Met with surgeon, need to make a decision please help me!!!

 Hi Lapbanders!  I finally finished my 6 months required by my insurance and have been cleared from the dr's to go ahead for insurance approval.  I met with the surgeon yesterday and up until then, had my mind set on having the lapband.  He said, he does not want to sway me either way, but the average weight loss for banding is about 40 %.  Well, my stats, i need to lose about 100 lbs, and I have no co-morbidities to speak of. I am healthy (except for the excess weight).  He said, I would have more of a weight loss w/ gastric bypass.. So, for stats, I am only going to lose 40 lbs?  I don't want to go thru surgery and come out still overweight!!!  I am terrified to have bypass, I really wanted the band! Does anyone regret having the band over the bypass?  I would really like to hear your comments because I need to make a decision before they send it to my insurance for approval! I really want to reach my goal, but will the band work ?  what do you think?  Please help me and making a decision! How successful were you with the band?

I never considered the bypass. I had my surgery May 22, 2008 and so far have lost 67.3 lbs - in almost 8 months. I have not always eaten the best foods, and yet I have continued to lose! I know I will reach goal. My doctor fully expects me to one day (not too far away) be a size 8! He doesn't go by those statistics.

A good question.  I found the band stats over time looked pretty good.  Try this link.  Look at the row titled:

Typical percentage of excess weight loss at 5 years

http://www.thinnertimes.com/weight-loss-surgery/wls-basics/w eight-loss-surgery-comparison.html

 I hate to say it but thats CRAP!! go to the realize band site and the Allergan site and look at the stats for yourself.. I have a 14cc allergan band and have 5.0cc's in it and have lost 87 pounds of the 112 i want to loose.. Im 25 pounds away from my goal and 10 from his goal...
  and have a heck of a lot left in my band.. So dont go by those stats.. look for yourself and see.. I hope JeanM. see's this.. 
   I love my band and if I do it right, I will have it forever!!
Dawn

Hello,

When I started my journey I also was on the fence. I was scared of gastric bypass, but wanted to lose 91lbs (high side of normal).  I did well with my 6 month supervised diet required by BCBS and decided I could continue to do well if I had the band (I also have no co-morbidities). I am now 10 months post op and have lost a total of 110 pounds. I have lost all of my excess weight and actually am 18 pounds below my personal goal.  I have listed the rules I have followed on my OH page which I attribute my success to.

I have NO regrets and only wish I would have done it sooner.

Good Luck with your decision!
~Michelle

The only difference as far as weight loss is that bypassers seem to lose it faster than banders. But the results in the long run are not as concrete. Sure I have days when I wish I was dropping as fast as a bypass but you know...I did gain it overnight so I cannot expect it to be gone overnight. I have alot of friends that have had the bypass and 80-90% have had issues either with the surgery, stomach issues, or the regain of the weight. All of us can regain...I know this...but the band is a tool that aids me in my loss. The bypass...in my opinion mind you...is not as good.  I did not like the thought of my intestines being re routed and a drain tube and scopes and malabsorbtion probs, vomiting etc.... We won't even talk about what your skin goes through in that quick of a loss. I can control the band a little more and let's face it...it gives me more will power! I go in monthly and have it checked and filled if needed. I even had my port flip but still to this day do not regret it. It was a freak thing that it happened and my fault. But I have lost 64 pounds in 7 months and have 126 to go and trust me...I will make that goal with the help of my band and my support group! Your Dr needs to do a little more schooling and educate himself better. Look at the stats yourself and then you will see that he apparently is not only misinformed but quite possibly not  as qualified in his surgical skills either!  Educate yourself! Thats the best advice I can give ya!

I was googling and trying to find some stats to put in here for you but decided personal testimony and info on two other banded people in my family to be much more informative.

I, like you, only had 100-ish pounds to lose.  That technically makes us "lightweights"  sounds pretty nice, huh?  I decided on the lap-band because I couldn't fathom having such a drastic surgery that included a malabsorption feature when I didn't have a huge amount of weight to lose when looking at the national picture of obesity.

Well, at fourteen months post-op I have lost 76 pounds (that's what my Wii tells me as of this evening).  That means I have now lost 73% of my excess body weight.  I'm still losing and plan to lose somewhere between 20 to 30 more pounds (I want to be at 150 pounds for a normal BMI).

My husband was banded 9 months ago and he has lost 45 of the 97 pounds he's like to lose meaning he's lost 46% of his excess body weight. 

My mother was banded four years ago.  She's at 100% excess body weight loss.  In fact she's a bit underweight according to the doctor and had a bit of her fill removed prior to the holidays as the doc wanted to see he put 5 to 10 pounds BACK ON!!

I do suggest that you reasearch EVERY weight loss surgery option they have available out there and pick the one that best suits your lifestyle (there's more than just the band and the bypass).  If you are a bulk eater the band may be just the one for you!  If you are a grazer though, the band won't keep you from doing that and might not be your best choice.

Good luck and I do think your docs stats are a bit on the low side.  Remember though, ANYTHING is possible depending on how well suited your choice is for YOU.

I have several friends who have gotten bypass, and I admit that there are days when I wonder what it would be like to lose 10 - 15 lbs in a week, but I am totally comfortable with my decision to get the band.  I am just like you:  no real co-morbidities to speak of besides the weight (and the problems it was giving me in my knees) and only needing to lose about 100 lbs.  I am 4 months out and already down 45 lbs, so that 40% number that your doc gave you is nuts!  The weight loss has definitely slowed, and I am only losing about a pound or so a week now instead of 2 - 3 pounds a week, but I'm still losing!  The band is just a tool, and you get out of it what you put into it.  If you eat right and exercise, you can get to your goal, no matter what limitations your doc wants to put on you.  Don't let him talk you into getting bypass if you are wanting the band.  My doc told me that people like us *****ally only have right at 100 lbs to lose and are otherwise healthy are actually the BEST candidates for the band, because we will be able to exercise sooner and don't have as far to go, so we can always see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Good luck to you in making your decision, but whatever option you choose, make sure you aren't choosing it because your doc has scared you into thinking you won't lose enough weight.  The band is great and I know you will do just fine!

My surgeon told me that if I lost 50% of my excess weight, he would consider me a success.  I have lost 100% of my excess weight with the band and have never once regretted my decision.

Long-term weight loss statistics for the band are actually quite similar to RNY.  It's a tortoise and hare comparison.  The RNY patient (the hare) loses more quickly, but the band patient (the tortoise) does eventually cross the finish line too.

This reminds me of a boss I once had who liked to say, "Figures can lie, and liars can figure."  When I studied Statistics in college, the professor made it clear that clever manipulation and presentation of statistical findings can support just about any theory you want.

Remember, in order to get an average band weight loss figure of 40%, the scientists had to count in people who gained weight, people who lost no weight, people who lost 100% or more of their excess weight, and everyone inbetween.  It's foolish to look at the "average 40% lost" quoted by your surgeon as something cast in stone.  Statistics don't predict what YOU will accomplish - only YOU can affect that outcome.

But if your surgeon is emotionally attached to statistics, ask him how many RNY patients he's had die due to surgical complications.  Then ask how many lap-band patients he's had die.

Jean

I am in month 2 of my 3-month prep for band surgery.  I told my surgeon that I was only interested in the lap band.  My PCP would not recommend me for the gastric bypass; he's lost several patients due to complications.  My surgeon also told me he thought I would be happier with the gastric bypass ... more weight loss and quicker than with the band.  But it's the band for me.  I will get to goal eventually.  It may take me longer but I will get there.  Make the decision you feel is best for you.  Best of luck.