To Band or not to Band?

I've had botht the Lap-Band and the VSG.  The Lap-Band ended up being a nightmare when the complications set in. Towards the end I was about to rip the damn thing out of my body it was so bad.

If you do chose to go with the band, I would suggest spending some time pre-op and lose as much weight if you can. If you struggle to lose 20-30 lbs pre-op, there's no way the band will work. My friends with lap bands are on permanent strict diets, which to be quite frank, sounds like hell.

If I felt I needed it, I would have went with the DS. I started with very high BMI, but managed to drop a lot of weight pre-op, so I'm sticking with the VSG. Because you are young, you absolutely need to pick the right choice, not the most convenient, not the perceived "safest" one. You really don't want to get a lap band, only to find out later that 1) it didn't help you lose the weight and 2) it's damages your stomach and makes a revision dangerous/unlikely/impossible. Make sure you read read read about all the horrible complications of the lap band. Some people have great success, but they are limited in number.

Acbbrown....I just want to clarify your comment about being on strict diet that sounds like hell...I don't want to burst your bubble...BUT I ATE SWEET EVERY SINGLE DAY WHILE LOSING WEIGHT.....the thing is my intake was so little I got full on tiny meals..lol....my usual meal while losing weight was...a few bites of sweet Chinese chicken from our cafeteria from work, 3-4 teaspoons of broccoli salad and fruit cup and I snacked on chocolate covered peanuts every other day...if you call that a diet from hell.....so be it... ....you see sometimes we can have our cake and eat it too.....

She said it sounds like hell. That is her opinion. It sounds like hell to me as well. Now some people do well with the band and more power to them.

However, the majority do not. I have watched my sister pull over to the side of the road to throw up the steamed salmon she had for dinner. She has a horrible time keeping chicken down. That also appears like hell to me. She is now looking into a revision from the band to a VSG.

I know two aditional people personally who have had their band revised to a VSG because of the horrors they were enduring.

Again, some do well with the band. Statistically though, most do not.

I had RNY and don't have any bowel or smelly BM issues. If you don't have any surgeon that does DS in network and can't afford the payment out of network then go for the RNY. Don't worry about what your boyfriend says, he's not your husband and definitely not in charge of your decisions regarding your health and body. Good luck.

Thank you all for the great responses.  I really was so afraid to join and post here.  But you've all been great.  I got so much information is a short period of time.  Great help!   I actually like the idea of DS and VGS even better.  The only way I can get the VGS is if I have some type of medical reason's like GI issues... but I don't.

I can't think of any medical reasons OTHER than already having absorption issues that the VSG would address better than the DS---they're essentially the VERY SAME stomach. The DS just also has the malabsorption component.

The only advice I give people is from my own lapband experience and that is RUN, don't walk, from the band!  IMO, the band is the worst possible surgery you can get because it has the most post-op follow up and maintenance of any of the WLS, not to mention the most documented complications. Look at the revision board and most of what you will see if people revising from the band to another WLS. 

I know several friends who have had both RNY and DS, none of whom have bad gas unless they eat foods high in fat and carbs and then they run to the bathroom!  If you eat healthy, you will be fine.

I revised to the sleeve 3 months ago after having a honeymoon period of 10 months and then 2 years of hell with my lapband.  My surgeon doesn't recommend the RNY because he feels there is more weight regain after 3 years out than the sleeve or the DS, but it's a personal thing.  I would just stay AWAY from the band at all costs!

Good luck with whatever you choose!

In a word      

          NO!!!LAPBAND!!!!

Never would I have gotten the band if I knew then what I know now!!!!!!!!!!!