Gastric band v gastric bypass - your thoughts

redpaisleyrose

I am usually a reader on this site. I cannot let this pass. I am an RN and do home care. You would be shocked how many people never recover. People die from this procedure. Do what you wish but be a hound dog and don't just believe everything you are told. You don't get to go back either.

drdenise

I personally know people who had bypass and serious, life threatening complications. They, like you, were not that heavy but felt that they lacked the motivation to do it the right way. One person's reason for bypass was that she wanted to be able to do things with her grandchildren, such as play catch and other games. Today, she is unable to do any of that, and do to the lack of nutrition chronically, she is mentally not the same. She too lost much of her hair.

I have another friend who opted for the lap band. She was REQUIRED to work on her diet PRIOR to surgery and had lost a lot of weight. She was nearing 350 pounds, and now is about half that weight. It was still work though. She, unlike most people, had other medical conditions, and weight loss as quickly as was safe for her was needed.

With your weight, why not just opt to exercise and eat right. Notice, I did not say diet. A lifestyle change, eating healthy MOST of the time. You will feel your energy level skyrocket, and your desire to exercise will likely become approaching obscessive. Exercise is an endorphin, sometimes better than sex (did I say that?).

Go for it! People her on MFP will help you!!! Best of luck!

Blackthorne99

I personally had a different surgery than either of the two you listed. It has the best overall statistics for weight loss and weight maintenance with 80% of the patients maintaining 80% Excess Weight Loss over 10 years (per 10 year study done by Dr. Hess).

It's called the Duodenal Switch. As long as you are investigating your options, I highly recommend that you check into it. You can find information about it at www.dsfacts.com or via www.obesityhelp.com/forums/DS.

Blackthorne99

Fact check: You can only stretch a pouch from gastric bypass. There is not real "pouch" with the lap band. The mortality rate with the band is much lower than the mortality rate from the many co-morbidities of morbid obesity. Also, I repeat, if a person is constantly getting sick from the band, your doctor can adjust it so that it is not as restrictive. If you CHOOSE to live with your band too tight, than that is YOUR fault, not your doctor's or the operation.

Bariatric Centers of Excellence have very strict requirements for their doctors and hospitals, so if you are considering weight loss surgery, settle for nothing but a Center of Excellence.

Check the current mortality rates on both operations and the difference between the risk for the surgery itself, vs. having surgery of ANY KIND with some of the co-morbidities of the morbidly obese.

Actually, there are people who have had the lap band that have distended the upper portion of their stomach or created a Delta triangle by stuffing their esophagus. While the Gastric Bypass is the only surgery that uses the term 'pouch', the lapband is not immune to the potential to distort anatomy afterwards.

In addition, recent research has come out that shows that 25% of Lab Band patients have the band removed within 3 years due to the overall failure rate of the band. The Lap Band *manufacturers* state in the brochure they are REQUIRED to give patients that only 10% of people with a Lap Band make it to goal, and 50% never lose even 50% of their excess weight.

http://www.lapband.com/en/learn_about_lapband/safety_information/ "In the study, 25% of the patients had their band systems removed, two-thirds of which were following adverse events. "

tigersword

There are thousands of people who manage to lose weight and keep their health in check with hypothyroidism without resorting to surgery. Blaming inability to lose weight solely on that is a cop out.

cownancy

Fact check: You can only stretch a pouch from gastric bypass. There is not real "pouch" with the lap band. The mortality rate with the band is much lower than the mortality rate from the many co-morbidities of morbid obesity. Also, I repeat, if a person is constantly getting sick from the band, your doctor can adjust it so that it is not as restrictive. If you CHOOSE to live with your band too tight, than that is YOUR fault, not your doctor's or the operation.

Bariatric Centers of Excellence have very strict requirements for their doctors and hospitals, so if you are considering weight loss surgery, settle for nothing but a Center of Excellence.

Check the current mortality rates on both operations and the difference between the risk for the surgery itself, vs. having surgery of ANY KIND with some of the co-morbidities of the morbidly obese.

Actually, there are people who have had the lap band that have distended the upper portion of their stomach or created a Delta triangle by stuffing their esophagus. While the Gastric Bypass is the only surgery that uses the term 'pouch', the lapband is not immune to the potential to distort anatomy afterwards.

