VSG if you're over 300lbs??

 Hey everyone!

So I'm new to this board, even though I've been on and off the site for years.  I was convinced that RnY was the procedure for me, but I've been told that it's going to be VSG for me now.  I understand why the risks aren't as high and why it's better, and it really is about being healthy over being skinny for me (although I'm not opposed to both :P ).  I know that I also have the option of a revision in a few yrs if the first procedure doesn't produce the desired results...

I guess my concern is that most VSG patients I've seen on here weigh around or under 300 before surgery, and I'm about 365 right now. Maybe I didn't go back far enough in the posts, but is there anyone on here who had the VSG that started at a weight closer to 400 who might be able to provide me with some insight on the weight loss journey since the surgery? 

I'm still at least 6 months away from surgery and hoping to continue losing more on my own, I'd just really appreciate some info so I can get a more realistic view of what to expect :) 

Thanks everyone! Looking forward to being more active on here from now on :P 

I've never been over 300lbs. my highest weight was 285 and on surgery day i weighed 250... personally i've had slow weight loss.. lots of medication issues... i've been questioning my choice of surgery, if i should've had the rny. but i know peopel closer to 400lbs have had the vsg and been very successful.

and yeah, the revision option is always there... the vsg is the first part of the DS. which may be more beneficial. who knows.

the best way to know is to talk to a surgen and ask their opinion.  I'm wishing the DS was available to me, but it's not. and wont be for a few years at least.

it's been done. it can be done. ultimately its up to the risks/benefits, that you need to consider and all that jazz.

good luck though. i hope you make the decision that is best for you and surgery goes well. (:

 Thanks for your input, Ashley :) 

I was seeing a surgeon for just over a year and a half and finally switched to a closer one who has a better pre-and-post-op program.  Both of them are great doctors and insisted that at my BMI, doing the VSG is a much safer option for me.  It is a bit disheartening because I know I won't lose as much as I would with RnY, but that also cancels out my fear of other complications and being nothing but bone and skin like a lot of other RnY patients I know...I like being a bit on the chubbier side, I just can't afford to stay at this weight for much longer.  

I trust my new surgeon, I think we'll be able to work out something that's in my best interests and I am not opposed to a revision later; I was just wondering how much I can expect to lose with VSG, roughly, from this starting point. 

That "as much" based on statistics is 15-20 pounds on average which means if you bust your ass you can lose "as much" as you would with the RNY. Don't buy into the hype that you'll lose so much more. I think  that skin and bone look comes from other issues like vitamin deficiencies. The sunken in eyes look...

I was 323 at my first surgery appointment for the VSG. There are many people on this site that were over 300lbs before surgery. I have lost almost 120 lbs so far and have a little bit more to go. I would go into the VSG with a positive attitude that it will be your only surgery and that you will succeed at it instead of thinking of a revision down the road. I really don't know much about the revision, but for some reason I feel I have heard  that doing a DS in 2 steps is less succesful and it is meant as a one step procedure, but I could be way off....I am sure someone can chime in with the correct info.

 Thank you lanunes :) I spent 6 yrs thinking it'd be RnY, and after my consult yesterday that's changed.  So I am taking the time now to learn what I can and soak up all the info and get as prepared as possible.  I don't want a 2nd surgery, but I like knowing the option is there.  My first thought when I got home after my appointment was that I will do anything to kick my own butt and make this work, no matter what procedure my surgeon chooses.  I really appreciate you mentioning that because it's a great reminder when I get carried away with all the other opinions and info coming my way!

I started at 380.8 on my preop diet and exactly 4 months later I'm 299.6., so 81ish pounds. There are people here who started at my weight who are about 2 weeks ahead of me who lost a little more on their preop diet but who have lost about 110 pounds as of today. When I first came here I made a post about being 400 pounds and getting VSG because I was concerned and I got a lot of replies. There is a white search bar up in the right hand corner of the screen. You can use that to search for posts about it. This type of question gets asked every couple of weeks. A lot of people are concerned about it. I would say that people with higher BMIs have to work harder because their journey is longer. They can't get to goal in 6 months or a year and sometimes it can take 2 or more years. That can get very discouraging for people and from what I hear the weightloss phase is quite different than maintenance. Granted, people will tell you that it is possible to lose 200 pounds in a year if you work hard enough but your body will do what it is going to do and from what I've seen, those situations tend to be the exception not the rule. I'm only 80 pounds into my 200-230 pound journey but I still wouldn't choose RNY over this surgery. I don't think I've heard anyone here say they wish they'd had an RNY, though I have heard people say they have considered having a 2nd surgery so they can have malabsorption.

 I appreciate your input, hwag! You're right, the search bar was very helpful, thanks for that tip :) 

I've never expected any form of the surgery to be easy, and I'm determined to make it a priority...I've already taken time off work/school in the last year to focus on my health/diet/exercise and my surgeon is happy about that.  I'm in no rush to sabotage my pre-op progress and I'm so excited for what's to come because I've finally built up a steady routine I know I can keep up with long-term.  

I've waited all these years, I can work through a few more once I get that little push.  I'm not in a hurry to lose the weight, but I do want to lose it and finally start seeing/feeling the difference my efforts are making.

That's awesome :) It's very good that you're preparing physically and emotionally for everything. Hopefully you'll be a lot more prepared for the shock that comes. I know I thought I was very prepared but once the reality sunk in about 2 months in, things kind of changed and I went through a  period of serious depression but I still think I had it better than some other people that I read from. Therapy and working through the issues that made us get the way we are is probably the best thing we could do. I wish I had done a lot more of that.

I wondered the same thing since I'm just a little over 300 lbs and most seem to be between 200 lbs and 250 lbs.  But I will tell you it's because the RNY has a faster weight loss.  But it really is more risky.   I met a guy at the local info session in my area that was 525 lbs and had the sleeve done!  He lost 170 lbs in just 14 months!  So it can be done.  (True that men do loss faster than women but still. )  He went to the info session cause now his wife is interested in getting the sleeve.