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I first contemplated bypass surgery. In the end, the decision maker for me was the complications rate. Bypass surgery has a 10% complications rate that includes some serious complications like malnutrition and death. The lap band has only .01% complication rate and those complications are usually fairly minor (slippage, which can sometimes be corrected by going back to a liquid diet, for example). Then, the recovery rate for bypass is a couple of weeks at best and can take longer. Lap band is nothing near that. While you may be tender, experience gas, etc., you can return to your normal life within days. I had surgery on Tuesday and went back to work on Friday -- yes, I have a sit-down job, but I'm betting you probably do too. With bypass, eating sweets can trigger dumping syndrome, which I hear can be pretty awful. I ate a bite of birthday cake yesterday, frosting and all, and it didn't make a bit of difference. And one other thing is that lap band is aiming for 1-2 pounds per week weight loss, which isn't crzy fast and is less likely to leave you with a lot of loose skin; not so for bypass surgery. So now you know what helped me make my decision.

I am self pay, went to my primary doctor out of courtesy to inform him of my decision and he tried to talk me into Gastric Bypass. He just 'knew' of another doctor who 'did' the GB and that this doctors surgery somehow made it so you never had dumping syndrome. I was like, "seriously??" did you really just say that to me? He went on to tell me the same thing your doctor said to you. Fast forward to now: MY DOCTOR EATS CROW EVERY TIME I SEE HIM!!!!!!!!! Each weigh in the nurse is like: "wow you lost more weight.." It is hilarious! Would you go to a foot doctor for your teeth? No. General doctors are just that. General. Primary Care Doctors only study one tiny chapter of WLS for their doctorate! That opinion she gave you was extremely damaging.

That is a great idea! I will keep this list handy while I am waiting as well. Found out I have to go thru the dietary classes and psych eval again. I am revising from the band to RNY. But while I am going thru this..we found out I have a hiatal hernia and a small stricture at the top of my stomach. Going for an EGD soon. May have to have band out now and wait 6 mos for the bypass. Depends on the damage to the tissues. Hoping all goes well and I can have both at once. Don't want to have 2 surgeries to recoup from. So glad to hear others moving forward on their journey's. It has been quite an inspiration to see other's work thru struggles, and sharing their victories. Keep up the good work and don't worry too much, this will be a great thing for you.

I had two of them. One was when I realized that my mom and sister had bypass and looked fantastic, why not me. My second on was much bigger. I had breast surgery (cancer scare) and then the flu in the span of a month when suddenly I was not able to walk. I'd lost feeling in my lower left leg and color vision in my left eye and slowly deteriorated over the next month to where I was having to use a walker to get from one room of my house to another. I've been tentatively diagnosed with MS and realized that there was a possibility that DH would someday have to help me physically more and more. I could not and would not subject him to physically trying to move a 300plus pound woman. Talk about motivation, LOL. BTW, I'm much better now and other than numbness in my toes and some balance issues I'm doing great. I'm even able to drive again. Everyone definitely has an ah ha moment, it's interesting to read what everyone has to say. Christy

Hi. This a Lap Band site so most of us have no experience with gastric bypass. You can go to Obesityhelp.com and they have forums specifically for bypass surgery. From all that I've read you will lose weight more quickly with the bypass. That being said, you have to realize that you commit to a totally new lifestyle whichever surgery you have. I weighed well over 300 lbs before I was banded and 6 months later I've lost 50 lbs and anm still losing. Lap Band is a much less invasive form of surgery but I feel that I have to work at this every day and it's something that I spent a lot of time preparing to do. Best of luck on whichever way you go. Losing weight will make a big difference in your quality of life.

