The clinic I used for my RNY holds an informational meeting a few times a month that is open to the public. I felt anonymous as I listened to the information that described the different procedures, and I listened to testimonials from their patients who had had the surgeries. It was a great way to learn without any personal commitment back when I still had no idea what I wanted to do. You could check around your area to see if anyone holds these types of meetings.

Does anyone have a problem with excess skin? Did you have to get it surgically removed?

i was fairly lucky as most of my skin shrunk back even tho i lost 120 pounds. the little bit i have does not qualify me for insurance covered surgery however i am trying to save the money to get it anyways. vanity you know, lol.

if i do pay out of pocket it will be only for the skin around my tummy so maybe a tummy tuck. oh and some boobs. i went from d's to barely a b. they just disappeared lol.

i will try to upload a pic....

The gastric bypass (RNY), sleeve and band are the most common, no surgeon uses staples anymore they discovered it wasn't effective.

Yes, staples are used in RNY. They are not removed after you get to your goal weight. Generally the lap band is not removed, either. We are not "cured" when we get to goal. Staying at goal is the hard part. Do more research before making any decision.

I had my RNY in 2008. It was the right choice for me.

Sorry for any confusion, I was referring to stomach stapling. The technique where they just stapled half your stomach without cutting to make a smaller pouch, they stopped doing it because they learned that the staples were not holding and there wasn't anything to stop people from stretching the open side quickly. I was not referring to staples being used in place of sutures.

It should be mentioned that with the RNY bypass, a large portion of your stomach is permanently separated from what becomes your new stomach (also referred to as pouch) this is not reversible. I had this done in February and have NEVER been so happy!!! Best decision ever!! You really learn to adapt to eating, and although I am still in the losing phase I get so much inspiration from people like Laura that continue to work hard to maintain her fabulous figure!!

I have a band. The benefits of the band are that they are adjustable and reversible. Unlike the bypass, you won't be puking up your food if you eat the "wrong" things. However, you may get food stuck... which in extreme cases may require the doctor to unfill your band so the food can pass through. One drawback to the band is that weight loss is slower with a band than with bypass or sleeve. Further, the band may require a half dozen fills and adjustments over the first year and annual checkups. Because of this, the band is not the best choice for someone who is self-pay vs. insurance. A band can slip in the future which may require surgery to correct. Band erosion is less common with newer bands than a decade ago but can occur. The band is supposed to be a somewhat easier recovery. Mine was an outpatient procedure whereas a sleeve or bypass would have required an overnight stay in the hospital.

The band will force you to slow down and chew your food thoroughly. It may make some foods that you'd previously like less tolerable. But, your tastes will change and habits will adapt. I think this could be said for any of the surgical options.

You may have heard of people having their band removed. Generally, these are folks who haven't adapted well to the band or are having problems such as slippage and erosion. If a band is removed, it isn't uncommon to have a bypass or sleeve at the same time of the removal.

It was the preference of my family doctor that I have a band and not consider the other options, but then I was only at a 35% BMI. I asked my surgeon which of the three procedures he would have if it were him and he said sleeve.

Make no mistake about it, any of these procedures will require you to work at weight loss. You'll still have to monitor your food intake and exercise. I am using MFP to record my food intake at about 1200 calories per day and I walk 4-5 miles a day. The good news is that I woke up and weighed in this morning at 175! Woo hoo! I feel like a million bucks.

Your bariatric surgeon and insurance company may require you to go through an extensive nutrition and education program. Embrace this time. Mine lasted six months and required a sleep study, psychological testing and counseling and lots of other medical tests. I used that time to lose about 35 lbs before surgery and actually had a BMI below 30 when I followed through and had the surgery. Many people would question why I still wanted the surgery. But, I've roller coaster dieted so many times in my life that I felt like the band would help me to keep the weight off this time. The education program that I attended had 4 weekly classes that were dedicated just to the band. Had I wanted to, I could have taken the other class on sleeve / bypass and learned more about those options before going under the knife.

My surgery was 7 weeks ago and I had my first fill 8 days ago. I've had some difficulty this week adjusting to the restriction as I have a habit of eating too fast and not chewing thoroughly. But, my band is training me to slow down. I've made it through 48 hours now without food getting stuck, so I think the worst is behind me and I have no regrets.

Hopefully you have a primary treating doctor that you can or have been talking to about the options and how well suited it is for you. If you decide to look into it further, I would ask for their suggestion on where to go. Also, consider your insurance. What hospitals are in your plan and how much coverage is available to you. For instance an In-Network hospital may provide 100% coverage while an Out Of Network hospital may only offer 80% coverage, etc. Most major hospitals these days have a Bariatric Center that deals specifically with bariatric surgeries and can provide what is recommended for you.