Sleeve or DS - low BMI

If you have a BMI of 35 with comorbidities, you qualify for the DS.

Your surgeon is being an asshole. I'm so mad at him for spewing this garbage. He has nothing but dollar signs in his mind. You don't even GET a "pouch" with a VSG. You get a fully functioning very small STOMACH. GAH.

Now in the interest of full disclosure: I am someone whose hair did not recover from the telogen effluvium caused by SURGERY (not by the DS). I lost a ton after my DS. It was coming back okay but not great. Then I had a hernia repair/TT, and then a revision to that four weeks later. Out went the hair again, pretty much to stay.

HOWEVER, the women in my family all have thinning hair with age, kind of like a male pattern balding that's not total. Mine is worse by a long shot than anyone else's.

Guess what? I don't give a damn. I collect hats and wigs and life is good. You'll see two or three different ones in my photo album.

It's just hair. For that I am THRILLED to be able to eat a nice normal diet without ever having to do the "starvation" thing again.

Simple: You already know what to expect from a restriction-only procedure. The VSG does NOTHING to change metabolism. Wanna keep starving yourself? Have the VSG.

As I said before, your surgeon, who is little short of a crook IMNSHO for this kind of scare tactic, is full of ****

I'm 5'1" and had a BMI of 39, weighed 205.  My main reason for the DS was for my diabetes, hbp and high cholesterol -- weight loss was just an extra bene.  I've been to my PCP 4x in 3+ years, 2 were for shots for my shoulder, one was to have her order my PS labwork, and the last time was to have my stitches removed.

I haven't taken any diabetes or cholesterol meds since before my DS surgery.  I was on bp meds for 4 mo after my DS.  I only lost 65lbs.  I have no regrets having the DS.

when i had my ds my bmi was in the low 30's (32 i think)  that is what makes the DS great, it is tailored for each patient.  my cc is longer than "normal" (not hess method) since i was a "lightweight"-geesh do i dislike that word.  the ds is a great surgery, it is so easy to custom it, and with a bmi of 35 with comorbs you qualify for the ds anyway.  if i was me going from restrictive i would go to a malabsorption not to another restrictive......good luck with your journey and choice...

May I ask, who was your surgeon?  I'm having a hard time finding a surgeon in the US who feels my bmi warrants a duodenal switch .  Thanks!

Everyone has given me a LOT to think about - thank you so much.  I do need to clarify: my current dr. said that it, if I wait a few weeks between band removal & vsg, the stomach will return to normal size, and there is less chance for the SLEEVE (I misspoke when I said POUCH) to stretch out down the road.  By the sounds of it, no one has had that problem anyway.  
I'm reassured to see there are others with low bmi's that also found the DS to be the way to go.  It just made sense to me, no matter what the doctor said.
thanks again! 

If there is a GOOD reason to do in two parts,........the  removal then DS , maybe,,,, but mine was removed, plus port was / had been in two places, last  being on sternum, it also caused a huge mass in the stomach from my body fighting the strange object in there...

STILL was a lap DS in ONE surgery....

But you need an EXPERIENCED DS SURGEON  !

I had a lower BMI and am so glad I had the DS.  The sleeve would not have worked for me long term.  I need the malabsorption.  And I am healthier than I have EVER been which I credit to good vitamins and protein.  I have had ONE cold in 2 years as opposed to abut 3 a  year pre-op that were bad enough to send me to the doctor.

You can't get advice about the DS from someone who can't DO the DS.  That is the bottom line.

~Becky

I revised from RNY to the DS and my bmi was barely 40. I haven't had any health problems whatsoever, and I credit my lack of colds and illnesses to diligent vitamin use. My hair never really came back post RNY, but I also had plastic surgery, a hernia repair, and then the DS revision, so my body probably threw in the towel where hair growth is concerned. I went from a huge amount of thick, curly hair to very fine, curly hair. Luckily the curls cover an deficiencies.

 Well, you already know what restriction alone does for you.

You need to see a real DS surgeon.

Hospitalized with every flu?  I have been sick less postop than ever before.  Now if I get a cold, no big deal. Before, I would suffer for weeks.

I had the BMR done and pretty much same results as you.  If I was in your place, I would get the DS.  I've lived long term on 600 cal per day and it's not pretty.  Even if you get the sleeve, you are still looking at 600 cal per day.  If you get the DS, you will be able to eat much more normally.

Best of luck!