Search the Community

For comparison, because I know your other option is a revision to bypass, I am 5 months post RNY and I can already easily eat a cup and a half of some foods, such as soups, salads, or yogurt and berries. I can often eat 3-4 oz of meat, or a full can of tuna, plus veggies along with it. My brother, who is about 15 years post-sleeve, can finish a regular plate of food in a sitting (by which I mean a reasonable serving of something like chicken, veg, and starch, not what they give you in a restaurant that has 1800 calories and is enough for 3 people). SADI will probably change your metabolism in a more powerful way than bypass because that is what the research shows it does. But since you've already had a sleeve, it's possible that neither revision will have the full effect on you that it would someone who is getting a surgery for the first time. And whichever option you choose, I do think in the long term, it's less about whether you can eat a certain volume of food and more about what food you choose to eat. Basically all bariatric surgeries typically result in having more capacity the further out you get, so it's what you do with that capacity that makes the difference in success over time. I can tell you that my brother has regained about half the weight he initially lost not because of how much food he can eat but because of how much beer he drinks every day (he admits as much). And if I regain weight in the future, I already know it will not be because I am eating 6 oz of chicken and 2 cups of steamed broccoli in a sitting. It will be because I haven't managed to curb my sweets cravings (and yes, I can still eat plenty of sugar and fat without getting sick) and too often give into the convenience of processed foods and simple carbs. Those are my weaknesses, so that's what I'm trying to work on now while the effects of the surgery are still fresh. But no surgery can fix it for me, unfortunately. Basically, any revision you choose at this stage will give you a new and more powerful tool to work with. No surgery will address the underlying destructive habits that lead to weight regain.

I would definitely try the recipe above. I was an iced coffee junkie, and I learned to make mine with a caramel protein shake, and I have used the skinny syrups and they are quite tasty as well. I’m sure the pumpkin will be delicious and then you can have it every day with no guilt plus get your protein in early in the day. That’s what I have what I call my proffee which is my caramel shake that has 30 g of protein and a little coffee over ice every morning. That’s my breakfast even after I had the sleeve and gained all my weight back. That was the only thing that stuck and I still did it before my revision and now again after. If you don’t wanna go through all that they also make one called Café latte that’s premier protein makes it and it’s like a latte but it’s 30 g of protein and it has caffeine in it.

Honestly, if the bypass failed, why not consider the traditional Duodenal Switch? It's more reliable and effective than the sadi.

They may still consider you for the sleeve even with GERD. It’s gets super complicated and I don’t understand how he knew exactly what was causing what but I have MILD GERD post sleeve and I take only 20mg Omeprazole which controls it. The surgeon said if I wanted to revise to bypass I was good to go but if I wanted to revise to SADI that he had to do some tests first. He did a Endoscopy which found a hiatal hernia but because of my sleeved stomach he wasn’t able to turn the camera to get a good angle to determine the exact size of it. He then ordered an upper GI (I think that’s what he called it, but some call it a barium swallow test) and also a gastric emptying study). Then when he had all the results he said that the hernia is very small and he wouldn’t even repair it. Anyways, i will still have to be on PPI’S but he thinks they should control the GERD after the SADI. Many people choose the bypass so they don’t have to take the PPI’s again or if it’s so bad that PPI’s don’t always work but being able to take the occasional NSAID and the better weight loss statistics made me choose the SADI over the bypass anyways. That being said, just be aware going in that there is a percentage of people who need a revision post sleeve because they have inadequate weight loss or regain by like 3 years out. Your surgeon should go over all that with you. I have seen a few people on here say their insurance does not cover revision surgery so that’s something to consider when you make your decision. I hope I didn’t add to your confusion but it is a big decision and the more info you have the better to know what to ask at that appointment with the surgeon. My surgeon did not make me decide at the first visit either. I got to ask the NP questions every month at my weigh in and then decide which surgery I wanted (for my sleeve, the process for the revision was a little different).

