RNY vs VSG which did you choose and why?

The more info I read on the two types of surgeries that are done for weight loss the more unsure of which one I should choose. The dr. I am going to see is the one who lets you decide which one you want and I can't figure out which is best for ME. Both seem to allow you the same weight loss.

I'd like to hear from those who want to share why they chose the surgery they did and if they would do anything different (surgery type wise) or wish they knew specific information beforehand.

You will lose more weight more quickly with RNY. That is because there is restriction and malabsorption. Malabsorption means that for the first few years your body cannot absorb all of the calories from the food that you put into it.

The intestines are lined with hair like appendages called villi. Those villi reach out and grab the food as it goes through the intestines. They hold the food against the walls of the intestines so that the calories can be pulled out and put into the body.

After RNY a lot of the villi have been removed. So food just passes through and fairly effortless weight loss results. But the body is smart. It knows that it has been tricked into a form of starvation. So it grows new villi in the intestines that remain. Then it will be able to grab the food again and regain the lost weight. That usually takes about two years to happen.

Many RNY patients look skinny and starving in year two after surgery, but by year three most of them are back to normal or overweight again.

With RNY and VSG you have a tiny stomach, so cannot eat very much at one time. With VSG you eat small amounts of food but it is all absorbed. So losing weight happens because of less food being eaten. You can lose all of your excess weight, but it is all done by eating less.

The structure of the sleeve results in GERD for some people. If you have GERD it is probably better to not have a sleeve. If you develop GERD after the sleeve, revising to RNY usually cures it.

Whatever surgery you choose, your results still depend on following a proper diet and getting exercise.

White Dove thank you for your valuable input this is a lot of what I have read and I appreciate you backing it up with specifics. Can you tell me why you chose the RNY as your surgery and if there are anything you wish you knew before hand?

I do suffer from GERD so it does look like RNY is the best choice for me. I don't want to go through a second surgery as I do not do well under general anesthesia.

Sure, in 2007, the only option was lap band or RNY. My surgeon started doing VSG in 2008 and said that he thinks I would have done as well with VSG as I did with RNY. I originally wanted lap band, but the surgeon strongly advised me to go with RNY instead. I am glad I listened to him.

I also had Type 2 diabetes. The malabsorption of calories goes away, but the malabsorption of some vitamins and minerals never does. I now have iron deficiency and taking iron supplements does not help. I just get infusions when it gets too low.

If I were doing it today and did not have diabetes or GERD, I would probably chose VSG. It would be a slower process. I know now that long term success depends on my diet and exercise. I was a lifetime member of weigh****chers and still follow the weigh****chers plan 12 years after my surgery.

Since you already have GERD, you should not even be thinking of making it much worse with VSG. Get the RNY and you will get rid of the GERD and the weight.

Thank you. I think you have helped me to make my decision. I have my consult next week with the surgeon and will talk with him. I will be sure to tell him about my gerd and the issues I experience with that hoping he will support my choice and not push something I don't want.

With GERD you have no choice and you would be foolish to even consider VSG. Check the revision boards to see what's happening more and more in terms of medical revisions (not just people with regain)

I'm surprised your surgeon has suggested he would do a sleeve on you.

I haven't seen the surgeon yet. I am sorry if I wasn't clear on that. The one I am going to doesn't seem to guide us on which one would suit us best based on our medical history which is a bit bothersome to me. I would rather have a surgeon tell me straight up the pros and cons than to say, "eh whichever one you want is fine." I will see him next week. I wanted to have some first-hand experiences of patients on each surgery type and why they chose it and if they had any regrets. This whole process is somewhat overwhelming.

You now have a great headstart before you see him then. because if he's good, he'll tell you a VSG is out of the question and explain why.

If he's not a good doctor, he'll leave it up to you without acknowledging how you are a terrible candidate for the sleeve.

Let us know how the consult goes.

I agree I feel like this site has been so helpful and everyone has been great about answering my questions (really everyone's questions from what I have seen) and I really appreciate it. I will be sure to update what the dr. tells me and what my plans are. I know it will be rny for sure with my gerd.

I got to meet with the surgeon last week and I was so overwhelmed with the in-depth information they provide about their program and surgery types that I took the past several days to read it. The dr was very informative and we did discuss everything including the fact that I am not a good candidate for the sleeve and why. I felt much relief at that....

I will be moving forward with the RNY. He wants me to start losing weight immediately to lower my bmi since I am considered high risk. I look at this as an opportunity to start living the life of a post-op before surgery so if anyone has suggestions on how to get my head on the right path I am open to any and all.

I appreciate everyone's input and I am excited to be doing this it seems more real now.