Sleeve or gastric bypass

[LisaRu 17]

I know everyone is different an has different reason for one surgery over the other but I'd like to hear some of your reasons. I realize I'm on the sleeve forum but I'm sure there are many who are quite knowledgable about both. I am just staring this process over as my original surgeon said I was too risky. I originally choose the sleeve but now wondering if that is right for me. I'm on the larger side at 300lbs and 5'4" bmi 51. I originally opted for the sleeve because I thought it was less invasive. The dr said I should get down to 200 to which I replied that is still obese. The gastric bypass may be more invasive but I think the malabsorption part may help me to get to a healthy weight. I would bet a lot of you have gone through the same dilemma of choosing. Please feel free to base your opinion on my particular info. (I have type 2, hbp, high bad cholesterol, low good cholesterol, metabolic syndrome x (what ever that is) and I'm on oxygen except at night, sever sleep apnea 20. I think that's about it. Lol. Any and all opinions welcome and appreciated!

[Comfy_Blue 285]

I am by no means an expert, so please verify any and all advice I give you with a doctor/surgeon should you consider taking it.

My Background: I originally wanted to get the lapband, but I was told during my WLS open house (Q & A session) that the band had fallen out of favor and that many people have reported issues of slippage and that many banders complain about frequent re-fillings in the beginning before the surgeon finally finds your band's "sweet spot" (where it's not so tight that you can barely eat, but not so loose that you're eating everything that isn't nailed down)

Also, my best friend has the lap band and she hates having to go in for adjustments every 6 - 8 weeks, plus after she lost about 60 lbs (she weighed like 320 lbs and is 5'11) her weight loss slowed and despite all the exercise and dietary options she tried, her weight loss stalled and she's now been prescribed diet pills by her doctor. She is considering having her band revised to a sleeve.

So then my choice was between the gastric sleeve and the gastric by pass

Why I choose the sleeve: My understanding is that the sleeve was developed for "at risk" gastric bypass candidates. The sleeve was supposed to be the first step to help the person lose weight, then they'd come in later for the gastric bypass/rny. However, what they found is that in addition to being less invasive (thus safer and more preferred) that gastric sleeve patients have virtually no dumping and other surgery-related complications like the by - pass. Plus, my surgeon said I was a good candidate for the sleeve because I did not have hundreds of pounds to lose (I was about 245 lbs, and my goal is 150 - 160 lbs).

I'm very happy with my sleeve. I've lost about 70 lbs (though to be fair, I lost about 16 lbs from the liquid diet they put me on 10 days before my surgery and about 54 lbs from the surgery itself)

Edited April 26, 2014 by Comfy_Blue

[Cupcake 801]

Hi Lisaru i had the choice of either one but after carefully consideration I am going with the bypass, i have all of the same symtoms you have minus the metalic syndrome. I was 332 pounds to start and with the bypass it will have me loose more weight as well as I have a sweet tooth as well as I was popping tums alot lately. good luck.

[Chelenka 827]

I started out wanting the band but chickened out, just wasn't ready. Two years went by and I decided to revisit WLS and went to a meeting at the Hosp near me. I was initially thinking bypass but the more I learned about the Sleeve the more I felt it was a better choice for me. I have a history of A-fib and the dumping syndrome can cause palpitations. Thus I didn't want to go there. I'm a big sugar junkie so I knew that aspect would be a struggle either way. That being said some of us sleevers still experience dumping syndrome if we eat too much sugar or high-fat food. For me it's a fine line with sugar which if I cross it I feel like crap and then I have to go crap! TMI, sorry! LOL! Anyway, I did have mild sleep apnea but none of the other health issues you mention but my starting weight was 325. I've lost 100 and I'm 6'1&3/4" tall so I am close to my goal weight. Many people reach normal weight ranges with the sleeve but my surgeon told my that I could expect to lose about 60-70% of my excess weight from the surgery alone. I have surpassed that and plan to keep going. All this being said, you have to decide what is right for you. Both options are good IMO. Good luck to you!

[beeteroo 166]

I think that they might be saying that you can get down to 200 lbs just from the sleeve. I think that along the way you are suppose to learn to find an exercise to help you lose the rest. I keep hearing that the long term weight loss results are the same for the sleeve as they are for bypass. I have to look at the research on this one! I'm over 300 now and my goal is 150. I had someone tell me that 150 was too much to expect. I'm going to do my very best to get there. Maybe I'll raise it to 170. I am not someone who likes exercise so I'm very worried about being able to achieve a weight less than 200. Looking back on my pictures I looked pretty good at 200. Lol. For your situation you would probably do well with either surgery. One of my friends had bypass because she wanted the dumping syndrome affects to keep her from going back to sugar and fat. I'm doing the sleeve just because it's less invasive and the nutritional deficiencies are less. You can try to write down the pros and cons of each and try to make a decision that way. Either surgery will make you much healthier.

