Lap Band vs Sleeve

[jhammer2 8]

I am trying to decide which weight loss surgery is right for me. I am interested to know why you chose lap band over the sleeve?

[lisacaron 5,075]

@@jhammer2 There are so many reason why I chose to have the band vs the sleeve. The biggest one was that I did not want to have bits of my organs removed if they didn't need to be. I never had or have the intention of "reversing" the band procedure but knowing that should the band fail the possibility to move forward was still an option was another factor.

The final factor for me and my husband was knowing others who had both the sleeve and RNY initially lose weight only to regain it again. We also watched them have different complications with the consumption and metabolizing of food. (Let me just say here that no matter your choice of surgery you have to be willing to work that tool every day all day for the rest of your life if you want to achieve and maintain success)

The fact that the band was "flexible" and could be adjusted to fit our lifestyle was the winning factor. There were other surgeries that were pending after banding and it was good to know that we could adjust the band to allow for recovery and then re-adjust the band to get back on track with weight loss again.

It's not a quick fix, you won't lose like you would with an RNY or sleeve but if you keep at it and you make it part of your life you will lose the weight. The best thing to do is to review your health and expectations with your Dr. and surgeon and decide together what type of surgery will work best for you.

[meggs353 118]

I choose lap band because the surgery itself is much safer. I was willing to go under the knife for my health, but I wasn't willing to risk my life. Lap band can have a higher risk of (non-life threatening) complications post-surgery, but a lot of that can be reduced by having diligent follow up with your surgeon and following all of the band rules (eg, chew thoroughly, take small bites, eat slowly). Being just a few days post-surgery now, I'm so glad I didn't have a more invasive procedure because that recovery would be much harder.

Also, when I went to the info session at my hospital, the surgeon showed data that lap-band and gastric bypass patients have similar weight-loss long term, but sleeve patients have worse outcomes and gain more weight back because they can stretch the sleeve out, even to the size of their old stomach.

[☠carolinagirl☠ 18,721]

i feel no one WLS is better than the others

some have great results with any WLS and some have no so great results

things happen, good and bad with any WLS

i say choose the one you and your doctor feels is right for you and that you will do as he advises for the best results..unless one changes what they eat and begins to move, no WLS will work...WLS will help us eat less and this is true...but 3500 calories is a pound ate or drank be it milkshake or a Protein bar or grapes...we must simply burn off more calories than we take in and this is for any WLS or those who have not had WLS surgery.

@@lisacaron was right on that it is not a quick fix...those who go into thinking that are the ones who seem to have the most issues..my opinion..the person has to change in order to the WLS of their choice to work.

my ins did not approve sleeves and i was too scared to have the bypass

i have the lap band and plication. i was a starting BMI of 62. it was either make myself well or get cut out of my house one day.

best of luck to you in whatever you and your doctor feels works for you.

Edited November 13, 2014 by ☠carolinagirl☠

[soundlogik 28]

I chose the band for a very simple reason. I wanted my anatomy to remain intact. I think it is all up to personal choice, but I wanted to keep my body functioning the way it was meant to. My career as an opera singer requires me to be very in touch with my body, especially my diaphragm. I knew that with the VGS or Bypass if something were to go horribly wrong I would be stuck with it, with the band however I could always have it removed. Thankfully everything has gone incredibly well and I am loving my band. Do what ever feels right for you.

[Keeper 218]

One of my reasons was so that if I get pregnant I could adjust the band or completely un-fill it. I would love to have another child and would worry about nutrition with another procedure. I get banded on Monday

[Rebeccaabrooks86 269]

I chose it because I wanted something that was reversible in case I emotionally couldn't deal with the choice I made for myself. Now that I have been banded for some time and am emotionally invested in this journey and the process part of me wishes I went with the sleeve. My surgeon tells me we will watch my weight loss and process of loss and maintained with the band and he really wants me to succeed with the band (so do I!) but he is open to me switching to the sleeve in the long term which is nice to know I have in my back pocket.

[kvlasy 195]

Do what ever feels right for you.

This truly is the best advice. I had amazing role models who were highly successful with both band and sleeve. It came down to what I felt would work best for me. Either way you've made a positive choice for your future health and well being.

[macman 603]

My initial thinking about WLS was that I would do the Lap Band. I thought that if I was not happy for some reason I could reverse the procedure, as it would not be permanent. Admittedly I knew nothing about Gastric Sleeve or RNY at the time.

After much discussion with my surgeon, joining a WLS support group before surgery and research that I did on my own, I felt that the sleeve best met my needs.

The surgeon cautioned me about Lap Band due to the high complication rate and my medical needs. For me it was not recommended because of the amount of weight I needed to loose. I also met two women who were doing sleeve revisions after complications with the Lap Band. That helped solidify my choice. I choose the sleeve because it was less invasive than the RNY and did not rearrange the internal structure of my digestive system. The is also no concern about absorption or the need to be on Vitamins and supplements forever.

10 months post surgery i am very pleased with my choice. I have learned that the lifestyle changes I am making need to be permanent to be successful and am glad I have a tool that helps me do that. I think anyone can be successful with any type of WLS. They are all well documented. It really boils down to the individual and the level of commitment they are willing to make to a permanent lifestyle change that improves health.