LapBand VS Sleeve??

[ghannouge 0]

do you sometimes wish you did not have a band instead you had a sleeve??

I was reading on the sleeve website how easier it is than the band!

What do you think?

I mean, i love my band, been banded for a year now, but it gets painful at times when you PB or slime or just cannot eat that yummy food because you are afraid that you might throw up!

Also, i have been reading the complications here and it got me worried!

What are your thoughts on this? :blushing:

[JENNIFER7375 3]

i dont regret my band. i was glad i went with a less invasive adjustable option. i spent yesterday with a co-worker who had bypass a year and a half ago. she ate and ate junk the whole day long. she lost 100lbs initially and is now gaining it back quickly. she is one of many people i know in this situation that have had the sleeve or bypass. they lost rapidly initially but started eating and stretching there stomachs back out like they were before the surgery and theres nothing besides more surgery that will shrink it back down. at least with the band we can get a complete unfill and gradually regain restriction through fills.

[ghannouge 0]

Well, i think she just likes to eat! I know they loose the weight very fast, i had a cousin do that, and she looked very sick when i saw her. But what i meant was it's better than PBing and sliming and all the ugly stuff we go through

[elgrad 0]

Well, maybe it is not better than what we may have to go through. There are a lot of issues with the sleeve also, the number one issue in my mind is that it is incrementally more invasive than the lap band. I like the idea of doing something small to my body that will enable me to get big results. The more surgery and cutting and stapling you do, the more I fear it. I understand that many folks like the idea of just being able to eat what they wish and lose weight, but without some type of control ( and yes, even negative reactions are a control mechanism) I will just go back to old, bad habits. Like many who had the by-pass surgery, they found that it was all too easy to fall back. To me, having the option to gain restriction (with all it's side effects) is the reason I have chosen to get the lap band. I am not banded yet, but am looking forward to it soon.

Elgrad

[maestrita 43]

Just something to think about...The band and the sleeve aren't always indicated for the same health profile. We have a lot of freedom in the US to make health care decisions, but it's not necessarily the case that you can just go and choose one or the other. For some of us, the sleeve would not be indicated. Just a thought...

[ghannouge 0]

For some of us, the sleeve would not be indicated. Just a thought...

Do you mean that the doctor gets to choose what you should do??

[Jaffa 5]

Just to clarify a few things.

A. The band is NOT unfilled and then refilled to give you better restriction. It is unfilled when you have a comlication.

B. "You can enjoy a band because you can keep adding restriction, even with the complications it causes," but you are almost guaranteed to lose your band if you do this. Continually, getting stuck and or PB'ing is a comlication that you can not accept. If your doing this to lose weight with the band, you will end up losing your band.

C. The initial surgery can be thought of as being less invasive, but the end result after you get to restriction and have all of the scar tissue, may not really be less invasive when considered in it's entirety.

D. If you want to talk about band veruses bypass and the differences then fine, but don't lump in sleeve complications with the bypass. They are two completely different surgeries with two completely different sets of long term complications and concerns.

Honestly this is the second time you have talked about your bypass friend gaining all the weight back and lumping it in with the sleeve. They are NOT the same, but you post as though they are.

THIS thread was specifically asking about sleeve versus band, so your friends problem and regain with bypass is completely utterly irrelevant, and misleading.

STOP IT already!!!!!!!!! Your being a zealot. And your intentionally, or unintentionally misleading with your post.

Edited June 23, 2009 by Jaffa

[Jaffa 5]

Specific answer to the specific question.

Only someone who has the sleeve could answer the original question. It is pretty clear.

I will bet you right now, that no one after having a sleeve for 6 months or more, wishes they had the lapband. Now if you will find all sorts of people who have had the band and wish they had a sleeve. That is easy to find. You will also find people who have had both and not one I have ever found, wishes they had the band back over the sleeve.

Edited June 23, 2009 by Jaffa

[maestrita 43]

Ghannouge, I don't mean that they control your life, but yes, the doctor decides whether or not a surgery is appropriate for a person based on his health profile. The medical literature about the different surgical options describes which treatments are most appropriate for specific conditions. The weight ranges and behavioral patterns that meet the indications of the sleeve are not the same as those for the band. Just as an example, I would not have been considered a candidate for any of the other surgeries. Some people are, but again, it is the surgeon's choice whether or not to do the surgery.

