just wanted to say hello, thinking of getting started on this journey, gathering info now i guess. checking out the pros and cons between lapband and Gastric sleeve. If anyone has some words of wisdom that would be great... thanks

I'm a failed LapBander. Go sleeve! My personal opinions (not to be taken for medical fact or for normal comparisons - I have many LapBand friends through blogging that have been quite successful):

BAND

• Requires active maintenance to get to and stay at "green zone" for optimal weight loss
  
• Body fights foreign object in your body
  
• Complication rate relatively high (much higher than when I got it in January 2010)
  
• High incidence of acid reflux
  
• Stretching of pouch
  
• Intolerance of many foods (for me - lettuce & bread were the big ones...but nachos went down easy?!)
  

SLEEVE

• Virtually maintenance free
  
• Permanent alteration
  
• Lower incidence of complications than LapBand
  
• Forced behavior modification from the word "go" - no fill/unfill drama of LapBand
  
• Currently the top, and best rated, WLS on the market - being used in higher percentages now vs. LapBand because of complications
  

Long story short, my LapBand slipped in early 2011 because of the fill/unfill game my horrible doctor played without ever doing a barium swallow to see what was going on. I lost 120 pounds initially, but when I developed a solid food intolerance (had to force myself to throw up daily) because of the severe slippage (now being treated by a phenomenal doctor), I regained all but 30 pounds I had lost because I developed "soft food syndrome" - in essence, I drank high calorie liquids to soothe my pain. Finally had the LapBand removed in March 2013 and was sleeved 9 days ago.

I learned great lessons through my LapBand ordeal and have gone into the Sleeve surgery with my eyes wide open and my brain in a better space. I'm eager for my new life!

I had the band for 8 years and lost about 70 l d but could not eat solid foods without pain so I lived on soup until I finally had the band opened a couple of years ago. I regained everything I lost plus 10lbs. Due to being on insulin I gained 50lbs and I was just miserable. I got the band removed and converted to the sleeve on 5/23. I'm down about 23 lbs in 3 weeks and 33lbs since 5/10 when I started Optifast (Pre-op). Personally I've had doctors tell me they don't know why anyone would do the lap band based on the lack of long term results most people experience. I'm sure there are people happy with the lap band but I was not. I love the sleeve so far. No pain when eating so far.

@JoiaRox, thank you for the information, it seems like what i keep hearing everywhere i read is the lapband is not all its cracked up to be, and most people end up getting it removed.. does that sound right?

I don't know about "most" people, but the rate of removal and/or conversion to sleeve is rapidly growing. It was the "it" surgery a few years ago, but now that data has caught up to it's usefulness, it's proving not to be "all that." Again, I'm slightly biased because of my own, horrible experience with it - although I will say that my doctor is preferential to the sleeve now because of current research. He'll perform either surgery at the request of the patient, but recognizes the higher efficacy and lower complication rate of the sleeve.

You also have to look at where your posting. This is a sleeve forum so almost everyone here will be 'go sleeve'. (As I am.) When I made the decision on which surgery was for me, I went around to all three forums, looked at what the banded and bypass people were saying in there forums. Also look to see what they are saying about other surgeries. Each surgery has it's own pros and cons. Look at them all very carefully before making this life changing decision.

Good luck!

Thats actually a good idea thanks.

I was just sleeved on May 29. I went into the office wanting the band because it was reversable. However, the lady doing my pre-approval interview looked straight at me and said "don't do it. I have the band!" and she is a good 100 pounds overweight. She said that it is uncomfortable and gives her constant issues. Plus, she said if she has it removed at this point, she would have to allow her stomach to heal before she could do anything after that.

It slips, it can wear sores into the stomach, and it can slip. She to me all of that. Sadly, she can't afford to get it out. She also said that they are constantly removing bands and then doing the sleeve anyway. My dr. said that he almost hates doing the band because it has not been very reliable long term fix for many of his patients.

I hope this helps. It helped me make a very informed decision.

defiantly does help thanks

So I got approved going in 8/25 it just got real

So I got approved going in 8/25 it just got real

Congrats!!!

Status Update: had surgery on 9/10