I fully agree, I chose the sleeve initially because of what I read from YEARS and YEARS ago, with the complications and all that with the bypass. Had I just listened to everyone who tried to talk to me about the bypass TODAY and the bypass of 15, 20, 25 years ago, I could have saved myself a lot of complications and problems and additional surgeries. The bypass today is nothing like it used to be. In the end, you have to do what you feel is best for you, but please do your own research, have an open mind, and have an open and honest conversation with your primary care doctor and your bariatric surgeon about how you feel and why. Revisions are tough, and I can tell you from experience, the regret of not listening to anyone else because I let my fear take over, my lack of actual research on the bypass because I had made my mind up about the sleeve, and the subsequent complications, work and time lost, additional surgeries, and ending up with a bypass in the end anyway made it all not worth it. Just try to keep an open mind and do research and talk openly and honestly with your team about everything before you make a hard and final decision.

Finally had a call with the nurse incharge and she just put my mind at ease! She told me to "chill" and that I am doing everything right!! She said don't forget u did the bypass and many of the comments and comparsion I've been getting and doing is towards gastric sleeve patients. She said everything I'm experiencing is right and to not panic about calories because I am definitely not over eating! Focus on Protien and avoid sugar! Teehee nothing new but felt good hearing it from her! Phew

Glad the cause has been found and you are on the road to recovery. I have pernicious anemia and for that reason at the first surgical consultation the surgeon said she thought sleeve would be the better option for me due to later complications with anemia and bypass. I was also told that unlike most sleeve patients who can stop the recommended bariatric vitamin regime after the first year that I was consider continuing on them for the rest of my life, I don't have an issue with that as no harm in taking them.

I suffer from GAD as well (and bipolar and ADHD). I am 2.5 weeks post op from a revision to SADI and doing great. Taking the vitamins have taken a while to get used to but honestly it’s not that bad now that it’s habit. I take my multi in the morning and get out three calcium’s to take throughout the day and then take my magnesium at bedtime (you may not need it). The bypass type surgeries are quite a bit more scary. I think it’s because they are not as straight forward as just making the stomach a little smaller seems but honestly a cut is a cut and the risks aren’t much higher than the sleeve. What you need to ask is what are the risks of all the weight related diseases And illnesses if you do nothing. Not to mention your quality of life with GERD. What I found most helpful to get through all of this was reminding my team about my anxiety when I felt myself freaking out. I told them I just need patience and I can deal with this. I asked loads of questions. I scheduled a couple of extra appointments in order to get everything answered and I over prepared. The day I walked in for my surgery I knew that I had done any and everything humanly possible that I could do to control the situation for the better and I let the doctors and nurses take the wheel. All the while continually reminding myself that they do this procedure every day and that chances were it was going to go on without incident but if it didn’t then I was in the absolute best place to be and get the help that I needed. Best of luck with your surgery. You’ve got this!!

Since 2014 I have been gaining weight. I've gained 75 pounds. I was 150 at 5'7 inches tall and at that time I was relatively inactive but ate normally. A decade later I'm 225 and 34 and have not been able to lose. I cut out sugar, I joined a gym and got a dietician three years ago. I have still gained ten pounds per year. I've been tested for PCOS, Cushing's and Thyroid disorders and they have found no evidence. I eat less now than I did ten years ago. I love in Canada and rely on government healthcare. They won't approve me for gastric bypass. They gave me ozempic last year and it was a nightmare and worsened my IBS. I didn't lose weight I gained another 12 pounds on that drug. I'm out of options. This has basically destroyed my life. I haven't dated in ten years. Tried to commit suicide twice three years ago. The weight gain never stops. It's awful. I'm not doing it to myself. I don't over eat. I exercise, I go to the gym, I don't eat sugar and I just butt. It's a cruel joke this life.

