Hey everyone! This is my first day on this site. I just made the decsicon to get WLS, I'm leaning very much toward VSG. I got a concern though today, and I'm trying to see if this is the best surgical option.

I have PCOS. It's not super severe, my periods have ALWAYS been regular and my hormones are mostly in check (my testosterone is higher than normal). I have some some excess hair and have been heavy my whole life and it is really hard for me to lose weight on my own.

One of the Dr's offices I spoke with today abour insurance concerns also informed me that VSG may not help and I would need bypass to be successful (mind you I spoke with the insurance lady, not the doctor)

Is there any real truth to this? From the research I've done today, it just seems to make the progress slower. How much slower are we talking? I have my seminar with the Doctor I plan on choosing tomorrow, but I got so dicouraged when I hheard that and I just want some kind of reassurance that VSG is still possible for me, since I don't think I could find a way to pay for bypass (not do I want malabsorptive surgery anyway)

I have PCOS. I used to have pretty severe symptoms. ( period issues, fertility issues, hair loss along with excess body hair etc) I was sleeved 10/21. I can tell you I have lost "slower" than some, but by no means abnormal. ( weight loss since surgery is 25lbs- I lost 33lbs before surgery) I admit I have not done any real exercise so that could be part of the reason I haven't lost as much. My hair is bad, but several thing contribute to that factor. I am not sure where you are starting or how far you have to go, but I can tell you I am happy with the sleeve. I did not want the bypass and this surgery seems tailor made for my needs and desires. Hope you get a lot of feedback to help you make your decision! Good luck!!!

Hi there

i have Pcos And thyroid issues nd my Doc says ill fine getting the sleeve. weight loss might be slower but its ok. I've lost 10 lbs on the liquid diet in 10 days so i think ill be just fine. thoughts nd prayers for which ever one u choose .

I have PCOS and I can see a change in my hormones.

Apart from breaking out in a load of spots recently - I've had two 'cycles' that have lasted over 17 days each... (not pleasant - particularly as I'm on a pill which is alleged to stop me having them )

But... I can't imagine that my nutritionist would have told me to be 'exceptionally careful' with regards to my birth control, if there weren't changes afoot and I needed to be 'exceptionally careful' not to get preggers.

I don't know where your insurance person got their info from - but if you need some additional information, I can see if I can dig up some sleeve-specific gumpf for you.. Unless she's got confused with PCOS and Diabetes - of which RNY would be the preferred procedure - as it has such a rapid impact on that....

May I enquire how high your BMI is? That, too, might have an impact on their suggestions?

I also have PCOS and I am hoping to get sleeved in January. I have period issues and fertility issues. I have heard of PCOS patients doing better with the RNY and I have heard of them doing just as well with the sleeve. I decided on the sleeve because the malabsorption issues of the RNY scared me. I look at it as this -I will lose weight with the sleeve, and any weight loss will help my PCOS. I may not lose quite as much or quite as fast but as long as I am healthier! Good luck on your journey whatever you choose!

I have severe PCOS and this is what my surgeon recommend for me. We discussed my fears and goals. At the end this is what we both decided was good for me. Research success rates. I'm on this site per suggestion of my doc. He said best place to research is a forum. Internet is going to be biased. Good luck

Madam Reverie: I would totally appreciate any info you could share. Yeah from what I can tell that whole office is very "we think evenryone needs RNY andonly RNY so that may have more to do with it. I never told her my BMI on the phone.

Also I found a surgeon who I really like and from what she said during the seminar I'm much more hopeful and excited about the sleeve than before. I have my first consultation 1/13/14. I'm excited about it and can't wait to get this journey started. Thank you all for the imput btw

Hey everyone! This is my first day on this site. I just made the decsicon to get WLS, I'm leaning very much toward VSG. I got a concern though today, and I'm trying to see if this is the best surgical option.

I have PCOS. It's not super severe, my periods have ALWAYS been regular and my hormones are mostly in check (my testosterone is higher than normal). I have some some excess hair and have been heavy my whole life and it is really hard for me to lose weight on my own.