I wouldn't have it any other way, either. I don't know about you, but I don't have over a decade of formal education in the area of human wellness. Besides, I am paying quite a bit for their expertise! I expect them to not allow me to do something to my body that I will regret later!:smile2:

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

Isn't the multi-posting option very very cool?!?!

i dont regret my band. i was glad i went with a less invasive adjustable option. i spent yesterday with a co-worker who had bypass a year and a half ago. she ate and ate junk the whole day long. she lost 100lbs initially and is now gaining it back quickly. she is one of many people i know in this situation that have had the sleeve or bypass. they lost rapidly initially but started eating and stretching there stomachs back out like they were before the surgery and theres nothing besides more surgery that will shrink it back down. at least with the band we can get a complete unfill and gradually regain restriction through fills.

Ohhhh, do tell! How many people do you personally know that have a sleeve? Me thinks you have no clue what the difference is between a sleeve and bypass, you make it very clear in your thread.

A sleeve is a restrictive only procedure, just like your lap band. I have an itty bitty stomach. Period, that's it. Bypass is where they staple out a 1oz pouch out of the stretchy part of your stomach and reroute intestine so you malabsorb.

Please, instead of posting wrong information I would ask that you educate yourself on the various WLS types so you don't continue to embarrass yourself.

Well, maybe it is not better than what we may have to go through. There are a lot of issues with the sleeve also, the number one issue in my mind is that it is incrementally more invasive than the lap band. I like the idea of doing something small to my body that will enable me to get big results.

With a band you are not doing something "small" in the least. Your long term risks and complications are 10x what mine are with a sleeve. I've had surgery, at goal, and I'm done. For life. Unlike the lap band I have no aftercare, no risks of slips, erosion, infection, esophageal damage/spasms/motility issues/dilation, no pouch dilation, stoma spasms, getting stuck, port flips, port pain, mechanical problems, etc. etc. etc. Less invasive does NOT mean safer long term. My surgery type is farrr safer than yours is long term. So what is the value in less cutting?

I understand that many folks like the idea of just being able to eat what they wish and lose weight, but without some type of control ( and yes, even negative reactions are a control mechanism) I will just go back to old, bad habits.

I think you might not realize but the sleeve is merely where my stomach is smaller. I do not malabsorb. I believe you are confusing a sleeve with bypass. Two totally different procedures. If I ate anything I wished I'd be fat again. If anyone eats anything they wish they will be fat again, there is no surgery type that fixes white carbs.

Gastric bypass... I would have failed at that surgery type. People do not realize that a bypass patient does not malabsorb forever. The "honeymoon" period is 6-18 months after surgery. THAT is when they malabsorb. If they have not changed their eating habits in that time frame then when they stop malabsorbing they regain. They can ONLY eat anything they wish during the first 6-18 months. I would have been one to eat anything I wanted and when I quit malabsorbing I would have been in a mad dash to change my eating behaviors. I would have failed.

Think of it this way, I have the same restriction as you do. That's all. Just like you, if I eat too much I will throw up. If I eat an all chocolate diet I will gain weight. We both have restrictive only procedures with no malaborption.

Like many who had the by-pass surgery, they found that it was all too easy to fall back. To me, having the option to gain restriction (with all it's side effects) is the reason I have chosen to get the lap band. I am not banded yet, but am looking forward to it soon.

Elgrad

ANY of us can fall back into bad habits and old eating behaviors. It's a fine line sometimes when we are eating like a normal person and when we are falling back into old behaviors.

Just something to think about...The band and the sleeve aren't always indicated for the same health profile. We have a lot of freedom in the US to make health care decisions, but it's not necessarily the case that you can just go and choose one or the other. For some of us, the sleeve would not be indicated. Just a thought...

Yes it is, you can get any procedure you want. The sleeve is actually a much safer option than the lap band long term. The weight loss is better, faster, and our stats beat out the lap band any day.

Ghannouge, I don't mean that they control your life, but yes, the doctor decides whether or not a surgery is appropriate for a person based on his health profile. The medical literature about the different surgical options describes which treatments are most appropriate for specific conditions. The weight ranges and behavioral patterns that meet the indications of the sleeve are not the same as those for the band. Just as an example, I would not have been considered a candidate for any of the other surgeries. Some people are, but again, it is the surgeon's choice whether or not to do the surgery.