I guess I have a couple of things for you to think about: Many insurance companies don't cover weight loss surgery. Those that do, typically have very specific requirements that take months to accomplish. Do you know for sure this would be covered, or are you prepared to pay out of pocket? Most bariatric surgeons have their own set of requirements from patients aside from those that the insurance company requires. These too can take weeks to accomplish. If your surgeon does not have any requirements, this would go against best practices. Do you really want a surgeon willing to take shortcuts? Most bariatric surgeons want to have you do a pre-op diet of 2-4 weeks. There are multiple reasons, but the most important is to shrink your liver to make the surgery safer. Are you okay with extra risk just to get the surgery ASAP? Most bariatric surgery is done by a specialised bariatric surgeon, not a general surgeon. I'm not sure I'd even want a general surgeon to do the bariatric surgery even if they say they could do it. Remember, experience here is highly predictive of positive outcomes. Are you sure about the experience of the surgeon what would be performing the surgery? Long term success from weight loss surgery is a lot more than just having the surgery done. Are you mentally ready for a lifetime of changes to how you eat? Do you really know that VSG is the right surgery for you? Gastric bypass is typically recommended for larger people with more weight to lose, especially if they have comorbidities like diabetes. I think it's worth taking your time to research and discuss various surgical options before jumping straight into this. On a more practical level, even if you could overcome all of the above, most surgeons and surgical suites are scheduled based on the length of the planned surgery. I can't imagine either of them changing this on short notice. Overall, while I think bariatric surgery is a fantastic, life-changing choice, it's not for everyone. Take your time and go through the process to mentally and physically prepare yourself before jumping in.

Did you have your revision yet?

I never had reflux or gerd so I was a fantastic candidate for the sleeve. And after the sleeve, the gerd was so bad I was on 80mg of Nexium TWICE per day PLUS pepcid for break through and TUMS if really needed (and I was always doing all of it, sometimes still with no real relief). I developed so many polyps from the incredibly high amounts of PPI over a long period of time that I needed 4 endoscopies to remove them. I also developed gastritis and esophagitis. I was told I had no choice but to have the revision to bypass. So 13 months after my sleeve, I was back in the hospital having the bypass. The recovery was SO much faster and easier, the gerd was cured almost immediately, getting my fluids down was so much easier, my only real regret is that I had the sleeve at all. I just wish I had gone straight to the bypass to begin with. If you already have gerd, I STRONGLY advise at least thinking about the bypass instead of the sleeve. The bariatric surgeon may not even give you the sleeve as an option, so maybe start considering the bypass as a viable choice.

So I went on vacation with my hubby- caught some kinda cold...getting to the almost better part of the cold- however still have a cough- and sometimes my chest hurts with it. So please if you are one to pray- pray this is done and over with by my surgery date ❤️ I did my preOp appointment, doctor heard me coughing- didn't really question anything....so I didn't either. Did covid test- it was negative so thats good. Started my PreOp 2 week diet per my doctors orders. I also started watching my portions before this so it feels very manageable. Oct 24th is my go date for Balloon procedure. I know people that did gastric bypass however I did not qualify for that. So fingers crossed my lifestyle changes will get me to my goal. Thats my intro- looking forward to hearing from people as we progress through this journey together

Thank you so much for responding, everything you said made me feel validated in my fear and comforted as well. I actually do love cooked vegetables and meat cooked in other ways besides fried. I like a variety of foods in fact. I guess I just see people posting such healthy looking meals that don’t look appealing to me and I’m just like “do I have to eat that?” Like I’m not a fan of raw vegetables and cottage cheese, for instance. I haven’t seen anyone post something that I like which makes me think that what I like to eat are things I won’t be able to eat. I’m not too concerned about not being able to eat junk food at all because I’m not really a junk food eater more than I am a comfort food eater. I just love a good meal and I just don’t see anyone posting good food. Food is a concern bc it’s important, but my biggest concern besides food is being able to get out of my head and an even bigger concern is the things that can go wrong! Being dehydrated, vitamin deficiency, extreme constipation, hernias, gallbladder removal, GERD, having to convert to bypass, being hospitalized for something. Like is there anyone who has not had a complication? Even people who don’t regret the decision seem to have so many scary issues. I’m so afraid of what could go wrong. I’m afraid of being sad about food the rest of my life. I’m sad now about the control food has over me. I feel trapped. I hate that I have to be fat and even go through all of this. I hate I’m on a forum complaining about being fat. Lol. I just need someone to tell me to do it and that it will be ok and worth it! I guess I just keep imagining I’m going to be sitting here physically feeling a cut off stomach, if that makes sense. Lol. Like, I know I won’t be able to eat a lot anymore, I know I’ll need to make the better choices with food which is fine, but I just don’t want my life to revolve around food anymore! I don’t want to sit around everyday worried about food. It seems like I have to go from thinking about what I’m going to eat everyday to worried about if I’m going to be able to eat enough or eat too much or get dehydrated or get enough protein or something with food! I’m just sick of food! Lol.. Will my life ever not be about food and weight?!! If the sleeve makes me go from worrying about weight to worrying about weight on top of a bunch of other stuff, is it going to be right for me? Am I trading one woe for another? I hope that makes sense.

