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??

I've heard that the bypass could be reversed b/c thoeretically they can staple back the part of the stomach they cut away that is essentially just floating there. But I have never heard of anyone getting it reversed. I also wonder if it really is possible b/c you would think that part of the stomach that was cut away would die without active blood vessels and active use. Anwyays, it creeps me out- the thought of having an unused part of organ just hanging out in your body!

I have read, and heard from my surgeon, as well, that RNY is reversible, but it is an even more dangerous surgery than the RNY itself was. It is apparently difficult to do, though not impossible.

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?

Okay, so today I had a Balance Bar and a cup of coffee on my way to church, then we went to lunch where I ordered a burger. I forgot to sub the fries for a veggie, what with 2 kiddos to order for and a table full of family, and I ate a few of them. I cut the burger in half and ate a bite. It didn't get stuck, but I felt the need to burp...a little uncomfortable, not to just sit there, but I knew I needed, and wanted, to eat more than one bite of burger and a few fries. I got up and walked around, burped a little, sipped some tea, and was able to comfortably eat about a 1/4 of the burger. That was a case of the, I was "just hungry and the restriction prevents you from eating" scenario. So when I got home, I ate the other 1/4 of the burger no problem. I wasnt' hungry. For dinner, I ate the other half and some Ranch Style Pinto Beans. Still not hungry. I'm just not hungry. I ate a Balance bar, a burger, and a few fries today. wow. Some days I want to eat more and I do. If you can live with this type of eating, you'll be okay.

By the way, thanks so much MochaWendy and Rachele for chipping in your opinions and personal experiences. We can't predict how it will all turn out for us. It's important to hear it all to make an informed decision for ourselves. I love my band, and if I lose it, I'll live without it and will NOT have a different type of WLS. That's me. Yay for all of us! Good thread, people!

Thanks Love Cats and Steph, I was looking forward to seeing some info. on this. Maybe the surgeon, who was doing the seminar, will not do reversal surgery. When I see my surgeon, in a couple of weeks, I'll ask him. I just love being educated on things I don't know about, it keeps me thinking.

Wendy & Rachel thanks for posting the info. and your experience.

yes it can be reversed/revised, but you've already done the 'damage' by increasing your risks of all sorts of complications (most common sems to be bowel obstruction .. and if you got an open RNY, hernias) and I don't think those particular risks goes away with a reversal. The reversal just corrects the malabsorption, which is the usual reason for a reversal (bad effects due to the malabsorption).

yes it can technically be reversed, but it is a major operation, and the blood supply to the unused portion of the stomach is still intact. Otherwise you could get gangrene and you would definetely be very sick and have to have the dead stomach removed. Youre unused portion of the stomach still contains gastric secreations and is emptied into the bowel. Look at a diagram and this will make sense

I went to a huge seminar on LB vs GB. Both have pros, both have cons. The two bariatric surgeons giving the seminar offered both. There's no way to answer questions of which is better. I know GB patients that have lost their weight and kept it off. I know GB people that have gained all their weight back. I know there are GB people that eventually get banded, and banded people that have the band removed and convert to GB. Both doctors said they support both surgeries, but that WE have to weigh the pros and cons and make our own choice.

Neither are the answer, yet both were our only hope.

GB people get two weight loss surgeries, which is why they initially lose so fast. They get their stomachs cut and are left with a small pouch that doesn't hold much food. But they also get their intestines rewired so the food shoots right through them. The best thing about BG is that most insurance companies will pay.

With the Band, we eat, then the food slowly goes to the lower stomach where we absorb all the nutrients and digest food the normal long way. We only get one weight loss surgery.

GB is good for fast weight loss, but it's not reversible and you have to take supplements the rest of your life since you don't absorb valuable nutrients. (**I've heard reversing a GB is very difficult and dangerous but I'm not sure if it is done.)

Sure is a lot to think about.

Quote from DeLarla "GB is good for fast weight loss, but it's not reversible and you have to take supplements the rest of your life since you don't absorb valuable nutrients. (**I've heard reversing a GB is very difficult and dangerous but I'm not sure if it is done.) "

Actually it is technically reversible. The surg has to open you up though and reattach the areas cut. It is a major surg but it can technically be done. It is mostly done for people that have malnutrition issues.

Yeah, I've heard it was reversible, I just haven't "heard" of anyone having it done. Do you know anyone? How are they doing?

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!

I don't disagree with GB at all. If I hadn't gotten the band, I would of had the GB.

