How come you chose RNY?

I went to see the surgeon regarding the sleeve but because of my hernia, severe reflux, diabetes and high blood pressure, he thought the RNY would be the best solution for me.  All of these conditions are now gone!!  I seem to have developed a lactose intolerance but I can live with that since it keeps me away from my love of ice cream!! 

That's amazing!  So glad to hear about your success.

Kristen,

Needing to lose 100 pounds, I had the sleeve in 2011.  Within about 4-5 months, I no longer had much restriction. I lost 55 lbs during the first 6 months and struggled to lose another 10 over the next 6 months.  Eventually gaining all of it back.  When I originally considered getting a revision, I was convinced that I wanted to get my sleeve tightened.  My new doctor explained both procedures and I decided that I did not want to fail again. Doing the same thing again expecting a different result, did not make sense.  I knew I needed more than just restriction because I had always and with the sleeve continued to eat whether I was hungry or not.  The malabsorption part really intrigued me along with the dumping if I ate something stupid.

I'm only 6 weeks out, but I am sure I did what is best for me.  I just wish I would have done RNY the first time.

Mary

Thanks for sharing your story, I do think I am choosing the right surgery now and I hope to have a success story to tell very soon!

I'm a band-to-bypass patient, going in to my first appointment with my surgeon to address the idea of a revision I was told right away that I wasn't a good candidate for a sleeve due to where the band sits on my stomach currently.   I'm comfortable with the idea of an RNY for a couple of reasons, one being GERD (I already suffer from this...it's part of why I'm kissing my band goodbye in a few days!), and track record.   I learned the hard way when I opted for a newer bariatric tool....the band didn't have as long of a track record, but was less invasive so I went that route.  11 years later they know a LOT more about it....the good, the bad, and the ugly.   

Hi Kristen,

I am from Toronto, Ontario Canada, and the Centre I went to only offered me the RNY. Not sure why but the sleeve was barely mentioned. The practitioners I met with seemed to be quite down on the Sleeve (their belief its not as successful as RNY). I truly was totally ignorant about WLS in general so they told me I was having the RNY so I went and researched that and that is what I got.

At my highest weight I was 275 lbs approx, surgery day I was 254 lbs and I weight 127 lbs today (I swing from 125-130 lbs).  I LOVE MY RNY!!! I am lactose intolerant now post surgery but its not that big a deal.  I did have some Iron level (Ferritin) issues but that is all sorted out.  I would do the RNY again a million times over!!!!!  

There is a common theme I am seeing that a lot of people who are going into WLS and have GERD the RNY is better for them. But I think both types are awesome and I just want to give you some advice.  No matter which one you choose, you have to work the tool you are given, the tool does some of the work but you really have to do all the work, i.e. following the "rules" and being compliant.  

Best of luck with your decision, for me its so fantastic to be on the "other side" and living such a full wonderful life!!

Stick around on the boards, get to know people and read as much as you can.  

Daisy 

1. I read everything I could find about research done on post WLS success rates.  RNY has the best record at 5 year mark. 

2. I like rules. I know I might seem like a rebel in many ways but I love rules and knowing EXACTLY what I can and can't do.  It comforts me. RNY was very clearly defined in my mind.  Sleeve seemed like a 'suggestion'. I know that is my own interpretation but it makes sense to me. RNY...eat cake and be sick as a dog.  Sleeve...eat cake and you might feel full and that is about it. This would lead to me eating a lot of cake. I know myself pretty well.

3. For me, my personal demon related to food addiction is fear of hunger. I suffered from childhood abuse including neglect and had long periods of no food available. Being hungry literally scares me.  RNY had the potential to offer me a life without physically experiencing the hunger hormone sensation of hunger. I knew not every person has this outcome but it was sure worth the possibility for me.  As a an aside, I do have hunger feelings now at 16 months post-op but when I do I do not experience fear.  The hunger is much different than was prior to RNY and I will always be grateful for the freedom from that feeling.

~Elizabeth

I really wanted the RNY but due to my co-morbidities, heart condition and blood thinners as well as taking upwards of 8 Advil gel tabs a day just to be able to walk because I have a fracture in one knee and the other is filled with arthritis the surgeon felt it was much safer to do the sleeve. If I don't lose enough weight then at that point I will have had a great deal of improvement in my health and it will be much safer to the RNY. So far I have had improvement with my sleep apnea, I no longer take any diabetes medication or insulin and I have only taken Advil twice since surgery(2 tabs each time with permission from my surgeon).

I have Kaiser and they only pay for RNY surgery in Oregon. In the end I am happy with my RNY so far. 

I went in to see the surgeon sure that I wanted the sleeve.  After discussing with the doctor, he was happy to do that surgery if it was what I wanted, but felt that the RNY was the best choice for me based on the amount of weight I had to lose and my ever increasing glucose levels (that had just crept into the diabetic range, and I have a brother on an insulin pump).  I am very pleased with my choice of RNY.  I have gotten well below the goal I had only dreamed of and it has worked very well for me.  Good luck in your decision.