Question about the sleeve

[mamasia 5]

Hi all

I was on my WLS journey 2 years ago when I chickened out. The doctor recommended the sleeve surgery. I weighed 340. I now weigh 374 and I am at a whole new center, with a new surgeon. He says that I cannot have the sleeve and need to have the bypass because I am too large.

Is this normal? I thought the sleeve was often done in fact, to larger people to prepare them for bypass.

Pardon my ignorance. I am still learning things!

Thanks for all your help

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[Bufflehead 6,358]

I think your new surgeon probably means that someone of your size is more likely to be successful in losing all her excess weight with the bypass rather than the sleeve, hence being "too large" for the sleeve.

And yes, the sleeve is often performed as a surgery that is safer for very large people than the bypass. It can be the first step -- you get the sleeve, lose a significant amount of weight, then have the malabsorption component added in a longer, more complex surgery. That surgery is typically the duodenal switch (DS) rather than the gastric bypass, though.

Good luck in your decision!

[KristenLe 5,979]

@@mamasia I would ask for clarification as to "WHY" you can't get the Sleeve at your size. There are bigger people who have had the sleeve and been successful.

[#BirdDog 604]

I was 370 pounds when I began my two week pre-op liquid diet and was sleeved on September 2nd.

[mamasia 5]

Thanks guys!! I really dont think I want to do the bypass at all.

I can understand him thinking I won't lose as much weight as he wants. But with my height of 5 ft 11 and my actual frame which includes a lot of muscle I think the sleeve could help me get where I want. You guys are awesome help

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[mamasia 5]

Thanks bufflehead. More things I didn't know

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[KristenLe 5,979]

Thanks guys!! I really dont think I want to do the bypass at all.

I can understand him thinking I won't lose as much weight as he wants. But with my height of 5 ft 11 and my actual frame which includes a lot of muscle I think the sleeve could help me get where I want. You guys are awesome help

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Your BMI is the same as mine and I'm having Sleeve!

[mamasia 5]

See now I think I want another opinion

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[ProudGrammy 8,322]

@@mamasia

first off - welcome to the board

we've been waiting for you!!!

you will learn a lot here

people will give their thoughts, experiences, good info

dr/NUT (nutritionist) all have different opinions with everything

your present dr is giving his thoughts

saying your weight loss would be better served with the bypass

that's his opinion and his right to give his thought

doc says you should have bypass

but unless he gives more info, (bad result etc with sleeve, problems you might experience) you should make your own decision, go with YOUR wishes

as said earlier by @@Bufflehead @@#BirdDog @@KristenLe (me too, and i'm the cutest and smartest LOL)

many OP weighing 300+ lbs got the sleeve

whether you are 200, 300, 400+ lbs etc

anyones success or failure depends on how hard you work after surgery

the sleeve or any other surgery will assist your weight loss journey

but it requires lots of work, following basic rules etc

i know you can be a success story too

good luck

kathy

[mamasia 5]

@@mamasia

first off - welcome to the board

we've been waiting for you!!!

you will learn a lot here

people will give their thoughts, experiences, good info

dr/NUT (nutritionist) all have different opinions with everything

your present dr is giving his thoughts

saying your weight loss would be better served with the bypass

that's his opinion and his right to give his thought

doc says you should have bypass

but unless he gives more info, (bad result etc with sleeve, problems you might experience) you should make your own decision, go with YOUR wishes

as said earlier by @@Bufflehead @@#BirdDog @@KristenLe (me too, and i'm the cutest and smartest LOL)

many OP weighing 300+ lbs got the sleeve

whether you are 200, 300, 400+ lbs etc

anyones success or failure depends on how hard you work after surgery

the sleeve or any other surgery will assist your weight loss journey

but it requires lots of work, following basic rules etc

i know you can be a success story too

good luck

kathy

This was great ,????????????

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[heidikat72 935]

Definitely ask for more clarification on what he means by "too large" for the sleeve - he may have some valid reasons. At my first appointment I weighed 442lbs and was worried that because of my extremely high BMI the surgeon would say I had to have bypass and instead he was quite the opposite. Said I was the perfect candidate for sleeve. He did go into the history of the sleeve as being the first step in a 2-step process where the second step is to add in the maladsorption factor BUT he said that so far his high BMI patients had done so well with the sleeve that almost all of them didn't need the second step.

So basically, be open to hearing your surgeon's explanation and give it some thought but at the end of the day, it is your body and your decision.