Why did u decide RNY over lap band??

I, too, was fearful that I'd reject the band.  I have very sensitive skin and I feared rejecting a foreign object.

Later, I had to have an abdominal mesh placed.  It was plastic.  I lived in constant pain.

I just had it removed on May 24th and replaced with porcine.  I feel so much better.  It is unbelievable. 

My instinct was right.  I'd have had problems with it and ended up with the RNY as a revision.

The other reason was that I had a very strong sweet tooth and I hoped for dumping.  I got it.  The farther out that I got, the more sugar I could tolerate.  I can now eat a small piece of cake or several pieces of chocolate...whatever.   I can't go over 50 grams.  It continues to rise and I tolerate more and more but it appears that I will always have dumping syndrome to keep me in check!  

Other less significant reasons:  the port and having fills, faster weight loss, keeping more weight off for a longer period of time -- knowing that the longer I go the better chance I have at keeping it off for the rest of my life, being rid of GERD (I've not had a single episode since my RNY where the surgeon also repaired my hiatel hernia), and I'm sure others that I simply cannot recall at this moment.

FYI     I lost 120 pounds in 9 months and I've kept it off for over 5 years.  I haven't been without complications.  I've had quite a journey that would probably scare a lot of people but I am a size 6, darn it!   LOL   Only a woman would say that!  :-)

Good luck with your decision and on your journey!

Almost everyone here where I live locally who has started out with lap band has had it reviesed to RNY...just not satisfied with  progress.

Thank you for posting your story.  You show us that it can be done and you have used your tool very well.   Despite the challenges, you have prevailed and that I know is an inspiration to me and it definitely should be to others. 

I didn't really have much choice between the two.  I couldn't have the Lap Band because I have Lupus which is an autoimmune disease and the chance of my body rejecting the Band or the Port was too great to risk it.

However, if I had had a clearcut choice, I still would have gone with the RNY over the band for all the reasons already listed:

Immediate resolution to the diabetic issues
Greater weight loss projection
Greater long term success
Not having to keep going back for fills
Less chance of having to undergo a second surgery down the road.

So far, I'm THIRLLED with the procedure.

Chocolate ice cream and milkshakes.

So True...

I read that lap band patients lose 40-some percent of their body fat, and RNYers lose 60-some percent. And I was turned off by finding out the lapband is never removed - even if you reach your goal.

But my surgeon decided for me because I had previous stomach surgery that negated the band as an option anyway.

Regrets that I had the surgery? Yes.

I totally understand your question and glad you posted it!  There were some great replys. 

My WLS story is already lengthy considering I haven't even had surgery yet or even an actual date.  But here's the quickie version. 
1) More excess weight loss more consistent with my goals (currently 260lbs at 5'2)
2) Need a more powerful tool to keep away from bad foods being the sugar/carb addict I am
3) Faster weight loss with gastric bypass 
4) Does not take away hunger/cravings as well as gastric bypass
5) Didn't like the idea of having an implantable device in me forever
6) Maintence of the band inconvient and high risk for infections
7) Hard to find a surgeon to MD to manage your band they didn't put in if you ever move away or if your surgeon retires, dies, ect
8) Long term success better with maintaining weight loss

Here's the longer version:

When I first decided to consider WLS, I attended a seminar with a surgeon who I later found out had an absolutely horrible reputation, specifically with his gastric bypass patients.  He basically presented the lap bad like it was the best thing since sliced bread.  I walked out sure that's what I wanted. Later I became concerned about his surgical skills after so many red flag were waved in my face, I decided to cancel the surgery and look into other surgeons. 

The other seminars I attended with two other surgeons presented all three surgical options, gastric bypass, gastric banding, and the sleeve.  As a nurse I was always scared of the gastric bypass, but the seminars presented facts that made it not so scary.  Still I was undecided about which surgery as with insurance my two options were the lap band and the gastric bypass.  It wasn't unitl I started to review the statitics from the gastric banding and realized patients only averaged 40-45% of excess weight loss.  Which with my stats would still put me at 200lbs at 5'2.  Not really my idea of success when considering WLS.  

I also met a nurse who had the band.  She was a year post-op, had lost 40 lbs with it but about the size I am now if not bigger and she is close to being at capacity with the band.  Initaly in talking to her she said that she liked it and would recommend it.  In talking with her further she talked about how the band didn't take her hunger away and she has to have constant will power to stay away from bad foods or patterns she can get away with the band.  Once I told her that I was considering gastric bypass, her words to me were: "oh, I wish I had had the bypass option. I would have done that instead, no questions asked".

I also got some advice from one of the bariatric post-op support group leader that supported the fact that if you have 100 lbs to lose like me, it will VERY difficult to lose that with the band.  Also you have to really look inside yourself and identify your food problem areas and see if a band will help you to change those.  I am both a volume eater but a carb addict, I love sugery cereals, cookies, chocolate things, along with other fatty foods.  

I also had an "ah ha" moment one day.  One of the things that scared me about bypass was the rerouting of your system idea.  Then it occured to me: being a fat girl all my life, the daugther of a VERY obese father and obese mother, and always consistently gaining weight where others that ate similar to me maintained or lost weight that maybe there was something wrong with my system the way it is now.  I just maybe need to manipulate to work better for me than it is right now, hense the bypass didn't seem so unnatural and scary to me thinking of it that way. 

After attending my pre-op support group meeting tonight, I realized that the gastric bypass is what I need.  I know myself and the way I am around food, it's time to get honest.  I need something to help take my apetite away, restrict the amount of food I eat, and keep me away from bad foods.  The threat of dumping might just be that threat I need.  Let's face it, if I had great willpower to do that on my own I wouldn't have gotten to this point.  I just don't think the band is a strong enough tool to take the weight off and keep it off.  

Being a nurse, litterally being scare of the bypass has happened all because of one patient I took care of back in 2003 in the ICU.  He had severe complication after complication and it wasn't pretty.  Then I get on the boards and have started talking to people about me deciding to have surgery and realize that there are SO MANY people out there that have been completely happy with having the bypass and have had minor if any complications.  

I have finally decided upon a surgery and I think surgeon!  My insurance company will approve me with no problems once I make a final decision. I know I have a long road ahead of me but so excited and relieved to have made a decision.

Thanks to all and this board for giving me the support and information I needed to make this difficult decision!         

I've had the band, and revised to RNY. I wish I had not wasted that year with the band. Anyone who believes the band is "less risky" is mistaken, IMO. I would never recommend the band to anyone, and I can speak from experience.

Originally I was going to have a band, but got into surgery two weeks ago to have my doctor discover my hiatal hernia was huge and had misshapen my stomach, making the band impossible. So he closed me up again- no band.

The sleeve was my next option, but though I was told it was covered by my insurance, I got denied.

RNY is my remaining option, and it scares me because the surgery is so major. I did a lot of research, and talked to my new surgeon for an hour yesterday. My new surgeon's RNY outcomes are among the top four bariatric centers in the country, so that reassured me. He doesn't like the band or the sleeve much in terms of long term results.

I know I need surgery to help me get this weight off. I've been working at it on my own for the last three months, and it has been excrutiatingly hard. I really want the support of surgery.

I think at this point I'm grateful the other two didn't work out because of what my doctor said about long term results. And I know I'm safe in his hands.

Also, I figure that my excess weight is riskier than complications from surgery.