Blessed_RN

The main thing is: Whatever makes you comfortable.
For me (an RN) and my nurse friends, we agree that none of us will have to be alone that first night in a hospital, ever. It's great having someone right there without even having to ring the call light, so if you wake nauseated the basin is handed to you and then a cool cloth.
And then there's the tiny chance that something could come up that needs a rapid response - bleeding or very high blood pressure or pain that's not controlled. In that case it's best to have an advocate who will speak up for you if need be.

In my opinion, the sleeve is the "cleanest". Nothing left behind, no major anatomical changes. Just less capacity. No limitation on what meds you can take later and your whole GI tract can be examined. No risk of scarring, slipping or port infection. And the sleeve is based on a surgical procedure, gastrectomy, that has been around and used for more than 50 years. (Maybe much longer, in fact).
But all surgeries (even non-WLS ones) have risks. Weigh that with the fact that in the general population, people with problems are going to be the ones who are more vocal on the Internet and elsewhere. That's why you shouldn't only rely on personal anecdotes or stories about a friend of a friend, but actually read the research and the literature that is available from scientific and medical journals, read books, and talk to your surgeon.
Even (especially?) on this website, there is a great amount of good info, along with a huge amount of rumor, speculation, and false misleading information, about each one of the surgeries.
Alex, the founder of this site, has published informational books about the gastric sleeve, lap band, and RNY. Maybe more. They are available from Amazon.com, as well as tons of other booms about bariatric surgery. I recommend reading them. Before you buy a book look at the publication date because books that are more than 5 years old will be less useful.
And what matters the absolute most is the path you take after surgery, after the gradual reintroduction of food. At that point, our journeys become remarkably similar. We all need to eat high Protein, low carb healthy foods. We all need to drink enough Water. We all need to exercise. All of our procedures help us limit our intake. All procedures can he successful and all procedures can fail, because the procedure doesn't do all the work. You do. I think Alex combined the sites to show us all our similarities.

I love hearing all your experiences and journeys. I feel hearing these personal experiences is more valuable than any class I can take. Thank you all for your stories, advice and wishes. !!!

Hi there! I'm a newbie. So very happy I found your app and this thread. It has given me direction in finding what I need to know as I begin my journey. There is endless support. I have decided to do something about my problem and struggle with a lifetime of obesity. For the last 20 years, every few years, I have wanted to have batatric surgery. There was always "something" that came up. Now I'm having health problems affecting my mobility. I've had 3 back surgeries including a three level spinal fusion. I still have constant chronic pain. Considering the Lap band, again. I know this book will help. I want to know EVERYTHING possible to make an informed decision. As everyone knows, there is a vast amount of information out there, but I'm looking forward to getting my book!