Sleeve revision or go ahead with bypass

[kezbeth 1]

I had gastric sleeve in Mexico in 2008. It was a good experience and I lost over 80 pounds in less than a year and reached my goal weight. My sleeve was wonderful and it was a good decision for me. I kept the weight off with ease until 2014 when I tore my right rotator cuff at work, was put on steroid treatments for almost a year until the insurance would allow surgery. While on steroids and following the first rotator cuff surgery, I tore the left rotator cuff in 2 places ( starting a powerwasher) which required an additional year of steroid treatments and more surgery. In the process or healing the left side, I tore the right rotator cuff again which caused more steroids and physical therapy and another surgery. In physical therapy they caused damage to the nerve in my left elbow which required the nerve in my elbow to be moved into the muscle. This was a very painful surgery and was difficult to overcome, hence more steroids, Gabapentin and pain meds for nerve pain. Needless to say, 2015 thru 2018 was difficult and I began to put on weight ten pounds here and there that I could not take off. No matter what I did, the weight sticks to my mid section and thighs. After trying for several years, I had just given up the battle. I had regained all of my weight by 2020 and am now able to eat just as much as always. I developed a cough in 2012 that my doctors said was asthma. Meds rarely help it. The heavier I get the worse it gets. I am starting to developed sleep apnea and rather than being put on a breathing machine at night, I am determined to get the weight off and then see where I am with sleeping issues.

I contacted my doctor in Mexico and requested information on the sleeve revision and they also discussed the Bypass with me. I was accepted to have either one and due to an out of state job I am on at the time, I am tentatively scheduled for revision surgery in mid August. I have until the end of July to pay the difference and elect to have the bypass if that is what I choose to do. I am looking for information on both and looking for surgery buddies that may be having bypass or sleeve revision surgery in August that may want to share information or may have suggestions to help me decide which surgery to elect to have. My surgeon recommended the bypass or the min-bypass as the best option for me at my age and indicated that I would lose more weight with the bypass than the revision.

I was recommended to visit this site to see others experiences and suggestions. Anyone out here have any information they want to share?

[ShoppGirl 4,785]

I am pending revision to my sleeve and my dr said he does not do resleeves because of the high risk and occurrence of leaks and low weight loss. I am pending testing to see if I will be getting bypass or SADI. Not sure if that helps or if your doctor feels the same way but it may be a good thing to ask about.

[ShoppGirl 4,785]

Another question I would personally ask is about NSAIDS post surgery. I know they are okay on occasion with sleeve and pretty much a definite no after bypass but I wonder about the mini bypass if they are okay. After running into a few occasions that I was advised to take NSAIDS and having doctors flat out refuse to give me prescription pain meds because I am not supposed to take them I would prefer to have the option to take them on rare occasion if necessary.

[Arabesque 7,240]

So sorry about all you’ve been through. I haven’t had a revision so I can’t offer a suggestion about that or share my experiences, but I wonder if your cough could be a symptom of reflux (GERD) especially as the asthma meds don’t work. Has anyone suggested it? If not it may be worth further investigation by your doctors. If it is GERD, a bypass (mini or full) would be the way to go.

[catwoman7 11,212]

RNY patient here. Actually, my clinic said it's also OK to take NSAIDs with bypass on rare occasions (although I haven't done that in the nine years since I had my RNY). Although ShoppGirl is correct in that NSAIDs can cause more issues with bypass patients than with sleeve patients (which is why they told us only on rare occasions). That said, if you need to take NSAIDs more often that very rarely, then that would be something to consider. And Arabesque's comment about GERD is also true - bypass is usually recommended for people who have GERD as sleeve can make that worse.

Edited May 17 by catwoman7

[SleeveToBypass2023 2,598]

I had a revision from sleeve to bypass. Best decision I've ever made. But any kind of NSAIDS are a no-go with he bypass. And there are malabsorption issues to contend with as far as meds and Vitamins go. But honestly, I wish I would have just done the bypass to begin with.