Sleeve or Lap Band?

[Krystyneh 55]

Okay so a little bit of history on me is I had a surgery date of August 3, 2012 to have gastric bypass but deep down inside I knew it wasn't right for me and my anxiety really kicked in. I originally wanted the Lap Band BUT the hospital that I was going to didn't do it anymore even though they were still advertising it. I canceled my surgery 3 days before hand. I then lost my grandma, gained some weight back and then 3 months to the day that my grandma passed, I found out I was pregnant with my son which was awesome because my husband and I had been trying for a second baby for 5 years. I have a little girl and a little boy (my son was a twin and I lost his twin at 7 weeks along).

Now fast forward to last september! I weighed in at 330lbs. I have PCOS so I am insulin resistant and I'm on Metformin to help lower it. I had an appointment with my endocrinologist 2 days ago, I weighed in at 290lbs which I've been stuck at for 5 months now and she gave me 3 options.

1. keep doing what I've been doing (hasn't been working!!!).

2. Bariatric surgery

3. Go on a non-insulin injection that has been okayed by the FDA to be used for weight loss (I'm not diabetic.....YET)

So I'm choosing Bariatric Surgery but I've been reading all the horrible things that can happen. My husband and I want 1-3 more kids. I'm 28 years old.

How did you choose to go for the Sleeve instead of Gastric Bypass or Lap Band? I'm trying to decide because they hospital that will do Lap Band pretty much killed my grandma because they didn't know what they were doing. The hospital I trust will only do Gastric Bypass or Gastric Sleeve.

This is my family...I want to live longer and healthier for them and for myself. The oldest girl is my step-daughter, the little girl is my daughter and then there's my son and husband and I. I need to be healthy for them along with myself.

[AvalonNeeCee 127]

I had the band and am doing revision to sleeve as my band slipped and was removed a couple of months ag. I spent the last 3 years throwing up every day...that is the long story short. With so many issues with the band I would let it go. If you trust your hospital that provides sleeves and not the one that provides the band that should also be a sign. Many women have had many healthy babies after the sleeve. People are successful with the sleeve, as some are with the band, but the band failed them like it failed me. Read the posts on here in the band to sleeve forum and you can get a feel for what people went through with the band, it is no easier than the sleeve just because it feels less permanent. And it required me to have another surgery after the band failed. Some people suffered with issues such as scar tissue and erosion (holes) when the band was removed making getting a sleeve later more difficult. From my experience you should skip the band and go with the sleeve. Whatever you decide please do some additional research and read the posts on band to sleeve so that you know what could happen with either surgery. I wish you the best of luck. The band was great until it wasn't...

[AvalonNeeCee 127]

Oh..also I choose the sleeve over gastric bypass because I didn't want my intestines messed with and because the sleeve can later add a gastric bypass if needed and it seems that most of the people on here were successful with just the sleeve alone. So you do have some future options for making your surgery more if you need to by adding the bypass.

[Krystyneh 55]

I had the band and am doing revision to sleeve as my band slipped and was removed a couple of months ag. I spent the last 3 years throwing up every day...that is the long story short. With so many issues with the band I would let it go. If you trust your hospital that provides sleeves and not the one that provides the band that should also be a sign. Many women have had many healthy babies after the sleeve. People are successful with the sleeve, as some are with the band, but the band failed them like it failed me. Read the posts on here in the band to sleeve forum and you can get a feel for what people went through with the band, it is no easier than the sleeve just because it feels less permanent. And it required me to have another surgery after the band failed. Some people suffered with issues such as scar tissue and erosion (holes) when the band was removed making getting a sleeve later more difficult. From my experience you should skip the band and go with the sleeve. Whatever you decide please do some additional research and read the posts on band to sleeve so that you know what could happen with either surgery. I wish you the best of luck. The band was great until it wasn't...

