Hi everyone, I am just finishing up getting my pre-op paperwork in. Initially, I thought I wanted the band and was completely against bypass. I then heard more and more about the problems with the band and heard good things about the sleeve so for the past few months, I have been planning to do the sleeve. But lately, I have been considering gastric bypass and questioning whether this would be a better option. I know I should still be able to lose weight with the sleeve but I don't know if I will still lose as much. I also don't know about long term results. I am concerned about malabsorption while pregnant (which I want to do once I lose the weight and am cleared). I am also concerned about dumping syndrome. I know it is supposed to be a useful tool but how sensitive are people with dumping? Also, how bad was everyone's recovery? I have a four year old and work two jobs. I plan to take a few weeks or a month off and my husband and my mom will be helping out a lot but I want to get back to normal and function when I can. Regardless, I am having surgery one way or the other and will make it work, but want to be prepared.

Thanks!

I had the sleeve in 2010. I just converted to the bypass on 9/17/12. I lost weighrwith the sleeve 80 lbs. If i had a choice i would have not chosen the sleeve. The man part of the weight loss ks to lose as much as u can as fast as u can. I had suffered two set backs my galbladder and my knee. After solving those problems my weight loss door was closed. The sleeve has worked the best with people who are under 250lbs from what I have seen in the support groups I was 365lbs. But they do struggle more with regaining of weight because of grazing. Having had them both I recommend the bypass feel like the sleeve was a waste of my time. But was a great learning experience

I had a sleeve done in april and now i have a kink in it. basically it is twisting and it hurts when i eat.... i am getting converted to the bypass in 3 weeks. I am scared becuause i know it will be different but also becuase i have to go through the process of starting over after the surgery is done

Thank you both!

I have a few friends who have had the sleeve done. They have both slowed Dow. On there weight loss about half way through and are complaining about it. And they also hate that they can still can eat anything and there is really nothing to keep the accountable. I am 9 weeks post op and have had an amazing experience thus this far..... It's a big choice go with what your heart tells you. Good luck!

My mother had the sleeve a year ago, she is 100 lbs down now. It worked best for her because she was on arthritis medication an a lot of other stuff. Her start weight was around 250. I just had the bypass sept 27. I chose the bypass because it seemed that heavier people had more success with it, myself on surgery day I was 302 lbs. My recovery has been shockingly painless. The day of surgery I was able to walk and go to the bathroom. The only issue I had was nausea and gas. Nausea has subsided now and I can eat (mushy stuff) painlessly, and I don't have a problem with fluids.

Thanks! I appreciate everyone's responses!

Caroline everything you said are my same thoughts... pregnancy apparently not an issue with anything I'm told that over and over... I'm trying to decide between the 2 procedures also and until about 5 days ago there is no way I would ever done by pass.... my doctor the first two visits thinking about doing the sleeve and the more we talk today he said definitely go with bypass the extra accountability will help me long term, im 5'7, 270, 33yrs, size 16... I think of the Unknown afterwards it scares me as far as the dumping what to eat how to eat

That is very much like me. I am 33 also, 5'4.5" (I used to be 5'6, then 5'5" and I just keep shrinking in height), 230 (started off at 240), size 18. I just got insurance approval for the sleeve (so I should be able to get approved for bypass too but I have been doing this for the past year and really want to move along with this because I am getting closer. I am concerned about certain things with the sleeve (like stretching and long term results) and concerned about certain things with bypass (like dumping and higher risks).

After talking to your doctor, do you feel like you yourself are leaning more toward bypass also or still not sure what to do? I am hoping I will have a clearer mind about it when I see my doctor again.

From what my surgeon has stated you loose the most amount of weight with the RNY so that is why I choose RNY. Plus I heard soooo many people converting to RNY after they got the sleeve and band.

Im 270, goal range is 140 to 160. after talking to surgeon I am not really any closer to a decision I wonder if I can really follow the restrictions of the gastric bypass requires, and a sleeve allows for someone more natural life but the surgeon thinks the extra help of a bypass would be good for me.... I don't know... I don't want to fail.... and I don't want to lose only 50 or 60 pounds either..... I think I lean towards a bypass but it definitely scares me the sleeve doesn't scare me, but I think I could sabotage a sleeve a lot easier... I'm cash patient and it's 6k difference, but if I'm doing this I need to do what's going to be best and not worry about the money. I have insurance but weight loss surgery is only available to people who work at companies with over 500 employees regardless of medical need but I don't have any medical complications right now anyways

I have some of the same concerns. I don't want to fail and I don't want to just lose 50 or 60 pounds either. And I almost went for the band. I'm glad I didn't make that mistake and I want to make sure I don't make a mistake in choosing a surgery.

Im also still deciding which procedure to get. Are there more complications with bypass vs the sleeve? Obviously,I need to talk to my surgeon more.

I don't know. That's what I hear but I'm not sure how it works out in reality. I have heard about leaking and twisting in some people (though its not a high rate of it) with the sleeve.But I also have done more research into the sleeve so I think I know a little more about it than I do about bypass.

The sleeve was actually first used as a safer first step procedure for people who had two much to lose to go right for gastric bypass. And then when they lost some of the weight, they would do bypass as step two.

I chose the bypass over the sleeve or band because I needed my body to hold my brain accountable! I was 305 pounds at 5'2" and wore a size 28. Yes, I've dumped, but it helps to remind me that I shouldn't eat this or that!

my superpower is......