Gastric vs. Lapband

Ok, I thought my mind was totally made up to have the gastric bypass done, however - I am now thinking of the lapband. I meet with Dr. Allen on 3/16. For those of you who have had your surgeries, what made you decide to either have gastric bypass or the lapband? What about complications? Which one is associated with the greatest complications or problems? I want to get healthy and am going to have one of these surgeries, I am just trying to decide which one is best for me. Many thanks for your help!

I chose to have Gastric Bypass because I had to be honest with myself, I would cheat with the Lapband and I wanted to be held accountable for my actions and Bypass definetly does that. Bypass has greater complications then the Lapband does. You should ask yourself a few questions..What type of eater are you? Snacker or Volume Eater? Sweet Eater? and how discipline are you to do this journey? Good luck on your decision and this is a great place to help you make this decision but you have to do what feels right for you. Take care.. Hugs...

I had Lap Band. I did it because I didn't have 100 or more pounds to lose. I was ok with the very very slow loss...I thought. It is hard but rewarding. I chose this because it wasn't as drastic. It had a quicker recovery time...I have 4 kids and 2 of them are under 3 years. I am a volume eater and not a sweet eater so I needed help with portion control. The band is great for that. You can eat the bad stuff (sweets, fried foods) without much problems (except you won't lose) unlike the bypass. With the bypass, you will pay when you don't eat as you should. Research Research Research!! Go to the Lap Band forum for more information about that. I think there is also a RNY forum too. Any questions, please feel free to visit my profile or ask.

I had a BMI of 47 and several co morbidadities. I had to do the bypass. If I was a light weight I would have done the band. I have lost 160lbs in 16mths. I have been at goal. I had no complications and all my old medical conditions are a thing of the past. I still have to watch my weight. I can't let my guard down. Some people will say the weight is gone forever but that is not true. This is only a tool and IT will come back. So over 16mths I hope I have learned new habbits. I now eat to live. Good luck on your journey. Jane

For me the decision was based on several factors. The major reason was that I was a three-meal-a-day volume eater and really don't crave lots of sweets. I was a bread, rice, pasta and potato person. And chips... and 3/4 of a large pizza... and a whole bag of cheetos. All in the same evening. don't get me wrong. I like cookies, sweets and ice cream, I just don't crave them or want chocolate every day. The second reason was that I am afraid that I could end up in a nursing home. My mom had died after 3 years in a nursing home, so I saw, first hand, how difficult it was to trust the staff to give her medications. She was diabetic and went into diabetic shock at least 4 times that I know of because they had not tested her blood sugar or given her the insulin when they were supposed to. With the RNY, many vitamins, daily, weekly and monthly, are required for the rest of your life. You can suffer extreme problems from the deficiencies.. one of the worst things is severe memory loss with Beri-Beri. The thought that I might have to trust my necessary bloodwork and vitamin regimen to staff in a nursing home, after what I had seen happen to my mom, was sobering. Especially since I saw how they regularly dismissed giving the vitamins if my mom was asleep when the med cart came around. Every meal I saw them give my mom had high carbs and breaded "mystery meats". I can only imagine how bad it would be for me after I ate if I suffered from dumping syndrome. With the band, even if I am a skinny little old lady, I can still eat small amounts of all of the food and get every bit of nutrition possible from it. I can take a normal multi-vitamin and not worry about the staff thinking I am senile when I am really suffering from a severe vitimin defficiency. I know this might seem far-fetched to many of you, but I am 61 and these thoughts occur to older women who have seen what happens to their parents in a nursing home. The third reason was that, even though I needed to lose about 145 pounds, I liked the slower weight loss. I have always had decent skin and, even after losing 71 pounds over 2 years, I can still pull in my abdomen and see that the overhang of excess skin won't be too bad. I might not need to consider much in the way of plastic surgery. My boobs are another story, though... LOLOLOL.. a reduction or lift might be in order! I had no complications or major problems from the surgery. The band is definitely the safest of the two procedures. We bandsters won't get strictures (a minor inconvenience) or suffer from the possibility of a leak (a very serious complication). No band patient at Georgetown, KY, where I had my surgery, has ever died after the band. In the end it all boils down to what kind of eater you are and how well you can follow the rules with either procedure. Volume: generally the band. Grazer/sweets eater: generally the RNY. Education about both procedures is the key and you must follow your heart regarding how well you can work with the tool you choose.

Well Janice, as you can see lapband vs RNY is a personal choice. I had RNY because I was very ill at the time, out of control diabetes which was ruining my kidneys. And I have to be honest I hadn't heard of the lapband during that time. I have never been sorry I chose the bypass. Either surgery takes care and post op compliance..this is not the easy way out. Talk to your surgeon, he will help you chose after reviewing your co mobidities and lifestyle. Just remember, to use your tool to it's fullest potential you will need discipline no matter the surgery type. I am nearly 4 yrs out from RNY and have to watch myself pretty carefully. Get with a good program that teaches you and is there for you post operatively with constant updated news on your procedure. Also, I believe it's imperative that you learn all you can about your procedure before, during and after surgery. good luck! Brenda

I chose the bypass because I had alot of weight to lose and with the band I've heard u don't lose it fast and u don't lose as much as with the bypass. But its a personal choice. If u have alot u want to lose and if u are impatient like me then the bypass is the way I'd go. But its totally a personal choice and u have to go with what u feel is for u. I do know a couple of people who've had the band and they weren't happy with the results. They didn't lose as much as they should have. But I know several people who have had it and are happy with it. Good luck and let us know what u chose!