised program which has not started. I weigh 278 and have been around this weight or higher (highest around 300) for at least 10 years. I am 35, normal weight as a young child but as soon as I hit puberty quickly became obese. I am not saying it is all genetic, but I know that is part of it. My parents and brother all suffered with obesity or morbid obesity. My brother had gastric bypass surgery several years ago, and to make a long story short he had complications, and died two years after the surgery at age 30. This was not from the surgery but was medically fragile since the surgery. My parents blame the surgery although I do not. They have made it clear that they would be very, very upset if I chose bariatric surgery. Despite this, I have considered this for years. I try to base most of my major decisions on good data. I know that long term weight loss in significant amounts (like, 100 lbs) is quite statistically improbable. I have successfully kept 20-30 lbs (back and forth in this range) off for 6 years. Despite that I am concerned about my health. I have high blood pressure and take three medications to maintain this. I am in the prediabetic range for blood sugar. I see my dad with worsening neuropathy from diabetes type 2 despite really hard work on a very low carb diet. My paternal grandpa lost 3 of his limbs from this disease before he died. Despite being fairly young my knees are starting to hurt when using stairs. I worry that I won't have very long ahead of me. I honestly have come to terms with how I look and while being thinner would be nice, that is not a major motivation for me. Sickness and early death from health consequences of morbid obesity terrifies me. I work full time as a clinical psychologist at a Veterans Affairs. The work is my passion and I would not want to do anything else. However it can be very stressful. It is also very cognitively and emotionally demanding and therefore exhausting while being super sendentary. My salary also supports my family (son and sahd husband). I have recurrent major depression. I am doing very well, taking medication and when needed connect back with therapy. I always live with the fear of depression relapse due to fear not being able to keep up at work and how hard the last one was on me and my family (4 years ago). Fears: will such low amounts of calories allow me to have sufficient cognitive energy to do my job well? Will the mood effects bring on another episode of depression? Should I hide having surgery to my parents, which feels dishonest, or tell them the truth and live with their anger and fear of losing their only remaining child? Will I be able to regularly engage in moderate exercise which honestly I haven't done since my early 20's? If you made it to the end, thank you. I don't expect answers to the above questions but feels good to tell them to people who might relate. Any thoughts welcome. Any experiences of going through this while maintaining a demanding job are appreciated.

I had bypass 9 months ago and prior to surgery sugar was critical in my life. Following the pre op and post op liquid requirements I broke that sugar habit. If I even smelled it would make me shy away. At first I told myself that sugar would make me dump but over time I learned that I get very very mild symptoms from dumping only if I over indulge. I am also very sensitive to artificial sweeteners of any kind so I use regular sugar and/or honey. This means I have to be extra careful or the sugar monster craving will come back for me. If I am truly having a craving for something sweet I will make sure that I have a bite or two but only after I have had my Protein and veggies. Then, there is little room and a bite of two satisfies me. I don't make a habit of it but every once in a while I will have a few bite of ice cream. I have also had a small piece of dark chocolate or a single cookie but for the most part it is rare. In 9 months I would say I have done this maybe 4 times for special occasions. I do eat pudding on a regular basis. Non sf, full fat in the small cups. If I need something sweet that is my go to and it does the trick. I have even baked for my husband and children/grandchildren. It just doesn't pull me in anymore. I would rather have some nice meat and veggies.

