Hello, Im a lapband patient and so far im happy and no complications at all . Im still very early in the process and hungry , but im hoping it gets better.

My question is .. I have a friend who is thinking about the sleeve over the Lapband.

So I told her I would ask on here the pros and cons of the sleeve if any one can help ?

What mad you pick Lapband over the sleeve?

Do you know anyone who had the sleeve? If so are they happy ?

Thanks for the feedback in advance. I will be copying all feed back for her.

Well I for one lost all my weight and more. I am thrilled with what my band has done for me and proud of what I have done to get here. it was a long learning process but these days its pretty easy! LOVE my band and would and do recommend it!

Glad the band has worked for you. Most of us have not been that LUCKY!

I have never known of anyone who has not lost weight with VSG. The band...........I know lots that have not lost any, or have lost no significant weight. Then there are the slips, erosions, leaks, port problems, esophageal dysmotility, etc. You get the picture.

If you read the sleeve board you will find people who haven't had great weight loss or who have gained significant weight back.

No WLS is perfect, each surgery has positives and negatives and each will have people who are successful with it and those that will fail. Some of those failures will be in the control of the patient and some won't. The best we can do is research what is available and chose the procedure that you a most comfortable having

If you read the sleeve board you will find people who haven't had great weight loss or who have gained significant weight back.

No WLS is perfect, each surgery has positives and negatives and each will have people who are successful with it and those that will fail. Some of those failures will be in the control of the patient and some won't. The best we can do is research what is available and chose the procedure that you a most comfortable having

I never said VSG was perfect. Nor did I even imply that!

I stand by what I wrote. I have never known anyone with VSG that has not lost weight! Could there be? I'm sure there could be. But that would be the exception to the rule, as opposed to the band where it is quite common for many bandsters to not lose, or to lose only a minimal amount of weight from the band!

Now there are many with the band that do lose a significant amount of weight...............only to develop complications and have to have their bands removed! So be careful what you wish for I suppose, lol.

There are a lot of us the band has work wonders for and I would recommend it to anyone that is willing to work hard. Everyone I have met with the band has done well and has lost weight at different rates depending on there activity level and commitment to the healthy eating involved with it. It does not stop you from eating the bad foods, that comes from your own self control. I picked the band because I did not want to be cut open again and I knew there was less down time. I also liked the fact that I did not have to have any part of me removed or rerouted. I went through that with colon cancer and a long hospital stay and that was enough for me. I think though which ever route your friend should chose to go is her choice and the end result is better health then she can't go wrong either way.

There are a lot of us the band has work wonders for and I would recommend it to anyone that is willing to work hard. Everyone I have met with the band has done well and has lost weight at different rates depending on there activity level and commitment to the healthy eating involved with it. It does not stop you from eating the bad foods, that comes from your own self control. I picked the band because I did not want to be cut open again and I knew there was less down time. I also liked the fact that I did not have to have any part of me removed or rerouted. I went through that with colon cancer and a long hospital stay and that was enough for me. I think though which ever route your friend should chose to go is her choice and the end result is better health then she can't go wrong either way.

With your previous health issue I understand why you choose the band (and btw, I hope it was a compete success!). However I have to disagree with your last statement:

~

I think though which ever route your friend should chose to go is her choice and the end result is better health then she can't go wrong either way.~

As you know, some ppl lose NO weight from the band. Many lose nothing significant. And of those that do lose, a high % of them have to have it removed (or at the very least have a 2nd band operation!) within 5 years!!!

I don't know one person that has lost no weight with a band. Yes there are lots that do not lose as much as they would like or put it back on but the same is true with the other surgeries as well. The problem with the sleeve is that as it has only been around as a stand alone procedure for a couple of years we do not yet know whether the majority that have it will stay successful or if they will also regain.

What is obvious from reading the sleeve board is that there are people who are struggling, who have not lost as much as they would have liked , that still struggle with hunger etc.