That is not correct information AT ALL. If you are good to go with a band you are good to go with a sleeve. They are both restrictive procedures. The doctor most certainly does NOT decide which surgery type is right for you and if he tried to I'd be running out of that office so fast his head would spin. It is us that has to live with the surgery type for the rest of our lives, it is us that decides which surgery we want to live with. The only time a doctor disses a sleeve is when he doesn't DO sleeves. They are business people trying to earn a buck. They aren't going to push a procedure they do not do or do not know how to do.

I wouldn't have it any other way, either. I don't know about you, but I don't have over a decade of formal education in the area of human wellness. Besides, I am paying quite a bit for their expertise! I expect them to not allow me to do something to my body that I will regret later!:smile2:

It is critical that you take control over your own health care, there is no excuse not to.

[Headhunter 6]

i dont regret my band. i was glad i went with a less invasive adjustable option. i spent yesterday with a co-worker who had bypass a year and a half ago. she ate and ate junk the whole day long. she lost 100lbs initially and is now gaining it back quickly. she is one of many people i know in this situation that have had the sleeve or bypass. they lost rapidly initially but started eating and stretching there stomachs back out like they were before the surgery and theres nothing besides more surgery that will shrink it back down. at least with the band we can get a complete unfill and gradually regain restriction through fills.

More nonsense from people who don’t have a clue about what they’re talking about.

This discussion was originally “Band vs Sleeve”, but as usual, someone HAS to take the opportunity to take a shot at the Bypass or some other surgery that they have no ACTUAL knowledge of.

Wonderful. So you have friends who been able to completely screw up a $15,000 Surgery. I’m not as much concerned about how they did that, as I am wondering why YOU hang around with morons like that.

So,….let me enlighten you. :smile2:

As I have had two of these procedures (Lap band and Gastric Bypass), I can speak to this from a bit of experience.

The first thing I’d like to point out is the misconception that the entire Weight Loss Surgery issue is that of a big WLS “Smorgasbord”, and that all you have to do is simply pick the one that tickles your fancy.

Wrong.

They are ALL different, and they are meant for different types of people and bodies. They ALL work (to varying degrees)…..but their long-term (and short-term) efficacy is dependant on some very individual elements. You really need to take the time and the effort to ascertain which WLS is right for you.

In other words, Your Doctor does NOT choose your Surgery. YOU do NOT choose your surgery.

The SURGERY chooses YOU.

As Wasa has said, if you’re good for the band, then, in most cases, you’re good for the Sleeve. However, there is one VERY IMPORTANT element that separates the Sleeve and the Band……and it has to do with Grehlin. The portion of the stomach that is removed during the Sleeve procedure contains the FUNDUS, which secretes Grehlin. And no, Grehlin is not a Character from Star Trek. Or the Israeli Ambassador to the UN. Or the second baseman for the Phillies. It’s a Hormone that stimulates HUNGER. It’s a complicated issue, but it’s an important distinction to make. Reduction of Ghrelin in the nervous system does not eliminate hunger entirely….but it DRAMATICALLY reduces it, and that is KEY to understanding why the Sleeve works. The combination of Grehlin reduction and restriction makes the Sleeve a very, very attractive option…an option that needs to be considered by anyone considering WLS.

The very same mechanism produces a similar effect in Bypass patients. The Fundus is NOT removed in the Bypass, but it is ISOLATED and does not allow Grehlin to enter the nervous system from that location. Hence, a DRAMATIC reduction of the appetite.

The Band CAN also have appetite reducing characteristics, although they are not NEARLY as pronounced as those in the other procedures. And the appetite reduction originates from an entirely different source, when it happens at all. Massive appetite reduction with the band is the EXCEPTION rather than the rule.

Jack (our Moderator here) indicated earlier that he has experienced such an appetite reduction. His experience was optimal, and really does not reflect the norm. He probably had a TERRIFIC surgeon who understood the mechanism and knew exactly how to place the band to be able to achieve this effect. MOST Surgeons don’t get this. They haven’t been doing bands long enough to get THAT good at it.

So, with the Sleeve and the Bypass there is a specific, physical, measurable change in the mechanism that produces hunger. With the Band, it’s a “maybe, but not all that often, and to varying degrees”. With the Band, the mechanism of weight Reduction is purely restriction of intake MOST of the time.

