Confused

Kate,
Thanks so much for writing me back.   I appreciate it.  I'm sorry I'm just getting back to you.  I didn't look at my emails til now.   Yes I also believe that about stats.   The earlier ones may of had issues.  And the are improving them as years go on.  I'm going into this knowing there maybe complications but you will have that with ALL surgeries.  I'm just finding right now the worse has been this pre-op diet.   It this has been the worse then I feel blessed.   And yes I have seen alot of negativity on here but I look past and have to think was there really a problem or was it the person.   Thanks again.  And I'll write as soon as I can after surgery.   

Take Care,
Susan

If you are consistant and determined you can lose that much with the band.I have lost 190 lbs.It takes time but it also took time to put all that on.It took me two years.Best thing I ever did!!!

 
Statically speaking, that is a load of BS.

Are you saying that I am lying and did not lose all this weight? I cant beleive you can be that rude.I have two other friends also that have lost over 140 lbs.Maybe not everyone can do it, but no matter what negative, rude people say it can be done.I am living proof.Every surgery is different and every person gets different results.There is no need to down other surgeries just because it didnt work for you.

I don't think she thinks you are LYING, just that what you said is NOT the truth for most people who have the band. There IS a difference. An important difference that the majority of people with the band should realize. You and your two buddies are in the vast minority of banders. VAST minority. To claim otherwise is irresponsible of you.

Check out the revisions forum and meet a ton of people who have worked their asses off, dieted, exercised, been 100% compliant with that damn band and have lost little if any weight or have regained it back after a few years. To say what you are saying is to imply that those thousands of people are the liars.

Besides, you are very early out in the process. At 2 years, I would expect that you should have lost most of your weight. If you have proper band placement and aggressive fills or have been magically lucky to hit your "sweet spot," your band should help you significantly. There are just too many "ifs" with the band to make it a viable option for most people, particularly those who are metabolically challenged and have 100-300 pounds to lose.

Nicolle

 
Read it again, I did not WRITE as you claim.

Banding got me to goal, you fool.

If I took it wrong I am sorry.

 
Statistically speaking, a band will offer you (long term, after the standard issue 5 year regain) a 30% loss in excess weight.

There are a handful of successful higher BMIs, but it is rare.

Please read the DS boards.  You seriously need this info.  You are very fat, but it is not your fault.  It is a disease and NOT a character flaw.  A band isn't going to do the job.  You can't put a band aid on a gun shot wound and expect it to help.

Do your research, you have a serious problem.

Plz, just to basic research.  Do you job, do this right and don't screw it up.

While I never got the band I will tell you about my story.  I was always fat upwards to 345 in my 20's, 325 when I started researching WLS in 2006 when my mom died.  I actually saw a LapBand commercial (the greatest ad campaign I have EVER seen).  I was never ever going to get the RnY because of the fact they have a hole at the bottom of your stomach (stoma) that basically just dumps the food you eat into your intestine (where the term dumping comes from).  I have seen COUNTLESS people in my personal life and read who CAN have complication etc.  Please note that I say CAN because it's not guaranteed that anyone WILL have complication x, y or z, but they can.  Ok so I'm researching the all mighty LapBand (and that's how I felt) I needed a surgery that would HELP me the most, and I believe that I needed a surgery that would keep my stomach as a normal stomach.  Where the stomach acid helps digest and mix up my food, where my pyloric valve once the stomach was done doing it's job would open and let my food continue on the digestion road.  I wanted a surgery that would REDUCE the amount of food I could at at any one given time.

So research I did.  Now I saw the website where there is a (and I think back then in 2006 there was like a 50-60%) complication rate and you MIGHT not lose ALL your we ight but I also believe that given the right mental aspect of this surgery coupled with the restriction you can do almost anything so I kept on researching.  I came to OH thanks to a friend and well what I saw here made me nervous.  Instead of some arbitrary number on a website about complications I was seeing ACTUAL living breathing people with the LapBand who WERE having complications, some minor others not.  So I in total research mode started a pros/cons list.  I had page after page of "possible" complications with the Band and of course RIGHT next to it I had the "words/advice" of those who loved the band saying oh if you do this or do that you will NEVER suffer from these complications.  In my research I am ALREADY forcasting that I WAS going to be the PERFECT bandster.  Like someone already said I was aiming to be ONE of the LUCKY ones.  The more I researched the MORE I found people who were banded in like 05/06 with these complications and they were CLAIMING to have been "perfect" bandsters.  But STILL I did not want the RnY because of the false stomach, nor the DS because I just do not consume that much fat and I had NO medical issues.  THEN boom bam thank you Jesus a young lady on the LapBand forum asked Dr. Curry about the VSG and that her insurance (just happened to be MY insurance) suggested she get that instead of the Band.

