So I started this journey back in august to get the process started for wls. When I first met with my dr I was 100% set on getting gastric bypass but as I've done more n more research I think the lap band is the best option for me. Has any1 changed their minds? I meet with my dr next week for my last appt to submit my paperwork n I'm confident the lap band is for me.

Yea I was wanting the sleeve but from what my insurance says they aren't planning to cover it anytime soon. I guess they don't have enough research on it for them to cover it

Ashly I would also call your insurance to ask a very important question

If I get the lap band - and it is an ineffective tool for me- will you pay for a bypass or sleeve revision in the future?

Many companies pay for 1 wls in a lifetime and that is it.

Jumping in here. I attend free WLS support groups at various hospitals. At the ones that are not my own team, I sit quietly in the back, keep my mouth shut and listen. My favorite group is the RNY and Sleevers group. Thirty or so long term patients there. The LapBand group is much smaller and I often can't get there fast enough after work. Here's what I know. After goal is achieved, EVERYBODY has struggles, as mentioned above. Emotional eating is not cured by WLS. Also, physical issues happen to all types of patients. Banders are often singled out here in these boards as having more complications than other surgeries. Funny, but I read posts on the BariatricPal Sleevers and RNY boards and there's a lot of unpleasant physical stuff going on there too. Don't take my word for it. Go read those boards.

Several weeks ago I got scared here reading about long term band problems, and thought, what will I do xxx years from now if my band malfunctions? Here's what I will do. I will get my ass to the surgeon and have it handled. I cannot live in fear. I CAN take care of myself. The band has FORCED me to obey rules. I was not a rule obeyer when it came to food. I am now. I will not ignore scary symptoms. I don't want dilation of the esophagus or a band slip. But I have my big girl panties on now and I know the vigilance is up to me. My insurance will change next year after I divorce and I'm scared about having to get a new band doctor because of the H M O I will be in. I'll cross that bridge when I get there. Meanwhile I follow directions and take care of my body. I've lost 102 pounds in 8 months and I have 53 left to be a normal BMI. I eat real food and I eat sugar once in a while. I don't dump, and I eat slowly and chew well. I went from half a dozen medicines a day down to one, plus a vitamin. And my big girl panties are falling down.

Jumping in here. I attend free WLS support groups at various hospitals. At the ones that are not my own team, I sit quietly in the back, keep my mouth shut and listen. My favorite group is the RNY and Sleevers group. Thirty or so long term patients there. The LapBand group is much smaller and I often can't get there fast enough after work. Here's what I know. After goal is achieved, EVERYBODY has struggles, as mentioned above. Emotional eating is not cured by WLS. Also, physical issues happen to all types of patients. Banders are often singled out here in these boards as having more complications than other surgeries. Funny, but I read posts on the BariatricPal Sleevers and RNY boards and there's a lot of unpleasant physical stuff going on there too. Don't take my word for it. Go read those boards.

Several weeks ago I got scared here reading about long term band problems, and thought, what will I do xxx years from now if my band malfunctions? Here's what I will do. I will get my ass to the surgeon and have it handled. I cannot live in fear. I CAN take care of myself. The band has FORCED me to obey rules. I was not a rule obeyer when it came to food. I am now. I will not ignore scary symptoms. I don't want dilation of the esophagus or a band slip. But I have my big girl panties on now and I know the vigilance is up to me. My insurance will change next year after I divorce and I'm scared about having to get a new band doctor because of the H M O I will be in. I'll cross that bridge when I get there. Meanwhile I follow directions and take care of my body. I've lost 102 pounds in 8 months and I have 53 left to be a normal BMI. I eat real food and I eat sugar once in a while. I don't dump, and I eat slowly and chew well. I went from half a dozen medicines a day down to one, plus a vitamin. And my big girl panties are falling down.

Great Post!!

That's what I've been doing and although some do have more risks then others I can't seem to find where one has more problems then others it seems to all be about equal lol

@@JustWatchMe pick up those panties!!