[LisaRu 17]

Thank you for your replies! That's what I love about this site.....it brings so many different views and opinions on the same subject. I guess the fact that these surgeries all take so long to finally get to is good. Plenty of time for research!! (I'm leaning gb right now. Thanks again, Lisa

[LindafromFlorida 1,542]

I know everyone is different an has different reason for one surgery over the other but I'd like to hear some of your reasons. I realize I'm on the sleeve forum but I'm sure there are many who are quite knowledgable about both. I am just staring this process over as my original surgeon said I was too risky. I originally choose the sleeve but now wondering if that is right for me. I'm on the larger side at 300lbs and 5'4" bmi 51. I originally opted for the sleeve because I thought it was less invasive. The dr said I should get down to 200 to which I replied that is still obese. The gastric bypass may be more invasive but I think the malabsorption part may help me to get to a healthy weight. I would bet a lot of you have gone through the same dilemma of choosing. Please feel free to base your opinion on my particular info. (I have type 2, hbp, high bad cholesterol, low good cholesterol, metabolic syndrome x (what ever that is) and I'm on oxygen except at night, sever sleep apnea 20. I think that's about it. Lol. Any and all opinions welcome and appreciated!

I could never presume to tell you which type of surgery to have. We did WL seminars 10 years, and much research. You might want to visit a 2nd bariatric surgeon and get his medical opinion. There are thousands of posts here which will tell you the problems people have following all of the surgeries, so do a ton of research here, and make the best decision. We did the sleeve, we have many health problems such as diabetes, sleep apnea, HBP, asthma, etc., we are 67, and would do it again in a heartbeat. Yes it was scary too, but so were the options if we did not choose the surgery, as far as our health worsening. My husband has gone from 320 to 250 since September, 2013. His surgery was December 2. Best of luck!

[nmccarthy 11]

I am a 40 year male who is 5'5". I currently weigh around 310 lbs. my goal is to be around 200lbs after surgery . I had a meeting with my surgeon and she recommended the sleeve for me .she stated with the amount of weight I wanted to lose the sleeve if my best option .

[LisaRu 17]

LindafromFL, thanks for your reply....I am doing research like crazy. I actually stopped posting on FB because I don't want to waste time that I could be gathering re wls!! I am reading all the threads on both the sleeve and bypass forum. May I ask if you and your husband have been able to get rid of medicine or cpap/bipap?

[LisaRu 17]

Nmacarthy, thanks for your reply. Although we are at similar start weights the idea of me (a woman) stopping at 200 isn't good enough. I can see for a fellow that would be a fine weight. The sleeve does seem so much less invasive but I really need to get down to atleast 150. Half my weight!!! Ack! The GB seems to help on a few ways...the malabsorption and restriction. All I can do I guess is keep reading and talk with my surgeon. Thanks!

[mi75 1,241]

like others, I can't tell you what is right for YOU. I started researching Lap-band around 2005 and here we are almost 10 years later. Last fall when I went to my first seminar, I planned on RNY, but had a VERY extensive talk with my surgeon on Friday and ultimately decided-TOGETHER- that VSG was the best for me.

Many of us flip flop and learn through testing that one surgery will benefit more than another, or that our insurance will only cover one type based on existing comorbidities, etc.

I think that the most important opinion you can seek right now is that of your surgeon, Simply because THEY know your medical histories, pre-existing conditions, insurance coverage, etc.

ALL of us are more than willing to share our experiences, give our testimonies, etc. so please feel free to ask. Best of luck making this LIFE CHANGING decision!

[LindafromFlorida 1,542]

LindafromFL, thanks for your reply....I am doing research like crazy. I actually stopped posting on FB because I don't want to waste time that I could be gathering re wls!! I am reading all the threads on both the sleeve and bypass forum. May I ask if you and your husband have been able to get rid of medicine or cpap/bipap?

I found the FB groups a waste also. This is where the information is. I am probably here daily since last year. There is so much to absorb. My husband and I are both off Metformin. He has been a ?35 year diabetic type 2, and he is still on insulin, long acting insulin at night now, having dropped from 100 units to 35 units. His A1C went from around 12 to 6.5. We are each off l BP medicine (he was taking 3 a day). Our Internist said we will be coming off more meds. I am off my asthma inhalers as I no longer am gasping for breath. My husband needed the cpap a long time ago but he would not go for it, so the surgeon required him to do the sleep study. He has used the cpap since surgery, until about 2 weeks ago. He has lost 80 lbs and breathes normally when sleeping now. Please feel free to ask me anything further!