My friend and I have been chatting and a surgeon told her that she may be too short to have the gastric bypass and may just have to do the sleeve - ( due to having to stretch her intestine to her stomach or something like that) - and she doesnt want the sleeve .. jus curious - has any one ever ran across this issue?? Her BMiI is 60 and she is 5ft tall with majority of her weight in her mid to lower section)..

 I've never heard anything like this before, her bmi is high so I don't understand. Hopefully someone else can help u or she can get a second opion from another dr. Good luck

Thats exactly what I was thinking as well.. Im going to suggest she get a second opinion.. it just sounds odd to me....Thank s.

I haven't heard of that.  I think I would seek a second opinion.  I don't understand how height would cause him to have to stretch her intestine to the stomach.  I don't think short people have proportionally shorter intestines than tall people.

Thats what I was thinking as well, but being new-- I figured the best way to research it was to post on her. I will relay the message to her.. Thanks!!

Hijack! Gorgeous blue-eyed avi there, aquapeach!

Sounds more like he tried to explain to her that at her BMI due to her high weight for her height the available abdominal area would be smaller to work with. He would have issues getting the intestines moved to do the RNY. He would have a small space and large amount of internal fat to work around. 

The sleeve seems to be more likely to be mentioned when you are in this size range.

Well when you  put  it like that-- it does sound reasonable. I hadnt looked at it like that.  Thanks so much!   

im only five two witch isnt that much diffrent and i had the surgery. Sounds weird loretta

I recommend she seek out a better surgeon---and one that does the DS. At her BMI, it's the form of WLS most likely to allow her to reach and maintain a normal BMI. She should consider Dr. Hugh Houston or Dr. Al Spaw in Nashville, ot Dr. Stephen Boyce in east TN.

Sadly, it does seem to be true that short women have a harder time losing weight than taller ones. I'm 5'1", and I couldn't be happier with my DS.

I'm 4'11" and had the RNY with no probs.

well maybe she cant get a second opinion because of the situation the other dr will think or say the same thing and if this dr says its easier to do the sleeve and safer for a person with a bmi as high as hers then i think she should do it, its not like the dr said nothing could be done he just wont know til he gets in there and looks with the camera and i dont think ur friend would appreciate u posting things about her situation if she wanted others opinions then she would of posted something asking other people on obesityhelp.com.

 I am 5 ft tall, 215 lbs and a bmi of 40.1. When I met with the surgeon for my initial consultation he suggested the sleeve to me when I came in there and told him I was interested in a RNY. I'm not sure why he suggested it, it could have been because of my height.

Thanks for the info. I do appreciate all the feedback and experiences.

Well, that may be so! The surgeon "should" know whats best, but as I have been told many of times- ~> "Surgeons are NOT going to promote/Sell a surgery - that they themselves do not do- or are not experienced enough to do."- I mean afterall- they are human. Getting a second opinion ( if available to) is never a bad thing - especially if you are not fully confident in exactly everything one doctor or surgeon has to say)
 To be quite honest with you- I felt I was doing my friend more good than harm. I can definitely see how someone would think that putting my friends situation out there should be her business to tell (if she should want to)--- but the way I DID and still DO see it --I didnt attach her name to it--  and even though it had stats-(height and bmi)- it was still an OVERALL GENERAL--(MY THOUGHTS:): maybe other people had ran into similar situations. I was just asking for friendly, KNOWLEDGEABLE advice- especially WLS veterans!
 i Know- from personal experience that what I want- the type of surgery IS feasible-- but its finding the appropriate surgeon-
My first referal to a wlsurgeon is  now not MY 1st choice- for me. This is a life changing experience and I want to make sure I am in the best possible hands and Im not settling- out of convienence. With that being said-- had it not been for ppl and veterans on here-- I probably would have settled and wouldnt have been thoroughly happy with that decision---
 so as you can see-- when put in that aspect-- I thought I was doing my friend a favor and helping--- BUT you are right-- maybe my friend wouldnt have seen it that way.. so if for some reason that is the case.. I do hope my friend comes on here and views this post and thread- and I do apologize if she has been offended.

I am 5' 1.5" and had a bmi over 60. I had rny 12/14/11 and am down 88 lbs so far.

I would suggest that she seek another surgeon I am 5 ft tall and had a BMI close to hers and I had GBS.........with no problems the majority of my weight was in the mid and lower sections of my body also.  This sounds a tad strange to me.

Thank you all for your input and thoughts.  I greatly appreciate it!! :)