BAA624

I’m 9 years post-op and this still happens! I was in a meeting last week and it was completely silent, except for my rumbly grumbly tummy; I actually apologized to the woman sitting next to me because it was so loud! 😂

I had RNY when I was 29, and I’m 38 now. I was diagnosed with PCOS at age 20 (my mother also had it) and took Loestrin for years to regulate my cycle. After my RNY, I stopped talking the oral birth control; I started having regular periods again quite quickly actually. In 2015, I had the Paragard IUD placed, but my body expelled it after 10 months. I then started taking Yaz, and was on it for 7 years, until recently, when my husband had a vasectomy. I personally noticed over the last couple of years that my PMS symptoms increased tremendously, instead of decreasing as they do for some women on BC. I also never had one single pregnancy scare on oral contraceptives; my OB GYN knew I had RNY and said it was totally fine for me to take them for the length of time I did. I’ve been off the Yaz for close to 3 months now, and have had regular cycles again already. 😊

Good Morning: I just wanted to get some feedback in case anyone else has experienced this (I'm quite sure some have). My last bariatric follow-up was fine. He told me my numbers were good and to keep it up. This week, I had a visit with my new primary care doctor. My previous PCP retired after 15 years (which I was very sad about-her retirement was unexpected). I was with her before & after my RNY, and she was very knowledgeable about everything related to the surgery. When I went to the new PCP this week, after he reviewed my numbers (BP was a little high-I was told to stop taking my birth control because it can cause high blood pressure for woman over 35), he looked at my weight and advised me to lose more weight, which could help with my BP. I wanted to go on the defensive but did not. My BMI stays around 28-29, and that is after having skin removal on my entire body. I wear size 6-8 jeans and small to medium in pants. I honestly don't know where the additional weight could be lost lol. My question is: how does everyone else handle this with a medical provider when it's encountered? I wanted to tell him that I used to weigh 311 pounds, so my weight now is considerably better.

I thought the plastic surgeon who has done all of my skin removal surgeries was making this up lol... I had 19.2 pounds of skin removed from my abdominal and mons area! Now, contrary to what may be some people's experience, that has NEVER been reflected on the scale. Somehow, my weight actually stayed around the same, maybe slightly less. Pretty weird!

I was able to receive partial insurance coverage for the panniculectomy portion of my tummy tuck. Essentially, my plastic surgeon's office submitted everything to my insurance company (documents, photos, notes from the surgeon, etc.) and it WAS denied the first time. He's awesome though and he actually did a peer-to-peer review for me; after that, Medical Mutual did cover the panniculectomy, and I paid the additional portion out of pocket for the conversion to a full tummy tuck. My experience (though it may be quite different from others' experience) was this: my plastic surgeon told me in our first consult that he rarely does just a panniculectomy for a bariatric patient. He explained that if there were just minimal apron skin to be removed, it might be sufficient. For my case though, he was very honest and said to me 'If I just do a panniculectomy for you, you are not going to be happy with the results.' He was right and I went with the full abdominoplasty.

I agree with what others have said. My plastic surgeon did pulsed dye laser treatment for my scars after my thigh and arm lifts. We talked about microneedling but honestly, I don't know its effectiveness for improving skin laxity. I have had a standard microneedling treatment done by my dermatologist for acne scarring, but for me, I personally saw better results with the laser treatments.

Hey all: I had what I hope is my last minor skin revision on Friday of last week. I developed a pretty nasty reaction to the steritape used to cover two incisions. I’ve had this reaction before. My plastic surgeon and the CNP in his office determined it was essentially hives. I have removed the steritape and followed the office’s instructions. They called in a Medrol (prednisone) 6 day course of steroids for me. Does anyone have experience with taking short term corticosteroids after RNY? To be safe, I’m taking them with a 20mg Omeprazole and food or milk. Is there a risk of pouch irritation/ulcer for a short term course? I’m 9 years post-op.

