I have been lurking for awhile, reading posts and doing research. I am about one month out from my surgery date (July 2nd). My surgeon (Dr. Maher in Richmond, VA) originally recommended laparoscopic gastric bypass during my initial consultation. He suggested this for two separate reasons: 1) the amount of weight I need to lose (130 pounds) and 2) the adjustments needed for the lap band. While he is willing to do either surgery he felt that in the long run gastric bypass would be more successful. When I met with him I was dead set on lap band. However, reading about the complications, adjustments, etc. I am beginning to waver. I feel that the surgery for the lap band is safer and less complicated...but I trust my surgeon 100%. He has been performing the gastric bypass and lap band for a long time and has had zero mortalities for either surgery. I am beginning to wonder if he is correct...maybe the gastric bypass would be a better option. I am not looking for a quick fix..rather I am looking for one and ONLY one surgery that will provide a tool to maintain weight loss. My fear is that I will not be successful with the lap band and will opt for a revision to gastric bypass.

Any advice, suggestions, etc. would be greatly appreciated. I just want to make sure I make the best decision for me!

Jennifer:mellow:

One thing that hasn't been mentioned about the bypass is that you will have to adhere to a rigid schedule of eating, drinking, Protein shakes, and numerous supplements for the rest of your life. How do I know? They accidentally sent me to the bypass class at the hospital instead of the band class!

Add to this the increased risk factor, the irreversibility if something goes wrong (God forbid you get cancer or another serious disease and need increased nutrition), and the fact that studies show that 3 years out, the weight loss between the procedures is the same---I just don't see the justification for the bypass. The hospital class merely strengthened my feelings on that.

My surgeon, at his seminar, outlined the person for whom he recommends the bypass. Well, he was describing me. I spoke to him afterward and asked him if he would be willing to give me the band instead, because that was all I was willing to commit to. He was fine with that, and explained that the reason he recommends bypass for people like me who have a lot to lose, is that he's concerned that they will get impatient with the slower weight loss.

I'm fine with taking a couple of years to lose if necessary as long as I don't have to center my entire life around babying a bypass, just to maintain my health.

Add to all that, that there are people getting bands over their bypass. That tells me that the bypass alone isn't enough, long term. The band can be adjusted forever.

These are my thoughts. Your mileage may vary. Good luck!

Orea

Jennifer (Hollins2003),

Did you make a decision yet? I hope you looked at all the statistics to find that one is safer than the other, longterm.

Good luck on your journey to a fitter, healthier you!!!!

Hi Jennifer,

I just wanted to offer an example of a friend of mine who had RNY. She had it about 3yrs ago. I hadn't seen her in a while and met up with her this past Feb. She had lost close to 150lbs. I was excited for her but I was quickly corrected. She was very disappointed with her experience. She told me about her dumping syndrome and how she feels she was much happier being overweight than she is now. I have been looking into RNY and LapBand for quite a while now-I have about 200 to lose. The nurse practitioner told me that if I want to work for the weightloss, the band was an excellent choice for me but if I wanted quick weightloss go with RNY. So I started researching. I have found this...LapBand has PBing, sliming and slippage(these are the complaints I have seen most often). There is also the possibility of erosion. With RNY you get..malabsorption, lifetime of taking vitamins, iron and other nutritional supplements, dumping syndrome (chills, cold sweat, nausea, vomiting etc), weight regain (because once you stretch your pouch-the stomach is elastic-there isn't much you can do to get it to where it was. True, there is RNY Revision but that should only be done as a major necessity. If you really want to see some of the effects of RNY just go to youtube.com and put gastric bypass in the search box. There are alot of RNY pts that have documented their process. Sure most of them say they would "do it again an a heartbeat" but to hear some of the stuff they are going through..my thought is "Why?" One lady I read about even bragged about her RNY but then blogged about all the times she has gone to the ER and how sick she has been and how she is actually down to 97lbs (no lie) because she can't keep anything down! Mind you I have also read that some folks with the Lapband have it removed because of slippage or it was too tight. One person even complained of too much restriction because they couldn't go out to dinner and eat like they used to..what's that about? I know this is long winded but these are things other's have said. I am still going through the getting approved phase so all I have to offer is my opinions and things other folks have said.

