Questions about your experience with the Sleeve

[KymmerShimmer 2]

Hi there, Just approved for a surgery consult after a 8 month pre-bariatric program of nutrition counseling, exercise testing and psych evaluation. Have some questions for you expert Sleevers:

1. What made you choose the Sleeve over the Lap Band?

2. Have you had Hair loss with the Sleeve?

3. What can you absolutely NOT eat now with the Sleeve?

4. At what point did you know you made the right decision with the Sleeve surgery?

5. What as been the best tool you've used in keeping your weight loss progressing?

Thank you!!

[FancyChristine15 810]

1 minute ago, KymmerShimmer said:

1. What made you choose the Sleeve over the Lap Band? My doctor doesn't even offer the Lap Band. Even if he did though, I would have chosen the sleeve. I don't like the idea of a foreign object being in my body like that.

2. Have you had Hair loss with the Sleeve? I am 5 months out, and I have had no Hair loss.

3. What can you absolutely NOT eat now with the Sleeve? I'm a little more sensitive to spicy things than I was before the surgery. I also don't enjoy really sweet things anymore. I now prefer really dark chocolate, since it's sweet but has a bitterness to it, so it's not too sweet.

4. At what point did you know you made the right decision with the Sleeve surgery? After the first month. The first month sucks, but once you get past that, it's SOOOO much better!

5. What as been the best tool you've used in keeping your weight loss progressing? The MyPlate app. It keeps track of my food, exercise, Water, and weight. It's been amazing!

Thank you!!

[Matt Z 4,140]

21 minutes ago, KymmerShimmer said:

Hi there, Just approved for a surgery consult after a 8 month pre-bariatric program of nutrition counseling, exercise testing and psych evaluation. Have some questions for you expert Sleevers:

1. What made you choose the Sleeve over the Lap Band?

2. Have you had Hair loss with the Sleeve?

3. What can you absolutely NOT eat now with the Sleeve?

4. At what point did you know you made the right decision with the Sleeve surgery?

5. What as been the best tool you've used in keeping your weight loss progressing?

Thank you!!

I noticed you asked this 2x times... but you've not asked about DS or Bypass. Why?

[Frustr8 7,886]

My guess This is the only surgery poster is interested, for poster the other kinds don't exist.

[RickM 1,753]

The best explanation of the difference between the two that I have seen is on poster's surgeon's advice was that if you call me up in five year's time complaining of nausea and vomiting and you have a band, I would tell you to go the the ER ASAP; if you had a VSG, I would tell you that you just ate some bad fish.

While the bands are simple to install and have a low initial complication rate, that complication rate increases over time, and while it is a removable device and the procedure can be reversed, often times the damage that it does to your stomach can't be reversed, so you wind up getting revised to a sleeve, bypass or DS.

[KymmerShimmer 2]

37 minutes ago, Frustr8 said:

My guess This is the only surgery poster is interested, for poster the other kinds don't exist.

Correct. I have ruled out the others except for Sleeve and Band. Thanks!

[MG1776 275]

29 minutes ago, KymmerShimmer said:

Hi there, Just approved for a surgery consult after a 8 month pre-bariatric program of nutrition counseling, exercise testing and psych evaluation. Have some questions for you expert Sleevers:

1. What made you choose the Sleeve over the Lap Band? Failure rate on Lap Band was much higher.

2. Have you had Hair loss with the Sleeve? Nothing noticeable. Not sure if it's Hair loss from sleeve or aging with 4 kids process!

3. What can you absolutely NOT eat now with the Sleeve? The scary thing is I can eat anything I want, just in much smaller portions. This doesn't mean that I do eat anything as I've committed to a lifestyle change and do not want to fall back into unhealthy patterns.

4. At what point did you know you made the right decision with the Sleeve surgery? I'd say about a month out, once the initial healing phase was completed and I started moving back into a food routine, as well as saw the weight starting to drop quickly.

5. What as been the best tool you've used in keeping your weight loss progressing? My hydroflask for cold Water, and my Apple Watch to track my movement. My old size 44 shorts that I can fit into one leg now has definitely been a great tool as well!

Thank you!!

