Lap Band Or Gastric Sleeve Surgery...losing My Mind

[tamou37 2]

Hi there,

I have been doing lots of researches since Aug on the Band and Sleeve. I have seen three excellent doctors where I live in Dubai and each one gave me a different opinion. ohhhhh. my mind was set on the sleeve till I met one of the doctors who convinced me to have the lap. Today I had a second consultation with Dr. Al Taie and he again convinced me to have the sleeve. I am so confused. I have 35 killos to lose (BMI 35) and the main reason is IVF treatment. I am pulling my hair these days and decision has to be taken soon. I have been following the stories on both the vertical sleeve talk and the band talk, there are lots of successful stories on both. I am going crazy here and do not want to regret any decision as I am self pay. Any suggestions based on your experience............so afraid of the idea of my stomach partially removed and feeling more comfortable that lap is reversible.

[GetInMyBelly 80]

Sleeve. Too many band complications. Plus u need to eventually change it down the line w/another surgery. Band weight comes back for most. Sleeve is once. It's gauranteed and it's forever. My 2 cents. I did the sleeve.

[swizzly 901]

I haven't heard much good about the band, and where I live they don't even do it anymore because it has too low a success-to-complications ratio.

Also, the sleeve rocks!

[SouthernSleever 228]

You can take the band out but the damage it does is NOT reversible. Go to Obesity Help and read all the weight loss failures on lap band. Many of those people have had them slip, erode their stomachs among other problems. Not to mention many don't even lose the weight on the band. Several spend their days only eating sliderfoods like icecream because they can't tolerate anything solid. Lap band is the worst weight loss surgery imo. I started out on the lap band train too and quickly got off the more I read about it. Don't you think once you have the band taken out you will gain the weight back? If so then it's not really reversible and not a long term solution. VSG has far less complications, you can eat the same foods as everyone else just smaller portions, it's safer and you don't have to get it filled/unfilled which can cost a ton of money.

[ProudGrammy 8,322]

Hi there,

I have been doing lots of researches since Aug on the Band and Sleeve. I have seen three excellent doctors where I live in Dubai and each one gave me a different opinion. ohhhhh. my mind was set on the sleeve till I met one of the doctors who convinced me to have the lap. Today I had a second consultation with Dr. Al Taie and he again convinced me to have the sleeve. I am so confused. I have 35 killos to lose (BMI 35) and the main reason is IVF treatment. I am pulling my hair these days and decision has to be taken soon. I have been following the stories on both the vertical sleeve talk and the band talk, there are lots of successful stories on both. I am going crazy here and do not want to regret any decision as I am self pay. Any suggestions based on your experience............so afraid of the idea of my stomach partially removed and feeling more comfortable that lap is reversible.

hi - i'm pre-op about 18 days. Since the board has a section concerning band to sleeve, it seems to me that the lap band just doesn't work that well, after people find that out, they "transfer" to having the sleeve put in. Good luck kathy

[tamou37 2]

I am just worried that removing part of the stomach might have some complications in the far future and the thought of part of my getting cut is freaking me out. I just need to get over that feeling I guess. Thanks guys

[Sassygirl06 962]

I am just worried that removing part of the stomach might have some complications in the far future and the thought of part of my getting cut is freaking me out. I just need to get over that feeling I guess. Thanks guys

this surgery has been around for decades. it was used to treat stomach cancer. the only side effect is weight loss. you want your weight loss to be irriversable, so why would you do a reversable surgery? i did my research on both, and with no regrets i chose the vs. i am 3 months post op, and so happy i did! good luck with your decision.

[FlyGirl 18]

At first I thought I wanted the lap band too, but I am so happy I chose the sleeve instead! I've read about so many people who have gained their weight back with the band or have had horrible complications then require having multiple surgerys to fix all the problems the band gave them. The sleeve is a one time surgery. Yes, i agree the thought of having part of your stomach removed is pretty drastic and scary but think about what can happen with the band... slippage that does require another surgery to fix, scar tissue, your body rejecting it... Most people who have the lap band end up having another surgery to either remove, repair or get a revision to another weight loss surgery. Being a self pay that is something to consider too... Another huge positive the sleeve has over the band is that it controls your hunger. I'm 1 year out and I can eat about 4-6oz of food and I get full and completely satisfied. Good luck with whichever surgery you choose! Keep us posted.

[NewKat 1]

_{Sleeve! I did the reseach for 9 months before I finally had surgery Aug. 31st. I looked for the downside of each. People live without a stomach all the time for different reasons - usually ulcers - but they do just fine. 49 lbs down and I sometimes forget I had it done.}

[omamilam 11]

Hi,

This is MY OPINION and is not intended to step on any bandsters toes and is a result of my personal research...............

