I feel like I am going to scream I went to my first visit with the surgeon last week and he asked me why I did not want gastric bypass, and I told him well I have seen many people have side effects to this, and have many health problems afterwards, and he was very suportive, however I have some so reading on the internet and I have read that gastric bypass is better for people to loose more than 100 pounds. I have about 140 pounds to loose. can people with lab band loose this much weight? When I went to the group information day, everyone else wanted gastric bypass and they could not believe that I wanted lab band, So I am so confussed know. If anyone can help me out thanks

Crystal

<p><p>I can understand your confusion scanj05. I was originally going to get gastric bypass. However after talking to my family, the doctor and dietician I finally decided on LapBand. I happen to like eating sweets and you cannot have them w/ Gastric bypass--it will make you sick. I can control my portions of sweets when I choose to eat them. I have not had a fill yet but I have lost 30 pounds so far Surgery was 7/16/07. I have 96 pounds to go. LapBand definitely requires more effort on your part, in the begining but as you start getting restriction (fills) the band will assist you since you won't be able to eat as much as before surgery. Exercise is crucial. The weight for me is coming off slowly approx. 2 lbs./week. I get frustrated when I hear how quickly the GB people in my support group are losing weight. They are not even hungry post op. They do say at about 6 months post op they start getting hungry and crave all the foods that led to obesity. They struggle daily with it. The problem w/ GB is their pouch will stretch and unlike lapband patients they wont be able to rely on the quantity restrictions we Lapbanders will have after we get fills. </p> <p> </p> <p>So w/ LapBand you work harder initially, then the band willl start working. You will be able to tolerate a wider variety of foods and your body will be closer to its' natural state. You have to take special baritric supplewments post op. For life. I take multi-Vitamin. There is no dumping syndrome. No major rerouting of stomach and intestines. Shorter recovery period.</p> <p> </p> <p>I started with over 100 lbs. to lose and I am confident I will achieve this. Just not as rapidly as with gastric bypass. You will also feel hungry. I find that as long as I'm eating my protien requirements 56 grams /day I am not hungry between meals. I still get cravings for sweets, but that is just head hunger.</p> <p> </p> <p>My doctor said about 2 years out LapBand patients and gastric bypass patients will be about even as far as weight loss goes.</p> <p> </p> <p>I hope this helps you. Good luck!!</p></p>

With gastric bypass you will need to take special bariatric supplements for the rest of your life. Lapbanders do well w/ multivitamin and calcium supplements.

Gastric Bypass has a mortality rate of 4%. Nuff said.

I had a very good friend who had gastric bypass and was miserable for at least 3 months afterward she did however end up losing over 100 pounds. Then guess what? She started gaining weight and is now bigger than before. You can stretch the pouch with bypass same as you can with lapband. Look at Al Roker on GMA. You can see he's gaining again. It becomes a struggle no matter which you decide so my choice would be the least invasive as possible. Safer is always better as far as I'm concerned. I want to live. Either was its not easy.

This is definitely a personal choice. You really need to weigh the pros and cons for both.

I personally chose the lapband, due to be banded Sept. 28, because it puts you a lot more in control and I am very concerned about the extra skin and complications I have seen with the bypass.

Do your research and you will know which one is right for you.

This has been discussed many times... do a search for it and you will find pages and pages of answers...

For me: I have two friends who had the RNY... one is 5 years out one is going on 3........... both lost around 120 lbs in the first year.......... I am very proud of them....... however, the one that is 5 years out never dumped, and has stretched out her pouch and although I haven't seen her because she has gone into hiding............ she has gained about 70% of her weight back and is thinking of getting banded .......... Friend #2............ just had a tt and breast lift and she looks freaking awesome! however she now says the honeymoon is over and she is fighting a 15 lb regain.................

For ME................. I chose the band for MAINTENANCE! I can lose the weight..... I am an expert dieter, I am a volume eater, I suck at Maintenance! Because of my last regain I started at an all time hight weight of 272.......... my goal is around 150'lbs.. Today 218............ I'm getting there.......... when I get closer to goal I may losen up my fill a bit, BUT.......... if I start getting complacent and eating too much .. I will RUN not walk to my doctor and get a fill! RNY don't have this option.. if you stretch your pouch you are screwed..............

Plus........ we absorb the nutrients from our food........ RNY people don't............... plus I had surgery on Thursday and went back to my desk job the following Monday.....

Oh... and if down the line I need a revision or replacement.. I say BRING ON THE NEW AND IMPROVED version of the band!

GOOD LUCK!

I personally have heard to many horror stories with bypass. I have only heard of handful of stories with the lap band. Don't let other persuade you, you know what you need to do in your heart!

Good luck with your decision!

Brandy

thank you all so much, this is so new to me and I am so confussed thank again and look forward to talking with all of you

Crystal, the lapband success at year 1 is 60% of your excess weight. Gastic bypass is 80%. With that being said, at year 3 they are the same. With gastric bypass there is typically about a 20% gain. It will take you a while to lose 140 lbs but it will be worth it. I never really considered gastic bypass. It is way too dangerous. Good luck with your decision.

Everyone has different views but it's yours that is the most important, I never would have wanted the gastric bypass mainly for the fact that it is open surgery and more riskier, I'm only 20 so I want to fit in a bikini one day (or at least know that I can) and I dont want to have a huge scar on my stomach (even though I have similar sized scars on my side) Also just because you need to loose 140 pounds doesn't mean you can't with the band, it depends overall on how much of that weight is excess weight.

It's also helpful to look up the pros and cons of each procedure, I've heard many unpleasant things about the gastric bypass like a higher mortality rate and complication rate compaired to the lap band also one of the bigger things for me about the gastric bypass that turned me off was the increased risk of osteoporosis and the fact that because you can't get enough Calcium in, it can lead to tooth decay and I personally would like to keep all my teeth - If that all made sense =)

I have friends who've had both done. Put it this way, my friends who have had the bypass have gained back most/all of their weight and have suffered severe issues they will have the rest of their life like dumping. My bypass friend whispered in my ear right before my procedure, "I'm glad you are getting the band because for the rest of my life I have to deal with dumping.. I can't even eat a bite of cake"... and she got back up to 220.. she had gotten down to 140 really fast...

I never would have wanted the gastric bypass mainly for the fact that it is open surgery and more riskier

Actually, gastric bypass is almost always done laprascopically. It's only done open if the person has too much scar tissue or anatomical issues that prevent it being done laprascopically.

But there are plenty of other reasons to go for lap band over bypass. Personally, giving the safety issues, I think US doctors should always recommend lap band first and only go for bypass if the patient has some particular reason why the advantages of bypass outweigh the added risks.

An example would be if you have a medical condition that requires you to lose weight quickly or risk dying. Another would be if your psych eval showed you'd be a bad band candidate but a good bypass candidate. There are people for whom bypass is a better choice. But there are a lot of people for whom the lap band would work just as well and be less risky. Sounds like a win-win to me. :thumbup:

I have decided the lap band is my preferance. I went to my appt with the surgeon and he felt it was a wise desision. He felt that RNY would be overkill. I'm 100 lbs over weight and now I have my last 2 appts before my date is set. The only real question that I had to ask the dr was would I ever be able to eat bread or pasta again. His answer was no, however he smiled and said of course but most people who succeed have this type of food as a rare special occasion. I can do that! I have read much info from the internet and spoken to people who have had RNY & those who went lapband. I also read statisitical into in the American Surgical Assoc. publication. RNY has much more complication rate. The 2 most common problem w lapband is dilation of the esophogus and the pouch. I'm willing to take the risk of lapband vs RNY. Good Luck to you all Diana