Okay, I need some help here. I just started the entire process with Mayo on weight reduction surgery but not sure which path to follow. It seems the more research I do on both gastric bypass and the lap band, the more indecisive I am. Lap band maintains the natural digestive process whereas gastric bypass does not. With any bariatric procedure you run the risk of loose skin (which is what I want to try and avoid all together!). Would it be best to tone up prior to surgery to reduce this risk? The lap band introduces a foreign object into the body (the band itself) which carries the risk of infection and slippage (although it is minimal in occurance from the information I've gathered). However, my "team" of medical specialists subscribe to the GB procedure over the LB procedure for maximum weight loss. However, right now, I don't feel altering the natural digestive process mother nature provided is a healthy alternative (although I've changed my mind numerous times since starting this whole process.) I need some input, good, bad or otherwise to help me postulate a well informed decision. Does anyone out there have any regrets by not going with GB or in general? Any success stories? Failures? Let me know about your experience.

Okay, I need some help here. I just started the entire process with Mayo on weight reduction surgery but not sure which path to follow. It seems the more research I do on both gastric bypass and the lap band, the more indecisive I am. Lap band maintains the natural digestive process whereas gastric bypass does not. With any bariatric procedure you run the risk of loose skin (which is what I want to try and avoid all together!). Would it be best to tone up prior to surgery to reduce this risk? The lap band introduces a foreign object into the body (the band itself) which carries the risk of infection and slippage (although it is minimal in occurance from the information I've gathered). However, my "team" of medical specialists subscribe to the GB procedure over the LB procedure for maximum weight loss. However, right now, I don't feel altering the natural digestive process mother nature provided is a healthy alternative (although I've changed my mind numerous times since starting this whole process.) I need some input, good, bad or otherwise to help me postulate a well informed decision. Does anyone out there have any regrets by not going with GB or in general? Any success stories? Failures? Let me know about your experience.

Hello copjock!

You're not likely to get many differing opinions since this is a lap band forum - so maybe just to get more of an idea, you can also visit other forums where you can hear from patients with GBS.

For myself, I DO NOT regret getting the lap band. So far my band has not had any major issues. The only major issue I have come accross is myself. My head - and you will hear this many times, "They don't band your brain!". This is so true!

For the Gastric Banding you have to be willing to completely change your lifestyle. You have to be committed to exercise, eating right and you must be accepting of taking the good with the bad. It's not easy living with the band, you have to chew extremely well, take tiny bites and you won't be able to tolerate some of your favorite foods. Some you will likely never be able to eat to some extent.

You won't lose nearly as fast as if you got the GBS, and you will have to work twice as hard for every pound lost. The only things it will help you with is eating less. Some even claim it helps with hunger, but I have yet to experience this myself... LOL!! Not saying it isn't true, just not for me.

It won't wake you up early to get a good workout in, it won't help you keep those ice-creams out of your mouth and it surely won't help you tackle those mental issues that got your where you are now.

All that said, I am grateful to my band, because before it - I could out eat any man (truly) and now I eat "like a bird" as I've been told. I never thought I'd ever hear that being said but it's true now!

Just a side note too, there are other Gastric Weight Loss Surgeries out there besides these two. You might want to look into those as well. There is no perfect one, only the right one for you.

Good luck! Let us know how you do! :thumbup:

I ruled out gastric bypass based on this: (1) there is a 10% risk of complications while lap band is a fraction of that. (2) One of the common complications of gastric bypass is MALNUTRITION. (3) Weight loss through gastric bypass is very rapid and the faster you lose weight, the less likely your skin has a chance of returning to anything close to normal. (4) Lap band does not have dumping syndrome as a side effect and I've heard from the two gastric bypass patients I've met that dumping syndrome is a b*%#h. (5) Gastric bypass is not reversible while, if it were medically necessary, the lap band can be removed. Oh, and, toning up now will not make your skin "shrink" since the extra pounds are still there.

My sister had GB and when I started thinking about surgery I researched all the different surgeries. I was leaning toward the Gastric Sleeve, but my insurance did not cover it. The band was my next choice. I liked the fact that it was restrictive and not malabsorptive (as in the bypass), and I like the adjustability aspect. Turns out I didn't need a lot of Fluid in my band to get sufficient restriction. I have only had 2 fills in a year, first one 6 weeks after surgery (next day I went back and had 1.5ccs or so unfilled-Water was giving me indigestion--and 2 weeks later another .5ccs unfilled). Did okay, losing steadily (pre-op lost 10lbs on 6 month diet and 25lbs on pre-op liquid diet), and then in August 2008 had a small fill, 1.5ccs. I have had nothing since. I am debating a small fill next time I go in (5/12/09) because I am getting hungry in 2-3 hours, and I am snacking more, even though they are healthy Snacks. I am at goal and my weight loss has levelled off. I fluctuate between 147 and 151. I don't want to start increasing calories by eating more even if it is healthy. I am happy where I am and want to maintain. So I haven't figured out whether this hunger is real or just in my head. So I will work on it until I see the surgeon and decide then.

That is something you can't do with anything but the band. You can make it tighter; you can make it looser. I have even read of some GB people who started to regain and had a band placed on their GB! You can fail with the band too, if you don't want to commit to eating healthy, but if you do commit to healthy eating and exercise, the band is a good choice. Good luck.

I did not see any mention of how much you needed to lose. If its less then 100 lbs is bypass even an option? I started out needing to lose at least 200 lbs, the only plus side for the bypass surgery for me would have been a quicker result. The number one reason im glad i went the lapband route is this......when properly restricted its impossible for me to overindulge. Of course its my responsiblilty to maintain that certain level of restriction but with the bypass surgery you do not even have the option to adjust the amount of food your able to consume. As far as the loose skin thing goes, that should not even be a factor in considering one surgery over the other in my opinion. If you need to lose over 150 lbs chances are loose skin is just gonna be a fact no matter how old or athletic ya are. But at least its fixable LOL. Good luck to you in whatever path you choose!