Sleeve or Lap Band? Scared of making wrong choice!

[Shrinkingmom 218]

compare all surgeries.. Band requires the patient to actually participate in the process , eating slowly, no drinking while eating , etc. adjustments and follow up with your Dr. Sleeve, involves losing a big portion of your stomach, and yes the pouch will stretch if you abuse food. Bypass from what I understand involves re-routing and malabsorption. They all have drawbacks and benefits I have been banded 2 years and chose the band because it can re adjusted or even removed if necessary. I have a few sleeve and bypass patients in my support group, they

all have issues with dumping or other things. It's not an easy decision but you have to know what you can do whether you will be able to be successful The band is not going away as some have suggested, my surgeon has done thousands and still does them daily,

Sharpie, I am not sure what you meant by "Band requires the patient to actually participate in the process , eating slowly, no drinking while eating , etc." but it sounds like you are saying the sleeve is a easy way that you don't have to do anything to get results. I beg to differ! The only way to be successful with any of these is to "participate" in the process.

Also, the only part of the stomach left with a sleeve is called the fundus, which is a very thick firm portion of the stomach, it does not stretch as you said it does. You can eat "slider" foods to be able to eat more or you can "graze" and you will gain weight but you will not stretch it out.

I was sleeved 2 1/2 years ago and I am a nurse. I chose the sleeve because out of the three procedures it has the least complication rates long term. My surgeon also does not recommend the band due to the high failure rate and complication rate. I have never had one issue with my sleeve and have maintained my goal weight ONLY by working very hard to maintain my Protein intake, Fluid intake, Vitamin and mineral intake, and exercise. Contrary to popular belief, when you reach goal they are all hard because you have to maintain few enough calories incoming to maintain that much lower weight.

K5123 I am sure you will make the right choice for you no matter what that is and I applaude you for looking at the options and researching! Talk to your surgeon and he will also guide you on what is best for your health and your health issues. Good luck and good health!

[KS123 31]

Not only do I like your feedback but I love your tag name @shrinkingmom. ????????????. And I respect your advice as a nurse. I saw my PCP this morning and he's on board with my plan which is my first step officially. He's not a bariatric specialist of course (which means he has no biases) and he told me he thinks sleeve is the new standard and he's seen several people find ways to cheat the band and later want to convert to another option. That was very confirming for me. I appreciate everyone's feedback! Now excited for surgeon seminar this coming Monday night!!!

[Stevehud 1,790]

You CANNOT Stretch your stomach back out again, it CANNOT happen. they remove the fundus, which is the elastic part of the stomach so you have very little stretch left, that's why the sleeve is not a temporary fix its a lifetime decision. There was a link to great article by a surgeon about this ill see if i can find it.

now i should qualify that stretching statement by saying your stomach will never stretch to near where it once was, it will stretch somewhat from surgical size, but nowhere near to the size a normal stomach would.

hERE READ THIS: ( THANK YOU TO jAMIE FOR THE LINK)

http://tinyurl.com/qxchkcv

Edited March 6, 2015 by Stevehud

[Katie Loesch-Meyer 71]

My surgeon said he's only put in one lap band in the last year, but he's taken 150 out, put in by other surgeons. He also said the only doctor he knows that likes putting them in admitted it was for the money. He makes money putting in the lap band, makes money again taking it out, and then makes money a third time doing an RNY or sleeve later. (needless to say, that doctor is NOT at a center of excellence! No names were mentioned, but I have a guess who it is, we have a stand alone clinic here with billboards and such)

[Seahawkgirl 129]

My Dr won't even do the band anymore because of the high rate of complications. I would vote sleeve as long as you have really educated yourself on what that means!

[xangieangx 0]

I had the sleeve Dr best choice and mine. 4/14

I say the sleeve because if the lab band is done you will lose the weight, but

Once you get the lab band out you still have the Stomach pouch and might gain the weight back without you knowing. Research was very good that you did, did the same. Good luck on your decision

[foreversleeved08 74]

I am nearly done with insurance required diet and will attend surgeon seminar on Monday. I've done LOTS of research and have read books and I believe I am educated on risks and benefits of each option. I'm leaning toward sleeve mainly because no foreign object inside me and no hassle with fills. My husband and my mom are convinced band is best since it can be adjusted and mom is not convinced I won't stretch out and regain long term with sleeve. Has anyone else agonized over choice of surgery to get? No doubt I need one or the other. I'm not on the fence to do this but a little confused my best option. Do most surgeons eventually try to help each person custom fit this decision for them?

