there were a few posts on there about LB. Very negative posts. Most of them were saying 25% of LB get it removed and get the GB, with LB you never feel full you are always hungry, just cant eat or you wont lose. You lose the weight very slow and it is hard to keep it off. Most people have to have it removed due to complications. What do you all think of that? I mean I do realize the weight loss is slower but I have read it equals out after a few years. I personally know 3 gb women that have gained most of the weight back. So I think it just depends on the person. They were also saying that with lb you dont have the 18 month grace period to relearn eating??? What does that mean? From what I read the eating is about the same minus dumping syndrome. I really think there is a place for both surgeries and it is a personal decision. Comments??

What gB site did you go to?

It doesn't really matter which one .... those are all typical arguments against the lap-band. It sounds to me like you already know most of the "comebacks" to the arguments they are presenting, so you just have to make an informed decision based upon what you are learning about both surgeries. By the way - the "18 month window" is actually a DOWNSIDE to GBP and the UPSIDE to the lap-band is that you don't HAVE a window.

-Yvonne

What they are refering to as an 18 month grace period should be called an 18 month effectiveness period. My bestfriend had the bypass in 2001 and he is gaining back the weight. His mother also had the surgery and never met her goal, the effectiveness of the surgery wore off before she was at goal. But they will have dumping syndrome for the rest of their lives. I have been banded since July of this year and have lost 40 pounds, almost 1/2 of my goal. I am losing slower then they did, but I also don't have hanging skin on my arms or face. If I decide to have another child I can have my band emptied and when I am ready have it refilled and start my weight loss journey again. For some the bypass is the best option but for me and I am sure most on this board will tell you that the band is just simply newer and seems to be better. It is safer, has a long term effectivness, and is reversable. Jusy my 2 cents. ~Mandy

Well I think that is all crap. Since my mom and sister both have GB I see the differences. I am not restricted to no sugar, I don't have dumping, I don't have severe nausea. I do have lesser evils like PB's but a far cry from the crap they go through. And I know for a fact they are a bit jealous over my weight loss surgery choice. They have told me they wished they had known about the LB because that may have been the option for them.

They both lost a tremendous amount of weight VERY quickly but they also suffered in severe hair loss, sagging skin really fast, stretch marks from LOSING so fast to match their gaining weight stretch marks, and no energy for about a year. I don't see that in my case and neither do they. They did expect me to lose faster and keep asking how much I have lost. I get the "is that all?" a lot but I keep reminding them over and over and over that I did NOT do GB therefore my weight is MUCH more gradual.

IMHO, many of the GB patients are not educated (and/or jealous) about the LB option because it was not given to them and they didn't know about it. GB is so mainstream that most people have heard about it. When I tell people I have the band they automatically assume GB because they have never heard of the LB.

I don't know where they are getting their facts from but it isn't the case with me. Someone would have to kill me before they took this band from me. However, I am not against GB at all. Some people need the "force" of GB. Some may need to lose it quicker or risk dying in the meantime (like my mom). If the band werent an option, I would have gone to MX and had GB or took out an even bigger loan and had it here in the states. Or maybe I would have listened to the doctor here in the states: "gain 40 lbs and come back and see me". NOT!

Well, to be fair, some of us here have made negative comments about GB, so I am not surprised to here that their site bad mouths LB. It's true, it is a personal decision, only we can make for ourselves. Unfortunately there will be inaccurate information on any site, including this one. I don't believe it is ever intentional, sometimes people get mixed up or simply don't understand something. Then there is always the issue of what the docs have told us, each one is different, so it can be conflicting at times.

I personally made my decision based on what I knew and I have not been sorry or regretted it once. I wouldn't get too excited about it, it's just every one is trying to figure it if one is better than the other, and for each of us the answer to that question is different, that's all.

Cindy

Its part of the process.. all GB patients disagree with the band and all band patients disagree with the GB...Plain and simple. I personally have seen to many people with major complications with the GB..I'm very happy I have the band. I have been very successful!

Um... Mac or PC???

Funny how important being "right" is to people.

My mantra: Whatever works for you. I find myself thinking and saying it more and more the older I get.

I know some people with GB that are happy as heck and look great and haven't gained back an ounce so I can't say what happens to "everyone" - I just know that I didn't want to be cut and re-routed! Anyways, I don't know why they say that about feeling hungry - I am only 16 days out but I hardly feel hungry and when I do I eat a little bit and I feel full!

As Jack said, everyone has to make their own decision for themselves.

I discovered in my dr's support meetings that for a lot of people the idea of cutting and removing part of the stomach mattered not at all to them. To me that was a big, big deal. Choices.

The RNY patients in the group often chide me because they say my LB decision isn't permanent, that I'm not committed. I just smile at them. Who cares what they think, really?

