I feel pressured to have gastric bypass

My doctors office seems to be particularly in favor of gastric bypass. I called because I wanted to switch my surgery to lapband after researching as much as I could and talking with everyone I knew to talk to. No one in my area has had lapband but tons have had gastric bypass and almost everyone I talk to knows someone who has died from gastric bypass which scares me to death because I have young children. The doctor said she would not change my charge until she could talk to me in person and discuss the "vast" differences between the procedures including most people are unhappy with the lesser weight loss with lapband and they don't keep it off. I feel like each time I go they are trying to convince me to go with gastric bypass and they just skim right past lapband like it's not even an option even though they do lapbands. I'm very confused right now.

Just go to the COMPLICATIONS forum.  It really is more dangerous, and after five years, the results are the same.  LAPBAND IS slower.  Look:  we are all food addicts.  After a couple years, if you survive the bypass without deadly complictions, you may begin to regain the weight!  Your body begins to try to compensate for the malabsorption. The truth is... I wish there were some magic bullet and I could eat whatever I want... but it is not so.  I think the lapband willsave me............. for a LIFETIME... not just for a couple of years and I will be healthier. Nancy

I think the dr. office has it all wrong.  You are much more likely to gain weight about 3 yr. out with gastric bypass than lapbanding.  I've heard it time and time again, and have seen my own daughter struggle.  With lapbanding I've never heard of patients gaining the weight back  The lapband is adjustable for just that reason.  We have people on this forum who are converting from gastric bypass to lapbanding.  Maybe you have a dr. that simply doesn't perform lapbanding and you need to see someone else.  I have visited all over this site and know lapbanding has far less complications than having your intestines rerouted.  I wouldn't trade my band for anything...3 1/2 mo. out and down 55 lbs.  How much more could I ask for?

I did TONS of research and one of the things that I liked about my Doctor is that he did not push one or the other.  There are pros and cons to both gastric bypass and lap-band.  You have to do what is comfortable and right for YOU not your doctor.  And if he is not on board then you need to look elsewhere.  If you choose lap-band then you can be that person in your area that will tell everyone else about it.   Whatever your desicion make it for you and yours.  And you want to ask questions please do we will try our best to answer. 

Dr's make more money off gastric bypass and some arent very proficient in their knowledge of the band. You are the only person who can stand up for you. You will have to be your own advocate to get what you want. If you are certain that you dont want a bypass then dont settle for any other answer than the one you want to hear.

  Regardless of which surgery you choose- RNY, lapband, DS....the choice is yours to make. NOT the doctors. You choose the surgery type that you feel is best for you and your situation.   There are "vast" differences with the 2 types of surgeries. I'm sure you already know them from your research. Weightloss is slower with the band, that is true. BUT   *I*  feel that the slower loss is allowing me to learn new, better eating habits. I am learning that I HAVE to exercise. I am learning that my body NEEDS at least 40 oz. water a day.    Don't let this doctor pressure you in to something that you feel is wrong for you. MOST doctors prefer to do RNY- they make more money from that one. Please find a doctor who is not looking to better their pocket at the expense of your health or life.     There are people with every type of surgery that are not happy with their choice. Try asking the people who have lost their lives because of complications how happy they are with the RNY. I know of soooooo soooo soooo many people who have actually died from RNY, go look at the  memorial page. I don't know of a single person who was banded and died from complications with the band.     Sure there are people who have had lapband surgery who are/were not happy with it for one reason or other(slow/no loss or some complication that required surgery to replace/remove their band). They had/have the freedom to choose to repair/replace their band or look into other options to help them use their band more effectively. Some choose to have another surgery type(RNY,DS,etc.) and are happy with that choice.    But I have options here.I can stay on track and loose the weight OR  I can choose to eat around lapband and gain weight back. And I can get back on the wagon and eat right and loose the weight again- not like the crazy yo-yo diets I have been on in the past but actually eat right food and right portion sizes. I'm not limited to an (RNY) 18 month window of opportunity to loose all the weight and then sit and pray that I won't re-gain the weight. With RNY once you have it you are stuck with it - no reversing it if your having complications from it. Trisha

I went to a doctor for a second opinion and they were not very supportive of lap-band either.  I told them I wanted the lap-band in the beginnig and thru my whole orientation thry kept pushing the gastric bypass.  I almost felt uncomfortable everytime I would bring up the lap band the lady told me how people come there for the lap band and they dont lose weight and they end up getting gastric bypass anyway.  She was telling me about a lady that had the lap band and after a year she had only lost 20lbs.  Very discouraging, I left knowing that I was not going to use that doctor but it was just unreal to me how people push there own agendas for whatever reason.  I ended up telling her that I would not have come in the office without doing extensive research so I knew what I wanted.  The thing that baffled me the most is that this doctor came highly recomended made me wonder if he knows what his staff is doing.  You have to do what you feel is best.  Period.  Take your time and find a doctor that you are comfortable with and who will listen to you.

Just to reiterate what the others said, you need to stand up for yourself and get the WLS that is right for you.  Lapbands are becoming more popular because it is a much safer surgery and as my fellow bandsters said, the results over time are roughly equivalent.  Find a new doctor is you feel he or she is pushing Gastric Bypass and you want the band.  Neither surgery is easy and with the lapband you are going to have to eat right and exercise in order to see the weight loss that you want.  The band helps you with portion control, but it doesn't put good food choices in your mouth for you.  With either surgery, each of us has a lot of soul searching to do to figure out WHY we are obese and how we can overcome it, mentally and physically.   It sounds like you are on the right track.  Keep on looking for answers to your questions and be adament about finding a surgeon who will band you, if that is what you ultimately want. Good luck, Christine W. 236/170/125 biggest/current/goal

How many lap bands do they do?  Why do they only want RNY?  It was my choice and my surgeon supported my decision (and provided input). If you seriously want lap band you may want to find a different surgeon.  Why?  Because you'll be given a different degree of aftercare if the doctor supports your decision.  Shouldn't be that way but that's what I've experienced. Lets face it, I would never have had this surgery to lose 200+ pounds if I had thought it wouldn't work! Have you checked out the lap band manufacturer's web site?  Inamed has quite a bit of information there (and they should, lol).  Their site is lapband.com in case you didn't know. I will let you know that I told my surgeon before I went in for surgery that I gave him permission to switch me from lap band to RNY if he felt it necessary DURING SURGERY.  I've heard of others who've been put under and had issues of one type or another and then brought out of anesthesia and have to reschedule a new surgery because one type of procedure or another may not physically work for them.  I didn't want that to happen to me.  Of course you have to have trust in your surgeon that (s)he won't just switch to the other surgery to make more money... Take care, bring questions and stick to your guns.  After all, you're hiring the surgeon, they aren't hiring a patient! Lori

i have recently started babysitting for an ER doctor and his wife to make some extra $ (I'm a self pay). Yesterday I told him that I have the Lap-Band. The first thing he said was "smart girl!!!" I asked him why... he told me he had just recently worked in a hospital (prior to moving to So Cal a few months ago) that performed the most bariatric surgeries in the world. He said that he has seen so many complications from the gastric by-pass he wouldn't wish the surgery upon anyone. AND he said that he has NEVER seen a lap-band go bad. Of course this doesn't mean that there isn't a possibility of a complication- he just hasn't seen any but this does tell you something....