Band Vs Sleeve, Sleeve Size

[missmeow 156]

Ok, so I joined the lapband forum about a year ago as I started the 6-month process for insurance. About half-way through I turned into a chicken and wanted to wait until I could change my insurance to something with better approvals. My PPO is totally against the lapband and thinks it is hideous.

In that time I did have my first appointment at UCI. They were really hot and heavy on the VSG and without saying "don't get the band" they kind of pretty much said it. The surgeon was clear that the band will have to come out and it is a two surgery process. Reading the band forums, I see that many are out by year 3 and most are out by year 6. A lot of people don't lose very much weight on it either. As in, I've lost more on my own this past year than some have on the lapband. Which is really bad considering all the BS you go through.

Now this wouldn't be so bad if I lost the weight, did good on keeping it off, learned my new habits and moved on, stomach intact, and no other issues. However, it seems the band has a lot of problems with people either not being able to eat anything or being able to eat everything. So I really like my teeth, and don't want to erode them with vomming every day, etc.

However, this VSG looks scary as hell. Yet, less complicated with much better results.

Dillema.

I see on websites two numbers, either 75% or 85% of the stomach. 75% I could get on board with because you still have some room if something funky goes on with the staple line or what have you. That is still a quarter left behind. But at 85%-90%, pretty much if there is a severe complication, you're in revision to what essentially amounts to a bypass. And I DO NOT WANT a bypass. Absolutely. I would rather be 100lbs heavier than I am now than deal with that.

I have lost close to 40lbs over the last year with not too much effort. Mostly I have gone through a strict low cal/low carb/high Protein diet and then regular eating. I did gain about 10lbs over the holidays but that is typical for normal sized people as well. It has mostly all come off in a few weeks of dieting anyway. I have no other health concerns other than being obese. I would like to lose 90-100lbs for looks. Getting down about another 30-50lbs would put me at a still chubby yet liveable.

My real concerns are long term outlooks. I am only 35 years old. So I know I have at least another 35 years left in me as-is and probably more if exercised regularly (yay! kinect!)

I don't want to end up with a surgery where I am facing Protein and vitamin/mineral deficiencies the remainder of my life as I believe these would have a far greater impact on me long-term than extra weight. I find a lot of blogs cheerlead for WLS but there are very few posters that are oldbies that are 8-10 years or more out from their surgeries (for all types). This is a fairly new surgery in terms of how it is being used. While I am aware partials and full gastrectomies have been done for stomach cancer and ulcers, they aren't a walk in the park either. Also, I think the terms in which one considers a full gastrectomy when they have cancer and a very short life span if they don't do it is a bit different than someone just wanting to look better so they can be treated like a person instead of a thing. Vertical banded gastroplasty was once new with great 2 year outcomes, then 10 years later, problems. Now it is considered a dangerous operation. I don't want to be in the same spot with this thing as opposed to a band where it comes out and the worst thing is still being fat.

One of the reasons I am so against getting a bypass is the long-term health effects, including organ damage and death. A lot of people die from bypass. Not from the surgery itself, but afterwards.

So now I am totally confused.

Do surgeons actually discuss the stomach size or is it a this is what you get sort of deal?