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What Made You Decide To Get A Sleeve Vs Bypass?

sweetie022972

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sweetie022972    44

sweetie022972
Posted

Hi all- still deciding whether I want to do this or not- I'm almost 400 lbs and need to do something, but am scared of surgery!

What made you decide to get sleeved vs bypass? Any regrets on having the surgery? Thanks in advance!

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Babysteppin    165

Babysteppin
Posted

I'm still pre-surgery, but I'm choosing VSG over the Gastric Bypass. GB concerns me because of the malabsorption of vitamins/nutrients. While there are definitely ways to manage it and be healthy, I'd still be afraid of becoming chronically deficient or anemic despite those efforts. Also, I learned that there is a lifetime possiblity of having obstructions or twisting of the small intestine because of the rerouting. (While it's not a super high probability, it's still there.) One more thing I didn't like was that if doctors ever need to do scans or ultrasounds, it is harder for them to actually 'see' what's going on in your GI tract because of the rerouting and the new criss-crossed shape of the intestines. As you can begin to tell - I'm a bit of a worrier! hehe. But to me, the sleeve is a happy medium between the Band & GB, so I'm going to go with it. Either way, you gotta figure that some surgery is better than no surgery, right? Good luck with whatever path you choose! :)

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Livinglifeout    217

Livinglifeout
Posted

The malabsorption of nutrients and Vitamins. Also the awful dumping, which my friend goes through.

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Teriiann    34

Teriiann
Posted

Still per surgery but all of the above!!! I have tried it all, I am 49 and tired of being fat, I keep saying let me try again on another way only to fail and gain it back plus some. I've had enough so I'm going for the sleeve!!! If everyone else can manage so can I.....:). Wish you luck in your decision

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Shelli_d    38

Shelli_d
Posted

i originally wanted the band, but when i was told that while it would help it wouldnt help enough. I have a couple friends that had the bypass and i just couldnt see them switching anything around in me..so i chose the sleeve that way there isnt half my stomach floating in my abdomen..im just about over my 6 mon weightloss requirement and soon hope to get a date

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Randgalt    43

Randgalt
Posted

No malabsorption - no food restrictions - no dumping - much simpler surgery. I can't think of a good reason to do a bypass.

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lollyfidy1965    402

lollyfidy1965
Posted

In addition to wanting to avoid the potential malabsorption issues often associated with gastric bypass, I was hopeful that I would be one of the lucky ones who didn't experience hunger once 85% of my stomach was removed. Fortunately, so far so good on that point...3 months post-op, and I've not felt even a twinge of hunger!! :)

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theoldmusicbox    399

theoldmusicbox
Posted

I started at 373 pounds. I chose vsg over gb for a few reasons.

1) the malabsorbtion issue bothered me

2) with the sleeve, everything still works the way God intended it to so, I figured it would be easier to adjust myself to it.

3) if you look at the statistics, the only benefit that gb has over vsg is that if you are diabetic, gb helps fix that faster than vsg, and since I wasn't diabetic yet, that didn't appeal to me.

4) the only real issue I had that made me think long and hard is that there isn't a lot of longterm research for the sleeve. Most research is about 5 years. I spoke to my surgeon about this and he told me that he expects the sleeve to become the 'premier' wls in the near future. He also said that he has removed more bands than he has put in this year.

I was sleeved on June 5 this year. I live a very normal life now. I am able to eat without 'dumping' and can have pretty most anything I want 'within the scope of my own personal restrictions' except for breads, they don't quite agree with me yet, but I expect that by the end of the year, I will be able to have it if I choose to.

If you count my pre op loss that started April 1 this year, I have now lost a total of 120 pounds and am at 253 and losing 2-5 pounds a week. For me, life is good.

Also, 1 last thing that helped me choose. My aunt had gb, and lost a lot of weight and is happy with her choice. But she has that 'sickly' weight lost look to her. None of he folks in my support group have that appearance. She has seen my results and said that if she had it to do over, she would have gotten the sleeve.

I hope this helps. Good luck with your new life!

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sweetie022972    44

sweetie022972
Posted

I started at 373 pounds. I chose vsg over gb for a few reasons.

