Sleeve vs DS
My Dr tells me that the Sleeve or the Switch are my surgical options. I was just wondering how many of you all went about deciding which was beat for you? I'm fairly young 26 yo, 445 lbs. or maybe you can tell me what your experiences were with either surgery. I look forward to reading whatever may help.
Many people and surgeons alike consider the DS the most drastic WLS offered. It has two parts - the sleeve (taking your stomach, creating a sleeve shaped stomach, and removing the remainder of the stomach that's no longer being used). The switch is when the intestines are shortened, which offers malabsorption, meaning you only absorb about 50% of what you eat - except sugar.
The DS requires a lifetime commitment to high protein, many vitamins and supplements (to offset what you're not absorbing), regular labs (after the first couple of years its one a year for the rest of your life). I have always been compliant with my vitamins and labs. I was in my mid-40's when I had the DS. I do deal with iron deficiency anemia (I don't absorb oral iron). I was already post-menopausal when I had my DS. I've also been diagnosed with osteoporosis. I take tons of calcium/K1/K2, but still went from normal bone density to osteoporosis in 10 years. But everyone is different and you will have people response who have no issues at all.
The DS will give you the greatest chance of keeping your weight off, because of the malabsorption - I'm still within my goal 17+ years post-op.
Everyone will lose with every surgery - it's the maintenance that's the key. With the sleeve, you have no malabsorption only restriction, so if you don't change your eating habits right after surgery, you will simply regain everything you lost.
Do your research. Find the best surgery for you.
Janet in Leesburg
DS 2/25/03
Hazem Elariny
-175
on 3/23/20 5:06 am
Many people and surgeons alike consider the DS the most drastic WLS offered. It has two parts - the sleeve (taking your stomach, creating a sleeve shaped stomach, and removing the remainder of the stomach that's no longer being used). The switch is when the intestines are shortened, which offers malabsorption, meaning you only absorb about 50% of what you eat - except sugar.
The DS requires a lifetime commitment to high protein, many vitamins and supplements (to offset what you're not absorbing), regular labs (after the first couple of years its one a year for the rest of your life). I have always been compliant with my vitamins and labs. I was in my mid-40's when I had the DS. I do deal with iron deficiency anemia (I don't absorb oral iron). I was already post-menopausal when I had my DS. I've also been diagnosed with osteoporosis. I take tons of calcium/K1/K2, but still went from normal bone density to osteoporosis in 10 years. But everyone is different and you will have people response who have no issues at all.
The DS will give you the greatest chance of keeping your weight off, because of the malabsorption - I'm still within my goal 17+ years post-op.
Everyone will lose with every surgery - it's the maintenance that's the key. With the sleeve, you have no malabsorption only restriction, so if you don't change your eating habits right after surgery, you will simply regain everything you lost.
Do your research. Find the best surgery for you.
Thank you so much for sharing such a useful information. I will definitely share this with others.
I went from 190lbs to 120lbs (5'2) with the sleeve, four years later I am at 160lbs. What's good is that you can always get the sleeve and the if you regain or have insufficient weight loss, get DS. The sleeve is a great tool, but it could be some people need the malabsorption in order to maintain and get to goal.
Here is an interesting video provided by Dr. Ungson, one of the leading DS surgeons. I think the info is interesting and might help inform your decision:
All the best!
DS all the way.
the sleeve works best long term for those with around 100 lbs to lose. Regain is not so favourable for the SMO population.
17+ years post op RNY. first year blog here or My LongTimer blog. Tummy Tuck Dr. Matic 2014 -Ohip funded panni
Windsor WLS support group.message me anytime!
HW:290 LW:139 RW: 167 CW: 139
One thing to be aware of is that, b/c you have such a high BMI, many DS surgeons these days will likely wish to do your surgery in two parts, anyway, for patient safety. First, the sleeve creation. Then, after you have lost weight from the restrictive part of the surgery, they will consider the need to do the actual bypass part of the DS, i.e. the mal-absorption component. It may turn out that you achieve your goal weight with just the sleeve portion done, but, as has been pointed out, you are morel likely to retain your EWL with the full procedure. 
Frank talk about the DS / "All I ever wanted to be was thin, like that Rolling Stones dude ... "
HW/461 LW/251 GW/189 CW/274 (yep, a DS semi-failure - it happens :-( )
