Which surgery.

[Hazeleyed032 1]

Which surgery do u think is most effective from all of your perspectives? I just signed up for the program yesterday had my first nutrition meeting today. I believe we r heading toward the sleeve but been reading up on the other one as well. Which do u think is better long term.

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[Arabesque 7,468]

Ah now that’s a complicated question & there is no definitive answer. There’ll be those who tell you sleeve is the best or bypass is the way to go, etc. The thing to remember is that was the surgery that was best for them. And yes there’ll be those who say they wished they’d chosen another surgery.

There are some issues that can make one surgery a much better option over another. For example if you have pre existing reflux/gerd sleeve is not for you or you have a lot of weight to lose bypass may be a better choice.

There are other pre existing conditions that may need to be taken into consideration too. As well as factors like your weight loss & gain history, lifestyle, eating style & preferences, etc.

Best advice is to do lots of reading & gather information like this yourself & then have a long conversation with your surgeon & see what they recommend based on your medical status, general health & with consideration of the factors mentioned above & then make your decision.

As for the long term effects of, I presume maintaining your weight, it really comes down to you. The changes you’re willing to make to your eating, how compliant you are in the long term with your new way of eating, the activity you choose to add to your lifestyle, etc. The surgery is a tool & it’s success depends on how you use it & the sustainability of the changes you make.

My surgeon recommended a sleeve after going through everything with me & answering my questions. I was leaning that way anyway as I didn’t want as major a change as with bypass. My weight had only become a serious obese issue with menopause before that I bounced between a BMI of 23 healthy & 29 overweight). I had some existing food sensitivities. I dislike taking medications. Didn’t have any co morbidities - my general health was good. Was fairly controlled about a lot of my eating & was aware of food choices, portion sizes, etc. Didn’t want the increased possibility of dumping (already had random episodes of hypoglycaemia) or absorption issues (especially Calcium & Iron as a menopausal woman). And yes, it was the right choice for me & my situation & needs. I lost all my weight & more. I’m only 3.75yrs out but have pretty much maintained my weight except for a very fast 2kg (4lbs) gain after my gall was removed in June 2021 which reduced my absorption of Protein (so made a dietary change) & we also recently discovered my HRT. I had lost about 0.5kg of the 2kgs over almost a year but since I went on a HRT patch 3 months ago I’ve lost a kg without trying (Damn hormones - or lack of in my case.) Will be interesting to see if the last 0.5kg goes too & I end up where I was at 49kg. That’s my story anyway.

All the best whichever surgery you choose.

[maintenanceman 287]

4 hours ago, Hazeleyed032 said:

Which surgery do u think is most effective from all of your perspectives?

This question is asked and answered so many times on this and other WLS forums. The upshot is that there is no "one size fits all" answer. There are pluses and minuses to each surgery, and the answer will depend on your context and priorities. Do a search. You will find literally hundreds of responses to this question. Good luck!

[Jeanniebug 476]

It's all *very* personal...

I chose the RnY gastric bypass for 2 main reasons: 1. I already had GERD and I knew that the sleeve could make it worse. 2. I wanted to have the fear of dumping to help keep me on track.

I'm also T2 diabetic and the bypass seems to have a better resolution rate for that illness.

[catwoman7 11,223]

they're both good surgeries and you'll find people on here who have been very successful with both (and also some not-so-successful with both - but that is usually due to bad habits sneaking back in - so you have to really watch that!)

as others have said, both have their pros and cons. There are some health conditions that would make one or the other more appropriate for you, but barring that, it really comes down to personal preference.

I went with the bypass because, like jeanniebug, I had GERD before I had surgery. There's a decent risk of that getting worse with the sleeve (although it's certainly not inevitable). Some people are willing to take that risk; I was not - so I went with bypass. I've been very happy with my bypass and would choose it again if I had to make the decision today.