Absolutely agree with what others on this. If the relationship is heading towards a long term commitment, I would certainly share. I met my now husband when I was about 5 years post-op. It wasn’t until we became exclusive that I shared with him about having RNY. A quick side quip: he actually saw my Bariatric vitamins on top of my refrigerator at the time (I was living in a small apartment then). He asked me about it so it was full disclosure. He also is very physically fit. He was an EMT in the military and was quite familiar with the surgery. He is incredibly supportive and was not judgmental at all! 🙂

Thank you so much for posting this! Wow. What a knowledgeable bariatric surgeon. He even said 27-29 for BMI. I really appreciated hearing him explain that ‘ideal weight’ is sometimes just not the goal for us bariatric folks. At a BMI of under 25, I think personally I would look sickly.

Thank you everyone. That’s a really good point that was made, whether or not he even looked at my records. It is certainly frustrating that doctors just seem hyper focused on one measure. I am giving thought to moseying on down the road to another doctor. And, my husband had the snip, so I was able to stop the pill and hopefully my BP continues to go back to normal. He also reminds me that BMI is not an accurate measure of total body composition. 😊

Same for me. My B12 was high in the past, and my surgeon told me to switch to even one time per week, as my body might be absorbing more than I realize from meat.

No, no diabetes medication since about three months after my surgery. I wonder if she was just cranky that day haha. 😆

Good morning everyone. I just had my yearly labs done. My numbers were pretty good but could be better. I’m curious: for folks years out from RNY, what do your A1C and lipids run? My A1C was 5.1 but my doc said it should be back under 5.0. My LDL (bad cholesterol) was 86 and she also told me it could be lower. Thanks in advance!

Hi all! I’ve been reading a few posts here and there from folks who are many years out from surgery and now I am curious too: how much of a portion in one meal are other RNYers able to eat? I’m 9 years post-op. Some days vary. Usually, I notice more that my appetite is still lower. However, I’m able to eat, say, a small turkey wrap and a small side dish, and not feel much restriction. The last time I felt stuffed was unintentional: I ate too many raw baby carrots and was miserable for hours! So basically, have others noticed with meals that over time, the restricted feeling that was so common in the beginning, just isn’t there as much?

I was just having this conversation with my sister the other day. I find it really interesting when it comes to ideas about bariatric surgery and birth control. I had the Paragard IUD when I had my RNY in September 2013. I started experiencing horrible hormonal acne three years later, and was prescribed Yaz. I had my IUD removed because the bleeding was terrible. I had never had heavy periods prior to the Paragard and when it was removed, the heavy bleeding stopped. Yaz has kept my skin blemish free for 6 years. Even as a RNY patient, it has been completely effective against pregnancy. So, for some women, there may be an increased risk of malabsorption of the BCP, but that has not been my experience. My GYN knows my surgical history and told me years ago it’s totally fine for me and my husband to continue using as our primary method of BC.

I’m 9 years out from RNY. I will mimic what a couple other people have said. While I do eat ‘mini’ meals still, I also could order a small sized appetizer or an entree and eat one half of it and leave the rest. I can also eat most of a small sized bowl at Bibibop or similar places that have the make your own bowls. And some days are weird. Today, I had a small lean ground beef patty and a small side salad. Some days I can eat more and other days I am barely hungry. I heard someone say at a seminar years ago that years out from surgery, RNY patients ‘eat the same sized portions as most thin people.’ Not sure if that’s true but it makes sense. 😊

I can completely relate and I'm glad I am not alone. I was also thinking that the further out I am from surgery, the more PMS/normalized pre-menstrual symptoms I have. I have been on Yaz for over 6 years (started it 3 years after my RNY) and for the first few years, I did not notice the intense PMS symptoms. Now, the week before my period, I just don't feel near the restriction as I do the rest of the month. I spoke with a friend who had her RNY in 2017 and she also said she can eat and eat the week before her period. I don't know if there are any studies or research to back this up, but I would swear to it that my food capacity increases before my period and then goes back to normal the other three weeks of the month.