In addition, recent research has come out that shows that 25% of Lab Band patients have the band removed within 3 years due to the overall failure rate of the band. The Lap Band *manufacturers* state in the brochure they are REQUIRED to give patients that only 10% of people with a Lap Band make it to goal, and 50% never lose even 50% of their excess weight.

http://www.lapband.com/en/learn_about_lapband/safety_information/ "In the study, 25% of the patients had their band systems removed, two-thirds of which were following adverse events. "

I know that band patients are only expected to lose 60% of their excess weight within the first 18 months. That was mentioned to me right up front. According to my doctors, I should have set a loss of 120 pounds as a goal. I am one year since surgery, BUT I had to have ear surgery and intially had an extensive hernia surgery, so I actually only have six months of the band. In the six months of having fluid in my band, I have lost just short of 50% of that weight. Of the people who I have met both pre- and post- surgery in the support groups, all are doing really well with their weight loss. I actually asked my doctor about the band failure rate and he said that the bands that have been used in recent years are very reliable and he gave me the rate, but I can't remember the exact number now.
There are some people whose systems are not compatible with the band, plus there is slippage and erosion, etc. All of those risks were disclosed prior to surgery. But in our group, with over 5000 of the three surgeries, my doctors have had no mortalities from the surgery or post-surgical complications. But, again, it is a Bariatric Center of Excellence, which requires very stringent standards pre- and post-surgery.
Again, I am not advocating surgery for anyone who does not meet the BMI/co-morbidity guidelines. I just feel that there is a lot of incorrect informatoin being thrown out there by many posters. I IS hard work, but I can do this. For me, it is an easier set of struggles than the ones I would have without having the band as a tool. It has made a huge difference for me and I know about 150-200 others who would say the same thing.

TriumphantLife

I had Gastric Bypass 7 years ago and it gave me my life back! I was 305 and lost a total of 160 pounds in the first year and a half. Make sure the hospital is a Center of Excellence.

mchope

I have had the gastric bypass with great sucess, and very few side effects if any. I also have lost 100's of pounds in my life, without success. My high weight(03/20/1999) was 380.00 plus , my pre-surgery weight (07/27/2009) was 320.00, my present weight is 158.00 . I am happy, also tomorrow will be my 65th birthday, and what a present to give myself. Gastric Bypass is not for everyone, and after a lifetime of bouncing like a rubber balll, and getting bigger each time, this was the answer for me, maybe not for you. Just like losing weight, attitude, mindful eating, portion control, exercise, and support. It takes it all to get healthy.

Navallez

ok on an earlier post someone said they just had gastric bypass Aug 9th and already lost 24lbs, now here is someone you cant argue...I started my journey Aug 22 of this year roughly about 6 weeks ago and I have lost 37 lbs. I too thought about gastric bypass and was always a bit scared of it due to many coworkers experiences with the surgery. I realize some are good but the majority have had complications or gained the weight back. I went through the whole process of tests and doctors visits but while waiting for my surgery date to be determined by insurance at work denied it and I was about 340lbs. About year ago my insurance approved the surgery again and I decided I would try it on my own it took me a year to actually start this journey but the important thing is that I started. Please try to this on your own first. you owe it to yourself and your family because your surgery can work out great for you just as much as it can be dangerous with serious complications.:flowerforyou:

servilia

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.

Just a thought but if all that these surgeries do for these people is limit the mass/volume/amount of food that they can fit in their stomachs, then can't they achieve the same thing by not putting the food in their mouths in the first place?
Actually, the way that these surgeries work for people just proves the point of the poster that you're quoting. In fact, it does work like that for these people too (calories in/calories out) since them eating less = less calories in. It's not as if the surgery improves their thyroid function or corrects some other horrible hormone imbalance that's causing the weight gain. It's just cutting down on the food consumed.

RedHeadChick

Wow! There are loads of posts for this. I have a friend who had a gastric bypass and although it did help here lose the weight. She is now struggling with the opposite issue. She is so skinny and she can't keep the weight on. It is effecting her health and has turned into a very scary experience for her.

