I have been considering the lap band and went to my first seminar last night. It was obvious from the beginnnig the lead surgeon was not a fan of the lap band. He was touting the Roux-en-Y as a much better procedure because of less complications and less after treatment. He also said if you have GERD this is not the procedure for you. I personally don't want the extensive, permanent re arranging of my intestines that the Roux-en-Y. I do have GERD and heartburn,, so this leaves me going away no longer exploring either procedure. This is a very well known clinic in our state and considered one of the 2 best for weight loss surgery. Looks like more of the same old same old for this kid...

I think its very common in seminars to push the more extensive procedures. I had the same experience. I came home and cancelled my lapband surgery but later decided I did not want the more invasive surgerys, it was lap band or nothing. So I was self pay and did the lap band.

Sometimes what is right for others isnt the right thing for you and its a decision you have to make for yourself. Im a grazer, so Im still not sure lapband is the right tool for me, but its what I have, so Im going to make it work.

My doctor didn't push either surgery; in fact he gave a fair balanced assessment of MANY types of bariatric surgery although he only does Roux-n-Y and bypass. However GERD is problematic with the lap band.

Moreover I was pretty big to start and my doctor NEVER tried to steer me to bypass. He let me choose right down the line.

I suggest, regardless of the "reputation", you find another surgeon and try again.

I agree with RestlessMonkey. Go to another seminar for another doctor. It is your body, therefore your choice. I know that sometimes, the GERD could be caused by a hiatal hernia. My doctor (and many others) repair that during surgery. Don't give up just because of this one doctor. Good luck with whatever you decide.

Wow, it does sound like he was an advocate of the RNY only. When I went to my doctor's seminar, he said if you suffer from GERD either of the surgeries will combat it. Unless, your fill is too tight with the band, in which case you will have some GERD. But, he says either surgery will get rid of the GERD.

He didn't really play up either of the choices. He said there is certain criteria that may or may not make you suitable for each method. But, he said with the lap band you have to put in extra work, whereas with the RNY you can eat pretty much anything, but you might have dumping. RNY was totally out of the question for me. I definitely want the band.

M51

Please go to another Dr. Dont stop at just one. I went to three Drs before I chose. 1st Dr was just a "prick", the second surgery center I went to basically lied and said anything to get me into the door to collect my $150. consultation fee. I did not wait around to see the Dr.

I was self pay and the decision on the DR and PROCEDURE was MINE and mine alone.

Please dont give up.

It is soooo worth the head aches.......

WOWOX7 is right. It is YOUR decision. NOT your doctor's. My doctor tried to push me towards RNY as well. I told him flat out NO, and that I didn't even want to discuss it. It wasn't an option for me. He didn't feel I would be as successful with the band. I would only lose 50 or so pounds. Well, today is my 1 year bandaversary and I've lost 70 so far. I had to have a complete unfill in August due to gallbladder surgery and start over, so I'm a little behind where I want to be, but he is surprised I've done so well. He even encourages me to go to the support group to act as an advocate for the band now. He's thrilled to death with my success. He's very supportive of me and has changed his mind based on my success. So DON'T let that doctor make up your mind for you. Stand your ground. It's your body and you know what you're capable of better than he does. Go to another doctor if that's what it takes.

I'm onboard with everybody else here.

I have to wonder if bypass is more expensive (I bet it is) and that is why doctors who push it do so. That is NOT proper doctoring, imo, to push something they want over what the patient is looking into.

Now if you were looking for a tonsillectomy and they said it's not your tonsils, it's your heart that is the problem, that's one thing. But this form of surgery is elective in the sense that we have choices. For any doctor to steer us is improper.

Also, I too have GERD because I have a hiatal hernia, which will be fixed during surgery.

If they're one of the best in the country and you want to stay with them, then stand your ground. Otherwise, get yourself to another doctor toot sweet. To me, any doctor who would push a DRASTIC surgery such as RNY over a surgery that is not rerouting your innards is somebody I don't want to deal with.

M51

Please go to another Dr. Dont stop at just one. I went to three Drs before I chose...

I also went to three hospitals; first totally pushed the bypass and said it was his decision and "if you're diabetic you're going to have a hard time convincing me to give you the lap" (I'm not diabetic, but I was outta there), second gave a fair assement of each, and third was very lap band friendly-even assumed we might ALL want the lap (he said bypass is for the sickest patients because they need the weight off faster or they might not live; that I get!). I didn't end up at the hospital I thought I would either, so go elsewhere!!

RNY has less complications according to that doc?! You may want to research the surgical mortality rates for the RNY and the Lap-Band, along with the multi-year efficacy of the band compared to bypass.

Reading those stats made the band an easy choice for me.

