Looking for some info on Sleeve! Was thinking of having the Lap Band but I'm starting to lean towards the sleeve.

[tee808 1]

This is my first time visiting this site. I have been thinking of having this surgery for quite some time. Now that insurance is clear I have to do the usual 3 months with the dietician before the surgery. But I'm interested to know if the sleeve is better? I've read peoples post that the band hurts after you lose all the weight (the port) I like to sleep on my stomach so lying on a port made me think about switching to the sleeve. THank you in advance

[Eva Linder 47]

As for me, I never considered anything else but the sleeve. I was so happily surprised when I learned about the sleeve just 2 month ago. I never wanted a gastric bypass because of the risks and a lap band was never an option due to the fact that I seldom hear good things about it. I am 3- weeks post op and the sleeve works great. Good Luck

[Rachel 28]

I haven't heard great things about the band. With the band, you're still hungry all the time. With the sleeve, when they cut out most of the stomach, a lot of the hunger hormone is gone too so you aren't really hungry. With the band, the weight loss isn't as much. Another thing is the band can slip and also the band can erode into your stomach.

[sueoco 509]

I have heard most of the same things but one of the worst things I heard is that about 50% of people that get the band can't eat meat! Once my surgeon told me that it made up my mind as I love my meat! The sleeve just seemed to suit my lifestyle better and I was right. I was sleeved on 18 July 2012 and I have reached goal. I started at 103kg (227lbs) and have lost 42.5kg (approx 93lbs).

The great thing about the sleeve vs the band is that it is zero maintenance once you have completed the pre op and post op eating regimes. It is set and forget! One thing I would ask the surgeon that I didn't realise at the time is "how much of my stomach will you leave behind?". Obviously the less stomach you have the more effective the weight loss - different surgeons can leave different sizes and in the early days of this op they left more stomach behind and therefore the weight loss wasn't as good.

Another thing is ask if after stapling do the overstitch. Apparently this is best practise so it might help you make your choice also.

I nasty story I heard on this forum about the band is that one lady had it adhere to her liver. She wasn't feeling great and decided to get it removed and then have the sleeve and they only found out when they went to remove it. She said she was able to achieve reasonable weight loss with the band but when she started to not feel so good she looked into a revision to the sleeve - luckily she went ahead with it!

Mind you, the sleeve also has its risks too so it is all a very personal decision.

[Crazypants 36]

Hi Tee808, That's my favorite area code!!! Assume you're from there? At the end of the day it's YOUR choice. Everyone reacts so differently to these surgeries. I had the band for 5 years and it worked fine early on. The past year was awful... Band would completely close off and I would vomit on my own spit. Incredibly painful and you're at the mercy of "is your band dr available to see you" to take fill out so you can stop puking and get food down. We travel a lot and if dr is out of town and "on call" dr doesn't want to see you, you're sent to the ER, where they have NO CLUE what you need, so you have to educate them.... "Use X drug to numb the port site, use X size needle to take out the Fluid, count to 10 and put the Fluid back in." Been to the ER three times in the last 6 months and we were done. ER visits are expensive and time off work to "baby" the band was making me cranky. I am talking violent, projectile vomit that could do internal damage if not stopped. I lost weight. I gained it back. I could eat whatever I wanted, meat too... Lol. Never heard THAT before! You are NOT hungry all the time with the band but again, everyone has a different experience. I chose the band because at the time (2008) drs felt it was a good option, it seemed safer but if I could save the money, time, and pain I would choose the sleeve. My dr has done a lot of band to sleeve revisions and has only done ONE BAND in the last year! All surgeries have risks. I would encourage you to visit the Band Revision To Sleeve Forum to see WHY people who once said yes to the band are now saying yes to the sleeve.

I do have one friend who has been successful with her band. But so much exercising and no body fat caused her port to hurt her. She never had fills, the band was restriction enough (not the norm), so she just had the port taken out.

We are all here if you have other questions! Good luck with the big decision. BTW, oddly, my sleeve surgery was easier than the band. Cray cray.

[NtvTxn 1,262]

I haven't heard great things about the band. With the band, you're still hungry all the time. With the sleeve, when they cut out most of the stomach, a lot of the hunger hormone is gone too so you aren't really hungry. With the band, the weight loss isn't as much. Another thing is the band can slip and also the band can erode into your stomach.

You are so right about the 'hunger'. My friend, who got 'banded' a couple of years before convincing me it was 'safe'. She poo poo'd all this 'sipping broth' business and told me that she was hungry from the moment she woke up. I told her no matter what, I had to follow the plan, hungry or not. I had fleeting thoughts about the band, but after a little research, decided sleeve surgery was best for me. My friend was wrong, totally different than her band. I'm three years out and have not been hungry since I went under the knife!! It is GREAT, my 'new hunger' started at about 16 months out, an empty feeling, not anything resembling real hunger. It's weird, but I'm hopeful that it will stay this way!

[tee808 1]

Thank you everyone for all the suggestions & personal experience. I greatly appreciate it Looks like I am looking towards the sleeve. I have never visited a forum before so this is new to me. Thanks again I did take notes and I'm excited to continue with this new adventure in my life.

[Ms.AntiBand 2,984]

Yes. Read my story on my profile page.

As for the eating with the band? You can eat everything that isn't healthy and can't eat the healthy stuff.

[Ms.AntiBand 2,984]

Oh and if you really want to see more horror stories regarding the band go to lapband talk and search complications. There are hundreds and hundreds of posts and threads. And welcome to the forum

[ready2loseinKentucky 1]

This is my first time visiting this site. I have been thinking of having this surgery for quite some time. Now that insurance is clear I have to do the usual 3 months with the dietician before the surgery. But I'm interested to know if the sleeve is better? I've read peoples post that the band hurts after you lose all the weight (the port) I like to sleep on my stomach so lying on a port made me think about switching to the sleeve. THank you in advance

It is my first time as well. I have been thru the the six month diet required from insurance and have set a Nov 8 date fir surgery and was planning on the lap band but have been doing a lot of research and I feel that the sleeve is my better option. I called my surgeon today to let them know I've changed my mind and waiting on them to return my call. I'm afraid this will change my surgery date. I don't know out it takes longer for approval of sleeve. Just ready to get the sleeve and start my healthier life.

[meaganchuckran 7]

I'm being sleeved next week an mentioned the lap band before I knew sleeve was an option. I'm getting it done in one of the top 5 hospitals in America in Boston and they don't even offer the band anymore because of bad results in the long run

[dlar57 29]

I've started in June , I wanted lap band now gong for sleeve , I decided to go sleeve because , seem more logical I'll be out anyway ,loose more weight 80 percent 60 on lap an

Band Now am going 19 do research what is good for you.