I'm trying to decide what kind of WLS to have. I've checked out the band for some time and now want to know more about the sleeve. Please no band bashing just pros and cons about having the sleeve. What are some of the complications? With a band you have restriction. What restricts you with the sleeve? Are there foods that are natually restricted with the sleeve?

I know there are probably a whole lot of questions I need to ask but I will get around to them as I learn more. I am currently 61 and weigh 295 lb on a good day . Since I am only 5 ft, this makes me almost as round as I am tall. I have afib, high blood pressure and am very short of breath. I'm hoping this will help me.

Deb

Deb, when you have a sleeve done they sugerically remove part of the stomach. This reduces the size of the stomach. One of the biggest pros to a sleeve is you don't have as much danger as you would with a gastric bypass with malabsortion of Vitamins. It is done laproscopically also. You have a higher precentage rate of weight loss witht the sleeve also. The best thing you can do is look up all info on all the surgeries or ask at the bariatric center you have chosen for more information. Good luck in chose.

Debbie

Thanks Debbie for getting back with me. I guess the thought of 1/2 my stomach being removed spooks me but I am trying to be open minded about both methods. Since my insurance doesn't cover WLS and we are now retired, I have to decide what is going to be the best for me in the long run. I know with the band you need to go have fills and that's about $200 each time. Is there anything like that for the VS?What are outside costs?

i'm not sleeved YET, but, with the sleeve there's no restrictions on what you CAN eat... you just have to chew it really well before you swallow it would be a while before you could have whatever, because your stomach needs time to heal and at first it's hard to eat or drink stuff.. but about a year out from surgery, there's people that eat noodles and bread and popcorn & stuff like that. they can also have beer later on... so there's really no "restriction" on food, just a restriction on when you're able to tolerate it and how much of it you can eat. of course there are better options than that stuff, but i just wanted to point out that it's not completely off the table forever.

some people develop lactose intolerance.. so no dairy products.. or limited dairy.. some people get acid reflux.. but you can take stuff to help with that.

the part of your stomach that is removed is the part that produces the hormone for hunger.. so a plus is that you won't be hungry (except in your head)... and your stomach will permanently be reduced in size.

a gastric bypass (RNY) is where they mess with your intestines & make your tummy a pouch. but people gain their weight back.. because they still have that hungry feeling.. you don't have that with the sleeve.. i've only heard a couple instances where people regained SOME of their weight with the sleeve.. the sleeve seems to have more long term success than the lap band or an RNY.

the sleeve is safer than a full on duodenal switch, because it doesn't have the malabsorbtion thing going on (where they mess with your intestines).. same thing with the gastric bypass.. to me that's really scary stuff.. and they have dumping syndrome & some can't process food anymore, so they starve to death.

with the lap band, over 80% of people have to have them removed within 5 years of getting them. it also can cause scarring of your tummy and the band can even grow into your body.. you don't have to worry about any of that with the sleeve.. they remove part of your tummy & then that's it.

in regards to risks.. you can have a leak.. but that's really rare.. and the rest is pretty much the same.. anesthesia related stuff.. like blood clots and death. you just need to make sure you get a good surgeon with lots of experience.. and since you're paying for it yourself, look at every state and country, because you have that option!

wish you the best, whatever you decide to do!

Deb after you surgery do follow up appt. with your Dr. but other than that there is no other cost really other than your protein items you will need the first few weeks.

Pros:

- Life long restriction if you treat your sleeve right

- Less Vitamin deficiencies than RNY

- No need to go back for fills, etc - Just regular post-op doctor visits

- Less restrictions on the types of foods that you can eat

- No intestinal rearrangement

- Sleeve is made out a part of the stomach that does not stretch easily

- Lower chance of dumping syndrome

- Fundus cut out of stomach means that you have decreased ghrelin, or hunger hormone for approximately a year

- If used correctly can yield similar results to RNY

- No foreign body (aside from staples) in your body

Cons:

- General surgical risk: Blood clots, anesthesia, internal bleeding, incisional hernia

- Sleeve specific risks: strictures, leaks, issues related to leaks (abcesses, repeat leaks, etc), dehydration

- Possible side effects: Low Iron, low B12, period of hair loss, increased acid reflux, malnutrition, nausea/vomiting, diarrhea/constipation

- It is possible to stretch the sleeve with repetitive overeating, but is not common

- It is still possible to eat too many "slider" foods: i.e. popcorn, ice cream, chips, etc

- Regain is still possible - as with most procedures

- Increased chance of gallbladder problems (As with most WLS)

After looking at all the procedures, I felt like the sleeve had the lower risk complications than others, along with fewer side effects, less long term vitamin deficiencies/malnutrition. I didn't like the idea of rearranging my intestinal tract. I didn't like the idea of having a foreign body (LapBand) in my body forever, along with the increasing posts of long term complications/regain after removal. Sleeve has worked out great for me. I hope you figure out what will work best for you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjfJcCOOVgo

Thank you to all who have written me back. This has really helped. I also have been going to a support group here in town and one of the women I met had had revision from band to sleeve. She was quite happy with it.

Now to just choose a Dr.

Deb