Help!!!

So , I'm new to this, I have been researching about all of the different weight loss surgeries and the risks and benefits and everything. My problems are that I have been overweight as long as I can remember, I diet I excersize  , I lose weight and then gain it back of course.  I am confused as which surgery to chose,and what will work best for me. I am also extremely scared and anxious.... Ugh I have been looking the most into the vsg...

Your story sounds like mine.  It's taken me till I'm this old (58) to realize that I need the advantage that WLS will give me in order to lose and keep off the weight. I don't like the idea of malabsorption, so the sleeve appeals to me. I also have an inordinate amount of stomach polyps which will be eliminated with the part of the stomach that is removed for the VGS. My surgeon helped me make this decision. I would ask your surgeon to explain all of them and advise which one would be the best for you. 

Hi, I just had the VSG for similar issues. I am only 23 but for years and i am talking 15 years ive been struggling with weight. I choose VSG because nothing was rerouted and it isnt easy to work around like the band. I wanted something permanent but not going to affect the path of my intestines. I tried every weight loss plan on the market. WLS is my answer 

I am also 23 :) I feel the same way, I tried to do it the natural way but it's not working....I've struggled with weight my entire life...I just feel like if I don't do it now then when .... Another reason I ask everyone is because I'm a self pay, I will be paying half and financing the other...is this surgery worth the money for you? I just want something that works

I feel its worth it. I mean its my life. I was having knee pain at w3 and was taking blood pressure and cholesterol medicines. I feel like had i not done it now i would have just been miserable until i decided later. Luckily i found a job out of college that had insurance that practically made it free. I have loans to pay on from college but my surgery was basically pennies in comparison. 

It sounds like our stories are very similar. 

I chose the sleeve because it was simpler than the RNY.  I didn't really consider the DS or other procedures.  The VSG is simpler than the RNY.  I didn't like the idea of a blind stomach, or having a pouch replace the stomach, or rerouting the intestines.  I didn't want to deal with dumping, or the mal-absorption which are more common with RNY.  Plus the results for the VSG were comparable with the RNY.  So I chose the sleeve.

I am one year post op and I'm approaching my goal weight.  I've lost 197 pounds in a little over a year.  I couldn't be happier.  The WLS really changes our bodies and makes the weight loss possible.  I've had decades of dieting and then gaining it back and more.  I couldn't have done it without the surgery. 

Best of luck on your weight loss journey.

Carol

I too was heavy all of my life and tried and failed at all diets.  I chose VSG for the same reasons listed by the above posters.  I am very happy with the results but just remember, you have to stick with an eating plan for the rest of your life for the weight to stay off.  It's a tool, not a cure. 

You need to look at the various surgeries and then discuss with your surgeon.  I originally wanted the lap band but I knew nothing about the VSG.  I quickly discovered that there was no way that I truly wanted the lap band and discarded it immediately.  The RNY scared me because I knew too many people who had the surgery that put the weight back on and I did not want my insides rerouted.  I also suffer from headaches and could not imagine not being able to take ibuprofen.  I decided the VSG was for me and everything just fell into place.  I was also physcially sick and on medications etc so for me this was more about saving my life because I was in a downward spiral.

My biggest fear is that I am going to put this weight back on.  Since I went to my first seminar and then got on this board and a few others, I have realized that with any of these surgeries, I can put the weight back on.  If I am not compliant, if I don't change my relationship with food, if I get complacent then it could be a real possibility.  I lost 80 lbs on weigh****chers, went back to school and did not follow the plan and put the weight back on.  I went to a weight loss doctor and lost about 30 lbs but then I was stuck.  I was never taught how to eat and what to eat and why to eat that way.  With this surgery and the help and support from this board, I have been able to change my life for the better.  I never can never say that I won't go back there again because I think all of us are one step from going back to our bad habits but if I stay connected to a support group such as this, then I will have a better chance of being successful in the long term.

So I guess bottom line, is select the surgery that is best for you and your health conditions.  Then.....plan on staying compliant for the rest of your life.  Keep your head in the game and you will be successful.  At times it will not be easy but you can do this and succeed!

If you think that restriction alone is enough (it was for me, but it's not for everyone), then VSG is probably your best bet.  If you feel that your metabolism is really shot and you can't lose on a low calorie diet, then I would look into DS.  I really think those are the best choices for most people.  Of course, I think you should research all four surgeries in detail and make the final decision yourself because you are the one that will have to live with it.