Lapband versus gastric bypass, help

HI My name is Janine and I am 39 years old and I looking into getting WLS.I was all set in getting the lap band surgery but  My surgeon Dr Bernard Benedetto highly reccomends that i get gastric bypass surgery due to 180-200 lbs I need to lose he said the lap band you could only lose 50 pds a year.. I am freaked out about the by pass surgery. I am scared of losing my hair, loose skin, not being able to eat sugar ever again (I believe I am a sugar addict)and wondering what kind of pain and other issues I might have in the future.

Is there anyone that is out there that had alot of weight to lose like me and had these concerns. What were your experiences with all these questions i have. Do you regret doing it?

I would really appreciate any stories and advice you might have.

Thank you ahead of time!

Janine
 

there are many people out there that have great lapband experiences - and i am not here to knock them - because i know -that whichever you get - it ONLY works if you work it!

for me - the bypass was what i felt like was the best for me - to me - surgery is surgery - why not get the absolute best results with the most durability i could get - and so, that's what i chose.

i later found out that a friend of my had a "sleeve" of somekind done - i think in mexico - if i had known about that option - i might have done it

but, i chose the RNY and wouldnt change it for the world! 

good luck with your search - pray and God with open the right doors for you

kf

I lost 195lbs.. I was 333lbs and now about 143lbs (give or take) I had the DS. I do not regret it one bit. I did not get the RNY (commonly known as gastric bypass) because I wanted to live as normal of a post-op life as I could. Yes, I have to take quite a bit of vitamins. Yes my BMs smell if I eat too many carbs. But, I can eat them. I limited my simple (sugar) carbs for the first 6 months of my weight loss. I was a super lucky one they did not stop my loss. But at goal I can eat quite a bit more.

I do have skin.. quite a bit of it. A friend of mine had the lap band, and she has skin issues too. You will have them if you have been overweight for a long time... how bad it will be depends on your genetics. Plain and simple. Spanx and those type of things are amazing. :)

I would recommend taking a look into the DS. It's not for everyone, you have to take your vitamins and eat a high protein diet. There are alot of myths about it.. Unless you go to a surgeon who does all 3 surgeries, I would not listen to one single one. A surgeon who only does DS will tell you it's the best (even though in my opinon it is ) as the same with the RNY and lapband.. Think of them like car dealerships. You got to shop around. DS Facts is the best place to start to learn about it. Stop by the DS forum.. Or PM me for any questions.

You owe it to yourself to explore all options.. And make an informed choice. Whatever that choice is..

 I reccomend that you research ALL 4 major weightloss surgeries before you make up your mind. The lap band, the sleeve ( VSG), the RNY ( gastric bypass) and the Duodenal Switch ( DS).
  Which surgery you choose should be dependant on what your BMI is, what your comorbids are and the post op lifestyle you can live with.
   DS and RNY typically lose much more weight than the sleeve or band. The DS has the full functional stomach that is narrowed  and bypasses a large part of the intestines and the RNY has a  pouch with a man made stoma. 
Here is a comparrison of the 2 surgeries.
http://www.dsfacts.com/Comparison-of-DS-and-RNY.html
  The DS has the highest long term EWL % of ANY of the weight loss surgeries.
Both DS and RNY require a  long term and very important vitamin regimin.
The long term diet is much different between them though. Although both are high protein.. the DS patients malabsorb %80 of fat, 40% of protein, %40 of complex carbs and will absorb %100 of simple carbs.. SUGAR. 
DS patients  can eat high fat and have normal to low cholesterol levels where as RNY do absorb and need to eat low fat. DS patients do not dump on sugar  like some RNY patients but  some DS patients may have gas issues from white  flour foods.
  The VSG sleeve was originaly only used as the first part of the DS and has since become a stand alone procedure when some patients lost enough that way.  There is no malabsorbtion with the SLeeve nor any need for fills and unfills or slippage like the band can have. 
  The band.. well.. it just doesnt have the long term and significant wieght loss statistics that the others have .
  My surgeon performs all 4 surgeries. In his words he says that the more invasive the surgery, the more weight you will lose hands down..
    Come on over to the DS board and check out www.dsfacts.com for more information on the DS.