WHAT you say girl.  There is a surgery out there called the Sleeve...what is this...tell me more.  Well you guessed it I started researching the Sleeve and OMG it "appeared" to have EVERYTHING that I wanted....normal stomach, food restriction and to boot there was a CHANCE that I would wake up from surgery and NOT be hungry because it removed over 1/2 your stomach and the hormone called Ghrelin.  Well tell me more all mighty Sleeve.  I then simultaneously was researching the Sleeve but not taking my foot all the way out the band camp.  I wanted to know EVERYTHING I could about the sleeve.  After all I was willing to say GOODBYE ADIOS to over 1/2 my stomach (NOT that my stomach ever did anything for me, I still am VERY fond of ALL my body parts).  I took my research AWAY from the WLS forums and researched Full/Partial Gastrectomies as done on people who have stomach cancers and ulcers which has been done for over 30 years or more.  I read about peoples LIVES after having a partial gastrectomy, What LONG term vitamins "may" be needed.  How they just eat way smaller portions then before.  How yes they would lose weight.  How yes they weren't really hungry.  How yes you could even live a full and productive LIFE even without ANY stomach.  How a family who had a history of stomach cancer voluntarily had their stomachs REMOVED as a preventative measure.  How people were LIVING life YEARS after their gastrectomies with virtually the same restriction and the "bonus" of weight loss.

Now the whole time I still had my pro/con list.  The Band one was LONG and extensive on the "possible" complications, slips, erosions, esophagal dialation, adhesions for IF the band had to be removed all the risks involved in removal.  The VSG after researching had a few questions/comments.  What size bougie would the surgeon be using?  How does the surgeon check for leaks?  After surgery I did research to KNOW if I did have a leak what SHOULD I be looking for in those weeks after surgery?  How long does it take the stomach to fully heal over the sutures/staples?  That was IT.

I was fortunate that my insurance DID cover the sleeve back in 2007.  Blessed if you will because back then Insurance companies weren't.  I don't know what I would have done in 2007 once I KNEW about the VSG, if my insurance would only cover the RnY or the Band.  To be honest I don't like the GAMBLE of either of those surgeries to NOT be one of the "lucky" ones.  For the VSG I took a gamble that I might still be hungry.  I did take a gamble that hey you could have a leak but as of yet I have not seen a VSGer die purely from a leak.

My reality after my VSG.  I woke up from surgery with INSTANT restriction.  I have been blessed with NO physical hunger.  I am almost 3 years out, still not hungry and still with restriction.  I have lost over 100lbs.  I COULD have gone lower then my current 192 and I'm working out it, but at 1 1/2 years out, I decided a little carbs here and there won't hurt, well they do and depending on YOUR body...well **** I'll say CARBS are the DEVIL.  I am referring to PROCESSED carbs, not fruit but yes fruit for some can be "danger Will Robinson danger."

I wish you well on your decision.

Ms Shell

 
Hi there, Mary.  You said:

"Thanks everyone!!  Im definitely ready for surgery, just not 100% anymore which one.  If I'm going to have surgery I want to have the result I want.  My doctor said I was a better candidate for Bypass because I have so much to lose but he said I could lose just as much with the band as long as I work hard.  I will definitely keep doing research."
What is the result that you want?  If it is to lose weight, then any surgery will help; but if it's to KEEP THE WEIGHT OFF LONG TERM, the surgery outcome probabilities on that are very different.  The DS has the best statistics in that regard.

Surgeons will steer you toward surgeries that they perform themselves, or the surgeries their practice performs.  Most are not likely to recommend surgeries that they don't perform, no matter how good the other surgery is.  Many surgeons do the RnY/bypass and the lap band; far fewer do the DS and the VSG, so these are recommended less.  So that you're not steered into the surgeon's surgery choice instead of your own, it's best to do your own research independently to decide if you're a good candidate for a particular surgery type, make your choice, THEN find a surgeon who is qualified to perform the surgery you want.  

One key difference between surgeries is how much dieting effort it takes on the patient's part to lose the weight and keep it off.  Some surgeries require more "dieting" effort than others.  If you're going to just have to "work hard" to lose the weight with a particular surgery, and then keep "working hard" to keep it off, what's the point of having that surgery?  The effort is the same with dieting alone and, depending on the surgery, the results may be the same as well.

I really hope that you do a lot of research, and that you make the decision that best for you and your needs.

For more information on the duodenal switch, go to http://www.dsfacts.com.