I've personally suffered many, many complications with the Band while several people I know have lost all their weight with the Bypass. I won't pooh-pooh either.

I do have a question for you experts. Why do Bypass patients gain back weight? I understand they stretch their pouches so they can eat more, plus they eventually retrain their bodies to accept sugar and other forbidden foods that once sent them into Dumping Syndrome. But even so, the food still passes so quickly that it shouldn't have time to absorb. Why do they gain back?

One of my oldest friends had a Bypass 10 years ago and has since gained back every single pound. My heart breaks for her, because now she's lost the weight again on Opti Fast, but we all know she'll gain it right back after she stops that diet, don't we?

Gaining and losing 100 pounds ain't no picnic. I'm sick of it all, but life goes on!

I was all set to do the gastric bypass...

I went to a seminar and the doctor was gung ho on lapbands but said GB might be right for some.. I thought 'she isnt gonna talk me into the band'

and thought I needed the drasticness and strictness of the GB cuz the band seemed IFFY.

So I wasnt able to get a hold of my Mexico bypass shop for days and no numbers worked and it freaked me out, so I just called a random number and it was Ortiz.. I was told he only does lapbands.. and then she sold me on it.

She told me about the band it a way i felt in love... and so lucky I had called and been shown the better option... I was gave a surgery date that day for two months later and I just went with it.

She said it was safer.. alot..

It was for life.

The complications were nill

loss is slower but forever.. GB gains it back in 5 years

The band was a tool that restricted food not cutting your tummy out

and no dumping (I was affraid of that)

Well.............

I didnt think of all the things that make the band not ideal for me..

I dont know why.. it all seems so obvious now.

All I really heard was its a band that restricts food intake and well that would make anyone lose weight... Duh

IMO

The band is not ideal for people who eat small items of food like corndogs, little burgers, cheese sticks, (fast food) and do not eat meals and snack alot on junk food like chips, Cookies, icecream as their regualar eating habits.

(CUZ... If your the kind of person who eats two slices of pizza usually and now the band allows one slice...or your still able to chew your small hamburger well enough to get it all in and the junk food crunches down easily then HOW are you gonna lose weight...?? Very slow or go on a diet.)

Its not ideal for anyone addicted to pop or juice or milk or any other sugar or high calorie drink.

(Cuz.. the band will not make this addiction go away and unless your very sure you will stop, you wont.)

Its not ideal if your a seriously out of control eater, obsessed with food so bad you have less than proud moments, or have a major binging habit.

(cuz... you will eat too much, way too often and have PB's and other side effects too often and choose the food over the pains cuz they arent so bad,,,,,the band and body wont tolerate all the stres cuz it wasnt made to handle so much.....and you will lose it or have complications. Over and over.

Its not ideal if your living in poverty,

Cuz...it cost alot to maintain.

From what I gather GBP people gain the weight back because their bodies get used to the reduced amount of food being absorbed. My friend is gaining his weight back because he eats crap food all day long. His pouch is not stretched out and the weightloss surgeon says that if he ate the right foods he would continue to lose. He wishes he had the band instead. He still has problems with certain foods causing him to "dump" rice and pasta are his biggest trigger foods but he can eat bite sized candy bars with no problems. Go figure. ~Mandy

I tend to wonder if I would gain my weight back if I had the bypass...

I mean I think I would alittle but not even close to 400 pounds

I wonder that just cuz I gained most my weight (200 pounds) from age 15 to 19...during pregnancies like some freak accident cuz I didnt turn into some hog, I was basically the same as before.. liked junk food and such.

O still couldnt have a Huge delux burger and fries and a large blizzard and a pop like my mom and sisters... I always got just a little burger and a small blizzard and a Water (I like water and icecream) cuz thats all I could eat.

So it was like NO FAIR NO FAIR>>

Plus I would cut calories and keep track and the pounds never matched the calorie reduction, not even close! My weight means 4000 calories a day.. UM not.

I really think my body is out of whack and once normal would not go back with how I eat.. (maybe weigh #250 at most... I know that is real big to some of you but if you never been 400 pounds than you cant appreciate how nice 250 would be)

Well here is a funny flip to the coin - at my DR's office I kept running into another patient - we were on the same time schedule so we hung out and attended some meetings together. I was getting the band and she lap RNY. I told her the RNY was to drastic for me - I couldn't stand the thought of having my insides cut up and re arranged. She didn't want the band because she got the same feeling about having a foriegn object implanted in her.

To each his own - I'm happy - she's happy so everything is good (different) but good. I would not bash anyone elses choice and I would expect the same from them.