Hey everyone! I'm in the process of completing all of my evaluations, etc prior to getting the LapBand, but I still am a little up in the air about getting the LapBand or Gastric Sleeve. The sleeve scares me because it is much more intrusive and I don't like that it cuts your stomach... What do you all think?

Thank you all so much! I truly value all of your opinions

I believe that the band is the best if you don't want to have your tummy cut up. Investigate Band with Plication which is very positive in early tests.

The band was the best choice for me. I researched all WLS and picked the band because it was less Invasive. The band does require a lot of after care, but I like that part too. I like checking in with my doctor, it keeps me on track.

You will read success & failure stories with both the band and the sleeve. Both procedures are good and work if the patient does their part.

Good luck with your decision. Not sure if I helped any.

Bee well.

I researched all as well. I was up in the air with the sleeve and band also, but I choose the band because it is less evasive and if I start to feel hungry, pouch stretched etc, I can go in for a fill and be back on track with the hunger etc.. the sleeve, well like the bypass, after a few years you can re-stretch your pouch and be back to the way you were pre surgery. Has happened to a couple of friends I know, 1 with the bypass and 1 with the sleeve. I like the fact that I have something that is irreversible if I need it to be, and something that can help me for a lifetime.

I researched all as well. I was up in the air with the sleeve and band also' date=' but I choose the band because it is less evasive and if I start to feel hungry, pouch stretched etc, I can go in for a fill and be back on track with the hunger etc.. the sleeve, well like the bypass, after a few years you can re-stretch your pouch and be back to the way you were pre surgery. Has happened to a couple of friends I know, 1 with the bypass and 1 with the sleeve. I like the fact that I have something that is irreversible if I need it to be, and something that can help me for a lifetime.[/quote']

Restretching the pouch is something I was worried about. Thank for for sharing!

Thank you to everyone for helping me. I think the band sounds like what I'm looking for the most. I'm just concerned for some reason that it won't help me reach my goal weight because I have so much to lose.

jean mcmilian had the band (but issues not related with the band) had to revise to the sleeve. she is your best bet for answers to this..i have pm'd her to respond to this thread.

bee well

IMO, a surgery that involves cutting holes in the anesthetized patient's abdomen, sticking instruments in there, moving around organs, and clamping a medical device around the stomach is invasive, so to me, both the band and the sleeve are invasive. But... the invasiveness of the sleeve is permanent. If you don't like it afterwards, you're stuck because the 75-80% of your stomach that was removed is never coming back. Neither is the sleeve adjustable.

I lost my band for various reasons (mostly unrelated to the band itself). I thought the sleeve was going to be a good 2nd choice because it would elliminate my physical hunger, and it wouldn't require numerous adjustments to achieve optimal restriction, but I was wrong. Since my sleeve surgery, my physical hunger has been ferocious no matter what or how much or how often I eat, and I have to eat 8-10 times a day to keep my blood sugar under control. I've become anemic because of micronutrient malabsorption and have to take an Iron supplement every day. I've had to start taking metformin to treat my type 2 diabetes that was always controlled with diet and exercise before. I've also discovered that sleeve patients can dump just like gastric bypass patients do because the sleeve capacity is so small, food gets "dumped" into the intestines very quickly, causing me miserable discomfort from nausea, dizziness, and drenching sweats. Finally, I've discovered that sleevers can experience stuck episodes for the same reasons that bandsters do: careless eating.

I've been told that I take a dim view of the sleeve since I loved my band so much. That may be true. I was sleeved on 8/16/12, so it may be too soon for me to judge anything about my sleeve. It's also true that the band isn't risk-free - but there's no such thing as a risk-free surgery of any type. The good news about my sleeve is that it's made it possible for me to lose the weight I had regained after losing my band in April.

Jean

Wow Jean... sorry to hear about your sleeve experience, but thank you for sharing your experiences with us.

Bee Well!

Thank you to everyone for responding! Jean- I am so sorry to hear about your experiences with the band and the sleeve. I hope others are right when they say it is too soon to tell. I've heard of many success stories so I hope yours turns into an even better one. You helped me realize that there are pros and cons to both and successes and failures as well, and that no matter what we choose we need to take everything into co side ration before hand. Thank you very much. Best wishes to you!!