How did you decide?

[weightglitch 3]

I am debating between the sleeve and the bypass. I'm leaning more towards the bypass just because I know I love sweets and I feel it would give me a harder time digesting them. But I'm the same breath I don't want to be restricted forever. I want to be able to have a little bit every once and a while. What do you guys suggest? What made you decide to choose the bypass or the sleeve?

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[Browneyedgirl41 176]

I liked the idea of the sleeve that it wouldn't resection my bowels at all. Also, I "only" weighed 225, and I don't know if I woukd have been a candidate for bypass. I never looked into it. I did look into the band several years ago, but people were having problems with it so I waited.

[Christinamo7 4,042]

I would, along with your doctor, evaluate your other health problems to come to a decision about what is best for you.

I have ADD and take salmon oil and other supplements - and I could not take all of them with the bypass, also I have no reflux or GERD - and we both agreed the sleeve was best in my particular case.

both surgeries can be eaten around, and both can be used effectively to become healthy so that part of it is all up to you and your willingness to change your life. most people do not dump with either surgery so I wouldn't personally hold that as a main reason for either surgery.

[ProudGrammy 8,322]

debating between sleeve and bypass.

@@weightglitch

went to seminar/conference

spoke with doc, he recommend sleeve

5+ years ago sleeve wasn't that common

never heard of it - some docs didn't know

what it was!!! really, not kidding

doc and i talked about options of WLS

he explained different situations (bad or good) about the lapband

(lappers please don't yell at me sob sob) most know there are

issues with the lapband - rarely done anymore because of problems)

but many work terrific, no problems (i'm being PC, polically correct) LOL

gastric bypass is the "gold standard" (i think that's the expression)

any malabsorption (my spellcheck doesn't correct spelling of words sob) concerned me

there can't be any question that my meds must go totally through system

sleeve sounded like the best solution (kindof process of limitation)

docs info and suggestion made me decide to go with sleeve

almost 5 years PO (4+ at GOAL) -

sleeve is/was wonderful and maybe best decision i ever made for myself

good luck

kathy

[Djmohr 6,965]

Initially I planned on the sleeve but after meeting with my surgeon and gastroenterologist they both recommended that I have bypass as I had Gerd. It was very important not to go through this twice for me, once is certainly enough.

So on the 29th of september it will be two years and I am down 152lbs. My gerd is gone as is diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and my stage 3 kidney disease has been in remission ever since. Also, i no longer have sleep apnea.

I have been able to eat absolutely everything from the start with the exception of eggs. I do eat sweets occasionally and have no problem. I will also state that I probably tried some cheesecake right around 6 months post op and I was terrified that I would get sick. Sometimes I wish I did get dumping because it would keep me away from sweets....LOL I am usually pretty good about it but feeling a little bad today as I had the most delicious piece of wedding cake last night. It was not overly sweet and absolutely delicious. I guess the good news is, it was small and thin. The other good news was there was one slice for everyone and then it was gone. LOL otherwise I might feel really bad today.

I should also say, I am done losing and have been maintaining well since March of this year. I would not try wedding cake until I was comfortably at goal and for me, it would only happen once in a while.

If you do have RNY and get dumping, it usually improves after the first year. Your body simply figures out how to work around it.

RNY is still considered the gold standard and I would not be afraid of things like malabsorption as long as you take your Vitamins daily and get your blood checked once per year for the rest of your life.

I would do it again in a heartbeat.

[Cervidae 2,389]

I chose the bypass for a number of reasons, key among them that I wanted as much help as I could get and because, statistically speaking, patients tend to lose more weight faster with the bypass and have a higher statistical probability of maintaining that loss over time. I started the process at a little over 400 pounds and my highest weight was 450, and I was soooo far beyond ready to get this weight off and actually move on with my life, asap. Now at over 13 months out, I'm down almost 200 since surgery and over 250 overall, and I've never been happier or healthier. I also can eat pretty much anything I want (had a bite of my friend's birthday cake yesterday and accounted for those calories) while still not even really desiring sweets/pop/etc. My blood work is perfect, I went from a size 34 to a size 10/12 and I'm pretty damn happy with my life. I also would do it over again a million times.

p.s. - never had any dumping or malabsorption issues, most likely because I followed the plan PERFECTLY for like the first year. Now I'm at the point where I can occasionally treat myself while still generally eating really healthfully, and this was my goal all along: to be happy and healthy and actually be able to have a healthy relationship with food. Worth it beyond belief!