So, you don't feel "full", but do you feel "hungry"? Or do you just keep eating because you can? This early on, your body is still adjusting and relearning signals. Hopefully, you don't feel physical hunger pangs (most people don't but some do). Either way, you need to portion out your foods. A bariatric meal is generally 3-4oz of meat and around 1/2 cup vegetables. Even if you CAN eat more than that, you aren't supposed to and don't need to. It's pretty early to be adding in a grain, but that can also be part of your meal at some point. The feeling of restriction is different between the sleeve and the bypass, so I can't speak to it from experience, but I've seen so many people here say the sleeve restriction doesn't truly kick in for a few months. Until then, it's your job to only eat what you're supposed to eat. It helped me to get very small plates. I ate off a saucer for the first 6 months. Half of it would be my meat and half was a non-starchy veg. I would weigh the meat (after cooking) and just fill the empty space with the veg. If you are already truly feeling hunger, fill yourself with vegetables, fruit, and healthy whole grains as opposed to protein or simple carbs. After a certain point, let's say maybe 100g in a day, you really don't need the protein, so if you're truly hungry, a salad or steamed broccoli will do a lot more to fill you up with very few calories ounce per ounce. It can also really help to set specific meal times and not allow yourself to eat in between.

My hopes are the same it has certainly gotten a lot of attention so perhaps it will help reduce some of the stigma at the very least. I have two friends that are currently on them for weight and they have shockingly low copays. My one friend showed me the pharmacy paper where it said her insurance saved her X dollars and I don’t remember the exact amount but It was well over a thousand.dollars. I follow Dr Weiner too so I learned about them when they were fairly newly being used for weight loss. I also looked into it before i went with my revision, but my insurance does not cover them for weight loss as of when I scheduled my surgery. My family provider’s office is currently working on getting compounded version to offer to their patients and hope to get the price under $200 a month they said but the NP said she would not put off surgery waiting on all insurance to cover it or for them to get a good compound because those things usually take quite a while.

Yep, still waiting for my surgery date @Spinoza The dietitian had warned me that I could end up doing the liver reduction diet over Christmas and I was wondering if anyone else had managed the same 🙂 When I had my appointment with the surgeon, we both agreed on having a bypass so now I wait for the date for the op! Definitely glad I’m over Covid though 🥳 @FifiLux isn’t it odd how the there are so many different approaches to WLS? Some have no pre-surgery diet, some have a couple of days, mines 3 weeks plus there are longer ones etc. It’s hardly surprising that some people end up totally confused with what they are supposed to be doing! Oh, how was your break? Did you take your travel scales? Did they help if so?!

How many people can eat a cup and a half of food once they are a ways out from sleeve? If not, how much can you eat? I am so sorry for those who are probably getting sick of watching me vascilating but I am getting so close and I am still just not sure if I am making the right decision to revise to SADI. I am so worried that the results he is promising me won’t be what I actually get since I can already eat more than most people with a sleeve. At least with the bypass he would operate on my stomach too. He had seen my sleeve during endoscopy and says it looks good. I don’t know why but I feel like I can eat more than I should and I just don’t know if that’s going to make my results less than others witb a smaller sleeve.

