Confused newbie

[peacequeen 434]

I'm new to this site. I've been at lapbandtalk for several months. I've been to the seminar, which covered all the different WLS available. I had my consult and beginning a journey. Due to health problems, I'm having to go through a series of different testing and I have to go on a 6 month pre op diet per my insurance company. My problem is that I have no idea which journey to take. I was so set on lapband but after suggestion from others, including several at the bariatric center, I'm looking into the sleeve. I was just becoming very familiar with all the details of the band and now I have to start over here to learn about the sleeve. I just need to know I'm making the right choices for me. So any advice, tips, info that can be offered..I'd really appreciate it. I know I will be visiting and reading here alot but anything that I need a heads up on would be helpful. Thanks!

[doggz109 41]

I'm new to this site. I've been at lapbandtalk for several months. I've been to the seminar, which covered all the different WLS available. I had my consult and beginning a journey. Due to health problems, I'm having to go through a series of different testing and I have to go on a 6 month pre op diet per my insurance company. My problem is that I have no idea which journey to take. I was so set on lapband but after suggestion from others, including several at the bariatric center, I'm looking into the sleeve. I was just becoming very familiar with all the details of the band and now I have to start over here to learn about the sleeve. I just need to know I'm making the right choices for me. So any advice, tips, info that can be offered..I'd really appreciate it. I know I will be visiting and reading here alot but anything that I need a heads up on would be helpful. Thanks!

I am still in the initial stages myself....but I have to say that I have seen VERY few people who are dissatisfied with their sleeve....while the lap band boards are FILLED with people unhappy with their band. Look around and explore....lots of good people here. The sleeve is NOT reversible like the band....but does seem to have a lower complication rate.....+ no fills needed.

It is also harder to "eat around" the sleeve than the band...so I think it is better in that regard also.

[Day Dreamer 23]

I was so set on lapband but after suggestion from others, including several at the bariatric center, I'm looking into the sleeve.

Hi there, I started on the same path as you. I was all over LBT, getting info on the Band, probing my Bandster friends and more till my surgeon mentioned that my insurance is now accepting the Sleeve. I thought, no way - that is way too invasive for me! Then I decided to research it more. At first, I still thought it was too invasive and a little scary. But the more I read the stories on VST and the more I researched - I soon decided the Sleeve was perfect for me. It is a personal decision that only you can make, and you shouldn't let other people influence you. Base your choice on education. But after educating myself, the Sleeve was the right choice. Why?

- Take note of how many Bandsters are now Sleevers..

- Look at the complication list for Band vs Sleeve..

- Look at the overall weight loss for both..

- Think about the upkeep or lack thereof for both..

- List your eating habits.. are you a snacker? Do you eat a lot of high carb mushy foods?

For me, it was an easy decision. Now I have to wait and see if my insurance will approve me. Yeah the Band is my back-up if insurance denies the Sleeve. Oh that is another thing, some insurance's cover the Sleeve only for people with extremely high BMI (50+). My insurance (Anthem) is supposed to cover at 40 with no co-mo's. We shall see.

Whatever your choice, be educated and good luck!!! Everyone here is extremely helpful and willing to share their story.

[thinoneday 445]

I'm new to this site. I've been at lapbandtalk for several months. I've been to the seminar, which covered all the different WLS available. I had my consult and beginning a journey. Due to health problems, I'm having to go through a series of different testing and I have to go on a 6 month pre op diet per my insurance company. My problem is that I have no idea which journey to take. I was so set on lapband but after suggestion from others, including several at the bariatric center, I'm looking into the sleeve. I was just becoming very familiar with all the details of the band and now I have to start over here to learn about the sleeve. I just need to know I'm making the right choices for me. So any advice, tips, info that can be offered..I'd really appreciate it. I know I will be visiting and reading here alot but anything that I need a heads up on would be helpful. Thanks!

Ultimately the decision is yours to make, however, I personally would never consider the band with all it's problems and such. . .my friend had the band and is not happy with it at all, has had it for over 3 years and only lost 55 lbs. . . the RNY was not a option for me either, I don't like the idea of being re-routed with my intestine. . . so the sleeve sounded the best and because i was self pay, it was the safest for my money. . . sooooo i took that route. . . lost a bunch of weight too. . .however (yes always a however) you still have to work at your diet and weight loss strategies because this is only a restrictive tool. . . it's not a miracle thing where you don't need to do anything. . . you HAVE to watch your intake and how much of the calories you eat, you have to exercise and you have to drink fluids or else you simply gain weight. . . this will happen with all the surgeries if your not careful. . . soooooooooooo with that being said, the decision is yours. . . Good luck and may the best come to you.

[Tiffykins 673]

I've had both, and can tell you that the sleeve is far superior to the band. I would highly recommend checking out my blog for information on both. I have 3 entries that are are loaded with VSG information, and one long post on band information that is a study from the makers of the band, and it states that 1 in 4 band patients will have another surgery to either repair, reposition, repair a port issue, remove or revise to another surgery within 3 years.

I had every band issue imaginable and it only lasted 8 months before I had to revise to the sleeve. I'm all for personal experiences, but really looking at statistical information, research articles, and scientific evidence helped me in my research stage for my revision. I went with the band first because VSG was not an option. It was RNY or band, and you couldn't pay me to have RNY.

You can add me as a friend, and have access to my blog.

Also, check out the Revision forum on here. There are tons of us revision patients that had to revise to the sleeve after band complications.

