Thinking about the sleeve

[Blowout 0]

OK heres the deal .. I am 48 tr old male 5'9" 362# I have dieted over ad over and lost weight but always gain back it and more. I went to True Results last week with all intension to start the process of a LaP Band ... I was not happy with the PA that sawme there and decided to talk to my primary care Dr. he is pushing me more towards the sleeve and I have a apt with one of his asscoites that is with the UT Physicians group. I am really confused on what the best ne is. I am now leaning more towards the sleeve, but have lots of questions ... If I do the sleeve is it possible to streach my stomach back out again if I fall off the program? Is there anyone that had lost the weight and kept it off for several years? Will I need to take supplments ? What are the risks? Does anyone think the band is better than the sleeve.. IS there anyone that regrets having the sleeve surgery ? I am so confused this is a life changing thing here, but I am sick of being sos big and hurting all the time

[SpaceDust 585]

I doubt you'll find many, if anyone, on this site who thinks the band is a better option - too many of the people here are having band to sleeve revisions because the band isn't doing the job or is causing problems in the long run.

Could you stretch your sleeve? Yes, of course, if you constantly push your sleeve past its limit it's possible to stretch it. The good news is that it isn't as easy or quick to stretch as the pouches you get from a band or from a gastric bypass. The reason is that the stretchiest part of the stomach, the fundus, is removed during a sleeve surgery, but is part of the pouch created for either the band or the gastric bypass. Your sleeve WILL relax to some degree as you get further out, as well. It will never be as big as it was before, but you may find you go from a sleeve that holds 1/4-1/2 cup to a sleeve that holds 1.5 cups, perhaps, which is still a pretty small amount of food!

You should take supplements for life - although the sleeve isn't a malabsorptive procedure like the gastric bypass, it still impacts your ability to get all your nutrition needs via food because the volume of food you can eat is so much smaller. Some do manage to get all their nutrition needs from food, but it requires the kind of focused planning that most of us would find difficult to do in the long run.

As far as risks, yes., there are risks. You can develop a leak, which can be a life-threatening situation. Like other surgeries, there are infections possible. You could develop a stricture, which is a sort of blockage that makes it difficult for food to move through your system and may require additional procedures. There are other risks that your surgeon will make sure you're aware of and sign off on before you will get the surgery. The good news is that the risk factor is pretty low. I don't remember the exact numbers right now, but you have a better chance of dying in a car wreck than dying from this surgery, for example. If you do a search for sleeve gastrectomy on the web, you'll find more information than you know what to do with about the surgery and its risks, plus YouTube videos of the surgery itself if you really want to know!

I'm six days out right now. No regrets for me so far. It's not uncommon to feel a little regret in the first few weeks and months, but the majority of people seem to decide it was worth it in the long run.

Good luck on your decision-making process!

[jenlen 58]

I doubt you'll find many' date=' if anyone, on this site who thinks the band is a better option - too many of the people here are having band to sleeve revisions because the band isn't doing the job or is causing problems in the long run.

Could you stretch your sleeve? Yes, of course, if you constantly push your sleeve past its limit it's possible to stretch it. The good news is that it isn't as easy or quick to stretch as the pouches you get from a band or from a gastric bypass. The reason is that the stretchiest part of the stomach, the fundus, is removed during a sleeve surgery, but is part of the pouch created for either the band or the gastric bypass. Your sleeve WILL relax to some degree as you get further out, as well. It will never be as big as it was before, but you may find you go from a sleeve that holds 1/4-1/2 cup to a sleeve that holds 1.5 cups, perhaps, which is still a pretty small amount of food!

You should take supplements for life - although the sleeve isn't a malabsorptive procedure like the gastric bypass, it still impacts your ability to get all your nutrition needs via food because the volume of food you can eat is so much smaller. Some do manage to get all their nutrition needs from food, but it requires the kind of focused planning that most of us would find difficult to do in the long run.

As far as risks, yes., there are risks. You can develop a leak, which can be a life-threatening situation. Like other surgeries, there are infections possible. You could develop a stricture, which is a sort of blockage that makes it difficult for food to move through your system and may require additional procedures. There are other risks that your surgeon will make sure you're aware of and sign off on before you will get the surgery. The good news is that the risk factor is pretty low. I don't remember the exact numbers right now, but you have a better chance of dying in a car wreck than dying from this surgery, for example. If you do a search for sleeve gastrectomy on the web, you'll find more information than you know what to do with about the surgery and its risks, plus YouTube videos of the surgery itself if you really want to know!

