New Year... Hoping for a New Me, just a healthier version!!

Hi everyone! I've finally come to terms that I need surgical intervention and looking for some tips and what not! I have an appointment with my Primary Care Doctor at the end of the month to go over everything... Trying to plan and write everything down ahead of time since we all know memory goes out the window when you are in the exam room!

Are there any specific questions you can recommend? What were your "why's" for the surgery you got? I am torn between the Sleeve and Bypass but open to suggestions to help better educate myself with people who have gone through the process.

Pretty much, anything will help! Thank you in advance!

With diet alone a person who has 50 or more pounds to lose has a 3% - 5% chance of losing the weight and keeping it off for more than 5 years. With surgery that chance goes to 50% or higher.

The sleeve is probably better if you don't have GERD. It is a slower weight loss because there is no malabsorption and it is less invasive to the body in some ways.

Bypass has malabsorption which makes you lose more quickly while it lasts. It is also much less chance of GERD.

With either surgery, success depends on your ability to stick to the diet and to exercise. Just like before surgery, except with surgery it works better. That is because of less hunger (hopefully) and less room in the stomach to put food.

Do your own research and come up with your own questions. We are here to help.

Thank you White Dove! I am way over that. 5'5", 345 pounds. You provide some great information for me to start with and consider. I have already attended a few support groups with a friend of mine because she is experiencing regain so it is nice to see things through her eyes, but she had surgery in 2008 and they don't perform her surgery any more (or just differently... she had Open surgery stomach stapling) so looking for additional insights.

Do comorbidities (other than GERD, as you mention) affect which surgery may be considered?

My why was because RNY had the highest possibility of putting my diabetes into remission. I didn't go home from surgery off my diabetes meds but was off of them by my 1 week follow up.

I had never considered WLS surgery but had been struggling with getting my A1C down and my PCP said "you're young and healthy, have you considered WLS". I went to the next scheduled information session and then called the next day to start the process. Best decision I could have made!

Thank you! I have been diagnosed as having "Pre-diabetes" so I know where I am headed if I continue like this.

Interesting that your Dr. called you young and healthy (I get where he was coming from)... I have a friend who's Dr. said she was a perfectly Healthy Obese person. Seemed like an oxymoron.

Will diabetes be resolved if once undergoes the sleeve surgery? SO.MUCH.RESEARCH!

My doctor tells me it is a crap shot and that he and other doctors take bets on who will go into remission.

My understanding is that statistically people lose a bit more weight on average with RNY than VSG, but the difference is fairly small. The amount of weight a particular person loses probably depends more on how well they follow the diet than on which surgery they have. VSG is slightly less likely to leave you with problems like nutritional deficiencies down the road, so all other things being equal, surgeons tend to recommend the VSG. There are some cases where the RNY may be a better bet, like if you have GERD, or are diabetic.

I was favouring RNY because I thought I would lose more with it, but since I had no medical indications for it, my surgeon suggested VSG. I'm quite happy with the choice, have lost all the weight I expected to, and am still losing.

I have about 200 pounds to lose when I've figured what the "Ideal" weight is for someone who is 5'4". I am leaning towards Bypass but not sure I want to risk the malabsorption issues. I tend to overeat a lot so that is a concern for me as well and I love sweets and wondering if the VSG will help in devouring me from those foods. I know I need to seek mental therapy so that is another thing to seek out for someone who can help me with what's going on in my head! I have a really hard time deciding between two things and that is hard for me to admit.

The part that you need to DECIDE to do NOW..

Which surgery...? Which DR?

To enable best use of your new TOOL....

To follow ALL your doctors rules..., re: liquid , protein and carb intake, vitamin regime- lab follow ups.. which ones are specific to be checked and have been known to change 12-18 months post op.. ( Iron levels for instance)

I had some major hiccups in nutritional status. EVERY one of them can be mitigated with natural means.

Here is what i do. for my problems.

.....extreme-.Low iron=dessicated liver capsules. 2-4 daily

Low calcium/magnesium= combo of epsom salts foot soaks,daily- K2+zinc, calcium q 2nd day, D3 10K daily,

Low iron, nerve dysfunction,=..B complex sublingual one cc daily.

enzyme deficiency , for brassicas, legumes, nuts.= one of the multi ones OTC, about 6 with a problem meal..

Severe Lactose intolerance. = 10 lactase capsules, lactose free whole milk (my consumption is no more than 3 oz daily.)

If you are to be followed long term by a family physician. ( Surgeons only follow so long..) this DR needs your surgeons guidelines.-for sufficient follow up..YOU also need a copy and a physical copy in a file of every lab test done before as a baseline and on each check after....You may catch the beginning of an issue.-when a physican might consider it still within normal limits. .Unless proven differently via research ( like on vitamin absorption info - that can change in time.etc.)

Hi SuMari, Everything can absolutely be overwhelming so it's great that you are planning out everything while your head is not spinning. See if your doctor needs to supervise you under a medically supervised weight loss program for your insurance company to even consider bariatric surgery... all insurance companies are different from their requirements. You will also want to start talking to a mental health pro NOW to go over everything that will be running through your head since it is so easy to turn to food for our emotional crutch and after surgery (God-willing) you will no longer be able to food the way you did prior.

You can also call your insurance company (if you are going through insurance, that is) to see who their approved bariatric surgeons are and research them here on OH. I did that with mine back in 2008 and it was helpful to know a little bit about the pros even before stepping into their office.

I chose the Bypass because I needed to lose a lot of weight and had a lot of comorbidities that warranted having the bypass. down almost 200 pounds since 2008!

Good luck!