lower BMI -need advice LapBand vs. Gastric Bypass

dpotter

Hello All:
I am scheduled for Lap Band on 4/14/08; although I have not been through all of my doctor consultations. (Those are scheduled for next week)

I have a BMI of 37 and I am self-paying; so I do not have to hassle with insurance approvals. Just trying to decide what's the best choice for me.

Both of my parents had Gastric bypass 5 years ago and were very successful. I am using the same doctors and surgen who I thoroughly trust.

My questions include:

1)- Does anyone know if Gastric Bypass is reasonable for a lower BMI person?

2)- Did anyone look into this other option? if so, why did you choose Lap Band?

Thanks!!

karenintx

I selected the Lap Band because:

1) My husband had gastric bypass in August and has lost 95 lbs, BUT it took him a long time to recover - probably a good six weeks. There were times he was sooo sick. The idea of actually having your parts cut and rerouted just werent for me.

2) The cost of the gastric bypass for my hubby was around $35,000 which was covered by insurance. The cost of my Lap Band is around $14,000 which is NOT covered by insurance.

3) I do not have 6 - 8 weeks that I can miss for work. 1 - 2 weeks is about all I can take off due to workload.

BTW, your BMI is not all that high which would be another reason I would select the Lap Band.

Hope this helps!

dpotter

KARENINTX:

Thanks for your thoughts on this. I am in agreement with you. Especially being still relatively young - I just think the bad is a better choice.

Thanks again!!

jrg1979

I chose Lap Band over bypass 1) because of the cost. Bypass is at least twice as much 2) My BMI was also 37, and my Dr. told me my age, along with a lower BMI, made me a better candidate for the Lap Band rather than the bypass. Plus, bypass and the sleeve just scared the hell out of me.

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JENNIFER
self pay $9,500, banded: 2/14/08, Dr. Wade Barker Dallas, Texas
3/28/08 1st fill - 1.5 cc
4/24/08 2nd fill - 1.0 cc
5/21/08 3rd fill - 1.0 cc, 3.5 cc total in 4 cc band

MacMadame

I chose lap band because it's adjustable and reversable. With any WLS, there can be complications. If you have certain complications with gastric bypass, you can end up being sick for the rest of your life because it can't be undone. If you have complications with the lap band, you can -- as a last resort -- take it out.

I like the adjustable aspect too. I am not interested in dropping rapid and extreme weight loss. I mainly want to control my hunger so that I have a chance at eating healthy with normal portion sizes. With gastric bypass, you get the pouch you get -- it may be perfect for you but it may be too big so you don't get as good hunger control or too small so that you have trouble maintaining your health. The lap band, otoh, will let me get fills and I get to pick how restricted I am. I plan to pick enough restriction to control my hunger but not so much that I can't eat most foods. That's the right answer for me. Someone else may want even less restriction or even more. We both get to choose what works for us.

Finally, the mortality rate of bypass is too high for me. It's 1 in 200. I have young kids and I want to live to see them grow up. Sure, my weight will kill me eventually, but that's the key word -- eventually. I'm not going to do something today that increases my chance of dying today that much.

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Cocoabean

My BMI was 38 when I started with my surgeon. He was willing to do either surgery on me, it was my choice. If I had been diabetic vs. pre-diabetic, this would not have been the case.

But with my BMI and health history, he said either procedure would be fine for me.

My reasons for choosing the Lap Band are listed below. There is a list of reasons to pick bypass and also lists of reasons to not choose either. You have to decide which list is more powerful.

1. Hubby did not support gastric bypass, was much more comfy with the idea of the band.

2. That rubbed off on me as well. The bypass re-routes your innards and totally scrambles things up. Lap Band doesn't.

3. If food gets stuck, band can be unfilled and food passes. With bypass, they must go down the throat and remove it.

4. Should I become ill and need more nutrition, band can be unfilled.

5. Weight loss is slower at first than bypass. I think this lessens the questions from people about your weight loss. Slow and steady is the way I want it.

6. I am in control of my restriction, if there is too much, I ask for an unfill, too litte, I ask for a fill. With bypass, what you have is what you have.

I did not do any research into the Sleeve procedure, thus cannot speak to that.

Denise

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Banded 2-15-2008 / Begin Pre-Op Diet 210
Dr. Charles Callery / Day of Surgery 202
San Diego, CA
Starting weight taken on first visit with surgeon. All time high, 217.

Wheetsin

1)- Does anyone know if Gastric Bypass is reasonable for a lower BMI person? 37 isn't really a lower BMI in terms of weightlosss surgery. That's well into obese and not too far from morbid obesity. 35 is the cutoff (insurance) for most surgeries to treat obesity, but surgeons will still go below that for self-pay.

2)- Did anyone look into this other option? if so, why did you choose Lap Band? Reversibility. Removability. Adjustability. No dumping. If I wanted ice cream I could have a scoop of ice cream. There are no foods I can never have again (and if I have them, I don't have to worry about being sick/pain/etc. because of it).

Malabsorptive procedures have never really appealed to me. I'm not big on starving myself, on needing shots to get base vitamins, on malnourishing myself to weightloss, etc. There are cases for which I would advocate RnY, but I wasn't one of them. I think restricive procedures are long-term safer, and I think now especially that procedures and tools have changed, we'll start to see more long-term success with restrictive procedures over malabsorptive.

I also don't mind having to work a little for my weightloss. It lets me feel that *I'm* still accomplishing this (with some help), over having it handed to me.

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-175 pounds
Banded March 1, 2006