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I know my Bariatric Clinic works with patients that were done in Mexico, specifically patients with complications.

the stomach isn't floating around - it's still there. They just put a line of staples across your stomach to divide it between pouch and the remnant stomach. RNY IS reversible - but it's a complicated surgery and they'll only do it if the patient has some serious medical issues. (btw - VSG is NOT reversible, since they remove 80% of your stomach and throw it away) those intestinal problems you mentioned can happen, but they are pretty rare.

I personally don't understand how the balloon makes sense to anyone. Why would you want something expensive and short term - so you lose weight from restriction for a couple months then that restriction is gone. Wont you just regain the weight? You need to talk to a bariatric physician, not your family physician. Your family doctor is no expert, mine certainly wasn't. I found I was more educated doing my own research before approaching him about it . And then I had to spend 45 minutes talking him into supporting me through the medically supervised weightloss. Yes the sleeve is irreversible and infections can be deadly. But the same can be said for virtually every surgery, sleeve gastrectomies aren't a large infection risk! Infections are possible yes, but your biggest risk for surgery isn't infection, its a leaky staple line. Sleeve surgery has less possible complications than hip replacement surgery - yet you'd never hear your doctor talk you out of getting a hip replaced if they felt like thats what you needed for your health, even though it too is irreversible, a risk for infection and if there is something wrong you can't "put it back". Your family doctor likely sees bariatrics as an elective, cosmetic procedure and is trying to scare you out of it without considering how much your health can improve with the benefits of weight loss surgery.

Agree. I usually target 70 G protein and 25 g carbs with a calorie goal of 1100. If I follow this I maintain. A guide for me - i agree though hit protein with a low carb menu without being kedo strict Best to you I will be in the need to lose a few pounds when I am off my post surgery complication diet.

Mine used a 36. I asked him if he would use a 34 and he said no. Said he thought 36 was the safest size and had the most success without complications. For him, not all doctors. I’ve had no complications and still have pretty good restriction. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

First, a rave. I'm about two months post-op and down almost 40 pounds. I started weight training at a new subscription gym called The Exercise Coach and love it. My weight loss is quite noticeable and I get plenty of compliments. I'm down two sizes. I like looking in the mirror again. I am being patient; I know this is a journey. While the stalls are annoying, I know that it's part of the process. I don't freak out if I go up a few pounds; I know that my body is fickle and still adjusting. I haven't vomited or gotten the "foamies." I had no complications from surgery. I poop regularly. I haven't had any hair loss. Overall, I feel like everything is going exactly as it should. Now, the rant. I really, really miss eating a full meal. The kind where you have a variety of foods on your plate. By the time I get all of my protein in my new tiny tummy is too full for anything else. Sometimes I supplement with a protein drink or shake just so I can skip (or limit) the protein at my dinnertime meal and add a small amount of salad or veggies. I always thought I loved to cook, but now I realize that what I really loved was EATING what I cooked. I still cook for my husband, but it's become a chore instead of a joy. He will have a steak, potato and salad while I eat from a small plate containing only tuna, or salmon, or turkey, etc. He is a simple eater -- easy to please -- so I no longer get creative with meals because I don't get to enjoy the finished product. I used to plan meals in advance, shop for fresh ingredients, prepare them with precision, and present them beautifully. I also really miss restaurants. My husband asked me what I wanted for my birthday this week, and all I really want is to go to a nice restaurant and order some fresh seafood and a glass of good wine. But I didn't propose this because I don't want to order a fabulous meal and only eat ⅛ of it, and not drink. I don't really miss drinking alcohol, but I do miss having a good glass of wine occasionally. Thanks for listening. I feel like I can't share these feelings with my husband because this was my choice -- and this is my journey. I don't want him to think I have any regrets, because truly I don't.

Specifically as to the surgeon I asked how many times she had performed the procedure and what her success rate was, I asked what to expect in terms of weight loss and how long, I asked about any complications and side effects. I am 54 and it's been a wonderful experience.

