Why gastric sleeve and not gastric bypass?

[cherhope 0]

I have just recently decided to have bypass surgery and I guess I am wondering why others choose gastric sleeve. Let me know why you choose gastric sleeve.

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[betterlife7 16]

I'm choosing sleeve bc I'm not a fan of the idea of moving around my insides! The sleeve is straight forward.....they cut part of your stomache out!

[Daisee68 2,493]

I also did bypass. I thought I wanted sleeve but had very bad reflux the day I had my first consultation and the surgeon said sleeve would make reflux worse if it was already an issue. I believe that many here that chose the sleeve felt it was a better option because you do not have the malabsorption issues that you have with bypass. While I was not happy at first that the dr was insistent that I not do sleeve, I am very happy now with my choice.

[OutsideMatchInside 10,166]

Here is a good thread on the topic, with lots of answers.

http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/360332-what-made-you-choose-this-surgery-vs-others/page-3?hl=sleeve+bypass#entry4078075

like @@betterlife7 I felt the sleeve was less risky, more straight forward, made more sense and had a better recovery time. In the end you have more control over your weight loss with the sleeve than with the bypass.

It is a personal choice, so you need to go on what your Docotor says and what is comfortable for you.

The weight loss difference between surgeries is not that different.

http://www.obesitycoverage.com/weight-loss-surgeries/gastric-bypass/how-much-can-i-expect-to-lose

[JimBivens 26]

Less invasive, lower complications and risks.

[Kindle 8,667]

I did not want a lifetime of malnutrition. I have 3 close friends that had bypass (8 and 10 years ago) and although they all lost a significant amount of weight they all struggle with nutritional-related illnesses. Dehydration, because it hurts to drink; anemia from low Iron, fatigue from low B12 and "unknown" causes; osteopenia from low Calcium, blood clotting disorder from low Vitamin K;, heart arrhythmias from unbalanced electrolytes. One has GERD that actually got worse after bypass and one is constantly battling ulcers.

Another friend has been fighting her lapband complications for over 8 years. For me, the sleeve was the only thing I considered based on first hand experience with the other two options. At just over two years out I have never had a minute of regret.

[LipstickLady 25,682]

It's a very personal decision and I won't say that one WLS option is better than any other.

I chose sleeve because I was not diabetic and did not need the immediate result from bypass that people with diabetes benefit from.

I wanted to be able to eat anything without the higher risk of dumping bypass patients tend to have. Funny thing, I dump anyways.

I did not want my intestines re-routed. I know a lot of people get annoyed when sleevers call our procedure less invasive, but for me, it is.

I did not want to depend on Vitamins for the rest of my life because I know how bad I am about taking them. I know that I should, but I don't and my blood work is pretty good.

It was my opinion that I would lead a much more "normal" life with the sleeve over bypass. I never would have had WLS if my only options were bypass or band so when I learned about the sleeve, I ran with it. I am thrilled beyond belief.

[jane13 2,256]

I agree 100% with @@LipstickLady

I made my decision based on the same, exact reasons - NO regrets at all.

[ocgirl15 667]

Hi.... How did I pick Gastric Sleeve? Because it was what my surgeon recommended. At our first meeting I assumed the band would be what he would recommend but that was not the case. He had done too many band revisions and no longer recommended them. I was BMI of 41with no traditional co-morbidities. I did have PCOS, borderline high cholesterol, joint pain, insulin resistance, and plantar facitis, etc. I assume the surgeon thought bypass was overkill considering my BMI.

[Daisee68 2,493]

@@cherhope - do you have a surgeon selected yet? You will really want to get their thoughts too. I had to go to a info session put on by my program and in there they explained a lot of the differences which I found very helpful. Again, at that time, I was still not sold on bypass and was hoping dr would do the sleeve, but the info in that class and talking to their RN (who had also had bypass herself) really put my mind at ease.

[cherhope 0]

I really want to thank you all for your experience you shared with me about your gastric, sleeve experiences. It really helped me. I am planning on calling the bariactric center in Marquette Mi. Anyone out there have there surgery in Marquette?

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[Rainy Days 73]

I just saw my surgeon for the first time yesterday. I was open to either option, but rather hoping on the sleeve due to less recovery time. My surgeon said either was appropriate for me, but recommended the sleeve because with the bypass you can't have NSAIDS (aspirin, ibuprofen) anymore. I already have knee problems and don't like to take prescription pain relievers. In addition, my surgeon mentioned that the bypass can alter the ability to take other meds due to the digestive system being rerouted. If I had been a higher BMI or diabetic, it might have been worth the medication issues on the bypass though. So the right surgery for one person might be different than for another.

[cherhope 0]

Thanks rainy days for your response to me. I am hoping that gastric sleeve will work for me. Because of a heart anyerism surgery I had a couple of years ago I have to be able to take aspirin everyday. I am scheduled for the public seminar coming up in a couple weeks. My heart Dr. Gave me his go ahead to proceed. I have hope again.

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[Kindle 8,667]

Thanks rainy days for your response to me. I am hoping that gastric sleeve will work for me. Because of a heart anyerism surgery I had a couple of years ago I have to be able to take aspirin everyday. I am scheduled for the public seminar coming up in a couple weeks. My heart Dr. Gave me his go ahead to proceed. I have hope again.

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I would think that would take bypass completely off the table. I'm sure there are cardiac/bypass patients out there but not a scenario any surgeon would want to purposely create.

Good luck with your decision!

[rubia72 200]

It's the least invasive for me. When I met with my primary care, she agreed she even stated that if she had to choose from the 3, she'd pick the sleeve and that sealed it for me!