I too told no one except my wife (of course). I was worried about naysayers, especially my family. My older brother and sister both had bypass surgery. My sister lost all the weight she wanted and then developed a heart condition (probably hereditary, our mom had the same thing), so she gained the weight back and has nothing but horror stories and complaints about her experience. My brother is having problems too, the bypass he had works by not only limiting the amount of food but also by malabsorption of nutrients - the "bypass" bypassed a length of his small intestine and he there could not absorb the nutrients and therefore would not gain weight by the food he ate. Well the body is adjusting and the malabsorption is no longer working, he has to severely limit his calories, which is "killing" him he says. He has bouts of hunger and struggles to keep the weight off, and SOME nutrients are still not absorbed right, he takes multiple Vitamins a day just to make up the shortfall. BTW, both spent TENS of thousands on their surgeries, which really miffs them now as they are still struggling to loose weight or at least not get any fatter. Well, long story short I didn't want anyone to talk me out of it, or worse yet try and convince my wife to try and convince ME not to do it. I spent only $5000 for self pay and so far 6+ weeks in I'm 65 lbs down and feeling pretty good. Regardless of my sad story, do what YOU feel is right, you did right by coming here as there are tons of people that are going through or went through the SAME thing you are. Keep the faith, it WILL work out.

Great news. I do not have to wait 3 months. Final appointment 3/22 hopefully revision in April Sent from my SM-G900P using the BariatricPal App

No, you do NOT need to start losing weight right now. I would wait til you go to orientation/seminar/whatever they're calling it now. Try not to gain anything though either. I'm hoping that by doing everything in Fresno, they will not make me do it again in The bay area. They won't make you do classes again b/c they won't make you drive that far every week but they could make you see their psych and nut and go to another seminar class. You will have to go to the bay area for fills and aftercare involving the surgeon. I have been hearing rumors too. Just that though, rumors. They have a surgeon coming this summer to start doing laporascopic (sp?) bypass and I'm assuming that he will also at some point start doing bands. Problem is the support team for bands. There has to be a team for the aftercare. I am expecting to find out more at the class on Monday. It would be nice to only have to drive an hour vs. several to get surgery and aftercare but I will if I have to. There are a couple of really good (from what I hear) band surgeons in Fresno. I wish Kaiser would just farm us locals out to them but God forbid! :redface: I'm still very much in the dark as well. I'm just a few months farther along is all. If you have any questions, holler. Maybe I can answer them for you. It's hard, I know. It helps hanging out here though.

That's a crock. They may suggest and maybe strongly but they will do what you want. If you go in telling them that your major problem is sweets or that you're a grazer they will suggest the bypass. If you tell them you eat quantity they will be ok with the band. But it is your decision. Don't let them push you around.

Congrats Rose on you weight loss. Glad you are feeling better China. Allie I have 1/2 inch on you but quite a few more pounds. I can't even remember what I weighed in HS. I too am not sure what my final goal will be. I don't think I even weighed under 180 at this height. I haven't tried to do just regular sit ups yet. But with water aerobics we do work out our core. Last night I attended my first WLS meeting. It was interesting. Of course most people there had gastric bypass. They meet once a month I am going to try to go on a regular basis. Last night we talked about relationships and sex after weight loss. Well need to get running. Have a great day everyone. Laurel

Errr, I believe the stomach is more comparable to a banana than an egg. An egg maybe for bypass patients? Also, men tend to be able to eat more as they are typically taller than women, so their stomachs are naturally a little longer. I can eat 4 ounces of seafood and a little veggie. That's a fairly normal meal for me. Just measure, so you don't risk stretching your stomach. It's normal for capacity to increase as swelling goes down. Disclaimer: This is not medical advice, just things I've learned from reading the forums. HTH!

Hi! I'm in the Fresno program too. Been in the process a little longer than you have tho. Make sure you have a RECENT documented weight BEFORE you start losing. They will take your weight at every class and it's then put on your records and that's how they document the 10%. At orientation we took our weight and that's the weight we start with to then try to lose the 10%. (I'm struggling with this. It's hard or I wouldn't be here!) You will be sent to the bay area. Usually Richmond but a gal in my class said she called Fremont and she can choose to go there. The other hospital is S. San. Fran. I'm not sure if you CAN choose which facility to go through. If so, I haven't decided which facility to go through yet. So far, my process has been: PCP referral to orientation Orientation PCP referral to psych and nut Psych and nut appts. continuing classes and finally - surgeon's class on Monday - this class I'm hoping to get more information on how to get to the band team. The surgeon is the bypass surgeon in Fresno. In the meantime, I've been TRYING to lose the 10% required and the whole time HOPING that the band surgeon isn't going to require more! Best wishes to you all!!

