Is lap band as effective as bariatric?

[bruceH]

It's my understanding that lap band isn't as bad as surgery procedure as bariatric. is it as effective? Is there more/less risk?

[brightstar]

I think lap band has a lower risk but not as much effectiveness. It depends on the person though. It's really a good idea to ask that one to your doctor.

[tracy1976]

I think they are two different versions of the same thing. I'd say that they probably give pretty similar benefits to each other. One uses a device to make the stomach smaller and the other one uses the removal of a section of the stomach. Neither sounds low risk, but I think with benefits they're probably close.

[Beth]

I would go with bariatric over lap band. I've seen horror stories about those devices. THe surgery has been around for so so long. The devices are still new enough that i'd feel like a guinea pig

[kellykatt]

I think my main concern would be safety more than effectiveness. I think they're both effective enough to be used for the reason they're used, but how safe are they? How often are there complications to the surgery? How often do the bands fail? infection? death even?