Hi Sleevers!

I've been torn ever since I've decided that I wanted to pursue bariatric surgery. The two surgeries that I've been torn over has been the RNY and the sleeve. I met with my surgeon for the first time a few months ago and I decided to go with the RNY, I am to the point now where my paperwork can be submitted to the insurance company for approval but I am still not 100% sure that I want to go with the RNY. The weight loss is excellent but I'm scared of the Vitamin deficiencies. I've read several accounts of teeth going bad and having to be pulled out on RNY patients and plus, the potential for Peterson's hernia years out is scaring me.

The sleeve seems like the "healthier" choice, however, I would like to lose at least 130 pounds and I'm nervous that although the sleeve will help get me there, I don't know if it will help me get all the way there. I'm also worried about having 3/4 of my stomach cut out. One never knows what will happen in the future, and what if I end up with stomach problems that require surgery? I will be screwed big time. Going under the knife for bariatric surgery is a one time shot with me and I want to get it right the first time. I know it's going to be hard work no matter which surgery I get but I just want all of this weight gone as safely as possible.

Do sleevers have to take Vitamins for the rest of their lives like RNYers? I'm just afraid of not losing enough weight with the sleeve. I don't know what to do. I don't want to have the sleeve and not lose enough weight and be upset at myself for not going with the RNY. I want no regrets and want to be confident in whichever surgery that I choose.

You can certainly lose 130 pounds with the sleeve---many here have done it. But yes, you will need to take vitamins for the rest of your life.

I was just sleeved on May 3rd. I had about 120 pounds to lose (I've already lost 41, at just 4 weeks out!)

To me the obvious choice was the sleeve. The surgeon said (and I've seen this other places) that the most recent studies show that people with the sleeve lose JUST AS MUCH wieght as those with RNY. And with the additional complications of RNY, I seen no reason to go there. My surgeon said that if he needed WLS, he would do the sleeve.

I think that more doctors are leaning towards the sleeve, unless you have a severe medical complication that would make the RNY preferable (if you have severe diabetes, for example, it can be corrected faster with the RNY). It may not be as RAPID as the RNY, but certainly seems fast-enough - I was sleeved March 18th and I am down 43 pounds already. Studies are beginning to show that long-term success with the sleeve is equal to RNY, and fewer complications. Also, while you say that you are doing this one time and never again, you can always take heart that the sleeve can be converted to RNY down the line if there was a need for it.

I asked similar questions of the surgeon and bariatric internist I saw. They both told me that at one year, RNY has slightly higher weight loss, but that long term they are equal.

I also asked both if they thought I'd be more suited to one or the other. They both really like the sleeve. The internist told me that if she needed WLS, that she would pick the sleeve for herself. She also said that if I really liked sweets she would recommend RNY over the sleeve because dumping syndrome would be helpful to keep that in check. Also that they might recommend it over the sleeve if I were diabetic, because they said people often go into remission with diabites within days with RNY. Although that wasn't a reason to exclude the sleeve, as it also goes away, but may take a little longer.