Vicki, it's good to 'see' you! Things have changed some since you went through. They're streamlining and making the different facilities into, basically, one department with different area teams. If that makes any sense. You have been such a huge help to me and with great information. I don't know if I've thanked you or not for your help, so if not, THANK YOU so very much!! Take care! SG, I'm soooo excited! The new lap. bypass surgeon will also be doing bands! They are hoping, by the end of the year, to have the after-care team in place to start doing band surgeries then. I've decided to stay with the Fresno program and just wait for them to get up and running. It may still take until spring to get surgery but it would save so much from having to go to the bay area. I was starting to panic about childcare for my 2 year old if DH couldn't get off from work (which, as a fireman, it's likely he WON'T get off from work, esp. this time of year!). This will make things slightly easier. I'll probably see you in class when you start. My sessions end the middle of August. It's a continuously running class so we cycle in and out but still all get the same info at some point. Let me know if you have more questions. Take care! DB, WELCOME!! Don't know anything about Kaiser, CO. May be a little different process (even in CA there are differences between the AREAS!) Best bet would be to call the Bariatric Surgery Dept. and ask them about the process and what you need to do. Best wishes! Have a great night everyone!

I have a second band, but my problem was the first band had a leak. My doc wanted to revise to a sleeve when he took out the defective band, but my insurance refused to pay. In fact, it took almost four months for them to agree to put in a replacement band and not just remove the leaky one. As for revision after a slip, google for academic quality articles on what to do after a band slippage. You may find that slips are more frequent in a second band if it happened with the first. Also, research the statistics on the sleeve, then find out what your insurance will pay with regard to revision. This should give you enough information to make a decision.

Hello everyone!!!! So after months of appointments, copays and pre-op diets, the date is finally here!!! My surgery is tomorrow, December 8th, I am so nervous/excited to start my new life. Its funny because my grandma and I have the same surgeon but are having different procedures, sleeve for me, bypass for her, and they are both tomorrow. Hoping to have the same room or at least a private room, I dont mind paying alittle extra lol. So here is my checklist, any suggestions please feel free to add, thanks!!! Comfy clothes to go home in Toiletries Gas X Strips Chapstick Phone/charger Nasal spray I feel like I am leaving something out.....

I've said it before, but I think the surgery changes everything, so we aren't the "norm". I truly believe it changes our physiology. Like @@JamieLogical said, I have observed differently after being on these boards for almost 2.5 years. I have also observed the opposite with myself. Every time I stalled, increasing my calories would break the stall, and I would actually start losing again more consistently. I was at 1100 by the time I hit maintenance, and now maintain on 1300 calories. Anything over 1300 I gain. First off, great topic. ^^ Since my lap band in 09 to sleeve revision, other than when I first got out of the hospital(s) (big stall first 10 days due to IV Water retention), I haven't experience stalls because like @@Babbs I increased my calories when I enter one. Now of course, if I fall off the wagon (lap band days) due to improper fill, I'd gain weight but when I'm on program, that's been my experience too. I know everybody is different, but this works for me. Since we're on the subject, I used to watch food contests videos and always wondered how the heck do they eat so much and stay skinny? grrr Almost all of them think like this: If anything, it's an interesting watch.

Maybe I'm looking at the wrong website, but Dr Aceves website doesn't discuss anything about the sleeve procedure, only bypass and lapband. Does anyone have a link to this information, specifically from Dr. Aceves? Also what sort of after care do you need when you come home? Can your primary doc do this? Or do you have to find someone specific?

Hi, From my understanding the sleeve was first put into play as a safer way to do WLS on those who have super high BMIs. Depending on your results the bypass may or may not be needed. It sounds like your surgeon is trying to do this as safely as possible.