Lap Band or RNY?

Hi, this is my first post & I'd like to thank all the posters on here who are so helpful. I have been researching WLS for a couple of years now & had the thought that I would pursue Gastric Bypass. I went to my very first seminar given by Dr Edwards in Springfield, and he seems to lean quite favorably towards the Lap Band. I didn't know a thing about that until all the information we were given at the seminar. Now I'm kind of confused.... On one hand I am realllly scared to get the bypass - I have never had surgery in my life. But I have around 130 pounds to lose, and I eat a lot of sugar/sweets. The Band sounds so much safer, but I keep reading conflicting comments about how much weight you lose compared to the the GBP. Once again, I am new here - and to all this - so I apologize if this question has been asked a billion times, I'm just sort of in a blur and not sure where to turn. One more thing - my insurance will pay 80% of the GBP, but does not pay for Lap Band. Help?

Seems who ever you talk to and what ever they had it seems to be the best but if you have a problem staying away from the sweets and all i would say the lap band might not be your best choice. Since you can eat anything and not have problems. It is only a restritcive measure .

You dont say anything about your age either in your profile . I was 65 when i had my gastric bypass and i have had nothing but praise about it. I am now down to 175 from 262 and i am 10 months out from surgery. a friend of mine had lap band surgeyr about the same time and has only lost 30 pounds in that amount of time. She is also still several medications.

I opted for the RNY instead of the band due to several things and some doctors push one or the other. my Doctor Dr. Hornbostel doesnt do lap bands anymore because he said he doesnt beleave they help that much. 

Hope you will come to the Circle of Friends meeting on this coming monday night the 25th It will be at 2620 Battlefield in the police/fire station community room. at 6:30 we would love to meet you and maybe help you with your decision.

 

Welcome!! I have been to Dr. Edwards seminar and it does seem like he leans towards the lap band. And I was all sold for it. But since then I have attended Dr. Hornbostel seminar (great guy fyi) and learned that in April he stopped doing lap bands!!!! I guess they werent as effective as he'd like them to be and it wasnt the worth the risk to the patient to have the surgery. So now I'm back to the gastric bypass. It's a hard decision, I understand.

I think it's all a personal choice.  Dr. Edwards did my lap-band back in February.  I've lost 35 lbs.  If I followed the rules a little closer it would be more but still I'm happy with what I've lost thus far.  I went to a support meeting in April and there was a lady there who'd had the band surgery six months ago and had lost 90 lbs.  With the bypass, you do lose much faster the first year, from what I was told, by two years the amount you lose w/either surgery levels out and is about the same.  That's too bad that your insurance will pay for one and not the other.   There are some wonderful people on here who've had both.  Feel free to ask as many questions as you need.  And good luck w/your decision.

It is in fact a very personal decision!  I have Gastric bypass, RNY almost 3 years ago.  I love sweets, I ate if I was hungry, bored, sad, mad...you get the picture.  I did not eat healthy...loved junk.  The lap band would not of helped me in any way.  From what I understand it only limits the amount of food you can take in at once, but you can still eat pretty much whatever you want.  With my experience with RNY, I cannot eat too much sugar, fried foods, mil**** cream...and I cannot over eat or I get sick!  I know people who had lap band and only lost a max of 30 pounds, and it is because they get no dicipline on what to eat, just limits amounts.  If you live in spfld, just call me and maybe have coffee and talk.  There are many positives and negatives to both.  732-8115. 

Hi there, want to say welcome to the Mo.board,I got to say I agree with what Jan and Amanda had to say. I myself had the RNY here six months ago and lost 115lbs as of a month ago and should be down more but havn't checked in awhile.I was wearing a size 58'' in jeans and now can fit into a 44''.So I do know first hand of the RNY surgery.My father inlaws sister had that lap band a month after mine and has only loss 15lbs as of a month ago.So whatever decision you make,all of us will stand by you through your time in need.Godbless and may he help you make the right decision                                                                                                                                                                        Tony

I too believe it is a personal choice. I have quite a bit too lose and have researched both. There are many who are successful with the band but even more who are successful with the RnY. Let me explain to my chioce to go with the bypass. When you have a band they close off your stomach as they do with the bypass. HOWEVER, they don't reposition the small intestine. For some people this works. BUT for MANY people it can be manipulated and believe me when it comes to food I can find a way to manipulate it I WILL. So, you are still able to eat what you want maybe not as much but there are no restrictions on what kinds of food you can eat.  Then there is this way to manipulate the band. You can eat a little bit of something, (again what ever you want) wait for it to pass through your pouch and then eat some more. So, you see the way I look at it is...... I don't want something that I can minipulate so easily. I want something that is gonna make me behave and that is what the bypass will do. If I eat sugar, I dump, if I eat bread I dump, if I eat high bad carbs I dump. It's really all about your personal choice but I guess you can see I am biased to the bypass becaue no matter what you WILL lose weight because for the first few months it makes it happen. Hope this helps and welcome to the board. Feel free to come in and ask questions or just to have some fun. No matter which you chose I wish you great success. Hugs Chelle

Thank you ALL so much for your helpful advice. Jan, I appreciate the meeting ifo, and may try to come to Springfield Monday night. Monique, it sounds like we have a lot in common, I will def. give you a call. Debbie, Amanda, Tony, and Chelle - your advice & support have already helped me more than you know - thank you again. This board is wonderful & I look forward to sharing my journey with you. Jill