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Sorry, the chart doesn't show up well on mobile. A general outline of the advantages/disadvantages of each: VSG Advantages: Safer and less complex procedure; Limits food ingestion; reduces hunger sensations by removing the portion of the stomach that produces Ghrelin, the hunger hormone; digestion occurs naturally and does not cause nutritional deficiencies resulting from intestinal bypass; does not cause dumping syndrome as the pyloric valve is kept intact; few problematic foods; option for high-risk patients (very high BMI or medical issues such as anemia, Crohn's disease, anti-inflammatory drug use, or extensive prior surgery) VSG Disadvantages: General surgical risks including infection, bleeding, and blood clots; Leakage along the stomach sutured/stapled edge; Not reversible; Lack of long term data; considered investigational and not covered by some insurance companies. GBP Advantages: Greatly controls amount of food that can be eaten; malabsorption assists with weight loss; dumping syndrome prevents the intake of sweets; Considered the gold standard for bariatric surgery base on long-term use and results. GBP Disadvantages: General surgical risks including infection, bleeding and blood clots; complex operation; leakage along the staple line of the stomach; stoma obstruction; nutritional deficiencies; gallstones, ulcers, reflux and bowel obstruction; dumping syndrome.

I think that the sleeve would work just fine for you since you probably only have 60-70 pounds to lose to place you into the normal range. If you already have acid reflux issues or Gerd, those issues can be agitated or worsened by getting sleeved, however, and many people undergo a 2nd surgery to convert to GB because of this. If that is the case, you might be better off with GB instead. Other than that, see below: Gastric Sleeve vs Gastric Bypass Comparison of the Bariatric Surgery Procedures Comparing the various methods of weight loss surgery can help you determine which surgical approach is the best option for you. As weight loss surgery is only a tool to assist with weight loss, what works best for one individual is not necessarily what will work best for another individual. The following chart is a side-by-side comparison of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG), also called gastric sleeve surgery, and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery. The information is intended as a general overview of these two types of weight loss surgery to help you quickly compare the similarities and differences of these procedures. Weight Loss Procedure Gastric Sleeve Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Approach to Weight Loss Restriction Limits food ingestion Controls hunger sensations Restriction & Malabsorption Limits food ingestion Reduces food absorption Changes to Stomach Stomach size reduced 75-80% of the stomach is cut away along the greater curvature and removed from the body Stomach size reduced and new stomach outlet (stoma) created Stomach is separated into two and stoma is created in the smaller upper pouch; lower remaining portion of the stomach is bypassed Changes to Small Intestine Kept intact Cut and rerouted Small intestine is cut in the middle; upper section is bypassed and lower section is attached to the stoma Changes to Pyloric Valve Kept intact Bypassed Average Operating Time 1 to 3 hours 2 hours Average Hospital Stay 2 to 3 days 2 to 3 days Average Time off Work 2 weeks 2 to 3 weeks Average Recovery Time 3 weeks 3 months Surgery Advantages Safer and less complex procedure Limits food ingestion Reduces hunger sensations by removing the portion of the stomach that produces Ghrelin, the hunger hormone Digestion occurs naturally and does not cause nutritional deficiencies resulting from intestinal bypass Does not cause Dumping syndrome as the pyloric valve is kept intact Few problematic foods Option for high-risk patients (very high BMI or medical issues such as anemia, Crohn?s disease, anti-inflammatory drug use, or extensive prior surgery) Greatly controls amount of food that can be eaten Malabsorption assists with weight loss Dumping syndrome prevents intake of sweets Considered gold standard for bariatric surgery based on long-term use and results Surgery Disadvantages General surgical risks including infection, bleeding, and blood clots Leakage along the stomach sutured/stapled edge Not reversible Lack of long-term data Considered investigational and not covered by some insurance companies General surgical risks including infection, bleeding, and blood clots Complex operation Leakage along the staple line of the stomach Stoma obstruction Nutritional deficiencies Gallstones, ulcers, reflux, and bowel obstruction Dumping syndrome Causes Dumping Syndrome No Yes Dietary Guidelines 600-800 calories per day, during weight loss period 1000-1200 calories per day for weight maintenance Meals should consist of high-protein, low-carbohydrate and low-fat foods Drink 6-8 cups of water or other low-calorie liquids per day 800 calories per day during weight loss period 1000-1200 calories per day for weight maintenance Meals should focus on protein-rich foods and nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables Drink 6-8 cups of water or other low-calorie liquids per day Chew foods thoroughly into a pureed consistency Eating Habits Eat five small healthy meals each day Do not eat and drink at same time Do not overeat, skip meals, or snack between meals Eat three small protein-rich meals each day Do not eat and drink at same time Chew foods into a pureed consistency Do not overeat, skip meals, or snack between meals Problematic Foods Not many problematic food as the stomach continues to function normally, but high-calorie and high-fat foods and drinks must be avoided and daily calories limited for weight loss to occur Foods that are dry, sticky, or fibrous can cause discomfort or blockage, including tough meat, bread, pasta, rice, raw vegetables, nuts, popcorn, and skins of fruits and vegetables, and chewing gum Sweets can cause Dumping syndrome Carbonated beverages can cause bloating High-calorie, high-sugar, high-fat foods and beverages will ruin weight loss efforts Nutritional Supplements Multivitamin Calcium Vitamin B12 Multivitamin Calcium Vitamin B12 Iron Average Weight Loss Studies show greater than 60% excess weight loss at 12 months after surgery and a maintained excess weight loss of 53-69% at 5 year follow-up.(1) Rapid weight loss during first 6 months Weight loss settles 18 to 24 months after surgery 70% excess weight loss at 1 year 60% excess weight loss at 5 years

