Your WLS choice?

[mlm 0]

Hey All,

I know of all the surgery types and I have no idea which the surgeon will recommend for me. I would like an explanation of Slleves,and Bypass in "our common descriptions" rather than medical jargen...??

And why did your dr recommend the route you took?

Thanks

[Jachut 487]

Bypass and the duodenal switch are not really an option here and there's just no way I would have done either anyway, having a BMI of 36, the risk of the operations and the lifestyle after (the malabsorption mainly) was more risky to me than remaining heavy.

the band is the surgery of choice in Australia BUT I think were I to have it over, i would be seriously considering a sleeve.

For a couple of reasons. My band has been a text book journey, absolutely perfect, its a tool that I have been able to work with, I have never had problems. But - you have to be prepared to work hard and you have to live with the discomforts of a band - even though I dont overeat, dont vomit often, dont have random tightness, can eat all foods, every single time you eat, there's some amount of discomfort involved - it just doesnt feel like it used to. You're aware of every bite, there's no just enjoying food like you once did, its a lot more than simply getting full quickly. And sometimes its a bit like a dog running on a chain, you reach the end and YANK, you're pulled back very smartly!

to be able to get full quickly but not feel every bite squeeze down, to not go out for dinner, eat one bite in front of your friends and think uh oh, I think that isnt going down well, and then you have to play with your food and pretend to take a sip of your drink etc to stall for time, and then perhaps get up and walk to the bathroom, simply to shake something down, only then to go back to the table and suddenly be able to eat as if you had no band - its just a bit bizarre.

But I make it sound terrible and really, I find it VERY easy to live with. Its my constant reminder to mind my habits.

But a sleeve would be really good, no fills, none of those problems. I'm wondering what the "temporary lactose intolerance" really turns out to be statistically and the MAIN concern I'd have with a sleeve is everyone says you cant stretch the pouch out because of the part of the stomach they use, but if its only the first part of a duodenal switch and you can stretch switches and bypasses out, then I'm not sure I really believe there wont be sleeved patients with stretched out pouches in the same vicinity of numbers as for the bypass and switch.

Lots to think about. I personally find the band brilliant and I'm not one bit sorry I did it, and I find it easy enough to live with I wouldnt consider for a moment revising it to a sleeve. But if it ever needs to come out (which with a band, over a long period of time, is likely) then I would seriously consider a sleeve.

However, i do worry about old age too. say my band lasted me 25 years. That would put me in my 60's. Would I really even care about losing it by that stage? Surely 25 or 30 years of good eating habits and exercise would stand me in good stead of not turning into Mr Michelin within 6 months.

[Elisabethsew 50]

I don't absorb Iron so I had no desire to have a procedure that used malabsorption for weight loss. That excluded DS and bypass. I got the band and suffered with it for a little over 3 years. It gave me more problems than I bargained for and did not allow healthy eating (I am speaking for myself only).

I got the band out and revised to a sleeve and am VERY happy I did so. You feel restriction the minute you begin drinking fluids and you just can't eat a lot at one meal. With both the band and the sleeve (restrictive weight loss) you CAN gain weight. Low Fiber, high calorie foods will slide right down so it's not a be all/end all situation.

The sleeve requires no follow-up, no fills, and you don't have a foreign device in your body. Investigate all your options but don't let one surgeon tell you what surgery you should have. Often, surgeonss suggest procedures they can do easily and are expert at over the more difficult surgeries that they lack the skill to perform.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

Hey All,

I know of all the surgery types and I have no idea which the surgeon will recommend for me. I would like an explanation of Slleves,and Bypass in "our common descriptions" rather than medical jargen...??

And why did your dr recommend the route you took?

Thanks

Bypass is where they staple out a small 1-2oz pouch out of the fundus, the elastic portion of your stomach. Then they bypass 120cm of intestine and connect the new end of the intestine to the new pouch in the stomach. In the end you can only eat small quantities and you malabsorb about 1/3 of your calories and nutrition. You do not malabsorb forever, only during the honeymoon period of about 6-18 months.

Sleeve they remove the elastic portion of your stomach (fundus) and maintain the muscular portion. End result is that you can only eat a small quantity of food and you absorb everything you do eat.

Jacqui....

DSers don't really stretch out their stomach. Their stomachs are usually a 48F, sleeves are a 32/34F. They have a much bigger stomach to begin with. Over the next 4-6 months your stomach does stretch/relax and for sleeves it's about the size and shape of a banana. That's why they call it the banana stomach. DSers are going to end up with an even bigger stomach. So it's not because they stretch it out, it is because it's bigger than a sleeve to begin with.

Bands... I had one and hated it. I knew I made a mistake 4 days after surgery. I really really tried to make it work but it wasn't meant to be. Considering the number of revisions being done and unhappy banded folks... I would never suggest a band to your average person. Not a chance. It's a great way for the average person to lose half their weight on a short term basis.

Edited May 19, 2009 by WASaBubbleButt

[Jachut 487]

thanks, that makes sense.

Well, that's my major concern taken care of. I really do think, much as I love my band, that the sleeve will be the surgery that's done the most over the next decade and more.

I notice they're doing lots of them in Western Australia - its a HUGE state, simply enormous - probably 1/3 of the entire continent of Australia but much of it is desert and outback, its very sparsely populated apart from the south west corner. Many many people are coming in from very remote areas when they have WLS. Fills and constant maintenance are not easy when you may live as much as 2000kms (or more) from your doctor - it'd be like trying to traverse from the top of Canada to Mexico. Sleeves seem to be on the rise there and I'm sure it'll take off in the rest of the country.