Think twice, cut once. If you have specific questions/concerns, please feel free to contact me. I'm 21 months post-vsg and live a very normal, active life with zero food or medication restrictions. No food is off limits, I'm still never physically hungry, and have been maintaining my 135-138lbs loss for nearly a year now.

[dlflightgirl 2]

Definitely do your research. I personally have spoken to several people that have had the band and after 2 refills or so they just stop going back and gain everything back. I fills terrified me enough that I started researching the sleeve. I was scared that it was the only WLS that was non reversible but after looking at all the complications and reading info from the experts, I decided it was the only way to go. I'm only at 5 weeks and I've had no complications at all. I went back to work 1 1/2 after the surgery was done and I've already lost 35 lbs. I do watch what I eat to make sure its healthy and follow my doctors recommendations. Good luck with your decision and beware this site becomes easily addictive.

[fatBgone 6]

I'm new to this site. I've been at lapbandtalk for several months. I've been to the seminar, which covered all the different WLS available. I had my consult and beginning a journey. Due to health problems, I'm having to go through a series of different testing and I have to go on a 6 month pre op diet per my insurance company. My problem is that I have no idea which journey to take. I was so set on lapband but after suggestion from others, including several at the bariatric center, I'm looking into the sleeve. I was just becoming very familiar with all the details of the band and now I have to start over here to learn about the sleeve. I just need to know I'm making the right choices for me. So any advice, tips, info that can be offered..I'd really appreciate it. I know I will be visiting and reading here alot but anything that I need a heads up on would be helpful. Thanks!

Hi peacequeen,

I started out like you, I went in to inquiry about lapband surgery. I was convinced a lap band was the way to go for me, I though it was less invasive and safer. I went through about 11 months of insurance appeals and ultimately was denied in Jan of this year. So I decided I was going to self pay. When I started this process last year, sleeve wasn't an option because my insurance didn't cover it anyway so I didn't pay any attention to sleeve info.

When I went back to consult with the Dr about self paying for a lap band. I asked him about the sleeve, I thought since I'm self paying its an option and I owe it to myself to consider all options. My doctor has a lap band, which is one of the main reasons I was comfortable with the band and with the doctor, I thought that he understand the lap band. He said he has been doing many sleeve surgeries and I quote, "our sleeve patients are our happiest patients because the weight comes off faster and they have no hungry feelings." So at that point I decide I needed to do some research and I changed my mind to have the sleeve. My surgery is April 11.

I know its a hard decision but you need to decide the best choice for you. I talked to a woman who works in my doctor's office who has a band and asked her why that was her choice. She is in her twenties and newly married and explained that she wants to have children and felt the band was best for that. Because she have the Fluid removed so that she had the least amount of restriction when she would be eating for two. So each person needs to look at what they need for their life.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

[ILKrista 36]

Research, research, research. When I started I was convinced that Lap-Band was for me. But when I heard about the sleeve I reconsidered. Three things swayed me to the sleeve. The first is that when I look at plastic, I have a really hard time thinking that it is going to last 50 years without degrading... and since I hope to live to 80, that's a problem. Another issue I had with the idea of the Lapband was that it can malfuction 20 years down the road. I wanted something that once I was healed, there weren't going to be possible problems in the future. The final issue was financial. With Lapband, you have to go in for fills and unfills pretty often. At $50 a visit for a copay, that adds up. In the end you have the make the choice that you can be happy with. Good luck!

[peacequeen 434]

I spoke with the bariatric center and apparently, due to health problems, my surgeon will probably decide which one will work best for me then I'll have to make the final decision if I am ok with it or not. Guess I'll continue to research both, just in case I only have one choice. I hate that I can't just pick which one I want! I have myasthenia gravis (a form of muscular dystrophy.. a rare autoimmune disease that causes chronic muscle weakness). One of the symptoms I suffer from is difficulty swallowing. If I fail the test they will perform, I'll probably have to go with the sleeve. I also have a large list of weird and common medical problems that can effect either procedure and how it works so I have alot of homework and a ton of tests to go through. Unfortunately, this is going to take a while. Thank you all so much for your feedback! I really appreciate it.

[New & Improved Mel 1]

My Brother has Myasthenia gravis too, it started in his late twenties. So far he has managed it quite well with steroids and it only affects his eyelids and vision when he becomes over-tired. I am sorry to hear you suffer from it too.

I am having sleeve surgery in 2 days time. I made the decision to have the sleeve after my surgeon informed me what would happen if food ever got stuck in the lap band. He described how a vomitting fit would occur and continual retching, and you must go to your nearest Emergency room immediately. He described how it was something that definately happens, and usually on the weekends or when his patients are enjoying themselves (on holiday etc) because they are not keeping their mind on chewing the food as required after having these surgeries. (And for this reason he removes his patients band Fluid when they are holidaying in places without A1 hospitals).

Whereas he told me that with the sleeve, for the same easy mistake of not chewing food properly, you will know about it with terrible discomfort. (Like you swallowed a cornchip without chewing it) but it is not an emergency room situation. You may need to lay down or take it easy until it passes... that for me, along with the less dietary restriction that the sleeve offers made me decide it was for me. I have two small children and I couldn't put them through a frightening experience like that, just for a simple mistake.

I am sure next week I will have points when I think I should have stayed obese rather than either choice, but in the long run we have all got to do what we are comfortable in doing. Best wishes to you