Hello,Im new to this fourm & need some advice from some experienced members on lap-band VS the bypass.OK,Im a 37 year old male with a BMI of 43.I weigh 295.I have OXFORD insurrence & was told that shouldnt be a problem with approvel.I can pay cash if necessary.I went to a dr. that ONLY does the gastric bypass.I did all my physc reports & medicial reports.ALL favorable reports to have sugury.The next step was for my dr. to hand the report over to my insurrance for approvel. BUT THEN I SEEN A VIDEO of the gastric bypass procedure!!! It scared the hell out of me.NOW Im leaning towards the band but cant get a sraight answer from my Dr. because he only does gastric bypasses! personally,I think Id rather do the band BUT I want to make sure its right for me.The part of me thats Obeese is mainly my stomach...I weigh 295.If I can lose 80 to 100 lbs. Id be satisfied with that!To me the gastric bypass seems a little extreme.Im not 400-500 lbs. YET.If I was...OK.but since Im just heavy in the stomach & love handel areas...maybe the band will be sufficent? Im confused betwwen the gastric dealing with malabsorution & the lap-band dealing JUST with restrictive eating.(I think thats how you put it) My worse time is when I get home from work at 3 in the morning....Ill eat ice cream,choclate milk,steak,whatever....then go right to sleep.Thats where I think my problems are with my eating habits.ALSO,Im a smoker.MY doctor says he WONT do sugury on me UNLESS Im smoke free for a month.he said some doctors will,but he wont.I really DONT want to quit AT THIS POINT & TIME but will to get sugury.Are there any doctors less demanding with this? From what I put down so far......any suguesstions on what MIGHT be good for me?Can the lap-band be enough or do I need the malabsorution that the gastric bypass gives you to lose my desired weight?Any one in NEW-JERSEY that can recomend a decent doctor or can talk to me?(or anywhere for that matter) Im READY to go ahead with something EVEN if I have to pay out of pocket...I hate not being able to buy the fashions I want...I get depressed when I go to the mall & see all the nice cloths Id look grat in if I was thinner BUT ridicoulse in NOW at this weight.I want to get a procedure ASAP!!!! but need help from someone who knows what there talking about! Thank-you, Eddie

Welcome to lap band talk! The decision is really a personal one whether you want to have the lap band surgery or a gastric bypass. If I were you I would call your insurance company and ask them what doctor they would recommend for lap band. Then at least you know that the doctor is in your network and will be covered to the fullest extent.

As for the smoking, it is hard, and some doctors will require that you quit in order to have the surgery. The reason why is because when you smoke you lower your body's ability to fight infection, you can slow healing, and put yourself at risk for having a blood clot as you heal. A lot of doc's don't want to take this risk, esp with an overweight patient.

Read the threads on the board. Use the search bar. Really go through everything and if you still have questions, post them. There is also a local section for your state, and I am sure that some locals in your area would be able to tell you who a great doc is in your town. You can also read up on docs outside of the country.

I know you want this quickly. But make sure you go through and really research all of your options. That way you won't be left asking thousands of questions AFTER being banded. Just a few hundred. :eek:

Hi Eddie....I've only had the band since 21 Apr...but I did a TON of research on it before deciding "band or no band". I know everyone is different...and to each their own; I respect that. But, personally (this is MY opinion here so don't anyone jump all over me!!!) for ME....I would never ever EVER consider gastric bypass. Even though the risk isn't extreme....it is still a much greater risk than the band surgery. That is the main reason I would never have chosen to go down that road. Bottom line is that I love my husband too much to ever put myself at any "great" risk to leave him alone. And then, obviously there are the other issues (besides the surgery being so much more invasive) that occur afterwards with the bypass that I would never wish to subject myself to. But again...that is ME. You are taking the right step by coming on here and asking questions and researching...this will lead you to the info you need to do your own research and come to a decision that is right for you. Either way....all the best to you and congrats on deciding to take a positive step towards a healthier life!

Hiya Eddie! Welcome to LBT. So many people ask this question and like Funny said, it's a very personal decision. As for whether or not the band can work for you that will depend on you. You can cheat with the band, and if you are a real sweet addict, chances are it will be harder for you to succeed because so many sweet things can disolve easily and slip right through the banded area of the stomach. liquid calories are a killer. The band is designed to restrict the amounts of food we eat, and for those of us who have difficutly with eating reasonable amounts or are big bread eaters, the band is a great tool.

Be sure to ask all the questions you want. There are many people here, from newcomers like you to seasoned bandster - from success stories to the worst case scenario stories of erosion and band removal. You'll find it all.

Here are a couple of threads you might find interesting.

Questions to ask your doctor about the lapband prior to surgery:

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=15595

People here who have lost over 100 pounds:

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=16050

Is it worth it?

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=17875

Also, check out the FAQ Forum. There are a lot of links to other sites with information about the band as well as a lot of information provided by LBT members.

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=73

About smoking. Smoking inhibits healing, and with the chances of infection after surgery I think it would be very important to give it up. Not to mention the health benifits from that. I have been a smoker so I know its not easy. But hey, if you're going to undergo surgery to get healthy why would you want to keep a habit that could kill you in a different way? Just a thought. :eek:

Cheers!

Thanks you for taking the time to help! Its really appreacited.Im gonna just ask 1 more question...I guess I should do it in a new thread...Thanks!