oh thank you so much for your imput. Since I posted this I have been doing a lot of research online. I actually called and registered for my first appointment at the hospital I trust. My mother in law and her friend did great with lap band BUT have had problems but just keep saying it's other things causing their problems. My husband has an uncle that had the lap band and it worked then he had it unfilled and over ate and weighs more. He now wants the lap band OUT and have gastric bypass or the sleeve done. My husband also has 2 aunt's (one of them is married to his uncle that has the lap band) and they did awesome losing weight. My best friend is going for the sleeve. I'm terrified of having the staple line break open but that can be fixed. I'm going to go to the seminar and listen and learn. Thank you so much for your input it means a lot to me

[Krystyneh 55]

Oh..also I choose the sleeve over gastric bypass because I didn't want my intestines messed with and because the sleeve can later add a gastric bypass if needed and it seems that most of the people on here were successful with just the sleeve alone. So you do have some future options for making your surgery more if you need to by adding the bypass.

Yeah I didn't like the thought of them messing with my intestines either. But at the time I didn't know much about the sleeve and I honestly wish they had told me more about it because then I would have gone through with it BUT then I wouldn't have my son SO it's a good/bad thing lol. Thank you so much for your imput. I have called the hospital that I trust and I'm registered for the first seminar that I have to attend. I'm nervous and everything but that's normal. Did you already have the sleeve done?

[sharonintx 1,275]

Do the sleeve. It's the best way. You don't want to spend years worrying about filling or maintaining a Lap Band. Gastric bypass is fine and always an option if you needed it later but for now why not choose the sleeve and go from there.

[grandmaofone 411]

With the sleeve there are a lot LESS cases of Vitamin deficiency. With gastric bypass people get low on Vitamins and can not get caught up with mass injections

[Krystyneh 55]

Do the sleeve. It's the best way. You don't want to spend years worrying about filling or maintaining a Lap Band. Gastric bypass is fine and always an option if you needed it later but for now why not choose the sleeve and go from there.

Thanks...I thought about the amount of trips I would have to make. The hospital is almost 3 hours away from my house so honestly it wouldn't be the best choice to have the lap band. I am going to go with the sleeve.

[Krystyneh 55]

With the sleeve there are a lot LESS cases of Vitamin deficiency. With gastric bypass people get low on Vitamins and can not get caught up with mass injections

yeah I canceled my gastric bypass surgery in 2012. They pushed me for that and I never felt comfortable doing it. I'm glad I didn't. I'm definitely set on going for the sleeve.

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

I chose sleeve because: it had the best success with the least risk, and it was what my surgeon recommended for me.

I don't have reflux so that was not an issue.

I didn't even consider the band because of all the complications and maintenance issues.

Plus, a family member who has lap band told me if she had the surgery again today, she would have definitely gone with the sleeve.

Ultimately, you need to decide with your surgeon. Learn as much as you can about all the options so you can make an informed decision.

[Krystyneh 55]

I chose sleeve because: it had the best success with the least risk, and it was what my surgeon recommended for me.

I don't have reflux so that was not an issue.

I didn't even consider the band because of all the complications and maintenance issues.

Plus, a family member who has lap band told me if she had the surgery again today, she would have definitely gone with the sleeve.

Ultimately, you need to decide with your surgeon. Learn as much as you can about all the options so you can make an informed decision.

well in all honesty it's either lap band or the sleeve for me. I will not do gastric bypass. I don't feel comfortable having my intestines re-routed and everything. I know people that have the lap band and 2 have had complications from it and the other one had all of his fill taken out so he could eat more and now has gained back all the weight he lost plus more and now wants it out and either have the sleeve done or bypass done like his wife and sister-in-law. I'm truly thinking about going for the sleeve. I just can't let my anxiety get the best of me.

[bikrchk 1,313]

I personally chose sleeve over bypass as I had a ballpark of 100 pounds to lose. No more and high blood sugar, but not full blown diabetes. I was looking to avoid complications more commons to bypass patients like Vitamin deficiencies and dumping. The band was not even a consideration as I have too many friends who've had major issues from poor weight loss results to the inability to eat dense Protein, outright failure, prolapse, rejection and damage to their stomach. Plus, the idea of having the thing filled for the rest of my like... ewww.

