band or bypass, the right choice?

[cherylxx]

hi everyone,
for a few months now ive been researching and considering gastric surgery.
i have tried many many various diets in the past, the most successful being the cambridge diet where i lost 3 1/2 stones in 4 months before stopping the diet due to severe constipation, then slowly gaining almost 4 stones, making me heavier than i started before.
to begin with i was only considering the gastric band (thanx to a few celebrity successes) and to be honest i did consider it to be the easier option.
however, im not so sure now.
the problem i have is i am a food addict and although i desperately want to be slim and can think of nothing nicer than a small meal actually being enough for me and me not wanting seconds and then dessert , BUT the way my 'present' state of mind thinks is that i could have the band to get slim and then have it removed and be so determined to stay slim that i will never overeat again.
am i insane, i doubt that could ever be so simple.
gastric bypass seems the most likely to work permanently but it also scares the hell out of me. whereas a band can be reversed if something goes wrong, what happens if something goes wrong after bypass? that cant be reversed.
i have an appointment with my gp with regards to being referred for surgery and want to be as informed as possible but at present i cant even tell her exactly what i want.
i have to get this right this time, there are no more chances, its all or nothing.
any help or experiences would be greatly appreciated guys n gals

 

[Taz]

You are not insane but I think that having it removed after losing the weight is a bad idea if you want to start eating larger portions again as this would only make you gain the weight again. I'd think the bypass would be your best option for life long success as at the moment it seems food is a real issue and you need something more physical to stop you overeating or eating the wrong thing. A band would force you to eat smaller portions but you still need a lot of restraint as a band can be sabotaged.

You really need to discuss your options with the specialist as they will be able to give you more practical and informed advice. Unfortunately there is no easy answer. I wish you the best of luck x

 

[Perissa]

It really is a personal choice.

For me the choice was really an easy one because, putting it simply, you can cheat with a band. I know I would have cheated and my surgeon agreed with me.

Also I didn't like the thought of being able to feel the port. I also didn't like the thought of having to have fills.

Not a day has gone by where I have regreted having a bypass.

 

[lozzers_losing_weight]

correct me if i'm wrong, but when you go to see your gp about a referal you dont need tohave made a decision about what procedure you want done. i am led to believe that, that is dicussed with a specialist and you make the decision together as they can run through everything with you and help you make the decision which is best for you.

with the best will in the world i dont think you can ever completely make your mind up until you have seen the surgeon and there may always been someting that you have not considered which then may sway it for you.

good luck in whatever you choose!

 

[cherylxx]

thank you for the replies,
taz, i think u may be right.
ive seen people say they opted for the bypass as they were chocoholics and chocolate is a no no after a bypass whereas can be a cheat with a band fitted. then ive seen others opting for a band because they have portion control issues, eating large meals and the band would help with restriction.
i must be the worst of the worst as i seem to have both issues, i can eat a huge meal followed by some lovely chocolate dessert. .
with the doctors appointment, its more the fact that when u look at the guidelines for acceptance for referrals one of the pointers is that the patient ' has an informed understanding of the procedure'.
i guess that just makes me feel like i should have some idea of what i want.
another problem i have ya see is (please dont read any further if u are at all squeamish), i suffer from chronic IBS.
i have serious bouts of diarrhea, which have left me housebound for long periods and i can never be far from a toilet as a result as it is somewhat unpredictable.
would a bypass or a band worsen or even lessen this condition? ahhh, i can never do something straight forward, there always has to be some sort of confusion or complication:sigh:

 

[Taz]

I think only your doctor can answer that. I think also, if you go to your doctor and say you want a band fitted he can refer you to the bariatric surgeons and from there you can discuss your options in more detail. As long as you know what the proceedures are and what they involve I think that would satisfy that criteria!

 

[shelbell]

Hi, I have IBS and the bypass has lessened the effects of this considerably. Mine was aggravated by intolerances to dairy, wheat, turkey, pork, cauliflower and MSG, which I gave up pre-op. Now that I eat tinier portions none of those foods affect me and I can eat them all with no problems. So long as I take benefibre every day I have no bowel problems at all.

 

[cherylxx]

thanx shell, thats possibly the best answer i was hoping for .
i know with the bypass they change the function of the body so wondered if this might worsen things so uve made my day now.

 

[mintball]

Cheryl,

I went to see the consultant with only a band in mind, no-one could talk me into a bypass, that was too severe.

Told consultant my problems, he told me all the pro's and cons of each and I went away. I then came on here and asked every question I could think of and I felt exactly the same as you, reading ur first post on this thread, it could have been me writing it.

I'm sat here now 3 weeks post op with a bypass and don't regret a thing. Everyones different and as long as you go into it with an open mind, you'll make the right decision. You're quite local to us and we had a meet-up recently, maybe next time we do you should come along and meet some people that have have the procedure.

Hope this helps x x x

 

[WeightlossWannabee]

Hi, Cheryl,
I had my first referral appointment in January. The doctor asked if I had made a decision about what surgery I wanted. I said that although I thought a bypass would suit my eating habits better, I felt a band would be 'safer'. He told me that surgically, there's nothing in it, and that surgery for the bypass is no more dangerous than the band. He also said that the band can fail in 50% of cases (by that, I took it to mean that you can 'cheat'). I certainly wouldn't want to go through surgery again if the band failed so a bypass it is, for me.

 

[charliegirl]

I went to see the consultant at the obesity clinic with a view to having the band fitted, as I only wanted to lose 6 stone I thought a bypass was not warranted. When I spoke to him and told him all about me he said he could not decide if a band or the bypass would be best and referred me on to the surgeon. Prior to seeing him I researched and read everything on here about both procedures. When I finally saw the surgeon he asked what I wanted and I told him the bypass and my reasons for it, ie I would cheat on the band and he agreed that with my eating habits the bypass was the best option and I am so glad I did not rush into it and get the wrong procedure for me..take on board the advice you are given and ask as many questions as you want before you reach your decision along with your surgeon...xx