Anything can have its downsides...I originally considered the band, but after researching possible slippage, corrosion of the stomach where the band was placed that could end up being a revision to sleeve afterward which would mean two surgeries, two recoveries, etc...also the constant needles and having to mess with fills as well as dealing with the entire lifestyle change that comes along with any weight loss surgery just wasn't what I wanted....the foreign body was the deal breaker though over all. The sleeve may be irreversible, but that seems to be the only downside aside from possible complications that are relatively low...I want something that is for life, something I can count on..something I can't just remove if I'm having a hard time or if I just want to give up....that's my two sense anyway...everything has its good and bad, it's ur body, uve done the research, now just weigh the pros and cons and make a decision....you will do great either way! What works for one won't work the same for another good luck!

Also I hope no one with or who has had the band takes any offense to what I've said ❤️

[losing_the_band 133]

I'm on my second band, so my advice would be to go with either the sleeve or the bypass. I was actually successful with my first band, too, lost 90 pounds and achieved a normal BMI (around 23). The problem was that in order to do it, I had to have quite a bit of restriction, which meant that although I was unable to eat the things that got me fat (carb addict), I also couldn't eat a lot of foods that were actually good for me. Fresh fruits, fresh veggies, lean meats? Nope, stuck 75%+ of the time, sliming and regurgitation. I lived with it until the good didn't outweigh the issues anymore. I was having to literally sleep sitting upright because of the acid reflux, and even then I was still waking up choking because I'd inhale acid. My chest and throat hurt constantly. I finally had to go in for an emergency unfill, which of course then lead to weight gain because I'd never learned how to eat a properly balanced meal, just the stuff that would go down.

Several months after being unfilled, I moved across country, and wasn't able to find a new surgeon for a while. When I did, the first thing he did was do a fluoroscopy, which revealed that I'd had a massive slip. Even mostly unfilled, there was only a space about the size of a pencil eraser for food to pass through. I had to have my band replaced. I wanted to revise at that point, but even though I'd gained quite a bit of weight, I no longer fit the requirements for conversion to another surgery. Ironically, if I'd NOT been successful with the first band, I would have been able to convert, but since I was initially successful, I didn't have two straight years of 35+ BMI anymore.

With the new band, I've never been able to reach "the sweet spot." It's either too loose or too tight, and usually both in the same day (too tight in the morning to eat anything, but am an empty pit later in the day). I'm now hopefully able to be approved for a conversion, but I'm having to jump through hoops to do so.

Yes, there are some oldies out there that still have their original bands, but they are getting fewer and farther between. I honestly don't understand why people would willingly subject themselves to the band anymore, when there's more than enough evidence at this point to show that it's not the best option anymore. There's a really high complication rate, you're almost guaranteed to need surgery again down the road (removal, repositioning, etc.), and the excess weight loss statistics aren't nearly as good as the sleeve or the bypass. You have to constantly worry about getting sick, food poisoning, etc., because vomiting can lead to a slip.

To be honest, even though I'm looking into both the sleeve and the bypass, I'm pretty sure I'm going to go with the bypass. The band taught me that I shouldn't just blindly trust what the future outcomes are projected to be. When I was originally banded, it was being said that the band would have better long-term outcomes than the bypass, fewer severe complications, etc. Most of us know how that turned out. I don't trust projections anymore. And to be honest, after living with the severe acid reflux for so long with my first band, I'm really scared of the possibility of reflux with the sleeve.

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

I had lapband for 10 years, sleeve for 3.

There are successful band patients including the founder of this forum. However, the band made my life miserable with stuck food, vomiting and reflux issues. I lost some weight but never got under 200# -was still fat.

Sleeve is less restriction but more consistent small capacity. You definitely have to"work" the sleeve to lose 100percent of excess weight and maintain it but it has been effective for me.

