Hello! I new here and going through the process with the bariatric center and now at the decision of lap band or bypass. I first inteaded to do lap band but now am in the middle. Have anyone wished they did gastric bypass instead why? and if not what are you reasons for lap band? I need people that are going through the process cuz right now i can only hear what the doctor and my family are saying:redface:

Thank you all for your input with you experiences it going to help me alot i think im more scared about the future and maybe not having insurance that will cover the replacement removal or fills... im only 20 and currently doing this through my parents insurance.

... ahhh it really is a tough decision!!!

Im in the same boat, I "was" on my parents insurance(Tricare) when i got surgery on 8/4/10 and i got dropped on my 21st birthday which was 8/29/10 so i am only a couple of months in but so far so good.As a matter of fact i just signed up today for insurance through my employer. As far as having future issues i.e. removalcomplications i wouldn't worry to much about that because the lap-band is lower risk. Your first couple of fills should be covered under the original insurance approval meaning they don't re bill your insurance for the first couple of fills.

Also i believe in Obamas health care program he extended the time young adults can stay on their parents policy to 26 years old, and you don't even have to be going to school anymore to receive coverage. Unfortunately for me the haven't passed a program for young adults who's parents are in the military!

Anyways I recommend the lap-band specially because we are young and have a long road ahead of us, and i personally don't want to be stuck with the complicationsproblems that come with the gastric surgery and that are non reversible.

Good Luck!!

Because I am in "Bandster Hell" I often wonder if I should have gone with the sleeve. But I know that after I reach proper restriction I will be happier that I got the band. I dont want to deal with all the problems that come along with bypass or sleeve. So far I am happy with my band but know that I will luv my band after I get some fills under my belt.

I am soooo with you. I cant wait for a fill

I decided on LAP-BAND® after watching a friend have bypass. She had severe complications and was in a coma for two weeks. Even after all that, she only lost 40lbs. She later went on to have LAP-BAND®.

How in the world can you go from having gastric bypass to having a band? What is left to band? No stomach right?

Anyway, My husband who is in the medical device industry told me no on getting the verticle sleeve. He felt that you can always reverse a band but not a sleeve. I am upset that my port tipped without me doing anything outside of a normal way of living and now if I want it fixed I have to pay another $2k. I am not sold that it is even my problem since it has been tipped since the day I could feel my port without being in post op pain.

I am 15 days out of surgery as of today.

My nutritionist and my surgeon did NOT want me to get lap band. They really wanted me to do RNY, but I refused for personal reasons.

He ended up doing the lap band for me with warnings that I would not lose as fast. He said more than once "I don't want to say I told you so", he even told my mom the same thing when he came out of surgery to tell her how I was doing.

Fast forward two weeks. I was in a group of 8 people after going through our follow up meetings - out of all 8 I was the only one to have lap band. I saw their weights and their losses

- One person was 294 and lost 28 lbs

- One person was 327 and lost 23 lbs

- One person was 322 and lost 22 lbs

- I started at 262 and lost 23 lbs.

After I met with him, he said "wow I can tell you have been compliant, and you will be one of the ones that is successful."

I knew / know that in my heart I can do it (no one else can tell you that), but I think you should look inside yourself to see if it is something YOU can do. Do you have the willpower to really work hard and listen to the doctor's instructions (no cheating?) Will you exercise?

Do it for you, no one else. I am so glad I did, simply because I have lost just as much as those RNY patients have (through today) and I will continue to WORK at helping my tool work.

The choice for me was easy. My surgeon said band or nothing. Due to health issues he would not do the bypass. He told me himself that the trauma to the body with bypass is really bad. I a happy with his honesty and glad that he did the band for me. I am trying to lose enough weight to get a heart transplant. This surgery for me was a life or death situation. On the other hand I have several friends that have had bypass. One of them has done great, one had a bad case og dumping syndrome and is now severly mal nutritioned and undeweight. Another one has had nothing but one illness on top of another including kidney stones and a leak in her intestines that led to e-coli posioning.

The decision is a personal choice for everyone. Which ever you decide will be the right one for you.

Im in the same boat, I "was" on my parents insurance(Tricare) when i got surgery on 8/4/10 and i got dropped on my 21st birthday which was 8/29/10 so i am only a couple of months in but so far so good.As a matter of fact i just signed up today for insurance through my employer. As far as having future issues i.e. removalcomplications i wouldn't worry to much about that because the lap-band® is lower risk. Your first couple of fills should be covered under the original insurance approval meaning they don't re bill your insurance for the first couple of fills.

Also i believe in Obamas health care program he extended the time young adults can stay on their parents policy to 26 years old, and you don't even have to be going to school anymore to receive coverage. Unfortunately for me the haven't passed a program for young adults who's parents are in the military!:drool:

Anyways I recommend the lap-band® specially because we are young and have a long road ahead of us, and i personally don't want to be stuck with the complicationsproblems that come with the gastric surgery and that are non reversible.

Good Luck!!

its good to hear from someone thats in my boat and yes you are right i am covered till 26 BUT will be marrying my fiancee at the end of this year if he is able to get into the airforce and i wasnt sure if they would cover it but i would assume so i guess lol.

and your right i completely agree we are in our 20's and for something to be reversible sounds like a great option instead of living a life with issues when we've barley even grown up!

this is why with everyones input and my own choice im sticking with lap band ( no matter wat the surgeon says cuz like the other person he tells people we wont lose as fast or get the same result) personally fast would be nice but i read a study that in 5 years they both have the same out come in weight loss and both people tend to gain.

I have had time to time that i wish i had but am happy I decided on the band. I still learning with my band. I know friend that lost all weight with bypass but never learned to eat. Its all what u are comfortable with. Pick the surgery you think with work for you. Both surgerys dont promise success, they cant. You can lose just as much with band as bypass. It can be quick or slow.

The main problem with the bypass is it is non-adjustable. The surgeon has to estimate the right size of stomach to leave you with when you are slim. Also if you end up stretching your stomach you will stop losing weight.

Whereas with the lap band we have fills as our band gets looser as we lose weight round our stomachs.

Surgically the lap band is is much easier and less invasive and safer.

The downside is the need for fills and being more aware of your eating behaviour.

For me, the lap band is a no brainer. My weight loss has been steady and so I have not ended up saggy with the rapid weight loss of the bypass.

My sister is 2 years out from having Bypass and has lost an amazing 60 kilo and still loosing. Even so i would not have it done and chose the band. I get a little jealous at times because she can eat more things and if she is bad she just gets the runs and never puts weight back on. But, she has a lot of excess skin now and is constantly anaemic, she has just had to have a hip replacement and needed lots of blood because her levels were so low. She didnt like the idea of a band inside her, i didnt like the idea of not being able to reverse the procedure if, like her, my health was suffering.

I actually would have gotten the band about 5 years ago if my sister had not been so against it, then she went and did the bypass.

Thank you all for your input with you experiences it going to help me alot i think im more scared about the future and maybe not having insurance that will cover the replacement removal or fills... im only 20 and currently doing this through my parents insurance.

... ahhh it really is a tough decision!!!

heyy I'm 20 as well and was banded on Monday. I have lost 14 pounds and already feel better. I have blue shield of California and was submitted with a bmi of 40 and no co morbities. I was approved in 2 days. I picked lapband because I like the idea that if it needed to be emove it could, it's not meant to be but it provides some what of a piece of mind. I also picked it because I plan on having kids. I am not sure how bypass and pregnancy works but I was assured with lapband that I would still be able to carry a child and be able to breast feed. I wish you the best of luck on your journey!!