Why Sleeve?

Hi Everyone... I'm very early pre-op and trying to decide which surgery is best for me. I've pretty much narrowed it down between the sleeve or gastric. Would you guys be willing to tell me why you made the choice you made? How was pre-op and recovery and most of all, life after surgery? Thanks!

Shanita

Hi and welcome.  You will find most people on this site very pro VSG (it is the VSG forum lol).  For me, I knew I needed help but didn't feel I needed my guts rerouted (it just seemed like more chances of complications to me).  Some people I know from my support group WANTED the presence of dumping syndrome to keep them on the straight and narrow but that didn't appeal to me.  I really felt I could use the decrease in Grehlin as a tool to control myself (although it turns out that head hunger is the devil).  I also didn't care for the malabsorbtion that RNYers have to go through.  I like my nice, long, nutrient absorbing intestines.  lol

Hi and thank you. I came to this forum because I spent time on the bypass forum and heard their point of view so now I'd like to hear all the wonderful things about the sleeve. I too have a little apprehension about having my guts re-routed but at this point, I just want the most effective and safest tool available. I'm very concerned about malabsorbtion too. Did you have any regrets and would you do it again all over knowing what you know today?

I would do it again in a heartbeat!  The only thing that I have found difficult is missing my comfort foods.  I LOVE desserts but the calories and carbs would add up if I went to town on them.  I do have a little but some days you just want to have it all - lol .  The excess skin is getting bothersome but I exercise alot so that seems to make it worse consequently I am booked for a Plastics consultation next month.  I am not rushing into that, I want to be at goal for a few months (?year)  first to get the best results possible.  I lost alot of hair from months 3-6 but just went for a shorter cut as the ponytails were stressing out my hair too badly.  I also have some bad acid reffux, which mimics hunger sometimes, but since I learned to control that with plain old Zantac, it's been fine.  They say that is also temporary. 

I wish the surgeon could have done something for the head hunger - kind of a HH labotomy! lol

I am presurgery, but I will tell you why I decided to go with the sleeve vs gastric.

I have 2 aunts & my Mom who have had the gastric bypass done. They have all gained back weight. I know it is something that can happen with the sleeve as well. But I know with them it has happened due to complications with their RNY and them just "giving up" in a way.

Within a week of being home from the hospital my Mom became severely constipated. Nothing she would drink would get it out. She ended up in the ER where the blockage was manually removed. She ended up with a tear between her vaginal and anal walls which lead to infections. Which lead to plugs and mesh being put in to seal the tear. Those just made it worse. In the end she had a colostomy bag for about a year before it was successfully reversed. She has dumping, but that doesnt stop her from eating things she shouldnt. Over time her body got used to the crap and she dumps less often now.

My aunt had the RNY 11 years ago. She was hospitalized for several weeks immediately following her surgery due to staph infection. When she did get to go home, she was allergic to her antibiotic which almost killed her due to her throat closing. She ended up with a hernia. Did surgery. Got staph again and back into the hospital. Another hernia. Staph which ended up with her getting a pic line for protein and antibiotics. That got a blood clot which put her on blood thinners. They were not monitered closely enough and she was getting migranes. Turned out her blood was so thin that if she had been in a car accident and bumped her head she would have bled to death in minutes. now. she has hernia number 3 and needs surgery again. Because of malabsortion she has had 2 blood transfusions because she is severly anemic. She takes very high strength Iron but it doesnt work well enough so every couple years now she needs a transfusion.

My other Aunt, I dont know her whole story but I do know she eats her sweets and she had gained weight back.

All are much smaller than when they started, thats a good thing. BUT they all have had lots of trouble with their surgeries.

I was too afraid of their issues to have RNY. I know it can all happen with the VSG. but I am taking my chances.

