It's a personal choice, and should be up to you, if you dont feel comfortable with RNY, I wouldnt do it. I have seen others on here and other WLS forums who have lost 200+ pounds, even a man who has lost 300 pounds with the sleeve!

Sometimes I feel like I will never get to goal, but I know it is doable

I have over 150 lbs to lose also. I saw two different PA's at my surgeons office and they both strongly pushed the bypass on me. I freaked out for the week before surgery. Obviously I wanted to have the weight come off but I really started weighing the pros and cons. Even if I lost 60% instead of 75% of my excess body weight I would not have to deal with malabsorption with the sleeve. I had my surgery thursday morning and I am so very happy I stuck with my original choice. I have healed up so quickly and pain was so minimal to what I had thought it would be. Ive lost 12 pounds in 5 days. It really boils down to if you are commited to following the nutrition plan you will get your weight off. It might be more of a "strugle" since we dont have the malabsorption but if you do it right, you can get to your goal! Follow your heart!! Best of luck to you.

I also have a 180+ pound weight loss goal. When I first went for my info session and initial surgeon consult, I thought I would be considering bypass only and even then I wasn;t sure. After a discussion with the surgeon, PA, nutritionist, and extensive review of this and other sites, I decided the sleeve was a better fit for me. Not everyone would come to the same conclusion, and you have to weigh each option for you and your health. I personally was swayed by the slightly lower overall complication rate of the sleeve (compared to RNY bypass), less concern for malabsorption syndromes, and no dumping. The figures quoted to me were expected 70-80% loss of excess weight with the bypass, and 60-70% loss of excess weight with the sleeve. The bypass with the duodenal switch might have slightly different pros/cons, but overall, again it comes down to what might seem like the best fit for you and the nutritional and overall lifestyle you will have post-surgery. I am now both excited and nervous as I have just over 3 weeks left until surgery. Good luck to you and use these forums and this community as an excellent source of info and support system though this process!

I never wanted anything but the sleeve, and that was before I knew they even had it. In my mind I had this idea and wanted it...only to find out it existed! The offices originally pushed for the bypass, but I didn't want that because you cannot take pain meds and a host of other meds ever again. When I got denied for the sleeve, I was approved for bypass...but I told my surgeon I was not comfortable with that, nor the Lapband. My surgeon, then, told me that if a surgery isn't right for you, that having it will only lead to regret down the road...and that's what other patients have said to her...that they regretted choosing a different surgery than what they wanted based on insurance approvals, etc.

I have lost 34 lbs in 3 weeks with the sleeve. I think if you get the procedure that your "gut" sits well with, and follow the instructions, count your calories and give a care for yourself...that the sleeve will help you (and me) to reach our goals. I plan to lose 94 more lbs, and have gotten rid of 54 total. We can do it!

I believe you can lose as much weight as you need to ... but with a twist.

It really is up to you, how compliant with the rules you are willing to be and the exercise regimen you are committed to. I am 15 months out and been at goal since last March. I have lost 120 pounds and still have excellent restriction. I know that if I wanted to, I could lose more, but at this point, I am afraid that would mostly be muscle.

If you read the boards, you will see posts from many folks who will complain about not losing weight, but will also say that they are not exercising or they are not eating the right foods. As far as the foods go, I think we all probably started out with a poor relationship with food and the sleeve doesn't really address that. So, unless you are willing to confront and correct that, this may be an issue for you, too.

Exercise can also be a challenge for us as it may have never been a part of our lives and starting it now is difficult.

Bottom line is, you will get out of the sleeve exactly what you put into it. If you can be compliant and do the right thing, I don't believe there is any limit to the amount of weight a sleever can lose.

When I started I had 188 lbs. of excess weight to lose - now I have 87 more lbs. to go to hit goal. It does slow down a bit - so it is very important to follow post-surgery nutritional and excercise directions - I am glad that I had a restricitve rather than a restrictive/malabsorptive procedure.

My surgeon was thrilled when he saw that my insurance covered vsg - even though I started with a BMI of almost 57 - it was still the choice he suggested due to the fact that complication rates are lower and the losses are statistically coming very close to the gut-rearranging procedures. Best of luck to you!

I think its a personal choice. i had heard somethings from people i knew who had the bypass and i felt it wasnt for me. I started out at 325lbs and my drs as well as my goal for me was 160. Thats a total of 165lbs to lose....im 5'8'' by the way and im 25 yrs old. I had surgery just shy of 5 months ago on May 10th 2012. and im 97lbs down, i have 68lbs to go. Its still a ways to go but i cant believe its happening so soon. i hope to be at goal by january? (hopefully!)

i wish you the best of luck in whatever you choose!! the sleeve has given me a whole new life to look forward to!

my co-worker has lost 180lbs with the sleeve. it is possible stick to your guns. those that have had the bypass seem to gain it back. good luck.

It is your choice, but in your shoes I would have still chosen the sleeve. Based on its success rate, and its complication risks. Its a tool, just like a bypass would be. How successful that tool is to you depends on how well you use it, and how well you make the necessary changes in your life to make that tool do its job.

I had 170 pounds to lose, and I was just like you, I was never comfortable with the bypass. My surgeon never tried to talk me out of the sleeve either. He thought it was a perfect fit for me. Like most everyone has said, but is YOUR choice. Do not let the shrink tell you what you should do. Good luck and know that you have a lot of support from all of us on here!