I'm in Jax, Fl. My surgeon does many of his bands at their surgical center, but all of his sleeves are done at the local hospital because he keeps them at least overnight. I have never been there (luckily!) before, except for the seminar.... so hopefully they have nice staff. I think the entire hospital dedicated to bariatric surgery is a wonderful idea! The "digital bariatrics" sounds awesome as well. I bet if most hospitals were that organized it would make the entire insurance issue much easier. I am lucky insurance wise, I am still covered under my mom's policy and they state quite clearly that as long as you meet certain qualifications that they cover it. Good luck with the wait!

I am also having my surgery done by Dr Fitzer at Fair Oaks. My surgery is this Tuesday, all these months of waiting are up and the big day is right around the corner. I'm anxious about it but also so excited to start my new life. Today was the start of my three day clear liquid diet. I had a really nice dinner with friends last night and my last Cadbury bar when I got home. I'm definitely feeling hungry this evening so I'm trying to stay busy in an effort to distract me from the rumbly belly. When is your surgery Karaya? I don't know anyone personally who has had bariatric surgery so I'm glad to hear I have a couple of allies here on the forum.

I have a high BMI. My BMI is 71! With my insurance I don't need to have any co morbidities due to it being over 40, however I have plenty co morbidities It really depends on your insurance, but when doing my research on weight loss surgery on a lot of bariatric websites I have seen what most have said here, BMI of 40 without co morbidities and between 35-39 with 1-2 co morbidities Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I actually was shocked with the insurance, it’s not through our regular health plan, its like an add-on that my husbands company has. Every procedure they cover is based on The Dr’s recommendation and not insurance guidelines. The only requirement is our deductible has to be met. It’s really a nice benefit. I was supposed to see Dr. Gorjala but he only sees patients on certain days. I was nervous about Dr. Lytle but ended up completely at ease. A little back story, I did not want the surgery, but all of my local doctors said I needed it. My BMI was only 32 I weighed 188 and am 5’0” and had been on weight watchers after a botched hysterectomy. I had gotten up to 201. I developed a large incisional hernia and no one would fix it until I was down to my ideal weight and weight watchers and gym was not doing it fast enough. My regular insurance would not cover it because my BMI was to low, I was only borderline diabetic, and no cardiac issues or high blood pressure. I was going to file a complaint with the health insurance and our insurance advocate told me about the program. Dr. Lytle reviewed my medical records and had to convince me that my local Drs were right and that I needed to have this surgery to get the hernia fixed. I just met with a local surgeon for the hernia, through the same program and found out how bad things really are, but because I had the surgery I can be fixed. All of my large and small intestines are outside of where they are supposed to be and I have no stomach wall so they need to rebuild it. I will lose my belly button. I live in Central Florida half way between Daytona and Orlando. My next surgery will be in Orlando at ORMC. Atlanta is huge and I do not miss driving around there. Thankfully we were staying in Sandy Springs around the corner from the hospital. We did travel to Centennial Park when we were there for consult. The traffic is horrible there so I can understand your concern. Lol. I want to wish you luck with everything. It sounds like you have been through a lot yourself. I know everyone at Bariatric Innovations will take great care of you! The trip was well worth it. I wanted Dr. Lytle to fix my hernia also and he agreed to do it, but I needed to consult with a local surgeon first. If it wasn’t so far I would have gone with Dr Lytle but because of the seriousness of the hernia I decided to go with a local surgeon to avoid all the traveling.

