do high bmi's really benifit from this one surgery

thats my question, do people with high bmi's really benifit from this surgery or should you just opt for the bypass? i know this will be my one shot at this and i really need it to count. i like what i have read about the sleeve but just dont know if ill lose the 200lbs i really wanna drop. any comments and feed back are welcome

This is a complicated question....but in a nut shell....yes, you can lose that much weight. There are folks on this board who have lost more than that !!!

I am almost 7 months out. I lost 34 pre-op in just over 5 months, and 70 pounds since surgery. That is a loss of 100 pounds in a year. I'm still losing. BMI has gone from 53 to 35 so far.

My surgery date isn't until Sept 27, but I will tell you what my surgeon said when we were discussing the options.  The weight loss difference, for his patients, was about 7-10% of excess weight. 

So for me for example, with about 140 lbs to get to ideal weight, I could lose 11-14 more lbs with RNY vs the sleeve.   HOWEVER (and this is a big one) he said that many of his sleeve patients and many of his RNY patients have lost all the weight they wanted to lose, and when you get down to it, it is about how well the patient is using the tool.

For me, the advantages of the sleeve overshadow the possible slight weight loss advantage with RNY.  And that is short term; long term results have yet to be seen.

No one can tell you whether you will achieve a normal BMI with just the sleeve as it really is individual.. and there are many factors- how long you've been overweight, can you lose with a calorie restricted diet or is your metabolism shot? Do you have any metabolic issues- diabetes, PCOS.. etc..

However, with that said- if you believe you need malabsorption- PLEASE skip the RNY and get a DS. Statistically, you will achieve and more importantly maintain a better loss, and can avoid the many pitfalls that can happen with the RNY. Keep in mind, you give up a lot with the RNY, and the malabsorption of calories is temporary- it lasts for about 2 years.. then you have only the restriction to rely upon, like the sleeve- but with the RNY there is a chance your stoma could stretch- leaving you with no restriction.. not fun, not even adding the possibility of dumping, ulcers, reactive hypoglycemia.. it's just not worth it. 

In a word..YES!!  I was a 67.3 when I started and I am now 32.7 (I think).  When I met my surgeon, the outcome that I told him I wanted was to be healthy over all and would be content if I was under 200 pounds when I finished.  Now, I am under 200 at 193.5 pounds with a total of 205 pounds lost.  I am almost 18 months out and am still losing.  From here on in, everything I lose is gravy and I am happy for it.  It was all done by working my sleeve and without any malabsorption.  I am healthy and happy and that was my goal. 

If I can do it, you can too.  Best of luck to you in your decision and future journey to health and happiness.

My BMI was 58.9 when i began this journey.  I was 354 lbs..and today I weigh 203 lbs at 16 mths postop and I'll still losing.  I hit a plateau for a few mths, but I've just lost 6 lbs in the last 7 days again..yay!!

I could not be happier with my sleeve.  I have lost 151 lbs..and counting!!

you all are wonderful for replies and thank you.

It has worked for me so far.  I started at 401 lbs and I amonly 5' 8" tall.  I lost 41 lbs before surgery.  I had surgery just over 2.5 months ago and have lost 66 lbs since then for a tolal of 107 total and I am still going strong.  My goal is to lose at least another 100 lbs.  I have already benefitted from the surgery in other ways.  I feel so much better that I did before surgery and am able to be more active.  The sleeve has changed my life for the better.

With your BMI, I strongly urge you to consider the DS. It's basically the stomach of the Sleeve plus PERMANENT malabsoption of calories---better than the bypass/RNY. The DS has the very BEST long-term, maintained weight-loss stats, especially so for those of us with a BMI greater than 50.

Please keep in mind that isn't JUST about losing weight. I'm convinced that people can lose incredible amounts of weight with ANY WLS, just like some people can lose incredible amounts of weight through diet alone. What really counts is KEEPING it off, long-term, and the science says that malabsorption is the very BEST way to do that.

I think the VSG is a wonderful form of WLS, in that it preserves the pylorus and all normal stomach function. But we simply do not have any long-term data on how well it KEEPS weight off, especially for those of us who start out SMO or even SSMO.

If you MUST choose between the Sleeve and the RNY/bypass---get the Sleeve. That will at least give you the option of adding the 'Swtich' later if it turns out you can't reach your goal without malabsorption.

I started with a BMI over 50 In November 2010. I lost 32 lbs pre-op,and I have lost another 88lbs in just under 7 months. My BMI is 30, right now, and I am still losing 9-10lbs a month. I have 30-40lbs left to lose to my 'ideal.'.

I am a size 12-14 at this point down from a 28-30. When I get to goal (124 down from 291), I should be in s 4 or 6. I am 5'3" Yes, it can be done.