She had her sleeve a year and a half ago, but the acid reflux was doing terrible things to her. She had her revision last week on the 24th and has had a few complications, now she has a picque line and will have a nurse come to her house daily. Her process has actually scared me. The Dr isn't sure if she has some sort of blockage and may need another surgery. Damn Sorry to hear that about your friend. I hope she gets to feeling better real quick! And it sounds like her Dr’s all over it. 🤞 🙏

The more prepared you are for the surgery the better you'll do. Take your time and learn all you can. Not just the nutritional information that the classes offer but people's experiences in this forum and others on Facebook groups and other websites. See the stories of regret, complications, stalls and know it can happen to you. See the success stories and know it can happen to you. Look for patterns in people who have regained and make your game plan. Take this time to become an expert in weight loss surgery.

Hi! Was your friend’s revision from a band to RNY? If so, did your friend have her revision in one or two surgeries? I have Kaiser and I hope it’s done in one surgery She had her sleeve a year and a half ago, but the acid reflux was doing terrible things to her. She had her revision last week on the 24th and has had a few complications, now she has a picque line and will have a nurse come to her house daily. Her process has actually scared me. The Dr isn't sure if she has some sort of blockage and may need another surgery. Damn

Okay so I had heard numbers somewhat similar to this. I’ve suffered GERD from my earliest memories. I had GERD in grade school and had to sleep upright all during pregnancy. In fact, if I wasn’t careful, I’d bend over to tie my shoes and almost gag on the acid coming up (not pregnant, just on a normal day) Sleeping on 2 pillows was always a must for me because of the GERD. I’ve been on PPIs for years and years and years. If I’d bought stock in Pepcid complete, I’d be rich by now just on what I’ve spent through the years. My father also suffers GERD and actually has Barrett’s. Imagine my surprise when I was scoped and zero, nada, zilch Barrett’s (or any other kind of complication) from over 40 years GERD. Heck, I was halfway resigned to the fact that I was going to be forced to have RNY despite my wish for VGS. My surgeon told me about these same numbers and I went with sleeve because there was a 2 out of 3 chance it would get better, and the other chance I’d have to have a revision down the line. So far..... fingers crossed...... it has improved somewhat. There are times when it bothers me—usually when I’ve overeaten, or eaten AND drank red wine. Lol, I’ve only done that twice and neither time was it a good idea. Also, if I skip my PPI for more than 2 days I can feel it starting to bother me, but now that I’ve lost over 75 pounds, it’s soooooo much more manageable. I would definitely say that while VGS definitely did NOT cure my GERD, It definitely did not get worse and is better than it was. Not sure if that’s because of better diet, or losing a crap ton of weight, or the surgery. 🤷‍♀️

Hi, Stayed 4 nights in the hospital (minor complications with my bladder). I got home and saw I gained 2 pounds since starting my pre-op diet last week! I had the RNY. I know there are some people the surgery doesn’t work, and I’m freaking out a tad! If it matters I started at at 305 and am now close to 308! I’m following the diet to the letter! I had a hernia repair too, as well as the removal of my nissen. Thanks!

Gotta ask your team. That is a really long flight. I developed a blood clot, even though I did everything right and started walking right away. Many surgeons do not recommend long car trips for flights for at least 2 months after major abdominal surgery. If you happen to be going out of the country you also need to think about where you would get help if a complication happened.

It helped early on. Did not change the subsequent complications but helped with swelling and pain. I knew the complication rate was as high as 75 percent but thought I was going to b in that 25 percent. Thankful my PS was available and close for follow ups!

Wow 4 days you must be going crazy to get out. So sorry about the complications are you having trouble urinating? I struggled the first 24 hours but it was the Dilaudid for me.