Fluffy we know that you for some reason have not been successful with the band. This seems to make you bitter and determined to put everyone else off having the band. Whether you mean to or not you come across as some kind of missionary trying to convert people away from the evil band.

It would be better if you posted your opinion in a way that outlined facts and did not come across as so judgemental. Trying to scare the c@@p out of people who are struggling to make a decision is not helpful.

I don't know one person that has lost no weight with a band. Yes there are lots that do not lose as much as they would like or put it back on but the same is true with the other surgeries as well. The problem with the sleeve is that as it has only been around as a stand alone procedure for a couple of years we do not yet know whether the majority that have it will stay successful or if they will also regain.

What is obvious from reading the sleeve board is that there are people who are struggling, who have not lost as much as they would have liked , that still struggle with hunger etc.

Fluffy we know that you for some reason have not been successful with the band. This seems to make you bitter and determined to put everyone else off having the band. Whether you mean to or not you come across as some kind of missionary trying to convert people away from the evil band.

It would be better if you posted your opinion in a way that outlined facts and did not come across as so judgemental. Trying to scare the c@@p out of people who are struggling to make a decision is not helpful.

I totally agree with you, Elcee....I Lovvvvve my band. It has saved me, I read alot on this forum before my surgery. And just because 1 or 2 people had negative thoughts about their band did not stop me. I was determined to make mine a success. If you are not losing weight, then you need to go back to your surgeon and talk to him. Your band is a tool...if you are still eating junk food or high carb foods then you probably wont lose weight. Even with having this wonderful tool, I know that I have to watch what I eat...My weight right now goes up and down about 3 pounds...I have never had any regrets...Fluffy, I dont see where you have posted any progress...when were you banded? did you lose weight and then gain back?? What exactly is it that you dont like about it? And for $15,000 why would you just let it sit there and do nothing....you really need to contact your surgeon! Good luck!

I don't know one person that has lost no weight with a band. Yes there are lots that do not lose as much as they would like or put it back on but the same is true with the other surgeries as well. The problem with the sleeve is that as it has only been around as a stand alone procedure for a couple of years we do not yet know whether the majority that have it will stay successful or if they will also regain.

What is obvious from reading the sleeve board is that there are people who are struggling, who have not lost as much as they would have liked , that still struggle with hunger etc.

Fluffy we know that you for some reason have not been successful with the band. This seems to make you bitter and determined to put everyone else off having the band. Whether you mean to or not you come across as some kind of missionary trying to convert people away from the evil band.

It would be better if you posted your opinion in a way that outlined facts and did not come across as so judgemental. Trying to scare the c@@p out of people who are struggling to make a decision is not helpful.

With the other surgeries almost all lose all or most of their EW. The same can NOT be said about the band.

Yes, there are ppl on the VSG board that have not lost as much as they would like. Yes, there are ppl on there that struggle. But I'm talking % wise. There are far more VSG'ers that are happy with their WLS than bandsters. In fact go on any VSG forum and ask which is better and you will have a lot of FORMER bandsters tell you they prefer the VSG!

You will also find FORMER bandsters on the RNY and DS forums as well. Why do you think all those ppl want to revise FROM the band??? Why would they want to put theirselves through all the pain and expense of yet another WLS if the band was that wonderful?!

And since you want facts, I'll post the report from the ASMBS:

Band Gets Low Marks

And as far as me "scaring the c@@p out of people"......well maybe they should be scared! I know I would have been scared as hell if I heard about what the band was REALLY llike before I got mine! I only wish someone had spoken up to me and told ME the truth!

And another thing...............didn't the poster come on here and ask for advice? Why should you give your advice, but you don't think I am entitled to give mine? What makes your opinion more valuable than mine???

I think you may find it useful to read a British article on the band fluffy

http://www.bospa.org/Information.aspx?Page=2

I quote directly from that report..

