Doctor Recommendations

mschaffer66 · January 17, 2008

Did anyone go in for consultation on a Lap-Band and have the doctor kind of push you away from it?

When I went in for my consultation the doctor told me about the three options, bypass, sleeve, and band. He then went through some of the draw backs and personal opinions about each one.

For the band he said no one knows how long it will last, it is a foreign object in your body, and it can possibly slip.

For the sleeve he said there is no long term data on it, ie they don't know if your stomach will stretch back out to what it was. It can seep or leak. It can bleed. And its permanent, unlike band and bypass.

He didn't technically recommend it, but he as beating around the bush as to the sleeve being the way he would go in my case. He ruled out the actual bypass completely.

Now personally I would rather take the chance at them having to move the band or replace it sometime in my life versus losing 80% of my stomach forever. The band isn't as fast weight loss...but I guess I'd rather have slow steady long term and keep all of my innards.

Any one else that can comment on this?

kirajh · January 18, 2008

I asked someone what the difference was between the band and the sleeve because I didn't know anything about the sleeve and thought maybe that was the better way to go. Anyway, all I can remember is that I ws told that the sleeve is an old procedure under a different name because it wasn't a popular procedure.

BandZski · January 18, 2008

I read on another post here that some docs choose to do the sleeve because they get $40 grand for it and they only get $20 grand for the Lap-Band. Pathetic! The first thing I would do is find another doc - one with your same views. Are you anywhere near Port Huron? I drive 1 hour to get there when there are other docs just a few miles from my house. Port Huron is a Lap Band Center of Excellence. That's ALL they do. They have done thousands of them. I felt I owed it to myself to go with the best care. There is a lady on here that drives 4 hours one way to go to the PH center! (Their staff is wonderful too.)

As far as the other surgeries, aren't we looking to surgery for our health? Why would we compromise our health with one of the other surgeries? It seems that atleast trying the lap band first would make sense. Also, as far as the slower weight loss with the band, I've lost 70 lbs. in 5 months with the band! I wouldn't want to lose it any faster. And as long as I keep the band at a good fill, I don't have to worry about gaining it back. Also, I don't have to worry about malabsorbtion.