[paramedic 56]

I'm 41, 6'1 and weigh 273 pounds - I now have Diabetes. I chose the sleeve for several reasons - 1 it doesn't completely restrict what you eat. 2) I have IBS so dumping would just make life hell 3) sleeve will do everything I want.

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[1Day1Life4Now 882]

I had the sleeve a little over 2 and 1/2 years ago, Its been great except for the severe reflux. I had GERD before hand but thought my doctor would repair my hiatal hernia and all would be well but it just didn't happen. I am now scheduled to have a revision to the RNYs in October. I hate the thought of another surgery but am looking forward to getting rid of the reflux. If you have any reflux don't get the sleeve. Good luck.

[mi75 1,235]

I had SEVERE GERD prior to surgery and actually had planned on bypass because of it. However, my Gastroenterologist voiced her concerns about my risks of developing stomach cancer and the fact that with bypass you have a 'blind stomach' just sitting there sealed off that nobody can every look in without open gut surgery.

I also liked the ideas of:

1. With sleeve the stretchy part of your stomach is completely cut out= no eventual stretching.

2. No re-routing of any physiological intestinal processes

3. No major biochemical upsets or absorption issues.

I am happy with my sleeve but wish that I had 'worked' it harder in the beginning because i didn't lose what I wanted to totally, and then due to serious noshing and stress eating I have gained some of my loss.

[ladyslim2015 74]

I am debating between the sleeve and the bypass. I'm leaning more towards the bypass just because I know I love sweets and I feel it would give me a harder time digesting them. But I'm the same breath I don't want to be restricted forever. I want to be able to have a little bit every once and a while. What do you guys suggest? What made you decide to choose the bypass or the sleeve?

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I wished I had the bypass bc sweets are my weakness and I'm back at eating them again but if your making the true lifestyle change you'll probably have more self control.

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[catwoman7 11,220]

I had RNY and I occasionally eat sweets. Just a bite or two at a time and just once in awhile.

[elliekay 189]

My surgeon suggested I go with bypass... I knew it wasn't for me when he said I might "end up running out of an interview to use the bathroom but learn not to eat the food that does that". I'm 22, there are too many milestones coming in my life for me to potentially get sick off of a bite of wedding cake or something like that. Also, the less invasive aspect of the sleeve appealed to me and its a such a small percentage difference in expected weight loss that I figured I'd rather feel safer going into surgery than potentially lose those last 10lbs--either way, I'm (hopefully) losing so much of this weight I've carried for nearly all my life. I do think if I started at a higher BMI I would have chosen bypass, though.

[weightglitch 3]

Thank you guys for all your words of advice and stories, reading them surely helped me make my decision. I may with my surgeon today and he gave me a survey date of January 4th. I decided on the roux n y. My BMI isn't extremely high but I want to hold myself to a certain standard and I think the bypass is my best bet.

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[sammy246 235]

For me it was when my surgeon drew a photo of the major blood vessels attached to the stomach. Only one of three was left to support a very long staple line with blood for the sleeve. He said that complications are not common with the staple lines, but can be worse with the sleeve because of this.

I'm not explaining it well but it was really eye opening.

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Edited October 9, 2016 by sammy246

[Who'sThere 331]

I have LapBand currently. I'm revising to RNY due to regain and complications with my band. I chose RNY over VSG because my surgeon feels it is a safer conversion. This has to do with where the staple line will be in RNY vs VSG. For VSG the staple line would go through an already damaged part of my stomach. The RNY staple line will be in a part of my stomach not affected by my band.

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