So my suggestion all though it is not an EASY fix. You should do the work involved to get where you want to be. It is important and you will learn a lot about yourself. But the thing is you need to believe that YOU CAN DO IT! You just need the right tools to help you on your road to health.

Everyone, has there own struggles, just most you can't see very easily. So stop worrying about "WHAT IF" and "START". I believe that you have what it takes to get where you want to go!

Laura8603

I had gastric bypass 3 years ago and have lost and kept off 200 pounds. Some of us DO need surgery to be successful. Be aware that it's not "magic" and you still need to work at it no matter what surgery you choose. I have known far too many people with issues after lap-band surgery than gastric bypass. I have had no problems and am loving life now. Good luck to you!!

hockey7fan

Wow I've been reading through all these posts (although I can see this topic has died), because my doctor has me on a 1500 calorie diet and in 6 months will refer me to a bariatric surgeon for gastric bypass. For those who say that its as easy as eat less burn more, I beg to differ. I am at 294 pounds, and I'm 5 ft 9 in. I have hypothyroidism, which even with medicine causes me great difficulty in losing weight. I've been trying for the past 6+ years to shake off my 115 pounds (the doctor recommends I be at 180 because of my large frame), and I just can't. I've done weight watchers, lost 30 pounds in a year's time, but when I could no longer afford to go, I gained it all back plus 15 more. I am a very busy person so while I may not have actually been able to go to the gym (I work full time, go to college full time working on my undergrad, I have a 7 year old daughter, I'm a volunteer firefighter, and I was planning my wedding). I don't get the chance to eat a lot because I'm so busy. My husband for my birthday upgraded his membership to the Ymca so I could go. My birthday was friday, I went yesterday and today, and I really feel hopeless when I do go. other than to go under the knife and get that extra help I need, I'm out of options.

Hypothyroidism causes the bodys metabolism to drastically slow down, and the body comes resistant to losing weight, or even to insulin, which can cause diabetes if the body doesn't use insulin properly. It causes you to feel chronically fatigued, sluggish, and even depressed. Having gastric bypass would alleviate a lot of these problems for me.

A few comments:

1. Have you ever considered trying a low-carb diet? Not necessarily Atkins, but even reducing net carbs to 100-150g can make a huge difference for some. Just a thought since you mentioned the insulin.
2. You mentioned feeling hopeless at the gym. That's because you don't have a plan. With any Y membership you get a free orientation with a personal trainer. You need to schedule that & have him/her walk you through the weight training & cardio machines to show you how they work, & help you figure out a routine you can live with. I can tell you now that if you go any less than 3x a week, you'll have a hard time sticking to it.
3. Everyone's busy. If you make time to do all that stuff you're doing, you can carve out 30-45 minutes 3 times a week to improve your health. How much more effective do you think you can be at all of those things you listed at a healthier weight?
4. Although your fatigue is partially a symptom of your condition, it is also easily improved by a better diet with sufficient protein & regular exercise. I used to drag my >300 lb *kitten* out of bed every morning & still be tired. Now that I've cleaned up my diet, I'm rarely tired or sluggish & my overall energy level has skyrocketed compared to a year & a half ago.
5. I'm not saying surgery is the wrong choice for you. But think carefully about why your other attempts failed. Pretty much any diet program works for at least a while if you commit to it, & having surgery requires a commitment to be much more diligent about your diet than you've ever been before, & there is little room for error. Nancy is a success story but I assure you she works very hard at staying on track & that is exactly why she IS a success story.

My doctor has broached the subject of gastric surgery to me before, I guess after seeing me stay fat for so many years he figured I wasn't going to do anything about it & something needed to happen. I knew that if I wanted to, he would support me going through the process, but I knew in my heart I hadn't given it an honest try on my own. I hadn't put 100% effort & commitment into a weight loss program & stuck with it long enough to say OK, I did try & it didn't work, so let go the surgical route.

So last May I finally did buckle down & decide I was going to do it for real, no matter what, no excuses, & I was just as busy as you are. Work, school, kids, in a wedding, sick relatives, deaths in the family, you name it. MY HEALTH IS TOO IMPORTANT TO BE AT THE BOTTOM OF MY PRIORITY LIST. I'm no good to any of my loved ones as a tired old fat lady who isn't even old.

