Gastric Sleeve VS. RNY??

Hi everyone, I am a newbie here. I am scheduled to have surgery on November 19th. I changed my mind a week ago about having the RNY and decided on the Gastric Sleeve. I am worried about complications further down the road with the RNY. I have a pretty strong fear of the malabsorption issues. I have read about neuropathies, osteoperosis, chronic anemeia, etc.....Scared me !!

BUT- I am also afraid to get the sleeve for fear that it won't work well enough. I have a BMI of around 57. I am a self pay and would hate for this not to work for me after spending all the $$.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to which one is better? Any experiences with both?

Anyone out there who has had problems with either surgery or no problems at all - even ten years out or so with the RNY? 

Any advice will be appreciatted.
TIA

You do not HAVE to have the vitamin deficiencies with any of the surgeries. It's possible to remain nutritonally solidy even afer radical distal RNY or DS. You jusy have to have a good nutriton plan.

Well you have several things to consider.....but realize this, NO ONE can tell you which surgery to have...no one will live with the surgery choice  you make except you, and no one except you will have to live with the results (well perhapsy our family....they do get effected by our weight isseus). With that said here are some things you might want to consider.  The VSG is a new "stand" alone procedure for weight loss.  There are no real statistics out there for 5 or 10 years out, in the past restriction only surgeries fail long term for most super morbidly obese people.  Some restriction only surgeries, such as stomach stapling and VBG and now even the lap band have not in the past been successful for most super morbidly obese people (people with BMIs over 50) because in general if your BMI is that high you have some type of eating disorder, diagnosed or undiagnosed.  The lap band (the most popular restrctive only surgery currently)  promises about a 50 percent loss of your excess weight, yet if you are 200 lbs overweight, that will leave you 100 lbs overweight.  The benefit of the VSG is that it reduces stomach size, and cuts ghrelin (the hunger hormone).  Also there is the added benefit of no dumping, no strictures and no vitamin issues with the VSG.  I have great respect for the RNYers on this forum, they are very active, and work their tool really hard, but I couldn't have lived with the RNY.  Dumping and the fear of regain and the restricted eating would have driven me crazy...and honestly I would have probably out eaten it....and needed a revision. I had the DS, and the top part of that surgery is the VSG.  I started this journey with a BMI of 64, and I'm telling you that by 6 months out, I could have out eaten the restriction of the VSG.  Yes, you do get fuller on less food, you can't eat big portions, but you can eat all day, you can eat surgary foods, you can eat fatty foods, etc etc etc.   I needed the malabsorbtion of the Duodenal switch..and I still need it.  At 20 months post op from the DS, I went from 492 lbs preop.....to my current weight which hovers around 200 (today I'm 199), which is normal for a person 6'1''. (i still have about 20 lbs of excess skin that has to be removed).  I personally could not have been successful with either the RNY or the VSG, but at leat if you have the VSG, if it's not enough, you can get revised to the DS at a later time if you needed the malabsorbtion. Hope this helps Scott PS you might want to check out the revision board and the failed WLS forum because then you can see why their surgeries failed them. 

and what michelle said..... Scott

Hi C, I had the VSG almost 2 months ago, and feel it was the best thing I have done for myself healthwise. But yes, I am only 2 months out. I suggest to you to go to the VSG board here on OH, and ask any questions you may have.   I also didn't want assimilation issues, but like the previous poster mentioned....that you alone have to make the best decision for yourself. You are a smart cookie to do the research!  Good for you! READ, READ, and more reading is your order of the day. Research RnY and research everything you can get your hands on. Nobody on these boards should be swaying you, other than telling you the limited information relative to themselves.  And I mean 'relative'.   Take care, and scoot on over to the Vertical Sleeve board...ask away.  And  scoot over to the RnY'ers and again, ask away!