Still on the Fence

[lindyva 0]

I have been working towards weight loss surgery for six months and had a hiccup along the way. The last week of July, 2014 was tough because I was in the hospital for 4 days. I went to the ER with chest pains and came out with a moderate hiatal hernia and a thoracic aortic aneurysm without rupture. The aneurysm is about 4cm and the Cardiologists tell me that I am a low risk and have put me on medication that I will have to take and I will need an ultrasound every six months. To make everyone at ease, I have an Echocardiogram schedule for Friday so I hope everything is okay.

I had planned for the Gastric Bypass but still thinking about the Lap-Band surgery. My doctors office in now offering the Gastric Sleeve but my doctor will not perform the sleeve surgery however new doctor will perform the surgery.

I have friends who have the three kinds of WLS and have told me the pros and cons of each. I know that the bypass surgery will help me drop the weight quickly and the lap-band will make the weight come off over time, still not sure, if I would do the sleeve and still leaning towards the lap-band.

As you can see, I am trying to decide which is best for me. All of my new doctors have told me that I am a low risk and after the echocardiogram is done, the information will be submitted to my insurance company. I know that my insurance premium will go up next year and not sure I will have the same benefits that I now.

I guess I need reassurance that I am doing the right thing and I need to figure which will best suit me.

[mamafine23 101]

Hi my names is Kelly. I had the gastric sleeve done march 2013. I had a hiatel hernia and they stated that the only option I had was the bypass because the lap band has many issues and lots of people end up with complications or going to bypass because they don't lose enough weight . With the bypass , they fixed my hiatel hernia and I lost 100lbs in 9 months ... Didn't have any complications other than a mild ulcer and I do have some foods that I still cannot eat but when it comes down to it . Best decision ...my husband had the gastric sleeve and it helped him tremendously except , u stop losing and your kind of stuck ... He lost 150.00 and still has 90 more to get him to the healthy weight for his height .. He had the surgery 4 years ago ...it all depends on you and what your goal is. Good luck

[DaronB 103]

I've read on here on numerous occasions that GERD is a big side effect of the sleeve. I've also seen a lot of people get revised from the sleeve to the bypass. The band doesn't seem that great. People do have success with it, but I've read where a lot of people also get revisions to it as well.

Ultimately, the bypass is considered the gold standard and is the more known about surgery. It's more proven to be able to help improve comorbidities.

I weighed the sleeve and bypass (don't like the idea of the band), but ultimately chose bypass.

[2muchfun 8,927]

I'm banded. I've been successful so far and still losing. However, the band takes more discipline than other WLS simply because of how we have to eat. Not following the rules with the other surgeries means you gain weight. With the band, you can cause band erosion, slips, esophageal dilation and pouch dilation. Some of these are life threatening consequences.

I do mean you have to have discipline with this band. Not just kindof, but constant attention. Some people lose all their weight and some lose nothing. Some patients never get over the closet eating, over-eating and bingeing. You can't do that with the band(I'm sure there are consequences with the other WLS too).

I think I went with the band simply because I don't want my guts removed or re-assembled. Most of us feel the same way. If not for the band, most of us would not have had WLS at all.

The band does not stop you from eating too much food or eating the wrong foods due to cravings. The band can help you feel satisfied with less food. But, it's a very fine line and you have to watch for the signals. It's not like a huge stop sign, it's more like a songbird in the forest you have to listen for. Good luck and you can IM me or reply to this comment if you have more questions?

tmf

[bakawaka 108]

i debated between sleeve and bypass and chose bypass. i did have a bowel obstruction 1 year post op. but i am still glad i chose gastric bypass and would do it again. why? gastric bypass (according to research) does lead to faster weight loss and supposedly longer term success. i'm not a physician or surgeon and thus can only recommend talking to your surgeon. My surgeon (excellent surgeon, by the way) advised me that if i like baked goods gastric bypass would give me longer term success. i have no regrets and remain thankful for the surgery.

[Bandista 7,466]

There is no right weight loss surgery for every one -- We are all different. I went with the band because it is minimally invasive and can be adjusted, even removed if it ever came to that. I'm almost ten months out and love my band. The weight loss is great but more than anything I feel so much more in sync with my body. The important thing is that you are choosing yourself and your healthy future. Do all your research and don't listen to people telling you about a surgery they know nothing about. We all make our choices for different reasons. Oh, lots of us had hiatal hernias, too -- very common. Hope all goes well for you, that your other medical issues are addressed and you are on course for a healthy energetic future. You deserve that!

[James Marusek 5,244]

I would recommend either the RNY gastric bypass or sleeve. One individual in our support group went through a revision from a lap band to a RNY. The band was wearing through his stomach. I have heard many other similar stories from individuals, so I would recommend something other than a lap band.

[ProjectMe 909]

Hello

I am having the sleeve surgery on a major military base...husband Is retired military. The reasons my surgeon and I chose the sleeve were: a) the military no longer performs lapband due to complications & is reverting bands to sleeve or bypass, the bypass is a malabsorption procedure & can result in hypocalcemia amongst those of us without a thyroid, c) I have less than 100 lbs to lose.

As others have mentioned...the best surgery for you is unique to your health, your goals and your comfort level.

{{{Peace & blessings}}}