Lap Band Versus Bypass?

I am new to the site and also just starting my research before deciding what WLS I would like to do. I was surprised to see several places on this site that many people are against Lap Band and have a lot of negative things to say about it. I wasn't even considering Bypass at all until I started researching the two surgery's on here. I had initially thought that Lap Band would be the safest and healthiest WLS available because it's not permanent, can be removed if their is any medical issues, and you have much less deficiency's then the other options. I am now stumped. I am wondering what everyone experience is with these two surgeries and what made you choose the surgery you chose. I am really just trying to better understand these and help make the best decision possible for myself.  Thank you in advance...

I chose to have a Realize Band 4 1/2 years ago for many of the reasons you listed.

i had no co-morbidities, I was self pay, it seemed to be the least invasive, least amount of surgery, least life-altering, from both a surgical and behavioral standpoint.

Overall, it has been a good choice for me to date.

I was winning to make some very large life changes, and decided to get back into both OA (on-line) and Weigh****chers (in person) to bolster my choice.

I saw my surgeon monthly for the first several months for adjustments, and then every 6 weeks, and then every 8 weeks for the first 18 months as I lost 125 pounds.

i continue to see my surgeon once a year for a check in and small fill.

i completely gave up cookies, cake, ice cream, baked goods ... I cannot eat those foods moderately and my band does not stop them, so they had to go.

I work hard at maintenance, exercising regularly and eating primarily protein and produce and limiting processed carbs.

i have had no medical issues from my band, but I seem to be I the minority .... Many people at this stage have had band slips or other problems.

Please research all of your options, not only Banding and RNY ... Attend local Support Group meetings if you can and speak with people who have had all types of WLS.

my sister had VSG 15 months ago and is doing wonderfully ..... You have many choices ahead of you.

Hi there DCast. I had a band put in 5 and a half years ago. I succesfully lost the weight, although only because I vomitted my food up consistently. Then I had a prolapse  6 months ago. It was an emergency, and I was flown in by the Flying Doctors to have my band removed. It had grown into my stomach. Bands are extremely dangerous if not used correctly. Not many bands are used here in AUstralia any more. I had to wait 6 months, then I had a Gastric Bypass 7 weeks ago. I have lost 12-13 kgs, that is about 25 pounds in your country. I am extremely happy as it makes me eat sensibly, and no vomitting. Please consider your options carefully. In my opinion the band is the most dangerous of all weight loss tools, but only you can decide on what will suit you. All the best, it is worth the wait.xxx

Do you know that the band has a 70% failure rate? I just revised about 12 days ago from a failed band to RNY. Yes, it has some issues, but they ALL do. But the band, oh man. When my doc did the rny he stated that he saw lots of scar tissue and without a doubt, I would begin having problems within a few years. And don't buy what they sell - that it's reversible - it's NOT. It IS revisable (and in my case to and RNY). Additionally, I had NO restriction from the band unless it was so tight I puked all the time. The 'sweet spot' they speak of never materialized for me. To be honest, the band just felt like a diet - plain and simple. And I had failed so so so SO many of those that I said, The hell with it - if I want the weight loss to be permanent, which I do, and the correct tool to help me do it, I shouldn't have tried the band. I should have either done the RNY or the Sleeve. Since the sleeve is restriction only, and I got none with the band, I was super scared of that again; I would have no restriction AND now missing most of my stomach. However, that said, the sleeve works for MANY people, and YOU have to decide which one works for you. I just wish I had listened to alllllll those people who told me not do the band. Instead I wasted three years, pain, and two surgeries.
Good luck with your decision.

Research them all.  Don't get a band.  I know a lot of people who got them and only one was successful.  The rest are either very sick or have had them revised.  One friend's revision was much more involved than expected because the band had adhered to her liver and caused a lot of bleeding when it was removed.  Were I to have the choice to do all over again, I would choose the VSG (sleeve).  You get your restriction and keep a more normal digestive tract.  I got an RNY and have severe reactive hypoglycemia and nutritional deficiencies.  Really wish I'd known a lot more back then!  Best of luck to you.

i had the lap band done in 04 i had lots of problems with it altho i lost almost 250lbs the way i did it was from the fact i couldnt keep nothing down and had other surgeries my band had to be replaced 2 xs and then i was in a car wreck and it was detatched and i had to have it removed they can replace your bands but if they do then u dont get the restrictions you need ive gained back most of my weight because i had the band first instead if id had the sleeve or bypass i wouldnt be back to where i am now facing going threw the whole weight gain...............testing...................getting insurance approveals again.................and anther weight loss surgery...............good luck with your journey

I am a band success story, and there are actually a lot of us out there.  But we now know  that the things we were told when I was banded in 2006 were overly optimistic.  I am not saying don't get the band! But I am saying be aware that it requires a great deal of work on your part and regular, high quality aftercare. 

My own experience and that of all those bandsters I know in real life does not mirror the horror stories we read on here. That is not to say these horror stories are not genuine! They are, or at any rate, most of them are - we do get occasional rather unbelievable posts! 

