Last night I attended an informational session that is required by the surgeons I will be going to. I went with my mind fully made up that I want to have the gastric band surgery. After hearing the information I am leaning more toward the sleeve. But am I ready for something that drastic???

Would you guys do it again?

What made you choose the sleeve over the band?

Any failed successes?

Thank you for your help!

I too was originally going to get the band and was until three months pre-op. I know three people with the band who had issues. Don't get me wrong, they all lost weight initially but it did not last. One had his port replaced twice, the other had built up scar tissue and port infection requiring replacement and then experienced slippage. He then had a revision to the sleeve. The third had too many issues to list. He got married, took out fluid for his honeymoon and then to visit family and did not go background a fill. He now has 75 pounds to lose after initially losing 90 lbs. Both of the band people wished they went with the sleeve.

I initially wanted the band. Met with my surgeon at a wonderful hospital in Philadelphia and they informed me due to so many complications of the band they no longer perform that surgery there. He went into detail and then I had to reassess my decision.

I was a good candidate for the band and wish I'd have done that verses the sleeve. While they do have band complications, they are rarely life threatening which isn't the case with the sleeve. I didn't want the port and foreign object in my body and thought that filling etc would be a pain...and instead I will now end up with a port because my stomach is too small to allow me proper nutrition. Ironic huh?

Failed successes? Is that possible LOL Even I will say I have lost weight with the sleeve, so in the weight loss dept, no failure there, but I do regret having done this to myself. There's no going back unfortunately as there is with the band.

Last night I attended an informational session that is required by the surgeons I will be going to. I went with my mind fully made up that I want to have the gastric band surgery. After hearing the information I am leaning more toward the sleeve. But am I ready for something that drastic???

Would you guys do it again?

What made you choose the sleeve over the band?

Any failed successes?

Thank you for your help!

In a heartbeat!!! Tomorrow! Life changing. But just know you WILL have to deal with junk food and snacking down the road. It's not a "magic bullet". So glad I did it.

Im so scare, very nervous lots of emotions going on my mind.

This topic has been fairly well covered, but I'll add my two cents... when I started considering wls, I did a google search for "successful lap band surgery" and I got zilch, zero, zip. All I read about was complications and a huge amount of vomiting. Yuck. Since I hate to throw-up I took the lap-band off my list of possibilities. I was sleeved August 2012 and I feel fabulous. I'm somewhat of a slow loser, but I've lost 65 lbs and since the trend continues downward, I am happy, happy, happy.

Good luck in your decision making process.

Had the band for four years, had a revision to sleeve March 22. Band got me to goal, in a very unhealthy way. I like my sleeve much more already! Plus my port drove me nuts!

Hmmmmmm, let's see now........everyone in the band forum likes the band.........everyone in sleeve forums like the sleeve......and all the bypass people like their bypass........ How will I ever decide.......I know.....I'll talk to my doctor and he'll help me decide what's best for me based on my individual circumstances.

Moral.......the internet and forums are not always the best place for answers.

Moral.......the internet and forums are not always the best place for answers.

I actually strongly disagree. Obviously the OP should expect bias from each individual site, however, I think that using these individual forums to research and make a decision can be an invaluable tool. Had lap band forums been around (or had I been aware of them) when I was researching surgery in 2003, I could have browsed the complications section, like I have many times with the sleeve, to find out what the downfalls could be, and possibly avoided living the same fate myself.

Clearly anyone making a decision about ANY major surgery needs to make that decision with their doctor based on their individual circumstances. However, I think discrediting the information obtained by speaking to people that have had the surgery (or possibly even 2 of the surgeries) that you are researching, can be a wonderful place to find some answers. It helped me decide between sleeve or bypass for my revision and I am so thankful for the insight of others, both on this forum and others.

Every procedure has a risk of complications. And what better place than the internet to express someone's frustrations with a surgery gone wrong or a terrible recovery. You can vent, rant, warn and even seek consoling from others. However, it's statistically unlikely to be a true reflection of all the surgeries and recoveries and their outcomes. If fact, it's more likely that the majority of those with routine or great outcomes are anxious to just get on with their new lives without the need to share it on the internet.

But I do agree with you that ......if kept in perspective, the internet can be a useful place to gather first hand information that can help with one' s own procedure, what ever that might be.

Just keep in mind........"I saw it on the internet....they can't put anything on the internet that isn't true"...........Nuf said.