Response to why I chose the Lap Band

Jul 07, 2011

Your surgeon will be an important resource in guiding you which surgery is best for you, but you're doing the right thing...researching all the options available to you.

You will hear a lot of feedback but I encourage you to check out the RNY board as well as the Sleeve and all the others. 

Personally, I chose the band because I was concerned, (and a bit chicken), about the RNY surgery it's self.  With that said, if there were no other options available to me I'm sure I would have done it.  I was 330 lbs at the beginning of my journey, fed up and desperate.

I ended up choosing the band because my insurance didn't cover the Sleeve at the time, (that was my first choice).  Luckily, the band worked great for me!  I lost 104 lbs in 9 months, but haven't lost much more than that in the last year and a half.  Still, my health issues are all resolved and I'm living the life I dreamed of!

Pros: 
The band is removable if issues develop
It's adjustible allowing me to determine the level of tightness and therefore what and how much I can eat.
The mortality rates are the lowest of all the surgeries
There is no need for a lifetime regime of vitamins because it's not a malabsorbtive WL surgery, (otherwise, your body keeps all of the nutrients it gets through food).
I'm fairly diciplined and believed that I could change what I eat if the band would help me control portion size, (which is does for me).

Cons:
There is a lot of maintenence involved because of the need for regular fills over-time to keep the band properly adjusted for maximum benefits.
There are many foods that I no longer tolerate at all, like pasta, bread and many fruits and veggies.  (Anything that is doughy or very fibrous does not go through the band well)  This is a personal thing though, and it varies greatly between individuals.
You have to eat very slowly and chew very well or you may regurgitate foods that get "stuck" because they won't go through the band.

With all that said, I have absolutely no regrets!  I love my band and it's been a good tool for me.  None of the surgeries are full-proof.  I believe you have to choose the one that's best suited for your lifestyle and eating and emotional behaviors.

Keep researching and make the choice that's right for you.  Be sure you're ready to do the work and change not only how much you eat, but what you eat. 

WLS can be life changing, (it was for me), but you have to do your share and that includes dealing with any emotional eating behaviors you may have.  Therapy has helped me a lot and I knew early on that it would be part of the key to my success.  If you turn to food for comfort, that doesn't just go away because you had surgery.  There is no magic cure!

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