Uncomfortable with my surgeons advice

Because of your highest weight and regain history, I think most surgeons would SUGGEST more than the sleeve.  I had RNY and am having good weight loss experience.  At times I wish I had the DS because it has better long term results and regain is less.  Few surgeons do the DS.  The other thing about the sleeve is that is can be more easily converted to a DS (but that will require a whole new (usually laparoposcopic) surgery if you fail to lose enough with the sleeve or have significant regain).  The conversion from RNY to DS is more complicated and, from what I read, requires an open surgery, rather than laparoscopic.  Again, few surgeons have this type of experience.

That being said, your level of anxiety is somewhat of a red flag.  Either option is major surgery and requires a balancing of the risks and rewards.  Your level of alarm seems to be preventing you from realistically assessing your situation and addressing all of your risk factors.  Your age and other risk factors are to be considered,  How well will you tolerate the anesthesia, etc. 

I might suggest going to a few support group meetings and seeing what people are doing to cope with their surgeries.  Also, if you are scared to follow your surgeon's advice, do you feel secure in having a full discussion of your concerns?  Do you fully understand why he would suggest the BPD?

Also, you must realize that only 3-5% of people who lose weight without surgery keep it off.  It is time to answer the question: Look at your weight loss history and your current situation, Do you think that you are one of the 3-5% of people who can keep their weight off without WLS surgery? 

At age 57, it took me a full month to appreciate that I was not one of those lucky people.  So, that question being answered I had 3 options:

1-Do nothing, gain 5 pounds a year and have gradually decreasing mobility and knee problems   

2- Yoyo diet over a ~5 year cycle - 2 years to take the weight off, 3 years to gain it back

3-Have WLS surgery. ***** The only rational option for me.  This analysis got me to appreciate the risks/rewards of WLS. 

I am not saying that this should be your analysis, but you do not seem to be fully examining your situation in a way that will lead to peace over your choice.  If you are not ready to decide yet, that is OK.  You can get a second opinion and do more research on both the sleeve and the BPD (I do not know what that is) and especially the research as to your sugar levels.  High sugar levels are such a risk factor for all sorts of bad stuff (heart disease) that I would weigh heavily which ever surgery would address that the best.  I do not know which that would be, but someone will, or you can google that in particular.

The positive thing about your high level of concern is that your are addressing it and trying to work through it.  Frequently, I feel like that when I know something is not right, but cannot exactly pinpoint what is wrong.  I support your keeping to find a solution that you feel at peace with.  Not that everything will be perfect, but you will understand the balance and agree that you made the best decision for you. (And then you through the dice and hope that everything comes out OK.)

Hang in there - Kudos for making sure you get what it best for you!

First off, I'm 99.44% certain Dr. Boyce is NOT planning on doing a BPD, but a Duodenal Switch with Bilio-pancreatic Diversion. He'll give you a Sleeved stomach, and he'll bypass about 60% of your small intestine. This will cause you to MALABSORB about 80% of the fat you eat, so you'll NEED to eat lots of fat. Straight out of the gate, you will want to limit fats, because your tender new guts will be sensitive. After the first few weeks or months, you'll start adding in plenty of fat. At 12 years out, I actually have to work at eating ENOUGH fat. The way you're eating right now is EXACTLY how a DSer should eat---except we probably eat a lot MORE than you're eating right now.

I suggest you join some of the DS-specific Facebook groups and get the true facts about the DS. It has the very best long-term weight-loss results, the best stats for remission of diabetes, and the highest patient-satisfaction rating.

Yes, you WILL have to take vitamins and mineral supplements for the rest of your life. Same with the RNY. With the Sleeve, you'll probably have to take some, too, but probably less. With any WLS, exactly what and how much will depend on YOUR individual lab results.

Don't let the surgeon talk you into anything you are not comfortable with. If you want to have the VSG, then insist on it, or as mentioned above, find another surgeon. 

Your doctor can make suggestions but the ultimate decision is yours.

i had the VSG 5 years ago - lost 202 pounds- and even though my surgeon suggested the RNY I wanted the sleeve and that is what he did. I don't regret my decision for one minute! 

Good luck. 

Your desire to have a sleeve is misguided. I had a sleeve and it did nothing except cause lots of vomiting and difficulty eating anything hat isn't oily and mushy. 

My husband's serious diabetes was literally cured overnight after he had a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. He lost all of his excess weight meanwhile I'm gaining back weight and have been to the ER several times due to issues with blockages and dehydration. 

Please only have your surgery done by a doctor who is part of a hospitals Bariatric unit and has done many hundreds of procedures. Because it's a newly developing area of medicine and very lucrative, many inadequately trains, under experienced doctors are deciding to 'go into business' in the Bariatric field. 

And if several professionals are suggesting a certain procedure is not he best for you, find out why. They haven't under gone 10 plus years ov training for nothing. They could never give you the vast sea of knowledge hat brought them to their recommendation but if you trust a Bariatric  surgeon to cut you open you should trust their advice regarding the best procedure for you.

http://columbiasurgery.org/conditions-and-treatments/gastric-bypass-surgery

You should pursue the surgery that you are the most comfortable with. In reality the sleeve has been performed much longer than most people realize. The difference is it wasn't used for weight lose until about 7 years ago but it was used for patients who had issues such as ulcers or had been in accidents where part of their stomach had to be removed. I had the sleeve performed on me in January of 2011 without any major issues or any of the issues that I have heard happen with the bypass. When I started the liquid diet two weeks before the surgery I weighed 387 lbs. and I now weigh 165 lbs. I don't know if my weight loss is typical but I lost the majority of my weight in the first year. I'm telling you this because you can do the same thing. I had to change DR's to get one who would perform the sleeve since it was still fairly new in North Carolina but it was worth it. It was scary for all of us who have had any of the procedures done on us but at least for me I can say I don't think I would be alive today if I hadn't followed thru with it. Good luck and enjoy your new life.