Lap band or sleeve? Why did you get revision to sleeve?

[tomdelo 120]

2much this is starting to sound like sat. When the guy tried to bash everyone here. So I ate a hamburger but I still lost weight. Lol

[chris73 38]

Lap band or sleeve?

Why did you get revision to sleeve?

I do believe that is the heading of this thread.

Why would you be trolling in here ?

It is a discussion about "why people converted to a sleeve". Now who is not being a nice boy?

I'm not in a bandster support thread.

[Alex Brecher 10,512]

This topic and discussion is partially to blame for what's holding back Bariatric surgery from being widely accepted. Sadly, our members mirror the feelings and voices of Bariatric surgeons. I recently wrote an article on this divisive topic

"Unchecked fighting amongst ourselves does a disservice to the field of bariatric surgery and to bariatric surgery patients and candidates. It weakens our collective voice, making us less influential. An inability to present a unified front harms the very patients that we are trying to protect."

"Sleeve, Bypass, or Band?

A perennial question in the field of bariatric surgery is which bariatric procedure to perform on a given patient. The answer to this question should be based solely on the interests of the patient, but this does not always seem to be the case. The respective prevalence of the difference procedures seems to come in waves. This is justifiable for some reasons, since increased knowledge and improved techniques make some options obsolete while giving us new viable choices. However, far too much of the decision seems to be based on current popularity than on the patient’s interest.

The adjustable gastric band was all the rage about a decade ago. Since then, many surgeons have soured on it and are more likely to encourage the vertical gastric sleeve. Neither type of surgery is the single “right” solution. Disadvantages of the band include risk of slippage, obstruction, and erosion, while the sleeve in turn is irreversible and can carry risks of staple line leakage. The gastric bypass remains a popular option, but has its own drawbacks, including greater risk for malnutrition, dumping syndrome, and bowel obstruction.

The band, bypass, and sleeve all have the potential to lead to weight loss as long as the patient sticks to the required diet. When it comes to weight loss and maintenance, none of the surgery types is fail-proof, although the gastric bypass may have a slight edge. Weight regain is almost certain if patients remove the band without getting another procedure. And, inappropriate eating habits will lead to weight regain regardless of whether the patient has the band, bypass, or sleeve."

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[chris73 38]

It was never my intention to argue. I believed I was in a thread that was discussing why I was switching. I like others had a belief that lap band would be the be all and end all for me.

I merely was expressing my opinions, and experience with the band. Anythime we mess with the basic design of our bodied their can be problems.

Weight loss is not about he surgery, for most of us it 90% mental and the wls surgery helped me believe I could do it again.

My apologies.

[2muchfun 8,927]

Thank you Alex.

[chris73 38]

Thank You Alex

[Bandarella 223]

@@2muchfun the info I stated was given to me by the doctor who decided my band needed removed. He's a world renowned esophageal specialist who sees a lot of esophageal damage from bands. Since the risk of misplacement is 3% as stated by allergan and the peri operative complication rate for sleeves is 1.5% I think I'd be insane if I didn't wish I had gotten the sleeve instead.

No one here is bashing just because they aren't pro band...like I said, it's a duscussion in response to a question on a general forum. All opinions are welcome, even yours.

[Bandarella 223]

@@Alex Brecher sorry I didn't see your post. Arguing ensues when someone starts using negative descriptors as @@2muchfun did towards me. Everyone here was discussing the pros and cons up to that point. It was a productive conversation for some time....

[chris73 38]

So back to the topic..... Why did you choose to revise to sleeve ?

Have a nice evening everyone.

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

The problem I have with the study on re operations and complications is that it doesn't define the criteria or time frame. I personally, in real life, know many bandsters including myself, and the complication and re operation rates over the long haul is much much higher than the article states. While I realize that my social circle does not constitute a scientific study something just does not seem right

The word "complications" means different things to different people. While death rates are surely higher for sleeve and bypass I don't believe at all that complication rates are higher. I think that article understates it for all actually. I read a study a few years back that 30% of sleevers develop reflux. Many of them at around the 3 year mark. In my mind that is a complication. I know that over the 5-10 year time frame the band has an even higher complication rate.

To me the moral of the story is that WLS is no cake walk and really should not be done unless all other avenues have been exhausted. They all come with risks AND different "odds of success". Any individual can either exceed or fall short of those statistics but the excess weight loss stats do sorta paint the picture.

For me what the stats don't really capture is quality of life for some people's (apparently not all). Example, I spent a decade where a few tastes of rice would send me vomiting even though ALL of that decade I was morbidly obese. I hit my lifetime highest weight while banded, never got under 200# , experienced alot of pain and vomiting, poor medical care and I really really developed hatred toward the port. I had a lot of self loathing over the topic because I felt like all my band issues were caused by me. I even saw that in this thread. ..essentially that "compliant" patients don't have issues with the band. I no longer believe that statement. .or to put it another way.. I didn't get to weighing twice what an average male should weigh by being consistently compliant with ANY THING! I needed WLS to learn those skills and the band just did not deliver the promises a and was not an effective tool for me. And it was embarrassing to vomit which while infrequent with no fill still happened!

