I’m not sure what surgery to do?

[susunorm 95]

From what I have read, a lot of people get the sleeve! I need to lose over 150 pounds. I also have pcos. I know that the vsg might take a shorter amount of time on the table and it may extend over time. Also I heard it can cause acid reflux to become worse. The issue with the bypass, the dumping syndrome. What are your thoughts? What made you decide to do the surgery you picked? Thank you.

[Bryn910 519]

I had over 100 lbs. to lose and I originall my had the sleeve. Didn’t lose anything(in the end), developed extreme GERD, & felt no restriction over time.

i ended up having a revision 7 years after my sleeve after resetting my sleeve, 5 day sleeve test, kept diet etc. I am only 15 days post op my revision to bypass but glad I had it. I feel for me, that the malabsorption and restriction is what I need versus just restriction from the sleeve. And the recovery was exactly the same for me for sleeve and revision; as well as operation time (about 3 hours each)

everyone’s experience is different and it’s about how compliant you are as well. I feel for me dumping syndrome is a slap in the face to let you know that you aren’t suppose to be eating this or that. I see that there’s a lot of leniency for this with sleeve sometimes. And personally that’s something I can’t handle

i will never say that one surgery is better than the other but for some people bypass is better than VSG and vice versa. I have seen some amazing results with vsg and I have seen some horrible results with bypass that scare me. It is a tough decision for sure

Edited May 26, 2018 by Bryn910

[susunorm 95]

On 05/26/2018 at 10:00, Bryn910 said:

I had over 100 lbs. to lose and I originall my had the sleeve. Didn’t lose anything(in the end), developed extreme GERD, & felt no restriction over time.

i ended up having a revision 7 years after my sleeve after resetting my sleeve, 5 day sleeve test, kept diet etc. I am only 15 days post op my revision to bypass but glad I had it. I feel for me, that the malabsorption and restriction is what I need versus just restriction from the sleeve. And the recovery was exactly the same for me for sleeve and revision; as well as operation time (about 3 hours each)

everyone’s experience is different and it’s about how compliant you are as well. I feel for me dumping syndrome is a slap in the face to let you know that you aren’t suppose to be eating this or that. I see that there’s a lot of leniency for this with sleeve sometimes. And personally that’s something I can’t handle

Thank you so much for your response! That’s what I’m scared of doing, by getting the sleeve and it not working. And having to do a revision. You are strong for going through the surgery more than once! ❤️

[Sprinkles1 358]

I did bypass because I have a lot to lose... plus i didn't want Gerd. I'm 5 weeks post op and have lost 31lbs.

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[Myaiku_Kuraitani 245]

A lot of people go with the sleeve for their own various reasons. To my own surprise. I thought I was only going to see 150 but my body surprised me. Motivation gets you places.

I lost about 149 lbs altogether.

The reasons why I chose bypass over the sleeve are because:

1. I loved the idea of losing weight faster

2. My surgeon recommended RNY because of my BMI. We were on the same page which made me happy, therefore I listened to her and glad I listened to her and my gut feeling.

3. I wanted to get the surgery to help with Portion Control.

4. I needed dumping syndrome to keep me in line with bad eating habits and it does.

5. Although some do and some don't, I have a history of Acid Reflux and getting the sleeve would have made that worse which only made me want bypass more.

6. Just wanted more bang for my buck.

7. Didn't want to risk getting a revision if the sleeve didn't work out for me in the end.

Now a year post op and never regretted my decision once. Glad I did it. 🙂

Hw-273
Sw-226
CW-124
GW-130
Size- 2, Small in sweats. Small in shirts. depends on how it's cut or made.
Bra Size- 34C

Surgery Date- April 26th, 2017
RNY
"Only those who try will become" FFX

[Creekimp13 5,838]

Overall weight loss is statistically a little better with Bypass. (that said...both procedures can effectively help bring people to goal weight and both can fail) Overall complication rates are higher with bypass, though. More leaks, more malabsorption issues. Both surgeries carry some risk, but in the grand spectrum of things, both are pretty safe surgeries these days.

The safety of a surgery is dependent, also, on the surgeon's experience. You want a surgeon who does a LOT of your procedure and feels very comfortable doing it. That expertise...is crucial to safety and a good outcome.

I chose sleeve because my surgery was quick, it's my surgeon's favorite, and I don't want to have dumping issues. I was on the table less than an hour, and was up walking laps around the ward within just a few hours after surgery.

