Which is better: sleeve gastrectomy or gastric bypass?

I am trying to decide between two procedures: sleeve gastrectomy (gastric sleeve surgery) or gastric bypass. Which is better?

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Which is better: sleeve gastrectomy or gastric bypass?

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It depends...
by: Jeff

The short answer is... it depends.

No procedure is right for everyone, as each procedure has pros and cons. Your specific circumstances will dictate which procedure is best for you.

For example...

Gastric bypass surgery has a high average excess weight loss (up to 70%), but is more invasive as it alters the path and function of your digestive system. Since it's more invasive, the risk of complications go up. It also causes dumping syndrome (which can be avoided with proper diet... makes some patients "like" dumping syndrome since it is a strong incentive to maintain a good diet).

Gastric sleeve surgery has a similar average excess weight loss without altering your digestive system (instead, a portion of the stomach is removed), so the complication rate is lower. However, there is not as much long-term research for this procedure, so gastric bypass surgery is still considered the "gold standard". In addition, it is possible that the reduced stomach will eventually stretch after gastric sleeve surgery, although minimally invasive procedures exist (such as the ) to shrink the stomach size.

Take a look at the following pages for more information and comparisons:

- Comparison of the Types of Weight Loss Surgery

- Analysis and Cost of Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass Surgery

- Analysis and Cost of Gastric Sleeve Surgery

After fully weighing the pros and cons of each procedure (assuming you've figured out bariatric surgery financing), find and interview bariatric surgeons in your area who specialize in each (or specialize in both).

Take care,

Jeff

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If i had it to do again...
by: Mindy

If I had to do it all over again I would have a sleeve, I Had a band . The band has too much up keep and now I have had a lot of troubles with it.
I was never a fan of gastric bypass. Nearly everyone I know with the exception of 2 people ( and I know about 20 ) who has had the bypass has gained the weight back.
You can eat through the sleeve but its not as easy to do as bypass.
Its all a matter of knowing what YOU can do !

Neither...band with plication
by: Anonymous

The long term results for sleeve are not good...weight regain, highe pressure leaks, and Gerd, again due to high pressure. The band works if you commit to it. The new thing is banded plication. Seems to be gaining popularity.

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