Seeing two people in the info seminar I went to for the band, who had done RNY and gained it all back a few years later, cemented my choice further.

The seminar I went to, the lady giving the seminar wrote a book about her journey, she seemed to be pushing. She lost 128 lbs with the lapband, but had reflux so bad, she had it removed and had one of the other surgeries, after she lost the weight, to keep it off.

If that wasnt bad enough, someone in the seminar had lapband and was there to have it removed because she gained weight and got diabetes she blamed on the lapband. She travelled for her job and said the fills were all during the week, so she couldnt get in for a fill and generally didnt do anything to help herself lose weight, so she gained another 20 - 30 lbs after she got the lapband.

I was the lone holdout for the lapband info in the room. The lady giving the seminar turned to me and asked me, are you going to be satisfied with only losing 50% of your excess weight, because those are the statistics with the lapband, as if I couldnt lose it as she had.

By the end of the seminar I was in tears and cancelled my lapband surgery. No one else in the room who had been considering the lapband was still considering it by the end of the session. I had to get away to think and come here to ask questions and even here didnt find the response that encouraging to get the lapband when I asked people here what they thought I should do. I didnt want bypass because it was just too invasive.

I am just amazed at how some of these docs try and manipulate the patient's into something that they do not want. I know I went to my second doctor after going to the first seminar because for some reason something just didn't "feel" right about it. He didn't seem to tout one over the other, but it just seemed rush. I also didn't like the fact that there was so much money out of pocket just to get through to the initial surgery. Also, I found out they blatantly lied about certain things about insurance.

First, there was to be 200.00 dollars up front for the psych eval, which we were told insurance will not cover at all, another 200.00 dollars for nutritionist, again told insurance would not cover at all, then 200 dollars for THEIR preop materials, and another 150 for THEIR postop things. After the doctor spoke at the seminar, he left and left the rest up to some other guy.

I called my insurance myself to find out if there were any other docs that my insurance would cover and they directed me to the doc I have now. They also informed me that my psych eval would be covered, my nutritionist would be covered and I will only have to pay 50.00 for it. I told them about the other doc and how much they were charging for the psych eval and the rep told me that was a too high. It was funny when I called to cancel my consult with that surgeon, because she wanted to know if I wanted to reschedule and I said no, I found another doctor and my insurance DOES cover their psych eval and nutrionist. She just said flatly, "OH...okay. Thank you."

I totally LOVED the doc I have now. He's wonderful! But, I think people should definitely go to more than one seminar if they are considering either surgery.

RNY has less complications according to that doc?! You may want to research the surgical mortality rates for the RNY and the Lap-Band, along with the multi-year efficacy of the band compared to bypass.

Reading those stats made the band an easy choice for me.

Seeing two people in the info seminar I went to for the band, who had done RNY and gained it all back a few years later, cemented my choice further.

There was a guy at my seminar in the same situation -- and our seminar wasn't all that big. And the problem is, it's very unlikely he will be able to get the band due to all his staples and what is left of his stomach.

The stomach can grow back out again. Cutting it back like that doesn't mean it will STAY that size if one isn't careful. Somebody could end up re-routing their insides and STILL end up fat in time -- and internally mutilated, imo.

even here didnt find the response that encouraging to get the lapband when I asked people here what they thought I should do.

I'd certainly hope that nobody from here "pushed" the lapband (even though most of us are very happy with ours). A choice of weightloss surgery is a very individual thing. It's all up to the individual to choose what best fits them. Having said that, there are hundreds on here that that will give their opinion of their lapband if ya ask....

I had to get away to think and come here to ask questions and even here didnt find the response that encouraging to get the lapband when I asked people here what they thought I should do.

The problem is, nobody can tell you what you should do. You have to research it all for yourself.

What I like about a site like this is that it's full of real people at various stages with the band. It's not a doctor trying to sell it to me or somebody trying to dissuade me or redirect me towards a more expensive (and, for the doctor, more profitable) surgery.

These are real people, most who have had success, some who have not, but I expect that. Some things don't work for all people, and frankly, some people just don't do what they need to with the band. One lady actually walked out of the seminar I was at because the doctor said one of the things we may have trouble with is Pasta. She said to her girlfriend, "NO PASTA??" Omg, if that's the worst thing you hear that you have to give up... but some people want the band to do all the work while they eat whatever they want.

That's why I'm so glad I found this site. And the best thing anybody could do for you is NOT answer that question about what you should do. All we can tell you is what WE would do.

See another doctor,

Look into everything. I have the lap band , my friend the gastric by pass, both of us are happy with our decision. She has lost more weight then I have ,but I will lose the rest of the weight. Don't give up !