Since my revision to the sleeve I have just felt normal (after about 3-6 months post op) and am so far maintaining a massive weight loss...went from a BMI over 50 to my current of around 23.

[2muchfun 8,927]

CowgirlJane, First, I've read many of your comments and your velvety smooth criticism of the band is admirable albeit naive. I don't say that in a facetious or malicious way. For some reason many sleevers-to-band want to compare a product(yes the band is a product) designed and installed(yours right?) over a decade ago to the better quality and more effective products available now. And that includes surgical techniques.

Many band failures cozy up to some Facebook sites that specialize in band bashing. It's a way of venting. But the math of bands placed to band fails on these sites is a tiny %. Knowing of hundreds or even thousands of band haters on one of these sites doesn't sway my opinion. But wouldn't it be more productive if just a few would accept some or even all of the responsibility for their failure by confessing they weren't compliant? Are all failures caused by this little plastic band? Why does it work so well for some but it's the devil for others?

Jane, why did you not go for RNY or the sleeve initially? Let me guess? It was the reversibility of the band? Or, you didn't want your guts rearranged? If there were no band would you have went for bypass? I wouldn't have. That's why the band is a very important tool to me. I'll accept the slightly higher risks with the band. And I've never vomited and only once have I PB'd. I feel more normal now than I have for 15 years and that's all due to the band.

Just my opinion folks.

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

I am not cozy on Facebook with any band bashers. I share my experience and observations when asked on a thread like this because I think people should know the bad and sad stories too before making the decision. The people I know with bands are real life. ..Most got bands in the 5 plus years ago range although I know 4 people that were banded more recently. Back in the day there was a very active bandster community where I live and we got together monthly and many stayed in touch. Only one person I know from the 12 plus years ago era still has her band and I haven't talked to her in a few years so who knows.

I hope the band design and techniques have improved and that people choosing it have great success but that wasn't my experience.

You didn't choose to comment on my statement that I believe that in general complications are under reported in these abstracts and papers - and I gave a specific example related to the sleeve and long term risk of reflux. Too many people go into this not taking seriously the very real long term concerns with ANY WLS.

I now view that my thinking when choosing the band was flawed. I was led to believe that I would just eat small quantities of healthy foods and be satisfied and satiated. That didn't happen. I had this fantasy, which was encouraged by some of the paperwork I was given that it was a good thing that the band would need to be removed. . Like I'd reach a point where I just didn't need it. At least for me, that was never and will never be the case. I should have chosen the bypass when I was banded but that apparently was not the path I was meant to follow.

And I have taken responsibility for my contribution to losing only 70 and regaining it plus more (over time once i could no longer tolerate fill) while banded. I took those lessons and made a very critical decision when I revised which was choosing a surgeon who emphasize follow up. I needed that and learned that from my band experience how important it was to get a "reset" on my ways of eating and to have more help available.

What I will never understand is why people who are not having complications want to blame the patients who do have them. Perhaps it is a way to feel safer from the risks? All I know is I spent way too long loathing myself for my "band failure" when in truth it was never an effective tool for me even before the complications became unbearable. The lapband was very miserable for me and I should have had it removed after 2-3 not 10 years.

I am glad there are choices out there. I think the band is a reasonable choice for lower BMI people who are properly educated on it (it was harder to manage than the sleeve) and have a reason they prefer the band but it does not change the fact that there are alot of failures and people investigating options should know that. Plication is a newer one too.. and I am sure new techniques will continue to be developed.

[chris73 38]

@@2muchfun, why are you being so aggressive and rude to the new person that joins the conversation.

I do believe the topic if the thread is "why did you convert from lap band to sleeve?"

Not let's see how much we can carry the flag for allergen.

What is your deal man ?!

You bash anyone who jumps into the conversation. A conversation you have no business in as it is not about which is better but why you Switched.

Band support threads exist, go there and carry your flag, but please stop.

[2muchfun 8,927]

Cowgirl, yes, the band was oversold in the beginning and expectations were high. Too little of how the band works was communicated to patients and even now most surgeons have no clue. I think if there's a fault with the band it would be in the bariatric support and aftercare. It seems the clinics who educate and stay on top of their patients have a much higher success rate.

It does concern me how many bands are out there and how many of these patients don't understand their bands and it's the bariatric medical community at fault.imo. Patients like you were led to believe it's a miracle tool but the medical community themselves didn't understand how to help you make it work. And, in many cases, the band won't work for some people simply because their bodies reject the foreign object.

Regarding under reporting complications? I think the folks between the 12-15% failures and the 50%(approx.) who succeed would all fit into that category. Just thought it was obvious?

Edited August 11, 2014 by 2muchfun

[chris73 38]

Just thought it was obvious ?

You are so passive aggressive.