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Trying to decide--Bypass or Sleeve?



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For me the bypass was my best option. At 52 yrs old, I started at 217 with High Cholesterol, High blood pressure and type 2 Diabetes. Immediately following surgery I was taken off the high cholesterol and diabetes meds. I'm hoping that at my 3 month follow up with my pcp I'll be able to eliminate the high blood pressure med also. I've suffered from gerd in the past, also had to have hiatel hernia repair during by RNY. I never really considered the sleeve because during my own research I was seeing all the revisions people have had done from sleeve to RNY. I only wanted to have to do this once. I made the right choice for me with the assistance of my PCP and surgeon. Only they have the medical history to help you make the best choice for you. As many have pointed out, each of us has a preference to our own choice. Good Luck, I hope you pick the best option for you based on your health.

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I had to lose 70 lbs but chose the bypass because you will lose more weight with the bypass than the sleeve. If I was going to go under the knife I wanted the best bang for my buck even though my ins. paid 100%. But that was "MY" choice. I never had one issue, I followed the plan exactly as my surgeon said and I am 2 yrs post op doing fine !!! I take all my Vitamins and get complete blood work done yearly and no issues. I think you should make this decision with your surgeon and educate yourself as much as possible. We are all individuals and if something works for some it may not work for others - so my advise is talk with your surgeon and don't be afraid to ask tons of questions...that is what you are paying him for !! Good luck in making the right decision for you !!!

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My Primary Care PHysician and Bariatric Surgeon recommended the Lapband.. Thank God they did. I have several people in my support group who were sleeved, they are having reflux and/or dumping . The leader of our group had bypass years ago and has lost 250 lbs but lives on Protein Shakes and vitamins.. not sure about your history or how much you want to lose or how fast you want to lose it.. al WLS have good and bad points. For me I did not want my stomach stapled off or re-arranged. My lapband is something that can be emptied should I need nutrition (in case of illness).. All options at your age are to be seriously considered.

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There are statistics that disprove your statement regarding lapband. There are failures in all weight loss surgeries. Some Doctors would rather do sleeve , more money for them, less trouble. The sleeve is relatively new and the long term results are not in yet.

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any WLS will and does have complications

and any WLS will have good and bad

and any WLS will have results that vary for whatever reason (dr issues, patient issues, WLS issues or a combo of both)

but to lose weight, with any WLS, one must eat less calories than they take in (exercise/burn off)....and no WLS is better than the other..shame on people who continue to spout statements due to what they read/heard or googled

i support any person who has any WLS surgery

i wish them total success and am supportive no matter what

oh yeah, i got that horrid lap band BTW

and it does NOT work......tisk tisk

PS to the OP-----get the surgery your doctor and yourself feels that works for you and your lifestyle....but remember, unless you change from diet thinking/mentality, no WLS will work....best of luck to you....and you will read on this forum, and others, it is not an easy fix and when its not coming off (as fast as they thought), its a failure and off to the races of spouting anti WLS comments.

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I attended the information session and found that all they wanted to do was discuss the bypass leaving me with the impression that people serious about loosing weight get the bypass and less committed folks go with the sleeve.

After researching both surgeries I feel the sleeve is best for me as the idea of being chemically depended on tablets to meet my nutritional needs for the rest of my life just doesn't sit well with me.

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I had the sleeve and a hiatal hernia repaired and I have severe acid reflux to the point that we are revising to a bypass. One thing that concerns me that I've read on this thread is that people with the sleeve don't have to take Vitamins for the rest of their lives which is false. For both the bypass and the sleeve you need Vitamin supplements for the rest of your life. The choice is of course yours to make but neither is a bad option and IMO bypass isn't only for people with more weight to lose. If you are worried about the reflux you may go with the bypass but the sleeve is much less restrictive which also has pros and cons. With the sleeve, you have the option of eating ice cream, drinking soda, etc. which if those choices are made you won't lose weight. The bypass is more restrictive and will hold you accountable physiologically. Dumping syndrome doesn't usually happen unless you are eating sugar and carbs again holding you accountable because you will feel crappy if you cheat.

There are pros and cons to every single surgery ever and complications and risks. You have to figure out what you are most comfortable with :) good luck!

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Okay how many gastric bypass procedures are there anyway?

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Okay how many gastric bypass procedures are there anyway?

There is one gastric bypass aka RNY

There is one sleeve aka VSG

There is one lap band ( however different suppliers of the band)

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The group of weight loss Dr's at the office i go to won't do lap band anymore either. It's not because they want to do a more expensive surgery on people either. They want what's best for their patients and the problems they've had with lapbands and the long term results made them decide that wasn't a good option for their patients.

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The group of weight loss Dr's at the office i go to won't do lap band anymore either. It's not because they want to do a more expensive surgery on people either. They want what's best for their patients and the problems they've had with lapbands and the long term results made them decide that wasn't a good option for their patients.

My surgeons office still does them , but he was telling me that in the last year he has done very few lapbands...my doctor is one of the best surgeons in the u.s. and that is def saying a lot. I also knew that with my work schedule,I did not have time to go in for fills.

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I attended the information session and found that all they wanted to do was discuss the bypass leaving me with the impression that people serious about loosing weight get the bypass and less committed folks go with the sleeve.

After researching both surgeries I feel the sleeve is best for me as the idea of being chemically depended on tablets to meet my nutritional needs for the rest of my life just doesn't sit well with me.

With the sleeve you will still need Vitamins the rest of your life.

