Hello all!! I have been pursuing these message boards for a couple of weeks now and finally decided to join. Here is a little about me...I recently turned 30 years old and am currently at 370 lbs (I'm 6', and carry my weight pretty well). Luckily I do not have a lot of medical complications due to my weight...yet! I just found out that our company is changing insurance plans next year to Medica, which will cover bariatric surgery. I've already signed up for an information session with Park Nicollet, which is next week. Currently I'm still in debating over the gastric sleeve or the RNY bypass.

As I'm just starting, I'm really looking for any information that you think would be helpful. I'm not even sure if I know what questions to ask.

Thank you all in advance for your support and help!

There are many reasons that the Sleeve is better than the bypass in my opinion.

I would not want to have my intestines rerouted and have to be diligent with taking all sorts of Vitamins and supplements for the rest of my life. I know people who have had the RNY and have to have Iron infusions regularly. Also, the gastric bypass pouch is very stretchable and weight regain has very high statistics. The sleeved stomach is made from the non stretchy muscular part of the stomach and stretches a little, but not nearly as much as the pouch left after an RNY.

Also, when you have the RNY, you can never take any type of anti inflamatories such as Ibuprofen. The sleeved stomach is a normal stomach, just smaller.

Weight loss is just about the same with both surgeries.

If you do a search up above in the right hand corner in the search menu, you'll find many explanations about this. Hope this helps some!

I started at 370lbs on July 26th, After preop diet and Surgery on Aug.23rd. I now weigh 276lbs.94 pound lost. I am glad I had the vertical sleeve.

I know a few people who have had bypass surgery and every one of them has had some major complications requiring further hospitalizations and significant weight regain. I know that many people have great success with the surgery, but there seems to be more risk. Good for you for doing your research!

Wasn't the gastric sleeve the first step of a DS traditionally? So if you get the sleeve and find it's not enough for you, then you could do the DS later? Is the DS less invasive, with less complications than an RNY?

The sleeve allows you to consume a wider variety of foods than the band or the bypass. Not more food-just more variety.

I never would consider the bypass myself because of the malabsorbtion problems, the dumping and it just seems so much more drastic than the sleeve.

Because I have so much to lose my surgeon said I may need to have the bypass later on, but I said that at my age (56) I didn't think I would worry if I never got to a size 12 (I too am 6' tall).

From everything I've read I would definitely prefer the VSG!! But, at this point I haven't had any consultations with a doctor or surgeon since my current medical plan does not cover it. That being said, I do want to leave my options somewhat open to what my surgeon suggests.

I am going to an information session next week. I'm sure this will stir MANY new questions