I need to lose 120-140 pounds and I am not sure if the sleeve would get me those kind of results. My surgeon says that r en y is the best. But I workout and think that the sleeve is a better choice. Has anyone lost 130 pounds or so? What was your time frame to do so? Does anyone workout? Basically any advice would help thanks guys.

One of my closest friends had the RnY done and she regrets it and told me she wishes she'd done the sleeve instead. She has anemia, vitamin deficiencies, and IBS right now and she attributes it to the RnY.

I'm glad you asked because I also don't know but I am going toward the sleeve more now

Well I didn't want to throw in another scary "my relative had a bypass and . . ." post with my statement above but since others have chimed in . . .

My brother had a RNY and has had several bouts of malnutrition and Vitamin deficiency. He has to take FOUR daily Vitamins in order to get enough vitamins to adsorb. He also has labs done every 6 months to make sure he is getting enough and has to adjust accordingly. His current issue is with Calcium, he was starting to have back pain again (the previous pain disappeared like mine did after weight loss) and found out he was starting to get osteoporosis.

He has a long list of stuff that doesn't agree with him and makes him dump. He also gets anemic very quickly partly due to lack of red meat in his diet - meat makes him dump - he takes Iron supplements, calcium supplements multi multi vitamins a day and has to adjust his intake by what the labs reveal. He also had some supposed stomach pain and had to go to a specialist that scoped him by going down his esophagus, though the pouch and into the small intestine, do a U turn and back UP into his stomach - a hairy and expensive process - nothing was wrong that they could see BTW.

So far I have NONE of those issues. I can eat anything I want but just don't want much. My last labs at my yearly physical were all spot on. I take a multi Vitamin A day and iron pills every other day. I am wavering on the calcium supplements as I worry about excessive calcium leading to calcium plaque in my heart - just had a cardiac calcium test and it showed some blockage in the rear descending left artery of the heart, something not all that uncommon in a man in his 50's.

So again, do your homework and make up your own mind.

Good to know. Believe it or not all the people I know personally have all had RNY and love it. But that being said the only reason I would want that is because I've been told u lose weight faster and my dr has only done maybe 30 sleeves. So it's scary to know hes not too experienced with the sleeve. I don't want to have the malabsorption issues but it seems more people lose weight faster with RNY also I am not interested in a lot of hair loss. It's a tuff one.

Good to know. Believe it or not all the people I know personally have all had RNY and love it. But that being said the only reason I would want that is because I've been told u lose weight faster and my dr has only done maybe 30 sleeves. So it's scary to know hes not too experienced with the sleeve. I don't want to have the malabsorption issues but it seems more people lose weight faster with RNY also I am not interested in a lot of hair loss. It's a tuff one.

30 sleeves does sound like not alot of experience. Are you limited to just that Doctor? Couldn't you seek out a second opinion from another bariatric surgeon? It can't hurt anything.

As far as the hair loss, I'm not sure what you meant, but I believe there is a likelihood of hair loss with either surgery. But if you eat healthy, you can at least minimize the odds of losing any hair.

Good luck either way with your decision.

30 sleeves does sound like not alot of experience. Are you limited to just that Doctor? Couldn't you seek out a second opinion from another bariatric surgeon? It can't hurt anything.

As far as the hair loss, I'm not sure what you meant, but I believe there is a likelihood of hair loss with either surgery. But if you eat healthy, you can at least minimize the odds of losing any hair.

Good luck either way with your decision.

I agree - I'd look into a different surgeon. The one I'm going to has done a good amount, but also not so many that he's a "meat market" doc.

I also agree with the hair loss issue - any surgery you have weather it be RnY, Sleeve, bypass, or lapband - hair loss is a very real possibility if not probability.

That being said, I have to say that I appreciate the fact that you're doing your research - whatever you chose to do, I have a feeling you will be very well informed :-)

I was originally planning to have a roux-n-y - then discovered during the insurance vetting process that my insurance covers the sleeve - my surgeon was thrilled and recommends the vsg over all of the other procedures. I do beleive the statistics are very close between the roux and the sleeve, its just that the sleeve on its own as a procedure is much newer and we dont have the years of info that other procedures do.

My surgeons office says that with VSG one can expect to lose 80% of one's excess weight in the first year - and the rest in the following year. I am very happy to still have a normal albeit tiny functioning stomach I have quite a bit of weight to lose (188 excess lbs from my start weight) but at 3 weeks out I think I am off to a fine start. My sister in law has a roux and loves it - I guess everyone needs to select what is best for them.

... also I am not interested in a lot of hair loss. It's a tuff one.

Just an FYI: Hair loss is common with ANY WLS to some extent, the faster the weight loss means the less calories and minerals etc. consumed and the more likely you are to lose hair.

Even though your doc has only done 30 sleeves , isn't the sleeve the first part of the RNY procedure? So I would think he had lots of experience since he's done so many RNYs..

Good to know. Believe it or not all the people I know personally have all had RNY and love it. But that being said the only reason I would want that is because I've been told u lose weight faster and my dr has only done maybe 30 sleeves. So it's scary to know hes not too experienced with the sleeve. I don't want to have the malabsorption issues but it seems more people lose weight faster with RNY also I am not interested in a lot of hair loss. It's a tuff one.

My surgeon had only done about 30 sleeves "on his own" when I first met him. But before they do one on their own they do tons of them alongside other surgeon's who do have experience. I was slightly worried, but I was fine I figured, someone has to be number 30... we can't all be in the 300+ range! And a good thing about NOT losing too fast... you tend to not have as many extra skin issues. Losing it fast is not necessarily healthier. I figured, it took me 20 years to put it on... a couple to take it off is reasonable no matter how impatient I am!

Thanks guys. My insurance is more towards a few docs and he's the best of the few. I think that the sleeve is the best for me and I am looking to have it help me not save me. I am willing to do my part. I love to exercise and eat good but the hunger pangs are what kills me and it's just overwhelming to have to drop 100+ Pounds alone so that's why WLS is my choice and that's why I lean towards the sleeve. But it's funny my therapist, dietitian and surgeon all say RNY I will just wait and see what really feels right.

Another thing to consider with the two surgeries - with a vsg you are not left with a 'blind stomach' that still produces the hormone ghrelin - with the sleeve, the portion of the stomach that secretes this hormone that makes you feel hungry is gone. That was another big reason I went for the vsg - other than head hunger, I have not felt actual hunger since surgery.

@chimera

So the sleeve is the only one who takes away that hormone? Wow good to know. Thats important

.. . isn't the sleeve the first part of the RNY procedure? So I would think he had lots of experience since he's done so many RNYs..

NO, it IS part of a duodenal switch though, an RNY the TOP of the stomach is cut off, formed into a puch and a portion of the small intestine is bypassed and connected to the bottom of the pouch, the stomach is set aside and and the stub of the small intestine is rejoined back into the small inestine.

the one thing that I must say is that if your surgeon is "PUSHING" something and you aren't comfortable you may want to seek out a surgeon that is willing to listen to you and take what you have to say to heart. Remember this is your body.