hi. i'm in the researching phase right now. i know my insurance will cover me, as long as surgery is deemed medically necessary. I have my appointment set up for my local hospitals seminar in march. and right now i'm reading everything i can.

i didn't see anything on here by anyone who has just has a gatric sleeve done. i have read it's mostly used for severely obese to prepare for later surgery, but I've also been reading about it as a stand alone procedure. Honestly, I'm torn between that and lap-band and I can't decide which would be better.

Just wondering if anyone has any experience with gastric sleeve they'd be willing to share with me. Also any other noob advice I'll gladly take it!!

gastric sleeve is a great surgery and leaves room for revision to a DS later on.

pretty much everyone I know online who has had VSG is happy with it. ME I wanted the malabsorption that RNY provided.

Attending a seminar will help you decide... no doubt


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The VSG is a fabulous option for those who do not want malabsorption. I have a VSG for my stomach plus a kick of malabsorption via intestinal re-routing. I post a lot on a VSG forum as well, and they are all pretty happy with it. That said, they are almost all less than 2 years out from surgery. The biggest issue with the VSG currently is that there is no solid long-term data about how well (or not) patients can maintain their weight loss years down the road. However, the studies ARE there to show that, especially for lower BMIs (<45), the initial weight loss with the VSG is right on par with that of the RNY, so that's good news.

When it comes to band versus sleeve, I would personally recommend a sleeve every time. With the sleeve, you lose a large amount of ghrelin production initially (it can come back later, but it's helpful to kick it in the beginning), which can help with hunger control. I've heard some band patients complain of extreme frustration due to still feeling hungry all the time and not being able to eat to satisfy that hunger. Then, I've also heard band patients say their band DOES help with hunger. But I have never heard of a VSGer who wishes they could eat more; they are generally satisfied with the amounts of food they can eat.

Also, with the sleeve, since there is no unnaturally narrow passageway for food to have to go through, it's much less common to get food "stuck." You also don't have to worry as much about maintenance regarding fills/unfills as you would with the band. You also don't have to worry about a potential future surgery for mechanical issues, such as disconnected port, the band eroding the stomach, the band slipping up to the esophogus, having to have the band replaced, etc.

I enjoy having a sleeved stomach. I have never vomited since I left the hospital from surgery, I have never experienced "sliming," I've never gotten food stuck, and I can eat anything I want, just in smaller quantities, obviously.

Now, I know you said your insurance covers WLS. Have you checked to see exactly which procedures they will cover? Many do not cover the VSG due to the lack of long-term data, but some are starting to now since it was just assigned its own procedure code on 1/1/10. I would just double-check to make sure they cover the procedure you want.