I am also making the decision between LB or VSG and doing a lot of research. After being in the LB chat room for 3 weeks now, I have noticed that there are a lot of dr. visits to fill or unfill because of discomfort, or not losing, food getting stuck, emergency surgery because the band slipped etc. I became frustrated that there was never anyone in the VSG room to talk to about the sleeve. I had an epiphany one morning that is because no one has anything to complain about after they have healed from the surgery. That spoke volumes to me. Yes, it is more invasive, recovery is longer but leaks are rare and you do not have a foreign object in your body that you have to continually adjust. Yes, the LB is reversible but if you are not committed, why do either surgery? Are you really going to have the band removed? I have noticed that after you heal with VSG you are more normal and can eat whatever you want with no food restrictions to speak of with the band you can not have many of the foods you love EVER. I like the fact that your pouch is larger than with the band. You can actually go to a restaurant and eat a kids size meal, senior meal, or order off of the appetizer menu. With the band, one or two bites is all you can tolerate so you should just share a meal with someone else. Having a pouch the size of a golf ball (LB) as compared to a banana (VSG) and the hole to your stomach is normal size instead of restricted by a band so food can't go through easily, I have elected to be more "normal" and just have my stomach reduced to the size it should have been before I got fat and made it the size of a football. The part of your stomach that stretches is removed so you will not have any significant stretching and the part of your stomach that senses hunger is removed so you don't get hungry. I would rather go to the doctor every 3 months for a check up with VSG than every month with the band (if not more than that for problems.) Did I mention every fill with the LB is $150? Also, most people that have the band removed due to slipping end up with the VSG anyway. I also do not want to be stuck drinking Protein Powder the rest of my life 2 or 3 times a day just to get my Protein requirements in because I can not consume enough food orally.

This is why I am choosing VSG over LB. Its a personal decision, do your homework and research. Continue to talk to Bandsters and VSG patients before you make your final decision. Good Luck

[former_vbg 198]

Several others have already said what I believe. But, to add to that, I'm going to ask you if you have found any documentation that shows any issues with having your stomache removed that would justify your fears of having your stomach removed? Like someone else said, why would you go into this surgery with the idea that you may reverse it and then be back to square one? Also, if you are self-paying, be prepared for multiple Dr. visits for numerous fills and unfills and that's not counting if you have complications with the port eroding into your stomach doing permanent damage to your body. More money out of pocket.

I am just worried that removing part of the stomach might have some complications in the far future and the thought of part of my getting cut is freaking me out. I just need to get over that feeling I guess. Thanks guys

[lucill35 73]

When I began doing my research on WLS, my insurance only paid for lap band or bypass. I wasn't interested in bypass as the malabsorption issues and dumping problems concerned me. I did consider the lapband briefly but the idea of continous fills and the complication rate were also concerning to me. It was by the grace of god that somehow I came upon this website and learned about vsg. My insurance didn't cover vsg so I was self pay in Mexico and had my surgery on 1/29/11. The best decision I ever made and I believe saved my life. At almost 10 months out I have lost 103 lbs. You don't realize how bad you feel until you feel better. It's astounding to me. After doing the post-op liquids, there has been nothing that I haven't been able to eat. I had an easy recovery with no complications and would do the surgery again in a minute. I tell everyone I know about it and again feel it was the best decision I ever made. Good luck to you in your decision making.

[minniekitty 44]

I am just worried that removing part of the stomach might have some complications in the far future and the thought of part of my getting cut is freaking me out. I just need to get over that feeling I guess. Thanks guys

I was scared of the sleeve too at first, which is why I originally wanted to get the band. But, I wanted to avoid any future surgeries if possible. Pretty much everyone who has the band will have it taken out due to failure to lose weight, erosion, or slipping. I didn't want to go through weight loss surgery only to fail. The band can work, but it requires A LOT of discipline and luck.

I started with a lower BMI too, and a more "invasive" surgery can seem scarier. The first month post-op was hell for me, but now I'm so much thinner and happier at 3 months post-op. Never would I think I could lose 40+ lbs in 3 months, but I did and I'm still losing :smile1:.

In the end, it's your decision. This is a sleeve discussion board, so obviously we're all going to be biased towards the sleeve. You may want to ask on the Obesity Help forums and Lap-Band Talk too.

[Oregondaisy 2,019]

Sometimes you have to put up a post that says "anyone want to chat?" People go to view to content and will see that.

I think more people chat in the evening than the daytime. and it depends on your time zone too. I've always had people come into the chat room when I put up a message that I want to chat.

[SuperMom 33]

I know the doctors who do the lap band want to promote their surgery - but - when I asked several people who actually had the band....they LOVED loosing weight but did not like the complications that the band had with it. Three of them are considering sleeve. So I just went with the sleeve.