Yes, they bypass is more prone, or predisposed to, ulcers than the sleeve (just as the sleeve is predisposed to GERD.,) but they are a different sort of ulcer than what you have. The bypass tends toward marginal ulcers around the anastomosis (junction) between the new stomach pouch and intestines. This is because the part of intestine that is now immediately downstream of the stomach is not resistant to stomach acid like the duodenum - the upper part of the intestine immediately downstream of the normal stomach, which gets bypassed along with the remnant stomach in the RNY. Consequently, that anastomosis is very sensitive and prone to ulcers, which is the root of the "no NSAID" rule that permeates bariatrics - you don't want to take any medication that could irritate that anastomosis (there are other meds that may be limited, too, but NSAIDs are the most common class.) What I would be concerned about is what caused your ulcer, and whether that cause would be relieved (or exacerbated) by your surgery. Similar to your hiatal hernia and GERD - fixing the hernia will likely correct your GERD and you will be back to "normal" - no more predisposed to it if you get a sleeve, but still possible. One of the problems with the bypass is that it leaves you with a blind remnant stomach and upper intestine, which can't be easily monitored with an endoscopy, so if something develops in that blind section, you may not know about it until things have progressed more than you would like them to progress (possibly to a cancer.) Some express a dislike for the sleeve because if they have a resultant reflux problem then it could lead to Barret's esophagus and possibly cancer, which is a fair concern; however, that is something that can be easily monitored endoscopically if those symptoms develop, and can be treated; problems that may develop in the blind stomach or intestines of the RNY may not be caught until it is too late to treat effectively, so there is a trade off there. You are somewhat caught in the middle, with some contraindications for both of the common WLS procedures. This is where some serious talk, and understandings, with your medical team is appropriate to really get a good handle on your problems going into this, and how those may play out in the future. I/m not so sure that I would be comforted by the matter that the surgeon may be able to work around a problem (such as an ulcer) if that problem is likely to reoccur 5-10 years in the future, and possibly worse - the surgeon is out of the picture by then, but you aren't. There is another alternative that might be worth considering, which would be the duodenal switch - it uses a sleeve, so it doesn't leave a blind remnant stomach, but due to its' malabsorption component, they typically use a larger version of the sleeve which is less prone to GERD problem. Your surgeon may not offer it (it's a more complex procedure, so many surgeons don't offer it) but it may be worth looking into to see if that fits your need. Good luck,

Hey Jon - VSG is the single best decision I have made in my life! I am down 41 lbs since my first consult with my surgeon in November 2012. I was sleeved on January 3rd and have said goodbye to 25 lbs in less than a month. Each day I feel better and better. You've come to the right place for information and support. Welcome!

Hi everyone. I was banded on November 6 and everything went off without a hitch. I went home that night, took the weekend to recuperate, and was back at work on Monday. I haven't had any gas or any real pain or nausea or vomiting, although I have been a little constipated. However, I don't feel any real restriction when I eat or drink. Is that normal? I ate a whole can of fat free refried beans last night, which I know can't be good, but I was hungry and it didn't hurt so I kept going (which of course I regretted after). I'm eating all pureed and mushy food right now after 10 days of liquids and thin soups (which I stuck to for the most part, although not perfectly). I lost 12 pounds via my preop diet and I've lost only 2 pounds since then. Is this normal? Is it possible I've stretched the pouch by accident? Or do I just need to wait until my first band fill to really get what this whole experience will be like? My starting weight was 212, I'm at 198 now, and I'd like to be 135. I'm a female, 38 years old, 5'6. Just curious if anyone has an opinion about why I'm feeling so little restriction? I'm feeling like I'm going to have to really 'diet' still to get where I want to go and feel a little disappointed so far.

Hello (so many questions from me! *blush*) I have been anemic for years. B12 deficient too. My Drs feel it's pernicious anemia. Was anyone else this way before a bypass surgery? I know Iron can be an issue after so that worries me.

I drink a lot of hot tea, and usually have a cup, or sometimes even 2 or 3 cups early in the morning. Normal for me is eating my first "meal" sometime between 10:30 and 2:00. Anything earlier hurts, because I'm very tight early. Fortunately, though I am not hungry early on, and the tea does the trick. Lots of people use the Protein shakes, but I can't consume anything cold. My fill doc has a band, and she told me that for her it is usual to wait until maybe 1:00 in the afternoon before she is able to eat. So, morning tightness is perfectly normal for some, and for others "normal" seems to be a little different. You'll do great!!! I've just hit the 40 pound mark! Losing slowly but consistently, and I'm very thankful! (I was banded on November 12, 2007 - 40 pounds lost in 26 weeks) Kristine The Woodlands, TX

I love to snow ski and was just wondering when you ladies who have had this combo actually felt like skiing again? The first surgeon I consulted with said that I should be good to go in 4-6 weeks. I do bounce back pretty quickly from things. I was back at work after gastric bypass in 9 days ( I don't have to do any heavy lifting). What do you ladies think? I REALLY want to get this done but I also love to ski... Please give me your opinions. THX!