I'm 32 and had the sleeve 1/7/20. Down 77 pounds. My first two days were very difficult, but mainly in the sense that I could not get my water down, and I was so nauseous that I was even throwing up my anti-nausea meds. I had a few hiccups, including 5 weeks post op, landing back in the hospital for dehydration but that had nothing to do with the surgery (although I am sure it was exacerbated by my recovery), and everything to do with the stomach bug my family was passing around. I got a couple bags of fluid, and was let go the same day. So far I really don't have too much excess skin, but it is early. Ideally I would like to lose another 50-60 pounds. Not sure how my skin will be then. Socially, my situation is probably a bit different than most. I work at a hospital, and my best friends all work with me. They knew about the surgery and have been 100% supportive since day one. They are used to patients of all kinds, so my being a bariatric patient was no big deal. They do razz me occasionally about how little I eat before I get full...but it is kind of comical at times, and its all in good humor. This was by FAR the best choice I have ever made. No regrets at all, never have had any.

@@Hiraeth I have someone like that at work too. I also have this lady who I KNOW has had bariatric surgery. I can just "tell". But she won't talk about it or admit it. I used to knock her for not being honest and just saying it but now I realize why she doesn't. It's like Jenn said, some people are against it out of legitimate concern, others for fear you may succeed. good luck to you! xoxo

Hiya @ Fish495, need a friend? Ready,to step into this batting cage, my new friend. My,name on here is Frustr8,I am 72 years old, and I too wi'll be having an RnY bypass. I meet with Dr Needleman, my bariatric Surgeon 7/17/18, the Final step before I get my surgical date. I have been posting on Bariatric Pal 7 months, have learned a lot here, done a lot of studies, drowned my fears in tears long ago and am moving proudly forward. I am MotherHen/Bariatric Godmother to many on here, always happy to have helped others. Obese- I have been off and on obese since babyhood. Even in childhood when I fell within normal weight charts I was never that muscular, if you hugged me I felt "fluffy". Health conditions Arthritis since I was 25, before that I was considered double-jointed, people with that have. 85% chance of early onset arthritis. I have both kinds but happy to say RA has been dormant for a while.2 knee replacements, one in December 2014 the other in February of 2017 GERD severe enough I have been on Dexilant, an uncheap PPI, would cost $350 a month if I didn't have insurance Sleep Apnea and I sleep every night with a C Pap machine. Hereditary in my family, so I may not escape it after surgery, but many people do! I stand 5ft8in, down from a height of 6ft when I was young, you almost always lose height after menopause. Weight currently 321 lbs down from a lifetime high of 356 last October Diets I think I have tried each and every one known to mankind and womankind. If it is weird and offbeat either a family member or doctor has had me on it. Family I was an only child ,married 44 years to my late husband, on here called the Late Lamented, died 4th of July 2012. Had 3 children, oldest RD short for Rotten Daughter, she gets in touch with me infrequently,usually when she wants money or sympathy. Both grandmothers spoiled her unmercilly, still thinks the world owes her everything. Yes every family has one, it is to my everlasting shame I have given birth to mine. She is the mother of myb2 grand-girls Naomi 22 and Amy almost 21. RD will be 50 in January. My second child, were he living would be 42, he died in 2008 ai 31 of underdiagnosed cardiac condition and there is not a day,i still don't miss him. He was a wonderful young man, full of promise for the future, great to know And everyone who knew him wanted to be his friend. Walked into our local fleabag hospital under his own,power and 17 hours later he was dead. The attending doctor who,did little for him to save him and admitted I Don't Know Why He Died is still practicing in this community and my wonderful son is no longer living. Life is not fair, indeed,not as it should be. My youngest, my Tomkitten lives with me, incredibly,supportive of my Bariatric Plans and makes,up for his rotten sister in spades. Now that you k,ow a little more about me,I hope you will want to be friends. Oh yes, I live in Central Ohio, lived within 60 miles of here my entire life.😛 PS you are not garbage,neither am I. We all have a reason to,be,here! 😛

I am so sorry that this happened. At one point or more we have all received this kind of treatment from someone in our lives. It comes from uneducated people who do not understand that obesity is a disease and that bariatric surgery can and will give you your life back literally! You do what you need to to feel safe with your decision. Leverage local support groups, leverage the folks on this site to help you in your journey. Once your weight starts coming off and your health improves you can have a face to face discussion with your friend about it. She is just worried for you and does not understand how you are currently feeling about your health. I wish you all the best! Feel free to reach out to me anytime!

