lap band vs bypass

flower · May 20, 2005

Just was wondering why all of you here chose the band I am having the band june 9th but just wanted to know where everyone was coming from I chose the band because I heard awful stories on how people died from the rny and I really didn't want my insides rearranged. let me know your reasons?

La_madam · May 20, 2005

Here is a couple of sites, that helped me to decide when I was researching.

http://www.thebariatrics.com/the_surgery_more2.htm

http://www.lapbandvsbypass.com/

New Hope · May 20, 2005

It's much safer, appears to be better long-term, easier recovery, no dumping syndrome, don't have intestines rerouted. If you're unsure, please do a lot of research so you can be positive which one that you want before you do anything. Best of luck on whatever decision, you make.

Kell · May 20, 2005

I am hoping for the band because it is less invasive, less risky, less after-effects and somewhat reversible if problems do occur. I am still doing research, but am really wanting the band now that I have learned so much about it now.

Kell

Alexandra · May 20, 2005

To me it wasn't a question of banding vs. bypass. Banding was the most effective treatment for my obesity that involved the least amount of damage and the least potential for negative side effects. That is the pro-vs.-con approach I take to making most decisions, particularly those about my health. Why create problems where none exist, if a less-invasive treatment has the potential to work just as well in the long run? Why indeed?

Do as little harm as possible to achieve the desired results is usually the medical yardstick applied to deciding among treatments. It still boggles my mind as to why it's not evident to everyone that this clearly shows banding to be the more desirable first step in treating obesity.

Every successful bandster is a potential RNY horror story that didn't happen. Unsuccessful bandsters are just people who haven't yet gotten the right restriction or who haven't learned the bandster lessons. And both of those situations are easily corrected with patience. To my mind there's no such thing as an unsuccessful bandster, just one who is still on his or her way. But unsuccessful RNYers have nowhere to go, even if the only problem they have is less-than-optimal weight loss. Even aside from all the possible complications, where are they when their weight starts to come back on? What are their options then? Nothing. They're back where they were before, just them against the weight and the tool they have is no longer in their arsenal.

Sorry, I could go on for hours.

dylansmom · May 20, 2005

Ditto to what Marie (New Hope) said. I had all of those reasons, plus I want more children. I knew this surgery would be a non issue when it came to my future pregnancies.

Good luck in whatever you decide. I have posted a thread about all of the different kinds of weightloss surgeries at the top of the list on this board. I hope it helps you.

~Kelly

giveyouthemoon · May 20, 2005

The fact that RNY is MAJOR surgery AND is irreversable was the very first concerns about it.

Then just this week I went to a support group put on by my doctors and it came out (from the doctor) that after a year or so, in a RNY, that the pouch gets bigger. It just does. There's no way around it. So when the pouch gets bigger, people tend to start putting on weight again.

For me, this was great proof about the band. The doc said that in banding the pouch also gets bigger...but we have an option....we can get another fill to keep the restriction. This has REALLY cemented for me my decision to get banded. It truly is a long term solution.