If you currently have problems with GERD, you might want to lean toward bypass. Before surgery, my endoscopy revealed chronic gastritis and this concerned me a little (but we figured it was due to multiple daily doses of ibuprofen and a couple of my other meds)...but I went ahead with the sleeve because I don't want to dump. I have not had any problems with acid reflux. I'm off my omeprazole (antacid PPI that you take for a while after surgery) and i've still not hand any problems with acid. (thank goodness!)

If you're a vegetarian (I'm not, but I lean that way quite a bit) you might want to consider the sleeve. A big part of my diet is complex carbs, fruit, and lower glycemic index whole grains....I wanted to be able to continue to eat a healthy vegetarian-leaning diet without concerns about dumping. I'm a fruit-bat. I don't eat a lot of refined sugar, but I do eat a lot of fructose in whole fruits.

Talk about the pros and cons with your doctor. Either way you go....you have good odds.

Edited May 26, 2018 by Creekimp13

[KimTriesRNY 1,853]

I chose bypass for myself because my starting BMI was above 50. My surgeon thought either procedure could work well for me and did not try to steer me in either direction. He performs both types of these surgeries and has done them for years with very few complications.

He did caution me against choosing bypass with the intention that dumping syndrome would stop me from eating sweets. Dumping syndrome does not affect everyone that has gastric bypass, and he said that as a bypass matures it can stop as well. I have never dumped since my surgery. There is also evidence that as a bypass matures, the malabsorptive properties of the surgery are compensated for by the body.

In the end, it is possible to “eat around” both of these surgeries and that is many times what leads to weight regain and failure. People on here that seem to be successful long term, regardless of surgery type, are those that have followed a sensible diet and incorporated permanent lifestyle changes.

In the end you have to research what you feel comfortable with, and choose what’s best for you.

[shelly420 59]

1 hour ago, susunorm said:

From what I have read, a lot of people get the sleeve! I need to lose over 150 pounds. I also have pcos. I know that the vsg might take a shorter amount of time on the table and it may extend over time. Also I heard it can cause acid reflux to become worse. The issue with the bypass, the dumping syndrome. What are your thoughts? What made you decide to do the surgery you picked? Thank you.

People having the sleeve are having to convert to the bypass (or so my surgeon told me). The sleeve was intended to be a temporary solution with the bypass being the final step. That being said, lots of people have a lot of success with the sleeve. With 150+, if it were me, I'd do the bypass & not waste my time with a band or sleeve, but I think it's something you'd have to discuss with your surgeon to determine which will work best for you. I have never had much will-power, so the bypass was the recommended surgery in my case. I had a band previously, and that was a total waste of time & money in my case.

[Faith2002 12]

I also had around 150 lbs to lose along with PCOS. Does your doctor offer Bilopancreatic Deudonal Switch with Anastomosis? That is what my surgeon suggested due to the PCOS causing a metabolic issue for me. He felt the other surgeries was not what I needed.

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[Briswife15 889]

I have the same question and am glad you posted this. My issue is that I have reflux and diabetes, so on that hand bypass looks like the choice, but... I take antidepressants which might not absorb well after bypass, making the sleeve look like a better choice. So, surgeon says my case is complicated. We've tentatively settled on the bypass. But I'm just starting this journey and things could change. I am about 120 lbs over my ideal weight with a BMI 43.

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[kimberlymi 113]

I have not had my RNY yet October 2018 I will have it, but my reasons are :

1) my BMI high.

2) I am a insulin dependent diabetic , I have been on insulin for over 22 yrs and was told I would not get off all of it but most of it and most of my oral meds also for a laundry list of health issues.

3) it will give me better control because of the dumping . I know myself and I will need this extra kick, to not even think about “just a little taste will be ok” not for me it won’t !!!!!

4) I will lose weight faster but I know I will have to be spot on due to the malabsorption issues. Something else to help hold me accountable .

5) I don’t want to have to go in for a revision. I will save my 20% for my reconstruction surgery and not a second weight loss surgery.

6) my doctors feel it will work better for me and I have killer heartburn at times

be kind to yourself , everyone makes mistakes.

[susunorm 95]

Thank you all so much for you feedback! I think I now have an idea on what I want to do. I will talk to my doctor and see if he also agrees!

[kimberlymi 113]

I am going to do bypass for a few reasons. 1) high BMI . 2) I have a lava field already, don’t want it any worse . 3) type 1 diabetic 4) don’t want to have to go back in for a revision from sleeve to bypass .
My primary doctor feels a sleeve would be better, but my surgeon feels the bypass is a much better choice for me.