new to this -- band or sleeve????

[LydiaHough 0]

Hi All,

Just found this site today while looking for banding vs. sleeve. I have my psych eval Friday and am a little nervous.

I thought I was all set to choose the band, but after reading the problems of the band erosion and having to go back for fills etc. I started checking out the sleeve and I think it will be a better fit for me.

Has anyone else gone through this indecision?

Also I've read that the sleeve is the first step to a bypass, does that happen to most who get the sleeve? I don't really want to go through 2 surgery's.

I'll roam through the site & get more info; I would love to hear from you all.

Thanks & God Bless,

Lydia

[Tiffykins 671]

The sleeve is the first step to the Duodenal Switch procedure, not bypass/RNY procedure.

I had the band first then revised to the sleeve. I replied to your PM about my experience with the band and now life with the sleeve.

1 in 4 band patients will need a second surgery within the first 5 years to either repair a slip, reposition a port, or remove it completely.

The band has the lowest and slowest weight loss results.

The band is not reversible. It will forever change your anatomy once it's placed.

Fills/unfills - are often time consuming, and lots of appointments until you get to your sweet spot with restriction.

If you are on lapbandtalk.com, check out the complications forum thoroughly.

Most stand alone sleeve patients do not have to go through with the 2nd part of the surgery. That is why the sleeve is gaining so much popularity. Because surgeons realized that it can be successful as a stand alone procedure.

Hope this helps.

[Sabrina 0]

Dear God, stay away from the band! LOL I had my horror story with it myself. I was miserable every day for more than 5 years with that band. I got sleeved and life is good

[LydiaHough 0]

I want to thank Tiffykin for her detailed account with the band, as well as the other posts answering my question. I will be going for the sleeve if approved. I have my psych eval tomorrow, a little nervous but I think it will be ok. Has anyone had surgery done at Kaiser in Fremont CA? I'm curious to see if there is anyone who has had the surgery done in this area.

Thanks to all again,Lydia

[stcyt 15]

I, like you, was going to get the band. I liked the idea that it was reversable and I was not altering my body. I did a lot of research and I now I think the sleeve is the way to go. I don't have thousands to spend on aftercare and adjustments, as I'm self pay, plus I'm looking for a permanent solution. I've goten used to the irreversability idea.... I'm happy with my decision... although I am having vivid nightmares about people cutting out my stocach. I just want to get it done before the anxiety kills me. Good luck making the right choice for you

Stacey

[laurel80 2]

Hi All,

Just found this site today while looking for banding vs. sleeve. I have my psych eval Friday and am a little nervous.

I thought I was all set to choose the band, but after reading the problems of the band erosion and having to go back for fills etc. I started checking out the sleeve and I think it will be a better fit for me.

Has anyone else gone through this indecision?

Also I've read that the sleeve is the first step to a bypass, does that happen to most who get the sleeve? I don't really want to go through 2 surgery's.

I'll roam through the site & get more info; I would love to hear from you all.

Thanks & God Bless,

Lydia

I was also all set to get the band. I chose to ignore many of the negative comments I read about the band. In my initial consult with my surgeon he told me the sleeve was a much better option for me. So then I started seriously looking into it. And found that as everone else has stated that the long term success was so much better with the sleeve. Tiifykins post was very informative and reflects the information I have found also. My VSG is set is for May 26th:thumbup:

[LydiaHough 0]

Hi All,

I had my psych eval today and it went very well, I was told that the Kaiser, Fremont, CA surgeons do not want to do the band because of the poor weight loss results and problems that go with it. I've been approved and will get an appt. for orientation. So I'm on my way. I've been reading some of the posts in the complications forums and the main thing I've gotten from it is to do what I am told by the doctors, follow the pre-op diet to the letter. I'm only getting one chance at this and I want to do it right. I may not post alot but I will definately be lurking and reading, using the experience I find here.

Thank you in advance for being here.

God Bless,

Lydia

[Tiffykins 671]

Many congrats Lydia ! ! ! You'll love the sleeve. Let us know how orientation goes and when you get a date. . . We'll all be scootching over on the loser's bench to welcome you.

[FireFly 0]

I was set on the band. So much so that I initially saw a local surgeon that only does bands. Then I attended a seminar by another local surgeon who does all the WLS. After that and reading on-line until almost blind I went with the sleeve. I'm at 7 weeks and very happy with my choice.

[2muchfluff 1]

I was convinced that the band was for me, too. Mainly because of the "revesribility" option. I was not too crazy about the after care part, though with the fills, etc. Then someone in the drs. office told me about the sleeve, which I had never heard of. Now I am working toward getting mine as soon as my insurance company allows. Keep us updated on your progress.

[TexasT 99]

I lived with a band for 3.5yrs and was miserable. I lost about 50lbs right away, then stopped and gained about 10 back. My surgeon told me that "most" band patients end up having complications with it eventually 3-5 years out. The area where they sew the port into your body is never the same. You can feel it under your skin and it can get caught up under your ribs after you lose weight. Lots of the people that are revised to the sleeve end up with hiatal hernias in the area around the band. That happened to me. In my opinion, bands are bad news.

I love my sleeve and have had nothing but successful weight loss since I got it in January.

[ohtobeme 0]

I think I was the opposite of most. I originally opted for the RNY but the more I heard about it the less I liked it. I do not handle pills well.

I had never heard of the Gastric Sleeve but once I did, I was off to the races. It may be a slower weight loss but it will also allow me the time to totally learn a whole new way of eating without all the complications of the RNY.

I am so looking forward to this ... can't wait for my first appointment with the doc.

John

[MKelder 0]

I had the band in on 12-08, I lost 15lbs, I was in the hospital have surgical proccedures due to complication four different times in 2009. I am now set to have the band removed and the sleeve done on 4-26-10. I am very scared as I had so many complications with the band. I would not reccommend the band to anyone.

[lauramomof3 2]

i was never a band patient, i opted for the sleeve right away. i howeverer know so many patient that have had so many complications due to a band. my husband aunt almost died from the band because she couldn't eat anything but shakes-like insure, then she couldn't keep anything down, not even liquids. she was wasting away to nothing. come to find out her stomach had inverted around itself and kinked up. good luck with whatever decision you guys make. God Bless..

[Tiffykins 671]

I think I was the opposite of most. I originally opted for the RNY but the more I heard about it the less I liked it. I do not handle pills well.

I had never heard of the Gastric Sleeve but once I did, I was off to the races. It may be a slower weight loss but it will also allow me the time to totally learn a whole new way of eating without all the complications of the RNY.

I am so looking forward to this ... can't wait for my first appointment with the doc.

John

John congrats on choosing the sleeve. The weight loss results that are now being published are showing equal to or better results with VSG for the first 2 years out vs. the RNY patients.

Plus, the regain stats are less than those of RNY patients that are 5+years out.

I'm not the norm, but I've had amazing results with the sleeve by simply being compliant with the dietary guidelines and tweaking those guidelines when things slowed down for a little bit.

You can do it, and the sleeve is really a fabulous tool.