What made you decide on the VSG & are you happy??

 It is getting closer for me to where we send everything to the insurance company!  I have had to do the 6 mo. pre op diet!   Started @ 327 and now I'm down to 265!!  I am so unsure if I want to do the VSG or the RNY!!  Can you explain to me how you came to your decision & are you happy with your decision?? Anything would be very helpful!!  Thanks!!

Way to go on the pre-op loss!

My choice came down to a couple of things: Keeping my pyloric valve and not wanting my intestines rerouted for malabsorption.

Keeping the pylorus: That's the valve at the bottom of your stomach that controls food flow out of the stomach. In the VSG it's untouched. The RNY bypasses that valve. There's basically a stoma - a hole the food goes through. Two downsides to loss of your pyloric valve are first that it keeps you full longer to have the food released in a controlled manner and second new research is showing that quite a few RNY patients are suffering from Reactive Hypoglycemia caused by blood sugar swings due to how the food is released. These can require medication and do cause hunger.

Intestinal rerouting: First, sleeve patients do take supplements so if anyone gives that as reason not to have RNY it's a misconception. However, RNY patients signficantly malabsorb several nutrients. That comes as part of malabsorbing calories, BUT...as you can read on the RNY board...after about 2 years the body adapts and starts to absorb pretty much all the calories you eat. It doesn't, however, start to absorb all the nutrients - that malasorption is life long.

wow first a big congrates on the diet - what a hard thing to do - amazing.

I was banded - and lost the band in July and had to decide what I wanted to do for a revision.  I looked at the band and decided against it for a couple of reasons - one - I only have 47 lbs to lose to get back to goal - two didn't want to deal with fills again and 3 (most important) I was tired of the restrictions in food types.

I looked at three options - Sleeve, Plications and RNY.  I decided agains the Plication - well actually my doctor decided for me on that one.  Not that there is anything wrong with it - but for me he recommended the Sleeve.  I didn't want the RNY for a couple of reasons.  One - the biggest for me is that it's pretty hard to do a revision on this procedure.  having lost a band that is a big one for me to consider.  Two I don't like the idea of taking out any of my intestines - taking a bit of stomach is one thing...making a change like that at my age would perhaps not be the best for me (others have done so and are very happy but you ahve to go with your own needs and head space)

Basically - I trusted my doc to point me in the best direction and then discussed with him (Dr. Ortiez is great t hat way).  I didn't have to deal with insurance - as I am self pay - but it's worth every cent to me to have my health and life back!

Hope this helps

Donna

 Thank you!!  I do think I am leaning more towards the VSG for all of the reasons all of you have stated!!  Thanks to you all for responding!!  

I decided on VSG for several reasons..I was set to have lap-band and did consider RNY for a moment over the LB but the main reason was I did not want my intestines rerouted and messed around with..

I work in veterinary medicine and see what happens when anastomosis (reconnection of the intestines in this case) goes wrong..I just didnt feel comfortable with risking that.

Also, I felt that VSG was over all healthier an option..RNY works by malabsorption and a few of the RNY'ers that I have seen look unhealthy and slightly malnourished..I am a horrible pill taker and didnt want to have to take a huge quantity of vitamins for life in fear of becoming deficient..I can manage the B12 and multivite daily but above that forget it!

I just think VSG is a great option for living a normal life, you have a normal but smaller stomach and life seems regular..

however, some people NEED that malabsoption to lose the proper amount of weight or keep it off so I cant knock the RNY, though I hear that the Duodenal Switch is a better option for those seeking malabsoption.

Picking the right procedure is a very individual thing and whichever you chose you will have to make the commitment to make changes to have and keep success from your procedure.

I decided on the sleeve for all the reasons stated above.

I had read quite a bit about it's success rate and found it was similar to those surgeries that required re-routing the intestines.
I just didn't want to go that route.
I could wrap my head around having a much smaller stomach, just not having food take an entirely different path.

Also, the surgery for the sleeve was/seemed quite simple. I watched the actual operations on Youtube.

I had Dr. Ortiz in Tijuana, self pay as well. He is great!

Right now at 6 weeks out, I feel fine. My weight loss has slowed to a couple pounds a week, and while that may seem slow....I'm really not even trying. I eat when I'm hungry and make sure I eat protein first. ( I never really have room for anything else after that.)
I'm not feeling deprived in any way.
I just concentrate on eating right when I do eat.

so far I'm very happy.
It feels liberating not to feel like a slave to my stomach. Now it's just a device for nutrition as needed. If that makes sence.

donna

Ditto Donna.  The feeling of not being controlled by food is so liberating!  I love my sleeve, and don't regret it for a single second.  I have been very well throughout, and my op went like a dream.  My surgeon Dr Cierny, via Cosmetic Bliss in Czech Republic, gave the most caring and professional treatment, his team were fantastic, and apart from slight soreness around the wounds, I had absolutely no problems at all.  I wasn't even sick once from day one.  I can eat any food, just not very much of it.  My loss has been slow too, but a steady slow loss has to be best in the long run.  I certainly don't think I'm lacking in anything, and just take a multivit, B12, and Omeprazole (PPI).  One very happt sleever here

 I am 5 months post op. My story is I lost about 150 lbs before surgery over 7 years. I am only 27 and I have always been the chubby kid. I wasnt introduced to the sleeve until I went in to check out the band and they had the option of the sleeve. The success of the band worried me because I have met a lot of people that havent had much success, have had complications, or dont even have liquid in it anymore due to slippage. As for by pass. Its seemed a lil extreme for me and since I had already lost some weight and changed my life bypass wasnt a option. I am young and wanted to be able to eat my kids bday cake with them without dumping syndrome. I would say the sleeve is the best of both worlds. But all weight loss surgeries u should have all the knowledge possible and do your research, Be prepared for weird issues after and know your life is forever changed. But its all good. I had some complications with my sleeve that were rare a couple hours after surgery. Make sure you have a over night stay they tried to do out patient and that didnt work for me. Even after all complications I am down 55lbs in 5 months and getting used to the small portions has been the hardest and the socialness of eating has been hard to deal with it. But i dont regret it and i know in 2 years I will look back even more happy with my decisions. This should be a permanent lifestyle change. You wont forever have the smallest stomach and things will change. People do gain wieght back but I think sleeve is great!! and once u see the weight falling off. Make sure you drink plenty of water that is my main suggestion!!! Good luck congrats!! its gonna be great!!

I decided on the sleeve because I have arthritis, and asthma. I need to take medication for both on a regular basis. Asthma has me on steroids a couple times each year for a month or more at a time....counter indicated in RNY. Arthritis meds counter indicated in RNY.

Also I hated the idea of malabsorbtion of vitamins and minerals....it just seemed counter intuitive to me. Sleeve was MY pick, and surgeon agreed with me.

Happy with it ???

OVERJOYED with it.

I lost 34 lbs pre op over that 6 month diet; and then 77 since January 24th. I'm thrilled !

I never seriously considered the bands or the RNY. The bands don't offer adequate weight loss (on average - some may lose all that they need to, for a while at least,) or durability of loss, and have a high medium to long term complication rate. The RNY has similar weight loss and durability character to the VSG but at a much greater cost in lifestyle and medical treatment limitations. The DS was the only other procedure I considered as it at least offers better average weight loss and durability in exchange for its downsides, but since my weight has been fairly stable long term after some moderate diet/exercise loss I felt that the VSG was best suited to me; if my weight was still climbing or yo-yo-ing I probably would have opted for the DS to get better long term control over it.