Why did you pick RNY?

Hi there!

I've been researching WLS on and off for about 14 year (yes, seriously) and I'm finally ready for surgery. But I can't decide which one would work best for me RNY or VSG and that's where I need your help.  I'm highly analytically and I researched both surgeries for hours, attended 3 nutritional seminars, 2 support groups, 1 4 hour in-person seminar and taken several online WLS classes in preparation, plus read as many clinical trial results as I can find, (Basically over-analyzed it) and now having been cleared for surgery & in the anxiety of having to make a decision on which proceedure to pick & overwhelming myself with data... can't make a choice.  I seem to have found a pocket of people now who wish they would've opted for the RNY because the VSG didn't do as much as they had hoped and now they are stuck in the "overweight" category, but there are an equal amount of people who say RNY was a horrible decision.

My question to you... Excluding all the extraneous issues (cost, surgery time, recovery time, time off work, invasiveness) what was your medical situation and why did you pick the RNY?   Are you happy with the decision to pick RNY over VSG? 

 

Thank you in Advance!

I just had RNY last week and I over analyzed it and stressed about it too much.  For me it came down to one thing.  Even though I know that not everyone dumps with RNY, I wanted the surgery that had the highest possibility of making me sick if I ate too much sugar and fat.  I am a sugar addict and I can't have just a little of it so I needed something that would hold me accountable. 

I know several people with the sleeve that can eat sugar and some of them really struggle because of it. 

Thanks TempiB!

That's almost exactly what I'm worried about.  When I was a child and young adult eating sugars used to make me feel sick... I'd peel the icing off cake, and a tray of fresh hot cookies could sit in front of me an I'd never touch them... then 10 years ago, I had the most wonderful little boy in the world (non-biased opinion of course ;) ) but with him came sugar cravings.  So not only do I have these new found sugar cravings, but I still crave all the salty things and I afraid with just a smaller stomach I'll be tempted and will fail.  :(

Best Wishes on your Journey!

I chose RNY because I wanted the greatest possible chance to reduce or eliminate my comorbidities--high BP, high cholesterol, diabetes (not yet insulin dependent).  I am happy to report that I am currently at goal weight-down 90 lbs.- and all my comorbidities have resolved.  I am off all meds except for thyroid and feel better than I have in decades.  I know the diabetes may creep back, so I am vigilant about healthy eating.  I figure the time I have with normal sugars now will increase the odds of better health in the future.  I don't know if I dump, because I have never pushed the envelope far enough to find out.  I figure I'm better off not knowing:)

Good luck on your decision and with your surgery, whichever you decide to have.

I have not yet had my surgery, I am still going through all the pre-approval steps. Hopefully it will happen sometime in June.  My PC urged me to have RNY because of all my co-morbidities. I have type 2 diabetes and have had it for almost 20 years. I have high blood pressure, sleep apnea and high cholesterol as well. Add to this I'm "only" 42 and I'm a relative lightweight with a BMI of 38. She says the RNY is my best shot because my metabolism has been pretty much destroyed by years and years of yo yo dieting, along with my other problems and Hashimoto's to boot. I need the malabsorption. When I had my consult with my surgeon he agreed with my PC 100% so, RNY it is.

My doctor told me whichever wls surgery I chose could be successful for me if I worked the program. So that didn't help in my decision. I had high blood pressure, high cholesterol and was just diagnosed with diabetes after 2 years of reactive hypoglycemia that followed 20 years of hypoglycemia. Those were my medical conditions, the doctor said any of the options should resolve all three. I had no history of gerd or reflux so again, either one would work. I didn't take NSAIDs for anything and I went to an ortho and was checked for arthritis to see if that would be something I may need to consider in the near future, again NOPE, no need for NSAIDs that he could see in my near future. So again either surgery would work. I then found myself where you are, researching stats, crunching numbers and one day leaned one way and the next the other way. I made an appointment with my long time therapist to talk through it with him to see if I really knew which I wanted and why.

I decided to do the RNY for ONE rather simple reason. I am impatient. If I don't see results I don't follow through, on anything. This has been a pattern my entire life. In nearly everything I have ever done. So while I could reach goal weight with either if I stuck with the program I knew that if my results weren't quick enough with the VSG I would so totally give up and probably end up overweight or back obese forever. The stats that showed me the end result was the same but the time it took to get there scared me with my history. Then I factored in the 30% chance of dumping syndrome, I was hoping I would dump, and I do just not as soon as I'd like. I can get away with a fair amount of sugar. But the hope of that def. played a part.

The cost, time, time off work and invasiveness was the same for both with my doctor so that never would have played a factor in my decision.

I am happy that I chose RNY I got to my first goal before my one year and got to my "ultimate secret goal" by one year. I've bounced back a couple of pounds but still sit in the 110 range. I go between 107-112 and I am very happy with that.

Most importantly my diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol were resolved by my 3 mo check up (the first time I had labs after surgery). My hypoglycemia is back , but I lived with that for 20 years I can live with it now. I just have to carry an emergency candy and pack of sugar on me at all times. I dip low at the same time every day no matter how I plan my eating so I'm working on figuring that out and am lucky enough to be able to schedule my day around that 2 pm drop.

Good Luck on whatever you choose!

Hi Yo Yo Girl,

I can really relate to you.  I'm pre surgery and like you I'm stuck in analysis paralysis.  I've been researching VSG vs RNY for 1-2 hours a day for the last 6 months, including trying to read original research.    I want to give myself the maximum chance of durable weight loss and I'm also worried that I'll need to take NSAID's in the future (I only take them occasionally now for aches and pains but they work much better than tylenol).  Like you, I can't decide.     I though I over analyzed and researched things, but you are way ahead of me :)

Best of luck with your decision.  I finish my 6 month medically supervised weight program in May and plan to have VSG or RNY in June.  (I'm also considering DS, but I'm not sure my surgeon does DS).  Is DS on your list of options?

 

Tony

I was open to either surgery and asked my surgeon what he recommended for me.  After doing an upper GI, he recommended RNY because it showed "significant reflux." He was worried that the sleeve would exacerbate that problem.  I also was hoping to be deterred from sugar.  I can eat sugar-but not as much I could before surgery.  I LOVED Coke (real Coke-not diet) so I wanted a tool to help me fight that. That has really worked for me because even though I can eat some sugar (like a cookie or two), I can NOT handle sugary liquids (juice, a shake, etc.) They make me feel just horrible! I have been very happy with my RNY!

HTH,

Pam :)

I was living with a failed band and reflux. I went to my surgeon hoping for VSG bc my brother had this and had done really well. Due to my reflux surgeon said RNY was my best solution, even tho I didn't have a high BMI. I took his advice and now live very comfortably, where I see my brother reverting back to old habits and still having some reflux issues. Chat with your surgeon and try not to over analyze. My biggest fear of RNY is this whole rerouting, malabsorption and the vitamins. But when I got into a routine, it's actually been very easy for me so far. Best of luck to you.

One more thing, I had to come to terms with the fact I had read about they typer for about 5 years (I was scared) but she studied for 12 and was doing them daily:)