Did I make the right choice?

I chose VSG because I didn't feel that I needed the temporary benefit of malabsorption to lose the weight. I was always a good loser when I restricted calories. If that wasn't the case, I would have chosen RNY, despite the extra vitamin requirements and RH risk. My problem was keeping the weight off, and both surgeries work well for that if you are able to make changes over the longer term. 

Due to my own personal experience I'm not a fan of malabsorption but I will tell you that as a refined carb addict the dumping I experience has definitely helped me stay away from the sweets.  

Last month I had a sugar free brownie and too late found out that the sweetener that was used was pretty much the same as sugar.  I was sick as a dog but it reminded me once more why I avoid sweets.

A lot of people are against aversion therapy but for me having an immediate consequence to my bad eating has kept me on the straight and narrow for over 5 years.

BUT, had I had the choice, especially knowing what I know now, I may well has chosen the sleeve because restriction is a big help.  With my first surgery I had a sleeved stomach but back in 2002 they were made pretty large and my surgeon, who is not a fan of malabsorption, made mine really large, to the point where I never felt restriction.  Now that I have restriction I can tell the difference.

I may have been able to lose the weight with a VSG but without the deterrent of dumping I am sure I would have gone back to sweets and I have no idea if having restriction alone would have been enough to keep it off. 

Dumping syndrome has kept me off cakes, ice cream etc for 11+ years - never touch them.  Not convinced I would have been so good had I had a sleeve ...

I was 42, similar weight and height as you when I had my revision to RNY from a restriction only WLS (i.e.: the LapBand).  I needed every bit of help I could scrounge up in order to lose the weight.  I surpassed my WL goals and have never regretted having RNY.  I don't find the supplements a burden and I take alternatives to NSAIDS that work just as well for me so I don't feel that that is an issue for me either.  I also find some comfort in the fact that my remnant stomach is still there "just in case".  

I do dump and it is effective and I do have RH which I manage with diet.  

If you are diligent and compliant over the long haul then you will be a success regardless of which surgery you decide on.  Good luck!

I had the sleeve done in December and am very happy with it. I'm losing an average of about 5 pounds a week (nearly 1 pound a day).  I had no co-morbidities but was tired of being obese for over 30 years.  I was concerned that the surgery wouldn't work for me because I had been watching my calories for a year, faithfully, and only eating between 1000-1200 calories a day during that time and only lost 12 pounds in 12 months.  At that rate, it was going to take me another 12 years to get Close to my goal. I didn't want to worry about dumping syndrome or malabsorbtion, since I was basically a "healthy fat person". 

Ultimately, the decision has to be what's best for you, and no doctor or other person can tell you what that will be.  I knew I wouldn't like having to keep up with doctor appointments and worries of the band, and I didn't want to be burdened with worries of health issues because of malabsorbtion. So the sleeve is working for me and is the best decision for me. 

I think both surgeries are excellent -- neither "better" than the other.  Instead, I think that often one surgery is a better fit for a particular person.  I view it like buying a vehicle.  A pick up isn't better than a car or vice-versa.  However, if I have kids and need a family vehicle -- the pick up may not be the right choice.  Likewise, if I need to haul a lot of things -- a sedan may not be the best choice.  

I had an RNY.  Aside from the DS, it has the greatest rate of diabetes remission.  Additionally, I had a lot of weight to lose and wanted the added benefit of malabsorption.  I wasn't worried about vitamin supplementation (and VSG also has requirements) because I am compliant.  I didn't need NSAIDs -- thus that wasn't a contributing factor.  I didn't have reflux issues (less VSG would have been out for me) -- but I didn't like the idea of removing completely part of my stomach. 

I am only 2 years out -- so perhaps I can't speak to long term consequences.  However, I love my RNY and have absolutely NO regrets at all.  I will say that I have never "dumped" -- but I also don't eat things that I shouldn't.  I don't know if malabsorption really was such a benefit or not -- because I don't know how I would have done without it.  I do know that I have excellent blood results and nutritional stats -- but I am also extremely compliant.  I also know that there were several people in my support group that had the VSG and were also very successful.  There were also people who had either the RNY or VSG who have never reached goal nor were very successful.  It wasn't because of the surgery they selected, but rather their inability to use their tool to their advantage by making lasting changes in their behavior.  

I hope this helps!

I have been back and forth here the last month as well.  I had a lapband put in about 8 years ago and the short story is it's not worked out.  So what to do?  I wanted the band out period and while they are in there my thought is I still have a good amount of weight to loose so I would like another options.  So the sleeve or RNY.  I am a researcher and I will research something to death.  I went back and forth and finally said to myself I will ask the doctor some specific questions and then see where he's leaning.  The short story was he thinks the sleeve will be a good choice for me.  I'm 39 at a 40BMI, have high blood pressure and that's about the only health concerns I have.  He based his opinion of the two on I wasn't diabetic, I am younger, am in good shape, and there was no reason to go with RNY because the possible issues associated with it wasn't in balance with the shape I was in.  If I was in worse shape he would suggest RNY, so we agreeded on the sleeve date TBD shortly.

So here's my breakdown: the sleeve is a perfectly fine tool, it's what I wanted the lapband to be but it never was.  Eating less will help someone out a lot, especially us who like to eat more than we should.  Now like anything it'll be up to you to not toss bad things down your throat into your new smaller tummy.  You can put several ounces of lean protein in there or several ounces or cookies, it's your choice.  While upfront I believe RNY has the sleeve beat on helping you not throw cookies down your throat it does seem like that isn't going to be the case long term and if that's the choice you've been making with either option those cookies will keep you in the state your in.  Also the added benefits of maybe dumping and absorption also either aren't there to begin with or will fade away slowly.  So for me while RNY is very attractive, I think I'm going to stay with my choice of the sleeve and just keep myself honest.

There are two kinds of malabsorption. There's malabsorption of micronutrients, commonly called vitamins and minerals. Then there's malabsorption of macronutrients, also known as calories. The RNY and the DS both cause permanent malabsorption of certain micronutrients, but the malabsorption of macronutrients is different. The RNY gives you about 18-24 months of macronutrient malabsorption; the DS gives you life-long macronutrient malabsorption.

So the question should be "Do I need the malabsorption of CALORIES in order to successfully lose weight, or do I need it to maintain that loss?" If the answer is NO, then go with the Sleeve. If the answer is YES, then get a DS---IF you're both willing and able to comply with the post-op vitamin and mineral supplementation needed.