Hello,

I have just started the pre-op process, but haven't decided on sleeve or gastric bypass. I met with my surgeon and he explained both surgeries and the potential weightloss, complications, etc, but I'm still on the fence. What made you choose bypass and are you happy with it? Any issues? Would you do it again?

Thank you!

7 hours ago, huskymama said:

It isnt the surgery that causes her anemia its the malabsorption that you get from the bypass itself

I agree that anemia may be a consequence of the malabsorption but it's also true surgerical techniques have changed over years and it isn't the same as that of 25 yrs ago. The amount that gets bypassed, cause for malabsorption, has also changed. So it depends really on various factors why one may have issues down the road.

25 years ago a more distal bypass was more common after which severe anemia was sometimes an issue. I've known of at least a couple people that had anemia issues that required blood.

Much, much less common these days with the generally proximal bypasses done now.

Statistically such horrible complications are rare but we humans give more weight to them when they happen to someone we know. However, complications DO happen even if severe ones are rare. I've encountered people with just about every complication conceivable.

Good luck,

Tek

Edited February 6, 20224 yr by The Greater Fool

I did my own research before I went to the surgeon and was pretty sure I wanted a sleeve, but he did talk me through the pros and cons of bypass too. I do have reflux, but it always settled in the past when I lost weight, so I took a gamble on that happening this time too (and it has!) I liked the fact that I could lose a significant amount of weight whilst keeping my anatomy much the same. TBH I also kind of liked the safety net (that I never intend to use, but who does!) of a conversion to bypass if the sleeve didn't do what I was hoping it would.

Almost 3 months on I am really happy with my decision to go with the sleeve. But if my surgeon had recommended bypass I believe I am likely to have gone with that and probably been equally happy!!!

On 02/06/2022 at 05:07, The Greater Fool said:

25 years ago a more distal bypass was more common after which severe anemia was sometimes an issue. I've known of at least a couple people that had anemia issues that required blood.

Much, much less common these days with the generally proximal bypasses done now.

Statistically such horrible complications are rare but we humans give more weight to them when they happen to someone we know. However, complications DO happen even if severe ones are rare. I've encountered people with just about every complication conceivable.

Good luck,

Tek

You are correct on giving more weight when it is someone we know. My sister is a lot older than me and pretty much raised me. She actually ended up having 2 strokes due to the anemia issues. While I agree the surgery is so much better now I have seen my sister go from an amazing Nurse to someone who doesnt remember how to put sentences together due to the strokes caused by the anemia from the bypass. Im not stating this to scare people i was just staring why I chose the sleeve. And you are very right in the complications people once had like my sister. My surgeon said he wont do lap bands anymore they are to risky and he prefers the sleeve 99% of the time because it is the safest so between his wisdom and my sister’s complications I choose the sleeve. But, that being said, her daughter got the bypass 2 years ago and is doing fine. I guess I should have added that before. ?

On 02/06/2022 at 07:18, Spinoza said:

I did my own research before I went to the surgeon and was pretty sure I wanted a sleeve, but he did talk me through the pros and cons of bypass too. I do have reflux, but it always settled in the past when I lost weight, so I took a gamble on that happening this time too (and it has!) I liked the fact that I could lose a significant amount of weight whilst keeping my anatomy much the same. TBH I also kind of liked the safety net (that I never intend to use, but who does!) of a conversion to bypass if the sleeve didn't do what I was hoping it would.

Almost 3 months on I am really happy with my decision to go with the sleeve. But if my surgeon had recommended bypass I believe I am likely to have gone with that and probably been equally happy!!!

I like your way of thinking. My GERD disappeared with surgery. After I got covid (and I was vaccinated) I got gastritis in my stomach. The pain was unreal and nothing fixed it. Even with meds and the month of liquids preop when he took that part of my stomach off for the sleeve it was actually worse, the gastritis, with the pathology report. No known cause. Ive read covid can cause this. So im feeling a million times better since the sleeve no GERD im almost 7 weeks out. Best thing Ive done just to get rid of that horrible pain i had preop!

