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Does anyone feel pressured by surgeon to have the bypass (instead of sleeve)



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Leroy Mann

This is absolutely how I feel.I already chose a half ass lapband that Has caused me pure misery since 2004 not to mention .my teeth and gums are screwed and I have severe acid reflux and port pain...and...I am the vomit queen!!!!!The biggest reason is that I only initially lost about 40 pounds and have really struggled.....I am as fat ass as ever and miserable...seeking a revision to what I should have done in the first place!!!bypass!!!!and for anyone who wants to raise the ...."re routing invasive euphemism"...spare me...my esophagus is screwed up and my stomach is beat up and the amount of slime and vomit is sickening...port pain...please...I would be crazy to subject my very lapband abused stomach to cutting 85% out....I am lapband miserable and in pain as I type....mmm....silicone...,should of thought about that before I developed breast cancer....just saying.....,,silicone...ok..

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Drmeow

Yes!!!A good dump should keep me in order....Like a taser!LOL...

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I posted this elsewhere, too...

Thank you so much, everyone, for your feedback. This helps a lot.

I'm still very conflicted. I went back to my surgeon today and one of her staff members told me they don't even normally do the sleeve for people of my weight because they just don't see the results they need. All that said, they agreed to do the sleeve for me if I want to go that route.

Honestly, I have a friend who weighed around 350 and she lost over 100 lbs -- so she has been successful, but she is having trouble losing the rest of her excess weight.

So, I'm still really confused -- and I'm not sure how much of it is because my surgeon and her office are encouraging me to do the bypass or what I have seen with my friend and her sleeve.

Also, I spoke with my oncologist and he said that if I were to ever need treatment in the future, I could be treated if I have the bypass or the sleeve.

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When I originally went to see my doctor, my BMI was 49; I'm 5'7" and I weighed 315 lbs. He told me that really the only serious option for me was the gastric bypass. He said that a person with as much weight to lose as I have does best with the gastric bypass, because it provides the most weight loss. I have heard other doctors say the same thing.

Second, if you read these boards you will find many people who have had revisions from other WLS (both band and sleeve) to the gastric bypass because of various problems with those other forms. I decided I only want one WLS ever.

Third, as others on this thread have said, the gastric bypass is no more "radical" than a sleeve; both will require Vitamins for the rest of your life, both involve significant changes to your stomach, etc.

The gastric bypass provides weight loss because of malabsorption, restricted pouch size, and possibly reduction in Ghrelin (the hormone that triggers hunger). One of the side effects many gastric bypass patients experience is dumping syndrome when either poor foods (high fat, high sugar, various other bad things) are consumed or too much food is consumed or "stuck" (often because food has not been chewed sufficiently). Although the symptom is unpleasant, it acts as a "teaching tool" to change bad behaviors, which is a very positive outcome.

In the end you will have to make the decision on your own. You are the one who will have to live your life with whatever surgery you choose.

The people on this forum are pro-gastric bypass, since this is a gastric bypass forum. If you are really leaning toward the sleeve, you might want to go on the sleeve boards and ask around there about that surgery, to get a different slant on this issue.

Good luck and best wishes on whatever choice you make.

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I currently have the sleeve and am revising to bypass on Friday; enough said about that. I truly wish I had the bypass in the first place. If you have acid reflux I believe your only option is the GB, good luck in your decision.

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I totally agree...the only way to get that stubborn metabolism which is that makeup that your body knows...I refer to it as a switchback....diet now but Your body will revert back later...the bypass tricks it and gives you a chance to use it as a tool.My boy fights weight loss...RNY because I want it to be the last surgery...no more alternatives.

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Well, I made a decision and we submitted my packet to my insurance company yesterday. I'm opting for the bypass. I had a long talk with my PCP and he felt that the sleeve wasn't a good option for me because my issues are more metabolic. If I were more of a volume eater, he said he could see it -- but since my metabolism is a problem, he thinks I would only benefit from the bypass because it helps reset your metabolism. I'm not excited about the prospect of dealing with dumping, but it looks like this isbwhat I'm going to do...

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I wish my surgeon would've done the RNY but he no longer perform the procedure. I had the sleeve gastrectomy 15months ago and sad to say it was a failure I've had so many complication until I regret my decision to have the sleeve. Now I'm looking into a revision from the sleeve to the bypass

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I'm so sorry to hear that! Just curious, but why does your surgeon not do the RNY any longer? I mean, since it's billed as the "gold standard" and all...

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Because he doesn't want to. Says nobody need the RNY, me personally feel as if I would've done better with the malabsorption procedure rather than the restriction procedure especially since my sleeve is bigger than the average person. My surgeon is a major ahole.

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Hmmm...that's basically the way I felt about the RNY. Just seems so invasive when you can simply (haha) have most of your stomach excised. But it just doesn't sound like any of my doctors have much faith in the sleeve -- not my surgeon, not my PCP, not my oncologist, no one. I finally just decided I should do the RNY.

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The reason your dr is trying to steer you to the RNY is for a reason.I have the band which has failed and caused me so much pain and my esophagus is "tortured"My acid reflux is outrageous and the amount of tests for this band is horrific.Think about every time the have to inject a long needle to fill you with fluid...My port has distended my stomach...now that is invasive.The sleeve is not an option and I cannot afford a leak or ulceration so that has happened to some.RNY is what I should of went with because My metabolism is screwed and I want a procedure that is proven...this time I am not afraid.I finally get it!RNY!

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ive been mostly on the sleeve boards because im considering the sleeve but i have about 140 pounds to lose to be healthy. i think after reading this my mind is changing slightly

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I too struggled with the decision between sleeve and bypass. I finally decided on bypass due to its track record and my health issues.

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I have a friend who just had the sleeve as well as her younger daughter.They both have about 150 at LEAST to lose and they are first time WLS.They needed to do something.Great Losing weight ...ok.She told me she made some mistakes by waiting to long to eat on several occasions....ok I see in the future where this is going.I have a lap band...I thought it was less invasive back in 2004.Fast forward...I slime and vomit all the time.My port site protrudes and is painful and I Abe GERD and my esophagus has damage...did I mention I have struggled initially lost a minimal amount of weight ..50 pounds when I needed to lose 100.,,I am now an involuntary bulimic because of the band and its complications...trying hard to get a revision to the RNY

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    • 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.
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      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!

    • 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. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

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        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
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