Hi everyone,
I am new to this forum and just started the process to get bariatric surgery. I saw my surgeon and he thought the Sleeve was a great option, but since then I have heard from different people that they wish they would have just gotten the bypass. A few people have told me that the sleeve stopped working (or maybe stretched out) after a few years. I love to hear your experiences and suggestions.
Thank you!
JMOS,
I'm new here and am only out 25 days from my surgery so what I have to say may not mean much, however I think anyone who is going in for either surgery has already spent a good portion of their life dealing with weight and the obvious harm it does both physically and emotionally. That being said whatever decision you make will require a lot of hard work and a complete lifestyle change because either surgery is only a tool. It comes down to how you use it. Any one of us can decide not to exercise, eat cheesecake and ice cream daily and just be passive in dealing with our weight loss.
I have 2 friends who went with the sleeve and one who went with the bypass. Out of those 3 2 have hit their weight loss goals. One friend who had the sleeve will admit that she has stopped regulating what she eats and only goes on walks for her exercise. (she loves pastries, cake and ice cream and eats these whenever she wants) I love her dearly, but she never really wanted to have to exercise, nor did she want to give up eating goodies. She told me once she used it as she did any other diet and once, she got down to a weight she was happy with she just stopped most exercise and watching what she ate. She has since gained back about 40 pounds. My friend who had the bypass surgery said he wishes he had gone with the sleeve like his mother because she lost all her weight and had no complications. He has lost all his weight, but fights malabsorption of vitamins and he now can't eat certain things that his mom who had the sleeve can still eat. But even though he can't eat some things he is still so happy he had the surgery because he is so much healthier than when he was heavier.
Any decision you make will be hard but one you will have to give all your energy and heart to. I personally went with the sleeve after a lot of research and many discussions with my surgeon. I also had a year between my initial consult and the surgery and lost about 82 pounds on my own. But I will share with you what my reasons were for choosing the sleeve.
- The sleeve surgery is less complicated.
- It has a faster recovery time.
- It has less issues with malabsorption or nutrient absorption.
- It less likely to have complications after surgery.
I got the above information from the NIH or National Library of Medicine, but you need to do your own research and talk with your doctors/team members. Ask any and all questions because there is NO DUMB question when it comes to your health, and you are your best advocate.
The above were my main concerns when making my decision, but I took in a few other factors as well. My surgeon told me she has done quite a few reversals of the gastric bypass surgery, but she has only done those for extreme situations where the patient had severe medical complications like server food intolerances, bad leakage, infection and malnutrition. She said that for the most part the patients she did the sleeve on may not have lost as much weight as her bypass patients, but they also didn't have as many complications. Now that was just her experience with her patients. She said most of the patients who had to have the reversals ended up with lifelong complications like damage to other vital internal organs, Gallstones, ulcers, bowl perforations and she said that even though the stomach and small intestines can be repaired they will never function like they did before.
Taking that all into account I decided on the sleeve, and I am happy so far with my results. I have had no GERD or dumping, nausea or vomiting, constipation or diarrhea. I am still on the stage after surgery with only liquid protein and pureed foods, but I have already lost close to 40 pounds (part of this was during the 2-week pre-op diet) and what's even better is I am up and moving more. (Well I was until I broke a bone in my foot and had my first ever instance of GOUT) But I have a hard boot for my foot and am now back to walking and I can still go to the gym and work on my upper body weight training.
Whatever decision you make I am sure it will be what is best for you and what you can live with. Remember either surgery is only a tool to help in your weight loss, it's what you bring to the table that will make the most of whatever surgery you go with. You have to be committed to regular exercise and maintaining the correct diet, otherwise surgery will only get you so far.
Good luck with your journey I hope for the best for you.