What helped you decide on the sleeve?

[5in5 0]

I'm new here, I had my initial appointment with the surgeon last Thursday and told him I was unsure which procedure I wanted. He said I was a good candidate for surgery and that with my BMI either surgery was a good choice. He pretty much said to keep doing more research and go with what my gut told me.

While I appreciate the trust he has in me deciding, I'm of course worried I'll choose wrong. He did say that he currently does about 10 Sleeves for every Bypass.

Currently leaning heavily towards the sleeve, but I'm a bit worried about GERD. It hasn't been a major problem for me, but I know it's a risk that it can get worse. Also sounds like slightly less weight loss, but probably not enough to worry about in the grand scheme of things.

What was it for you that helped you decide on the sleeve?

[momof3_angels 465]

I wanted to keep my digestive tract in tact without rearranging the parts or how it worked. I also did not want foreign devices in my body. Gastric Sleeve removes a lot of your stomach, but does not rearrange your parts. Also, I had a lower BMI and was confident I would lose all my excess weight with the sleeve.

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[catwoman7 10,981]

he does more sleeves because more people request them now because they think they're less "invasive", but it's not necessarily a better surgery. Both are good surgeries and I've seen people be successful with both. Just do as much reading as you can on both surgeries before you decide. They both have their pros and cons - it comes down to what you can live with.

[RCLITE 0]

the sleeve was my best option, i read for years on WLS. do your research, ask as many questioned as possible. this is a great place to start. there are lot of topics on (GERD) On line associated with the sleeve.

Good Luck!!

Edited February 26, 2020 by RCLITE

[Mary67 1]

I decided on the sleeve because I didn’t want my intestines cut on and I would still be able to take ibuprofen pain relievers.

[catwoman7 10,981]

42 minutes ago, Mary67 said:

I decided on the sleeve because I didn’t want my intestines cut on and I would still be able to take ibuprofen pain relievers.

actually, some surgeons are now banning that for their sleeve patients, too.... (just so the OP knows that...)

[looly 361]

I chose the sleeve because it didn't alter the basic structure of my digestive tract and I was less likely to get dumping syndrome afterwards. I don't really get a problem with GERD, but I didn't before the surgery either.

[hmills653 365]

I wanted the option to still be able to eat whatever foods I want just less of them. I don’t eat dessert on a regular basis but wanted to know that if I wanted a piece it wouldn’t make me sick.

[catwoman7 10,981]

31 minutes ago, hmills653 said:

I wanted the option to still be able to eat whatever foods I want just less of them. I don’t eat dessert on a regular basis but wanted to know that if I wanted a piece it wouldn’t make me sick.

only about 30% of RNY'ers dump, and of those who do, the amount of sugar it takes to trigger it can vary A LOT. A lot of us have no problem eating dessert (unfortunately or fortunately, depending on your perspective). I've never dumped.

Edited February 27, 2020 by catwoman7

[hmills653 365]

02/27/2020 11:47 PM, catwoman7 said:

only about 30% of RNY'ers dump, and of those who do, the amount of sugar it takes to trigger it can vary A LOT. A lot of us have no problem eating dessert (unfortunately or fortunately, depending on your perspective). I've never dumped.

That’s great, I think in 

class they told us stories about people eating sugary foods and thinking they were having a heart attack in the store, etc. I wasn’t ready for that. I’m happy with the weight I’ve lost, but wish it could’ve been more.

[5in5 0]

Thank you all. Definitely some of the things I was thinking of and a few others that I hadn't considered as much.

I'm going to keep reading and think it will solidify my decision.

[AlwaysCruising 100]

When my endo about jumped off her stool in horror when I mentioned gastric bypass 😟

[RobertaMSN 60]

Same as some of the others: Didn't want to have the nutrient absorption problems from bypass or have my intestines messed with. I love having a smaller stomach - overeating plus being addicted to sugar and carbs was my problem. Prior to surgery I could eat A LOT at one sitting. Being on the liquid high Protein diet both two weeks prior to gastric sleeve surgery then four weeks after cured my sugar/carb addiction, thank goodness.

The other reason was cost - way less expensive due to being able to do it outpatient. I'm self-pay so that was a huge factor.

And yes, stay away from NSAIDS post sleeve - aspirin, ibuprofen, etc. My surgeon says it's an instant ulcer to take any of them. And no pills (vitamin, etc.) larger than an M&M.

BTW: The body makes all the carbs we need by converting it from protein and from fat stores - there's absolutely no need to eat any though vegetables are super good for us for the Fiber and nutrients. Getting enough fiber when you can eat regular foods is vital. I stick with the low-carb veggies and take a Vitamin C supplement rather than eat fruit. I don't miss it.

[momof3_angels 465]

On 2/26/2020 at 8:40 PM, catwoman7 said:

actually, some surgeons are now banning that for their sleeve patients, too.... (just so the OP knows that...)

I wan't told I can't have ibuprofen... but it definitely affects my stomach! I can take 2 regular strength tabs once in a while, but I really need to eat with them now, much moreso than before. And I canNOT tolerate a higher dose.

[momof3_angels 465]

9 hours ago, RobertaMSN said:

And yes, stay away from NSAIDS post sleeve - aspirin, ibuprofen, etc. My surgeon says it's an instant ulcer to take any of them. And no pills (vitamin, etc.) larger than an M&M.

LOL... my bariatric Vitamin is way bigger than an M&M! Of course, no way I could have taken it before 4 months post op... but have no trouble with it now (almost 6 months). I take it with 3 very small medications. Immediately post op I could only swallow pills the size of maybe half an M&M.