I am scheduled to start pre-op next week for a 9/27 surgery date. I have a very supported wife who has been with me through my weight struggled for almost 30 years. I was all set to be banded but I am now thinking about the sleeve. I have been told I am a good candidate for both. I know four banders, three with complications and one with none, all who have lost a significant amount of weight but did it in their 40's. I want to be done with my lifelong struggles with weight issue. I know either path has challenges and takes hard work. I want to lose without the stuck feeling and other complications.

Tough decision that only you can answer. What I will say, take a lot of posts with a grain of salt.

I met a woman going from band to sleeve before my surgery. She told me for 20 mins how the band didn't work and it made her gain weight. She then explained to me that it didn't work because she was still able to eat a lot of unhealthy food, which caused her to gain back more than she had lost. Neither the band or sleeve make you lose weight.

Band complications... the band was gods gift to WLS a few years ago, not so much anymore after years and years of them being used. The sleeve just hasn't been around as a standalone procedure long enough for us to know what's 10, 15, etc years down the road.

Sent from my mobile productivity killer.

I chose the band at first because I know two people who have been successful with it. After so much research and knowing I have to get it adjusted to get restriction I changed my mind, I went to seminars and talked to my doctor and he assured me the sleeve was better. That's what changed my mind. And the costs for fills out of pocket are ridiculous and I didn't wanna be a failure and my gut told me it wouldn't work for me. U have to go with ur feelings and put them all together and think about it. I know it's the best decision I have ever made.

I am talking this over with my wife and starting to lean more towards the sleeve. I am happy so many of you have shared your thoughts and experiences and successes.

I am still a little nervous about the procedure but getting closer with each post I read.

I am talking this over with my wife and starting to lean more towards the sleeve. I am happy so many of you have shared your thoughts and experiences and successes.

I am still a little nervous about the procedure but getting closer with each post I read.

It's completely normal to be nervous about any procedure. It's a big decision, one that will affect you for the rest of your life. When I first told my family they asked me "Why not the Lap Band? It's less invasive and it's been around longer?" and my answer was somewhere along the lines of this:

1. Searching through multiple LapBand forums as well as VSG forums I was able to find far more complications with LB. I got the feeling that the complications with LB increase as time goes on, where the complications with VSG decrease over time. This is not saying I won't have a complication, but at least 6 months out I will most likely not be tackling new complications. I'd rather feel like my complication rate is an "if" question rather than a "when"

2. LB does not necessarily suppress your appetite. Being post-op I can tell you that this is really an incredible thing with VSG. Not being hungry is pretty empowering. It allows me a chance to think about my food choices before I make them. I walk through the grocery store and make good choices. This gives me a huge advantage to learn these habits before the rest of my stomach produces ghrelin again.

3. I do not want to have to visit the doctor all the time for fills. With my sleeve I will always have restriction as long as I treat it right. If I lose my health insurance at some point I will not have to worry about paying out of pocket just to keep my restriction. Plus, I hate going to doctor appointments =p

4. It does not seem less invasive to me to have a foreign body in my body for the rest of my life. Granted, with VSG we do have staples forever, but it is not the same to me. Even unfilled the band can slip or erode.

5. Getting the band at the 'sweet spot' where you have restriction but it doesn't feel like you've closed your stomach and can't eat seems to be a hit or miss thing. My sleeve is never a hit or miss. I know how much it should hold, that's how much I eat. If I go over that, I get uncomfortable.

Those are my personal reasons, because I came into this not 100% sure what procedure I was going to get either. This board really helped reinforce my decision on the sleeve once I had researched it quite a bit. I hope that you decide on whatever procedure is best for you in the long run. =)

Thank you for such a detailed response. I will be meeting with my surgeon to go over my pre-op plan and think I am close to being converted.. I am so very happy I found this forum and the people who have replied to me.

