Newbie and Confused

Hi!  This is my first post here.  I am 5'1 and 215 lbs.  I have been approved for WLS but I am not sure which surgery to do.  I am afraid the weight will come back!  Any suggestions?

I think the first thing you should do is attend an information session at a local hospital or at a bariatric surgeon's practice. You can hear firsthand how the surgeries are done and get your questions answered. 

When I was making my decision,  I did hours of reading online and I decided before even attending the information session that I wanted to get the vertical sleeve surgery. By the end of the session I had changed my mind because the RNY is actually much better for me. (I have a long history of GERD and Reflux, the sleeve would only make that worse for me, long term). There are several factors to consider and the best person to answer all of your questions would be a bariatric surgeon. 

I'm very new here, so I'm sorry I can't tell you anything better than what I did. I wish you luck good vibes and I hope you find the answers you're looking for! Welcome, by the way. :)

Welcome!

If you haven't already, definitely go to at least one info session for at least one surgeon. (I only went to one, but I had a strong recommendation from a friend I trust who'd had great results with Dr. Srikanth.)

It might be helpful to explore why you're worried the weight will return. There are pros and cons to each surgery. I had a vertical sleeve gastrectomy in 2013 and have been very happy with it, though there have of course been ups and downs.

Have you had an opportunity to attend a support group? 

One thing that helped me a lot was lurking on the boards here, especially for the specific surgeries (VSG, duodenal switch, etc.)

Good luck!

The best option is to do a lot of research and talk to qualified people you trust. Don't take advice from any single source, as only you will know what's best for you.

I had a modified version of the duodenal switch called a SADi DS or single loop DS. It leaves a longer common channel for more normal digestion.

The procedure allowed for substantial weight loss, lower risk than a typical DS, and I can eat normally now, about 2200 calories per day without fear of substantial weight gain. For me, this was the only option I was interested in.

Good luck with your decision.

Love you posting on our LW Board!!!!!!   If you wouldn't mind could you mention in your posts that you are a man and over 6' tall.  Most of the women on our board are petite and if we ate over 2000 calories a day we would gain all of our weight again.  Our limits are around 1300 calories a day.  We have to be very careful what we post to newbies asking questions.  We don't want them to get the wrong idea about what life as a LW is like after WLS.

I am 5+ years post op and had fewer options than are available now.  My insurance would pay for RNY or band and I chose RNY and never looked back.  Were it an option, I probably should have done DS because fats are a downfall for me. 

You can over eat any surgery.  They do surgery on our tummies not our brains and you will see lots of vets here who are working hard to lose a little regain or to not have regain.  The previous poster said she ate about 2200 calories a day with no regain.  I can tell you that isn't the case with everyone.  1300 is about my limit even with exercise to keep my weight down.  But I am 4'11", 132 and that of course plays into it.

Read, go to information sessions, look at your co-morbidities, look at what your insurance will do and require.  Ask questions.  We are here to help. 

Thank you for your post!  Can you tell me why you think you should have done the DS?

I like fat.  DS folks have to eat more fat because they continue to malabsorb it.  That is hard for some but I could butter or olive oil everything I ate and be very happy.  They also malabsorb more and seems like for longer than RNY folks do.  I am good with vits and mins so that would not be an issue with me but if you don't like taking pills, it certainly could be.  I think you have to be more careful about all that with DS than with any other surgery.

I think the person who posted before Price is a Guy who is 6'2" so 2200 calories for him is probably good. 

Welcome to the LW Board.  I agree with everyone to read everything you can get your hands on and read these boards.  MajorMom used to post something that had what type of eater you were and what surgery types might be best for you.  My surgeon recommended RNY for me also because I had Type 2 diabetes - no medicine since surgery.

I had less choices that you have now, my insurance would only pay for band of RNY so I had RNY.  But no matter what you have you can gain weight back if you do not stick to the program for the rest of your life.  It is not a magical free pass.

Like Price said, if I ate 2200 calories a day even with my jogging and walking I would be gaining weight quickly.  To lose weight I would need to stay around 1100 or 1300 and exercise.

Find a surgeon you trust and meet with them with all your questions.  I had a notebook and when I would think of something I would write the question down and next time I saw him I would asked him. He was very patient with me and would sit and answer all questions I had.  I really like that about him.  He never seemed in a hurry. 

If you want to start joining us on Menus and Miles everyday it is a great thing to start doing now. It helps you be accountable which we all need.  Exercise is also something to start even if it is not much at first, just walking a little bit.  It is a life style change.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Linda