[Sosewsue61 3,185]

1. What made you choose the Sleeve over the Lap Band? never considered the band, big failure rate, erosion issues

2. Have you had Hair loss with the Sleeve? some Hair loss, but new hairs growing back in now

3. What can you absolutely NOT eat now with the Sleeve? beef is a little harsh, stringy meat. what I refuse to eat - Pasta, most breads, doughnuts, frosting, seldom rice, I don't really care for chocolate much anymore

4. At what point did you know you made the right decision with the Sleeve surgery? when I kept hearing about rny patients needing Iron infusions, getting ulcers in the unused stomach portion

5. What as been the best tool you've used in keeping your weight loss progressing? the physical restriction of the sleeve, my mind accepting the journey, tracking with Baritastic app, my SIP by S'Well Water thermos

[YeahOkay31 652]

1. What made you choose the Sleeve over the Lap Band? Lap bands have a lot of long term complications

2. Have you had Hair loss with the Sleeve? Yes.

3. What can you absolutely NOT eat now with the Sleeve? Salmon, tuna

4. At what point did you know you made the right decision with the Sleeve surgery? Less than 4 months out, so no verdict yet, but I am down 66 pounds already since surgery.

5. What as been the best tool you've used in keeping your weight loss progressing? The sleeve itself. Not so much the limiting capacity because you can still graze--but most of the time, I am just not hungry, And a scale. People love their NSV and more power to them--but numbers don't lie. The scale will always keep you honest.

[Healthy_life 1,437]

1. What made you choose the Sleeve over the Lap Band? My surgeons office no longer does this type of surgery. Google band revisions. I had the sleeve because it was less invasive. My intestines are not altered.

2. Have you had Hair loss with the Sleeve? Yes, its typical and temporary. It will grow back.

3. What can you absolutely NOT eat now with the Sleeve? I can tolerate anything. Sweet, salty, Spicy. To be successful it's healthy eating and behaviors. I choose and enjoy eatting healthy.

4. At what point did you know you made the right decision with the Sleeve surgery? The moment I chose it was the right decision. It's been successful long term.

5. What as been the best tool you've used in keeping your weight loss progressing?. Keeping my weight loss progressing/maintaining has been staying on my Dr's food and exercise plan. Best thing that has assisted me was a food tracking app. It was eye opening to see how you fuel your body.

[GreenTealael 25,622]

4 hours ago, KymmerShimmer said:

Hi there, Just approved for a surgery consult after a 8 month pre-bariatric program of nutrition counseling, exercise testing and psych evaluation. Have some questions for you expert Sleevers:

1. What made you choose the Sleeve over the Lap Band? High failure rate, half measure, non permanent, surgeons unwilling to perform procedure

2. Have you had Hair loss with the Sleeve? Mild, supplementing, regrowing

3. What can you absolutely NOT eat now with the Sleeve? High sugar content foods, dumping syndrome (rare but can happen)

4. At what point did you know you made the right decision with the Sleeve surgery? Consultation with surgeon, it was medically necessary, not vanity (no disrespect to anyone)

5. What as been the best tool you've used in keeping your weight loss progressing? Tracking my diet, walking more stay honesty and flexibility with myself , if eat off plan for an occasion, its not a free pass , I stay accountable by reducing cals the next day or exercising to compensate

Thank you!!

[josephsmom 25]

1. What made you choose the Sleeve over the Lap Band? High rate of complications and failure with lap band.

2. Have you had Hair loss with the Sleeve? Yes. It is not falling out in clumps or anything like that, but I definitely notice more "shedding" in the shower and on my comb, and some loose hairs on my shoulders throughout the day. Nobody else has noticed; not even my hairdresser.

3. What can you absolutely NOT eat now with the Sleeve? Any intolerances or aversions I had prior to surgery got worse. And I have trouble with foods that are dry or hard.

4. At what point did you know you made the right decision with the Sleeve surgery? About a month out. The first month was very hard.

5. What as been the best tool you've used in keeping your weight loss progressing? I write down every single thing I put in my mouth, using My Fitness Pal to track calories and Protein. And I exercise an average of 5 days per week.

