What Made You Choose Lapband Over Roux-En-Y Wls?

[Riverbuff2 15]

I thought I was doing all my homework and I had it set in my head that I wanted the Lapband but after talking to so many people I know that went through weight loss surgery and talking to my family doctor, everybody says go with the Roux-en-Y. Can you tell me what made YOU choose the Lapband over the other types of weight loss surgeries?

[transforming jlaroux 78]

I thought I was doing all my homework and I had it set in my head that I wanted the Lapband but after talking to so many people I know that went through weight loss surgery and talking to my family doctor' date=' everybody says go with the Roux-en-Y. Can you tell me what made YOU choose the Lapband over the other types of weight loss surgeries?[/quote']

I chose my band because I had no medical conditions. I wanted a slower process that finally gave me control over my weight. I didnt feel like i would have control with bypass.

[Allison0927 329]

i did not want to be "gutted" and i knew the only thing keeping me from being thin was overreating at meals (i was not an all day snacker, not a sugar/sweets person) - literally i would just eat too many calories at one sitting - the band does exactly what i need it to do - no more and no less- it physically stops me from overreating at a sitting. 110 pounds later in less than 9 months i'm confident i made the right choice for me.

[Riverbuff2 15]

Thank you Jlaroux and Allison. I agree with both of you. I didn't want to be gutted and I'm excited but kinda scared about losing so much so rapidly. Also I thought if anything would happen they can tighten, loosen or even remove the band. But being 450lbs (already lost 40lbs) so many people are steering me in the direction of the RNY. They say the weight will come off faster and thats what kinda scares me. I have my first class tomorrow and my first appointment with the surgeon on April 3rd. I guess I still have time to weigh (no pun intended) the pros and cons of each. Thank You!

[dagmar68 12]

I choose the Band because i didnt want to mess with my insides and it doesnt cause no malabsorbtion....i felt a whole lot more comfi with the thought of getting the Band ...

[mommykristie 59]

For me, it was having an option that could be reversable if something went wrong. In addition, I had checked into other forms of WLS and have followed friends paths that choose other routes. I know each person handles it differently, but there seemed to be more people that I personally knew that gained lots of their weight back in the long term. Not to mention the shots. There was also for lack of a better descriptive word , the "sagging" from the rapid weight loss.

I preferred to choose the method that would be slower and help me to adjust my eating habits. I have many friends and colleagues that have had LBS and none have been disappointed unlike those I know that chose other methods.

[Caribear 184]

I agree with the others, I didn't want to be cut up and rearranged so much that it was non-reversable. I have heard from several others with BMI over 50 that their surgeons were pushing either RNY or BPD/DS. My surgeon has suggested this to me as well, and his reason was that RNY and BPD have higher average success rates. But for me, the numbers aren't different enough for me to agree to be chopped up and stitched back together. No thank you.

Your informational seminar should help you decide, but let me say this - don't let anybody pressure you into doing a procedure you're not comfortable doing. Average numbers are just that, the average. It doesn't mean that you can't do better or worse. It's all up to you, really.

[Allison0927 329]

my surgeon tried to steer me toward gastric with my 47 BMI- but i stuck to my guns and insisted on the band and he has been thrilled with my success. caribear is right - listen to your surgeon but in the end make up your own mind....

[Jodi_620 37]

I chose it for all of the reasons mentioned, it is safer, less invasive, adjustable and reversible. I also know two people that had bypass and they both regained after a couple years. One now has the Lap Band.

[coloradobanding 5]

I would disagree with the thought of the lap band being reversible. The band is actually sewn into the stomach..and after a certain period of time..the risk of having serious side effects of having it removed is pretty high. So..yes..it is "reversible" to a degree..but my surgeon and many others I've heard of, wouldn't do it unless it were an absolute necessity.

To that point..I've been extraordinarily happy with my results with the lap band. I too had several people trying to talk me into RNY, but I chose lap band for many of the reasons already listed. The main thing I'm learning over the years (3 years out now) is that many who have RNY can easily gain the weight back because the stomach can stretch back to its original size (and bigger in many cases). With the lap band, if you get off track you can get it filled again. There is always a way to adjust the band to where you want it to be.

That being said...take a LOT of time to investigate all WLS options and choose the one that feels best for you! Because, until you're lying on that gurney getting ready to roll into surgery (one of the scariest moments of my life) only YOU know what is best for you.

My weight loss has been slower than most, but I look and feel GREAT!! The 3 year plan (that being you will lose as much in 3 years with the band as you would in 1 year with RNY) is pretty close to right on for me. I am SO happy I chose the band!! Best of luck with your decision!

[morelgirl 177]

My primary reason was that I just couldn't justify in my mind the thought of "mutilating" healthy organs. To me it was too drastic and the natural side effects of malabsorption were too scary.

That being said, my second reason was equally important: I wanted to really learn how to eat healthy and how to control my portions like a normal person, and I felt the band was the best teaching tool for that purpose. I can eat any type of food I want without dumping syndrome, but I'm learning that making healthy choices (healthy Protein, veggies, not too heavy on carbs) makes me more satisfied and keeps me that way longer.

My weight loss may be slower than a bypass patient's, but I truly believe that this way I can carry the things I've learned on through the rest of my life.

[Riverbuff2 15]

Wow, Thanks everybody! I had my first class today and I guess I was expecting more because all I did was talk to the Nutritionist and weighed in. The one thing I worry about with the Band is slippage. Is that a common problem? And the problem I have with the RNY is, like what you all said, I don't want to be all cut up and another thing is there will be alot or skin hanging with the rapid weight loss. The decision to have weight loss surgery was a no brainer but what kind is much harder than I thought. I'm sure I will change my mind a million times. And knowing me, I'll be second guessing the decision even on the gurney but I'm sure what ever one I choose it will be the right one for me.

[Lap Band Gal 41]

I originally chose RNY and went as a pre-op to my surgeon's support groups for the RNY'ers.

By listening to the RNY patients and their lifestyles and what it was like for them day-to-day to live with RNY, this made me switch to the band. I've never regretted the decision.

Have you been to any band or RNY support groups? I highly recommend it.

[bandedCary 3]

I need to lose 100 pounds. I chose LB because I felt the alternative was too extreme for me. If I was 200 lbs over weight, I would have chosen otherwise.

[Jen75 33]

I chose the lapband for many of the same reasons others have already mentioned but the MAIN reason was the malabsorption and the long term effects of it on the brain. I work in a psych facility and people that had the bypass were having mental issues, struggling with depression, etc. i would say that at least 30-40% of the people we see have had the bypass. I know Vitamins and such have improved but there is not a lot of long term studies on how the malnutrition has effected the brain. Yes, they lost the weight and look great but I feel that the malabsorption has affected them.... Just my opinion. Even if your 450 now, with restriction and Portion Control, the band will drop a lot of your weight off quickly as you have so much to lose and just eating less will be an easy weight loss... :-) you have a hard choice to make but this is my two cents. Good luck!