RNY Gastric Bypass or VSG?

So I had my first dr appointment a few days ago where I met the surgeon and asked a lot of questions and such.. Good thing is I might be able to have my surgery in December if I hurry with the 'Checklist'.

I felt comfortable with him and that was important for me..

The only thing I'm still a little confused about is he seemed to be pushing the VSG ( sleeve type surgery ). I had previously looked into that, the lap band and the RNY gastric bypass, and had almost completely ruled out the VSG and Lap Band.

Now Im thinking again.. I don't feel as comfortable with the VSG because they don't have longer studies, like 20 or 30 years. Am I wrong about that? Is there studies??

I still feel I want the RNY Gastric Bypass..

If anyone has any information or input Id love to hear it!

No, the VSG doesn't have the long-term studies that RNY has, BUT... the studies that they do have show that the eventual amount of weight lost (it happens faster with RNY because of the bypass) and propensity for regain are similar.

Here is what I posted when someone else asked the very same question this morning (if you use the site search function you will find that this question gets asked at least once a week every week, so tyhere are already LOTS fo responses out there):

Unless you have medical considerations that make surgery more appropriate for you than another one, what it really boils down to is whether you are willing to trade the ability to take NSAIDs (a no-no after RNY), the need to take a significant number of vitamin supplements for the rest of your life (we are not talking about just an extra pill or two, we are talking about taking some kind of vitamins at least three times a day every day), and the potential for dumping (only 30% do) for the temporary advantage of caloric malabsorption and the somewhat faster weight loss that it brings. (You will lose the vast majority of the caloric malabsorption by 2 years out, so it will primarily be a restrictive surgery after that in terms of calories. The lack of vitamin absorption with RNY is permanent, however.)

It may or may not matter to you that you would keep your remnant stomach with RNY but would not with VSG. Some people also want to consider that the sleeve doesn't have the long history of medical studies that RNY has.

The amount of weight lost and the statistics on regain appear to be about the same for the two surgeries. It takes a LOT of sugar to make me dump, so I eat pretty much the same way that I would if I had the sleeve.

FWIW, if I were doing it over again, I would opt for the sleeve so that I would not have to take all the vitamins (and have to have routine lab work to check nutritional levels), and so that I WOULD be able to take NSAIDs for my arthritic knees. (I overestimated how much pain relief I would get from losing the weight and underestimated how difficult it would be to not be able to take Motrin or Aleve and the Celebrex.)

Lora

Everything Lora said - in addition, my nurse who had VSG said while there aren't long term studies for VSG as a weight loss surgery, there ARE historical studies for partial stomach removal.  She said the biggest reason VSG was found was from people like stomach cancer patients who were having part of their stomach removed had the side effect of weight loss.  That being said, while their surgery wasn't strictly for weight loss, the side effects of their surgery and historical studies are out there.  Sure, they may not be specific to WLS, but they are there!  

I personally chose RNY because I don't take enough meds to worry about the mal-absorption and I wanted a faster weight loss than VSG, mostly because I wanted to get exercising and the extra weight was preventing me from exercising.  It's a tough decision...hope we have helped somewhat!

I picked RNY in the hope that it would resolve my diabetes for maybe a few decades, but certainly for at least a few years.  It did.  The sleeve would not have done that for me.  I do miss NSAIDs and was recently hospitalized with septicemia and shock resulting from kidney stones and a hideous kidney infection.  The oral NSAIDs would have helped with several of my additional complicating issues, (pain from nerve damage from a failed central line, swelling from a superficial blood clot and the pain associated with it,  and a few other things) but those were out.  I was given iv NSAIDs because you have to weigh the benefit and costs when you are having major health issues.  In this case, the benefits outweighed the risk so I consented.  No problems about 3 weeks out so we will just have to wait and see.

The band was never an option for me.  Too high maintenance and my doctor doesn't do them.  I considered the sleeve but the RNY was the right choice for me.