Re: getting confused; band or sleeve?

[Guest guest]

Keep in mind, the ONLY reason you would want to remove your band is if the band itself is causing you problems.Don't look at the ability to be reversible when making choices here, with time I promise you, you will not want reversible and you will get to a point where you'd give your right arm to KEEP your band. If you lose your band it is like losing a leg. There is absolutely nothing that is great about the ability to remove a band, you just have to convert to another procedure. Revision surgery is expensive and risky, your stomach most certainly does NOT go back the exactly the way it was before banding, that is another myth we seem to all believe at the time of banding.

Think of it this way, since there is no reason to remove a band except for band-caused problems, why would you want to reverse the procedure and regain your weight? Nobody knows what long term banding will do as the longest anyone has had a band is 20 years. We do know the long term effects of VSG as people have been getting the more radical procedure - a straight gastrectomy, since early 1900s.

Banding or sleeves, one or the other is great but decide what you want up front, don't do as I did and change your mind. ;o)On Tue, Jun 3, 2008 at 10:21 PM, nhtravelor <nhtravelor@...> wrote:

Hi all,

I am going to be banded on June 10. Now I am wondering if I should

switch to sleeve? I just don't want to deal with this crazy appetite

that made me fat in the first place, and the sleeve sounds too good to

be true... so what to do? any opinion? Nobody knows the long term

effects, either, and I am in my early 30's and have not a child yet

and concerned of the long time effects... whereas the band can be

reversed and the sleeve can not. very confused. how does everyone feel

about it?

NHT

[Guest guest]

I was sleeved 01/08/08 and have lost 53lbs so far, with 27lbs left til goal. I was orginally slated for a LapBand, but switched my procedure a month from my surgery date after learning more about the VSG. I'm very happy with my choice. The long term compliations for the VSG are minimal. Once you get over your first month where a leak is the most likely to occur, complications are rare. With the LapBand it's the reverse, complications occur more frequently over time (slips, erosions, port/tubing failures, etc). I'm rarely hungry, I can eat whatever I want but in tiny portions. I have vomited, but once I got over the learning curve (ie, the first month of solid food where you're re-learning how to eat) it became a very rare occurence. I do have problems with GERD, but I had them pre-sleeve too. Truth be told, I probably could have lost all of my weight by now, but

working 40hrs a week and taking 8 science college credits has not been condusive to me dieting well or working out. I plan to be at goal by mid August. The two advantages to the sleeve is the removal of grehilin, the hunger hormone. I haven't felt that clawing hunger sensation since my surgery. Instead I have this thought "Hmm. It's 2pm. I've been up since 7am and I forgot to eat breakfast. Perhaps I should eat...." The biggest advantage in my book is it's a one-and-done procedure. I don't have to fuss with fills, unfills, slips, erosions, fluro, port repositioning, nadda! I doubt the sleeve would pose a problem with pregnancy. If people with RNY and DS can have most of their stomach removed and their intestines re-routed and STILL have a healthy pregnancy, I don't see why a VSG'er couldn't. nhtravelor

<nhtravelor@...> wrote: Hi all,I am going to be banded on June 10. Now I am wondering if I shouldswitch to sleeve? I just don't want to deal with this crazy appetitethat made me fat in the first place, and the sleeve sounds too good tobe true... so what to do? any opinion? Nobody knows the long termeffects, either, and I am in my early 30's and have not a child yetand concerned of the long time effects... whereas the band can bereversed and the sleeve can not. very confused. how does everyone feelabout

it?NHT

[Guest guest]

Thanks, Bipley, Can I ask you what your complications were?I am getting more confused what to do with my surgery.... it is in a week... but it does appeal to me greatly....Thanks for your input,NHT Re: getting confused; band or sleeve?

Keep in mind, the ONLY reason you would want to remove your band is if the band itself is causing you problems.Don't look at the ability to be reversible when making choices here, with time I promise you, you will not want reversible and you will get to a point where you'd give your right arm to KEEP your band. If you lose your band it is like losing a leg. There is absolutely nothing that is great about the ability to remove a band, you just have to convert to another procedure. Revision surgery is expensive and risky, your stomach most certainly does NOT go back the exactly the way it was before banding, that is another myth we seem to all believe at the time of banding.

Think of it this way, since there is no reason to remove a band except for band-caused problems, why would you want to reverse the procedure and regain your weight? Nobody knows what long term banding will do as the longest anyone has had a band is 20 years. We do know the long term effects of VSG as people have been getting the more radical procedure - a straight gastrectomy, since early 1900s.

