Help me make up my mind!! I'm torn. - ThinnerTimes

Rainsunbow · 01-10-2005, 07:13 PM

Howdy,

I'm trying to make up my mind. I'm trying to decide which is best for me, lap-band or gastric bypass. I'm sure there have been lots of discussions before, but, I'm new to all of this. I have tried to weigh them, but it's not working out for me.

Q1 : Does anyone have any words of wisdom that might help me out? Why do you think one is better than the other?
Q2 : What foods can you absolutely not eat, or eat much of. (lots of sugar is a given) Also, if you want to include what happens when you eat them.
Q3: What were your complications, if any?
Q3: Any regrets?
Q4: Are you hungry?

Thanks
Leigh

HAMPTON5555 · 01-10-2005, 07:26 PM

Hi Leigh,

Welcome to the forum. I had the same questions regarding lap or open.

Unfortunately, you are the only one who can decide, however, when I made my decision to have open, it was based on my fear of getting a leak. When the surgery is performed open, Dr. C. can move around easier, see clearly and move about better. However, the recuperation is a tad longer. My lap friends are moving better and have less of a chance of an incision infection. So as you can see, as Doc C. put it "its a 50/50".

One last thing, sometmes he decides for you based on body or health conditions, have you had your pre-op yet?

Rain

Dara · 01-10-2005, 07:36 PM

Leigh:

Welcome to the forum. I'll try to answer some of your questions.

Q1 : Does anyone have any words of wisdom that might help me out? Why do you think one is better than the other? I did not research much about the lap band. My interest was primarily in gastric bypass because I had a long history of yo-yo dieting. I could lose weight pretty successfully, but I could never keep it off. I wanted something PERMANENT.

Q2 : What foods can you absolutely not eat, or eat much of. (lots of sugar is a given) Also, if you want to include what happens when you eat them. There is no food that we "absolutely" cannot eat, even sugar. However, we must make intelligent food choices in order to lose weight, maintain weight, and not harm our "tool." With ingesting the wrong food or the wrong amounts, our tiny stomach (called a "pouch") can be stretched or harmed (i.e., ulcer). Personally, I cannot eat much sugar or fats. With both, I "dump" or become ill. In my particular case, I have a rapid heartbeat, sweat, feel shaky and need to sleep it off. Believe me, it is NOT a good feeling, but a very good motivator not to do it again!

Q3: What were your complications, if any? I may not be the right person to answer this question. There are others on the forum who can give you detailed information about complications they experienced. Luckily, I have experienced virtually none.

Q3: Any regrets? As I've said before, my only regret is that it took me five years to decide to have the surgery! It's been a lifesaver for me. Pre-surgery, I had many comorbidities (weight-related illnesses) for my age and my health was deteriorating rapidly.

Q4: Are you hungry? This is another question that might be better answered by longer post-ops. At nine months post-op, I still have yet to experience hunger pangs. I just feel "empty" when I need to eat.

I hope these answers help you. I encourage you to read the other sections of the forum. You will find lots of information there. Good luck with your decision.

HAMPTON5555 · 01-10-2005, 07:54 PM

Hi Leigh,

I just realized I read your question wrong. I thought you wanted to know Laperoscopy or open procedure for gastric bypass surgery. Sorry, anyway you may still find the info helpful.

Rain

bridgetgirl · 01-11-2005, 10:40 AM

Welcome friend, good to have you here Leigh. BTW; where do you live? I hope my answers help ya n stuff, good luck!

Q1 : Does anyone have any words of wisdom that might help me out? Why do you think one is better than the other? With banding you lose alot slower and you dont get dumping, but the results arent as "fast" as with gastric bypass.

Q2 : What foods can you absolutely not eat, or eat much of. (lots of sugar is a given) Also, if you want to include what happens when you eat them.
You can eat pretty much what ever you want. With gastric bypass though it "forces" you to east smaller, eat less fat, sugar and carbs... which is how skinny people eat anyways... it makes you eat like a thin person. You can pretty eat the same stuff, just in moderation. Example; 1 slice of pizza vs the whole pie, 1/2 bagel instead of 2; 1 donut not 4-6

Q3: What were your complications, if any? I had gotten pancreatitis after surgery. Nobody knows how it happened or why, if it was a coincidence or a result of having this surgery... anesthesia alone is very hard on your body. I also developed some ridiculopathy and numbness in one of legs and numbess in my fingertips, but with some lab work they determined I had vitamin deficincies and corrected that and now my leg and fingertips are fine... its extremely important to know and understand that you will for the rest of your life have to take vitamins when having gastric bypass.

