Band or Bypass? How do you decide?

[LBD]

I appreciate that surgeons are the best to advise on whether to opt for a band or a bypass but I was just wondering if anyone can tell me the sort of things they look at when deciding on the best route.

From my research so far it seems that the lower BMI's tend to go with a band but I have also heard that eating habits and relationships with food also play a big part in the decision process.

I would appreciate hearing about your own experiences.

Lisa x

 

[serenitylove]

i was strongly recommended to have bypass i was 25st and binged with a sweet tooth. but i knew it wasnt right for me the op itself with the mortality rates it carried were to much and i didnt want my anatomy changed, on a more mental level it was to final i couldnt face not being able to eat sweet stuff ever again. so i choose the band and am going well with it , i just knew deep down it was the one for me im having time to adjust to my weightloss as it is a slower one than with bypass i have a friend who lost 15st with the band so i know it can be done, i was fully informed that it is harder than the bypass in terms of will power and rate of lose. i think it such an individual choice just because a surgeon from a half hour meeting points you in a direction doesnt mean its the right one for you, but if your bmi is higher and your not determined i think the bypass is maybe a better option

 

[LBD]

I have about 5 stone to lose with a BMI of 37. I am more of a savoury grazer! Very bad at eating proper meals and spend most days picking at different things. Don't really have a sweet tooth but love crisps and snacks!

 

[Sambucca]

Many will say that you shouldn't go for the bypass as your BMI isnt that high (not having a dig, as I know that its you who has to be happy with your weight) Having said that, Charliegirl had a bypass at BMI 37 and is doing very well.

A band will not cure your crisp habit. A bypass will help with that a little more but it depends whether you will be one of those that suffer with dumping syndrome or not.

Are you a private or NHS patient? Is cost an issue as bypass will cost a lot more initially but then you dont have the extra costs for fills to reach the right restriction.

 

[LBD]

I am pretty sure I will be a private patient although I haven't approached my GP yet. He's not terribly sympathetic about my weight and has more or less told me to 'get a grip' in the past. The cost will therefore be an issue.

I know I don't have as much to lose as a lot of people on here but every year my weight is going up and up and so is my blood pressure. I just know I have got to get some control over this which is why I am seriously considering WLS.

 

[Sambucca]

good on you LBD for trying to sort out your weight problem now before it gets worse. I know where you are coming from when you say that you are gaining weight each year. I think most of us here are in the same boat.

Good luck with reaching the right decision for you hun xx

 

[LBD]

Thank you Sam. I know I've found the right place to help me make my decision. Everyone has been so helpful in answering my constant questions! lol

 

[j.u.s.t.l.i.z.]

hi LBD, as your bmi is under 40 id recommend a band, and more so if you havent got a sweet tooth, are you more of a grazer of a "volume" eater that loves big portions, i was that volume eater and always had my plate piled high with food, i chose the band over bypass because i needed more help with my portion control, and it has helped me deal with that, the band is hard work and it does take some will power for it to work properly, only you can make the decision of which op to have as no one knows your eating habbits intamatly, apart from yourself. you need to be honest with yourself about those eating habbits and that should help you make the correct decision, whats best for you.

liz x

 

[brett30]

hiya LBD ...... I'm 6ft2 and 26 stone ... I'm having a gastric bypass cause i don't eat large meals and i have a sweet tooth too .. i like to pick all the time crisps etc ....

i do cook large meals but very rare i sit and want to fill my self up with that large meal and i leave it .. and 20 Min's later i will have a bar of choc ...

i wanted the bypass cause i wanted it to be there for life and for me to remain strong ..

i think with the band u have to have the will power and stick at it .
with the bypass u don't have a choice .. and thats what i need

i did not wanna go and have fills all the time i wanted to see results quicker .. and lose weight quick .. i have lived all my life like this and i don't wanna fight anymore .. so i would rather go with the bypass and know its a life long change ..

bypass can be twice the price of band also ..

but i do know people who have lost 10 stone or more with band ..

so its will power ..

good luck with ur choice ... ;o)

 

[charliegirl]

When I approached my GP for a band my BMI was 35...when I saw Dr New at Hope Hospital he said he from my eating habits he did not know if bypass or band was the better option and referred me to the surgeon Mr Ammori...he asked what I wanted and I said I thought after the research I had carried out that the bypass would be more suitable for me and he said he agreed...by the time I had surgery a few months later my BMI was just topping 37...mine was funded by Lancs PCT due to co morbidities...hope this helps...xx

 

[LBD]

Charliegirl, what co morbidities did you have if you dont mind me asking?