[liannatx 897]

_{I wish I had done sleeve to begin with. I had Lapband thinking it would a lifetime tool. I had 5 great years banded, lost to goal and maintained. Then the next 4 were a misery of fill/unfill, sliming, vomiting, and just feeling horrible. I finally had it removed and the damage and scar tissue required an almost 3 hour surgery to remove it and clean out some of the scar tissue and adhesions for a future sleeve surgery. I was sleeved last week. I feel like I wasted 10 years and 2 surgeries on the Lapband.... I am surprised they still do them do to the damage, complications, and revision rate.}

[blondebomb 580]

for me and the surgeon it was a no brainer ...with meds I take for autoimmune diseases and 2 of my specialist both suggested best for me would be the sleeve. and neither of these dr's had spoken to each other about me they dont even know each other but I seen them both in 1 wk an ironically they both referred me to surgeon for sleeve. theres no organ switching an less absortion problems. so I went with the sleeve surgeon backed me up he had been doing these ever since this procedure come about . eat slow, small bites, no drinking during eating first 4 months I did good to get in 3 or 4 bites a setting. now I am 8 months PO over 100 pds down an this has been the best thing I ever done for myself! the sleeve is less evasive . I do have a good friend who had bypass 8 yrs ago shes alot older then me an she did great as well. her health was a little differant then mine. do your research. it was easy on my part I trust my specialist they have always steered me in the right direction (my internist an endo that is)..best wishes! keep us posted..

[KS123 31]

@@losing_the_band everything you say backs up what my research keeps telling me and is my fear. The thought of lifetime of new habits with the sleeve seems hard but doable and most of all healthy. A lifetime of dealing with regurgitation and pain from food sticking in pouch sounds unhealthy and worrying about long term complications down the road - who needs that! Since I first posted this I have been to my surgeons seminar and read a lot more. Definitely leaning toward sleeve now. HAVE RULED OUT LAP BAND FOR SURE BY NOW. Even curious about RNY when at first I didn't ever think I would go that extreme. But I can't argue with the long term statistics which are best and longest historical records of sustainability with bypass. So now my question should be sleeve or bypass? I love it that insurance and surgeons will let me choose. Just hope I choose the one I can succeed and live with the side effects for the next 40+ years while still on this Earth! Thanks to everyone providing this amazing blog conversation. I love the honesty with real people in the real world trying to help each other. I plan to lean on you all for years to come. ????????❤️

Edited March 15, 2015 by KS123

[devillynn 193]

i did tons of research before i had my surgery - i was going to have the band done but then changed my mind after much discussion with my surgeon. I know several people who have had success with the lapband but i have know lots of people who have had nothing but misery from the band - and lost nothing in the process - i decided i didn't want that misery. I had several close friends who had the sleeve done that had nothing but success with the sleeve and talked to some that had long term success with it and it helped me make my decision. I didn't want to have to go back and forth for fills and all that either so it was just a win-win for me.My SIL's both have had RNY and they have so many issues with Vitamin deficiencies and the whole dumping issues that i just couldn't do it - for me this was just the best choice for me. Good luck to you in your decision.

[dkh 5]

I'm thinking bypass instead of sleeve due to my addiction to sugar. I know that ice cream would go down too easily with a sleeve. I had a band put in years ago and regained my weight. I'm ready to get this weight off!

Depending on your health issues your surgeon may advise you to the better choice, I was on the fence between RNY and the sleeve, because I had Gerd and the history of the bypass he suggested it but the choice was still mine. The band was never an option for me because I felt it would be easier to cheat (food addict here another issue) also like gahannagal said the band is soon to be a thing of the past, my doctor won't touch a banded person and I also hear a lot of ppl that go from the band to the sleeve or bypass. Choice is ultimately yours though. Good luck

[dkh 5]

I'm at an crossroads about sleeve or bypass???? I don't want to be on supplements the rest of my life or drinking shakes forever, but I love sugary foods so I'm leaning towards the bypass. Please tell me how the sleeve has helped you. email dkhouser55@yahoo.com

i did tons of research before i had my surgery - i was going to have the band done but then changed my mind after much discussion with my surgeon. I know several people who have had success with the lapband but i have know lots of people who have had nothing but misery from the band - and lost nothing in the process - i decided i didn't want that misery. I had several close friends who had the sleeve done that had nothing but success with the sleeve and talked to some that had long term success with it and it helped me make my decision. I didn't want to have to go back and forth for fills and all that either so it was just a win-win for me.My SIL's both have had RNY and they have so many issues with Vitamin deficiencies and the whole dumping issues that i just couldn't do it - for me this was just the best choice for me. Good luck to you in your decision.