Would you have considered the sleeve?

I went to my 2nd informational seminar Tuesday (it ws more than a year since the first time I went... life went crazy and I had to put things off).

They talked about the sleeve and it turns out that my insurance covers it... a year or so ago it was RNY or the band and that was it.

The sleeve is very intriguing to me me... I like that the risk of itamin deficencies is very low and I can still take NSAID's (two bad knees and horrible periods...)

Any thoughts???  I was die hard RNY before...

The sleeve is a very good surgery.  Many of us wish our insurance covered the sleeve. 

Here is my only worry with the sleeve.  It is a fairly new procedure so the long term effects are not out there.

I like that you can still take NSAID's with the sleeve.  Vitamin defiencies are a lot less.

One thing to consider is, are you a volume eater or do you think you need the malabsorption to lose. 

I had the RNY because I needed both.  Lap band did not work for me due to several complications and it is definetly only restrictive

I would definately would have looked more in to the sleeve if it was a choice for me at the time.  I don't know a lot about it because it wasn't a choice, do your homework because less malapsorption of vitamins and minerals is a BIG thing.

My surgeon's partner does the VSG, and my insurance covers it.  However, I wanted the malabsorptive factors of the RNY.  I would most definitely have chosen the VSG with BPD (biliopancreatic diversion), but it is rarely covered by insurance, and there are very few surgeons in the country who perform it, it is still fairly new and considered experimental.   With the VSG and BPD combined, you get the best of both the VSG and the RNY. That would have been my first choice, but I don't regret having RNY for one second.  Good luck with your research, and your final decision.

Depending on some things it can be the best choice. How much weight do you need to lose? While there have been many successful people with the sleeve that have lost 200lbs or even 300lbs it may be best for "lightweights". Also, do you have diabetes? That is resolved better with the RNY or DS. Do you have GERD? That is also resolved better with the RNY.
My insurance didn't cover the sleeve and actually I alreadly had one, but it was pretty large and I had no restriction so I really wasn't interested in having mine made smaller, mainly due to the lack of long term studies of the VSG without malabsorption. The problem is, with the RNY the malabsorption pretty much ends by about 1 1/2 to 2 years out and all you are left with is restriction, which of course can also end due to pouch or stoma stretching. And you can suffer from dumping or reactive hypoglycemia. So, with all things being equal the sleeve probably is a better option if you don't have diabetes or GERD.

Yes, I wish I could have done it for the very reasons you mention.  My insurance would not cover it though.  I am pleased with my RNY but would have preferred VSG.

Yes, I would have gotten the sleeve, but I had another issue health-wise that had to be corrected.  I would have ended up with malabsorption ANYWAY whether I had WLS or not, once my other issue was corrected. 

If you don't have any comorbidities and you need NSAID's and your insurance covers the sleeve...why not get it?????

Hello...

I have not had surgery yet but I'm going through the motions of getting approved for RNY. My insurance covers all WLS. My heart is set on DS but me having GERDS, RNY is better for curing it. Please research, research! Go with your heart!

Good Luck!

I considered 3 of the four WLS surgeries -- VSG, RNY, and DS. My insurance covers all of them.

My surgeon has performed relatively few DS surgeries, so that was one reason not to choose it. He also felt I wasn't heavy enough for that surgery and that I would lose too much weight. (Is that even possible?) He ddn't recommend DS for me because I had terrible reflux and DS wouldn't relieve it. When he described how frequent and severe vitamin deficiencies can be after DS, I crossed it off my list.

VSG was also an attractive option because it has a lot of the benefits of DS without the problems associated with severe micronutrient malabsorption. My surgeon thought it would be a good choice for me. Like the DS, however, it wouldn't offer any relief from my severe reflux, and so VSG got crossed off the list, too.

So, that left RNY. I am quite happy with my choice. I haven't had a moment of reflux discomfort since I woke up from surgery. That is SUCH a blessing. The tool is working well for me -- I have had no complications and I've been able to adapt to this new lifestyle with relative ease. I don't dump and I've only had one episode of nausea and vomiting due to a food I just couldn't tolerate.
I never considered the lap band.  Everyone I know who has had the lap band has  regained all their lost weight and more. And I didn't want to deal with the maintenance of fills and unfills the lap band requires.

Thanks guys!!!

I'm 30 years old

I am 307.5 lbs and 5'6".... I really do have a large frame and my ideal weight would be around 160... my personal goal is 175, but I'll be happy at 190 :-) Anything under 175 would be a gift.

I "technically" have diabeties... JUST diagnosed, A1C 6.7... no meds or anything, just diet and exercise.

I have PCOS and insulin resistance, so that might me an issue, but weight loss is generally enough to help...

I do have high BP...

I have broken each of my knees (one as a kid and one a few years ago) so never taking NSAIDS again is a bit intimidating... but I was totally willing to do it for my RNY.

I would like to possibly have a baby if my PCOS resolves at all (I know you can get pregnant after RNY but the lack of vitamin problems with the sleeve is interesting for that reason as well.)  This isn't by biggest priority though, we have adopted our AMAZING daughter so I would be okay if a pregnancy isn't in my future...

I have som much respect for everyone here... it is good to know that others would have considered it if it were an option as well!