One of the Dr's offices I spoke with today abour insurance concerns also informed me that VSG may not help and I would need bypass to be successful (mind you I spoke with the insurance lady, not the doctor)

Is there any real truth to this? From the research I've done today, it just seems to make the progress slower. How much slower are we talking? I have my seminar with the Doctor I plan on choosing tomorrow, but I got so dicouraged when I hheard that and I just want some kind of reassurance that VSG is still possible for me, since I don't think I could find a way to pay for bypass (not do I want malabsorptive surgery anyway)

I have severe PCOS and both my surgeon and my endocrinologist expect my symptoms to get a lot better following the VSG (which I had on Dec. 9th, 2013). The VSG was the best option for me (I would not have qualified for gastric bypass anyways because of my BMI). I realize that I will lose the weight slower than women without PCOS, but I will eventually get there. I personally wouldn't go for the gastric bypass because of the nutrition malabsorption issue and the necessity for frequent check ups.

Edit: I thought I should also mention that I have type 2 diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, and fatty liver disease. I also used to have NO menstrual cycle without hormone pills. I developed a lot of these problems at a low BMI because of PCOS. Only two weeks post-surgery, my blood sugar levels are completely normal, my blood pressure is slowly sorting itself out, and I no longer need a CPAP machine. My menstrual cycle strangely became regular in the in the months leading up to surgery (without meds), my hormone levels are all normal, and my endocrinologist expects my cycles will be normal from now on, with the weight loss.

Edited December 27, 201312 yr by vsg2803

I have PCOS and my symptoms were pretty bad i had to be put on Metformin and Birth Control to try and get my periods to come because i would not get it for months, i went up to 250 lbs my highest weight ever, i was sleeved on September 10, 2013 and i can tell you i am no longer on any medication not for PCOS, not for my back or any other problem for that matter, i now get my periods regularly ever month i am at 170 lbs and i feel GREAT, i went from a size 2x or 22 to a size 12 and still dropping quick, i bought a pair of size 12 skinny jeans about 3 weeks ago and already they're loose on me my daughter is loving it because she gets to keep them i have to admit i haven't been excercising for about a month and a half but am going back this coming week now that the holidays are finally over =) idk why they would tell you it's not recommended for women with pcos, my surgeon recommended it 100% its less riskier and still has great results.

Any therapy that gets your BMI down into an overweight or even better, healthy range, will improve your PCOS. PCOS is made much worse by the hormones that are stored in and produced by abdominal fat (visceral fat). Also by losing fat, you will become less insulin resistant.

If you have more than 17 BMI points to lose to get to healthy BMI, the conventional wisdom used to be that you should get RNY. Thinking seems to be shifting now that there are more studies on the sleeve that show 10+ years of data, which shows comparable rates of weight loss with the sleeve as with RNY.

Also, for diabetes, RNY is known to send insulin-resistant type 2 diabetes into remission, quite often immediately after the surgery. Well, this happens with the sleeve too. It happened to me and with some other people on these forums. Who knows if my diabetes will stay away for the long term, but I'm happy to say it has been gone for more than 7 months now.

The RNY is also a great surgery and is the right surgery for many people. But take your advice from your surgeon, not the insurance coordinator.

I have pcos and hypothyroidism and my surgeon said the sleeve was a good choice for me. In all I've got around 141 to lose total.

My pcos was so bad that I had a hysterectomy so I do not have the periods anymore. ..but I did have all of the other classic symptoms..until getting sleeved.

I was taking metformin for the pcos but haven't needed it post op now. I'm 10 weeks.

I've been very strict with my diet, knowing I've got 2 big factors working against me in this fight. But so far as of today I've lost 55 pounds!! I pretty much do the 5:2 that I've read about on here...on accident. My body just naturally doesn't like getting the same amount of calories each day. 2 days a week I end up having very little but still hitting my Protein and liquid goals.

Everything is much more manageable now that I've lost this much. But again...I'm very strict and do not deviate from what I'm supposed to do per my program.

I have PCOS and was sleeved July 8 2013. I was 241 day of and am now 178. The weight loss has been consistent since surgery but I guess you could say it's a bit slower than others but I don't see it that way. To compare you will drive yourself insane.

