Should I or shouldnt i??

I need advice ..I have just been to Doc about getting surgery and I would like advice about whether I should go for sleeve or rny, is it our choice which one to have? I am 50 yrs old, 5 foot 5. and weigh 245...I would value and appreciate any advice at this point...so confused.

Thanks !!

Both surgeries are great and, depending on your other health issues, one might be better for you than the other.  That said, here's what I've written about why I chose the sleeve.  

The four WLS are - sleeve, gastric bypass (RNY), lapband, and duodenal switch. My insurance covers the first three, but not the DS.

I ruled out the lapband immediately because the only people I know who have had it are miserable or have needed it removed. The complication rate is atrocious and it only lasts for 10 years or so. It's billed as being a "reversible" surgery, but the damage it can cause, like from erosion into your esophagus, is permanent. So no lapband for me. Here's an article on that topic.

The choice really boiled down to RNY or VSG and I chose the sleeve for a number of reasons. (Even if DS had been an option, I would not have chosen it.)

1. I really like the simplicity of the sleeve. All it does is remove 85% of your stomach. That's it.
2. I dislike the idea of having my intestines rerouted.
3. The "good" malabsorption that the bypass gives (of fats) is a temporary thing that only lasts for a few years whereas the "bad" malabsorption (of vitamins and minerals) lasts for forever. That's not worth it to me.
4. The sleeve is restriction only, no malabsorption. This also means that I CAN eat anything at all. Fats and sugars won't screw up my bowels the way they can for the bypass. (Of course I still need to make healthy choices, but that's a choice, not something that my surgery requires.)
5. With the bypass, you're left with a remnant stomach that can't be scoped. That scares the crap out of me. First, the idea that I have this weirdly connected non-stomach but then to not be able to get it checked out with an endoscopy if there's a problem? Eek. Do not want.
6. My understanding is that complication rates with the bypass are significantly greater, especially longterm due to malabsorption. While I will be taking vitamins for the rest of my life, chances are that I won't end up in the hospital if I stop because the sleeve has no malabsorption involved.
7. For the most part (and there are exceptions) the people I know with the sleeve look and seem healthier than the people I know with the bypass. That's nothing scientific though.. just a gut feeling.  (Edit: This is based on people I know IRL, I know many healthy RNYers on the forums.)
8. The sleeve leaves you with a fully functional pyloric valve at the bottom of your stomach whereas the bypass gives you a stoma which can stretch over time./

Wow ...Thank you so much...That was some great advice...I must admit I am preferring the sleeve for sure...are the wait times about the same and is it our choice?

Yes it's your choice, it's your body. 

Wait times will depend on your insurance and surgeon.  

As for the choice - ultimately it is your choice, but there are some health issues that would preclude VSG - like Barret's esophagus.  So it's a choice that you should make in conjunction with your healthcare team.  

Can not state it better than Gwen just did....

:) Yes ..She did great eh??..lol

Since you are on a VSG forum, you'll find that opinions are strongly skewed toward the sleeve. In my surgeon's program, the decision about which surgery to have is arrived at jointly by the patient and the surgeon. Ask your surgeon what he/she thinks what would be the best procedure for you. Depending on your particular needs, there may be good reasons to have the RNY instead of the sleeve.

psychoticparrot

To me this is the most accurate response because there can be underlying situations that may determine which procedure is best for you. The other surgery to be concidered is the Duodenal Switch.

The other thing to understand is that the VSG is a Non Standardized procedure. Surgeries, programs and goals vary greatly and the results can be all over the place.

Congrats to the OP for doing the research.

frisco

Yes...Thank you....Im on both and getting lots of info ...which is a great help to get both sides of WLS.  :)  Thx again!!