So my last nut class and weight management was Wednesday July 20th is haven't had my edg yet but the guy at my surgeons office says that he can put my down for August 26th then he was like I see you had your last class I said yes he was like well we will submit your paperwork to insurance and if everything goes well and I get approved they will do my bypass surgery on August 26th so now I'm freaking out on this waiting game I'm trying to stay positive I hope everything works out and I get approved I really need this surgery I've done everything to lose weight on my own since I was 6 but I've always gained double back, I suffer from high blood pressure, osteoarthritis, and a bad back injury from being hit by a drunk driver which requires me to get back injections every month which don't work my bmi is 50 so I'm hopping I can get it done. Please keep me in yalls prayers and positive vibes Sent from my SM-N920T using the BariatricPal App

I think people who have gastric bypass get loose skin from losing 100 pounds overnight. The lap band is more gradual. If you are young and your skin is good, and you do slow steady weight loss, plastic surgery might not be necessary. My last big weight loss before the lap band was 60 lbs and I didnt have loose skin because it was gradual (over 2 yrs). I dont see myself getting plastic surgery now except that my boobs are headed south and that seriously bugs me but they look good in a bra.

I went through this. I really wanted a tummy tuck about halfway through my weight loss - about November last year. I too thought that if I just lost my tummy, I would be happy with how I looked at that stage. I was convinced that it was the best idea. It was actually Dr Schulman who reminded me that if I lost more weight after the tummy tuck, that I'd likely need even more surgery later because the 'effect' of it wouldn't be as good as if I waited until I was closer to goal. So I waited. I figured at about 7-10 pounds a month weight loss, I'd only have to wait another three months before seeing a PS. So I rescheduled my PS appointment for Jan 09. When I saw him I was 8lbs from goal, instead of 25lbs. He scheduled me for body lift surgery (it's today actually, in about 6 hours!!) and as of today I'm below goal. So I would say that it may be an idea to wait. Even if it's only for 2-3 months. You only have 25lbs left to lose according to your ticker. What's 2-3 months in the scheme of your whole life? And the results will be much better if you wait just a little bit longer.

Hi, I live in West Houston and am going for my first consultation this Thursday. They say I "have coverage" but I'm sure this is the first step of the approval process. I have gone through NeWeigh and am excited about getting more information. I have been told I will see Dr. "Jay" on September 14th. My husband and I have been doing some research on the different types of surgeries and I really like the lap band versus the RNY. I don't like the idea of my anatomy being "reconstructed". Would you all mind sharing a little bit with me on how well you're doing with your weight loss and why you chose this surgery over the bypass? Thank you all in advance for your help and guidance. Lori in Katy, TX

I had the sleeve 07/08/2011. I have lost 100% of my excess body fat. I have a cousin who had the sleeve and he deals with bowel obstructions from having his intestines re-routed. I don't have to. He also has the issues with malnoutrition and foods he can't eat. I can eat anything I want and I have no malnoutrition issues. I lost 100% of my excess bodyfat and he has lost about 75%. My sleeve cannot stretch back to the size of my old stomach. His pouch can, which can allow him to re-gain all of his weight back if he doesn't be careful. Yes, I can eat around my sleeve, but I am going to have to make a conscience effort to sabotage myself. If you are committed to make a change, either surgery will get your weight down, for sure. I just didn't want the complications bypass brings to the table. Yes, there are risks with the sleeve as there are with all surgeries. But for me, the sleeve was the right choice.

Dr. Schulman, Thank you for the reply. Since my hernia is excessive in size, in my opinion, would it be more likely to be able to be corrected in a way that could be similar to a tummy tuck? Is there any phrasing that could be used to encourage "tightening up" during the hernia repair, and therefore getting the surgery covered by insurance? The hernia is the result of three abdominal surgeries with mid-line incisions. The incision begins approximately 2 inches above my navel, takes a turn to the left to bypass the navel, and then continues down for approximately 8 inches. The scar above the navel is relatively normal (for a scar), but then the navel is canted upward, in a comma-shape. Under the navel, the hernia bulges out, and is about three inches wide. The scar in this area has stretched out due to the hernia. When I lie on my back, and the intestines settle back into their semi-proper place, there is a gully on my abdomen that can get about 1/2 to 1 inch deep. I have to place my hand against my lower abdomen when I sneeze or cough, or I will hurt. I don't know if I would have enough excess skin for a panniculectomy, since most of the excess apppears to be just the bulging area of the hernia. Thank you for any further thoughts.