Risks and Side Effects

Fortunately, complications are rare but it is important you learn about the potential problems before you decide to proceed with the surgery.

Firstly, being obese makes any surgery more risky. Anaesthetics are more difficult, and obesity–related diseases that you may have can add further complications. Statistics show the death rate associated with gastric band insertion to be about 1 in 2,000 operations. The most common cause of death is the development of a blood clot in the lungs (pulmonary embolism).

Occasionally patients may develop other complications at the time of operation such as an infection in the lungs, stomach or at the site where the reservoir is placed under the skin, which may delay recovery.

The placement of the gastric band laparoscopically helps to reduce the risk of complications, and the team who manage your surgery and anaesthetic are specially trained in the treatment of obese patients. They will monitor you closely in the period immediately following your surgery, and take a range of measures to prevent complications from arising, including giving you medications to help prevent vomiting (and dislodging the band) and blood clots and getting you up and about soon after the operation.

Overall, international studies suggest that 1 in 10 people with a gastric band will need a further operation at some time in the future. This may be due to:

• Slippage. Months or even years after the operation, there is always the risk that the stomach will move up through the band and the upper pouch will become enlarged. The band can be re–fixed in the correct position.
  
• Erosion. Very slowly, and particularly if the balloon is tightly inflated, the band can work its way into or through the wall of the stomach and cease to be effective. In this case the band would be removed and and replaced if possible.
  
• Leakage. This may be due to damage of the reservoir or tubing if fills are not carried out with extreme care or if two of the band components come apart. Again, this would necessitate replacement of the damaged component.
  
• Infection of the reservoir/port or tubing. It may need to be resited or replaced if the infection persists and in the case of severe infections which have been resistant to antibiotic treatment, the band may have to be removed.
  

The band itself is made of silicone and there are no known side effects to this material inside the body. However, you do have to bear in mind the possibility that some time in the future your band may need to be replaced simply because it has worn out or newer, better bands have been developed to replace current ones (hip replacement prostheses are replaced for these reasons). If you have a lesser known brand of gastric band from a small company, they may not be around in 20 years time when you need your band replacing.

Some people will fail (lose less than 25% of the excess weight) with a gastric band and in these cases, the surgeon may advise that a gastric bypass operation is performed. However, don’t give up too soon on your band if you are one of these people – experience in Australia shows that it can take a full 2 years for people to get their heads around how to live effectively with their gastric band, and when they do, they start to lose weight.

The most common cause of the worst risk which is death comes from pulmonary embolism which is a result of any surgery, the lapband and sleeve gastrectomy actually are the safest forms of WLS its bypass surgery which carries a 1:200 death risk ( according to statistics) resulting from complications of the bypass, this is not the case for lap bands.

Of course you are entitled to your opinions

Healthy informative discussion is good, but the US is only 1 country and if you really want to start down the line of facts and figures then you need to look at things on a more global basis.

And another thing...............didn't the poster come on here and ask for advice? Why should you give your advice, but you don't think I am entitled to give mine? What makes your opinion more valuable than mine???

I don't think my opinion is more valuable than yours but what I do try to do is present facts in a balanced manner without scaring the crap out of people.If you read the original post I made on this thread you should be able to see that that is what I have tried to do.

On the other hand whenever I get an email notification with the name formerlyfluffy I know before I even read it that it will be some kind of antiband rant.

It is obvious that you have had a bad experience with the band, however that should not mean that you try to turn everyone off having a band. Bands have been very successfull for many people. My father had a very bad experience with hip replacement surgery. So bad that he was reoperated on many times and came close to dying. Does that mean that I should now advise people against having hip replacement surgery as they may be the unlucky person that has something go wrong?

You are also keen to promote the sleeve yet it appears that you don't yet have one.Maybe you should hesitate to sing it's praises until you know for sure that it is as wonderful as you think it is.

