Can you tell me why you chose VSG

I'm in the early stages of this process and I'm still on the fence between RNY and VSG.  Before my DR's appointment I was all in on RNY, but after talking to him I like the sound of the VSG.  I personally know alot of people that had the RNY and much sucess, but NO one I know had done the VSG.  So I scared of the unknown.  I want to make sure that I give myself the best chance possible.

Advice....Thoughts....Comments....Rants.....
All are welcome...Please..

I mainly chose the VSG over RNY because I was self pay and obviously VSG was $7K cheaper. However, my surgeon assured me that the VSG was newer than the RNY but was having comparable weight loss results. Not gloating either but my surgeon is "the stuff!" He has done so many WLS that he teaches other surgeons how to do the VSG. So, I figured he had some authority on the comparisons.  I have alot of weight to loose and wasn't to big on the idea of all the maintenance that accompanied the band. That is why I chose VSG over Band.

Hi there.  For me it was a choice between RNY and Lap Band.  The more research I did, the more I disliked the Band. A friend of a friend was getting VSG and I kind of shrugged it off as extreme and how I would never. *Hehe* Then I decided to research it.  The results are great and the complications are not too high.  Even better is there is no malabsorption issue like with the RNY and no foreign objects in me like the Band.  After about a week of researching the VSG, there was simply no other choice for me.  When I went to my first seminar, I was the only one there for the VSG.  Everyone wanted the Band and they looked at me weird when I raised my hand for VSG. "Oh That girl is crazy! I would never cut out my stomach."  Yes well, many people on the staff noted that the Band was having more complications and the Sleeve was idea. So here I am, a true Sleeve believer. There is simply no other choice (in my mind).

Good luck hun

I chose VSG over Lap Band but my friend who originally got me looking into bariatric surgery had RNY. A few things that interested me with VSG over RNY is we dont have malabsorption so we tend to look less "cracked out" (sorry if that was graphic) and healthier after the weight loss. We also tend not to dump on sweets and other foods. I didnt want to get physically ill if I had a small treat or didnt want to have to avoid foods completely and entirely for life like she does with rice and pasta.

I know she tended to get very sick or very tired if she ate anything sweet.

I would have considered RNY or DS if I was alot heavier pre-op...

I have alot stronger anti-band feelings- I dont know anyone with success with it and just complications so I was definitely anti-band after doing my research.

 I was btw RNY & VSG as well...  When i first want to my surgeon he explained all 5 operations.. I dismissed VSG like the plague! shuddering totally at the idea of getting my tummy removed!!

then i dismissed the band and others because i know many people who had them and had problems eating and vomiting and what sucks is that 2 of them are still fat.. so that left the RNY which my surgeon said was #1 and most efficient... So i researched and booked my surgery 3 weeks from that day without hesitation.

Then 1 week pre op i saw a friend of mine i havent seen for about 5months and he looked like a model after being overweight by about my same "overweightness". And he called that night advising me to research a surgery that he had without any idea that i was planning to get one, and it was VSG, so for the first time i started considering it, bombarded him with questions and looked online...

Then i called my doc who said i didnt need to go for RNY since its more extreme.. 
For me the idea that im 26 and i was about to end my "normalcy" through an obligation to never eat sweets again, and that i have to commit to meds all the time was the final deal breaker for the RNY.

I decided VSG keeps you "normal", leaves some decision making on ur side, it still makes you much healthier and changes your lifestyle to the better, but it leaves you room to follow your sweet tooth every now in a while when u want to. Even if it does not finish off your weight loss plan entirely, sports should kill those missing few pounds..

I'm about 3 months out, about half way through my goal... I guess I'm losing pretty slowly relative to all the success stories.. but I dont regret my choice... I still have the luxery of enjoying my life while I lose..

Good luck with your decision, and both ways, ur a winner pretty soon :))

I'm still pre-op, so I can't speak from any experiences of having had the VSG yet, but I can tell you why I'm pursuing it instead of the other WLS methods.

I have 2 friends who've had the RNY, and while they've had great success with it, I just couldn't bring myself to consider re-routing my insides. 

After researching the different options, I decided on the VSG because it has the least disruption of normal bodily functions (once you're past the immediate post-op phase).  The RNY and DS both re-route your innards and the lapband has too many complications, what with potential for slips, erosion, leaks, etc.

With the VSG, your stomach functions just as it always has, it's just smaller

 TO be honest when I tell a person who had RNY that I had VSG they all say they wi**** was an option to them when they had gotten RNY.. 

re routing of the intestines & malabsorption turned me off to the whole thing.. I like the idea of them taking away part of my stomach because I would no longer be allowed to stuff my face. that was a major problem for me over eating.. 

I LOVE THE VSG! one of my closest friends had RNY and i often compare myself to her to see what I can do that she cant haha.. honestly its very similar I just can eat more foods than she can, and she is often hacking it back up :/ 

I think when it comes down to it, its what makes you feel more comfortable.. I felt comfortable with VSG but not with RNY.. so If I had gotten RNY and was in the mindset that it was awful I might have made the experiance bad for myself.. 

You all are awesome and so very helpful.

The more I read the more I feel like VSG is for me.  You all for the most part thought about and /or were knowlegdeable about the RNY and still choose the VSG.

I weighed 392 when I first started working on having wls, also I was almost 60 years old and had several co-morbidity illnesses.  (Asleep apnea, high blood pressure, severe edema in my legs, and circulation and breathing issues.)
My primary care doctor was advising me to get RNY because I had so much weight to lose.  However, my surgeon advised me that because of my health issues and my age, the sleeve was the least invasive of all wls.
When I told my primary care physician that my surgeon wanted to do the sleeve and why, my pcp told me to insist on RYN because, again, I had so much to lose.
When I talked it over with my surgeon, he assured me that I would lose very well with the sleeve and that it would be a lot easier on me to deal with.
I went with the opinion of the man who had the most experience about wls, MY SURGEON.

Any wls is just a tool, but the sleeve has been a great tool for me.

I have done very well, I lost as much as I could before my surgery (60 pounds in about a year) to make it even safer and to get my liver in good shape.  And, I have lost 38 more pounds in the 2 months since my surgery.

The lap band never even entered the race with me.  When I was doing research there were just too many problems and I noticed that a lot of the people with lap band problems were revising to the sleeve.

Whatever you decide, you will find lots of help on these forums for any problem you have.

Best wishes!
Sharon

I chose the VSG & I'm a VSG advocate for several reasons:
1) Was told that I can no longer take NSAIDS for joint pain after an RNY but can continue NSAIDS with the VSG.
2) Found no accounts of post-op adhesion complications for VSG patients,but found dozens of accounts of post-op adhesion complications for RNY patients.
3) VSG patients live a very normal life style as compared to the way the general population of non-obese people eat. RNY patients struggle with food complications & reactions (AKA DUMPING SYNDROME).
The sleeve was a Godsend for me. It took away all of my excessive craving and binging and gave me control over food, which I'm very thankful for.  I've always been under foods control!
Hope this OPINION is helpful to you... Craig