I had the sleeve in 2010 and didn't lose that much so asked my doctor about the surgery and I had the bypass in August 2021 I do the bypass again if I had my first choice over againsame as someone else said you can have the sleeve and if it doesn't work see if you can have the bypass but everyone is different read into them both and see what suits you

4 hours ago, huskymama said:

She actually ended up having 2 strokes due to the anemia issues

Awwww, so sorry to hear about the strokes. That's quite unfortunate an effect and totally get your concerns then.

But do you mind clarifying how can anemia cause strokes? Quite baffling to hear that.

02/06/2022 12:41 PM, DaisyAndSunshine said:

Awwww, so sorry to hear about the strokes. That's quite unfortunate an effect and totally get your concerns then.

But do you mind clarifying how can anemia cause strokes? Quite baffling to hear that.

Yes - Iron deficiency anemia is an unusual etiology of ischemic stroke. It is a cause of cerebrovascular accident due to low circulating levels of oxygen. I am glad they have made the surgery better. And it may be rare, the strokes, I honestly do not know how rare or common it is but it was enough to make my decision to get the sleeve. In fact - I only heard of the sleeve because my mail lady had it done and ive known her 20 years she looked amazing. That got me to research it about a year ago . I would never have had the bypass - again my personal choice do to my sister. Even if it the surgery has changed and improved over the years.

I got bypass because of a hiatal hernia and severe GERD. I also wanted it to possibly get dumping and I do. It makes me walk the straight and narrow.

On 02/05/2022 at 07:17, Pollito said:

My surgeon chose it for me lol. It was a situation of: choose anyone you want. I chose and it was, here's why that's probably not what you want. Anyway, he said going from a lap band, the sleeve isn't "strong" enough and SADI-S is "too strong" for my relatively low BMI. So RNY it was.

My surgeon suggested RNY because of my reflux and low bmi

On 2/5/2022 at 6:39 AM, simplysmile said:

Hello,

I have just started the pre-op process, but haven't decided on sleeve or gastric bypass. I met with my surgeon and he explained both surgeries and the potential weightloss, complications, etc, but I'm still on the fence. What made you choose bypass and are you happy with it? Any issues? Would you do it again?

Thank you!

I was in a similar boat where my surgeon told me that either RNY or VSG would be fine and left it up to me. I considered the pros/cons and worried about the effects of RNY.

I ultimately went with RNY because I wanted the surgery that gave me the best chance to lose the most weight. If you know you will be self-accountable for your Vitamins, you have already drastically reduced the chances of long-term bad effects. Obviously, there are no guarantees that everything will turn out OK (and that weighed on my mind when I was on the gurney, waiting for my surgery to start). But long-term complications are relatively rare in people who are committed to taking their vitamins, hitting their Protein goals, etc.

I am very happy with it. I am 41 and am in the best health/shape/weight I have been since college (it has been at least 20 years since my weight was so low).

Sleeve here you need to look at what is rite for you , how much weight you need tk loose and so on I had sleeve I was 100 lbs. over weight I’ve lost 40% in 2 months this was rite for me but have a friend that got sleeve also 1 week before me I think she should had done the bypass she is much larger then me and is eating way to much. So you need to be honest with your team and see what is best for you , you can always get sleeve and go back if it wasn’t rite but you can’t go to just a sleeve from a bypass.

Both surgery have risks. I went with the full bypass bc I my start weight was 355 and my Surgeon said I'd have more success with the bypass over the sleeve. My sister-in-law had the sleeve around the same time I had my surgery. I have lost 210 lbs 5 years post surgery and she lost around 100 lbs. Both successful but she has started to put back on weight now and I have maintained. I will say however, I have never stopped drinking my protein as a meal replacement for breakfast. That is not the case for her.

Same

My surgeon requested an endoscopy - thank goodness! This way we could make the best decision. I was very clear I don’t have a code reflux or heart burn and well…. After the endoscopy we found out I actually have A typical reflux (can’t feel it) and the sleeve would have been awful if I had done that. So I did bypass. I would have chosen the sleeve if I hadn’t known just because it seemed like a less invasive surgery. It wouldn’t have worked well and I would have been in pain. I highly recommend an endoscopy before any gastric surgery