Hello to all,

I am in the early stages of starting my wls journey and jut when I think I know which surgery I will opt for, I read some of your threads and it completely makes me question which one to go with.... Pleeeease share your own weight loss journey and which surgery you chose, why you did so.....and if you could change it would you?! Please can you tell me how long it's been and your current weight loss total? Thanks for any advice, experiences and wisdom shared!

Girl how are you mashing up all of our quotes and presenting them as others??

I'm gifted! Hahaha!

You mean "special"

Lol but really I do wish you luck (not that you'll need it) with the band I think it will be a good procedure for you

I'm really undecided still. I just want to get all kinds of information first. Band, bypass, sleeve, who knows! Lol

Thanks

I'm really undecided still. I just want to get all kinds of information first. Band, bypass, sleeve, who knows! Lol Thanks

I enjoyed going to face to face support groups to meet people who had different types of procedures.

Lynda

Re the "dissolving staples" - which really intrigue me - I've found reference to them being used to "buttress" or "reinforce" the staple line (I presume in the same way that some docs suture or glue over their staple lines), but I've not seen any reference to them being used as a first line of defence - in place of titanium staples. Perhaps that explains reference to "tiny staples"???? I think relatively large staples are needed to go through 2 layers of stomach wall.

The staples I've seen referred to are "poly glycolic", so a bio dissolvable product - not one that breaks down and is excreted via the gut.

I'd love to hear if others know more - I get asked about my sleeve all the time, and like to able to pass on different/better/worse techniques I've heard of.

My staples ain't going anywhere - my surgeon oversews the staple line and also covers it with glue. Ain't now way my stomach is going to leak. I'm 6 weeks out now, so that danger has passed anyway. There is no way on this earth that titanium staples from sleeve gastrectomy can enter the alimentary tract, even if the staples worked loose (which they do not). The only way for someone to poop staples if if they swallowed them.

I chose the sleeve - less hassle than the band, less complications than the band, and a permanent solution to my battle of the bulge. Plus, hardly any docs in NZ still do the band - success rates too depressingly low.

I originally wanted the RNY because I heard this was the gold standard, but my surgeon told me that VSG is rapidly becoming the gold standard bariatric surgery now. Simple, relatively cheap, low complication rate and high success rate. Plus fewer problems with absorbtion and dumping issues.

I went for the sleeve because the voices told me to do it...

None of us like to focus on the risks involved but this seems to be a relatively balanced article/chart that includes some personal experience comments from readers:

http://www.bariatric-surgery-source.com/bariatric-surgery-complications.html

None of us like to focus on the risks involved but this seems to be a relatively balanced article/chart that includes some personal experience comments from readers:

http://www.bariatric-surgery-source.com/bariatric-surgery-complications.html

A lot of information here.

Wait......staples are pooped out?!?!?! I have NEVER heard that before lol!!!

Re the "dissolving staples" - which really intrigue me - I've found reference to them being used to "buttress" or "reinforce" the staple line (I presume in the same way that some docs suture or glue over their staple lines), but I've not seen any reference to them being used as a first line of defence - in place of titanium staples. Perhaps that explains reference to "tiny staples"???? I think relatively large staples are needed to go through 2 layers of stomach wall. The staples I've seen referred to are "poly glycolic", so a bio dissolvable product - not one that breaks down and is excreted via the gut. I'd love to hear if others know more - I get asked about my sleeve all the time, and like to able to pass on different/better/worse techniques I've heard of.

The only staples that I'm aware of that don't stay in place are the sugar based ones that you referenced....but again, the break down and to my knowledge are not excreted....tiny or not, I'm baffled!

A lot of information here.

Maybe too much, but I appreciate that the study the big chart of complications was based on is from the NIH. The complication rates looked much more like what I saw when I researched ahead of time. The article referenced way above (comparison of band to sleeve) quotes complication rates that I have never seen anywhere else. (Maybe from that surgeon's own practice?) Also the part about recovery was crazily exaggerated, at least based on what I have seen here and elsewhere.

But that's also why I liked this one. It gives people the opportunity to share their stories so it's not just a bunch of facts on the page. And to be clear, I am only for or against any surgery for ME, in the context of what will fit into my life and lifestyle.

This staple stuff mentioned in this thread is nonsense - those of you presurgery - speak to your own surgeon and get facts. It is a waste of time to even debate things like this.

I have a longer history with bariatric surgery than many others. In 2001, i had the lapband implanted shortly before they were FDA approved. I was living in Europe at the time and my surgery was done by a very well known bariatric surgeon there.

I was not successful with it and I can give lots of reasons - but the reality of it is that I only lost about 55% of what I needed to lose AND then I started having complications (uncontrolled reflux was the primary symptom) and eventually alot of vomiting - my problems started in the first 5-6 months post op. I never had it overfilled, I did work closely with my surgeon the first year or two, I was just one of those people that had problems. I had to have all the Fluid removed after about 2 years out and wound up regaining what I lost. Many will sing the chorus that I needed to have just eaten better... well duh... but reality if it is that MOST people who have fluid completely removed wind up regaining.

Even with zero fluid, the band gave me problems and after many years of denial (ie ignoring my symptoms) I finally had it removed. I can honestly say it degraded my quality of life for 10 years and i was still obese. I have negative feelings about my experience, but, I made the choice and lived with the consequences.

I revised to the sleeve nearly 2 years ago and have had success beyond my dreams. It has been complication free, painfree, vomit free. It saved my life so of course I am biased to think it is awesome. I can't even begin to express how glorious it is to be a nice medium/size 8... compared to the 3x/26W (and who knows really what size since I smushed into clothes) that I started with.

this is just one persons story - and is not the basis that ANY pre-ops should make their decisions on. You should seriously do your research and decide on your own; but I implore you to get actual information from medical studies, from reputable and experienced surgeons. People out here (including me) sharing our own personal stories is not research - it is more like FYI data points.

I am not anti gastric bypass, it was what the first surgeon I saw wanted me to revise to. I somehow just never got comfortable with it and so didn't. I have however known several people who are very successful with the bypass and are very happy living with the procedure over their life. The published studies clearly indicate that the gastric bypass has good results and the complication rate if I recall was only slightly higher than the sleeve.

Now, the reason I personally didn't consider the plication is because i felt like I got the band when results were not deep and plentiful enough to make a good decision. Frankly, I didn't really know how to research and I think didn't ask the right people the right questions either. Anyway, I just could not get comfortable trying something that wasn't broadly done. I felt a certain sense of "running out of time" and needed to do something that was more commonly done and had more information readily available to me. Again, that is just my own bias from my history of the lapband - gunshy about these things now.

Nobody discusses the DS (duenodal switch) which is by far the riskiest but also most successful surgery. I have to tell you I thought about it, but felt like it was such a big step. I have since found out from plastic surgeons in the USA that their highest complication rates are from DS patients I guess because they have malabsorption bigtime. Of course, DS patients get to eat high fat/high calorie diets compared to sleevers so there are certainly advantages. For some people, this surgery should be looked at seriously - people that are very very high BMI have the best chance of getting to a normal weight with a DS.

Anyway, it is a very personal subject and I really want preops to learn about the procedures and understand how it will impact their lives. It is helpful if people share experiences, but remember we are all very biased based on our own personal experiences. Each procedure has pros and cons, successess and failures, complication risks and long term concerns... but luckily for most of us you can live a pretty normal life once you are past that initial preop period (I never could with the filled band due to the vomiting but others do okay with the band).

Get the surgery, work the tool, lose the weight and get on with living a full life!