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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Is Bariatric Surgery A Safe Procedure?

Hello... I am having a hard time deciding on the correct Bariatric surgery. I currently have the lap band and have had it for 10yrs. It was never successful for me. After much research, I decided to have it taken out. When I approached a bariatric surgeon to discuss the removal of the band, he offered me the option of having a revision, converting to either gastric by-pass or gastric sleeve. I first thought I would prefer the sleeve, but the surgeon thinks the by-pass is the best option for me because of possible scar tissue from the band. He was very kind and explained throughly the pros and cons of both procedures. It seems to make much more sense to do the by-passs, but I guess I am just a little gun shy because It seems like a much bigger procedure and I don’t want another failure like I have had with the lap band. I need help deciding on which surgery would be best for me. I would love to hear your input on which lap-band revision might be the best. Thank you, scaredy-cat
posted on Sat, 28 Oct 2017
Twitter Mon, 16 Jul 2018 Answered on
Twitter Wed, 18 Jul 2018 Last reviewed on
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General & Family Physician,  's  Response
Hello and Welcome to ‘Ask A Doctor’ service.
I have reviewed your query and here is my advice.

If your doctor feels that bypass is the best option for you then you need to go for it. I will tell you some of the basic differences which can make things clear to you. Bypass is obviously a little more sophisticated procedure as you know, but make give you better results in the end. 1. How they work: Both make you feel full sooner while eating. Only sleeve makes you feel less hungry generally, and only bypass reduces the amount of minerals your body absorbs. 2. Qualify: Same requirements (30+ BMI with health problems, 40+ without). 3. Hospital & recovery: Sleeve is a less complicated procedure with a shorter operating time. In-hospital and post-op recovery is similar. Weight loss & health improvement: Similar at 2 years post-op, but bypass patients tend to keep more weight off over the long-term. 4. Insurance: Same (if your policy covers bariatric surgery, both sleeve and bypass will be covered). 5. Cost: Same with insurance, bypass is about 25% more expensive without insurance. 6. Diet & life after: Similar diet and exercise regimen, but bypass requires stricter supplementation and vitamin level monitoring. 7. Complications & side effects: Both have a 99.8% survival rate. Bypass has a higher risk of complications and side effects.

Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr Sanjay Kini
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Is Bariatric Surgery A Safe Procedure?

Hello and Welcome to ‘Ask A Doctor’ service. I have reviewed your query and here is my advice. If your doctor feels that bypass is the best option for you then you need to go for it. I will tell you some of the basic differences which can make things clear to you. Bypass is obviously a little more sophisticated procedure as you know, but make give you better results in the end. 1. How they work: Both make you feel full sooner while eating. Only sleeve makes you feel less hungry generally, and only bypass reduces the amount of minerals your body absorbs. 2. Qualify: Same requirements (30+ BMI with health problems, 40+ without). 3. Hospital & recovery: Sleeve is a less complicated procedure with a shorter operating time. In-hospital and post-op recovery is similar. Weight loss & health improvement: Similar at 2 years post-op, but bypass patients tend to keep more weight off over the long-term. 4. Insurance: Same (if your policy covers bariatric surgery, both sleeve and bypass will be covered). 5. Cost: Same with insurance, bypass is about 25% more expensive without insurance. 6. Diet & life after: Similar diet and exercise regimen, but bypass requires stricter supplementation and vitamin level monitoring. 7. Complications & side effects: Both have a 99.8% survival rate. Bypass has a higher risk of complications and side effects. Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further. Regards, Dr Sanjay Kini