He says lapband is horrible...Go w/ Bypass!!

[luvinke 0]

I will like to suggest that you attend a WLS seminar in your area. In those seminars they discuss all 3 surgeries (Lapband,Bypass and RNY) to determine which may be best for you. They will also help you locate a surgeon in your area and you can then talk to them and discuss your options. I haven't heard anything about this Doctor you mentioned but based on all the responses you received I will say he sounds like a quack. Do your research, weigh your options and then make a decision that you can live with.

I love my band and would do it all over again if I had to. I am losing weight slowly but that's what I wanted. Everyday delivers something new for me. I love my lapband family here on this site. We all look out for one another, we help each other through the good and the bad times, we encourage one another and basically I don't think we could ask for more. This site has a great group of people, there are threads on here where people seek advice about the different surgeries and get great responses you may want to check them out.

Just remember that this is your life, the decision you make will have a life long impact on you. Be smart in your choices, take your time. Best of luck to you! I hope everything works out.

[hilliaryl 0]

I want lapband for these reasons;

1) I want to have the option to adjust my restriction for certain life changes like vacations, traumatic experiences, and pregnancy

2) I am much more comfortable with something that does not alter the shape of much stomach as drastically as bypass

3) I can get bypass if I need to, which I won't, hopefully. It does not work the other way

4) A slower loss means less saggy skin

and so on.

Anyway, I've been researching for months, and looked on Youtube for some surgery videos. I recently found some 'anti lap-band' videos. And discovered they are ALL from the same man, DrRRutledge, or his youtube account says.

It's making me so mad! One obese girl talks about how she was only eating ice cream and chips, and the band failed her. And there was too much maitenence, etc. I got upset and turned my computer off.

Later on that night, I thought about it. There are going to be problems with both systems, when you are being strict, or completely taking advantage of your weight loss surgery and not living healthy at all!

What does everyone think of this guy? His videos? etc. Why is he so so SO against lapband?

Okay, I actually emailed the account holder of the Dr.RRutledge YouTube account and stacked up the facts I had received about lapband versus the issues post-GB. He replied (on 2 different occasions with different poorly written responses to the same message) and told results were better with GB and basically that lapband sucked. He never even responded to my morbidity due to surgery questions. I was a week away from surgery when I found him and I wanted an insightful assessment in the differences of the 2 (other than what I heard from my doctor and surgeon). Well I am happy to report that 9.5 months post-LAPBAND surgery down 98 lbs, so I don't know what he would say to that.

Also if you read in the comments on the video of the girl (who claimed to be in her 20's) there is a post by a user that says that they are the person in the video and it is all true (a look at the user account revealed a woman in her 40's however).

Oh yeah, and one thing to mention about "Dr." Rutledge's responses was that he could not spell or write to save his life. It sounded as if a middle school or high school student had composed the responses, not someone who attended 10+ years of college.

[aubrie 6]

My family physician didn't recommend the lapband either. He recommended the bypass as he had several successful bypass patients. I ignored him and did what my heart and my extensive research told me to do. I have gone to see him twice and he is bowled over by my success. He said that he hadn't actually worked with a lapband patient, that his knowledge was from reading. Now I'm his poster child for lapband. He requested pamphlets from my surgeon and is now giving it out as an option due to my success. I'm very proud of that. Lapband is a mystery for many people. time will change this, but it's up to us to set the example!!

[Hastings 3]

You do have to keep in mind that people are getting banded by the hundreds. Many doctors/practices are very practiced at getting people approved by their insurance and banding them.

I think a lot of people are banded because it's the new fad diet. I worrry when I see people who think that the band will be their solution for ever. It might not be. They might lose their band for different reasons.

I hope everyone takes the time and makes the effort to change their eating habits so that if they lose weight and then their band, they will be able, on their own, to maintain weight loss. If habits aren't changed then the band could be only a temporary solution.

Personally I like the band because I still have control and input. My PCP suggested the band to me, and I thought about it for a year and then did it.