I would say Lapband, since its reversible. A girl whose blog I follow had gastric and she has a lot of problems to deal with daily. She has to take tons of vitamins and has to really watch her protein intake and stuff. She also gets sick a lot from it. Which sucks, but she went from 350+ to 179, and still losing.

I am struggling with my weight as well, I wish I was brave enough to go through a weight loss surgery.

As someone with hypothyroidism, damaged knees, and a family history of diabetes I can understand the frustration you're feeling. From what I gathered, the LapBand procedure is much safer and better for your body than Gastric Bypass or Gastric Sleeve surgeries.

My grandmother had a GB done around 1975 or so. Gastric takes out a large portion of your stomach, and while that is permanent, it's also easily undone by continuing to drink soda, or otherwise overeat and stretch your stomach back out. Basically, GB gives your food a direct route to the toilet, letting less of it be consumed by the body.

Lapband is reversible, and does minimal damage to your body. It restricts the capacity of your stomache to small amounts (IE, two or three bites) at any time. Basically, you'll be eating a bite or two throughout the day. Any more than that will make you sick.
The downside to this is frequent visits to your doctor to get saline injected into the band, via shots directed into ports underneath your skin, and to monitor weight loss and so on. If too much saline is put in the LB, it's uncomfortable; too little saline, and it's ineffective. The first few visits will be focusing on finding that balance, pretty much. Also, your diet will have to change; less red meat, little to no soda, basically limit anything that will make you gassy and stress your stomache.

If a hospital near you offers the Lab Band, chances are they hold free seminars on it. That's where I learned most of what I know, paired up with meeting people who have had it done.

After looking at the numbers posted on LapBand's website, I decided against it. Something like 30% of patients having to undergo a second surgery to adjust their band? It may be less, but it made me shy from that path.

If you haven't already, be sure to talk these options over with your physician. They know your current conditions and such, and would be able to help you decide which is better for your body and lifestyle.

My mother had gastric bypass done in 1992 (told by her doctor that she'd die by the time she was 40 - 300 pounds on a five-foot VERY petite frame was killing her). She did very well on it, using as the tool that it is, adjusted her dietary and exercise habits, and was one of their poster-girls for it. However, it has been catching up with her (now in her mid-50's) because she can't absorb nutrients as well, liver problems, kidney problems, hair loss, digestive problems, and bone loss (due to malabsorption of calcium).

The bypass takes out large sections of the intestines, and there are parts of the intestines that absorb nutrients much better than the stomach - like calcium and iron and such. Not to mention that a bypass is irreversible. The Lap-Band allows proper absorption of nutrients and is reversible.

What I find annoying is that people expect bariatric surgery to be a 'miracle cure' when all it is is a tool to help with weight loss, just like gym equipment and food scales. You have to use it properly to get results. I'm certainly not ready for it myself, despite the current lowering of acceptance to a 35 BMI (30 BMI with co-morbidities) (I have a 36 BMI); it'll definitely be a last ditch option when I've exhausted other possibilities and/or a doctor says "Do it or die in two years".

Remember - it's a tool, not a miracle.

save your money and change your diet and your mindset and don't waste your money on a cop out. its so common for people who have those procedures to gain the weight back and put even more on.

Aw! I'm so sorry to hear about your health problems the polycystic ovary and all. I have a lot of female issues like endometriosis so I know it's not easy on a woman.

I really don't know about the surgery. I recently saw I believe one of those commericals that warn you about really bad drugs and stuff, that said something about the lap band. I'm unsure what it was and I know nothing about the surgeries as far as side effects and risks. I always thought from the little I knew, that lap band sounded pretty good since I've saw some very nice success stories from people who have had an amazing turn around in their health since getting it.

I hope that whichever you choose works out wonderfully for you! I know this can't be an easy decision. I wish you the very best of luck with this and the surgery. Do keep us updated when and if you decide anything.

Only worth it if you really need to lose weigh