Sleeve, RNY or Duodenal switch-which is better for a binge eater who has to lose 150 pounds

"Whole house, and you've got a bad back---get a Roomba and let IT do the work. (DS)" ------ LOL!!!!

Nothing valuable to contribute to this post... But love that analogy!!!  :)

Hi

I am a binge eater myself. 

You need to deal with the head issues. No surgery is going to fix the head stuff. Deal with the head stuff first, look at why you overeat and the causes and then move on to surgery.  I did the reverse and it made it hard.  While the amount I could eat the first year was small, after that I was able to binge.  Surgery did not stop the binge.  I struggle with my fat head every day because my surgical centre never really helped me examine my eating issues. I've done therapy post op.

Dawn

I hear similar responses from a lot of folks who have had weight loss surgery. Many still struggle with the battle. That said, I have heard some folks with DS do not battle as much;  however, they have different things to manage like vitamins, getting in enough protein etc. The battle continues but differently from what I understand. 

The battle for many of us is with carbs.  I have lots of friends who had various surgery types we All battle with carbs.  Don't think any surgery will fix your head.  

LOL MsBatt....so funny.

I have chosen the sleeve because of the hunger issue.  Yes I overeat and occasionally binge but with a smaller stomach and not having the constant hunger pangs I expect i will be able to succeed.  When I went to my orientation the nurse said something that struck home.  WLS should be the first tool we are offered once we hit the morbidly obese stage, not the last.  All the other tools, weight loss centers, wonder drugs, promise of exercising it all off...those tools make us worse.  WLS will get us on a good track for success. It combats the two things that plague us...excess hunger and the need to overeat.

That makes so much sense...I really wish someone would have offered me this option many years ago. I think I'm leaning towards DS simply because I have never been able to maintain my weight loss so I'm nervouse about the sleeve not providing me enough support. 

Sunshine, I think we've been in contact already ...but I'm answering you here because according to the numbers you gave and the bmi calculator at another website, your bmi is 53.1 While the DS works well for anyone who meets the medical criteria for bariatric surgery, it has been clearly shown to have the best results for people with a bmi over 50. It has the highest percentage excess weight loss, best maintainence of that weight loss, and best rate of resolution of almost all comorbidities of any bariatric surgery presently available.

Surely you realize that you are by far not the only binge eater to have bariatric surgery. Many people who have wls have binged at some point in their lives. We have all also dieted and dieted and dieted...while we are all individuals, we share some common histories. All the operations you are considering will give you a smaller stomach to work with, which will help you, ney force you, to stop binging. Can you still overeat, or eat the wrong things? Yes - but the DS will allow you to succeed even if you aren't perfect. I love MsBatt's broom/sweeper/Roomba analogy.

All tools are not created equal. Sure, work on the head issues, that will help you no matter what you decide, but pick the tool that's right for the job.

Larra

I like the fact that the DS allows you to succeed even if you aren't perfect. What I don't like is that if I'm not so perfect I could develop serious vitamin deficiencies that could reek havoc on my body.  If the sleeve would assist me with maintaining I would get the sleeve but it doesn't. If the DS didn't scare the living bejesus out of me I would decide yes right now. I keep hearing about folks needing iron infusions and developing osteoporosis and that really makes me nervous.  What makes me most nervous is that some folks are developing these issues even though they were taking all their supplements. How did you guys get over the fear and take the big step? Right now I have to figure out what my least worst choice would be.... 

When I say you don't have to be perfect, I'm referring to sticking perfectly to your diet. the supplements are a different story. With the DS, you really do need to commit to taking all of them, every day, for the rest of your life. Also, you would need regular lab work to make sure your levels are not droping.

For me, it's easier to do something than to not do something. I do take a lot of vitamins and minerals, but I haven't found this to be difficult or burdensome at all. You establish a routine and stick with it. If you are traveling, you take your vitamins wtih you, just as you would a prescription medication. To me, this seems a lot easier and more realistic than expecting myself to eat perfectly every day for the rest of my life, and to maintain my exercise schedule even when life gets crazy (as everyone's life does from time to time).

So while I do eat protein first and I do exercise some, I don't have to be perfect in these areas of my life. Taking vitamins - NOT optional.

Larra

Totally understandable. Seems more doable to take vitamins than to try to eat perfect.