lapband or bypas? I need help to decide,

[mm0142 0]

I initialy started this Quest to get the lapband. I went to the seminar and It kinda scares me . The main thing was that they said alot of people have erosion from it and most are later on when you may not have the insurance to cover it . They also said that since at that time I was 403 lbs that I was a better canidate for bypass. IN the last 3 weeks I lost the 20lbs I had to lose to qualify and have my first appt . on the 23rd. Im worried about going bypass due to it not being reversable . Please give me some input . I have My 1st appt . tommorrow .

[mm0142 0]

anyone had the erossion issue with the band? The doc at the seminar said it usually happened after a few years if it was left in. I just dont know if I can afford to take it out when that time comes .

[TKW 501]

I weighed over 400 pounds and the lap band has been great for me so far. I have had absolutely no issues with it. I am almost 9 months post op and have lost 101 pounds. I already feel like a new woman! I average about 10 pounds a month. I never really considered by-pass, maybe if the band had not been available I would have. The doctors at my clinic thought I was a great candidate for the band, but I see others on here that say their doctors think they weigh too much and would do better with the bypass. I feel great, I eat healthy, my blood pressure, blood sugars and colesterol are all back to normal. This would have probably happened with by pass too. I like the band for the fact that it doesn't bypass anything and I get the nutrition out of the foods I am eating. It is a tough decision, only you can make. But for the record... I LOVE MY BAND!

[mm0142 0]

thanks that helps . I just worry about the erossion from the band down the line . He basically said the band is cheap to put in but if you have to have it removed due to complications such as errosion and lose your insurrance you loosing at a $25-40K+ bill

[MarcyLoo 12]

I had thought about the band, then "heard" you need a BMI under 40 for the band so considered bypass...but my surgeon (who I found via the seminar) ONLY does the band and his biggest patient had a MBI if 86!!! It varies doctor to doctor, but larger people DO qualify for the band. (my BMI was 53, now around 51-52).

I know erosion has decreased because surgeons have started putting the bulky part of the band NOT under where the stomach is stitched to itself to secure the band. You very liekly can keep the band for a lifetime, as I understand it erosion is no longer common (but remains a risk)

So, I can tell you why i opted for the band vs the bypass. It's such a personal decision.

1. Everyone i know with the bypass has horrible gas (maybe it's coincidence but that's what I've noticed). By bad I mean very smelly.

2. Because the bypass removes a portion of intestine, it leads to dumping syndrome with certain foods (sugars I think)...sudden diarrhea and vomiting. I can;t risk this with my job, where I cannot always get to a bathroom. I'm a labor & delivery nurse and cannot always step away from the patient's bedside (literally life or death situations)

3. Because of the missing intestines, it also leads to malabsorption. Not everything you put in your mouth is used by the body as fuel. It leads to weight loss, sure, but IMO it's not the healthiest choice for ME. I feel that I need to retrain my BRAIN to only eat what my body will use, and the band is a tool that will allow that. Every bite I take I have to account for. I can;t depend on it going thru my body unused. Sure I can have treats on occasion, but my daily habits need to be changed.

4. I plan to use the band for life, but it is reversible...and adjustable. I have people at work who REALLY discouraged the band, saying they both had/have it (one switched to bypass) and both only lost about 30 pounds. I guess all I have to say to that is...you gotta work it, and use it correctly. Their lack of "success" does not mean I will follow suit. In the end I went with what my heart told me was right for me.

I hope that helps a bit?

[TKW 501]

thanks that helps . I just worry about the erossion from the band down the line . He basically said the band is cheap to put in but if you have to have it removed due to complications such as errosion and lose your insurrance you loosing at a $25-40K+ bill

Yeah, it can happen. My Doctor talked about it but seemed to indicate that it was rare, of course who knows what will happen with time. I haven't read a lot on this site where people have had erossion... but really the "band" is not that old. Best of luck to you with whatever you choose. Wish I had done it long ago!!!

[mm0142 0]

Thanks this should help alot when i go for my first appt tomorrow .

[HeatherinCA 10]

At that weight, I would say bypass... I don't know that the weight loss is fast enough with the band for someone that needs to lose 250lbs. You are supposed to lose most of your weight in the first year. I think you might need more help than the band can provide. For me, essentially, I eat a little bit less, and I'm never hungry, but I have to do the rest of the work.

I think the amount of problems with the band and the bypass are probably the same. But the bypass problems are more severe.

I also chose the band because I can take it out if I have to for some reason, I'm 25 years old, I had no desire to have my intestines chopped up and my stomach removed. Also the fact that it can be adjusted.