These are all good questions. Good luck to you!

[BajanSleeve 244]

What made you choose the Sleeve over the Lap Band? LAP BAND IS AN OLD VERSION OF WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY. YOU WILL GET BETTER AND LONGER RESULTS WITH VSG

2. Have you had Hair loss with the Sleeve? IT HAS BEEN 3 MONTHS SO FAR AND I HAVE NOT LOST hair BUT I AM VERY CONSISTENT WITH TAKING Biotin AND supplements. I ALSO USE A NATURAL BIOTON Shampoo AND CONDITIONER

3. What can you absolutely NOT eat now with the Sleeve? 3 MONTHS IN FOR ME AND MOST meats ARE STILL DIFFICULT TO TOLERATE EXCEPT FOR SOFT MEATBALLS, SHRIMP AND SOFT FISH. NO BIGGIE TO ME BECAUSE I AM LOOSING SO MUCH WEIGHT

4. At what point did you know you made the right decision with the Sleeve surgery? WELL, I HAVE LOST 50 LBS IN JUST 3 MONTHS. BY THE END OF THE YEAR I HOPE TO BE ALMOST 100 LBS SMALLER. THAT IS A HUGE THUMBS UP FOR THE VSG

5. What as been the best tool you've used in keeping your weight loss progressing? STAY AWAY FROM SUGAR AND CARBS AS MUCH AS YOU CAN AND YOU HAVE TO THROW IN SOME EXERSIZE, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOUR INITIAL SET OF WEIGHT COMES OFF

[CrankyMagpie 509]

I haven't had the surgery yet, but I'm really appreciating the responses to this question. Thanks for asking it, @KymmerShimmer!

I can say I chose the sleeve over the lap band mostly because of statistics. The failure rate on the lap band is high--not even all that much better than diet and exercise alone (which has a 95+% failure rate, just btw); the failure rate on the sleeve is so much lower. The risk of complications on the band over time is comparatively high, too. The chance of scarring on the outside of the stomach is something I couldn't handle (which is maybe a weird stance for me to have, since I'm fine with them chopping out part of my stomach and making a line of staples ... OK, I am freaked out by there being metal staples in my squishy organ area, but I'm less freaked out by that than I am by a band full of saline floating around in there).

And my sister in law had the lap band, lost a lot of weight, had complications, and has regained a bunch back. She's planning to get a sleeve, but she's having trouble finding a doctor who'll do it, since (some stuff that's specific to her, PLUS) it's harder to make the staple line close up cleanly after someone's had a lap band. So, there was a personal story to go with the statistics, you know?

What I'm saying is, I never seriously considered the band. Which is for the best, since my surgeon also doesn't offer it. The bypass is considered the "gold standard" of bariatric surgery, and the sleeve is the most commonly performed bariatric surgery nowadays; at the risk of making some folks mad at me, I'll be honest and say that, having seen the statistics, I think it's a little unethical for a doctor to even offer the lap band, anymore.

[AASosa 56]

Do you enjoy throwing up? Cause if you do the band is the tool for you! (Being facetious)

I had the band for 6 years it sucked, between the doctor visits making constant adjustments 1 or 2 cc at a time getting it too tight where nothing goes down (not event fluids) having to wait till the doctors office opens to get the sh!t removed the next day so you can swallow something, dealing with swelling cause of food that irritates, plane rides were fun, diving was fun why you ask pressure is a b!tch especially when you have a band lol...

I lost 70lbs with my band over a year period, I then got irritated and loosened the band which was like opening a dam I gained all the weight back and then some cause it was easy to reverse oh yeah while gaining weight and I was still throwing up constantly cause dry foods do not go down well, bread, rice etc not unless you coat them with sauce (and you will when your desperate to eat something)

I got sleeved in April, made a lot of changes in my life cause I made a decision to get healthier for myself and my children’s future. So far I have ZERO REGRETS except not having done it sooner cause my food will power has always been Sh!t.

Make your decision based on the idea of being a healthier person, if you think the surgery alone will make you loose weight it won’t gotta work for each and every lbs lost same way we worked hard enjoying ourselves putting the lbs on.

good luck