I did the same 12 week course with Kaiser and by the end of the 12 weeks you will be so informed you will be able to figure it all out a lot easier. Ask questions and interact in the class. Most of the class was going to have the sleeve done, I think 1 or 2 of the people there were going with RNY mostly due to medical reasons. I LOVED the classes, they were very informative and cover EVERYTHING. Once your finished you will talk again with your surgeon and be able to figure out which is best for you.
GOOD LUCK & Enjoy the classes!

Dtto what Dale said above.

I was too obese for RNY. My only option was the sleeve, although IF needed this could later be changed to RNY. However, my surgeon showed me the stats that said that most people lost as much weight with the sleeve as with RNY.

I've been very happy with this so far. Unless I stay in this crazy stall, I can't see even broaching RNY with my insurance company or ever wanting to do so.

Jena gives sound advice as well. Learn as much as you can in the next 3 months then work with your surgeon to determine what the best way to go is for you.

I second what the other posters have said about choosing the sleeve. I wanted the least complicated procedure, didn't want to be unable to take NSAIDs or deal with malabsorbtion. At 9 months out, I'm very happy with my decision.

Thank you all you Sleevers for sharing your reasons & experiences!! Did you all notice we added VSG to our Group Name and changed the picture to represent all of us???

I had my first surgeon appointment today to start the process. I wanted the sleeve but my surgeon thinks I should go with RNY because of my age (49) and my comorbidities (sleep apnea, diabetes, high blood pressure) also she said because I have GERD and the sleeve is not a good choice with GERD? I currently weigh 308 lbs...

I did RNY and so far have had no complications. I also had severe heartburn (not GERD), apnea, high blood pressure, asthma, pre-diabetic, etc. My quality of life was being diminished and after years of trying to eat healthy and exercise the extra weight off, I decided to take a surgical step (I have PCOS as well). I did not want the mindset that I could "reverse" my decision later. For me, it was significant to take the most extreme step that I could, if I was going there at all. I needed to lose a little more than half my body weight and my surgical team leaned toward RNY (although the choice was definitely mine). Almost 6 months out I have not experienced any heartburn, my bp dosage has gone from 320mg/day to 80mg/day, I have had no asthma symptoms, and so far my metabolic panels are normal. One thing I will say, I was kind of looking forward to the "dumping" side-effect - as I have always had a hard time with sugar. They talk about it a lot when giving info on GB surgery, and although it is described as very unpleasant, I felt it was almost touted as an advantage. I have not experienced that at all, and upon further research I've read that as low as 30% of GB patients actually dump after eating high sugar or fats. Also, cravings do come back. I only say that because if you are a sugar person, RNY may or may not help you with those habits. The built in deterrent of dumping is far from guaranteed. Good luck with whatever you choose.

Keep in mind I am not a medical professional, but I had severe GERD and got the sleeve. I had a hiatal hernia that my surgeon thought was contributing to the GERD. It was repaired at the time I got the sleeve. I have not had any heartburn symptoms since the surgery and don't take meds for GERD anymore. If you have GERD but want the sleeve, take to your surgeon about it.

I went with the RNY. My medical team would have given me the band, sleeve or the bypass. They generally told me the sleeve would cause you to lose up to about a 100, so I primarily went with the RNY due to the amount that I wanted to lose.

There are a few advantages/disadvantages to each one. These are the reasons that I went for the RNY

1. I had\have 160 lbs to lose to my ultimate goal. That exceeded what the doctors said the average VSGer would lose.
2. I actually liked the idea of a surgery that changes the plumbing. It's mal-absorptive. Means I don't absorb food as readily as others.
3. I liked the idea of dumping to help keep me under control. It helps keep me honest and not eat something too fatty or sugary.
4. Didn't like the idea of the very, very long staple lines in the VSG. Also didn't seem like it would something that would last. Figured I'd stretch my stomach out again. Didn't know that the part of the stomach that makes the hunger feeling would be removed too. I would also note that for the first 6 months after my RNY I felt no hunger at all. I ate on a schedule. Now I'm able to control my hunger through what I choose to eat.

Now, there are side effects as well -

1. No taking of any ibuprofen (NSAID) ever again.
2. No time release medication ever again.
3. Somewhat large does of vitamins for the rest of your life. I currently take 11 pills/chews daily for vitamins.
4. VERY easy to get drunk. The valve between stomach and intestine is removed. Alcohol dumps straight to intestines and is absorbed very quick. I get tipsy on about a 1/3 of a glass of wine.
5. Constipation - Yes, I know TMI. However I have periodically had issues with it and anal fissures at times. Mostly due to the higher protein diet that I choose to eat. I can mitigate the issues with yogurt or probiotics.
6. Late addition - You should wear a medical bracelet/necklace warning for no blind NG tubes. If somebody does that, then they can tear your pouch up and poke holes in it!


So, as you can see it's a very personal question that will depend on what your medical situation and needs require. Do I think either the VSG or RNY would have worked for me? Yes, knowing what I know now, I would seriously consider the VSG, however I don't question that my life with RNY is vastly better than with no surgery at all. Other than sporadic constipation I have had no issues. From what I've seen on this forum, the sleeve seems to be just as effective as the RNY, as long as the person knows it's just a tool. Both surgeries will fix/help any co-morbidities that you have. I had hyper-tension (High BP), sleep apnea, and was pre-diabetic. My liver function was actually 4 times the highest safe level. My doctor thought I was an alcoholic! Within 6 months all of those issues were gone. I haven't taken a pill of any medication for the last 6 months. I'm 19 months post-op now.

Also, the hiatal hernia is VERY common in overweight people and does contribute to GERD. They can repair the hernia when they are in there and typically do it without problems. I've had no heartburn since surgery. Used to get it fairly commonly.

I had my first surgeon appointment today to start the process. I wanted the sleeve but my surgeon thinks I should go with RNY because of my age (49) and my comorbidities (sleep apnea, diabetes, high blood pressure) also she said because I have GERD and the sleeve is not a good choice with GERD? I currently weigh 308 lbs...

I have acid reflux. Not sure if that is different from GERD, but it was not a roadblock to me for the sleeve. My reflux is no different now than before I was sleeved. You might want to double check that if you really wanted the sleeve. Also, I had mine when I was 55. Not sure why you age of 49 is a factor. The only real difference between you and I is I had high blood pressure, but not the other two comorbidities. Look the surgeons do know more than we do, but we need to really advocate for what we want, and if you really don't want the RNY, push until either you get what you want (meaning it's not a bad decision just the surgeon's preference) or your surgeon can help you understand exactly why the RNY is the better surgery and you are comfortable with it.