Hello to all,

I would like to know what made you decide the lap band was a better choice for you? I am in the process of trying to figure out if i want the Bypass or the Band.

Also i have been reading about the pre and post op diets. I have to loose 20 lbs before i can even get a surgery date. Did anyone else have to do this and if so suggestions on geting the weight off quickly please.

Thanks for you help,

Tracie in Indiana

Hi Tracie. For me the decision was simple I did not want the surgeon cutting and rerouting my insides. The thought of that makes me sick. Also, there are so many more complications involved with GB. Good luck with making your decision!

I decided on the lap band, because my 5 of my friends that had the GB have all started to gain there weight back. One of my friend said if she could do it again she would of done the lap band. I also did not like the idea od re-routing my insides

I have decided on the lapband because it is not nearly as intrusive as something like the GB, I did not want my digestion rerouted and the possible complications. My mother before she died had absorption problems and had not had a WLS surgery, just in case I have similar issues as I age I felt the lapband was good because it was adjustable and if absolutely necessary reversable. That being said I dont want to lose it but if I had to it would be dooable. For the diet I am getting my band tomorrow, I had to lose at least 10 lbs in 20 days, I did it by going on a very strict 1100-1200 calorie a day diet, focusing on lean meat, veg and fruit. I had no pasta, no bread, no rice, no potatoes, no starch of any kind. I actually lost 13.5 lbs or so in 20 days. Hope this helps.

Hi Tracie I also decided on the lapband because the GB was definitely to invasive for me. The rerouting of my organs truly scared me. I also know someone who got the GB and she is putting weight back on. With the LB

it is a slower WLS process but by far its been a better choice for me. Good Luck hopefully I have been of some help.

Hey Tracie, alot of people basically have the same thought process - Those that have the band don't want there stomachs messed with and those that get the bypass don't want to go thru all of the adjustments - It's just what works for you. For me, my hospital funded my entire operation and they only did lap bands so that was my only choice - Even if I was given the opportunity to choose between band, bypass or sleeve I still would have picked band as it's reversible. Good luck deciding =)

Hi Tracie,

It looks like everyone had the same thought process that I had. I knew that lap band was less invasive and less risk. I think you are doing the right thing by asking questions and doing your research. I did the same thing but for some reason what really pushed me over the edge was when I tried to get life ins. and I couldn't because of my weight. That was a major wake up call. I think at some point you will know if it's what you want or need to do and you won't need anyone to tell you if you should or should not. No one will know but you. I thank God that this procedure was available when I was ready to have it done. Good luck. ps. I'm not a "Jesus freak" but I did pray. Don't underestimate the power of prayer.

I was always in favor of the band over bypass for all the reasons everyone listed above, but one thing clinched for me. As part of my insurance requirements, I had to go to 3 meetings of a local support group. When I got there, the large room was overflowing. They asked the banders to sit together. Out of the whole conference room, at least 100 people, there were 7 people who had the band. My surgeons practice does both and is about 50/50 as far as frequency. I asked the nutritionist, :Why are there no band patients here? She said, "Oh, they're pretty happy. They don't have the issues that the bypass patients have to live with." That was enough for me. I've got plenty of issues of my own and I didn't need more from a bypass.

Cindy

In 2005 my insurance would cover GB but not the band. There was no way I was going to reroute anything. I also have a friend who had GB and lost a lot of weight and rather quickly. She had to have surgery for all of her lose skin. She also has absorption problems has to get Iron transfusions that take all day, her hair which used to be long and think is now very thin and in horrible shape. She has all these problems, and is now starting to gain her weight back. She is now saving her money so she can get banded. All that said, she has a sister that had a GB and only had 1/2 as much to lose as her sister and does not have any of the problems her sister has.

There is another forum called obesity help and they have people on there that have had all different WLS. I would talk to both sides and talk to others that were a little more brave to see how they feel about their decission to go with the GB.