Why did you choose this surgery over the Gastric Sleeve? Also my starting weight is 260...am I heavy enough for this?

In talking to my surgeon & the research I had done before meeting with the surgeon to decide which was right for me I knew the sleeve wasn't for me. To me was to "new" & I was concerned that it would end up with results like lapband. There is a high incidence of acid reflux after the sleeve especially if you had it before, where as with RNY it tends to resolve most of the time. There was a lot more data out there on RNY. I was also on the low end before I got RNY about 20ilbs less then you are now & I was still a candidate. You just won't lose as fast as someone who has substantially more weight to lose. At the 4 month mark I am down 65 pounds, I would do the RNY a thousand times over I have become so much healthier & active since making these changes. But in all honesty do research check out a websites like Cleveland Clinic, watch a video on the surgeries, develop a list of questions for the surgeon. Understand your medical conditions & what you take for them & how it will be impacted post surgery.

I actually had my mind made up that I was going to have the sleeve and my doctor was strongly trying to persuade me toward the RNY because of the long term research and proven results. He said you will lose weight much faster and in a greater amount after it is all said in done. My PCP also recommended RNY over the sleeve. She said if you are going to do it, then DO IT. Go for the gold standard if you have the option.

I choose the Rny because I only wanted to have surgury once and RNY is the gold standard and I didn't want to have surgery again due to acid reflex . I love the choice I made and I am loving the results , I would advice discuss your options with your doctor, your support team and I'm sure you will make the right choice . I know for me I did because I could only afford to be off work once . I have had no complications and I could have went back to work within one week . Good luck my friend .

I had the gastric Bypass August 1, 2013.. Best think I ever did.. Down 103#'s..

Edited January 16, 201511 yr by tblabella

I had the rny gastric bypass in August of '05. Initially lost 136 pds have gained back about 15 but have also had two children and preg with a third. Wouldn't change my decision for anything. If you are a sugar junkie or carb junkie like I was the rny is the BEST SURGERY period.

I was doing a revision from lapband and my surgeon won't do revisions to sleeve. He said that there's usually too much scar tissue where he needs to cut and where you need to heal, so the bypass was the best option.

I have went back and forth in my head countless times between the two options. My surgeon recommends RNY and my PCP recommends the sleeve. It is a very hard decision to make.

I went in requesting the sleeve, however. ..My dr explained it this way, the sleeve is more for those that over eat, RNY is for those with metabolic issues. With RNY, at the 3 mo mark appx I will be off diabetes, bp, reflux meds and a couple more. With the sleeve, I would still be in the same boat I am now, just thinner. For me it was about becoming healthy, getting my life back. I have so many auto immune/metabolic issues to list, so for me, this was the best route. So my RNY surgery date is March 16th=) I have my final pre op apt this thurs!

I had RNY in March 2014 and have lost 115 pounds with just 10 left to go. I weighed 253 and now weigh 136. I was diabetic and l was able to leave the hospital with normal blood sugar levels. Best decision for me.

I also went to my first surgeons appointment with the mindset of having the sleeve. Throughout my appointments, we discovered that I had an ulcer as well as esophagitis due to reflux. My surgeon couldn't believe that I didn't have chronic stomach pains however I had been dealing with chronic pelvic pain due to a metabolic disorder, which masked the stomach discomfort. It was determined that my chronic pelvic pain caused me to use NSAIDs like Ibuprofen and Naproxen so often that it caused my ulcer. Due to those discoveries, and my metabolic disorder, my surgeon highly recommended that I have RNY instead of the sleeve. He stated that the RNY would give me a better chance at metabolic changes that I needed to get rid of the pelvic pain (the WHOLE reason for looking into the surgery in the first place), and that the sleeve would only be a riskier option for me because of the history of ulcers and reflux. I was hesitant and it took a few months of prayer and research before I finally made my decision. I will be three months out on Wednesday and I have NO REGRETS. I do feel that it is a personal decision for each person, but i know that the RNY was without a doubt the best option for me. I feel amazing, my pelvic pain is almost non-existent. I am off of ALL medications, including diabetic meds, reflux meds, and hormonal medications related to the metabolic disorder. I sleep 6-7 hours and wake up feeling RESTED!!! That never happened to me before. I am half way to my goal after only three months, and the changes that I have made are positively affecting both family and co-workers! Prior to surgery, I had an insatiable sweet tooth, and I was known for skipping meals to eat sweets with a coffee. No longer! The cravings are no longer an issue for me, and I feel wonderful. I even get comments on how great my skin looks!

I was 245 and asked the same question about being "heavy enough" for the gastric bypass. Ultimately, I chose this surgery because it has a higher success rate for getting rid of diabetes and PCOS, which I had. I can proudly say I no longer have diabetes nor PCOS and feel so much healthier. I did have some complications which are not common and I am still dealing with them, but I would do it again.

My Op is booked for 14th May but I've still to decide which one. I initially wanted the sleeve but I have GERD / acid reflux so the surgeon recommends bypass. The sleeve doesn't worry me but the bypass does - the re plumbing, the vitamin deficiency, etc etc. Reading your posts above has been a big help. I'm leaning more toward bypass now. Any additional advice would be great!

I just had to barium swallow and upper gi. I am scheduled for endoscopy next. I have terrible reflux and it was shown in the tests. They have prescribed Nexium. I am 2.5 years post op. I got pregnant 12 months post sleeve and have not been able to lose weight since delivery. Surgeon told me he has seen several cases post pregnancy when sleeve has stretched. So my sleeve is larger than expected now. So we are reviewing my options. I was a very slow looser to begin with losing 53lbs up until my pregnancy. That was with working out 5-6 days a week and tracking. To say I am frustrated is an understatement. Everything I eat gives me heartburn! And food gets stuck in my throat...I am in the process for a revision... So frustrating

@, sorry to hear it's not worked out as well as you'd have hoped. I already have the reflux etc. I've been on omeprazole for 3 years. I had an endoscopy last week and I have a small hiatal hernia and they mentioned that the big muscle at the bottom of my oesophagus is not closing fully - that's why the food easily comes back up. To go through the op and make the acid reflux worse would be a nightmare. Based on you're comment I'm even more convinced the bypass would be better. Thank you for sharing your story. Hope you get your revision soon and everything works out!

@@losing-it I have a hiatal hernia too. Of I could do it all over I would have done RNY hands down. I did a two week liquid diet and post liquids none off that is easy. As is the decision to do a revision.... I wish you the best and I am glad that my story gives you some insight. Some people have done real well with the sleeve. Just not me.