When it comes to statistics one also has to be very careful of the source. It is a well known fact that the same set of statistics can be manipulated in such a way as to prove whatever the person using the stats wants to prove.When searching on the internet lots of different stats can come up for the same query.

Yes, there are ppl on the VSG board that have not lost as much as they would like. Yes, there are ppl on there that struggle. But I'm talking % wise. There are far more VSG'ers that are happy with their WLS than bandsters. In fact go on any VSG forum and ask which is better and you will have a lot of FORMER bandsters tell you they prefer the VSG!

There are also far fewer people on the VSG board than on the band board. And you would probably be pushed to find any other than Tiffykins that has been banded for more than 2 years. So yes some have been through both surgeries and have found the sleeve more to their satisfaction, but the question is will they still be happy in 2 or 3 years time?

It has frequently been said that there is no one size suits all surgery. It is important for each person to look at themselves and evaluate what they are and aren't prepared to do in order to achieve success.This decision combined with the advice of the Dr should be the best guide. Sometimes however mistakes are made. people with bands discover they need the malabsorption from a bypass, people with bypasses discover how to eat around it and decide to get a band over bypass etc. There is no one size suits all absolute solution.

But the best way to make an informed decision is with solid facts rather than scaremongering.

I don't know one person that has lost no weight with a band. Yes there are lots that do not lose as much as they would like or put it back on but the same is true with the other surgeries as well. The problem with the sleeve is that as it has only been around as a stand alone procedure for a couple of years we do not yet know whether the majority that have it will stay successful or if they will also regain.

What is obvious from reading the sleeve board is that there are people who are struggling, who have not lost as much as they would have liked , that still struggle with hunger etc.

Fluffy we know that you for some reason have not been successful with the band. This seems to make you bitter and determined to put everyone else off having the band. Whether you mean to or not you come across as some kind of missionary trying to convert people away from the evil band.

It would be better if you posted your opinion in a way that outlined facts and did not come across as so judgemental. Trying to scare the c@@p out of people who are struggling to make a decision is not helpful.

I agree with you, Elcee, but I've known Maria (aka Fluffy) for 3-4 years and never in that time has she managed to master her paranoid psychosis about the band. You might as well whisper into a hurricane.

I don't know one person that has lost no weight with a band. Yes there are lots that do not lose as much as they would like or put it back on but the same is true with the other surgeries as well. The problem with the sleeve is that as it has only been around as a stand alone procedure for a couple of years we do not yet know whether the majority that have it will stay successful or if they will also regain.

What is obvious from reading the sleeve board is that there are people who are struggling, who have not lost as much as they would have liked , that still struggle with hunger etc.

Fluffy we know that you for some reason have not been successful with the band. This seems to make you bitter and determined to put everyone else off having the band. Whether you mean to or not you come across as some kind of missionary trying to convert people away from the evil band.

It would be better if you posted your opinion in a way that outlined facts and did not come across as so judgemental. Trying to scare the c@@p out of people who are struggling to make a decision is not helpful.

Thank you Elcee for posting what needed to be said. Fluffy needs to know that she comes across very judgmental. I am sorry Fluffy that you have not been successful with the band and wish you luck with what ever you chose to do next, but with your mind set will it be any better?

I agree with you, Elcee, but I've known Maria (aka Fluffy) for 3-4 years and never in that time has she managed to master her paranoid psychosis about the band. You might as well whisper into a hurricane.

Thank you Jean for clearing things up for us. Smiles.....

Glad the band has worked for you. Most of us have not been that LUCKY!

Not sure what you mean by MOST of us. That implies more than half of banders are not happy with it and the statistics say otherwise. I feel for you but the band works for MOST people. Its not really luck either...it is HUGE behavior change.

Not sure what you mean by MOST of us. That implies more than half of banders are not happy with it and the statistics say otherwise. I feel for you but the band works for MOST people. Its not really luck either...it is HUGE behavior change.

Absolutely correct !