Hi...I was pretty much set-up for the sleeve however now I'm scared about having most of my stomach removed so now I'm once again back to wanting the band instead. However, I've heard horror stories about the band, ie. slipping, erosion, etc...would love to hear the positive stories instead!! Thanks for sharing.

I wrote a long post about this recently. Will try to find the link

good luck finding a surgeon who'll do a lapband for you. Most have abandoned it in favor of the sleeve since there were so many problems with the lapband.

Get the band if you want to have to do all this over again in about 10 years....and fight with it those ten years....I know that there are some real success stories with the band, but they are the exception rather than the rule. I wish I hadn't wasted 11 years with mine before it slipped, gave me a hiatal hernia and I had to have it removed and a revision to RNY.

Whatever you decide to do, it IS your decision, but do your homework. And whatever you decide, good luck! We are rooting for you.

I wouldn’t tell you what to do, but there are a lot of people who had bands in the past having them removed or revised to another type of surgery. It is based solely on restriction (while the sleeve and bypass use restriction but also go further in that other factors such as gastric variables also come into play in assisting with weight loss).

I worried about WLS too... but it was the best decision for me. Honestly, I think removing most of your stomach has less complications than lap band and is safer. And sleeve has a better outcome. And many people regain the weight as soon as they remove the lap band.

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On 2/28/2020 at 1:50 PM, luvpenguins said:

Hi...I was pretty much set-up for the sleeve however now I'm scared about having most of my stomach removed so now I'm once again back to wanting the band instead. However, I've heard horror stories about the band, ie. slipping, erosion, etc...would love to hear the positive stories instead!! Thanks for sharing.

I had a lap band in 2009, and it went well for a while, minimum vomiting. Then the problems set in the tubing was hitting my vegas nerve to the heart and caused issues. I had it out a year ago and had the sleeve done. I too didn't want part of my stomach removed, but this is the best decision ever. in 7 months I've lost 90 pounds and I'm as low as I got with the band and I'm still losing. No discomfort from my port, it was placed at my waist and often my pants hit it. No going in for fills or adjustments which happen once a month. I feel great, follow the same menu as I did with the band and love my decision. The band is a constant reminder, and needs to be attended to this is one and done. Good luck with your decision, but I don't miss my stomach at all.

I completely understand where you're coming from because I was of the same mind when I first went to see the bariatric doc. But in the end you have to ask yourself what has the biggest chance of actually WORKING, because do you want to have ANOTHER surgery in a year or four to fix any issues you get with the Lap-Band? The success rate with the Lap-Band isn't that great. 1 in 3 have serious issues with it and 60% have to have another surgery. That was the reason I decided to look at the other surgeries. I had originally decided on the Gastric Bypass, but after discussing it with my doctor and my bariatric support group I decided to do the Loop DS, which is what my surgeons office had originally recommended to me. I have to take NSAIDS and I couldn't take that with Gastric Bypass. Though right now I'm stuck taking Turmeric since the doc office wants me to avoid the NSAIDS for the first six months, but I have to have SOME kind of anti-inflammatory due to back issues...so Turmeric it is! Anyway, just think about it and do your research. It seems scary, but the sleeve is actually one part of my surgery and I haven't had any issues with it. I wish you the best!

Gastric band - been there, done that. Stopped working and I never felt full. So last year after my weight went back up I decided to have the revision and get the sleeve but due to the build up of scar tissue (surgery was May 2010), surgeon ran out of time to do the VSG safely. So had to wait until 11/30/20 and finally all was completed. I was told he might have to do the bypass and I prayed so hard that didn't happen. I'm 65 and glad I did it.

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