Gastric band v gastric bypass - your thoughts

mrsdollox

Hi,
yesterday i went to a seminar to decide if i wanted to opt for a bypass or a band. ive been under the hospital on a programme for this for the last 6 months and originally i wanted a bypass but the risks are much higher so it seems.
both are done laparoscoply.
i was far from the hugest person there. i weigh 227 pounds at present.
battled with my weight my entire life and never get very far.
after several years ive come to the conclusion that i need a helping hand. not an easy answer, just some assistance to help my achieve some serious weightloss or i WILL only get fatter. i just know it.
i'm 33, have 4 young kids. the eldest is 8. no health complications and i dont smoke.. bloody love vodka tho!
so i was basically wondering if anyone has any thoughts or experiences on this topic??
thanks

FairyMiss

I just wish i could afford something like that, i know my friend had a bypass and is doing fantastic. me i just make some progress, then end up back where i start.


I hope which ever you decide on helps you.

jeff261159

Please forgive me for answer, which you won't like!!

Neither!! U don't need surgery, you need desire, motivation, and support!!! Sorry but that's what I thunk!!!

albinogorilla

seem a bit light for surgery.......I started this at 240 less than 3 months ago and am 214 today.

mabug01

I think the band is better. Several people with whom I am acquainted have had trouble taking in nutrients after the bypass; that is, they eat but can't seem to get the nutrition out of what they eat. Two of them lost a lot of hair, too.

vim_n_vigor

I am assuming you are mobile and have nothing confining you to a bed. You weigh barely more than I do. You can lose the weight without the price, pain, and lifelong issues caused by these surgeries. You have to be willing to change your entire life for the surgery, and you have to change your life to lose the weight anyway. If you cannot commit to doing it without the surgery, the surgery won't do it for you either. Eat better, eat less, move more, and you can do it without such an invasive path.

RNewton4269

bigbearw and jeff are right....You don't need surgery. The risk far outweigh the results. You can get the loss through diet and exercise...all you need is encouragement and motivation. I started my journey at 251 and I am now at 217....YOU CAN DO THIS without having to risk your health.

My two cents...

Kelly_Wilson1990

I got the bypass because there is a lot of maintenance with the band. You have to get fills and adjustments on a regular basis. For me, bypass also meant I could lose more weight and faster.

laneybird

Just in my opinion, you;re not THAT overweight enough to require surgery. Plus, I'm anti-gastric bypass since a co-worker died after having it... and I know 2 other people who did as well

I started out at 302 on May 10th of this year and as of this morning I am 2.6 lbs from losing 50lbs. I work full-time, 12 hour shifts and I am a single mom. It's hard work, but it is SO worth it!

kimbux

Please forgive me for answer, which you won't like!!

Neither!! U don't need surgery, you need desire, motivation, and support!!! Sorry but that's what I thunk!!!

I agree.... sorry, but it's an easy math equation: Calories out (RMR + exercise) minus calories in (food) = a positive number ... you have to burn more than you eat.
Good Luck~

dittiepe

I had the RnY bypass in 2008. I opted for that over the band for 3 reasons: 1) the band has that bulb that goes under the skin and runs the risk of infection, 2) the band can slip, requiring more surgery, and 3) once the band is removed or loosened, your stomach is right back to where it was and lots of people have returned to eating more because of that.

My recovery was quick and easy, and if I had to choose again I would go the same route.

chassyboopawloski

I had the band in May of this year. It has been the best thing for me. I have lost 40 lbs. It is a much slower loss than gastric bypass but steady. I like that it is adjustable. My mom had bypass, got too tight and had to had another surgery to loosen it up. I had a fill that was too tight and it was easily adjusted in office.

rileamoyer

If you can avoid surgery, you will be much happier. I have one acquaintance who had the lap band who did great, however she used it as a tool to kick start and has since adopted a healthy lifestyle and diet. Another had it and eventually gained all her weight back, no life style change. I have only known one person(my son-in-law) who had by pass, he had previous drug problems in his youth, he became addicted to the pain killers and combined with other issues ended his life, the drug addiction after surgery was the catalyst. He is only one example, but an extreme one of how dangerous it can be.

statia152

I was researching the same a few months ago and the doctor told me that the "hardware" from the lap band causes alot of problems. Like anything, if it has parts, it fails over time. Be prepared to have replacement surgery in 10 years or so. Plus it takes 6 months to a year to find the right adjustment for each individual, with a higher rate of heartburn / GERD. Think very seriously about doing any of this. I decided against bypass surgery because: never chew gum again, never drink alcohol, risk of dehydration is increased MASSIVELY, risk of vitamin / mineral deficiency greatly increased .... But each individual is different. I wish you luck and good health with your journey.

dittiepe

Please forgive me for answer, which you won't like!!