You should be very proud and we are all very proud of what you have accomplished and the inspiration you provide to others!

I look at my band and think of it as a long term attachment to me the same way I look at my hubby's new hip, it's there it changed my life and it is a part of me. If it's got an issue I've got an issue and vs versa, but mostly I don't think about it I just live and enjoy my new lease on life!!

Everyone brings up really valid points. The answer is that there is no right or wrong answer. You have to do what you feel is best for you. Personally, I started out thinking I was going to get the lap-band. After attending the initial seminar I changed my mind to bypass, The key for me with RNY is the malabsorption and the suppressed cravings. This surgery has worked out really well for me so far ( almost 4 months post op -down 86 lbs. since surgery).

Whichever surgery you choose will be the right choice for you! Good luck!!

Generally speaking, I think the bypass, sleeve, rny, etc. are recommended for people with high degree of morbid obesity and/or high BMI.

That said, I've noticed a lot of bandsters who started with high weights and have lost over 100# - some up to 165# or more LOST.

It's a personal decision. A few good questions to Factor in are:

-what are your health issues? Are you at high risk of death from stroke/heart attack and need a quicker weight-loss to get you out of the risk-zone?

-how patient are you? You'll need more patience with the band as the course of weight loss is generally slower than mal-nutrition methodologies. Also, getting to your 'sweet spot' of band fill can be frustrating

-Are you someone who likes to have a Plan B? Banding is reversible whereas the mal-absorptive methodologies are either more difficult to reverse or not reversible at all.

- The mal-absorptive patients face a lifetime of ingesting many supplements daily, whereas a multi-Vitamin & for older patients, Calcium supplement, are sufficient

Whatever your choice, you'll be happy with the results as long as you follow the WLS new life plan.

Best luck in your WLS journey. Keep us posted.

I looked at the band for years - as nurse, I'm afraid of having the foreign object in my body.. as a fat person, I like to eat - and knowing I can have it loosened, just don't really see that working well for me.

Then looking at complications and scar tissue on the stomach a few years out - I'm glad I didn't have the band.

That said, I looked at RNY like 14 years ago - when they were all open. I was nervous, and I was afraid of the malabsorption for life.

Now - I'm planning on a gastric sleeve - in Mexico, because my insurance now won't cover any of it - and I feel like it's the best of both worlds... for me anyway.

I think there will always be places that can do the fills - it's just saline, accessed through a superficial port in the skin - and a doctor that has done them is likely to continue maintaining them on his patients.

I also think this decision, maybe like choosing a breast implant size or what major or college to go to, has to be something that YOU are completely comfortable with.. because there is a risk of complication regardless, and when you're dealing with the complication.. you don't want to be second guessing yourself for 'caving in' to what someone else told you to do.

Two years ago I wanted to do the gastric bypass and my surgery was cancelled because I was going to a cardiac arrest. Devasted and depressed I never went back to that surgeon. The cardiologist and phych doctor advised me not to do the surgery. None of them could explain to me what had happened in that OR room. I found a trusted surgeon else where and he was very attentive to my needs. He listened to my horrible story and we sat together and discussed all the procedures. He said the gastric sleeve is good for me because my diabetes wasn't out of control. Then he explained to me why the others wouldn't be good for me. Overall he was the best surgeon for me. I thank him so much! The key is to find a good doctor. I wish you the best in making the right decisions towards your health. Best wishes.

Edited November 8, 201411 yr by Dulcemia00

My doctor said soon nobody will be performing the Lap Band surgery. I am not anti Lap Band but my fear was if they stop doing them then who would do the fills for me. I just didn't want to have to drive hours to get someone who still did the fills. Now I am not saying for sure this is the case but it is what I was told. Made my decision for the sleeve much easier. Best of luck in whatever you decide.

