Hey Guys

Take a look at the statistics, both good and bad.  Judge for yourself the "type" of eater you are.  Be honest.  If you are a sweets eater or a grazer, then I would say stay away from the band.  If you are a bulk eater like I am (was), you could go either way.   Just keep in mind that the more you have to lose, the harder it will be to stick with the band program and make permanent lifestyle changes.  I am what was called a "lightweight"  (under 125 lbs to lose, yeah, right, tell it to my knees and back).  I could have easily gone to the band.  However, knowing that I have huge issues with the inability to vomit (which would have been caused much more frequently with the band), I chose the more permanent RNY for the restriction AND the malabsorption properties.  I have had ZERO side effects or complications. Do some more investigation on band forum, there are as many successes and failures as on the RNY board It's your decision, but you must weigh all of the variables.  Good luck.

I know this doesn't help but only you can answer this question. How much weight do you want or need to lose? How comfortable are you with supplements vitamins exercise etc. Take a look at all of these things. You will make the right decision for you. Have faith

I needed to lose about 240 lbs to get back down to what I considered normal. My BMI will still say that I'm overweight when I lose 240 lbs but I don't put much stock in that. I spent 2 years pre-op seriously considering a band and talking to people who had one. My surgeon advised that it's exceptionally hard to lose much over 100 lbs with just a lap band and advised me to go with the RNY. So far I have no regrets. Like someone said upstream, I've had ZERO complications. I've lost 160 lbs in 6.5 months and expect to continue to lose at a pretty decent rate for another 6 months at least.  A friend of mine, whose results convinced me to go ahead and step off the curb, has lost 285 lbs in  14 months. He has had some minor complications because he's to undisciplined to take his vitamins and get some exercise. There are horror stories out there for sure, but there seem to be a lot more people like me who are eternally grateful.

Loosing the 10lbs should be no problem with the pre-op diet (ask your NUT).  As far as surgery, I went in prepaired for an RNY, but came out with a VSG (my small intestines wouldn't streach enough).  Since then I've researched the VSG (they have a forum here also) and I am very pleased with it.  It's kind of in between a RNY and a Lap-Band. As you can see, I've already lost quite a bit of weight and you don't have near the problem with malabsorption.  Before surgery, I hadn't even heard of this surgery (some call it the sleeve).  That's just my experience.  But you need to do what is right for you.  Look at all options here on OH and read all about the good, the bad, and the ugly about each procedure.  That way, you can make an informed decision.  These forums are a fantastic way to learn.  It helped me tremendously before my surgery.  Good luck!!

100+lbs get the RNY....any less than that, get the lapband...clean and cut and dry as a cornfield...good luck!

I started out wanting the lap band, but wound up with an RNY. Why the switch? My insurance wouldn't cover lap band because it was "experimental".

Lap band was attractive to me because it was the simplest way to get the job done, and that appealed to my engineer's sensibilities. RNY was a close 2nd, so it wasn't hard in my mind to switch.

Do I have any health problems from RNY? No. Neither do I have regrets.

All things being equal, a lap band is the simplest procedure to to, and is easiest on the patient WRT trauma. The device can be adjusted to tweak stomach size. Lap banders don't dump.

The downsides are slower weight loss rates and smaller net loss. This can be a plus for the lightweights, BTW RNY is a little more complicated, and there's a bigger infection risk because your intestines are resectioned. There's a greater loss rate and greater net loss. The procedure works through a combination of smaller stomach volume, and less surface area in the small intestine to absorb nutrients. Dumping is a roundabout plus, because you won't ever eat what caused it twice, keeping you honest. An RNY can be reversed, but it's not easy. Other downsides are risks of hernia, especially for the open crowd, malnutrition, and blocked stomas. What's the best surgery for you? Whichever one you choose, and it's not the job of anyone in the locker room to decide for you.  Remember, with greater risk comes greater reward.

Are you diabetic? If so, RNY may be the best way to go. The 60 Minutes story on RNY is fantastic. After watching it, RNY was a no brainer for me. You can watch the story at the link below... http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=4029652n Hope this helps.. M.

For me it came down to three factors: 1.  I know several people who had the band and are bigger than they ever were.  I also know a few who had RNY as long as 25 years ago and have lost and maintained the weight loss. 2.  It was as much trouble to get the band approved as it was for the RNY so I might as well go for the one that appeared to be more effective. 3.  I knew my personality would work better with the RNY.  I NEED the fear of dumping, the getting sick if I overdo it, etc to help keep me in line.  I felt that with the band it would be too easy to just not have it adjusted and slip back into my old habits. As I said, these are just my personal opinions and factors that made me choose one over the other.

It doesn't appear that you have a very high BMI - mine was 40 when I had the VSG surgery. My surgeon suggested the VSG because I was relatively young and had only a moderately high BMI.  It's less invasive than the RNY.  But really, it will come down to you deciding what's right for you. I found this comparison chart helpful to compare the major surgeries.  Check it out. http://lapsf.com/weight-loss-surgeries.html JP