I have seen this on some of the online boards but had my first experience today with someone who basically couldn't understand why I would have the lapband vs. bypass. There seems to be this general idea that the lapband is going to be a failure or you won't lose as much weight by people with the bypass. It certainly seems to come off slower but I don't see that as a negative. I had my first in person experience with someone who had bypass and just basically told me I am going to have to have a bypass if I really want to lose weight.

I just replied that it was the right decision for me, I assume everyone who goes down this journey makes the right decision for THEM.

you have those who lose with bypass and regain it all and then some you have those who lose with lapband and then regain it...its a ongoing cycle...unless the person makes a change no WLS will help them and my lap band doctor told me that and it (clicked on loud and clear)

sorry you dealt with that....use that frustration to spur you on to success....take a peek at some gals/guys on here who have lost alot....total success

and if one loses (slow) as long as they get there, who cares....

Oye!

There are people with very definite opinions, and let them. Who the hell cares.

I'm getting so fed up with the constant debate of which wls is better. You know which one is best, the one that works. ALL of these procedures have failure rates- period. Noncompliance yields status quo. Surgical and apparatus complications can and will occur- why argue over which ones are worse or more predictable. None of it is predictable!

WE make choices as to which wls option seems most suitable to us based on mutliple factors ranging from what we feel we can comply with (diet wise) to the inherit nature of the surgery itself. What you choose is great, what I choose is better. PERIOD

Oye!

There are people with very definite opinions' date=' and let them. Who the hell cares.

I'm getting so fed up with the constant debate of which wls is better. You know which one is best, the one that works. ALL of these procedures have failure rates- period. Noncompliance yields status quo. Surgical and apparatus complications can and will occur- why argue over which ones are worse or more predictable. None of it is predictable!

WE make choices as to which wls option seems most suitable to us based on mutliple factors ranging from what we feel we can comply with (diet wise) to the inherit nature of the surgery itself. What you choose is great, what I choose is better. PERIOD[/quote']

Very nicely put. Maybe that is why not sharing is the best. I try not to share.

Why do people have to judge? Ignorance and insecurity.

Personally I say weigh all the facts, look at all the risks and choose the WLS that makes sense to you. Then STFU

I belong to a support group which has by pass, sleeve and lapband patients.. it's very common for those who had by pass and sleeve to come and complain about their issues.. but band patients seem okay. but as everyone said there are problems and risk no matter what you do.. I chose the band because it was the best option for me ... not to please anyone else..not to lose rapidly... I feel good, have tons of energy and hopefully will continue to be successful... I try to stay away from the negative posts as much as possible...

interestingly there is a lady in our support group who had by-pass from my dr before my dr did lap band. My dr left the by pass practice and quit doing them because he saw so much failure with it after a year. The lady who he did by pass on he had to later do a lap band on when by pass didn't work past the 1 year mark.

don't get me wrong, I know people who have done well with bypass too. It is a personal change that makes whatever "tool" you chose to implement with your WLS.

People will always think that their choice is the superior one. I had a colleague get the sleeve on the same day I got my band 5 years ago. She was very adamant that I was going down the wrong path and that the band was 'out-dated'.

As a result, I had huge sleeve envy to start with, right after I got my lapband. I did feel like maybe I did the wrong thing.

Then the months started passing. I initially lost more slowly than her, but as I got fills, my weight loss picked up. By the time she'd hit goal, so had I.

I went back to my old workplace last year, 4 years out of both our surgeries, and I saw her again. She's gained about 1/2 her lost weight back. I had a leak and still had not gained as much as her. And for me, a replacement band has meant that I then went on to lose the weight I had gained and am back in maintenance. I got a chance at a new start. What choices does she have??

So the moral of the story is this: weight loss surgery is only as good at the person who is willing to work at it. There is NO magic surgery. If anyone ever says you should have got this or that, next time say, 'well we'll see where we both are in 5 years, shall we?"

Oye!

There are people with very definite opinions, and let them. Who the hell cares.

I'm getting so fed up with the constant debate of which wls is better. You know which one is best, the one that works. ALL of these procedures have failure rates- period. Noncompliance yields status quo. Surgical and apparatus complications can and will occur- why argue over which ones are worse or more predictable. None of it is predictable!

WE make choices as to which wls option seems most suitable to us based on mutliple factors ranging from what we feel we can comply with (diet wise) to the inherit nature of the surgery itself. What you choose is great, what I choose is better. PERIOD

Well said. We all have to do what is best for us. I read about people with bypass who are putting bands on top. Bandsters who are adding plication, bandsters who are revising to bypass or sleeve, sleeved people who are revising to bypass... And others who have their initial procedure and sail and thrive. We don't know until we know. Judging others for their choices is small minded.

Absolutley! We have to accept at least a little......no really mroe than a little responsibility for our weight gain and subsequently ourweight loss. Naturally the surgeons would love to sell us more than one WLS. They will just keep getting richer and richer. Studies show the results are about the same at 5 years.

I have a friend who had bypass and her daughter then her son then her husband had lapband. The 3 of them are doing great....she gained back about 80 percent of her weight back and consulted the surgeon about banding. He told her there is nothing wrong with her original stomach/surgery, she's just overfeeding it. We all know this could be our scenerio easily as well.