It's completely normal to be nervous about any procedure. It's a big decision' date=' one that will affect you for the rest of your life. When I first told my family they asked me "Why not the Lap Band? It's less invasive and it's been around longer?" and my answer was somewhere along the lines of this:

1. Searching through multiple LapBand forums as well as VSG forums I was able to find far more complications with LB. I got the feeling that the complications with LB increase as time goes on, where the complications with VSG decrease over time. This is not saying I won't have a complication, but at least 6 months out I will most likely not be tackling new complications. I'd rather feel like my complication rate is an "if" question rather than a "when"

2. LB does not necessarily suppress your appetite. Being post-op I can tell you that this is really an incredible thing with VSG. Not being hungry is pretty empowering. It allows me a chance to think about my food choices before I make them. I walk through the grocery store and make good choices. This gives me a huge advantage to learn these habits before the rest of my stomach produces ghrelin again.

3. I do not want to have to visit the doctor all the time for fills. With my sleeve I will always have restriction as long as I treat it right. If I lose my health insurance at some point I will not have to worry about paying out of pocket just to keep my restriction. Plus, I hate going to doctor appointments =p

4. It does not seem less invasive to me to have a foreign body in my body for the rest of my life. Granted, with VSG we do have staples forever, but it is not the same to me. Even unfilled the band can slip or erode.

5. Getting the band at the 'sweet spot' where you have restriction but it doesn't feel like you've closed your stomach and can't eat seems to be a hit or miss thing. My sleeve is never a hit or miss. I know how much it should hold, that's how much I eat. If I go over that, I get uncomfortable.

Those are my personal reasons, because I came into this not 100% sure what procedure I was going to get either. This board really helped reinforce my decision on the sleeve once I had researched it quite a bit. I hope that you decide on whatever procedure is best for you in the long run. =)[/quote']

Thank you Izuri for taking so much time and putting so much thought into your reply. I am now about 95% there regarding the sleeve and looking forward to my journey to healthy living. My wife asked me if I have thought of myself as being a thin person, and I can not right now. However, I am looking forward to the future and I will try to start thinking that way.

Thank you again.

Just got bad news from the doctor's office. Aetna has denied my claim and delayed my surgery for a month said they need more data. I complied with everything they wanted and now this. Called Aetna and was told I could appeal but it would take 30-45 days. After years of delaying this I'm ready but can't. Is this why I pay my premiums for someone behind a desk to deny my claim? This for something that could have been handled by a call to my doctor. I am angry and very disappointed.

Just got bad news from the doctor's office. Aetna has denied my claim and delayed my surgery for a month said they need more data. I complied with everything they wanted and now this. Called Aetna and was told I could appeal but it would take 30-45 days. After years of delaying this I'm ready but can't. Is this why I pay my premiums for someone behind a desk to deny my claim? This for something that could have been handled by a call to my doctor. I am angry and very disappointed.

Hang in there. A few more days for changing the rest of your life will be worth it. I felt like my insurance company was sitting on their thumbs forever and then one day it finally came back approved. At the time I was about to go insane, but now that I'm sleeved it doesn't seem like it was probably as bad as I thought it was. This too will pass! I know it's frustrating so just use this time to prepare your mind for the pre and post op diets to kill some time. I'd suggest going on the food boards and getting ideas for what to buy and make during your liquid and puréed stage. I wish I had done that and maybe that will help you feel like you are planning and moving forward. Good luck and keep us posted!

Hang in there. A few more days for changing the rest of your life will be worth it. I felt like my insurance company was sitting on their thumbs forever and then one day it finally came back approved. At the time I was about to go insane' date=' but now that I'm sleeved it doesn't seem like it was probably as bad as I thought it was. This too will pass! I know it's frustrating so just use this time to prepare your mind for the pre and post op diets to kill some time. I'd suggest going on the food boards and getting ideas for what to buy and make during your liquid and puréed stage. I wish I had done that and maybe that will help you feel like you are planning and moving forward. Good luck and keep us posted! [/quote']

Thank you and I will. I have been doing some research and ordering supplements and items for my post op recovery. I noticed by searching different forums that this is common occurrence for Aetna. I was just so psyched to get started on my journey. My wife is also doing research and has an entire shopping list of items for my new lifestyle . Thank you for your encouraging words. I will definitely share the news once I am officially approved.