Question:
Anyone who had VSG wished they had RNY instead??

   — Rox75 (posted on May 15, 2008)

May 15, 2008
No, not at all! It was the best thing I have done for myself. I was at goal in 6 months. I went from wearing a size 22 pants and 3x shirt to a size 4 pants and small shirt.
   — Teresa V.

May 15, 2008
Nope! It has been 2 months and 2 weeks and so far I have lost 59 pounds! Can't complain a BIT about that! No Vomiting and no Nausea (well, just ONCE but that was with Sardines in TOMATO SAUCE, can't say that I blame my tummy for rejecting THAT!--My WIFE insisted I try it). The ONLY side effects have been POSITIVE! I have had to DROP all of my diabetes meds! I was taking 70 to 80 units of 70/30 Humulin a day with an occasional booster of REGULAR insulin, sometimes up to 5 units of the regular insulin, to keep my blood sugar level BELOW 200! I was also taking 4 pills of glucovance 5/500 a day. In 3 WEEKS I had dropped EVERYTHING but ONE PILL of glucovance! On Easter Day, I went to church with my family and AFTERWARD we went out with some of our CHURCH family and had a Barbecue. After the Barbecue, we came home and I started to get the shakes and the sweats. I KNEW those symptoms from when I was HYPOGLYCEMIC before I became a diabetic! My Blood Sugar was too low! I took out my testing kit and checked my blood sugar and sure enough it read at 53 points! Low NORMAL is 70! I quickly got something sweet to eat (some fruit) and got my blood sugar back up into normal range. At that time I realized that I would have to forgo the LAST pill of glucovance because it was TOO MUCH MEDICATION! I ran the risk of putting myself into a diabetic COMA if I kept taking the pills! My wife is a Nurse Practitioner and had been advising me on my medication levels during my whole transition. My needs had been changing so quickly that my physician would not have been able to keep up with the changes at the rate things were changing. To get an appointment would take longer than most of the changes were taking. I have not used any diabetes medication since that day. I have been keeping an eye on my blood sugars and as long as I stick with the recommended diet and don't cheat. As long as I stay away from refined sugars and refined wheat products and eat my proteins first, my blood sugar levels stay between 114 to 140 after meals. This is MUCH better than the OVER 200 that I was having BEFORE the surgery! I have also had improvements with my Arthritis (almost completely GONE), my FibroMyalgia (the pain is significantly reduced), my Migraines (the pain and frequency have been both reduced), my Spastic Colon (it seems to have been completely calmed), my Chronic Diarrhea (also completely eliminated--it was probably tied to the Spastic Colon), and my Chronic Fatigue (I have significantly MORE energy than I did before). The VSG has been the THIRD best thing that has ever happened to me in my LIFE! The FIRST was my MARRIAGE (I must give the CREDIT for the surgery to my WIFE, it was HER idea). The SECOND best thing that has ever happened to me was the birth of my CHILDREN! The VSG comes in a close third. I hope this answers you question, Hugh
   — hubarlow

May 16, 2008
Absolutely NOT and I never will wish I had RNY instead. I will never have to worry with malabsorption , dumping, or any of the other many issues they may deal with. AND my weight is falling off with very little effort and no side effects. VSG is a great surgery. But no matter the choice, you have to be determined to make your tool work.
   — corky1057

May 16, 2008
Remember that the vertical sleeve gastrectomy or "sleeve" has only been around for a few years as a stand-alone operation. So it hasn't much of a "track record" yet, unlike the Roux-en-y. You won't find many people who are as much as five years out from the VSG, especially when you ask here. It's in the nature of this question-and-answer board that most of the people answering, like most of the people asking, are either pre-ops or fairly recent post-ops. So if you're looking for regrets, or second thoughts, regarding any operation, a "graduate" or revision board is a better place to look. It's good to have a look at such long-term boards anyway before choosing a surgery. All but a few people who are in the first year or two after any weight-loss operation are giddily enthusiastic about their surgeries because of the rapid weight loss and the fall in sizes. It's several years down the road, after side effects of the operation have had a chance to show themselves, and after the pounds lost have had a chance to creep back on, that people have, and can offer you, a fuller picture.
   — Virginia N.

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