lap band question - ThinnerTimes

blevon54 · 01-08-2007, 10:18 PM

Hi!
I'am also new to the site and have many questions and concerns. I want to know if the lap band is better to do than the GB?

It seems the most information is on the gastric bypass so I'm thinking that the amount of info for GB vs. lapband is my answer.

Casinocat74 · 01-09-2007, 03:27 PM

Hi Blevon. Welcome to the site. If you read some of my previous posts, I had LAP band surgery in December of 2005 and lost absolutley nothing. I am now having it removed and doing the GB instead. But the band has worked for some people. If you are intersted in reading all about LAP band and peoples experiences, visit this site:
http://lapbandtalk.com/index.php?
It is exactly like this site but for LAP band patients only. Good luck to you!

MiladyB · 01-14-2007, 09:57 PM

I do know of people where lapband has worked well for them. It is possible to lose the weight with the lapband but you will probably lose more slowly. You really need to discuss it with your surgeon and see what his/her recommendation is. There are pros and cons to both lap band and rny. If you have a larger amount of weight to lose usually the rny is the recommended way. If you have less, lapband may be your answer. Also, check with your insurance company to see what they cover. For me, there was no choice. My insurance company would not cover a lapband only the rny.

Tammi · 01-17-2007, 02:53 PM

My husband and I have done a lot of research and debate on this topic. We are both in the process of going through the steps necessary to have WLS. I am leaning hard towards GBS and he leans a bit more toward the LapBand.

Some of the things we have discussed/debated:

He is scared to death of surgery and anestheia (never had an operation before) and concerned that his co-morbidities will put him at higher risk (he is diabetic and has sleep apnea)
I have had a number of knee surgeries and a c-section so I know I tolerate anesthesia (except for the puking part...

) and I really do not have any high risk co-morbidities - my biggest problem associated with my weight is related to my knees.

He feels that GBS is too drastic and permanent.
I say that obviously the less drastic approaches have not worked in the past, and why on earth would we NOT want it to be permanent.

He is concerned about the changes to the "natural" stomach/small intestine relationship and the possible malabsorption associated with permanently bypassing a portion of the small intestine.
I don't like the idea of having something foreign in my body forever and I am concerned about how long the band and port will last. I really would prefer only one operation if possible, not to have to have the thing removed and replaced in a few years. I also do not like the idea of having a "port"

He likes the idea of being able to "adjust" the fill to increase/slow the rate of loss.
I don't like the idea of having to go back all the time for fills, etc.

He likes the idea of slower weight loss and feels that it might be more healthy in the long run and might result in less flabby skin.
I kinda like instant gratification - it keeps me more motivated. I think I would do better with a more rapid rate of loss and quite frankly, I would rather have a bit of flabby skin than that skin being held tight by mounds of fat.

He is scared to death of the idea of dumping, which aparantly is less of a problem with LapBand.
I say, "bring it on" - a little negative reinforcement might be exactly what I need. Most people I talk to HATE the feeling of dumping and will avoid it at all costs. I really need to do that as well, seeing as what usually makes people dump is exactly what they should not be eating in the first place.

He has heard that there is less hair loss associated with the LapBand.
I say, hun, you're losing it anyway - just admit it and move on

Both of us have come to the conclusion that we will have to make the decision in conjunction with our surgeons and what they feel is best for us.
I am a little concerned about the potential for malabsorption and the need for nutritional supplimentation for the rest of my life. It is a price I am willing to pay.

Hope this helps. Welcome to the board. Keep looking at all the old posts - they are full of information. Keep asking questions. Someone here is bound to have an answer!

Good luck!

StacyBee160 · 01-17-2007, 05:57 PM

Initially I was planning on being banded, because (being uninformed) I always thought the serious risks of bypass were too high to take the chance.

After spending some time at a really good lap band forum (www.lapbandtalk.com), I started getting nervous about all the problems people seemed to be having, at all post-op phases. It's only been done here in the states since 2001, so I started looking at long-term studies in Europe, where it's been done much longer, and the results were NOT encouraging... there's a very significant rate of long-term complications and removal of the band. I've decided that I don't want to mess with the minor complications and inconveniences if there's still a 30% chance that the band will have to come out in 10 years anyway.

(I don't remember where I read any of it, but I Googled "lap band complication rates Europe" or something like that.)

So for me, now that I've been done a lot more research into bypass, I think it's gonna be RNY or nothing.

JenBear7 · 01-17-2007, 08:41 PM

I too started with the notion that the band was the tool for me! I read and read and read.. stories about people.. both successes and failures (as I have done with the RNY).. then I ran across this chart.. this is the chart that really pushed me toward the RNY... the things that got me were the loss of excess weight, the "most effective for patients with a BMI of 35-55" ( I am 51.1).. and the fact that you have to fight with my insurance company to get the band.. (it has been done .. but they made a friend of mine's life hell for 14 months before they approved her!!. jumping through hoops .. I often wonder to this day if they were testing her determination!