Someone left a reply on another thread that said “try the band first”. That’s stupid. That suggests that you can always change it later, and trust me, that is something that you DON’T want to do. You want to make the RIGHT decision the FIRST TIME. Weight Loss Surgery is not something that you “try”, like a new restaurant or a different auto Mechanic. It’s something that you research, thoroughly and completely, and DO. IT’S SURGERY. If you’re gonna be sliced open, you really just want to do that ONCE, right?

And while we’re discussing “do-overs”, I’d also like to address the idea that the bypass is not reversible, that it is a PERMANENT alteration to the body.

It IS reversible.

Now, it’s not something that is done very often, because it doesn’t NEED to be done that often. Most Bypass surgeries are quite successful. But, there are occasions when it is necessary or is requested. I have spoken to surgeons about this, and what I have been told is that there is a growing specialty in this operation; not growing a LOT, but growing. The reason for this is that as SOME people get older, the Malabsorbtion component of the bypass process becomes TOO much. I am told that this is very rare, but it does happen, and in those cases the bypass can be reversed. They don’t like to “advertise” the fact that it’s reversible, because they want people to see this as a lifetime procedure. But it IS reversible, and if you encounter a situation where it is necessary, it can be done. And as time goes on, with Medical technology advancing at the rate that it is, it will be an even easier process.

This is probably the ONLY real down side to the Sleeve. It is the most Permanent of all the WLS procedures. Once they slice that thing off, it’s GONE! However, I as have said before, that might be WHAT YOU NEED. And there are virtually no post-surgery complications with the sleeve, and the aftercare is….well, it’s NOTHING. There IS none. I think it is probably the most near-perfect WLS available thus-far….IF it is what you NEED.

There is something interesting I have noticed about people on THIS board, and others. People become SUCH cheerleaders for the procedure that THEY have chosen, whether or not it has lived up to their expectations. They think that EVERYONE should choose the procedure that THEY did. Personally, I think that many of them are simply trying to convince THEMSELVES that they made the right choice. If you say anything negative about the procedure they chose, well, you might as well have told them that their kid was really ugly. People LOVE to point out all of the horror stories from other weight loss surgeries, but they like to ignore the negatives about their OWN procedure.

On THIS forum, people seem to like to point out the bad stuff about the Gastric Bypass. It seems like everyone here knows 37 people who have had the Bypass, and all but 3 have died or turned into Republicans as a result of the Bypass.

My research tells me a little different story. There have been people that have died as a result of the Bypass, and there have been some ugly outcomes. But, as I have stated before, the vast majority of failures have been because the PROTOCOL WAS NOT FOLLOWED. Another portion of the failures can be attributed to idiot surgeons who are inexperienced, and have recently jumped onto the WLS gravy train. The Gastric Bypass has been performed now for nearly 50 years. Several surgeons that I have spoken with have stated that for the most part, if the proper surgery protocol is followed by the surgeon, and the post-op protocol is followed by the patient, then they can predict almost exactly what is going to happen with the outcome. To me, that’s a big plus. It’s been done long enough in such huge numbers that they KNOW the outcomes. Not so with the Lap-Band. It hasn’t been around THAT long; and, there are several different band products, and the procedure for putting them in has changed a few times.

“My God, we’ve been INVADED!!!”

Whenever I hear people rationalizing their selection of the Band for their WLS, I almost ALWAYS hear them spout off the exact SAME Phrase:

“It’s less Invasive”.

Gee, ya think so? They always use that same word. Probably because they got it from the Lap Band brochures that you are seeing plastered on every Bus Stop bench these days. It seems like using that word makes them feel “important” or “medically aware” in some way.

So let’s talk about that, shall we?

Listen, I don’t care WHAT WLS you choose….once they cut you open, hey….you’re INVADED. People really freak about having their insides reorganized a bit. Well…..maybe that’s what you NEED. I know that’s what I needed. Bypass exists for a REASON. Some people simply NEED the Malabsorbtion component that Gastric Bypass offers. There are those who seem to have the impression that the Lap Band (and other, newer forms of WLS) are “replacements” for Gastric Bypass. They are not. They are simply newer, different methodologies that MAY work better in SOME cases, and in others may not work at all.

Throughout our lives we have a LOT of changes made to our bodies; some people more than others, but we have Gall Bladders removed, Appendixes removed, knees, hips, and other joints replaced, Pacemakers installed, Tonsils removed, Double/triple/quadruple bypasses in our arteries, etc, etc, etc. Not to mention all of the plastic Surgeries people are having these days. You can even include the proliferating number of people that are being tattooed and Pierced in places that you don’t even want to THINK about. The skin is an ORGAN, and you’re drilling permanent pictures into it, and poking holes and sticking chunks of metal into it. You don’t think THAT’s invasive?