[Oregondaisy 2,019]

I really don't feel much restriction at all drinking fluids. I drink more slowly because I am told to, but i don't seem to have the issue that others have mentioned. Others have said they feel really full and have a hard time drinking fluids. I could easily drink an 8 oz glass of Water, Protein Shake or whatever, in nothing flat.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

thanks, that makes sense.

Well, that's my major concern taken care of. I really do think, much as I love my band, that the sleeve will be the surgery that's done the most over the next decade and more.

I notice they're doing lots of them in Western Australia - its a HUGE state, simply enormous - probably 1/3 of the entire continent of Australia but much of it is desert and outback, its very sparsely populated apart from the south west corner. Many many people are coming in from very remote areas when they have WLS. Fills and constant maintenance are not easy when you may live as much as 2000kms (or more) from your doctor - it'd be like trying to traverse from the top of Canada to Mexico. Sleeves seem to be on the rise there and I'm sure it'll take off in the rest of the country.

I'm learning that WLS has trends just like anything else. Yesterday it was bands and bypass. Today it's sleeves and DS.

They have a new surgical technique with DS that makes the "stinky" side effect a whole lot less. It's not gone, it's just better. People don't have to build on a bathroom to the house now for the DSer. ;o)

I feel about malabsorption like I do chemo. It's a necessary evil. Some people really need it. I am beyond lucky that I am one that is good to go with restriction alone. There are so many people that hard as they try, they cannot change their eating habits.

[Elisabethsew 50]

I really don't feel much restriction at all drinking fluids. I drink more slowly because I am told to, but i don't seem to have the issue that others have mentioned. Others have said they feel really full and have a hard time drinking fluids. I could easily drink an 8 oz glass of Water, Protein shake or whatever, in nothing flat.

The ability to drink faster than others likely is related to the degree of post-op swelling. I've been on an unrestricted diet for a little over 2 weeks and don't have any difficulty drinking.

[Lyn2481 0]

Hi folks. It's interesting I found this thread as I am thinking of having a vsg. I originally thought of the band, was recommended a gbp at 2 separate consultations but I'm not sure I like the malabsorption idea.

I remember reading a discussion forum on Yahoo last year about people in austrailia who had converted from band to sleeve and were pretty impressed with the results.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

Hi folks. It's interesting I found this thread as I am thinking of having a vsg. I originally thought of the band, was recommended a gbp at 2 separate consultations but I'm not sure I like the malabsorption idea.

I remember reading a discussion forum on Yahoo last year about people in austrailia who had converted from band to sleeve and were pretty impressed with the results.

The real key here is to figure out if you can change your eating habits. The band is often advertised as... "Eat your usual diet just less of it." Total crap, you can't eat crap and lose/maintain. It doesn't work that way. You really have to change your eating habits and if you can the sleeve is like a band that actually works without all the problems and complications.

I've had both, band and sleeve and the sleeve is a gazillion times better.

[Elisabethsew 50]

I think what I like the best about the sleeve is that you have no food restrictions. I've read countless posts where people could not tolerate fresh fruit, vegetables, rice, salads, the list goes on and on.

I just tore up some iceberg lettuce, cut 4 cherry tomatoes in half, put 2.5 oz tuna on top, and used the Walden's zero cal/carb/fat dressing to complete the salad. I ate 3/4 of it. Eating healthy and not having any GI complications is perfect!

[blueskidoo 0]

I haven't had surgery yet, but I am planning on the VSG because it is straightforward and it makes sense to me.

I can control what I eat, I just can't stand the starving all the time. And after reading all the possible issues with the band, it's out for me.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

I haven't had surgery yet, but I am planning on the VSG because it is straightforward and it makes sense to me.

I can control what I eat, I just can't stand the starving all the time. And after reading all the possible issues with the band, it's out for me.

When I was banded and having so many problems I was still an advocate of the band. I thought I was unique and most were not like me. I didn't want someone to get bypass because *I* had band problems. Also, long term US stats were not out on the band or the sleeve. Now that the stats are out and I know I am not the only one with problems I do tell people about everything and I'm an advocate of the sleeve. Very few people (in my mind) are good people for banding.

[mlm 0]

Well my situation is I am 27 years old.Weigh 235 pounds and my BMI is 40.... I have hypertension- which thr=e doctor just doubled my dose of hyzaar, irrital bowel syndrom,stomach issues fir acids so they put me on pantoloc and domperidone,aching in my back and legs.

I constantly have a hunger feeling all the time. I just dont know what route to take.

If I had the band from my understanding is it makes you full quicker therefore you arent always hungry all the time.I am willing to excerise and diet but just dont know what direction I should go in..I want to be informed before my consultObviously though I would take his recommendation as well....

Your thoughts...

thanks

[Oregondaisy 2,019]

The band may work perfectly for a couple of years. WasA is one of the people that had band troubles right from the beginning. I didn't. I know a lot of people who had no band problems in the beginning. Eventually though, all the problems with the band start showing up.

Losing weight is also slower with the band. It's tricky to get the right fill and reap the benefits of having a band.

Feel free to ask questions. For me personally, having self paid twice, I wish I had known about the sleeve before I got banded.