 

[Toadi x]

Hi LBD, im like you i prefer savoury to sweet things but i arnt so much a picker i eat a large portions but not in masses. You would think that the band would be the option for me but i know and have been advised bypass really is the only option for me. I know some ppl think that this statment is a cop out but its in my genes and has been proven iv had all the tests possible and have been motered over the past 5 years to the volumes in which i eat and no 1 has an explination to the reson i am as big as what i am. The only thing i was told is that every1 is different and unfortunatly i was 1 of the unlucky ones but as its in the family theres not much i could do. It started from when i was young me and my sister was fed the same things and infact i was the more active of us both being on most the sports teams but yet i was alot bigger then her. I mean i even had my colesteral level taken bout 3 month ago and the doctor was shocked because it was better then hers lol. So the bypass will stop me not only having a large portion but absorbing the fats in which i guess is making me so big and not only that a bypass has ristrictions on what foods u can and cant eat where as the band just limits the size of what you eat.
Every 1s needs are different so you need to do the best thing that is right for you and also weigh up the risks!!! do your research hun b4 making your mind up but keep us up dated. Hope all goes well hun xXx

 

[Silversurfer]

Found this table somewhere which shows the differences between the band and bypass.

Gastric BandGastric BypassLaparoscopic operationYesYesTechnical difficultyRelatively straightforwardRequires advanced laparoscopic skillsHospital stay24 hrs48 hrsComplicationsUncommonUncommon but can be seriousReversibilityStraightforwardDifficultStart of weight lossMinimum of 6 weeksStarts immediatelyExpected weight loss30-60% of excess weight70% of excess weightFailure to lose weight0.1<1%

Note - Sorry cant get the table to copy and paste - so you'll have to work it out ;-)

The expected weight lose stats were derived from a group of 1000 different paitents so are in no way conclusive, but give an indication of what the average person should/coul expect from either op as a lose.

With pure statistics in mind, if you are say 20 stone (start weight) and with a band statistically you can expect to lose 50% of your excess body weight, - in my mind that still leaves you at 15 stone, which depending on your start BMI will still leave you class 1 obese.

With a bypass and using the same start weight and supposing you lost the average 70% you'd be be 13 stone - so a bit closer to a recognised healthier weight.

Ok so this is pure fact and based on stats alone, as Serenity said a lot depends on your will power and the way you work with your tool, and as Serenity also said she knows someone thats lost a load with a band, so it can be done !

Theres 101 reasons to go for either op based on your own unique criteria and whats right for one isn't always right for the other, end of the day you will need to live and work with your chosen tool, personally i see both as a life long change, whether you have a bypass thats not easilly reversed or a band that is, in my mind this is a one way trip and personally i want my tool with me now for life.

Good luck SS

 

[charliegirl]

Charliegirl, what co morbidities did you have if you dont mind me asking?

I have replied to your PM...but to answer this question I have, high BP, cholestrol and mild sleep apnea....hope this helps ask if you want to know any more...xx

 

[tesmaralda]

Hi I chose a bypass because I haven't got the will power that a band requires to help it work and I knew that I would be able to find out all the ways of cheating the band and probably invent some new ones to lol. I love chocolate and cake and biscuits and am (please don't anybody take this the wrong way) but am hoping that I will be one of the people that will dump on the sweet sugary stuff, and from speaking to others who have had a bypass sweet things become really sweeat nad your tastes change. Eventually when my boday and my eating patterns return to normal I will be able to eat sweet things again but in moderation. I will also be able to have more normal size portions and feel full instead of eating for a whole football team.

Ultimately you have to be truely honest with your self about your eating habits and your relationship with foods and use this along with research and your surgeons advice to find the right tool to aid your weight loss journey.

Hope this helps

 

[Spikeyjaycee]

Well as someone who has yet to actually see the consultant......I fluctuate daily from band to bypass. My BMI is 54 and I have a sweet tooth so the bypass would probably be better for me as it is the strictest of regimes. However, saying that, the amount of pain and risk of dying that are real possibilities is daunting (and I know hubby isn't keen on the risks) and recovery time is longer than bypass. I think I will wait until I see the consultant on 29 April and be guided by what he recommends.