The age old question...

[ZGal 84]

I am blessed to have the option of either the sleeve or bypass surgery; my doctor feels both will work for me and it really is my choice. Here’s the dilemma: which do I decide?? I would love to hear feedback from those that have made their own decision.

For me, I’m really worried about failure if I get the sleeve. I know that I have a bad relationship with food and I’m petrified that I will ultimately go back to old habits (big reason why weight loss hasn’t been successful for me in the past!). I know that success is based on what we put into it, and that surgery is merely a tool, however, some of the things I struggle with (never feeling full or always feeling like can eat) will be helped with surgery. I know it’s messed up (however, my doctor says it’s not) but one of the selling points with bypass is that I WON’T be able to eat some of those bad habit foods that would be my potential downfall with the sleeve.

My hesitation with bypass: I’m really scared about having calcium/bone issues and teeth issues! I don’t know how I,would handle my teeth being damaged. If I stick to my Vitamins, will I be ok? Anyone else have this problem? My Dr initially recommended the bYpass because it’s the “gold standard”, there is so much data available, and between the two, I’m more likely to keep the weight off with bypass.

any personal experiences/advice would be great! I haven’t talked to anyone except my fiancé about this, and I just need someone else to pick my brain and lend some experience tales

[Briswife15 889]

Do you have reflux or GERD? I am going with bypass rather than the sleeve because I have pretty significant reflux even while on meds. Also, as irrational as it seems, I don't like the fact that with the sleeve they remove most of your stomach. With bypass they leave it in, just make a separate small pouch. I guess I'm weird! Good luck with your decision.

Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

[johnsons13 359]

I have a friend that had to have a revision because of reflux the same day I had my sleeve. We both can still technically eat all those bad habit foods. I am 6 months post op and yes, it is only a tool. From what I hear from my friend of myself, those foods go either way with either surgery. Some people get sick if they eat bad things and like me and my friend with 2 different surgeries, we can chomp down on all those bad for you foods. I was under the impression that you still remove some of your stomach with bypass they just also re-route things in there.

I have had issues with reflux in my past, especially during pregnancies, but so far *knock on wood* I've only had an issue a few times.

[ZGal 84]

Thank you for your responses!

I don’t have reflux issues; but I completely forgot to add that in my post (sorry!)

And with the revision- the fact that that’s an option scares me. I just know myself, and I’m really nervous I’ll dongreat the first couple of years and then it’ll go to waste.

The bypass worries me with the possibility of teeth issues. It’s just something I don’t know if I could deal with

[ZGal 84]

4 hours ago, Briswife15 said:

Do you have reflux or GERD? I am going with bypass rather than the sleeve because I have pretty significant reflux even while on meds. Also, as irrational as it seems, I don't like the fact that with the sleeve they remove most of your stomach. With bypass they leave it in, just make a separate small pouch. I guess I'm weird! Good luck with your decision.

Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

Isn’t it funny? Some people don’t like the sleeve because they remove part of the stomach while other don’t like bypass because they re-route things. It’s just interesting to me

[johnsons13 359]

Regardless, they are going inside and and making things different.

[KimTriesRNY 1,853]

6 hours ago, ZGal said:

but one of the selling points with bypass is that I WON’T be able to eat some of those bad habit foods that would be my potential downfall with the sleeve.

This is false information. If you are under the assumption that bypass surgery will “stop” you from eating “bad habit” foods, you are mistaken. This is is simply not the case for many of us. If you are referring to processed foods and foods high in sugars as “bad habit” foods it is absolutely possible to eat these foods after bypass surgery.

There is no guarantee that you will get dumping after bypass surgery, and the amount of patients that do is only estimated at 30 percent or so, and this decreases with the length of time post surgery. This is why you see lots of posts about regain after ANY weight loss surgery type.

No surgery will prevent you from eating what you want, the onus is on YOU to change your diet, not to try to rely on a potential undesirable consequence to change your behavior.

[FluffyChix 17,409]

Also, do not depend on the malabsorptive aspect of RNY to allow you to eat crappy foods and "get away" with not absorbing all the calories. Why? Cuz depending on your doc, you may get a shorter bypass, or a longer one--you won't really know for sure. Nor will you know how MUCH malabsorption it actually causes. Studies are showing that it is less than previously thought. Also when the gut regrows microvilli, they become super-powered and scrubbing nutrients and energy from the stuff we eat. So there's that too. The surgery operates on the gut, not your brain...so cravings still exist. And they go whackamole on you to make sure you know they are still there post surgery -- regardless of type.

Bottom line, if I hadn't "worked my tool" to lose all my weight to 1st goal, my tool wouldn't have worked regardless of tool type (RNY or VSG) and the surgery would not have "magically" gotten me to that 1st Goal line without herculean efforts. I had to work. Let me repeat. It was W-O-R-K. It wasn't magic bean surgery that allowed me to keep all my unbalanced habits and relationships with food--just cuz I had an RNY and separated an egg size portion of stomach and rerouted some intestines.