ChristyB17,

WOW! I'm sorry to hear they had such a hard time and you witnessed all that first hand. I've been reading around and it seems that the sleeve is a bit safer. The fat girl inside of me gets sad at the thought of having part of my stomach permanently removed. What if I need it one day? LOL Then the skinny girl dying to break free wants it gone in homes that a reduced appetite will keep me from every being in this situation again. I know several people that had great RNY experiences but reading what is actually being done to the digestive system during that procedure make me have second thoughts. I am very excited to see what the surgeon will recommend for me but realize it's ultimately my choice. I don't want to be "skinny". I just want to get to a healthy weight and I was thinking with lifestyle changes (which I think is the hardest part), I should be okay. Best wishes on your journey and I hope your mom and aunts feel better soon!

Shanita

Thank you! It has been tough to watch over the last 10 years. Which is a deciding factor for me to do the surgery before I am 30 vs waiting until my late 40s and early 50s to change my lifestyle. I have a 17 month old son and he is the one who opened my eyes up to get this done. I need to be there and active for him.

I thought about the stomach removal part for maybe 5 seconds. I have never thought about "needing" it again. I do know that if I do have problems with the sleeve I can always go to an RNY if needed. I too had great fear in my insides being all twisted up and rerouted. No thank you!

I originally was looking at the Lap Band because I did not want my intestines to be rerouted.  I just felt that was too extreme.  I went to my seminar and that is when I heard about the sleeve and how it worked and I was sold.  I also did more research on the Lap Band and with all the long term problems, fills, etc I did not want to mess with that.

I am not interested in the bypass because of the malabsorption issues.  Now in the back of my mind I know that the sleeve surgery can be taken to the next steps of a DS if needed but I am down 87 lbs and feel so much better than I did before.  I am losing and I am changing my lifestyle. 

I had a total of  125 lbs to lose to get to a healhy bmi and 87 of that is gone.  I was required to do a 10 day liquid diet which shrinks your liver.  Post-op, my recovery was good.  I had surgery on Wednesday afternoon, went home Thursday and went Christmas shopping on Friday.  Back to work the following Wednesday (only because the office was closed).  I was tired but it was nothing that I could not handle.  I only had pain meds that first day of surgery and tylenol the second day before I left the hospital, nothing after that.  Life has been good.  I have had my little stalls, a little hair loss, struggles to eat all of my protein and drink my water and some moodiness but you will have these with any wls surgery.

good luck in making your decision

Thank you. I'm glad your surgery was a success. I can't imagine "struggling" to get food down. That will really be a dream come true. That was a good recovery time to. I probably won't go back to work right away even though I sit. I'll probably milk this as long as I can with work and the hubby .

Thanks for the support!

Just remember---the sleeve controls the quantity of food, not the quality.  That’s the biggest thing I’ve learned.  You own the quality piece.  It’s still about good nutrition and eating habits.

I initially selected the lap band. Then, after much research and a discussion with my doctor I opted for the sleeve.  It just felt like the right solution for me long term.  And, I had a friend who had the lap band. She pulled up her shirt one day and said, "See....feel this....you can feel the port/band through the skin." That sort of freaked me out.  That’s what had me exploring other options.

It hasn't been easy. It has been a journey filled with joy, success, pain, discouragement, and sadness at times. I really disliked the first three weeks....limited sleep, yucky bandages, pain and low energy.  I couldn’t sleep on my side for two weeks no matter how many pillows I used.

However, five weeks out and the days are getting so much better. I'm definitely happy, more confident and adjusting to sleeve life.  I’ve lost 25 pounds (5 pounds a week) and I like the energy I’m feeling, especially when walking.  I sleep all night, which hasn’t been the case in years.  No blood pressure or diabetic meds.  I don’t need a seat belt extender why flying.  My clothes are loose.  I smile more.

You'll hear the scary stories about leaks and complications (sort of like when you're pregnant and everyone has a "horror" story to share about a friend, cousin or friend of a friend’s third cousin). You'll hear success stories. Most of all, you will hear people just taking things one day at a time, healing, sharing and encouraging each other.