How do I choose which surgery I want

Help me if you can.  I am looking at the various options for weight loss surgery and cannot decide which is best for me.  Where can I find info both pro and con for each?  I am reading alot about liquid diets and post op diets....and I am getting a bit scared.  Can anyone help on to the right track to gain information?  Thanks

I would find a good surgeon in your area and go in and talk to them . I googled my options and knew I wanted the band when I went in . You will find pros and cons on all the forms of WLS so educate yourself and with your surgeon decide what is best for you. I think that you have to do pre and post op diets with all choices though.LOL   Those suck!

RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH, and then research some more until you are completely comfortable with you decision.  What type of eater are you??  So you love sweets, carbs, or do you love all food just eat too much?  There are 4 major types of WLS RYN and DS which are both restrictive with malabsorption, and then there is the Lap-band and VSG which are restriction only.  All have pros and cons and risk of complications.  My advise would be to go on each forum and ask questions, READ about each WLS and then meet with a surgeon and go to some classes.  Goodluck, Karianne

It's daunting, for sure... but, read every surgical board on this site... AND, the revisions; failed; regrets; complications forums, as well.  Read everything- good and bad.

Google and read;  find people who've had WLS and talk with them and finally, take an honest look at your own life and behaviors. If you need restrictive only, the Sleeve is your best option. For malabsorption, the Duodenal Switch or RnY. None of them are easy, but it makes it harder if you choose the wrong surgery for your needs, honestly.

Best of luck to you.  Don't be scared, just take everything in and find the pros and cons of each.  Oh, and find an experienced, skilled surgeon. Your success depends on it.

Best of luck to you!
Nicci

Thanks so much for your advise.  I swing from terrified to excited and back and forth.  I have started some research and there is some comfort in knowledge.  I think the best advise I am hearing is don't rush into it.  Read, Read and read some more and find some people to talk to.
I am waiting for an assesment through our provinicial health  and if approved I think the only covered surgeries are RYG and the Sleeve.  Thanks again for the help, everyone....thank you.

Research in every way open to you. Take time to look through all the surgery forums on OH and on other message boards. See not only how the wls works but how people live their lives post-op.  Think about how you eat now - do you need a restrictive surgery or one which causes malabsorption.

There is no perfect solution. What is right for one is not necessarily right for another.

If you have specific Qs, ask them! (By the way, all surgeries are going to have post-op diets which involve liquid stages adn most will have some form of pre-op diet.).

You may think that this reply and the ones immediately before it are not being as helpful as you hoped! That is because it would be wrong of us to try to push you into such a major decision based on our own experiences.

Kate

Hi Alle,  I see from your profile that you live in Ontario.  It may make your decision easier to know that the Ontario govt is not paying for lapband surgery at this point.  It has a new bariatric registry in the province and you can be put on this list through a referral from your family physician.  It will definitely take a while for you to get an appointment but by-pass and sleeves are the only OHIP paid surgeries at the present time.  (I know this because my brother in Ontario is going through the process right now and I live in Quebec and just had govt paid lapband in Montreal 5 weeks ago but know that very few provinces are paying for lapband.)  Do your due diligence and discuss this with your own doctor and research everything online you can find.  There may be medical reasons for you to have one procedure over the other.  There is a great surgeon in Toronto who's done a ton of lapbands, Dr. Chris Coburn (I think) at the Surgical Weight Loss Centre in Mississauga.  I attended a talk of his at the Diabetes Centre in Ottawa over a year ago and found him and his staff to be really informative.  A referral to a dietician through your physician would also  be helpful as that person can inform you on the food requirements pre and post surgery.  They are not that difficult, just a little boring.  I did a 2 week liquid shake called Optifast which was provided through my dietician.  It is a nestle product only available through special weight loss clinics, etc.  Although tedious because of repitition, it was not difficult.  The post surgical food needs are really easy and all spelled out in counselling sessions.  Don't hesitate if you have any questions to send me a message or post on this site and someone with the same experiences will answer you.  Good luck, Karol

Thanks for your help.  I am actually in MB will have to check my profile and change it.  MB health has just started offering bariatric surgeries and I am on the list for assesment.  Just found out that it is just bypass and sleeve that they are offering.  I may decide that it is worth doing the band on my own but need more research time.  I have at least 150 lbs to take off so it is going to be a long road and I need to be sure I make the right decision.  Thanks again.

I'm going to suggest checking out my surgeon's site as he does a pretty good job at providing information on the 3 main types that are most often performed, the band, bypass and sleeve (plus posts the pre and post op diets for each).  I originally started out wanting a band, but after researching, changed my mind to the sleeve.

http://www.northwestobesitysurgery.com/

Good luck with your decision and definitely make sure you spend some time reading through all the forums here to get a feel for what real people are going through, the good and the bad.

Thanks very much.  Great info on his site.  My main area of doubt is life post surgery.  Can I sustain the diet long term?