Ami

Either surgery might cause hair loss.  The hair loss is mostly due to the anesthesia (and both surgeries are done under general anesthesia) and the rapid weight loss.  And if you lose 180 pounds or more, you are gonna have some lose skin.  Doesn't matter which surgery you have or if you just lose the weight by dieting and exercising.  Gastric bypass won't cause any more loose skin than any other form of weight loss.

You might not be able to tolerate sugar after gastric bypass, that's true.  About 30% of people can't.  But that means 70% of people can.  But unfortunately there is no way to know which one you'll be.

Have you looked into other surgeries, like VSG and DS?  You can eat sugar with those surgeries, if that is a concern for you, and they have better weight loss than the band.

Kelly

Hey Janine,
I am 36 I chose the gastric bypass. I considered the lap band first though. What convinced me to go ahead with the gastric bypas was the fact that I am so young, and being as young as I/we are the lap band would eventually have to be replaced. Plus the weight loss is slower. DOn't worry about sugar. After gastric bypass most people crave sugars less and less.And eventually you CAN add some sugar back into your diet. As far as hair loss goes,...I am still worried about that. My hair is already thin and I am afraid of looseing more. I had my WLS one month and 5 days ago and haven't noticed a change for the worse yet. I hope this helps-

Look at all of the surgeries, not just the ones this ONE doctor does.   Chances that you would lose more than 100 pounds with the band are pretty slim.  There is SOME hair loss with every big surgery I've had but it always comes back.  There is plastic surgery for loose skin.  And there is HEALTH.

Learn about ALL of your options before you decide AND visit the Revision board here to hear which surgeries are needing the most revisions to something else...so there are no big surprises later.

Good luck,

Sue


There wasn't room for the picture...follow this link to compare the different procedures:


www.lapsf.com/weight-loss-surgeries.html    

I do not have personal experience with either however I know four individuals who have gotten the Lapband and only one has gotten all the way to goal and she struggles staying there.  I know two who had WLS (other than Lapband) and both are at or below goal and staying there successfully long-term.

Do some reading and decide which surgery is the best for you.  Weight Loss Surgery for Dummies and Weight Loss Surgery:  A Lighter Look at a Heavy Subject are two great books.  I originally wanted a band, but then I was a little weirded out by the whole "plastic thing inside my body" sort of thing.  Then a friend let me feel where her port was and ewwww!  I couldn't deal with that.  A few people I know had their ports flip and needed more surgery, so that was another thing I didn't like.  If my insurance had paid, I probably would have gone with a DS or a Sleeve, but they would only pay for lap band or RNY, so I chose the RNY.  I few days ago, someone told me I was a long tall drink of water -- I guess you could say I'm quite happy now!

Linda

P.S. I forgot to say that I agree with the others that you won't have more hair loss or loose skin issues with RNY over any other surgery.  You SHOULD consider though, that you have said you are practically a sugar addict.  How much sugar are you going to try to eat if you have a lap band, and why get surgery in the first place if you plan to eat poorly afterwards?  You need to realize that you'll need to change your lifestyle, no matter which surgery you choose.

Janine, I am 32 years old and I had lapband October of last year on my one year appointment I had lost 107 lbs. I choose lap band for specific reasons including I have two small children so the risks, I was self pay, and no comorbidites (sp?).  At 3 mths I did have hair loss but started eating more protein and took care of it.  I do have loose skin but I am saving to take care of that too.  I want to maintain before I have ps.  I don't miss sugar at all but that wasn't my downfall. I was a bread, chip, tortilla eater.  I do not regret my surgery at all I am happier than I have ever been.  But, I do suggest researching all surgeries and determine which one is best for you.