Melissa, I can't say that I am in the same situation, but I can see your frustration. It is a hard thing for someone without a weight issue to wrap their minds around it. I have surgery Monday and it wasn't till yesterday that my hubby asked why I think I need this. HELLO??? Couldn't this conversation have happened earlier? I h=know it is hard but give your sig other time. Ask him if he has questions. Be honest with your answers. I found that just throwing out comments to probe for questions worked. He finally has an understanding now as to why I need this. And, lets not forget about the eventual outcome. You will be thinner, happier, more energetic, basically you will be a little different. I have a friend that has been married almost 20+ years and she hd bypass done. Well, she was about 5'1 and close to 300lbs. She now is like 150 lbs. She has fire, spunk, energy, and she smiles all the time. She said her hubby had a very hard time dealing with the "new" wife. They almost had to re-introduce themselves to each other. I know you want him to be there for you, but be sure you are there for him. You hopefully have a strong partnership and support will be needed for both of you. Good luck with everything. I hope I didn't scare you, I just wanted to shed light on other things to think about. Take care! - Ann

Hi: Am new to this, I need to know if anyone has hills physicians insurance, thru health net. I was approved for the bypass surgery, but not the lap band. I have called several hospitals, and seems hills doesn't approve the lapband, even when surgeon says best option for me. Help!!! Nora

If you don't get an answer here, try joining the Yahoo Group for Kaiser Nor Cal Bariatric and ask there: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/gastric-bypass-support-kaiser-patients/ I don't have an answer for you. I went through Kaiser Fremont two years ago. After I got to surgery goal weight (loss of 10%), it took 6 weeks till surgery date. Lynda

I had RNY gastric bypass surgery over 3 years ago. It was one of the best decisions that I ever made. Dealing with the health insurance companies was the biggest pain-in-the-neck for the entire process. So put your blinders on and charge ever forward.

I had lapband surgery and it's definitely worked for me. I'm not saying that bypass or sleeving doesn't work, but I didn't have those surgeries so can only comment on the surgery I have had. I went from 215lbs to 154lbs in just over 7 months with regular exercise (40mins stationary cycling on a spin bike 3 times a week) and eating well (in that I cut out stuff like sugar, chocolates, cola etc, but still ate a balance of Protein, carbs and veg). When I got to goal, I had a lower body lift to remove my loose skin, and lost about 7lbs as a result. Since then, I have continued to slowly lose weight despite not exercising much anymore and eating 'normally' (meaning if I feel like chocolate, I eat it). My band still restricts how much food I eat, I'm very rarely hungry, and I get full fast. And at the moment, it's the band alone that is still seeing me lose weight, albeit very very slowly now. I'm now down to 135lbs. I don't need or want to lose anymore, so have been trying to eat more and that's a nice change from the last 20 years of my life! So yes the band works. I lost over 100% of my excess weight with exercise and good food habits (and that was the hardest part), but keeping it off is proving easy so far.

Hey guys! Had a long talk with my doctor the other day and I'm trying to determine whether I do the sleeve vs bypass. So why'd you guys pick the bypass? Some feed back would be awesome

Hi there! My gastric bypass is August 13th. My hubby went first (April) so I've got a pretty good idea what I'm in for. His recovery has been pretty uneventful. I just want it over and done with and hope mine goes just as smoothly.

Oh wow! Well, I am going from a plan that doesn't cover it at all to a plan that does. I was initially considering having the surgery here and be self pay (for $12,000) and then I decided to go to Mexico ( for $5,500)... so this is definitely the best of both worlds! Getting the surgery domestically, where I will have the proper follow-up, and paying less that $1,000 is definitely a much better deal. The only thing that stinks is that I would get the surgery TOMORROW if I could! Once I decided that I was going to do this, I became so impatient! Thank you so much for all of your advice! You have been a great help! Have you already gotten the surgery? You mentioned you were approved in November. How long before you can actually have the surgery? If you have had it already, how has your experience been?