I "can" eat way more food on any given day, easily 2000+ cals if I don't watch it. And that's POST RNY at 8.5months. But I know that I lose best in a caloric window of between 600-800 average cals per day. I KNOW I lose best at about 60-70g Protein, 30g net carbs or less, 35-39g of fat or less per day with no cheats and no booze/wine/beer. LOL.

Everyday is hard work. But everyday is also joy and pride. I can do things I haven't been able to do in 40 years! I got my life back thanks to this surgery. I think you can experience that success and joy with either surgery. But it is a mindset. And it takes fixing your diet, your exercise, your thoughts, your habits, your relationships with food and with people. It takes you, a support group, your RD, your doc, your doc's staff, maybe a trainer/gym, maybe a psychologist for success--not just one surgery over the other.

Honestly the only thing in my mind to determine which surgery you have would be the state of your esophagus and tums and intestines. If you have GERD, honestly, I'd go right to RNY. I did and didn't want to roll the dice on a second surgery that will be more difficult, have more chance of potential risk, and may be harder the 2nd time around. But that was just me...

[CyndieRI 251]

My surgeon gave me the choice too. I almost wish she had decided for me! I chose the sleeve because I have never had an issue with GERD and I know the complication rate is slightly less with the sleeve. And I 100% agree with what others have said. Either surgery is a “tool”. I have a friend that lost over 200 lbs after bypass and gained it all back (and more)! I have another friend that lost about 130 lbs and has kept it off for years! It can go either way! Good luck with whatever you decide!

[Orchids&Dragons 9,046]

1 hour ago, FluffyChix said:

Also, do not depend on the malabsorptive aspect of RNY to allow you to eat crappy foods and "get away" with not absorbing all the calories. Why? Cuz depending on your doc, you may get a shorter bypass, or a longer one--you won't really know for sure. Nor will you know how MUCH malabsorption it actually causes. Studies are showing that it is less than previously thought. Also when the gut regrows microvilli, they become super-powered and scrubbing nutrients and energy from the stuff we eat. So there's that too. The surgery operates on the gut, not your brain...so cravings still exist. And they go whackamole on you to make sure you know they are still there post surgery -- regardless of type.

Bottom line, if I hadn't "worked my tool" to lose all my weight to 1st goal, my tool wouldn't have worked regardless of tool type (RNY or VSG) and the surgery would not have "magically" gotten me to that 1st Goal line without herculean efforts. I had to work. Let me repeat. It was W-O-R-K. It wasn't magic bean surgery that allowed me to keep all my unbalanced habits and relationships with food--just cuz I had an RNY and separated an egg size portion of stomach and rerouted some intestines.

I "can" eat way more food on any given day, easily 2000+ cals if I don't watch it. And that's POST RNY at 8.5months. But I know that I lose best in a caloric window of between 600-800 average cals per day. I KNOW I lose best at about 60-70g Protein, 30g net carbs or less, 35-39g of fat or less per day with no cheats and no booze/wine/beer. LOL.

Everyday is hard work. But everyday is also joy and pride. I can do things I haven't been able to do in 40 years! I got my life back thanks to this surgery. I think you can experience that success and joy with either surgery. But it is a mindset. And it takes fixing your diet, your exercise, your thoughts, your habits, your relationships with food and with people. It takes you, a support group, your RD, your doc, your doc's staff, maybe a trainer/gym, maybe a psychologist for success--not just one surgery over the other.

Honestly the only thing in my mind to determine which surgery you have would be the state of your esophagus and tums and intestines. If you have GERD, honestly, I'd go right to RNY. I did and didn't want to roll the dice on a second surgery that will be more difficult, have more chance of potential risk, and may be harder the 2nd time around. But that was just me...

Textbook perfect answer!

[FluffyChix 17,409]

1 minute ago, Orchids&Dragons said:

Textbook perfect answer!

Jazz Hands!

[Frustr8 7,886]

I thought of it as Hug You if I Could!

[Orchids&Dragons 9,046]

5 minutes ago, Frustr8 said:

I thought of it as Hug You if I Could!

Fluff's trying to get it renamed because it doesn't look much like a hug.

[FluffyChix 17,409]

17 minutes ago, Orchids&Dragons said:

Fluff's trying to get it renamed because it doesn't look much like a hug.

Agreed! Thumbs Up!

[ZGal 84]

I Apologize if it sounded like I was saying this was a quick fix. I am looking at the fact that some folks looks at dumping syndrome as a negative while others look at it a a Pavlov’s dog effect (which I know I would benefit from; I’m just being honest). I even said to my Dr “I know myself” and it seems easier to go back to bad habits and with the sleeve. Again, I would be lying to myself if I wasn’t truthful in that my efforts to lose weight haven’t worked... this is why I am here. I need as much help as I can get and the more restrictions to keep me on track I have, the better. But I want to make the right choice