I made my choice. I've lost 50 lbs in four months. Good choice IMHO.

I chose GB - an I have not had one regret, I researched the different surgeries, and my PCP and Surgeon both agreed that the Open RNY was the best for me. And since I never went to medical school, I went with their advice.

I have had alot of people tell me that I took the easy way out. But let me tell you, I don't believe there is ANY easy way out. I lost 168#'s in 18 months. And have not put any back on in a year. I eat most anything that I want, but in moderation. I have never vomited, or had the pain from overeating. But my Doctor told me I was an abnormal patient. I listened to what they said and I did it. I measured everything that I ate.

One of my sisters had the same surgery that I did, and another had Laproscopic, And just last August a friend was banded. I agree that " we are all different" . My doctor told me up front that there may be foods that I can't tolerate. I don't miss anything, and that includes all the meds ( prilosec, celebrex and blood pressure meds)

I came here to educate myself on the LB, so I could help my friend. All the surgeries are different, but they are also so similar.

We were all heavy, and couldn't lose the weight on our own. My surgeon told me that he would give me the "TOOL" and the results that I got would be because of what I did with the tool. If any of you have any questions about the GB, I'd be happy to answer them.

The doctors are guilty of spreading misinformation about the band, also. Just think, there is a learning curve for the surgeon of 50-100 surgeries. Those first 50 to 100 people are just going to have more problems than the later ones due to the doctor's inexperience. Most all of the studies agree on that. Complications like erosion, slips and port problems grow fewer with the number of surgeries the doc & or the surgical center has performed.

It's too much trouble for the doctors to change what they do, so they keep on selling the ByPass.

There are down-sides to both surgeries - but I feel that I can live with the down-sides of the band more easily should any complications occur. Besides - IF for whatever reason, the band is not effective for me, do I not have the option in the future to get the by-pass done? Yup, I do - because I haven't done any PERMANENT damage/changes to my body, I can still make that choice. (I don't think that I ever would - but I COULD)

ONE of the abstracts I read last week ACTUALLY stated that the band should be the surgery given to ALL bariatric patients First - and by-pass only used on the people who can't make it with the band. (I used that one in my insurance appeal letter.)

So, in the end, the choice is up to each of us to make. It's no surprise that the RNY site would talk up their procedure and down the band - that's just human nature.

SO far -- I have had no down sides to the surgery......... And I can have my surgery reversed. I can't imagine why I would want to? But it is an option if needed for some reason.

I have been banded for over 3 years. The first year I lost from 350 to 230. Then I started having difficulties. Had a port replacement, couldn't get to a proper level for weight loss.

Got pregnant, had a complete unfill due to hyperemesis, gained a boatload of weight and found out I have esoph. spasms, dialation and scar tissue choking my tubing which means no fill in, no fill out.

I am now actively seeking approval for a DS/BPD. This is a Duodenal Switch. Sue, also on this board is also getting a revision to DS. In no means was this MY fault nor could I not "cut it" with the band. Stuff happens. DS is different than the RNY, as there is no pouch, no dumping, very slight chance of regain, and it has the best rate of success for long term weight loss. It will require extensive supplementation.

I always thought I had the superior surgery, the "thinking persons surgery", and apparantly these people are thinking like I use to. Now I am eating some of my own words. My point is this, everyone is different. Each surgery is awesome in its own way. What would you do if your body started rejecting your band? Gain back the weight and say "oh, well?" Circumstances do change, and I had to change with them.

And to tell the truth, I'm really tired of feeling filled to the gills and my stomach still growling. I have friends who have had surgery 2 years later than me and are at goal while I am still groveling along. After 3 years, I'm tired of fighting. In order to lose, I have to starve. In order to live comfortably, I gain. And now if doesn't even matter because the fill that is in there will stay in there until I have surgery to remove it.

Since your eating alot less food are you hungry? Is it true hunger? Bored hunger? Psychological hunger? Or are you just hungry and the restriction prevents you from eating?

SO far -- I have had no down sides to the surgery......... And I can have my surgery reversed. I can't imagine why I would want to? But it is an option if needed for some reason.

I chose GB - an I have not had one regret, I researched the different surgeries, and my PCP and Surgeon both agreed that the Open RNY was the best for me.

OKAY.. I'm very confused. I was told that the RNY was NOT a reversible surgery. Is there new info. on this or a new method of surgery to make this reversible? When I went to my information seminar, there were some patients getting the lapband & others getting the RNY, anyhow we discussed both surgeries & we were told that the lapband was reversible but the RNY was NOT.

I have made my decision to have the lapband, without a doubt, but I would like to be more educated on the RNY being reversible,as for, I was told that it was not an option. Like Wendy said she couldn't imagine why she'd do a reversal, I wouldn't either.. I guess I am just curious to hear this answer.