What is the best weight loss surgery to get?

Only you can decide that with the help of your physician. There is no one thing that is "best" for "everyone". Your physician should give you a lot of direction to research all the pro's and con's of the different types of weight loss surgery. Then you may want to ask what others have experienced - but remember, just because it affected another in one way, doesn't mean it would be the same for you.

Good luck with making your decision. Joyce

Yes, there are different types of weight loss surgery performed nowadays, On e nest and most effective weight loss surgery is Gastric Band Surgery. This is so because it is least invasive surgery performed laparoscopically which means it involves least hospital stay. Secondly, mortality rate is very less i.e. 1 in every 2000 patients. Risks are very rare. There is no dumping syndrome. If followed with correct and proper gastric lap band surgery diet, you will lose significant weight with least complications.

I'm just going to throw this out there, because I'm seeing it happen to my dad right now. On an episode of the Biggest Loser that I saw, the doctor/trainers were talking about weight loss surgeries, since more than a few of the contestants previously had these surgeries (this should indicate where I'm going with this).

They said that these surgeries will help you lose weight, but they're only dealing with your current physical problem. A surgery is not going to change you mentally, and unless you have some sort of medical condition, your mental state is what got you (and the rest of us) into this mess in the first place. I know that's true of myself, and that's been that hardest thing to work on: developing a healthy relationship with food and keeping motivated to exercise.

My Dad had a gastric bypass procedure a little over a year ago, and he quickly lost a little over a hundred lbs. If he ate too much, he would throw up. He had to take lots of vitamins to supplement his nutrition, and he was eating generally healthy foods (compared to before). Fast forward to today, and he's back to his old ways. He's managed to stretch his stomach back to a size where he can eat more than I can in a sitting, and he refuses to eat anything that's green. He gained back about 45 lbs nearly as quickly as he lost it after his procedure. An unfortunate side effect of his procedure was that part of his stomach/intestines/whatever that helps to absorb nutrients was removed in the procedure, and he's dealing with the complications from this as well as gaining back a good portion of his weight.

My dad chose surgery because he thought it was the "easiest" solution, but he never really solved his real problems with food or self image. You're really young still, and I think that if you talked to a dietitian and started moving (walking, swimming, or anything), you'd start to see some progress on your own, and that will be really rewarding.

I actually know 2 people personally who had this surgery, and one through a friend. Of the two people I know, one lost so much weight so quickly that she had ssssooooooo much excess skin that the poor dear just wasn't attractive at all. She looked healthier and better when she was heavier than she did after the surgery. The second one I know had a successful surgery, but had trouble changing her eating habits and gained all the weight back anyways.

My advice:
- Slow weight loss, while annoying to us is the best. It means that you're changing your diet and your getting HEALTHY. Not to mention that slow weight loss avoids excess skin.
- If you don't learn to control your eating now, it's not going to be any easier after the surgery than it is now. So if you don't control your eating, and you have the surgery, you'll most likely gain some, if not all of the weight back. So if you choose to control your diet and exercise now, you should see weight loss which will make the surgery kind of moot.

Long story short, I personally don't believe surgery should be used unless it's used to save your life. Every procedure is a risk on your life. You just have to decide if loosing weight quickly is worth the risk, as opposed to loosing the weight naturally.

But again, my friends' experience with this hasn't gone well, so I would say don't do it. But every case is unique, so again. You have to make the decision.

I too got the offer to have weight loss surgery. I chose to say no, and do it right. The surgery, as stated above, only takes care of your physical issue. It doesn't necessarily teach you to do right.
If I were you, I'd simply get serious about losing weight. I mean, DEAD SERIOUS! Do it right. Stay with people here on FatSecret - you're in an awesome place to accomplish this. I'm living proof that it can be done. If I can do it, so can you. It's a matter of taking the first step, and then another, and another... YOu can do it.

You might also look into food sensitivities first. I'm 67. I was never able to lose weight and keep it off.I found out I can't eat gluten and dropped weight at about two pounds a week. Many food sensitivities can cause you to gain and hold on to weight. I would have a food panel, a gluten panel and thyroid testing done before you consider surgery. Surgery is very permanent. Mortality rate is also a consideration. It was mentioned above that one in 2000 dies. I had a friend who was one of the ones. She died three days after surgery . . . not from the surgery but from complications. Please look to other avenues before doing something so drastic. This is a wonderful site full of wonderful people who are losing the healthy, natural way. King Keld is a shining example. Good luck and good health.

When you say that you've tried to lose weight, what exactly do you mean? If your approach has included fad diets, pills, excessive processed foods or extreme calorie restriction, they might have done you more harm than good. If this sounds like you, I'd suggest picking up a copy of Jillian Michael's "Master your Metabolism" (you can check it out from the library or find a cheap used copy online) to see if you can help to get back on track that way- she's got some good meal plans in there, too. The sensitivites thing is a good suggestion and also make sure you have your thyroid checked, if you haven't already. People are impacted by a bunch of different factors and many people find that cutting processed foods, artificial sweeteners, carbs, dairy or similar items makes a huge difference. Before going to surgery (which has serious risks and downsides), log your calories and exercise meticulously and experiment with cutting out different things to see what works on your body. I think you probably can find something that works, just be patient and stick with it! Another thing to remember with surgery is that you HAVE to change the factors that make you overweight to begin with or else you'll end up back where you started. If you go into surgery without knowing why you gain weight, you'll be putting yourself on a path that leads right back to where you are today. What may seem like a failed weight loss attempt is really a lesson in what doesn't work. Don't discount the importance of the learning process in the weight loss battle- it's absolutely crucial to long-term success!

Are you wanting your insurance to cover this? Most insurance comapanies will require you to do the following: nutirional consult, psychological exam, and they will make you go on a physician supervised diet for around 6 months. This isn't a procedure that will be approved overnight.

Another thing to consider is the surgery cost. You are looking at $17,000-$30,000 and once approved by insurance, it will typically only cover 80% of the cost.

My suggestion is to take the money that you would spend on the surgery and invest in a nutritionist and personal trainer. Teach yourself the healthy why to lose weight and keep it off for good.

I to had thought of surgery but some one said to go to the YMCA and see what they have to offer.I did go and they started me off slow and just as much as I could do.Now I go at least 4x's a week and walk on the treadmill for 15 minutes and use 7 different weight machines and in total I am now lifting 7,920lbs and I feel great.