High BMI and VSG, your thoughts and experiences please.

So here I am, waiting for my paperwork/insurance stuff with my chosen surgeon's office to be approved and in the meantime I have been reading a number of patient stories here and watching a lot of videos of post op patients on Youtube.  Now, let me say I KNOW everyone's experience will be different, everyone's results will vary.  Some people will get sick, some don't, some have pain, some don't, I understand this.  Mainly what I am finding though are folks that are lower to mid 300 in weight having surgery.  I have a exceedingly high BMI and weigh significantly more than 300ish.  I am wondering how this surgery compared to RNY compares for success.  I am considering VSG because really, the thought of having my intestines cut and re-routed scares me more than just having WLS.  I am also considering this procedure because, as I understand it, it works well with DS later if need be.  Correct me please if I am wrong.

I followed the story of Melissa in TX, the lovely woman who was featured on TLC's my 600lb life and I was just astonished and amazed at how well she did in the end, despite the complications she had along the way.  I am also amazed the doctor did hers laparoscopic, as I thought when you are larger, the practice was to do it as an open surgery.  Another fear of mine because I had emergency C-Section and they went in exactly where they would open one up for open bariatric surgery.  It was a nightmare, painful, became infected, had to be opened up to heal and smelled.  I really don't want that again =/

 

im getting my sleeve here in Oregon in a little more than 1 week , and I started over 400 lbs , lost 75 pre op

Tht is amazing!!! How long were u on optifast?? I was told id.probly.have the.sleeve.instead of rny....and.id.need the drink for.four weeks.....

i mean I lost 75  in the 8 months from when I first seen the surgeon, but my doctor uses a 1 week plan of 2 shakes  and 1 lean cosine fo.llowed by 2 days of clear liquids and laxatives just before surgery, im on day 3

Awwwwww... wish you had not deactivated. I hope you come back when you are ready. I know weight loss surgery was overwhelming to me at first. It took me years to decide, but when I was ready, I did it quickly. I am so thankful to have my life back.

Hiya! No that was not me, for some reason the powers that be here at OH deactivated me and JUST restored my account, don't know why they did it.  Oh well.  I actually began researching WLS in 2000 when I had a different form of surgery, then a friend had his surgery and sadly, he passed away.  Not so much from the surgery but from lack of aftercare on his part.  He hid his eating from everyone and wasn't taking diabetes meds when the diabetes came back.  I got scared and decided nope, not gonna do it, assumed I could just shed the excess weight on my own and here I am now, years later and almost 250 lbs heavier. 

I am ready now, I have a 5 year old and need to do something for me and for him.  Just not totally sure WHICH procedure.  I THOUGHT I wanted to go the VSG route, but after reading some, I see that folks who have had the sleeve wind up regaining a little and/or needing another procedure, which is something I would rather avoid.

But I am teetering back and forth between excitement and fear, some days I just freak out and cry, other days I obsessively dream about slim ankles, 2 piece swim suits, shorts and clothes that don't look like it took 30 yards of fabric to make.

I started with a BMI of 60, and I'm 74 pounds in only a little over 3 months.    Do your research around the forums here and you will find lots of higher BMI people like us who have lost down to 150 or are on our way.  My surgeon told me the results from VSG versus RNY are basically the same and that more and more are opting for the VSG as it's a safer procedure, less complicated (obviously) and way less side effects.  NO malabsorbtive issues like the RNY.

I started at 63.7 BMI and chose the VSG due to the lessened side effects and seeing many success stories from the higher end of BMI. It truly is an personal decision between the two as I have seen them both work very well. Good luck with your decision.

I started at 60+ BMI (375 pounds). I'm now maintaining between 152-155 (still hoping to see 150 one day).

Having said that...

My surgeon's goal was 250 and I met that around week 36. My "pie in the sky" goal was 175 and I met that at month 18. I then revised my goal to 150. I'll be 2 years out on Friday :) My BMI sticks around 24, so just under the upper range.

I wouldn't change a thing.

Omg!!! Love it!!! So encouraging!!