Q3: Any regrets? Not doing it sooner

Q4: Are you hungry? In the past 11 months I have felt hunger maybe 10-12 times. Its different though because you dont get that nausiating I have to eat now before I pass out type of hunger. You have to get on a schedule and eat regardless if your hungry or not.

i hope my input was helpful to you. best of luck to you.

cedesigns · 01-11-2005, 11:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rainsunbow

I'm trying to make up my mind. I'm trying to decide which is best for me, lap-band or gastric bypass.
Q1 : Does anyone have any words of wisdom that might help me out? Why do you think one is better than the other?
Thanks
Leigh

I chose laproscopic gastric bypass for one main reason, my insurance covered it and would not cover the lap band, so for me there were no options. Because the lap band is newer a lot of insurance programs are not covering it yet. There are some upsides, no cutting of internal organs, it can be removed, and it can be adjusted. Gastric bypass is a onetime thing, once it is done it is done. In very extreme cases (to save someones life basically) the pouch surgery can be reversed and the bypassed original stomache can be re-opened but that is rarely ever done. There are problems with lap band surgery with ulcerations around the restricted area and the band can slip out of place. By far the band is the least invasive of the two though. With gastric bypass there are some added advantages in the aspect of mal-absorbtion. Part of the intestine is bypassed so there is less absorbtion of calories, but also less absorbtion of nutrients too so you must always be careful to suppliment your diet with vitamins and minerals. Many gastric bypass patients still have to undergo large open surgeries with large scars. That is not necessary anymore as the bypass can be done laproscopically as well as the lap band. So from that perspective both have little scarring, just a few small little scars. I went to several different doctors and clinics over about a one year period and went to many orientation seminars to decide. There are also other techniques but by far the gastric bypass Roux n Y is the most popular, the most widespread and the has the most surgical history.

Carol
5weeks post op / laproscopic GBP, no big scars!

cedesigns · 01-11-2005, 11:59 PM

Thanks
Leigh[/quote]

I see you are from Murfreesboro TN. I went to a small private Christian college there many years ago. Trevecca College. Is is still there? I havent been there since 1971..............I guess that tells you my age. That is a really beautiful area around there. I loved the autumns~

Carol

KellyB · 09-16-2005, 11:01 AM

Hi. Good luck with your decision. I had an open gastric bypass. I chose gastric bypass over the lap band because it seemed like the right choice for me. I wanted something that would be forever and then researched like crazy. I had my surgery on June 20 and have lost 54 pounds. I can't eat a lot of anything..lol...but sugar is by far the worst for me....I haven't had any complications and have more energy than in years.

I was not prepared for the pain right after the surgery. I was so pumped about having the surgery that I just didn't really think about it. For the first few weeks after my surgery I thought I had made a huge mistake. The pain, not being able to eat, etc...but now I would never go back!

Good luck to you and I hope all goes well with your surgery. Kel

veroniquetalk · 09-18-2005, 06:38 AM

I chose gastric by pass instead of the lap band mainly because there is research out there showing that the ghrelin (a hormone that regulated appetite) levels in your body change after gbs but not lap band. That is a HUGE plus for me. I have been able to lose weight in the past - just not keep it off. So, I based my decision on the hope that the ghrelin level change after gbs would give me the extra "umph" I needed to keep the weight off long term. Also, I was told with the lap band you can feel the device they implant under your skin - yuck. Personally, I know 2 people who have had the lap band and you would never know they have lost any weight.

I had no complications from surgery.

My only regret is not doing it a long, long time ago.

I have only experienced dumping 3 times. Two times were from eating something with too much sugar in it and then all that happened was I got a rapid heart beat. The other time I got really sick, shaky, thought I was gonna throw up RIGHT there, light headed. I am not sure what caused that. I was eating out at a restaurant and was eating a chicken breast without any coating on it and steamed vegetables. Maybe the steamed vegs had something in them.

I do get hungry once in a while but if I eat then I am fine. In the past, I could eat a LOT more and still want to eat. Now when I eat, I am satisfied. It's like someone flipped a switch inside of me.