Hi, I'm new to this forum, just went to the consult & decided to go with the lap band since I'm honestly scared to death of doing the sleeve since I prefer the less-invasive type of procedure & it's totally reversible. I just made the 3 nutrition appointments along with the pulmonologist & therapy appointments. I just wanted to know I do realize there are risks to any type of surgery but would like to hear all the success stories of the band. I just hope it's not too painful of a recovery & I hope to God that I stick to what I'm supposed to do to have success. Looking forward to hearing from everyone!!

Most surgeons are not doing lapbands due to all the complications in subsequent years, plus it requires endless appointments for fill adjustments....you have to decide, but do more research on issues with it. My friend's has eroded. Having a device and a port is invasive, it's a foreign object.

Sleeve surgery is not difficult. Less than a gallbladder surgery. Good luck.

Now I'm reading alot of negative things about the band, now totally confused! I'm just worried about the acid reflux w/the sleeve. I did have Barrett's Esophagus which I was just told is gone, so I was going to originally go w/the sleeve but concerned about the GERD.

Hi luvpenguins,

I had my surgery for the band on the 27th of October. My recovery has been way easier than I ever expected it to be. The only issues have been pain in the incision sites, since I had my staples removed on Monday I have virtually no pain at all.

I chose the band for 2 reasons - the first being the same as you, minimally invasive and reversible. The second was cost, the sleeve/bypass here in UK are almost 2 x the cost of the band which I could not afford.

I did a lot of reading on forums pre surgery which cast doubts in my mind about wether or not to get the band. I know I am still in very early stages but if I could give you any advice it would be to do your own research and make up your mind based on facts and information from your surgeon and not on the opinions of others. There will be people with bad experiences with the band, but there will also be people with bad experiences with sleeve/bypass. With regards to the above mentioned comment about foreign object, all I would say there is think of all the surgeries which involve placing things in to peoples bodies....not just cosmetically like breast implants but things like pacemakers, pins to heal broken bones etc [emoji4]

Please let us know what you decide!

Jen x

I think it depends on where you are as to whether surgeons are not doing them as much. Here in the UK we have yet to have any horror stories and I'm pretty confident from the research I did that the band is as much of a viable option as the others.

My choice was based around not wanting to permanently alter my internal organs, the option for reversal, recovery time etc, but that was MY choice. The best you can do is lots of reading and think about what it is you want, speak to your surgeon and get them to discuss the options and statistics with you. If you look for bad you will find bad about anything. Good Luck!

Hi there! I've had my band since December 2016 and it's wonderful! There may have been some issues years ago, but I believe (from speaking with my surgeon) that if you properly maintain your band, the likelihood of issues is low. I also did not want invasive surgery, and I do like knowing that if I do have issues at any point it's completely reversible.

One caution is that you do need to have regular fill appointments. I find this to be a good thing, as it keeps me accountable. With any weight loss surgery there's an opportunity to gain all of your weight back. Going to weigh-in and check-in with someone is a good thing for me, but others might see this as a hassle.

Best of luck! Ultimately, you won't make the wrong decision... it's very personal to each of us.

Hi!

I had lap band surgery in June 2017, and it is working perfectly for me. I agree with the above commentators, that you need to do your own research and not depend on anecdotal evidence. I chose the band because I wanted minimally-invasive surgery and because I have Celiac Disorder, so a malabsorbtive procedure would be a bad choice in my case. Yes, the band requires more appointments and more maintenance, but ultimately, it comes down to what is right for your circumstances and how much effort you are willing to put in to not only lose, but to maintain as well. I'm happy to discuss what my experience has been like over the past few months. Feel free to shoot me a message.

I might ask you questions too if that's ok, finding the board a bit overwhelming in size!

7 minutes ago, starryskies said:

I might ask you questions too if that's ok, finding the board a bit overwhelming in size!

Of course! Always happy to help.

Hi, first let me say this forum is an excellent source of information. I found my lapband doctor and my cosmetic surgeon on here and I was thrilled with both.

I had my band done in March 2007. I’ve lost 120lbs. The key to any weight loss surgery is to approach it as a tool and not a magical cure.

I liked and still like the lapband for the fact I am didn’t change my physiology.

When I was doing my research I noticed some people failed miserably at all of the surgeries and some people were successful. So I was thinking to back out of surgery. But in looking at it critically.....some of the people that didn’t lose weight talked a lot about ice cream, magueritas, etc. Dairy Queen.

Conversely the people that were losing weight were working at it by:

-journaling what they were eating

-getting protein in

-exercising

-Drinking Water

-actively talking to others working towards weight loss.

-when I fell off the wagon I followed the basics as listed above.

So I decided to proceed and follow the latter group.

My life has changed 100pct. For many reasons but the weight loss was a huge factor. (I hated being the biggest person in the room)

The lapband does take a bit of work and follow up (ie. Getting the fills right) but I wanted to lose the weight so badly I didn’t care. Any problems I had were of my own making...ie. Making the band too tight mainly.

I had my band unfilled about 3 years ago after losing the weight but still had a bit of restriction which i was happy about....

Fast forward to today. I️ had a pretty bad virus about 4 months ago and my band slipped from vomiting. So I’ve decided to have it taken out on Friday. After the virus the reflux is not good. I was thinking of switching to the sleeve but I’ve decided to go without another surgery. (If I do start gaining I may change my mind and have surgery down the road)

None of these surgeries are perfect and none are disasters. I think your doctor, coupled with the research you are doing will help you to make the best decision for you. Some people have had success and some people haven’t with each of the surgeries.

Would I do it again... absolutely!

Best of luck and let me know if you have any questions...

I think overall it depends on your weight / willingness to follow through with it long term.

I'm doing the sleeve because it's a tool to help me with portion control, which is one of my biggest problems. With that being dealt with, I have no problem going to the gym and eating healthy. I decided against the band because i just don't have the time to continuously go back in and get it adjusted. I also feel like the sleeve will benefit me because i do weigh more and it helps lose a little bit more weight then the band. My aunt had the band done and she looks absolutely phenomenal! So both are a really good choice!