4 years post Gastric Bypass. Zero complications, maintained weight loss and found exercise I love. This journey inspired me to get into healthcare.

tomorrow morning, i am getting my excess tummy skin removed and my boobs reduced and lifted. i had rny gastric bypass in september 2022 and lost more than 200 pounds, highest weight 410, and my weight has been stable at 190. i saved up enough money to get plastic surgery in tijuana, mexico, and my work, school, and holidays lined up to get it done! im getting 360 lower body lift, tummy tuck with fleur de lys, and breast reduction and lift. i also want to get an arm lift and inner thigh lift sometime in the future. im nervous for my surgery tomorrow morning, but i’m confident in my decision to have plastic surgery now, and trust my surgeon and medical team. ive done everything i can think of to best prepare for surgery and make sure it’s as successful as possible: i have SO MANY medical supplies; i’ve been taking SO MANY vitamins and iron to make sure my hemoglobin levels are high enough; i’ve had iv infusions of iron, vitamin c, and ozonized (definitely not the correct term) 120 ccs of my blood and pumped it back in; i’ve done too much research; and i’ve saved up thousands of dollars and dragged myself all the way to mexico and tomorrow’s the day! ill update as i drag myself through yet another surgery and recovery! 😅 i also will take any recommendations for healing, post-op recovery, pain management, and expectations. ~kukui

morbidity rate is 0.3% with bypass - which is super low. These aren't the same surgeries as they were years ago. They're only slightly more risky than the sleeve. Complication rate is really low, too. The most common (other than dumping) is stricture, which happens to about 5% of bypass patients, and that's an easy fix - they just do an upper endoscopy and stretch it out (I had one of those). Dumping happens to about 30% of bypass patients, and you can prevent that by not eating a ton of sugar or fat at one sitting (most dumpers can eat *some* sugar and fat, just not a ton of it at one sitting). I've never dumped, and I know lots of other bypassers who've never dumped, either. yes you do need to take supplements forever because of the malabsorption "feature" (which makes it a more powerful surgery than sleeve). But you get used to it pretty quickly. I don't even give it a thought anymore - taking them is now just part of my regular morning, afternoon, and evening routines, Most sleeve patients have to take vitamins as well - although slacking off on them has more dire consequences with bypass than it does with sleeve. Missing a day here and there - or even a few days in a row, isn't likely to cause problems. But simply not taking them can cause huge problems over time. To be honest, cutting off 3/4 of your stomach and throwing it in the garbage doesn't really seem that less radical to me than stapling across the top of your stomach and re-attaching your small intestine, but I know that thought seems really radical to a lot of people, so you're not alone in thinking that. Although unlike the sleeve, the RNY is reversible (although they'll only do that in extreme circumstances), which seemed oddly comforting to me. I chose RNY because I had GERD prior to surgery - and it did "fix" that. I'm very happy with my decision - I've had a lot of success with mine and no problems other than the aforementioned stricture I had at four weeks out. I'd make the same decision today.