A couple of weeks after my Gastric Bypass, I was sitting out by the Community Pool, and a lady came up and asked me what kind of surgery I had had (my staples were glistening in the sun) I told her, and she told me that a couple of years before, she had had her SPINE replaced with one from a cadaver. I could hardly believe it, and she showed me her scar. So, cutting/pasting/sleeving/adjusting/bypassing is really NOT that big of a deal when you put it in perspective. I am simply baffled when I hear that some people cringe at having their stomachs stapled, but are perfectly fine with having what amounts to a plastic noose stitched, inside, to the top of their stomach with an adjustment port sewn on the inside of their skin. C’mon….invasion is invasion. Grow up, get USED to it, and Do what YOU need to DO.

And while on the subject of “invasion”, please allow me to point out that right here on Lap Band Talk there are two (count ‘em, TWO) threads where members of this board are discussing the ins and outs (sorry..) of their various levels of participation in ANAL SEX. And THIS is from a bunch of people who are squeamish about being “invaded”…. Puleeeeezzz…..

Again….if you DO the research, look at ALL the options, Choose the RIGHT Surgeon, then you will very likely arrive at the RIGHT option for YOU. And it has NOTHING to do with the level of success or failure that ANYONE ELSE had with any particular procedure. THEY are not YOU. You are not THEM. Different bodies. Got That?

Pardon me, but I am running dangerously low on Venom at the moment, and I have to run out and crush some kittens or burn an orphanage so I can feel “whole” again.

Have a nice Surgery.

“The Journey is the Reward”.

HH

Edited June 23, 2009 by Headhunter

[~Michelle~ 0]

This thread and the Anges thread really has me second guessing the decsion I made to have Lapband. I mean I went to two seminars, seen 2 different dr's, did all kinds of research, but seemed to have failed on the band revision to bypass, or sleeve research. I've only been banded a short time, and really there is not much I can do now, being a self pay, but I am feeling pretty down about things right now. I feel like I just made one huge big mistake. I really tossed around the idea of the sleeve, but truely felt in was more invasive, and I didn't like the idea that I would loose a part of my stomach, but now I am thinking it would have been better then the band. I do hope there are some people out there that are happy with their bands.

[Headhunter 6]

Michelle, No one wants to make you feel bad about your decision. Very likely, you went through the procedure correctly, and made the right choice. A LOT of people do.

But, some don't. And my hope is to be able to help educate those who have NOT yet made their choice, that there ARE options, and that we are all unique.

As I've said before, ALL of the procedures work. NONE of them are just plain "bad" and worthless. Some just work better for SOME people than others.

Let's say that you are one of the people that the band is NOT best suited for. That means that you will most likely have to work a LOT harder than someone for whom the band is a perfect fit. But it's not the end of the world....you STILL can do it.

The thing that nagers me (and others here) is the amount of INCORRECT iinformation there is being tossed around out there in Internet-land.

Don't try and second-guess your decision at this point. Simply move forward with your band, work hard, and MAKE it a success!

HH

[Headhunter 6]

My gosh, Michelle, you were banded just 3 weeks ago, and you've lost THIRTY POUNDS!! You Rock!

I'd say you made the right choice....just keep going!!

HH :smile2:

[JENNIFER7375 3]

well headhunter for starters the post asked if we wished wed got the band over the sleeve. it was more about the personal choice wed made and if we wished wed made a different choice. i simply gve some of the reasons why i made mine. oh and i also stated that it was a co-worker not a friend that id been.

but shes not the only person i know with signifigant regain. and these are both bypass and sleeve people. i know more than 1 of both that have lost and regained. and i too think anybody that would spend that muck money on a surgery just to reverse the effects is stupid.

also im a nurse and have seen several patients with the same issues. i did signifigant research on all of the surgery methods. the band was what was right for me. the sleeve or bypass may be whats right for them. the bottom line is that any of the surgeries can fail if the person isnt committed to change. ive seen banders fail as well.

so yes i do have a clue and am not just spouting out6 nonsense wuth no knowledge of what i speak. oh and jut cuz someone has failed at weight loss surgery does not make them a moron. considering how many times all of us have dieted and failed that would make us all morons. im sure yourself included