Better than sippy cup you can get about 100 medicine cups from Amazon for about $3-5. I had to reorder after my first week. And I highly recommend that you DO in fact make a serious investment in your protein. Since you will no longer be spending money on other food you can have a spending spree on your protein and liquid and vitamins and still save money. I highly recommend Premier Protein Vanilla shakes, Vitamin Water Zero, and Pacific "Bone Stock" chicken broth. You can get these all on Amazon. The Premier Protein are READY to drink...i.e. No powder. They are $7.62 for 4 or $1.90 each and if you were getting a less expensive meal pre op let me know. The Bone Stock is ridiculously expensive at about $5 for two 8 oz servings but again that's $2.50 per meal now which is NOT expensive. Just also keep in mind that you will not sit down the day you get home from the hospital and chug an entire 8oz of broth or an entire 11 oz premier protein at once. It will take you at least an hour to get down that much of either. If you are buying powder Bariatric Advantage is the highest quality and best nutrition that there is and their Orange Cream flavor is very nice. If you skimp on this stuff, you are only skimping on yourself. If you get cheap vitamins you will not absorb them so well. If you get plain Campells chicken broth, well that is more of a salty liquid than a protein because it only has like 1 gram of protein per serving. Pre op I preferred and bought lots of beef consommé and chocolate shakes but post op I did not want ANYTHING remotely beefy or chocolatey. I'm 9 months out now and will have about 1 square a day of some REALLY good dark chocolate with almonds but I was about 3 months out before I really tried any. SPEND your paycheck on your nutrients:-) Do NOT shortchange yourself, this is not the time. Short changing ourselves is what got a lot of us to need the surgery to begin with. Take care of YOU girl. YOU Deserve it!!! [emoji4]

https://www.nationalbariatriclink.org/bariatric-blog/gastric-sleeve-surgery-whats-your-bougie-size/

I have 2/3rds of your co-morbilities, substitute Severe GERD for diabetes. BMI almost identical but bear with me a second on MY story. You have been obese most of your adult life? I was born at the end of WW2 to parents who had just lived through the American Depression so what my mother's doctor told them didn't seem unreasonable. My mother nursed me, although at that time breast-feeding had largely fallen out of favor, after every nursing and yes I nursed well she was told to feed me a full 8 oz of Carnation Milk Formula. I started out my extra uterine life at 7of 12 oz, at 1 year I was 35 inches tall and weighed 36 lb. Yes the size of the average American 2 and half year old, I had fat cells set down in my body before I could walk. And I walked or lurched around on my own 2 feet before I turned 1. No wonder I have 2 arificial knees, I started wearing them out early. Although I looked in semi-average size until. puberty my flesh was always soft, never muscled up, how could I? My muscles were naturally fat sheathed. So I guess I have been lipid-challenged my entire existance. Fast forwarding many years, I will soon be receiving a RnY bypass at 72, yeah my blubber should have done me in before 72, and it dud try! Received isn't perhaps a strong enough word, I have been active to semi-actively seeking Bariatric surgery since August 2015. If I don't get it pretty soon I have lined up a box cutter, 50 pound test fishing line, hair clips , a Swingline stapler, a 3 way mirror , some surgical manuals . I am redheaded, stubborn , at least medically semi-literate and like my pen name Frustr8-ed, do you honestly think I couldn't wreak havoc? Oh and I am also high-functioning autistic, we can center on one subject to the exclusion of everything else. And my box cutter has a nice clean blade in it, a leftover from working at Wally World and they kept my work equipment sharp and up to date. When we parted company I didn't happen to generating,it so they never got it back!👉🐵👈

Brigham and Womens Bariatric Weight Loss Center in Weymouth is a good place to start. They have information sessions twice per month. I don't know what part of the Cape you are on, but that might be a good place to start.

Renewing your vows is a really cool idea! I know so many brides who would love a "redo" on their special day but in a sexier dress! I hope you do it! I love the picture of you standing in your old pants.... isn't that just mind-blowing? How much do you love your sleeve?!!!!

