The alimentary canal is thirty-two feet long. You control only the first three inches of it. Control it well.

Kin Hubbard

Proverbs 25:28

 28 Like a city whose walls are broken down
       is a man who lacks self-control.

Other Surgeries Available

A lot of people defend their surgery as the best. The truth is, you must pick the surgery that suits you as a person. Each surgery works for some people, and each fails some people. All surgeries are just tools. They are not cure alls. You will have to have will power and modify your eating habits with all. Some carry slightly higher risks, with maybe better overall success. This is a very personal decision, and only one you can make for yourself. Here is a site that compares the surgeries side by side. Here are some of the common surgeries that are offered:

 

1)      LAP-BAND®

 

a)      The Lap-Band is an adjustable band that is placed around the upper portion of your stomach to create restriction. This means that you can’t eat as much. There is a port site placed under the skin that allows the doctors to have access to increasing or decreasing the restriction caused. Patients need a great deal of will power with this procedure, because you can still eat just about anything, including high calorie milkshakes and such. The lap-band was not initially designed to be permanent. It was designed to get someone who was a surgical risk due to their weight, down to a safe weight to perform the gastric bypass. So many people were having great success with losing weight that they decided to make it permanent. It was approved by the FDA in June of 2001.

 

i)        Advantages:

(1)   Adjustable. Not enough restriction? Just get a fill.

(2)   Less operative time and risk.

(3)   Reversible

(4)   No dumping

 

ii)       Disadvantages:

(1)   Reversible

(2)   It is a foreign body – problems like erosion and slippage can occur.

(3)   Almost everyone requires multiple fills, each one costing about $600.

(4)   Weight loss with the band is quite variable. Generally weight loss is not as good as with the RNY and DS.

(5)   No dumping

 

    Here is a site that compares the Lap Band to the RNY procedure.

 

2)      Duodenal Switch

 

 

a)      This surgery is gaining momentum in the US. It differs from the RNY in many different aspects. First, 75% of the stomach is actually removed, making this surgery completely irreversible. The pyloric valve is left in place, so dumping syndrome generally does not occur. The person can eat normal foods, just in smaller amounts. The intestines are bypassed farther down than the RNY, which means more malabsorption occurs. Patients needs for supplements greatly increase, and they must be committed to taking them everyday, just like the RNY patient. Studies have shown that this surgery is much better for the super morbidly obese patient, as they lose more weight and keep more off than the RNY surgery. More and more patients with BMI’s less than 50 are having this surgery done with great results. This surgery carries a greater surgical risk than the RNY and Lap-Band, but has better long-term results. IT is also sometimes difficult to find a surgeon who will perform this procedure.

 

i)        Advantages:

(1)   Eat normally

(2)   No Dumping syndrome

(3)   Statistically greater weight loss

 

ii)       Disadvantages:

(1)   No dumping

(2)   More nutritional deficiencies

(3)   Foul gas and BMs

(4)   Multiple BMs a day

(5)   Kidney Stones

(6)   Loss of too much weight

There are yet other surgeries available. Hopefully I will have more information up here soon about them as well. Please do as much research as you can, and choose well. Choose which will best suit you and the lifestyle you live. Good Luck =)