I went to a seminar this weekend and was shocked when the doctor said in the next 5 years he thought the gastric sleeve would replace lap band. He said in their studies the gastric sleeve has already grown and the lap band had decreased. Has anyone else heard this? I've been looking into have the lap band for over a year now but Im a little concerned. If this is true what happens to everyone who has the lap band? Will doctors stop servicing us in a few years? will be limited to where we can go?

I really don't think that's true. I think the band will always be the most popular because 1. It is the least invasive with the fastest recovery. 2. They aren't cutting anything, and personally the thought of having half my stomach cut out REALLY scares me. What if something happens and I need that portion of my stomach someday? Cancer, ulcers, whatever..it seems dangerous to just randomly cut off a portion of your anatomy. 3. The band is the least expensive of all of the available procedures. 4, The band is adjustable. With the sleeve or the bypass, you can stretch your stomach out again and gain ALL the weight back and then some. With the band, I think most are terrified of a slip or stretching out the pouch, so they are less likely to gain the weight back.

These are all of the reasons I have chosen the band over the sleeve or bypass. It just seems to make more sense. In ten or fifteen years, yes I may want the thing removed, but by then I'm sure there will be an even less invasive procedure, or even an obesity medication I can trade it up for. Until then...the band it is. I think you just have to be more patient than with the other surgeries as you lose slower, but the loss is more healthy. Also it requires more maintenance, but it's worth it.

I think it's probably true. I'm hearing more & more about surgeons who are reluctant to band patients because their previous patients are having too many problems with the band. I figure the sleeve will be the next big thing, and after 5 years there'll be a NEW surgery that is all the rage, and so on and so on. However I don't think we're going to have problems finding doctors to help us with the band. There are too many of us out here