I've lost 23 lbs and I got my sleeve done at New York Bariatric

These were recommended to me by my therapist and nutritionist: Mindless Eating. Why We Eat More Than We Think by Brian Wansink, PhD The Emotional First Aid Kit. A Practical Guide to Life After Bariatric Surgery by Cynthia L. Alexander PsyD (this is the only one that I've read) WLS for Dummies

I ordered ENS drink mix from Celebrate Bariatric vitamins...they have a 3 flavor 30 day pack...get your vitamins and water in lol

Hello All, my name is Steve Hudson, I am 43 and pre op gastric sleeve. I weigh about 340, im down from 261 for my pre surgical weight loss. Anyway I write a blog called cutting the fat with a knife. I will post the address at the bottom. What I am trying to do is im going to keep this blog very blunt in cases telling people the things that I feel men need to know. The reason is that I have seen many cases where men avoid the life changing and potentially life saving surgeries because of the stigma that other men have. The macho peer pressure that I am sure many of you have gone through. 1 year post op I will compile this blog into an E-book for men who are thinking about WLS. I even have a few hospitals and weight loss centers that are asking for copies when it is complete. So far almost all the books out there are by women and deal with a lot of womanly issues. I was reading one book and there was two chapters on bras and panties another on pregnancy etc. Not at all a help to me. My surgeon is actually going to appear on the blog as an ask the Bariatric Surgeon byline once a month. OK all this being said, I would like to ask you al some thing now and then to see how your experiences coincide with mine etc. So the first question I would like to ask , I will post it maybe in a top ten type list and give credit to each contributor of course unless you wish me not to, keep it a couple of sentences if you would please. Here's my first question. Was there a final straw, event or moment etc. that made you move from thinking about WLS to actually taking the steps to have it done? If so what was it? Thank you for your help. Even if you do not wish to contribute but wish to check out the blog, I do many video taste tests of various Protein powders, ready made drinks etc, with even more to come. Thank you all for your time. Oh and this book will not cost anything it is not a money issue it will be free to all. I am absorbing any costs myself. http://cuttingthefatwithaknife.blogspot.com

Thank you for responding! Yes, I was looking into dr Ariel Ortiz at occ. happy you had a positive experience. he has great reviews. a friend had it done with dr cueva at renewal bariatrics. Had a very good experience. When I called them the person I spoke to was much clearer than the person I spoke to at occ. also dr cueva is $2500 less. I would pay if necessary more money, but if I don’t need to why should I the only reviews I found about him were all positive but they were on renewal bariatrics Facebook page. I’m having a hard time making a decision.

I'm with you. I renewed my commitment today. I have 58 lbs left to lose. Let's get this done!!!!

Yes I have a nut. And I will not gain it back. I had bariatric surgery and I do not have an eating problem I am down to 221 I will be fine. I have been a gym rat most my life and I am a runner I just gained this weight after doing the shakes only for a year I have not been heavy all my life. I promise I will not gain it back. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using the BariatricPal App

I am talking to mexico bariatrics Dr. Luis Cervantes, I have done all of my paper work and pd the 500.00 down but I email them and I do not hear back from them. I paid through pay pal so I can get my money back. Just afraid of being scammed. How was the process? And congrats on your weight loss!! GREAT JOB!!

@STLoser, I honestly don't even take as many vitamins as recommended, nor do I eat as much protein as recommended. I have done so much research and have learned so much after having this surgery, I was told that I would never really be able to eat many veggies, that was bull, I eat more veggies than anything and I suppose that might be the reason that I can get away with taking a bariatric vitamin every other day as opposed to 3 every single day. My labs/blood work always comes back as normal. My only issue is that I am anemic so I do have to,take more iron than most people do. It wasn't the surgery though, I have always been anemic off and on for as long as I can remember. By the way, I am not promoting not following doctors orders, especially since every doctor has different instructions for their clients. I have learned that there really needs to be more research about these types of surgeries. I know that the moto is protein first, but I have learned that animal protein is horrible for humans to consume from a health perspective and it is not necessary. So many veggies, beans, pasta made out of beans and legumes have so much protein. I do have to say that my taste buds and tolerance of certain foods changes continuously. Many food choices are trial and error. Even the vitamins, for me I would say, has been trial and error. I am glad to find others that have had the surgery, it seems to be rare. I opted for this surgery because it gives a person a better chance at sustaining ones weight-loss. What made you go for this particular surgery?

The key is never giving up. I failed with lapband and after 10 years revised to sleeve.in 2011. I am maintaining 150 pounds loss! The key is keep on doing your best to follow good health /bariatric rules.