My periods are sort of regular now. I've been putting off going back to the Endocronoligist for another glucose test but I need to. I Will say this - you know how with pcos the weight is carried around the middle? That's the first thing (thank god) to start shrinking.

I have a blog on you tube where I've documented how the whole process has been from the beginning and the last 5 months if you'd like to see. Newlifemelissa is the channel name.

I decided to get the sleeve because of the pcos and being 35 and single. I didn't want to get to a point in my life where I wanted kids and than had to do all of this. Plus not being fat has helped me feel so much better. I still have 52 more to go to goal (125) but there isn't a single day when I don't thank myself for doing this.

My PCOS is so bad that I haven't had a menstrual cycle since I was 22. I've taken birth control, hormones, and all manner of supplements and treatments with absolutely no effect. I'm 36 now and getting sleeved in a week. My gynecologist, endocrinologist, and surgeon all agree that the sleeve is a much better option than the bypass. I'm 5'10" and 245 lbs with all of the symptoms of PCOS in spades but the only co-morbidity I have is high cholesterol. Take heart! The sleeve is a great option for a lot PCOS women.

Hey guys! I'm new to this site and been having a hard time finding info on PCOS and the sleeve... I have severe PCOS and my symptoms are out of control... between the hot flashes/sweating, hair loss, no energy, of course the weight gain..all the fun stuff. Just wondering if any ladies who have had the sleeve w/ PCOS notice any changes since surgery!? I'm anxious and so excited about my upcoming sleeve!! thanks!!

I have PCOS and my symptoms were pretty bad i had to be put on Metformin and Birth Control to try and get my periods to come because i would not get it for months, i went up to 250 lbs my highest weight ever, i was sleeved on September 10, 2013 and i can tell you i am no longer on any medication not for PCOS, not for my back or any other problem for that matter, i now get my periods regularly ever month i am at 170 lbs and i feel GREAT, i went from a size 2x or 22 to a size 12 and still dropping quick, i bought a pair of size 12 skinny jeans about 3 weeks ago and already they're loose on me my daughter is loving it because she gets to keep them i have to admit i haven't been excercising for about a month and a half but am going back this coming week now that the holidays are finally over =) idk why they would tell you it's not recommended for women with pcos, my surgeon recommended it 100% its less riskier and still has great results.

Question was it easier to get approved for WLS due to your PCOS ? I've diagnosed as a teenager struggling with weight all my life, periods few far and sometimes never. Then I've had periods last 30days with excessive bleeding, now I'm over 300 lbs and losing my hair the DHT is attacking my hair follicles, I don't want to go bald, seriously I'm currently prescribed steroids to try to get my hair back all these factors and I don't see why I have to play this insurance game.,

Question was it easier to get approved for WLS due to your PCOS ? I've diagnosed as a teenager struggling with weight all my life, periods few far and sometimes never. Then I've had periods last 30days with excessive bleeding, now I'm over 300 lbs and losing my hair the DHT is attacking my hair follicles, I don't want to go bald, seriously I'm currently prescribed steroids to try to get my hair back all these factors and I don't see why I have to play thi insurance game.,

Hi MzGEE absoluetly it did help, my fear also was that my insurance wouldn't pay just because it was PCOS but to my surprise it was one of the top out of maybe like 6 conditions that i was asked if i had and was immediately checked off on my paperwork when i first saw my surgeon. That and the fact that my BMI was at 43 did it for me. I have Harvard Pilgrim for Insurance everything went by sooo Smooth and super Quick everything from start to surgery was 2 months, the insurance approved in 1 day. I am sure you'll be perfectly fine, soo sorry to hear you are going through so much my hair was falling of also because of the Metformin pills and my sugar was out of wack because of those pills i had to stop them, now my only complaint is still the hairloss but its now its due to the weightloss i just hope i dont go bald =( best of wishes you'll be fine like i said before, one of the things i did was call my insurance to make sure if they covered the WLS they said yes and i also asked the lady that was in charge of putting all the paperwork together to send in for insurance approval and with no doubt her response to me was you'll be fine for approval =)