Banding or sleeves, one or the other is great but decide what you want up front, don't do as I did and change your mind. ;o)On Tue, Jun 3, 2008 at 10:21 PM, nhtravelor <nhtravelor (DOT) com> wrote:

Hi all,

I am going to be banded on June 10. Now I am wondering if I should

switch to sleeve? I just don't want to deal with this crazy appetite

that made me fat in the first place, and the sleeve sounds too good to

be true... so what to do? any opinion? Nobody knows the long term

effects, either, and I am in my early 30's and have not a child yet

and concerned of the long time effects... whereas the band can be

reversed and the sleeve can not. very confused. how does everyone feel

about it?

NHT

[Guest guest]

Well, I have had a few. Stoma spasms, esophageal spasms, esophageal motility issues, port pain and swelling, .. to name a few.On Wed, Jun 4, 2008 at 10:35 AM, New Horizon Traveler <nhtravelor@...> wrote:

Thanks, Bipley, Can I ask you what your complications were?

I am getting more confused what to do with my surgery.... it is in a week... but it does appeal to me greatly....Thanks for your input,NHT

Re: getting confused; band or sleeve?

Keep in mind, the ONLY reason you would want to remove your band is if the band itself is causing you problems.Don't look at the ability to be reversible when making choices here, with time I promise you, you will not want reversible and you will get to a point where you'd give your right arm to KEEP your band. If you lose your band it is like losing a leg. There is absolutely nothing that is great about the ability to remove a band, you just have to convert to another procedure. Revision surgery is expensive and risky, your stomach most certainly does NOT go back the exactly the way it was before banding, that is another myth we seem to all believe at the time of banding.

Think of it this way, since there is no reason to remove a band except for band-caused problems, why would you want to reverse the procedure and regain your weight? Nobody knows what long term banding will do as the longest anyone has had a band is 20 years. We do know the long term effects of VSG as people have been getting the more radical procedure - a straight gastrectomy, since early 1900s.

Banding or sleeves, one or the other is great but decide what you want up front, don't do as I did and change your mind. ;o)On Tue, Jun 3, 2008 at 10:21 PM, nhtravelor <nhtravelor (DOT) com> wrote:

Hi all,

I am going to be banded on June 10. Now I am wondering if I should

switch to sleeve? I just don't want to deal with this crazy appetite

that made me fat in the first place, and the sleeve sounds too good to

be true... so what to do? any opinion? Nobody knows the long term

effects, either, and I am in my early 30's and have not a child yet

and concerned of the long time effects... whereas the band can be

reversed and the sleeve can not. very confused. how does everyone feel

about it?

NHT

[Guest guest]

Sounds pretty awful. How long have you had all this, since you got banded? Hope you are feeling better. How's recovery? NHT Re: [Dr-Aceves-bandster s] getting confused; band or sleeve?

Keep in mind, the ONLY reason you would want to remove your band is if the band itself is causing you problems.Don't look at the ability to be reversible when making choices here, with time I promise you, you will not want reversible and you will get to a point where you'd give your right arm to KEEP your band. If you lose your band it is like losing a leg. There is absolutely nothing that is great about the ability to remove a band, you just have to convert to another procedure. Revision surgery is expensive and risky, your stomach most certainly does NOT go back the exactly the way it was before banding, that is another myth we seem to all believe at the time of banding.

Think of it this way, since there is no reason to remove a band except for band-caused problems, why would you want to reverse the procedure and regain your weight? Nobody knows what long term banding will do as the longest anyone has had a band is 20 years. We do know the long term effects of VSG as people have been getting the more radical procedure - a straight gastrectomy, since early 1900s.

Banding or sleeves, one or the other is great but decide what you want up front, don't do as I did and change your mind. ;o)On Tue, Jun 3, 2008 at 10:21 PM, nhtravelor <nhtravelor (DOT) com> wrote:

Hi all,

I am going to be banded on June 10. Now I am wondering if I should

switch to sleeve? I just don't want to deal with this crazy appetite

that made me fat in the first place, and the sleeve sounds too good to

be true... so what to do? any opinion? Nobody knows the long term

effects, either, and I am in my early 30's and have not a child yet

and concerned of the long time effects... whereas the band can be

reversed and the sleeve can not. very confused. how does everyone feel

about it?

NHT