I recently joined this site to provide my experience with the sleeve. Like many of you, I can remember going to my first patient which would be the start of my new life. I had decided that I was going to get a Lap-Band or a Sleeve, I chose the sleeve. One of the reasons was due to the fact that patients who were both 6 months post op with the sleeve (Gary and Jenny) dropped nearly 70lbs without having to reroute the intestines....they were so, so happy and healthy looking! At that time many insurance companies were not covering the sleeve, luckily or not so lucky, my insurance company did cover it after a two month fight.

Well, needless to say but Gary, Jenny and I are all looking at having a second procedure, which will most likely be a DS and or Bypass. At the time we all trusted our surgeon which is why I'm starting this blog. YOU are the only one who is responsible for this MAJOR decision and I can't believe what I was not told and what I have found out 3 years later. See below and make sure you do your own research on this procedure.

1) 80% of your stomach will be taken out of your body - can never be reversed - like a Bypass (Difficult) or Band (Very Easy for a BS to Remove a Band).

2) Currently there hasn't been a single randomized controlled study out to 5 years demonstrating the Gastric Sleeve to be effective - Currently there are two sleeve studies, one out to 18 months and another out to 1 year which to no ones surprise show EXCELLENT EWL. (Bypass and Band Have Numerous 5 year data sets, which have been published is NEJM, Lancet and Jama - Most well respected and trustworthy PEER REVIEWED JOURNALS (Both show sustained and durable weight loss at 5 years).

3) Also, if you have time check out the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid and their position statement about the lack of creditable long term data (5 years)/