Just Approved. Scared And Not Sure, Bypass Or Sleeve?

[Squeaky123 1]

Hi,

I had the lap band in 2008 and failed miserably. My food was either stuck or went through and I learned to eat around the band. I lost 40 pounds but

then needed an emergency unfill due to not being able to drink and I have gained all but 10 pounds back. I now weigh 210. My doctor recommended

the sleeve. Without thinking too much, I had it submitted to insurance and I was shocked that they approved it right away (they gave me trouble with the band).

So now that I'm finally here, I'm scared to have another surgery, this one with a lot more cutting.

The other thing I'm afraid about is failing again. After all, I already failed once with a restrictive only procedure.

I can't have a third surgery. This has to be it.

My question is, should I have the bypass that is the gold standard or the sleeve which doesn't re-route the intenstines.

I'm agonizing over this decision.

My two main questions are: how serious is the acid reflux with the sleeve really? I hate GERD and don't want

to be on meds the rest of my life.

and, can someone who has had the sleeve a couple of years or more tell me how they are doing?

Thanks so much for your help and comments.

[karenb4729 309]

Well, I have had GERD for a few years and the first couple of weeks I had to double my meds but.... I'm 6 weeks now an down to 1 pill and am pretty sure I will be off all meds by month 3.

[MG in SD 75]

I had the sleeve because it was less complicated than the bypass and less risk. There are also less restrictions on types of foods you can eat when healed because we don't have to worry about dumping syndrome which sounded nasty to me!! I have been totally happy and successful thus far, but to each his own. Good luck with whatever you choose!

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

I think that both surgeries are reasonable options. Posting here, you are obviously going to get a pro sleeve bias. I am very happy with my choice, but I can understand why another person would chose the rny.

I think that 3 critical things need to go into the decision:

1. Relative risk of complications (revisions are always higher risk, but ask about the difference between sleeve and rny)

2. Outcomes based on the data available. Factor in some risk for lack of long term weight loss/maintanence data for the sleeve.

3. Lifestyle/eating/long term living with either procedure. This in the end was probably the deciding factor for me. I am scared of GERD with the sleeve (so far doing great!) but I had a pouch with the band and ultimately decided I never want THAT AGAIN.

I am not trying to sell anybody on the sleeve, but you can read mine and other revision patient posts. After the initial few months, I feel like I eat very normally just small quantities. IT is a huge leap better then the band and I honestly felt like it was being sentenced to h*ll to have to spend the rest of my life with a pouch that restricted food in that way and that caused vomiting.

[KristiP 51]

Hi Squeaky,

I'm new here too and in a very similar boat. Also had band in 2008, lost similar, gained back similar, and now just DONE with it (the band). So I'm, obviously, going in for revision.

I'm on the fence now between having just the sleeve, and having the Duodenal Switch. I would like to think that I'll do well with the just the sleeve, but........I thought I'd do well with just the band too.

I have found a surgeon, apparently the ONLY one in Melbourne who does the DS. He's agreed to do it, as the final stage of a 3 stage op. First stage being removal of the band, second stage getting the sleeve 10 weeks later (although I'm going to see if he won't agree to do it at 8 weeks), and then stage 3 a year out from the sleeve he'll do the DS, if it needs to be done. He doesn't think it will. I am not so confident myself. The more I read on here, the better I feel about having just the sleeve but.........I just remember how I started out really well with the band, and started having endless stuckage problems, sliming, vomiting, (the scale wasn't moving, at all)........ultimately I too figured out how to eat around it to avoid those painful and often embarrassing problems. I'm just afraid that the weight is not going to come off at a pace that I'm going to be happy with. Don't get me wrong, I don't expect to lose 10 lbs a week or anything, and i am aware that there will be some weeks that I don't lose at all. But I know that I am unable to deal with that scale not budging for weeks at a time, especially if I AM busting my a**. that's where I'm worried........because when I'm putting in 300% effort and getting nothing in return (on the scale and shrinking I mean....I know there are health benefits that one doesn't see), I get angry and frustrated. I suppose that is classified as impatience? I think expecting to drop a couple of lbs a week, as an average, is fairly realistic. Note I say as an average, so I know that some weeks it will be more or less. But I've been on the 10 week stall, and by the end, I was so angry! It didn't help that my doctors were telling me it was ME, when I knew it wasn't, and my husband suddenly became the food police and I wasn't even eating naughty stuff yet........talk about throwing in the towel!

Anyway, sorry to ramble. I just wanted you to know you're not alone, up there on the fence!

Cheers. :-)

[Sleeved&Hopeful 182]

hi Kristi P-

One lady I know got the DS after being sleeved after band removal. She was able to lose down to her lowest band weight but couldn't get any lower and she was still over 40 BMI. The DS did help her get down to a regular BMI. A lot of people do fine with the sleeve but some people do get a DS and it works. So you may be one of the people who do fine with the sleeve but the DS is there if you need it. I love the sleeve-but the DS is a great surgery too. Just requires a lot of Vitamins and you have to be vigilant in going to the doctor.