After I starting leaning more and more towards having a Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy instead of the Lap Band, I started making a list of questions and every time I thought of one, or someone in my support group (aka Mom, Husband, 2 best girlfriends, etc.) I wrote it down.

This is the list of questions that I had for the doctor, along with the answers received.  These are in the order I wrote them down, so they’re pretty random!  These are my interpretations of his answers, so they are by no means medical advice!

• Why do they take out the remaining part of the stomach in VSG and not in bypass?  In bypass the remaining stomach pouch as part of the intestinal track attached to it (since the intestines are bypassed) which allows any secretions from the stomach to drain.  In VSG, since there is no bypass, the extra stomach pouch is sealed shut as part of the stapling procedure.  The gases and secretions in the stomach would fill the pouch and it could go BOOM.  No bueno.
• How long until I can swim after surgery?  As soon as the scabs over my incision points start to fall off, so a few weeks after surgery.
• Would I be a good candidate for VSG vs. the Lap Band?  Absolutely, the Dr. thinks I’ll be much happier with the long term results from VSG and the minimal after care required from the VSG vs. the Lap Band.
• Is he preforming VSG’s regularly?  Yes, about the same number of VSG’s as Lap Bands at this point.  He said he used to do about 50% gastric bypasses and about 50% bands.  Starting about 5 years ago or so, the number of bands started to reduce and the number of VSG’s started to go up.  He said that the last two weeks he’s done more VSG’s than anything else.
• How many complications has he run into?  He’s never had a patient have an acute leak (aka major) and by following the rules post-surgery, my chances of a leak that they don’t catch during the actual procedure is <1%.  He then told me a funny story about someone eating a hot dog a week out and how that’s NOT a good idea!
• Pre-operatively, does my To-Do list (aka requirements) change?  Yes, instead of having an upper GI barium swallow, I will have to have an endoscopy instead.  Which means I will go under a tiny bit of anesthesia so that they can scope my throat and esophagus to make sure everything is where it should be and I’m OK for surgery.
• How does he feel about VSG?  He thinks that are a great option, and that we will likely see fewer and fewer Lap Bands as time progresses.  He finds that the non-bypass patients are either totally about the band or totally about the VSG.  His opinion was that the longer out we are with the Lap Band, the more and more complications are going to be found (scaring of the stomach, slipping, erosion, etc.)  Since VSG has been done as part of almost 30 year old procedure (the duodenal switch) he feels that it really does have more long term results than the band, even though VSG has been studied as a standalone procedure for about a decade (and more popularly for about 6 years.)
• How long in the hospital for VSG?  One night/two days.
• How long off of work for VSG, my plan is to take two weeks?  He thinks two weeks is absolutely sufficient and would foresee me possibly going back sooner, or at least releasing me to work from home.
• Getting pregnant 18 months post-op, can I have a healthy pregnancy?  Absolutely, 18 months would be the perfect amount of time to wait to start trying and yes I can absolutely have a healthy pregnancy. (So Yes Mom, you will have grand kids.)
• Are antacids and gall stone prevention medications part of the post op prescription list?  Yes.  The medicine that prevents gall stones reduces the risk of gall stones from 20% to 4%.  Gall stones occur in bariatric patients due to very fast weigh loss.
• Should I stop my BC at the end of this pack (since I have to be off of it one month before and  one month after surgery)?  Yes.
• Can I use something other than OptiFast if its equivalent nutritionally for the pre-op liquid diet?  Yes.
• Does surgery require a drain?  Yes.  Ugh.

At the end of the consultation I met with the insurance coordinator.  I begged to get put on the schedule (knowing that it could change due to insurance approval) so that my Mom could make plans for coming up to be with me and so that my husband would have an idea of what our schedule looks like.  I am tentatively scheduled for Monday August 22^nd, and would return to work the day after Labor Day!  That’s less than two months away now!