Hard Time Deciding

[gubygubb 0]

Hey peeps, 20 y/o female in dire need of some advice/feedback. As of right now I'm supposed to be having the gastric bypass done at the beginning of August, but I've been having doubts and considering switching to the sleeve. If anyone could just help me out by saying what made you realize you had (or are going to have) was the best fit for you.

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[James Marusek 5,244]

I am 3 years post-op RNY gastric bypass surgery. I lost a lot of weight and my health improved significantly. I went from 3X in shirts down to a size Small. Think of it, a size Small. One of the best decisions I ever made.

RNY is almost a gold standard in weight loss surgery. It has been around a long time and most of the bugs have been worked out. One of the reasons why I choose this procedure was because the weight falls off the quickest, the weight loss at bottom is phenomenal. I now have a normal BMI. And more importantly it has a very low rate for revision. If I went under the knife once, I sure did not want to go through it again. Also I had severe acid reflux (GERD). For GERD, having a sleeve will only make the condition worse.

[Harsha 168]

I was also trying to choose between both. I ultimately went for the bypass surgery (scheduled 7/21) my insurance will only cover one surgery, I decided to just go right to the final and most proven step. Reading the stories here helped me a lot.

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[Cervidae 2,389]

I chose the bypass because I had a significant amount to lose, I wanted the extra accountability, and I knew my insurance would only cover one surgery. If I failed with the sleeve, I would never have an option to revise, I would just fail. It's possible to fail with the bypass, as with any gastric surgery, but I felt that the bypass would be giving me the biggest chance for success possible. Yes, the sleeve is (by a very small percentage) safer/faster but honestly, that tiny extra bit of risk was completely worth it to me. I'll be 11 months post op in six days. I've had no complications, not even dumping, and I've lost 166 pounds since surgery and 221 pounds overall. You've gotta be really willing to follow your plan to the letter, as there is less room for error than the sleeve from what I've seen because of the higher risk of dumping and so on, but that habit change and hard work has been so worth it for me and many, many others. Hope this helps! Good luck on whatever you choose. It's entirely possible to be successful with either surgery.

Edited July 12, 2016 by Cervidae

[OutsideMatchInside 10,166]

I went with the sleeve because I am young and active and I wanted to lead a normal life. As a single person I felt RNY was too risky for me.

I have a friend that had RNY and never made it to goal, and regained. The long term differences in the weight loss between the sleeve and the bypass are almost the same. In the end it more about how you manage your tool.

Also I felt I was too young to deal with malaborption from RNY. If the sleeve didn't exist, I don't think I would have ever had surgery. I knew RNY wasn't for me, and the lap band just doesn't even make sense to me. The sleeve is the only thing that made me think WLS might be for me.

Also lastly I knew I could revise with the sleeve to a DS later in life if I had serious regain. Once you have RNY and fail at it, there really isn't any more surgical help.

It is a hard decision so you should do your own research and decide on what fits your life.

[gary5862 208]

I chose the sleeve as it seemed to have the least amount of downsides. I originally wanted a lap band, but didn't like the complications associated with it

[WitchySar 244]

My surgeon and I chose the sleeve for me for a couple of reasons.

1 - I feel more comfortable with it. I know many people who had the RNY and all but one had severe complications after the surgery. Two of them to the point of almost dying. That makes me uncomfortable with it personally, and it's important to feel comfortable with what happens to my body.

2 - After surgery I'm still going to have several meds I'll need to take on a daily basis, including meds for anxiety and bipolar. My surgeon has had several patients who have had issues with their bipolar meds after RNY because of the malabsorption issues, and I don't want to risk that.

So for me the sleeve was the perfect choice.

[theantichick 2,204]

I agree with others that RNY is the gold standard. I have to go with the sleeve because of medications I will need to take over my lifetime for an auto-immune condition. I probably would have preferred the sleeve anyway because it doesn't change the way food absorbs. I have several friends who had the RNY and they actually like having the dumping problem because it makes it way easier to make better food choices. So I'm almost hoping I'm in the small percentage of sleeve patients that gets dumping.

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

Hey peeps, 20 y/o female in dire need of some advice/feedback. As of right now I'm supposed to be having the gastric bypass done at the beginning of August, but I've been having doubts and considering switching to the sleeve. If anyone could just help me out by saying what made you realize you had (or are going to have) was the best fit for you.

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What does your surgeon recommend?

Personally, I chose the sleeve and my surgeon recommended the sleeve for me. I have absolutely no regrets.

I would think that long-term the sleeve would be healthier.

[KristenLe 5,979]

@@gubygubb Along with my surgeon and the Bariatric Team (nutritionist/psych) - we decided on the Sleeve. This was based on my eating habits and medical history. My Team felt I only needed the restriction provided with the Sleeve and not the mal-absorption that comes along with the Bypass. Good luck with your journey - what ever you decide to do!

[WW0747 23]

Good luck on any procedure you decide to have. All we can do is provide opinions, but do what is in your best interest. I'm revising from lapband to RNY. 1)I'm type 2 diabetic and RNY has a proven track record with either reducing or eliminating medications to help control it. The sleeve is showing great data as well, but my doctor agrees RNY is the best option for me. 2) I'm older so the quicker the weight loss the better.

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[healthier&happier4life 86]

I went in thinking that I wanted the sleeve, but ultimately decided on the RNY. The main reason I decided on the RNY is because I decided that I needed my body to help me control my "sweet tooth"! I also thought about how the RNY is somewhat reversible if needed, but the sleeve it not reversible as they actually remove part of your stomach.

[KelleyM 11]

Like healthier and happier, I went in thinking I wanted the sleeve too. That is what my Mom had gotten after all. I was wanting surgery itself because after going on several diets with about 40-80 pound weight losses, I would just gain everything back. I've been so depressed over this last year because it's been slipping right back to where it started and I feel out of control of my body. Knowing my family history, I felt I needed to nip it in the bud.

So when I went into my doctor's office, he went over the pros and cons for the gastric bypass, the sleeve and the duodenal switch. I ended up choosing the DS and here's why:

1. The DS is the in between of a bypass and sleeve. Your stomach is a sleeve instead of the pouch but you still have the malabsorption of the bypass, but without the dumping syndrome.

2. My mom is a couple years out from her sleeve and is starting to have trouble again with gaining weight. My mom and I are very similar in body type and obviously genetics which is why I look to her.

My doctor wasn't quite sure if I should go with the DS. I'm 35 and my BMI is 42. Most people who get the DS are BMI 50 and above. However, out of all the WLS, the DS statistically has the least amount of regain. Your sleeve can still stretch out but you still have the malabsorption going on. I pressed upon my doc about my fear of regaining weight. This is it! I don't like feeling like this. And after this last time of losing 80 pounds, I'm not ignorant to how much better I felt getting tinier clothes, my energy, my mood...going back to where I started is the worst I have ever felt in my life. I don't want to go through all of this, just to regain it back again like how my mom is struggling with it.

So a week from today, I will be having my DS. This is what fits my goals that I have for myself. There are pros and cons to every single operation, it depends on what fits for you.

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