In the end it is a very personal choice.. and nothing saying you both have to have the SAME surgery

Good Luck! And MUCH success with whichever one you choose!

Blueyz · 01-17-2007, 10:33 PM

Dr Callery does both. He spoke about it at a post-op meeting months ago that I attended. He had good points for both surgeries. It was neat to hear him speak of both because some people do not want to go with the RNY or some people don't have as much weight to lose....their BMI's are lower to begin with. I think Tammi has good debates going on between husband and herself.

For me, I knew it had to be a permanent thing and I knew that I would probably find a way to cheat around the band. I do know a lot of people who have been successful with the band, but on the other hand I know of many failures. I think it all depends on the individual and their needs.

justawoman · 01-18-2007, 06:03 AM

My best friend recently had Lapband surgery as she didn't want to have all the food restricitons I had. She is now about 6-8 weeks out and she eats everything. She says it is in smaller portions but she eats sweets and everything then complains because she loses pounds then gains. But she told me recently that she went to IHOP for dinner and I could not believe the amount of food she could consume at 6 weeks out. She is talking about already having a fill done. For me GBS was the only way and I am thankful that I made the decision I made. Lapband for me just had to many loop holes to cheat and I wanted to make sure I lost my weight!

Zenomia · 01-18-2007, 06:42 AM

For most people, weight loss is a matter of Calories IN vs. Calories OUT. WLS either Lapband or RNY restricts the amount of calories in therefore making weight loss possible. RNY differs in that it adds a Malabsorbtion element and increases the loss possibilites. The down side of either is that if you are still taking in more than 1500 calories a day...you will not lose weight and depending on your caloric intake vs. output.....you could re-gain weight. If you are grazing all day with the RNY or eating crap with the band...you will not be successful. It's as simple as that. With either surgery there is a GOOD portion that is self-control and life long decision making. Good choices and life long dietary changes are necessary for either of these proceedures to be successful in the LONG TERM. For me personally, I needed a more restrictive process than what Lap Band offered...I needed the malabsorbtive portion as well as dumping syndrome and all the icky that it entails.... This was the best option for me because of who I am and how I deal with food. Everyone is different, so you just have to decide which option offers you the best opportunity for success in the long run. Calories in vs. Calories out is the bottom line though.

Debz · 01-19-2007, 10:26 AM

I have definetly decided on the RNY versus the lap band. After sitting here in front of my computer for a ridiculous number of hours reading medical journals, news articles, and personal accounts, I really think that the band is just not restrictive enough for me. I had a vertical banded gastroplasty in 1988, after which I lost over 100 pounds. It is a solely restrictive procedure, like the band. I maintained that loss for about 7 years, but now I've gained what I lost and then some. My staple in has "broken' and the surgery just doesn't do what it was designed to. In fact, alot of the reading I've done indicates that many people with my surgery have had similar problems. So, here I am, ready to have another surgery to do what I thought the first one would; give me a tool to have lasting weight loss.

RNY , as I'm sure you know, has both a restrictive component as well as a malabsorption component. Thats a big factor in my opinion. My experience has shown me that a restrictive component alone isn't enough.I didn't get in this position because I have the kind of control a lap band requires. From everything I've read, this surgery can kind of "gives you a nudge" when you eat things you shoudln't. I actually am hoping to have dumping, to help me keep on the straight and narrow. (Please feel free to remind me of that AFTER my surgery

) Also, from what I've read, the amount you can expect to lose after a lap is much less than with RNY.

All that said, the most convincing piece of evidence so far is the ghrelin factor. Simply stated, (mostly because my understanding of the subject is pretty simple) ghrelin is one of the hormones that regulate hunger. In non- surgical obese people that have lost a considerable amount of weight, ghrelin levels can be 4 times normal. This fact really makes it easy to understand why we gain weight back so easily after losing. Our bodies are fighting us!

Ghrelin is secreted by cells in our stomachs. Many studies have found that post RNY patients who've lost a considerable amount of weight don't show the same increased levels of ghrelin that people who haven't had surgery do. It's thought that this is due to the fact that the surgery alters the stomach is such a way that ghrelin cells dont function the way they did before. It's postulated this is one of the reasons that RNY patients tend to have more success at maintaining their loss. (Actually, in the interest of balance, there are also studies that post op patients have higher levels, but a study I just read the other day kind of explains why these studies have shown such vast differences. Here's the link if you're into the geeky stuff...http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/reprint/88/7/2999 )

Sorry for being so long winded...hope that helps. Good luck in your journey.