For two months now I have been doing everything I was suppose to do, going to all my appointments doing egd, bloodwork etc and the whole time going back and forth which surgery to choose. My best friend had the lap band and has done very well, but the more I though about it and the chance I was taking on it working for me, the foreign object in my body for the rest of my life. After speaking to my doc several times he feels the sleeve is for me and Im going to trust his judgement. I'm scheduled for may 14th and I'm so nervous but so excited!

A lot of us thought about the band first... But I don't think I've read one person have the sleeve and say afterwards "darn I wish I got the band"

there is a sub forum here called band to sleeve revisions you might find some interesting stuff there.

The sleeve is a major surgery and not easy at times but most of us are happy with it.

Good luck on your research.

Agree. I went into this thing planning on the lap band but the surgeon at the hospital convinced me otherwise. He even showed me a lap band that had been removed from a lady who came in for a revision. It was majorly disgusting - all corroded etc. I do know a lady that has been very successful with the band but it's my understanding that eventually it will have to be replaced. She is currently 3 years out and has lost 162 lbs. She looks great. I wonder if that's true about the band having to be replaced in all patients at some point?? Anyway - the sleeve is much better. No foreign objects left in your body and once its done - its done.

My surgeon told me unless a patient is adamant on getting the band he doesn't recommend them anymore and tries to educate patients to go with bypass or sleeve. He said in another few years it won't be a procedure that will be offered any more due to the high risk of complications that are associated with it.

My surgeon was the same way. Honestly the vsg and bypass each have their benefits, drawbacks. I thought the surgeon would choose for me based on my history. He didn't he said I had to choose. I ended up going with the sleeve because it seems less rerouting, and they take the hunk of stomach out. In bypass surgery the stomach is rerouted and they leave it in you. There is no way to guarantee it won't cause problems, they can't even scope it. That's why I chose vsg. Also the band... Several people I know that had it lost a lot in the beginning, but never got "thin". The complications were so severe it had to be removed.

Thanks everybody! Im starting to feel more and more comfortable with my choice! I do have 5 kids, 4 of them r under 5! So I'm truly worried bout recovery time tho

And being able to take care of them

I was going back and forth about band, vsg and rny. After talking with my Dr vsg was the best option for me. He too said soon the band will not be done any more. Too many complications. Most either revise to rny or sleeve a few years later. Or just have it removed bc of problems.

Thanks everybody! Im starting to feel more and more comfortable with my choice! I do have 5 kids' date=' 4 of them r under 5! So I'm truly worried bout recovery time tho

And being able to take care of them[/quote']

My word five kids!!! Lol...I'd be more worried about my husband getting to close to me again and making a 6th

I went to a presentation today at a group that is pretty "renowned" in Michigan, and the doctor speaking said that he suspects the band will be taken off the market within a few years. They don't hardly do it anymore at all.

Interestingly, this big group of doctors now does about 70% sleeves and only 20% bypass now. I was kinda surprised about that percentage of sleeves but it made me feel that I made the right decision.

I too looked at the band and did not like the foreign body concept that was with me forever. The bypass with the old stomach hanging out in my gut and the re-routing of my intestines also did not interest me. The VSG seemed to fit the bill....I was still left with my tummy just a smarter size. My surgeon mentioned of course the research is still somewhat inconclusive since the sleeve is not been studied as much as the bypass. The long term success rate is still being investigated. I figured I would become one of the positively reported statistics.....the benefit of research!

Hey. I'm a band to bypass revision scheduled for May 16! The band has been terrible for me and caused problems that could turn into cancer if not removed. I managed to lose forty pounds in five years throwing up multiple times a day.

I could have written your post! I felt the same way. After my psychologist (required for insurance clearance) suggested I look at the sleeve I decided to switch. It has the a greater success rate, no fills, no foreign object in my body, and had the same surgery access point (laparoscopic). I am three weeks post op and doing great! As a mother of four, I would strongly suggest some type of help for 3 days at home. And a side note, the tell you NOT to get pregnant for 2 years after the surgery and that you are at increased chance of becoming pregnant because as you lose weight your hormone levels dramatically increase as stored hormones are released from the fat cells. A fifth child would probably push me over the edge right now. : )

My surgery is May 1. I saw my surgeon yesterday for pre-op and talked to him about restrictions (activity-wise) after surgery. He said most people go back to work in 5 or so days, and I won't have any problems lifting my 2&4 year olds. They (or he anyhow) doesn't cut muscles, they push the probes through them so when they're removed the muscles heal quicker and its generally less traumatic. My husband was with me, and is worried in not taking enough time off work and how I can care for the kids, so I was happy with what the doc said.

I too was initially going to get banded. My wife and three friends and this forum convinced me otherwise. The three friends all have the lap band and al initially lost a lot of weight. All three have had their ports replaced at least twice, one had two infections in the port as well. Their respective surgeons tried to get each of them to go sleeve or bypass as each had several health issues. They all told me about the trips to the office for fills and how they wished they had gone with other procedures but did not like how invasive the other procedures were. One still has his band is complains about all the things he can't eat. One had his band slip and it needs to come out. The last got married had all of the Fluid taken out for his wedding, and honeymoon and just recently went back in for a fill after 1.5 years. He now has to start all over and has 90lbs to lose. My wife wanted me to have amore set it and forget it method, and did not want anything foreign in my body. I suffered from and recovered from a double whammy of a strep and staph infection which almost killed me and she wanted me to take no chances.

Whatever you decide, this forum and a good support team can help you make the right decision for you. I think the majority of people on this forum are happy with their respective decisions to get sleeved. Good luck to you.