I'm six days out right now. No regrets for me so far. It's not uncommon to feel a little regret in the first few weeks and months, but the majority of people seem to decide it was worth it in the long run.

Good luck on your decision-making process![/quote']

Well stated. I am 7 weeks out from my sleeve WLS, down 35 pounds and have better mobility than I have experienced in years. My joints were sighing with relief after the first 20 lbs gone. No regrets here.

[clk 3,519]

Well, since you're at the sleeve site, you'll find that we chose the sleeve over the band! However, the band to sleeve revision forum is a pretty good place for you to start reading.

I, too, was going to get a band. After a great deal of research, I opted to self-pay for a sleeve rather than have the lapband surgery, which would have been covered by insurance. The number of self-pay patients here should be a huge indicator to you. Many insurance programs still do not cover the sleeve, and yet we're opting for it over covered procedures like the bypass or band.

The sleeve will relax over time and have a larger capacity but it will never stretch to anything even remotely close to your old stomach. Eighty-five percent of your stomach is removed; what's left can only give so much. We're talking about a capacity of one to one and a half cups at three years post op, in my case.

I have seen posts about regrets. In fairness, many later revise this opinion but there are a few that we see now and again that are unhappy despite losing weight, or unhappy because they haven't lost weight.

You will need a proton pump inhibitor (like Prilosec) for 6 months to a year, as well as sublingual B12 and Calcium. I also need Iron, but I have needed to take Iron supplements for most of my life. A Multivitamin is important until you can eat adequately. You will not have malabsorption, however, and supplements are something many people can cut back on or stop altogether after a year, with the exception of the B12, which you will never again absorb as well with such a small stomach.

We have a vets board and yes, there are many of us at or near goal several years out. I'm three years out and within 8 pounds of my goal weight (I just had a baby).

It's important to understand that you can eat around the sleeve the same way you can eat around a band or a bypass. The sleeve will do one thing: reduce the size of your stomach.

It may remove your hunger permanently. Maybe not. I am three years out and almost never feel actual, physical hunger.

Head hunger? The emotional desire to eat? The attachment to food and all the food rituals we use in our society? None of that leaves. The sleeve is a surgery for your stomach, not your brain.

So know going in that you will be forced to face disordered eating habits in order to succeed long term. The sleeve is not a diet. It is a restrictive tool that will help you change your lifestyle permanently. But even with 15% of your stomach, whatever made you obese is still going to be there. This applies to any surgery you would consider, however, so I don't think you can avoid this part of the process!

Good luck whatever you decide. There is a wealth of information here on VST, and remember that threads and posts several years old are still relevant today. Do some searching and you are sure to find both happy and unhappy patients.

~Cheri

[pantala 125]

Spacedust laid it out pretty well, so I'll give you my thought process about having the sleeve:

Like you, I tried many eating programs but I either gained all the weight back or lost so slowly and was SO hungry, I couldn't stick with it.

I also considered the band at first but I know myself and was pretty sure I would get sick and tired of going to the dr for fills and adjustments. I like that the sleeve is permanent and hunger is greatly reduced. I wanted a lifetime solution that depended only on me.

I don't mind taking supplements as I was already pretty big on them.

I had to think about and research this surgery for several months before I was sure enough to set a surgery date. So don't worry that you feel overwhelmed and unsure - keep learning and asking questions.

I am so happy with my sleeve! I am getting exactly the results I wanted and expected - well maybe better

Best of luck!

[ATMladyLAW 14]

I'm one year out and zero regrets - best thing I've ever done for myself!

[Linkinchik 40]

I'm 3 weeks post op and this is one of the best decisions I've ever made in my life.

[JerseyGirl68 1,172]

You have two excellent descriptions above by Cheri and SpaceDust. Best piece of information I always remember... this surgery is on your stomach, not your head. It is not a cure all, but I can honestly say it is the single best tool I have ever armed myself with. I got my mind straight pre-op and was fully committed to the changes I had to make. Six months out and I have not had a moment of regret. I was fortunate and had a very smooth operation and recovery with no complications.

Best of luck to you in your decision.

[tinahall 27]

The sleeve is the best thing I've ever done for myself. I researched for a year and I'm so happy with my decision. FYI in my class seminar there were 5 out of 8 people that had the band and were revising to the sleeve because of complications and the band did not work for them. After surgery they are all doing great with the sleeve.

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