If I were not banded, I might go for the sleeve. Not RNY for me, I don't want malabsorption. But in fact, if I had to do it all over again, I would still get the band. 

I, too, have seen many out here over the years with problems from getting the Band, and also wouldn't recommend it.  First of all, if you're here because you cannot lose weight and keep it off, don't think you'll be able to keep your weight under control if the band is removed.  It's designed to only last 8-10 years in the body.  The alternative restrictive-only procedure that is quickly gaining in popularity over the band is the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy (VSG).  You can learn more about it here on a board dedicated to that procedure.  I suggest you read each board to learn more about what people are asking about, raving about and complaining about to get a look at what life is like with the band, VSG, RNY (bypass) and DS (duodenal switch). 

If your weight history has you fighting your body tooth and nail to lose anything, you may want to look more closely at the RNY and DS.  Both of these alter your body's metabolism, something you don't get with the VSG and band.  We are obese for different reasons, so it's important to take the time to look at your own weight loss history to determine which procedure is going to work best for you.  I'm 8 years post op from DS and healthy as a horse.  Knowing how to control my nutrition has kept me from suffering any deficiencies.  We learn here by sharing experiences, and on the DS page, we're way ahead of the surgeons on what we need to do to keep healthy.

The lap band is still the safest surgery of all, please read this latest study. Many people on this site probably have an ax to grind with the lap band, so you may not get accurate information.  All weight loss surgeries carry risk and all can have complications, however lap band complications are not serious if they occur based on this study.

I would believe doctors more than patients, if you have concerns about the band you should always get professional advice from surgeons they will give you a true assessment of each surgical type and complications and issues with them.

Here is that new study on each surgical type that I found on the band board, lap band has high reop rate, but very low serious complication rate, re-op can be anything involving tubing, or mechanical failure not really serious complication, however other surgical types can have more serious life threatening complications.

 

DO THE MATH 
164 Studies, 
161,756 Patients 
Over Nearly 10 Years:
What Does This Add Up To?

 

BARIATRIC AND METABOLIC SURGERY IS EVEN MORE EFFECTIVE THAN PREVIOUSLY REPORTED AND GETTING SAFER!

 

A new meta-analysis of studies carried out between 2003 and 2012 shows higher remission rates of diabetes and high blood pressure and a lower mortality rate than previously reported. The study, published online in JAMA Surgery, is an update to a meta-analysis of studies conducted between 1990 and 2003 and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA, Buchwald et. al.) back in October 2004.

 

Researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis reviewed outcomes from nearly 162,000 patients in 164 studies (37 randomized clinical trials and 127 observational studies), over almost 10 years.

 

They discovered 92 percent of patients in randomized clinical trials experienced diabetes remission after surgery, slightly higher than the 86 percent remission rate found in observational studies, but significantly higher than the 76.8 percent remission rate found in the 2004 JAMA study.

 

Remission rates for hypertension were about 75 percent in both the randomized clinical trials and observational studies, while the remission rate in 2004 was 61.7 percent. Body Mass Index (BMI) loss five years after surgery ranged from 12 to 17 in the new study. Before surgery, patients had an average BMI of 45.62.

 

"With the 2004 study, we now have 22 years worth of data from over 180,000 patients and 300 studies," said study co-author J. Esteban Varela, MD, MPH, MBA, Fellow of the ASMBS. "The data continues to prove bariatric surgery is not only safe and effective in providing significant and sustainable weight loss, but is the most effective treatment today for diabetes, hypertension and an array of other diseases and conditions in people with obesity."

 

In the new study, 30-day mortality rate was 0.08 percent, down from the 0.3 percent reported in 2004. Complication rates ranged from 10 to 17 percent and the reoperation rate was about 7 percent. Complication and reoperation rates were not reported in the previous meta-analysis.

 

By procedure, gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy resulted in the greatest weight loss, but had a higher rate of complications and mortality than adjustable gastric banding. Gastric banding had the highest reoperation rate (12% in randomized trials), while gastric bypass had the lowest at 3 percent, followed by sleeve gastrectomy, which had a reoperation rate of 9 percent. The new meta-analysis included sleeve gastrectomy, which was not available in the 1990s. Of note, sleeve gastrectomy had comparable weight loss to that of gastric bypass at 5 years.

 

"This is but the latest study to validate the high degree of safety and effectiveness of bariatric surgery," said Ninh T. Nguyen, MD, FACS, President of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) and Vice-Chair of the Department of Surgery at UC Irvine School of Medicine. "Today we are performing operations that are as safe or safer than gallbladder and hernia repair surgery."

 

According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 78 million adults were obese in 2011–2012.1 The ASMBS estimates about 24 million people have severe or morbid obesity. Individuals with a BMI greater than 30 have a 50 to 100 percent increased risk of premature death compared to healthy weight individuals as well as an increased risk of developing more than 40 obesity-related diseases and conditions including type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer.2,3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Betterlife2, just interested. Are you banded? How long?