Bariatric surgery [View all]

I don't see any topics on it here, so I don't know what the general opinion of it is around here. I have the vague feeling that it may be frowned upon within this group.

I am considering lap band surgery rather than gastric bypass. I'm not comfortable with all the re-routing of internal plumbing that goes with gastric bypass. And the side-effects (malabsorption of nutrients, 'dumping syndrome', etc.) also scare me. And it is really major surgery. Lap-band seems to have fewer risks and a shorter recovery time, although the weight loss tends to be slower. Slower sounds healthier to me. And it can be reversed in an emergency, whereas gastric bypass can not be reversed.

I have been heavy my entire life. Both of my parents and my only sibling were obese, and all developed type 2 diabetes in middle age. My Mom is also legally blind because of diabetes. My Dad died of a stroke at age 64. I already have hypertension and I had a mini-stroke last year. That scared the crap out of me. I'm currently 48 years old, and have back problems, knee problems, and very likely have sleep apnea as well. (being tested for that soon) I currently weigh about twice what would be considered a healthy weight for my height.

I've been on many diets and food plans. While I have lost weight on some of them, I always gain the weight back. My biggest weight-loss successes have been on prepared-meal plans like Nutrisystem and Jenny Craig. But eventually, it gets expensive to stay on those plans, and I quit. Then the weight gradually comes back on.

I'd like to hear people's opinions. I've only just started the evaluation process for this surgery, so it would be a few months before I go under the knife. It's a long process, and I will be evaluated by doctors in several different specialties before I can get approved.

So please discuss - I am interested to hear what people have to say on the subject.