Agreed. The information I read said the lap band wasn't as effective and often ends up being revised to a sleeve or bypass. Initially I was more interested in the lap band as well. Like the OP I wasn't keen on the rewiring involved with the bypass. The sleeve was the perfect solution for me.

@ashly200423 - Do they hold seminars where you live? The information I gained attending the semnar was what helped me reach my decision. By the time I met with the doctor I knew what I wanted.

My brother had the lap band about 4 years ago. He has probably lost 40 pounds with another 50 that he needs to lose. He says it doesn't feel like the band is restricting his eating much, and that he thinks that they gave him a band that was too large. That saying, he is comfortable with his loss and his current ability to eat. He expects to have the band for the rest of his life, but I know that a lot of people with bands eventually have them shift or have some other complication... after all, the band is a foreign object to your body.

His wife had RNY a year and a half ago. She lost a TON of weight pretty quickly, and now wears size 0-2. She is too small in my opinion, but she had to have a hip replacement before the RNY, and I know having all her excess weight off enables her to walk around nearly pain free. That said, she has a problem with nutrition and her hair is extremely thin and dry. She is also comfortable with her loss, but expects (hopes) to gain 10-15 pounds back.

I had the sleeve in Feb. 2014, and have had no complications whatsoever. I've lost over 60 pounds and am well on my way to my goal of 130. If I reach 150 and no further loss, I will be satisfied. I can eat whatever I want, I just don't want a lot of it, and I feel better when I choose Protein over sugary foods, so I have been sort of self-trained by my sleeve to choose healthier foods. I sometimes wish I had the RNY, so I would have had a faster loss, but over the long run, I know I chose the right option for me. If my insurance didn't cover my surgery, I would have gone to Mexico and had it done.

I also took 2 years to make my final choice and went with the band. I have had only 2 fills. I achieved my goal in 6 months. The decision as to which surgery is up to the individual. Research is the key to the right surgery. If the Dr, does not agree find another Dr. You are the one who has to decide what you can put up with, I eat a low carb diet and keep track of everything that goes into my mouth. I recommend using my fitness pal app on your phone. Maybe I am lucky. I haven't had any complications. I wish you the best of luck and remember this is a lifetime commitment. You will succeed.

My Dr. won't give me the option of lap band the hospital I'm at does not perform it anymore in his opinion it does not work well , but I see differently from all the comments.

Edited November 9, 201411 yr by iesha123

My doctor didn't say he won't do it when I went to his seminar. He just said he prefers the gastric bypass. If he was to get it done he would get the bypass. I think that I would succeed with the land band. I've succeeded with diet pills in the past losing 70 lbs but they make my heart rate go up to high. And I've been on blood pressure meds for 5 years. I know that Bp is genetic, every single person in my family has hbp, whether they are small or big. I know even when I loose the weight having hbp is still a possibility My mom is on 2 meds n weighs 130

My doctor didn't say he won't do it when I went to his seminar. He just said he prefers the gastric bypass. If he was to get it done he would get the bypass. I think that I would succeed with the land band. I've succeeded with diet pills in the past losing 70 lbs but they make my heart rate go up to high. And I've been on blood pressure meds for 5 years. I know that Bp is genetic, every single person in my family has hbp, whether they are small or big. I know even when I loose the weight having hbp is still a possibility My mom is on 2 meds n weighs 130

Did he mention the sleeve at all? From what I gather many doctors who no long do the band are adding the sleeve as an option.

Do you have the option of seeking another doctor? When I was researching I looked at 2 different hospitals in my area.

I agree with @@stanpry regarding using Myfitnesspal or some form of a food diary. Like it or not most of us are food addicts. We have unhealthy relationships with food. Recording every bit you put in your mouth is the best way to hold yourself accountable. In the past when I lapsed in using the diary I found I tended to assume I had things in control. I've been using a diary for 3 years now and I am still surprised at no only how high in calories something may be but also things like how much sodium and sugar are in some things. Using the app helps keep me on the straight and narrow.