Please help! I'm in a dilemma.

[Dimples58 167]

I will be meeting with my surgeon for the first time next Tuesday. One the things that will be discussed is which WLS procedure have I considered????? I first was leaning towards the Gastric Bypass. But in researching, I understand that patients who have had GB surgery will no longer be able to take Tylenol or Ibuprofen after surgery. Ever. And I'm allergic to aspirin. The main reason why I selected this procedure is because I heard that it's has the best success rate in placing diabetes and high blood pressure in remission. On the other hand, I heard that Gastric Sleeve success rate for patients with diabetes and high blood is not as great. Meaning that these conditions may still be present after surgery. Also, with GS patients may develope severe heartburns. Please share your thoughts and experiences. I'm really looking forward to a new beginning and don't want to think of backing out with either procedures.

[dredfern 24]

I'm a gastric bypass patient (18 months out) I'm able to use Tylenol (approved by my surgeon and NUT) with no issues whatsoever. I went with this procedure because I had diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and an irregular heart rate. All of these issues have resolved themselves :).

[Navigating the Wilderness 824]

Hmm, I have never heard about bypass precluding you from Tylenol. Certainly you should not use NSAIDs, but I'm not so sure about Tylenol. I would double-check that with your Surgeon.

I did find this answer from a MD when asked about Tylenol:

Motrin is categorized as an Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drug (NSAID) and these type of drugs are known to cause ulcers. Other NSAIDs include Aspirin, Advil, Aleve, Celebrex, Naproxen, Ibuprofen, just to mention a few. I would highly advise against them after GBP. In most cases Tylenol should be fine, but consult with your doctor about it.

I had both Diabetes and High Blood Pressure before my VSG, but the sleeve seems to have fixed that.

Edited May 5, 2017 by Navigating the Wilderness

[Berry78 4,261]

How long have you had/how severe is your diabetes? Do you currently have heartburn? What is your BMI?

[Dimples58 167]

It wasn't until October 2016 when I went over the magic number (A1C). My A1C is 6.3 I've been keeping my sugar level and A1C in boarder range since 2005. My diabeties is control through diet....no medication precribed. However, I do take meds for BP. Yes, I do get heartburns from time to time and I believe my BMI is 45/

[Brian B 94]

All those problems will get better if not completely resolve themselves as your weight drops. I have a sleeve and can take Tylenol. Which surgery you pick is really up to you. Factors like BMI should be part of the equation. I almost choose bypass because I thought I would lose more weight but if you look at me know, the sleeve worked incredibly well. I think they look at averages and make determinations on a whole. In the US sleeves are "newer" so there technically have been way more successful bypasses, so that would mean there better?

I think both surgeries will get you there but its really how well you tackle your weight loss goals. Remember the surgery is just a tool, not a magic pill.

p.s. I choose sleeve because I felt it was less invasive and had less long term side affects and maintenance. This of course is just my opinion.

[Berry78 4,261]

It sounds like you could go with a sleeve if you and your doctor agree.

[ChaosUnlimited 559]

If you are meeting with the surgeon for the first time you will get lots of information to help make your decision. You don't usually have to tell them that day what you want. Bring a list of questions that you have when you go and ask the surgeon to go through the list with you. That way you don't forget anything.

On my first visit, I went in thinking I wanted one procedure and left being a little unsure and wanting more information on the others. I researched online a lot, talked to people who had the procedures I was interested in, and eventually made my decision, but it was a process for me. It took me over a month to decide what I though was best for me.

You will have time to think about it and decide. Keep learning as much as you can in the meantime. Good luck!

[Dimples58 167]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I appreciate it.

[OutsideMatchInside 10,166]

Well you definitely can take Tylenol, they sent me home from the hospital after surgery with it.

If I had any kind of GERD prior to surgery I would not take the chance on the sleeve, unless the heartburn was weight or hital hernia related, those will be fixed with surgery.

Your blood sugar seems like mine. Pre-op I could stop taking medicine if I didn't eat carbs. My blood sugar was always low, never out of control. So the sleeve could totally resolve that, probably in a month.

I also had high blood pressure on the low end of high. Completely resolved, and now I am on the low end of normal, the very very low end.

Your Dr is going to help you make the best choice.

[Dimples58 167]

Thanks for your response. I appreciate it. I do have to make one correction in my previous post....I misread an ad in regard to taking pain meds after WLS. Tylenol is ok to take for pain. My bad.

[Finding_Stacy 263]

On 5/5/2017 at 0:31 PM, Dimples58 said:

I will be meeting with my surgeon for the first time next Tuesday. One the things that will be discussed is which WLS procedure have I considered????? I first was leaning towards the Gastric Bypass. But in researching, I understand that patients who have had GB surgery will no longer be able to take Tylenol or Ibuprofen after surgery. Ever. And I'm allergic to aspirin. The main reason why I selected this procedure is because I heard that it's has the best success rate in placing diabetes and high blood pressure in remission. On the other hand, I heard that Gastric Sleeve success rate for patients with diabetes and high blood is not as great. Meaning that these conditions may still be present after surgery. Also, with GS patients may develope severe heartburns. Please share your thoughts and experiences. I'm really looking forward to a new beginning and don't want to think of backing out with either procedures.

I'm currently in a research study for the effects of the VSG on type II diabetes. I don't have diabetes myself, which is why they're testing their stuff out on us 'healthier' patients.

Anyway, I guess this is one of the first long term studies being done on this topic. All they know is that after a very short period of time following the VSG surgery, diabetes seems to go away even before there is any major weight loss. They don't know why it is, if it's from the removal of the stomach or what. It's pretty interesting. I guess what I'm saying is don't discount the VSG because of diabetes. Chances are, you'll be off your medicine within a month or two following surgery. For me, the VSG was the only option since I wanted something permanent that wasn't a malabsorption surgery.

Good Luck!!!

[Dimples58 167]

Thank you all for your support and encouragement. It really means a lot to me, as this is a huge lifestyle commitment. I just don't want to make sure I don't regret my decision later.

[Sajijoma 1,324]

You can still use Tylenol after rny. It's just NSAIDS you won't be able to use and honestly a lot of the pain that you would need to take pain meds for will go away as you lose weight. My Migraines were near daily events pre op and now it's down to a couple a month around the time my period shows up. My constant joint pain is gone and except for fevers, I don't even take Tylenol. The surgery will take away a lot of your discomfort and dependence on these things to get you through. It really depends on what you are comfortable with and what will be the best tool for you to lose weight and live the life you want to live. For me, rny was the way to go and if you have a substantial amount of weight to lose, you don't want to have to go back under the knife for revisions down the road. I wanted one and done and I am so glad I chose rny. It really helped me get to the cause of my obesity which was sugar addiction. By taking that variable out, I was able to get my mind around what I needed to do.

[Dimples58 167]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I too have a very high sugar craving/addiction. I still have some time to decide. I just had my consult with the surgeon. It went pretty well. He said that I was a good candidate for either RYN or sleeve. RNY may be a better choose for diabetics. Did the RNY help your sugar cravings?