Lap Band versus Sleeve

Hi Everyone!
I've been approved for and made the decision to finally have surgery. I'm so grateful and excited!!! But in the beginning I thought I wanted the band, and now I'm not sure. My doctor said I'm a good candidate for either the band, the sleeve, or the gastric bypass but the decision is mine. The band is appealing to me because of the easier surgery, and being able to take it out if there is problems. The sleeve seems to be easier long term, without fillings, etc.... but not reversible..... I'm just trying to get feedback from people! It's been helpful reading some of the blogs and things people have experienced.

Thanks so much!

I was sleeved on September 21st 2010 and I do not regret for one moment having it done. My sister was banded 2 weeks before me and she regrets her decision. She is having issues with her band.
I believe you have to do your research and choose what will fit your life style. For me I didn't want all the maintenance of the band, By-pass was a no also because I wanted children and not have to deal with the malabsorption issues and the sleeve seems to fit my life style so well. I wanted the restriction and it to be permanent.
I love my sleeve and the life it has given to me.
Good Luck with your decision and all the best with your upcoming surgery.

Kee.

Thank you so much! Good to know! Was the post op very very hard after the sleeve? I'm hearing gas pain, reflux , throwing up...no sleep... I know its different for everyone to some degree but I'm wondering what the worst part was for you...and what is life like for you now.

The first week was probably the hardest for me cause of the dry heaving, I spent 5 days in the hospital and slept quite well but once I got home and tried to sleep in my own bed it was hard to do. I propped myself up with extra pillows and slept more sitting than laying and it worked out just fine. I did have quite a bit of pain and couldn't really take anything for it cause it would make me vomit so I had to deal with that and Gas-x helped with the gas pains and of course moving. You still have gas pain no matter what surgery you have cause they blow your belly up with all them.
The first 4-5 weeks I was very fatigued and had to have a nap during the day but that's a part of the healing process.
I wouldn't change anything about my wls or the decision to have it done, I wish I had been able to have it done 10 years ago cause i have missed out on so much because of my obesity issues. My life now is wonderful, I feel the best I've ever have and I have so much more energy, I've even started running for the 1st time in my life.
At 7 months out I can eat 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup of food depending on what it is. Dense protein like chicken about 2-2.5 oz and thin stuff like tomato soup or broth I can do 1 cup. I still have chocolate and occasionally pretzels or chips but I'm careful with these cause they are slider foods and I can eat way more than I should be able to and I don;'t feel guilty cause I am still human.
I love my sleeve but more so I love the new me.

Kee.

Sleeves don't slip, they don't erode, they don't have port issues, and there are no fill issues. I'd go with a sleeve over a lap-band, hands down. The reoperative rate for people with bands is way too high. Check out the revision board and you'll see so many people talking about ditching their bands.

Thanks so much for your reply!!! I'm leaning more toward the sleeve after reading all the complications of the band. Did you have the band and then sleeve? If so would you tell me your experiences with both... the good, the bad and the ugly??? :)

Actually, no, I didn't have the band. I had the RNY with an added ring around the stoma, and experienced a lot of the same problems. Hence my revision.

I have a lot of friends with bands and they've had so many problems. Three have had to go through second and third surgeries. One woman had the band in 2004 and is now 50 lbs heavier than she was when she got it.

I revised from RNY to the DS, and so I have the sleeve as the top part of the DS. I love it. I never overate post-rny due to the ring but I can eat much more normally now with the sleeve. I think that's a huge difference between the sleeve and the lap band, you can eat normally but in smaller quantities, whereas a lot of band people can't keep down some foods.

Best of luck with whatever you decide.

You brought up some very valid points! And the revision forum is always an excellent place to research for anyone considering WLS!!!

There are four kinds of WLS, and this is the order in which *I* would choose them:

DS/duodenal switch
Sleeve/VSG
RNY/gastric bypass
Stay fat/no surgery
LapBand

If it's a choice between Band and Sleeve, the Sleeve wins, hands down. If you're also considering the RNY, then you should ALSO research the DS. The DS has the same stomach as the Sleeve, albeit slightly larger, and a malabsorptive component like the RNY, except one that causes PERMANENT malabsorption of CALORIES.

In order to give you better advice about the pros and cons of each procedure, it would help to know how much you need to lose, if you have any co-morbs or a family history of same, your age, your preferred eating style, your diet history---not that you have to tell US any of that, but it's all stuff that should factor into YOUR decision about which procedure is best for you.

Thanksso much for your reply. So you'd choose not having anything and staying fat over the band? Have you had bad experience with it?