Hi there,

I have been doing lots of researches since Aug on the Band and Sleeve. I have seen three excellent doctors where I live in Dubai and each one gave me a different opinion. ohhhhh. my mind was set on the sleeve till I met one of the doctors who convinced me to have the lap. Today I had a second consultation with Dr. Al Taie and he again convinced me to have the sleeve. I am so confused. I have 35 killos to lose (BMI 35) and the main reason is IVF treatment. I am pulling my hair these days and decision has to be taken soon. I have been following the stories on both the vertical sleeve talk and the band talk, there are lots of successful stories on both. I am going crazy here and do not want to regret any decision as I am self pay. Any suggestions based on your experience............so afraid of the idea of my stomach partially removed and feeling more comfortable that lap is reversible

Making a decision like this is such a personal one. However, I can share the reasons that I chose Lap Band over the sleeve or bypass. I was afraid of the long term effects of malabsorbtion that is a part of living with bypass and I didn't want to experience "dumping" if I decided to occasionally treat myself. I really liked the idea of the sleeve, but the idea of actually removing most of my stomach terrified me.

I have co-workers that have had all three procedures done. The two people that had more drastic surgeries did lose weight quickly, but neither of them look healthy. Both of them remind of someone that has a lot of weight due to a long illness. The two people that have the band look great. Both of them exercise regularly - one has joined a biking club and the other is training for an triathalon competition.

I chose the lap band because I preferred a slow and steady weight loss. I have successfully lost weight many times before, but my biggest challenge has always been maintaining my weight. Since puberty, I feel like I have been either gaining weight or losing weight constantly. Lap band seemed to be the perfect tool to help me become healthy.

Good luck with making the decision.

Here a little bit of an article on weight loss surgery.

Main article: Gastric banding

The restriction of the stomach also can be created using a silicone band, which can be adjusted by addition or removal of saline through a port placed just under the skin. This operation can be performed laparoscopically, and is commonly referred to as a "lap band." Weight loss is predominantly due to the restriction of nutrient intake that is created by the small gastric pouch and the narrow outlet. ^[12] It is considered one of the safest procedures performed today with a mortality rate of 0.05%. ^[13]

Your starting BMI is very similar to what mine was. I have lost all my excess weight with the band and am really happy. Although if I had to have a sleeve now it probably wouldn't worry me when I was at the investigation stage I would have considered it too permanent and too drastic.Having so much of your stomach cut away sounds really scary.

You can have both, there is a procedure called gastric banding with plication (I've also seen it referred to as iBand). In this procedure your stomach it folded into a sleeve and sewn and a band is also placed. Be aware that this is a relatively new procedure. I'm planning on having it done in January

As Shelly was talking about in her post, there is the option of banding with plication. I had this done on August 11 of this year and have lost 64 pounds weighing 189 now and still losing. I have not had any issues what so ever and am very glad I did it. I am extremely active and like I said Ihavent had any sickness or problems. Just something to consider. No cutting of the stomach involved. They fold the stomach in and stitch it and then place the band on the stomach as well.

Good luck with your decision!

The nurse navigator told us that if you have the Sleeve or Bypass, they expect you to wait 12 -18 months before becoming pregnant.

CHECK with your F-doc and also with the WL surgeon about the time frame you will need to wait before attempting.

Good luck,

Ditto to what Elcee said - having the sleeve now wouldnt worry me, I've lost half my colon and am doing fine without it, so meh, what's a bit of my stomach I'm not particularly using? You dont get malabsorption with the sleeve, that's bypass. You just have a smaller stomach.

Also, it can be attractive to think of having restriction straight away with the sleeve, not finding it so elusive, and not having trouble with random foods. But make no mistake, all bariatric surgeries work best at first, and then you do learn to eat around them, the adjustability of the band is fantastic in that regard. If your sleeve loses its effectiveness, there's no tightening it up!

Then again, I had to unfill my band totally for a surgery, have just got retriction back 12 months later and am now looking at an investigative gastroscopy (have bad Iron depletion, and am post menopausal which means a high likelihood of a GI bleed at some point in my guts and my colonoscopy this week was normal) so that means ANOTHER unfill. Groan. I've also endured my colorectal surgeon banging on all year about how skinny I am (I'm really not, I dont think). I'd love to have a sleeve that nobody could make me unfill! I'd love not to have to go back for fills. My band is almost full (only 0.2cc to go) and I dont have anythign like the restriction I had before I unfilled it. A sleeve, once it is done, is DONE.

But the band is totally adjustable, totally reversible and it probably makes sense to try it first before you go changing your body irrevocably. In all likelihood, it'll work and be enough for you.

Thank you all. One more question please, do you feel the lapband around the stomahc? I mean do you feel like there is an object inside you?