Question:
Doctor wants to switch me from Gastric Bypass to Vertical sleeve?

I need anyone who has had sleeve to tell me how it went and why they choose it please    — Terry W. (posted on June 8, 2010)

June 8, 2010
Hi there I actually had RNY surgery but my hubby had the sleeve done in September. They are both awesome choices. If the sleeve had been more common when I did mine I probably would have opted for it instead of the RNY. You don't have to worry about the malabsorbtion issues with the sleeve. DH takes 3 vitamins a day and I take 11. My labs are perfect as I am very deligent about taking my vitamins. His recovery and diet were drastically different than mine. I wasn't allowed solid foods for 9 weeks. He was allowed after 4 (depends on the surgeon). The sleeve also was not an approved surgery until this year with most insurance companies. You need to be honest with yourself and your doctor about your eating habits. If you have a weakness for sweets and fatty foods, then RNY might be a better choice since it can cause dumping. You might want to read up on both boards and see more first hand experiences. From what my surgeon says both surgeries statiscally are very close as far as weight loss. My surgeon's son actually had the sleeve done last year so that says a lot. Good Luck, Toni
   — ToniLee

June 8, 2010
I had the sleeve (dr's choice) in October. You MUST be able to restrict yourself because you CAN cheat. I have lost 102 pounds in six months but it takes a LOT of WORK and DISCIPLINE. I was told I may still need RNY to lose the rest of the weight after we see where I am at 18 months. Me? NO MORE SURGERY!!! I will make this work. I work my butt off now to stay compliant but it is working and I am greatful for that. The recovery was easy and the biggest thanks I have is NO LIFETIME DIAREAH!! :)
   — texasred

June 8, 2010
I am 1 week postop sleeve. I am an RN and while I was in the hospital the nurses there told a big portion of there patients coming in for the sleeve are nurses, which to me says alot about what the medical community thinks. Most nurses on the whole would tell you they would never get RNY due to the malabsorption problems. But for the record I have a sweet tooth terrible and as of right now which I'm only 1 week out I have no desire to eat any sweets. I hope it continues but for me this was a one time deal so I have to make it work. Good luck with your decision.
   — kb64

June 9, 2010
I had the gastric sleeve on June 17th 2009. I have lost 152 lbs as of date. I have done well with no complaints. The surgery was the easiest I have ever had. I have had 2 C-sections,my tubes tied, an appendectomy & hernia repair surgery. It was also the fastest recovery time for me. The worst part was the drain tube. It was preformed laproscopic. I agree with the other posters about the malabsorbtion issues. This procedure allows your body to absorb what you eat. And you cant eat sweets or it will not work for you is what my surgeon told me as well. I have eaten a small piece of candy here or there, but I'm not really a big sweet eater anyhow. If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask me..
   — callen3640

June 9, 2010
Thank you all - I am a sweet eater but I and my family are determined to change our choices. This surgery is being done with a hiatel hernia surgery to move my stomach back into my abdomen and also an abdominal hernia surgery with sleeve he will not have to cut or disrupt the intestine which he will be working on to put back inside me from abdominal hernia. He does not know if insurance will ok it but that is the surgery he wants to do to get the weight off , it gives insurance to the hernia surgeries that I may not re herniate. I increased the problem with BOTH hernias working out trying to get the weight off- go figure!!
   — Terry W.

June 9, 2010
I had the VSG done on 3/25/09 and I have lost over 90 lbs and did so in about 7 months. I have been at somewhat of a standstill since but it is because I have a weakness for sweets and I have not been exercising enough. I have recently picked up in activity and have noticed the scale going down again. Losing the first 90 was easy and I'm very happy with it however I would really like to lose 60-70 more lbs. I know I'm going to have to work harder to do it. I do love my sleeve though because of the low amount of complications, I've had none and that it still helps me to not overeat. I strongly believe it's the safest and easiest surgery out there. I hope you have great success.
   — Lisa von Wallmenich

June 9, 2010
Hi Terry: Here is my 2 cents worth, albeit you may not want it since I am not a VSG patient. I had RNY 5+ mos. ago and have lost 80#; therefore when I compare "apples" to "oranges" I see that RNY and the sleeve are comparable in wt. loss statistics. That is where my "experience" with the surgery "know-all" stops. However, I hear a lot of posters say that the VSG vs. RNY was a lot easier surgery wise and that the recovery was easy. Well, I am one RNY patient (I guess that must be amongst many somewhere) that must proclaim I personally had a fabulous RNY experience and would do it all again in a heartbeat. Having had 3 prior C-sections, a tubal ligation followed by a total abdominal hysterectomy, and even a hemorroidectomy following my final C-section (absolutely THEY worst surgery ever), I have to tell you that I did NOT know what to expect on the pain scale and recovery side of things. But, as you have read I most certainly have the battle scars and was obviously at the "ready" for whatever was to come. I am happy to say I was at home within 24 hours, never took any pain meds after discharge (not including Gas-X which was significantly needed for severe gas pain on postop day #3), was eating solid foods within 4 weeks and well the rest is in the history books. I guess what this amounts to is the experience of your surgeon and surgery center and I would highly recommend you visit a Center for Excellence because they are specially accredited surgeons who go through an extra fellowship and course study for this specific type of surgery and accreditation. I also know through research (and having worked in the medical field myself for several years) that RNY is considered the "gold standard" for options. So like one of the earlier posters recommended, I would have to say this is such a personal choice that you will have to do some homework and in fact get online and read all you can about both procedures and what changes they will mean for YOU and YOUR personal lifestyle choices. In addition, here is the link to a superb website I found as part of this forum myself a few months ago: http://www.asmbs.org/Newsite07/resources/bgs_final.pdf. This info. is simply NOT something you can read in a day or will need access to on a daily basis, but it will provide you a wealth of information on the nutritional needs of WLS patients. Lastly, I would like to say that although malabsorption is definitely an issue with RNY, I too am due diligent in taking my supplements and vitamins. In fact I just had my full lab panel done last week--my first postop. My family physician was thrilled with the outcome and even left a voicemail message for me saying, "Trish the Dish you are looking fab and so are your test results! Every lab is on the steep decline and the only concern I have is your B12 levels" ... which now means I have added a weekly supplement to stabilize my B12 level. I won't see my WLS surgeon again until July 1st, but again if my family doc is thrilled with the outcome, I suspect he will be as well. As far as I'm concerned, I could NOT be happier. My overall mood has rapidly increased as the weight has "fallen off" and I live for the surge of excitement each time I shop for clothing in a smaller size! I have 3 daughters who all now call me "Their Incredible Shrinking Mom" and it brings tears to my eyes to think about how much this "tool", this surgery has helped me regain a piece of my life I thought was gone for good. So, Terri in order to summarize my personal "rant" for you as best I can, please know that of course you need to feel comfortable with what your surgeon is recommending, but if you don't, I highly suggest a 2nd opinion before jumping in to any unknowns. But remember the most important tip I can provide -- surgery is only the "tool" that will help guide you in a lifetime of success if you decide to apply that "tool" properly and change your life for the better. I like to compare the surgery to a "mood" -- it's all what you make of it! Please feel free to contact me personally if you need further advice or words of encouragement. Godspeed on your journey!
   — momeego