hey guys..

so I was 99.9% sure that I was going to get the sleeve and a surgery date today. I just met with my surgeon, he didn't say "get the band," but I feel he was definitely encouraging me to really consider it. He said that based on my age, weight, and long term outcomes, he thinks it would be a really good choice. He said that there is at least 16 years of data on the band, while there are only a few years for the sleeve. He said that I have a long time to live with my choice, and since there aren't long term studies and it is absolutely irreversible..it's more of a risk. He mentioned that the difference in statistical outcome weights between the two surgeries would be within a few pounds of each other, and completely within my own control. Given that, he suggested the band because it's "safer" and reversible if absolutely necessary.

My thinking is..what are the chances of a band living to be 90 years old without complications? What are the chances of the sleeve living to be 90 without complications? I want this to be a one time procedure..with life long benefits...

I know that most of the people on this site chose the sleeve for themselves and have been very successful. I guess I'm just unsure now because of his recommendations...gosh guys, I thought I knew what to do, but now I'm just confused.

Any thoughts would be appreciated...

Wow that's odd...Kaiser is really anti-lap band. I think the only surgeons that would promote the lap band over the sleeve are the surgeons that can only do lap bands. I know that's the story with these 1 800 lap band surgeons, that's all they do, no other wls options (and they are making a fortune).

I know six people who have had the lap band. All 6 of those 6 people are still morbidly obese. For every pound they lost they gained it back somewhere along the way. The most time is 4 years out and the least time is 9 months out. Those are my thoughts... With the lap band results flutuate so much. Also, if your doctor would like data on the sleeve tell him to look up Gastrectomy, there is 30 years of data on stomach removals.

I guess this sounds a little crazy, but here. goes anyway.

For several years now, I wanted the BAND. Reseached it, priced it, even went through all the insurance paperwork and got approved to get it. But over those years, as I followed it closely, I began to read about more and more people having problems with it, or having it converted into something else.

When it finally came time to get the Band, after my insurance approvals, I found out that the surgeon I selected had two young women DIE shortly after band surgery, and punctured another woman's intestines during surgery, so I decided to change surgeons.

When I came to my present surgeon, he and his whole staff told me YOU DON'T WANT THE BAND. They told me that while the surgical risks with the Sleeve are MUCH higher during, and after surgery, they go down sharply, whereas with the Band, the risks are very LOW during and after sugery, but begin to rise up sharply as time goes on. They drew this little graph, there is a point at which the "risk lines" cross, and the longer you have a Band, the greater your risk of complication.

This surgeon (Dr. Pomp, NYP) was so good, and I began reading this forum every day, that I changed my mind, changed my insurance approval, and got the sleeve.

I also had this strange image of... if I got the band... me being a very old woman with the Band, and then eventually dying.... and there I would be in my coffin, and eventually I would waste away into dust.. and all that would be left was this BAND. In my coffin... and for some reason, this bizarre image really disturbed me.... that the band would outlast my body. Sorry if that's too much information, LOL, I told you it woudl sound crazy!

Anyway, I am now two+ weeks out from surgery with the Sleeve and very happy.

Good luck to you, whatever you decide.

Cinderella

I was originally going in for the band too, but my insurance required a 6 month wait time (weight monitoring, etc.) and that is when I started researching the sleeve. I'm SO thankful I got the sleeve vs. the band.

But way back in May 2010, I told my NUT right off the bat "I can't imagine being 90 years old and having this band inside of me" and she sort of shrugged and said "well hopefully you will have mastered some different eating habits/patterns"...which is true, but I didn't want multiple surgeries, I just wanted one and I wanted to be DONE after I was healed. No fills/unfills, vomiting (that is a huge thing for me, I cannot stand to have things that are supossed to go DOWN come back UP), or any number of possible complications. So once I decided VSG, I was SO relieved with my choice, it felt like a million weights were lifted off my shoulders once I decided VSG. Thank GOODNESS my insurance made me wait. lol.

I was originally going in for the band too, but my insurance required a 6 month wait time (weight monitoring, etc.) and that is when I started researching the sleeve. I'm SO thankful I got the sleeve vs. the band.

But way back in May 2010, I told my NUT right off the bat "I can't imagine being 90 years old and having this band inside of me" and she sort of shrugged and said "well hopefully you will have mastered some different eating habits/patterns"...which is true, but I didn't want multiple surgeries, I just wanted one and I wanted to be DONE after I was healed. No fills/unfills, vomiting (that is a huge thing for me, I cannot stand to have things that are supossed to go DOWN come back UP), or any number of possible complications. So once I decided VSG, I was SO relieved with my choice, it felt like a million weights were lifted off my shoulders once I decided VSG. Thank GOODNESS my insurance made me wait. lol.

Hi Mommy2girls: I'm glad for BOTH of us that we were made to wait! Insurance companie's aren't all bad! Are you banded yet?