Roux en Y or sleeve?!?!?!?!?!?

I could not agree with this poster more. With all of the INFO I researched the sleeve is what I believed and still believe is the best choice for me.
I am almost 3 years post op (surgery 6/08)  and have easily maintained my 135 lb weight loss for 2 years. I am also in much better health now than ever before and was about the same age as the poster above.
The reason I chose the sleeve over DS was because of the potential problems I was unwilling to risk that I saw associated with the malabsorbtion component of the DS. I was not willing to risk needing B12 shots, iron infusions etc that I saw fairly commonly on the DS board. I was also not wanting to be wedded to having to take mutliple doses of various vitamins and supplements daily for life or be at major risk for major health complications. Again that was MY PERSONAL choice.
I also was not comfortable with the issues I saw fairly often with DS folks related to white flour and other foods that caused loose stools, gas and otehr issues. NO it did not occur in everyone, but I saw it often enough that I was not willing to risk it so I could have a better chance at maintaining my weight loss.
So far I have easily maintained my initial 135 lb weight loss without having to diet per se, though I am mindful of carbs which even DS folks have to be.
I have become an avid hiker which is a passion of mine so I can eat more calories when I do long hikes but when I am not hiking I eat less but am stil fully satisifed with what I eat and never feel deprived or like a am dieting.
I am able to eat normal sized portions of food, regular food, not low fat, no calorie food.
Hopefully this helps with your decision making. I strongly encourage you to visit the VSG board where you will find many successful VSG folks many years out who are living happy successful post op lives.

I have been hearing that it takes longer to lose weight with the vsg than the rny is this ture? i heard it was close to the amount of the lap band!

Fast weight loss is not necessarily good weight loss.  Losing slower allows your body to adjust to reduced calories and skin changes in a more natural way.

 Nope, the VSG is compareable to RnY for weight loss. It may possibly be slightly slower, but generally not- and at a year it's usually even. You should hand out on all the forums and compare.. 

Here we go again...

"I was not willing to risk needing B12 shots, iron infusions etc that I saw fairly commonly on the DS board."

These are still risks with the VSG. I see many VSGers take B12 supplements (not always injections - sublinguals are enough for most, VSGers and DSers alike). Iron issues with the VSG are also not uncommon, with the most vocal example on the VSG board being everyone's beloved OldMedic.

I have a DS (longer common channel, but still technically a DS), and I stopped my B12 supplements because I simply found I didn't need them. It's the VSG part of the DS that makes B12 a common supplement for DSers because it's the VSG that reduces the amount if intrinsic factor produced by the stomach, which is required for proper absorption of B12.

"I was also not wanting to be wedded to having to take mutliple doses of various vitamins and supplements daily for life or be at major risk for major health complications."

ALL weight loss surgery patients should be taking supplements daily, regardless of procedure type. I understand that you probably meant you didn't want to have to take as many as most DSers take, but your statement sounds like you don't need any supplements daily at all. Generally recommendations for VSG patients for daily supplements include 2 multivitamins and at least 2-3 doses of calcium citrate (taken at separate times since the body can only absorb about 500-600mg calcium at one time); if you also need iron, then you're up to possibly a 4th dose of pills for the day since calcium and iron shouldn't be taken at the same time. And then there's the vitamin D that most Americans need anyway, even without surgery. Pills 3-4 times a day is not an uncommon scenario for VSG patients.

Yes VSG folks take must supplements I never said they did not. I am not quite sure why you chose to make such a point of this since you agree that you understood my point in the first place. However since you brought it up I will clarify what I meant.
I was not willing to be wedded to as stringent and as extensive and in many cases as expensive a regiment as I see many, but not all (added for clarification) DS folks taking on a daily basis.

Yes some VSG folks need B12 however I rarely see VSG folks needing B12 shots, I rarely see VSG folks posting about needing iron infusions whereas I  pretty often see these posts on the DS board. I stand by my original post and AGAIN this is the reason I PERSONALLY FOR ME ONLY chose the sleeve over the DS.

So glad you don't have the lap-band as a possibility but wanted to make sure you know of ALL your options.

The DS has the best statitistics for amount of excess weight lost and long term success.

If you want to lose the most weight and KEEP it off you should investigate ALL your options.  Check out www.DSFacts.com and the DS forum here on OH.

~Becky

In picking your surgery, you have to know what YOUR tolerances are.  I couldn't tolerate the idea of malabsorption for the rest of my life, so no RNY or DS for me.  But I didn't have a problem with my stomach being mostly removed.  I am a quantity eater - love to eat large amounts of food.  I believe the sleeve gave me what I need to control my diet and my weight, and it's working just fine so far. 

I've been plagued with hunger all my life.  Someone on the vsg board calls it a "broken satiety switch."  My stomach never sent a signal to my brain to tell me I was full.  So 20 minutes after a meal, I wanted to snack.  The VSG removed the stretchy part of your stomach that produces most of the hormone ghrelin, which is what tells you you're hungry.  It's not that I never get hungry, but the hunger is "normal" hunger, not a constant drive to eat.

Regarding weight loss, yes, RNYers will lose the weight faster, but RNY and VSG have about the same weight loss stats at the end of the year.  Do your research and pick the surgery that will work best for YOU. 

With a BMI of 52.8, you really should be researching the DS, too---but your current surgeon doesn't DO the DS, so I doubt he's discussed it with you. The DS has the very BEST long-term, maintained weight loss, especially for those of us with a starting BMI greater than 50. It's also the very best at resolving or preventing co-morbs like diabettes and high cholesterol.

The DS, like the Sleeve, retains the pyrlous and all normal stomach function. The RNY does NOT, and that's a major reason I would never choose it. Also, I needed to be able to continue to take NSAIDs---pretty much any OTC pain reliever/fever reducer other than Tylenol.

The DS also makes a dramatic, permanent change in our metabolism. Instead of hanging on to every possible calorie, now my body burns them pretty much like 'normal' people do. And unlike pre-op, when I was ALWAYS hungry, I now experience normal, appropriate hunger and a sense of sateity.

I chose the DS because it addressed my personal medical needs---the ability to take NSAIDs---my family medical history---diabetes and high cholesterol runs in BOTH sides of my family---and my preferred lifestyle. Since my DS, I eat about 2500-3000 calories a day, but only absorb about half of them. This has made it incredibly easy for me to maintain a loss of over 170 pounds for more than five years now.

Research ALL your options, not just the ones your current surgeon has mentioned. It's a LOT easier to change surgeons now than to revise your insides later. (*grin*)

You really should visit the Revision board, too: www.obesityhelp.com/forums/revision/

I choose the RNY because basically I am addicted to sweets. I had to find a way to cut myself off from them permanently. My husband choose the Sleeve because he had difficulties with quantity. There are a million other reasons people choose one vs the other. Keep researching and you will find the best solution for you.
Also as you can see there are other options, I did not know about the DS type of surgery prior to my deciding on RNY. So don't forget to look into that type also. There are some great people here who have alot of knowledge on all the different types.

Best of luck to you,
Dani