Listen, I believe you honestly believe you mean well and are somehow helping. I honestly believe you believe that. Unfortunately, your efforts are proving instead to be high handed at best. I'm dumb, I'am not spreading misinformation. I'm not accusing you of spreading anything. I just think you're mistaken. I'm not attacking you character, or am I even finding anything wrong with you personally. My point is proven by the market place, the information provided in my program and countless others. The information from many bariatric dietitians, and surgeons that have information all over the the internet with rare exception. Patients are told you will need to take bariatric vitamins for the rest of your life. We are not told for the first year. But for the rest of our lives, we are pointed to or even given free samples of the ASMBS approved levels, and the vast majority of the brands closely mimic each other. They even say they are IAW ASMBS guidelines. That is what they say. Some formulations for example only offer 45 MG iron. most offer way more B16 then is stated is needed. Celebrate is one of few brands that even has a sheet specifically for SG patients. I literally have put them in a spreadsheet and compared them. So unfortunately, what you say isn't true. Patients are by and large in most programs to take one of the standard formulations. For example again with iron of the ten brands surveyed, including the most popular brands 40% sold only the 45 mg iron formulation. Even the ones that sell 18mg version most of their products have only 45mg. There is no study that I've found that says men or non-mensurating women w/o other issues need more than 18mg of iron. yet most of the products have 45mg. It's worse when you look vitamin B12 which most studies say should be 500 mcg for SG patients as the upper limit, but most exceed 500mcgI only found 2 that didn't. Again, this isn't my opinion it's based on data from the marketplace from the vitamin companies themselves. This isn't misinformation. You can look it up. Again, I'm not accusing you of anything I'm telling you where I'm getting my data, it's right there as plain as day. SG patients when told to take these vitamins are being over supplemented for some of micros. SAGES is clear, multiple studies are clear about the levels of iron needed, and B13. The upper limit of iron in men or non-mensurating women is 45mg. Yet most formulations start at the upper limit despite the dangers of taking too much iron. None of this is my opinion. You dismissing me by saying you do you or accusing me of spreading misinformation or disinformation, is simply not good. You telling me I' wrong by calling the other types of bypass, by pass. You saying that some programs don't still say RYGB is malabsorptive is just wrong. Patients are provided inconsistent, overly simplified information. There is also a terrible follow up rate after a few years. ASMBS has talks about that, I watched one on YouTube last night. Again, I appreciate that you responded. But the attacks and dismissiveness are not acceptable behavior. Not on this forum or anywhere to me. We can disagree on concepts, but don't accuse me of being nefarious, do not accuse me of spreading misinformation or disinformation, dismissing as being confused. Unlike a boat load of patients I've spent countless hour, days, weeks, months, of hours reading peer reviewed studies, watching lectures talking with multiple dietitians, reading the program materials from multiple programs. The variation between programs is startling and disturbing. The lack of consistency regarding follow-up is basically alarming. SAGES in terms of 2024 manual actually calls a lot of this out. Lastly, here's a presentation from UK NHS showing multiple variations of surgical interventions. The "History of bariatric surgery" presentation from St James University has illustrations of about 14 of them. Since per ASMBS SG the most popular surgery performed, it is startling that the vast majority of vitamins exceed what's recommended for SG patients. Again, not opinion you can look up most of the manufacturers websites.

Hey Christine, First off, you're doing amazing. I can completely understand how frustrating it must feel to have gone through this big revision surgery, gotten rid of one problem (yay for no more acid reflux!), only to face these new challenges. It’s not whining at all—you’ve been through a lot, and your body is still adjusting. It’s totally okay to feel disheartened sometimes, but just remember, you’re already so strong for getting this far! The side effects you’re dealing with sound so tough, especially the stomach cramping, nausea, and the constipation (crippling pain is no joke). It’s good that you’re in contact with your surgeon’s office and that they’re supportive because it’s absolutely their job to help you through this—don’t worry about being "that patient"! The fact that you’re sticking to the plan, taking your meds, and pushing through, even when it’s so hard physically, is a huge victory in itself. It’s natural to feel overwhelmed, but you’re not alone, and things will get better as your body finds that balance. Keep going, take things one day at a time, and give yourself all the grace you need to heal. You’ve got this! Sending you a big virtual hug—you’re doing better than you think, Christine! ❤️

I didn’t have any real taste changes with my sleeve except for with sweet stuff immediately post op but that was only temporary. I am curious to see if it’s the same with my revision. I hope if I do it’s not to any of the healthy things I like since they are already so limited. I never did think to try stuff I didn’t like prior to sleeve though. I guess I should do that after my revision. Maybe I can expand my menu which would be a welcome change.

Hey @MrsFitz, I’m a little confused. Sleeve does reduce hunger hormones - where it is produced in the tummy is in the section of the tummy that is removed. Unfortunately, hunger hormones are also produced in the brain which can compensate which is why hunger comes back in varying degrees for both sleeve & bypass.