1) the malabsorbtion issue bothered me

2) with the sleeve' date=' everything still works the way God intended it to so, I figured it would be easier to adjust myself to it.

3) if you look at the statistics, the only benefit that gb has over vsg is that if you are diabetic, gb helps fix that faster than vsg, and since I wasn't diabetic yet, that didn't appeal to me.

4) the only real issue I had that made me think long and hard is that there isn't a lot of longterm research for the sleeve. Most research is about 5 years. I spoke to my surgeon about this and he told me that he expects the sleeve to become the 'premier' wls in the near future. He also said that he has removed more bands than he has put in this year.

I was sleeved on June 5 this year. I live a very normal life now. I am able to eat without 'dumping' and can have pretty most anything I want 'within the scope of my own personal restrictions' except for breads, they don't quite agree with me yet, but I expect that by the end of the year, I will be able to have it if I choose to.

If you count my pre op loss that started April 1 this year, I have now lost a total of 120 pounds and am at 253 and losing 2-5 pounds a week. For me, life is good.

Also, 1 last thing that helped me choose. My aunt had gb, and lost a lot of weight and is happy with her choice. But she has that 'sickly' weight lost look to her. None of he folks in my support group have that appearance. She has seen my results and said that if she had it to do over, she would have gotten the sleeve.

I hope this helps. Good luck with your new life![/quote']

Thanks for the info!

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sweetie022972    44

sweetie022972
Posted

In addition to wanting to avoid the potential malabsorption issues often associated with gastric bypass' date=' I was hopeful that I would be one of the lucky ones who didn't experience hunger once 85% of my stomach was removed. Fortunately, so far so good on that point...3 months post-op, and I've not felt even a twinge of hunger!! <img src='http://www.bariatricpal.com/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' />[/quote']

Thanks!!

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samsmom    54

samsmom
Posted

omg....I completely agree with 'theoldmusicbox'! It's like you read my mind regarding my own personal decision for having my vsg!!! Thank you for sharing :rolleyes:

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Go To Topic Listing POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A

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    • LeighaTR

      LeighaTR

      I am new here today... and only two weeks out from my sleeve surgery on the 23rd. I am amazed I have kept my calories down to 467 today so far... that leaves me almost 750 left for dinner and maybe a snack. This is going to be tough for two weeks... but I have to believe I can do it!
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • Doughgurl

      Doughgurl

      Hey everyone. I'm new here so I thought I should introduce myself. I am 53y/o and am scheduled for Gastric Bypass on June 25th, 2025. I'm located in San Antonio, Texas. I will be having my surgery in Tiajuana Mexico. I've wanted this for years, but I always had insurance where bariatric procedures were excluded. Finally I am able to afford to pay out of pocket.  I can't wait to get started, and I hope I'm prepared for the initial period of "hell". I know what I have signed up for, but I'm sure the good to come will out way the temporary period of discomfort and feelings of regret. I'd love to find people to talk to who have been through the same procedure or experience before. So I look forward to meeting you all. Hope you have a great week!
      · 1 reply
      1. Selina333

        Selina333

        I'm so happy for you! You are about to change your life. I was so glad to get the sleeve done in Dec. I didn't have feelings of regret overall. And I'm down almost 60 lbs. I do feel a little sad at restaurants. I can barely eat half a kid's meal. I get adults meals often because kid ones don't have the same offerings at times. Then I feel obligated to eat on that until it's gone and that can be days. So the restaurant thing isn't great for me. All the rest is fine by me! I love feeling full with very little. I do wish I could drink when eating. And will sip at the end. Just a strong habit to stop. But I'm working on it! You will do fine! Just keep focused on your desire to be different. Not better or worse. But different. I am happy both ways but my low back doesn't like me that heavy. So I listened (also my feet!). LOL! Update us on your journey! I'm not far from you. I'm in Houston. Good luck and I hope it all goes smoothly! Would love to see pics of the town you go to for this. I've never been there. Neat you will be traveling for this! Enjoy the journey. Take it one day at a time. Sometimes a few hours at a time. Follow all recommendations as best you can. 💗

    • Alisa_S

      Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.

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