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I attended the information session and found that all they wanted to do was discuss the bypass leaving me with the impression that people serious about loosing weight get the bypass and less committed folks go with the sleeve.

After researching both surgeries I feel the sleeve is best for me as the idea of being chemically depended on tablets to meet my nutritional needs for the rest of my life just doesn't sit well with me.

With the sleeve you will still need Vitamins the rest of your life.

YES! With either surgery you need Vitamins for the rest of your life otherwise you will feel crappy and get sick!!

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At age 66 I'm glad I went for the lapband but would not rule out the sleeve

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    • LeighaTR

      Four days post surgery. I am sipping as fast as I can and getting NO WHERE near the goal of 60 - 80 grams of protein or the 64 oz of liquids. I just feel FULL. I don't know if it can still be the gas build up (I would think by now that would be gone) but it is a struggle to drink. And so far I have not had the nausea or spasms and don't want to wander into that territory by pushing too hard with liquids. I about passed out today as it was my most "strenuous" day. Went from second story to basement for shower and I was sure I was going to pass out. Looking back on my last few days I have had a total of less than 1000 calories. Am I just not getting enough nourishment in me? Once again a friday where I can't get ahold of the doc until Monday rolls back around so I am hoping maybe someone here has some experience on how to keep energy going. I do have fibromyalgia too and that may be where some added fatigue comes into play. How did you all fair with the goals the week after surgery?
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • Doughgurl

      2 days until I fly out to San Diego to have my Bypass Surg. in Tiajuana Mexico. Not gonna lie, the nerves are starting to surface. I don't fear the surgery itself, or the fact that I'm traveling alone, but its the aftermath that I'm stressing about the most, after this 8 week wait. I'm excited to finally be here, but I am really dreading the post surgical chapter. I know its going to be tough, real tough and I think I'm just in my head to much now that the day i here. Wish me luck, Hopefully I'm one of the lucky ones, and everything goes smoothly. Cant wait to give an exciting update,. If there is anyone else have a June bypass or even a recent one, Id love to have someone to compare war stories with. Also, anyone near San Antonio Tx? See ya soon with the future me. 💜
      · 3 replies
      1. Phil Penn

        Good Luck this procedure is well worth it I am down to 249.6 lb please continue with the process..

      2. Selina333

        I'm in Houston so kind of near you and had the sleeve in Dec. Down 61 lbs. Feeling better. Was definitely worth it. I hope the everything is going well for you. Update us when you can!

      3. Doughgurl

        I am back home after my bypass surgery in Tiajuana. I'm post op day 4. Everything went great! I guess I'm one of the lucky ones who have not encountered much pain at all, no nausea thus far and I'm having no problem keeping down broths and water. Thank you for your well wishes. I cant wait to keep up this journey and have a chance at better health and simply better quality of life. I know there will be bumps in the road ahead, and everything won't be peaches and cream, but at least I have a great start so far. 😍

    • LeighaTR

      I am new here today... and only two weeks out from my sleeve surgery on the 23rd. I am amazed I have kept my calories down to 467 today so far... that leaves me almost 750 left for dinner and maybe a snack. This is going to be tough for two weeks... but I have to believe I can do it!
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • Doughgurl

      Hey everyone. I'm new here so I thought I should introduce myself. I am 53y/o and am scheduled for Gastric Bypass on June 25th, 2025. I'm located in San Antonio, Texas. I will be having my surgery in Tiajuana Mexico. I've wanted this for years, but I always had insurance where bariatric procedures were excluded. Finally I am able to afford to pay out of pocket.  I can't wait to get started, and I hope I'm prepared for the initial period of "hell". I know what I have signed up for, but I'm sure the good to come will out way the temporary period of discomfort and feelings of regret. I'd love to find people to talk to who have been through the same procedure or experience before. So I look forward to meeting you all. Hope you have a great week!
      · 2 replies
      1. Selina333

        I'm so happy for you! You are about to change your life. I was so glad to get the sleeve done in Dec. I didn't have feelings of regret overall. And I'm down almost 60 lbs. I do feel a little sad at restaurants. I can barely eat half a kid's meal. I get adults meals often because kid ones don't have the same offerings at times. Then I feel obligated to eat on that until it's gone and that can be days. So the restaurant thing isn't great for me. All the rest is fine by me! I love feeling full with very little. I do wish I could drink when eating. And will sip at the end. Just a strong habit to stop. But I'm working on it! You will do fine! Just keep focused on your desire to be different. Not better or worse. But different. I am happy both ways but my low back doesn't like me that heavy. So I listened (also my feet!). LOL! Update us on your journey! I'm not far from you. I'm in Houston. Good luck and I hope it all goes smoothly! Would love to see pics of the town you go to for this. I've never been there. Neat you will be traveling for this! Enjoy the journey. Take it one day at a time. Sometimes a few hours at a time. Follow all recommendations as best you can. 💗

      2. Doughgurl

        Thank you so much for your well wishes. I am hoping that everything goes easy for me as well. We don't eat out much as it is, so it wont be too bad in that department. Thankfully. Also, I hear you regarding your back and feet!! I'd like to add knees to the list. Killing me as we speak! I'm only 5' so the weight has to go. Too short to carry all this weight. Menopause really did a doosey on me. (😶lol) My daughter also lives in Houston. with her Husband and my 5 grand-littles. I grew up in Beaumont, so I know Houston well, I will be sure to keep in touch and update you on my journey. I may need some advice in the future, or just motivation. Thank You so much for reaching out, I was hoping to connect with someone in the community. I really appreciate it. 💜

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

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