Question:
What about side effects of each?

The way I understand it RNY is the more dramatic of the two procedures. RNY Benefits include: Faster weight loss more permanent weight loss RNY Detriments include: surgery is more invasive dumping because intake of sugar or carbs easy to become mal-nourished - neccesitates vitamin supplements not reccomended if pregnancy desired VBG Benefits are: eat any food overall weight loss is about the same as RNY just takes longer less invasive no dumping no mal-nourishment pregnancy can occur (with nutritional supplements) VBG Detriments are: weigth loss not as permenent nausea if eat too much food must be chewed more thouroughly Can anyone add to the list or clear up any discrepancies I have    — Jeff J. (posted on May 26, 1999)

May 26, 1999
Jeff, There are other surgeries you have not researched. The VBG has a high failure rate. You really want to think seriously about that one. Just my 2 cents. Look at the http://www.pacificsurgery.com website they explain all surgeries and the one I had is described there. If you only have 100 lbs to lose or a little less than the VBG is not terrible, but if you have to lose over 100 lbs I would go with one of the other surgeries.
   — Allison Mupas

May 26, 1999
the surgery..as far as invasiveness is the same with both proceedures...if not done lapriscopically...long term weight loss is statitically better with RNY..you dont have any nutritional affects if you dont have a distall..or VERY minimal..I've known several people who have gotten pregnant after RNY with no bad effects.....
   — Deanna D.

May 26, 1999
Distal RNY is much more likely to cause malnutrition than a proximal RNY which bypasses less intestine. You will have nausea and vomiting if you overeat with the RNY. I can eat pretty much any food and I had an RNY. I do sugar occasionally, like one cookie here, or bit of that there. Dumping can occur with larger amounts of suger. I don't do carbs like bread and pasta because of nausea not because of dumping.
   — dboat

May 26, 1999
Hmm. I have some nagging differneces of opinion with these generalizations. Like dumping. It's not a BAD thing. It protects you from regaining your wt. It isn't fun, true, but the object is to keep you from enjoying sugar enough to sabotage your surgery. Not all of us have diarrhea. BELIEVE ME. I've known several to have successful pregnancies, even with the most radical RNY types. Being on supplements isn't BAD, necessarily. I'm pretty biased against the VBG types. But email me for details.
   — vitalady