The best way to think of skin is like a balloon. Take two balloons and fill them up the same. Keep them that way for 24 hours and then release the air out at the same time. Take one balloon and let the air out fairly quickly like the RNY and yes, it's quite wrinkled but after the air is out it continues to shrink right? Skin does the same thing. I believe skin continues to shrink for up to a year after you've reached a stable weight which is why most plastic surgeons won't touch you until you've been at a stable weight for a minimum of 6 months. Take the other balloon and let the air out slowly, although there appears to be less wrinkles they are there right? But after say 2-4 hrs after the air is let out the slow balloon what's the difference in the balloons? My point is that excess skin continues to shrink and after an amount of time whether you have the lapband or RNY at say 2-3 years post op you'll most likely have the same amount of skin.
I speak for my surgeon at his monthly informational seminars and have for the past 4 years. I can't tell you how many times I've been asked about skin. Frankly I'd rather have 5lb of excess skin than the 114lbs that filled it ya know? Yes it takes it's toll on my psyche and I don't like my skin, but it's hidden in clothing until I can afford plastic surgery to remove it. Also skin is individual. I know a lady who had RNY, lost 130lb in 4 months and didn't have an inch of excess skin on her. I'm not that lucky. I lost 114lb in a year and have excess skin in my abdominal area (that actually came in quite handy with my 2 pregnancies). I can say that my abdomial skin isn't that bad, I have known people who've had worse, but it is enough that when full term with both pregnancies I still had skin to go.
Another thing to look at is not just the rate you will loose but how much you will loose. I'm not exact on current percentages but at the time I had surgery the average weight loss with the RNY was 75-85% of excess weight compared to the lapband which had 55-65%. I refused to put myself 'under the knife' and still be fat regardless of how fast/slow it came off. Also for me I didn't want the maintainence of the band (fills/unfills), just do it and be done. Plus I do have a sweet tooth and needed the posibility of dumping syndrome to help keep me in line. Fortunately I do dump on sugar and it does help keep me in line.
Remember too that it depends on where you carry your weight too...I was apple shaped and carried all of my weight around my abdomin. I was essentially a 'fat girl with skinny arms/legs'. Here are some pictures of me so that you can kinda get an idea of me...
