RNY vs the SLEEVE (Arthritis and Nsaids) should I change to Sleeve?

I met with my Surgeon yesterday and we discussed what surgery to get. I have GERD so the RNY would be the best for that and I can lose more wt with RNY. Now I am rethinking it as I was reading on OH today about people with Arthritis. Some say they would have chosen the sleeve over RNY because of arthritis. I do have some, but thought with taking the weight off it would help, but I usually follow my Mom's gene pool and she has gotten horrible arthritis as she has gotten older. No I'm wondering if I should have gone with the sleeve so if I follow I can take Nsaids later in life. I'm also wondering if this will change my Insurance approval (i.e., if the doc submits for RNY and now I'm changing to the Sleeve will that mess things up). I would like to lose about 80 lbs since I'm currently 240, but am wondering if with the sleeve I can do that. The doctor did say with my insurance that if you get the sleeve and want later to get a RNY for some reason that the insurance only pays for one time. So this is something else to think about. I don't know if I'm thinking too much. Any thoughts???

You really need to do more research and talk to your surgeon again. Acid reflux can get much worse after VSG, but it can also go away. You can lose the same amount of weight with both surgeries if you are willing to work at it, but that is true no matter which one you have. Losing all you want to depends on you! Do your research before making a decision. I doubt that you would have to start over with the insurance. Good luck. Also, you can search GERD or acid reflux on this site to see what people have to say about their experiences.

Thanks for your comment. I'll talk again with my Surgeon.

i think your better off with the sleeve

 the newest studies are finding ,sleeve patients loosing about the same as rny

 you can easy lose 80 lbs with the sleeve , , I lost 16.5 lb the first 2 weeks

if you think  you may need to take nsaids in the future , you will never be able to with the rny, but you can with the sleeve after a few months

 it should not be a problem to change which surgery you want at this point

 you are a light weight and don't need to have everything rerouted, stick with a good plan and the sleeve will do wonders for you

Thanks for your comment.

Hi

Everyone has different medical needs but I have been thrilled with the results from my sleeve, and with the fact that I have had no problems with my medications. I have taken prescription NSAIDS for arthritis daily for more than 15 years. Except for about a week right around surgery I have continued taking them after VSG. The only change has been a good one--after losing weight I have been able to reduce the dose.

Keep asking questions to find out what is best for you.

Good luck!

I've got a touch of GERD, in part because I've been on one NSAID or another since I was 20 (in my 40s now) and my surgeon didn't hesitate to do a sleeve on me...because I NEED to keep taking those NSAIDs, and hell, I'm already on a PPI because of them...

so yeah, I'll probably still be on a PPI or some other acid reducer forever, but that would have been the case without the surgery.

80 lbs is nothing for a sleever - I know people who've lost that much and more with a sleeve...and I plan to as well :-)

 

If you need to be able to take NSAIDS then you will want to go with the sleeve. When I was doing my research that was a big thing for me as I have fibromyalgia and Arthritis and have to take NSAIDS to manage my pain. I am getting close to surgery and am thankful for the decision I made knowing that I will be able to take the medications that I will need in the future.

Definitely talk further with your doctors office and call your insurance company and see what they have to say! Best of Luck!!!

Thanks everyone for your replies.

I have very severe GERD.  My surgeon did advise against VSG because of this.  He looked at my barium swallow, EGD, and other tests I just had done last summer and did tell me there is a very real chance my GERD could get even worse!!!  He did also note he will fix my hiatal hernia during surgery; however, it is no guarantee it will improve my GERD.  He did say if it makes it worse I will have no choice but to have a revision to RNY.  My GERD is just not a nuisance where I take daily meds.  It had caused damage to my lungs from the amount I reflux, so GERD can become a serious health condition!!! Now, with that being said, I have connective tissue disease and I'm on plaquinel and meloxicam.  My Rheumatologist has me on a pretty low doese of meloxicam, but it's still a necessary daily NSAID.  This played a MAJOR factor in my decision.  Because I have autoimmune disease and I'm already on daily prescription NSAID, I know there is a real chance I'll need to continue to take them for the rest of my life.  Additionally, because of my bad lungs I often take very high doses of steroids and this too is advised against with RNY surgery.  SO, for ME it was worth it to at least TRY VSG first.  I know there is a real chance I'll have to be revised; however, there is a chance I won't!  I'm hoping I won't!  :-)  Good luck in determining what is best for you.  I did talk long and hard with my PCP, surgeon, pulmonologist, rheumatologist, and gastroenterologist before making my decision!  I do recommend you to at least talk to your doctor about your concerns!