[Jess55 97]

For me I chose lapband because it is less invasive. I strongly considered bypass a number of years ago, but I work in the veterinary field and I've seen quite a few post op cases of peritonitis with intestinal surgeries. I did not feel comfortable with any cutting. Also, now this may seem wrong to other people banded) I did not want to completely give up things like chocolate, which you get dumping with bypass. I am losing weight and I still can have a treat once in a while

[Phranp 46]

I initialy started this Quest to get the lapband. I went to the seminar and It kinda scares me . The main thing was that they said alot of people have erosion from it and most are later on when you may not have the insurance to cover it . They also said that since at that time I was 403 lbs that I was a better canidate for bypass. IN the last 3 weeks I lost the 20lbs I had to lose to qualify and have my first appt . on the 23rd. Im worried about going bypass due to it not being reversable . Please give me some input . I have My 1st appt . tommorrow .

I am not sure why losing insurance coverage after having lapband and subsequent complications is any worse than losing insurance coverage and having complications from any other WLS; but I guess they were trying to steer you in a direction other than lap band. I also don't understand why they would focus on someone no longer having insurance. Seems weird that they would go there, but maybe I'm just not looking at it the way the seminar instructor was, who knows?

I have not heard of "a lot" of people experiencing erosion from the lap band. The couple of times I read about it on this forum it was considered "rare". That said, there is a forum here called "Lap Band Complications", you might want to do a search on that forum for "erosion" to read about it from people that have experienced it first hand. It might be helpful to you. Just a suggestion.

I am heading toward the 2 year mark with my band and I am quite satisfied. I realize that not everyone can say that, but isn't that true of almost anything?

I wish you the best on your journey to find the surgery that is right for you.

~Fran

[cheryl2586 3,053]

My surgeon says the lapband is supposed to be for someone who only needs to lose between 75 and 100lbs now grant it there are people on here that have lost more than that with the band but the success rate for people who are more than 250 is not as good then with the bypass. You have to do whats best for you but if it were me I would do the bypass. I dont know about erosion though it happens to some and not to others.

[Kristi Twisti 18]

Hey there! I am currently on my 2 week liquid diet, but I began at just under 400 lbs. I went to 4 different seminars, 2 of which discussed gastric bypass, gastric banding and the sleeve, and none of the surgeons ever discussed one option being better for larger people than others. Actually one of the seminars, the surgeon discussed how they had banded a patient with a BMI of 99. My reason for choosing banding was first and foremost the complication statistics. Nationwide, the death rate for gastric is 1 in 300, where banding is 1 in 8500. That's a HUGE difference!! Also, complications for the band occur in only 5% of patients. So of course you can have complications but you have a 95% chance of not having any issues. I like those odds myself!

If your surgeon seemed concerned over banding someone our size, I would try out a different surgical group. Maybe a seminar from a different surgeon will give you a different perspective.

Good Luck either way! and Best Wishes to you on your journey!! :Dancing_wub:

[ElizabethNYC 1]

For me bypass wasn't an option I've heard way too many bad things about it so I felt more safe with lap band. What made my choice final was that lap band is reversible. I think in the end it has to be your choice. Do your research, talk to people on here especially the ones who have had it for a while and then make your choice. Good luck with everything.

[Rainydayz 3]

I agree that maybe you should go to another practice and see what they have to say. Maybe the one you went to is just not experienced with larger patients or maybe they just prefer to do the bypass. In my seminar the patient that came to talk to us was a formerly 450 lb. man who is now I think a little over a year out and he's now under 300 lb. He said he loved it.

Have you also considered the sleeve? I haven't read that much about it so i don't know what the complication rate is with it. But I'm satisfied that the band is what I want because I want to learn how to eat and still eat some of the things I love and not have to worry about malabsorption. I do worry about slippage and erosion but I'm not that worried about not having insurance in the future. That's kind of a weird thing for them to say imo. Heck even Medicare covers the band now.

Good luck with your decision and keep reading and talking to people.

[Stephy5 33]

My only opinion is do your research and see what you can live with. Each surgery has its own challenges and potential problems. Make sure you know what it is going to take to keep yourself healthy. Not just losing weight. I lost my sister as a complication to a bypass surgery and honestly it was all her fault, she choose not to take care of herself the way she needed to and had a doctor who didn't guide her well.

As for erosion, I talked to several doctors in my area and they all said the same thing, there was a higher rate in the old version of the band. The newer version, Yes it still can happen but it happens a whole lot less.

Good luck on making your decision and keep us posted.