[Krystyneh 55]

I personally chose sleeve over bypass as I had a ballpark of 100 pounds to lose. No more and high blood sugar, but not full blown diabetes. I was looking to avoid complications more commons to bypass patients like Vitamin deficiencies and dumping. The band was not even a consideration as I have too many friends who've had major issues from poor weight loss results to the inability to eat dense Protein, outright failure, prolapse, rejection and damage to their stomach. Plus, the idea of having the thing filled for the rest of my like... ewww.

I have 130-140lbs that I need to lose. I didn't like the fact that I would have to get fills and all that PLUS I'm insulin resistant with having PCOS and I know the Lap Band isn't the best for that which is why my last surgeon switched me to gastric bypass but I didn't feel comfortable with that. I got July 10th to the first seminar. I'm nervous because of all the complications that can happen but I've had 10 surgeries so far that also had complications but I never had a second thought of having them done. I just need to keep my anxiety at bay

[bikrchk 1,313]

I personally chose sleeve over bypass as I had a ballpark of 100 pounds to lose. No more and high blood sugar, but not full blown diabetes. I was looking to avoid complications more commons to bypass patients like Vitamin deficiencies and dumping. The band was not even a consideration as I have too many friends who've had major issues from poor weight loss results to the inability to eat dense Protein, outright failure, prolapse, rejection and damage to their stomach. Plus, the idea of having the thing filled for the rest of my like... ewww.

I have 130-140lbs that I need to lose. I didn't like the fact that I would have to get fills and all that PLUS I'm insulin resistant with having PCOS and I know the Lap Band isn't the best for that which is why my last surgeon switched me to gastric bypass but I didn't feel comfortable with that. I got July 10th to the first seminar. I'm nervous because of all the complications that can happen but I've had 10 surgeries so far that also had complications but I never had a second thought of having them done. I just need to keep my anxiety at bay

You can meet that goal with the sleeve OR bypass. If my surgeon had told me it's bypass or nothing, (and he DID for a friend of mine, safer procedure given his size) I'd have jumped on that train in a hot minute. We've both had fabulous results with our different procedures and no complications. Be a compliant patient. Follow your team's instructions. Complication rates are low. Take a breath and enjoy the ride!

[Krystyneh 55]

I personally chose sleeve over bypass as I had a ballpark of 100 pounds to lose. No more and high blood sugar, but not full blown diabetes. I was looking to avoid complications more commons to bypass patients like Vitamin deficiencies and dumping. The band was not even a consideration as I have too many friends who've had major issues from poor weight loss results to the inability to eat dense Protein, outright failure, prolapse, rejection and damage to their stomach. Plus, the idea of having the thing filled for the rest of my like... ewww.

I have 130-140lbs that I need to lose. I didn't like the fact that I would have to get fills and all that PLUS I'm insulin resistant with having PCOS and I know the Lap Band isn't the best for that which is why my last surgeon switched me to gastric bypass but I didn't feel comfortable with that. I got July 10th to the first seminar. I'm nervous because of all the complications that can happen but I've had 10 surgeries so far that also had complications but I never had a second thought of having them done. I just need to keep my anxiety at bay

You can meet that goal with the sleeve OR bypass. If my surgeon had told me it's bypass or nothing, (and he DID for a friend of mine, safer procedure given his size) I'd have jumped on that train in a hot minute. We've both had fabulous results with our different procedures and no complications. Be a compliant patient. Follow your team's instructions. Complication rates are low. Take a breath and enjoy the ride!

Well what makes me mad is they never mention the sleeve at all. They said "we no longer do lap band because it has low success rates so we've put you in the gastric bypass group." when I asked if there were any other procedures, they literally walked out the door and left it at that. This time around Im going to be more forceful for answers on everything. Last time I just went with everything instead of being my own advacate