Sure, I paid about $6900 after my insurance paid for the panniculectomy. That was the out of pocket portion to convert to a full tummy tuck. I paid my deductible and coinsurance for the insurance approved portion (my deductible was $400). In total, all of the skin removal (tummy tuck, arm lift, thigh lift, and liposuction of the back and neck/chin) was around $28,000.

I had a full tummy tuck in July 2020 which was covered in part by insurance, as others have mentioned. Typically, the panniculectomy is covered when it's pre-certified, and then the excess fees to convert to abdominoplasty are paid out of pocket. At my very first consultation with my plastic surgeon, the first words out of his mouth were 'If I do just a panniculectomy, you are not going to be happy with the results. I very rarely anymore just do a panniculectomy.' He explained the difference to me: the panniculectomy is the removal of the apron of the hanging belly, or the pannus. The abdominoplasty goes a few steps further and tightens the loosened abdominal wall, and also includes liposuction. It also improves the appearance of the upper abdominal area and the belly button, as well as helping with posture and abdominal strength by tightening the abdominal muscles. However, in the insurance world, they are concerned with the functonality part of the skin removal, and the conversion to the full tummy tuck is beyond what is considered 'medically necessary.' I am pleased with my tummy tuck and my surgeon is very talented. He works closely with bariatric patients, and I felt comfortable with what he was telling me and knew that he knew what he was doing.

Wow, dating at first was very challenging. There were a couple of men I dated who I did not feel comfortable sharing with, and for me, that’s how I knew it wasn’t the right fit. I met my now husband when I was 5 years post-op. We were introduced by a mutual friend and his co-worker. I told my husband pretty early on about having had RNY. He is a counselor, and was in the Air Force and had EMT/medic training and was familiar with bariatric surgery. I was a little rare in the sense of skin removal/plastics. I did not have my first skin removal surgery until I was almost 7 years post-op (mainly because I was single with only my income and could not afford plastic surgery). In July 2020, I had a full abdominoplasty which we were able to get covered by insurance (I work for the government and our plan is pretty solid). In July 2021, I had an arm & thigh lift done together. My husband has been remarkably supportive. He knew me with the extra skin and now sees me without it. He said it hasn’t changed his view of me at all, he just wants me to feel okay in my own body. 🙂 I can just say that when you’re ready to talk about having had the surgery, the right person will be there in support. 🤗

Hi everyone. I hope I’m posting this in the correct place. I just wanted to get some insight or any prior experience. I had RNY on 9/9/13. Down from 311 pounds to between 170-180 now for maintenance. Prior to surgery, I was on Metformin, Protonix, and HCTZ. I was off all three meds within three months of surgery. Surgically, I had to have my appendix out and gallbladder removed many years ago, so neither are causing my current issues. About a month ago, I started getting wicked heartburn and reflux. My appetite is diminished. No vomiting, but zero desire to eat. I have cut out spicy foods, I’m not a smoker or tobacco user, and I do not drink alcohol. I’m 38 years old and in otherwise good health. I go to the gym 3-4 times a week. I have tried OTC Omeprazole, baking soda, Tums, and all the antacids. I started drinking decaffeinated chamomile tea in the morning as well. Does anyone have experience with heartburn, GERD, etc. coming back many years after RNY? What ended up being the cause? I have my annual followup with my bariatric surgeon on October 11, but I’m wondering if I should move the appointment up. Thank you in advance for any insight!

Thank you for the feedback everyone. I wasn’t told there was anything strange about my esophagus when I had my RNY in 2013. No previous hernia repair. I was diagnosed with acid reflux back then, which until recently, was asymptomatic. I haven’t taken a PPI on a daily basis since before my RNY. Just an occasional Tums or something like that if I ate something spicy. Now it’s daily though. Mild pain in the center of my belly, heartburn, and some reflux. I don’t have near the ‘regurgitation’ feeling that I did years ago though, which I suspect is a result of the bypass.