Surgery Date Aug. 7th! Do you wish that you had gone with the Sleeve instead of RNY?

Because I'm in the "rare unicorn" category of wls people and I haven't been on here for awhile, I'm catching up and giving my opinions, hoping they'll help.

Go with both bariatric, pcp and endocrinologist (if you have one) insight and ask you're surgeon, if he knows the stats on how people fare who have kidney problems going into bariatric surgery with rny vs. vsg and I'm thinking that he already knows that and that is why he's pushing one surgery over the other.

No bariatric surgeon can say absolutely that one surgery is better than another, generically. Sleeve patients can have complications such as reactive hypoglycemia really bad labs, really bad acid reflux and anemia, just like their rny "siblings" and vice versa, people can have rny, have less restriction, no absorption issues and the subcomplications from that.

In my case being a grandma grad who adores wls community, this is how I'd figure out what the best surgery for me is, given the fact that when I had rny, them being performed laproscopically in 2001 was very new. We didn't have the option for laproscopic adjustable banding, let alone sleeves.

IF I had more than 100 lbs to lose, I'd have a rny vs. a sleeve. If I had more than 200 lbs to lose, I'd have a DS. If I had medication issues that had to be considered, such as for chronic pain, or what you may have to take for having kidney problems on top of other health issues, yeah regardless of weight choices, I'd consider a sleeve and if it didn't work, then revise to a rny.

Reason is, you don't want to find out after rny or DS you have medications issues post wls. That's where the sleeve is a better option, as while your risk for complications, is lower, so is the long term success ratio. And in my case, my perspective is unique being a "reversed" rny patient who had a reversal to save their life. I know how bad rny complications can be, but have seen the amazing things it can do for people who do have long term success and not everyone has the complications I did.

But where I'm trying to be helpful as I get queries from pre-ops about whether or not I have regret about my rny, which was completely unpredictable and my sister who had rny 10 months after me, had an ideal outcome, no complications and has kept off 95% of their excess weight. My father who had gastric bypass in 1981 and revised they day before my sister's rny never lost a lb, but is a lot more capable than I am, being 71 and still SMO and his rny and revision saved his life because, it made it harder to have the co-morbidities of Obesity. And if he could have a 3rd surgery he would, but it wouldn't help him and no surgeon would operate on him.

I don't go by though our 3 outcomes or those of my peers who are further out, though. I know better, at this stage. 3 people in the same family with drastically different outcomes post gastric bypass.

But if you're in the midst of them, as far if you have co-morbids going into the wls, you and your doctors elect, you'll have weigh all the factors of what surgery is best for you. It may be sleeve or it may be rny, I'd take all these factors into consideration if you're willing to bet that the sleeve will do what it needs to do for you, being the less invasive choice, most of the time of doing that. If though your being told you're better off going into rny, with your surgeon knowing your full medical history, that's something though to give careful consideration, to.

But surgeons don't have to live in your body, post wls, you do. You want to choose carefully. And not overthink it too much, once that's been done. But it's wise to do what you're doing now and that's carefully examining all different surgeries, including I think asking about a DS, can be helpful.

Sorry so wordy, best of luck on whatever surgery you decide.

AngAng,

If you are having acid reflux issues now, they will get worse with the sleeve. It seems that acid production is not always reduced when having VSG--think of your stomach getting 75% smaller but the acid production remains the same because the body doesn't know the stomach is smaller.

Prior to VSG, I had absolutely no acid reflux/GERD issues. Had VSG March 2015 and lost 100+ pounds. About 14-18 months out, I developed bile reflux so bad I had to sleep sitting up for 6 months. I would wake each morning with bile in my mouth. I also had a hiatal hernia which led to the 30 pound gain because only popcorn made my stomach happy!

I revised to the RNY March 2017 and bile reflux be gone! I lost the 30 pound regain and I feel great. I am learning what my pouch likes. I did add an additional multivitamin to my regimen.

Tune out the noise--you will look like a skeleton with no hair. Stay focused on your eating/vitamin plan and ask questions.

Yes, you could develop additional health problems (I wasn't planning on a second WLS) but life happens. Make the best decision for you but know what to expect going in, eyes wide open.

I wish you the best on your journey to better health!

The only thing I love more than my RNY is my family.

Seriously.

Best thing I ever did (other than having my son).

I am just 3 weeks RNY post op and I wouldn't change a thing! I am very pleased with RNY surgery and have had no issues. Good luck with your decision.