Neither!! U don't need surgery, you need desire, motivation, and support!!! Sorry but that's what I thunk!!!

I agree.... sorry, but it's an easy math equation: Calories out (RMR + exercise) minus calories in (food) = a positive number ... you have to burn more than you eat.
Good Luck~

This would be great if it worked for everyone. People quickly forget that everyone isn't the same. There are many factors that not only cause weight gain, but inhibit, sometimes severely, the ability to lose weight.

RachelSRoach1

My experience is watching my Dad go through the recovery of a bypass. I probably wont change your mind about getting one, but it isn't pretty. My dad weighed almost 400 pounds at one time, and now he weighs about 140. It's a good change in weight and has helped his blood pressure and sleeping improve. BUT... During the rigorous recovery year he got sick all the time. A majority of weight lost was probably because almost every food made him sick. He hardly drank anything.. maybe a half a glass of protein two or three times a day.. because any more than that made him sick. Absolutely no sugar ever.. even now 5 1/2 years later because the surgery made him so intolerant to ice cream especially that he will pass out or black out. His aversions to food now sometimes screw with his vision.. and my dad is 41. I remember him constantly being sick and not hardly being able to move for nearly 3 months. I had to take care of my siblings myself.

There are good things about the surgery.. sure. But not many people will tell you just how serious the recovery process really is. Not to mention how expensive it is. Several extra hundred dollars every few weeks went to buying tons of protein anything to keep his starving body going. If you get the band.. okay you wont have a 3 month down time.. but much of the process is still the same.

The most important thing to remember is that if you aren't already in the habit of eating better and losing weight.. you will be thrown into a position of being generally unprepared which often times leads you to gain a lot of it back. My Dad has gained 20 pounds back in the past two years..

BE AWARE OF EVERYTHING.

basschick

I agree with the poster that said 'neither.' Just do MFP! There are lots of people on this site that started out heavier than you are and have lost 100+ pounds by eating right and exercising. My sister had gastric bypass surgery and had serious health problems for years afterwards: Electrolyte imbalances, explosive diarrhea, nausea, cramping almost every day. She couldn't really go anywhere because she was always in the bathroom.

katya143

If you really need a tool to help assist with your weightloss, I would go with the band! I have it and it is the best thing I have ever done for myself... good luck and keep us updated!

mscoco10

Well i've also attended 1 class. I think the sleeve or bypass would be better than the band. A friend of mind gets the band this week. She said the weight lost is slower and you have to work really hard to loose the weight. You also have to be very careful of band slipage. It requires a lot of care. I say look at the pro's and con's of each. Once you choose a doctor who can look at your situation and come up with the right plan that's just for you.

I see a lot of people here have said just exercise and eat right. This is true but i'm not here to judge. You know YOU! Whatever you do don't give up. This is a battle we all can win no matter what method we take to get there.

leynak

I agree with some of the others- it doesn't sound like you are big enough to need the surgery.

However if you do choose to get one I would try to sort out your issues with food beforehand. I have known 2 people personally- One had Bypass & the other lap band. After a year or two they both went right back up to where they started & one is even bigger.

You've got to make big changes to lose weight & you've got to be really committed whether you use surgery or not.

deviltamer

i just had gasric bypass aug 9th and allready lost 24lbs, i did not have any compications and was back to work a week following surgery. minus getting sick if i eat the wrong things and be a little tired at first it is great. i chose the bypass over the band because we were told the band takes up to a year to see results and u have to keep going in to have the baloon made smaller , i also have polycystic disease and the bypass is supposed to cure it which is why i gained weight in the first place so bypass was my choice. my doctor has a support group so u should check and see if yours does. i went to the group and talked with people who had both done before i made my decision. good luck