Keep us posted

C

I can tell you why I chose the Band.

1) Watched my mother go through the bypass TWICE and do horribly both times. Why bother with that?

2) Had to hold a close friend's hand after her sister DIED from having the bypass. NO THANK YOU!!! A surgeon may have zero mortalities from it, but there's a first time for everything. Plus, ask closer questions and find out if that zero number comes from while they're still in the hospital or if it includes all complications afterwards.

Thank you everyone for your help in making my decision for lap band verses RNY. I chose lap band after all my research because I want to work for my weight loss, long term health concerns, and past personal history with RNY (I know two people who died from the surgery). I went for all of my pre-op stuff yesterday (met up with nurse practitioner, nutrionist, etc.etc.) and received all my information for the surgery. I am nervous...yet ready to go. I have dropped 20 pounds so far and feel much much healthier. Surgery is July 2nd!!

Jennifer, congrats on your decision and your weight loss so far! Try not to be nervous or scared. I guess I was just so ready for a change that I never, ever had those feelings. I just wanted to get on with my life. These days, every single day is a celebration!

I think the overall thing for me was the fact that although I do have alot to loose it isn't enough for the gastric bypass. As MollyMolly mentioned you are on a band website so of course everyone is going to be more partial to the band - I can see the pros and cons of each but the thing for me was that with the gastric bypass I have seen so many accounts of people that have put the weight back on, mainly women that have children. They have the bypass, loose the weight and then have a baby and gain it back plus more. Overall the choice that should motivate you is health. That is the ultimate motivation for me - I'm only 20 - Never had abf, relationship, date, anything so you would think my motivation would be to be happy and look good right? Overall yes I do want to be happy and look good but I have severe health problems that outweight all of that by far. I just want to be healthy and know that I will at least live until I'm 40 which at this point I can't see happening (as horrible as that sounds.) Just think overall what you want in life, what you want out of life and how you think you will cope with each procedure. Good luck!

Glad you made a decision in your heart!

I have two friends that had RNY one is 7 years out and one is about 4... both lost 120 lbs in the first year, BUT Both have struggled with regains........ BOTH MUST TAKE supplements, have their blood checked and get BOTH MUST get Vitiman b-12 shots FOR LIFE. One friend (the 7 year out) never dumped and so she had the worst regain and actually talked about getting banded over her Bypass.....

I was so happy for them and still am.. but I knew the RNY was not for me.... I CHOSE THE BAND FOR MAINTENANCE........ pure and simple.. I KNEW I would regain with the RNY.... with the band if I start to regain I will RUN not walk to my doc and demand a fill............ HOWEVER, my last FILL was in Novemember.... of which put me too tight and finally in January I had it taken out.............. .3 cc was the difference between eating nothing but Soup and food........ and is were I'm maintaining since then...... (so really I haven't NEEDED a fill since October of 2007) and I am way tighter than most of my fellow April 2007 Violets.

Now....... faced with the choice for my mom....... who is 282 and 61 and facing NOT walking and NOT enjoying retirement..... I have thought long and hard for HER situation........

She is a slow loser due to a LIFETIME of jacked up metabolism,,,,, the amount of meds she takes now and all the stuff...... I'm ALMOST sold on a Mini Gastric Bypass for her.. so that she CAN lose 90 lbs and be able to walk with out pain......... even WITH the nutritional requirements... I lean towards the QUICK route for her and her quality of life.. BUT she has a realitive that had complications and is a vegtable (and even though I've pointed out that it wasn't nec the procedures fault) she will not even discuss it.............

That said.. I LOVE MY BAND.... and I try to keep my carbs low... and I've had great success with it.

GOOD LUCK ON YOUR JOURNEY!!!!!!!