I agree with the above poster. Before you try something as drastic as surgery, have you thought about trying a low carb/high protein clean diet such as Primal or Paleo? I have been doing it for 3 1/2 months now. I've lost 35 pounds and the sluggishness, fatigue and depression are gone. I've gotten off 2 GERD meds. I've gone off one of my 3 BP meds. I have been weaning off my antidepressant and have gone from 40 mg a day to 10. I did Atkins before Primal and my total weight loss to date has been 120 pounds. I kept off almost 100 pounds for 11 years and then figured I'd better get busy and lose the rest. I also am pre-diabetic and my dietitian who works at the hosptial's diabetes care center put me on the low carb/high protein diet. I'm always full and I eat lots of healthy, yummy food.

Laurandy0912

Gastric band is much safer.

rml_16

If I were going to do it, I'd do the band because it's reversible.

I know a few people who have had the bypass surgery and I know I would not want to live the rest of my life like that. One friend had to leave a bar where she was having a great time because the bartender made her one and only drink too sugary and it made her sick.

skatermom503

Hi
I had at least 200 pounds to lose so I went with the bypass. I was scared but everything went well. If I weighed what you weigh, personally, I would just go for the band since it should do the trick. Remember though neither is magic. You still have to work at losing weight. These things just make it a little easier. Just make sure you have a really good surgeon. Ask a lot of questions. Good luck.

Smokey19

I had intestinal bypass surgery 4 months ago and am glad I did. I lost a lot of wt. and have stopped some of my meds.

RBXChas

I haven't had either surgery but have people very close to me who have had both procedures (not both per person, but two people who had gastric bypass and one who had lap-band).

Neither one is an easy road, and both still require dedication to a healthier lifestyle. Surgery is just a tool, meaning it doesn't do the work for you, though I sense from your original post that you understand that

I recommend going onto YouTube and looking up "weight loss surgery." There are lots of people on there who provide information, experiences, and updates for both types of surgeries.

shinangel

I had a band in summer 2008. I'm 5'2" and I started at 350lbs. I am still going with it although my restriction hasn't needed changing in two years.
I have 6 or 7 stone left to go as I still have issues with comfort eating. Life is very stressful with my two sons being Autistic so I tend to have phases of going off the rails and postponing taking action to get back on track.
It has been hard and I have to exercise and pay attention to what I eat. I can eat anything but I avoid pasta as it gets stuck.
Unfortunately the band does not prevent me from eating chocolate / icecream etc so you need to have just as much will power as you do without surgery. I think people need to understand that before embarking on surgery...it doesn't mean you can go on autopilot more's the pity.

Having been a member and moderator of a weight loss surgery support site , and having got to know lots of people who have had all the surgeries available, including balloon and duodenal switch, gastric wrap and sleeve too, in hindsight for me , I have no regrets.
I need to be alive as long as possible to help my kids learn independence and back then I felt I had no choice. I paid for it (afterwards I found out I was eligible for NHS help but my doctor did not help me at all) and I am now about 17 stone.
I had a really tough year with kid related issues last year and regained about 1 stone and a bit from my lowest weight so far.
Back on track now hopefully...if you are truly struggling and going round in circles for years (like I was) then sometimes the surgery can save you from that unending track....but it is absolutely essential to fully discuss the right way forward with your health team and research as much as you can.
Do as much as you can to alter your lifestyle for the better anyway, surgery will not heal you if you don't put any effort in yourself.

As far as which, I would strongly recommend that you look into a sleeve or gastric wrap as these are newer procedures with no malabsorbtion and no foreign bodies in situ..

I wish you luck, it's very easy for people to judge harshly, but you must arm yourself with as much info as possible and then do what is right for you. You only get one life and surgery kick started me towards reclaiming my health when I felt desparation and was hopelessly stuck in morbid obesity for a whole decade.

Lozze

This poster has deactivated their account.

I started this at 300 pounds. Eighty more than they seemed to be. I'm currently in the 240lbs. Still more. I don't need surgery. I've lost it in six moths. Trust me if I can do it by myself (with help from Jenny Craig) anyone can.