Hi Y’all! I’m four days out and still in the hospital. Overall I’m doing well, but was having slight complications with my bladder so I’ve stayed to be on the safe side. Really excited to start this journey, and thankful for everybody and their support.

Hello All! I'm glad to see that there are a few of us having this conversation. I just remet with the surgeon yesterday to discuss a lap-band revision. And I'm experiencing the same insurance issues that DeeTee mentioned. I've had my band for almost 11 years (hard to believe). Basically, my surgeon is treating me like a new patient for surgical purposes. I have to show six months of weight loss supervision, go through a bunch of tests, see the psychologist, talk to the dietician, and so on, and so on. Last time I basically started in July had had the surgery in September. I talked to the surgeon about switching to either the sleeve or the bypass. His recommendation, since I don't have diabetes, was to go with the sleeve. I'd done the research ahead of time and had come to this decision, but it was nice to at least hear the surgeon supporting my basic decision. Like Banded in AZ, I also have experienced esophageal problems, specifically esophageal dilation. Honestly, I didn't know that was even a complication. Admittedly, I had been a bad bander and hadn't had an adjustment in quite some time. The surgeon actually gave me an adjustment yesterday, which was weird, and he took out quite a bit of liquid. Apparently, food was just sitting in my esophagus and slowing getting squeezed through the band for years. I'm also the first to admit that I feel like some kind of band failure. It's like one of the docs in the practice always says, they don't have a lap-band for your brain. I learned how to eat around the band so quickly. Combine that with most of my favorite foods seem to be mushy to begin with, and it just set me up for band problems. Part of me still thinks I should give the lap-band a chance, but then it's been 11 years. My surgeons don't even perform that many lap-bands anymore because of how bad the outcomes research is now. As for those of you who have made the switch, has weight loss been "easier" with the sleeve? I'm primarily worried about long-term weight loss, stretching, and GERD. What are people's experiences? Jason

This passage really speaks to me. I have one and only 1 good friend who isn’t at least obese and most of mine are in the “severe to morbidly obese” category. For that reason, I really didn’t tell any of them about this until literally 2 weeks before surgery (the day I got my confirmation of date) The only people I told ahead of time were my coworkers because I had to change out so many shifts due to all the the pre-op appointments and procedures (it took me almost 8 months from start to surgery day due to all the complications and additional testing that had to be done). Quite simply, I just didn’t want to deal with these kinds of issues from telling my obese friends because this was my decision for my health and—to me— it was independent of my friendship with them. Now I did let a lot of them know my surgery date so they wouldn’t get their feelings hurt that I’d done something so “risky” without letting them know to pray for/think of me that day. I had mixed responses from “you aren’t unhealthy or even all that fat” to “what can I do for you right after surgery?” Not gonna lie.... I don’t hang out with many of them as much as before because I don’t go out and eat really anymore. Also I think some of them don’t understand fully how I truly have lost most interest in food. How could they? They’ve not had their digestive tracts modified so they can’t know. I think that eventually things will get more to a normal point, but I’m still not even 6 months post sleeve. Anyway, I also had an extremely difficult time setting a goal and I’m not sure if the modified one I have is realistic or not. Prior to starting this process I was willing to settle for being 175/size 14. I’m 5’7”, 50 years old and have a fairly average frame (big-ish legs and thighs, but it is what it is) For some reason, I always thought 175 was “the best I could ever hope for” After I started into the 8 month process and did more research and talked to more people in support groups (I became a support group junkie) I realized that I was going to more than likely lose under 175 based off of the math for EBW loss and my weight then. Right before surgery I changed my goal weight to 155, which is at the very upper range of “normal” BMI. I basically chose that number because it put me right at the border of normal/overweight. Now as I’ve progressed through these almost 6 months, I’m thinking I might want to shoot for 145. I was 135-ish all through high school and college (with one glorious semester when I ran a lot and got down to 125) As of this morning, I’m at 177.6, so I absolutely know I’m going to blow way past goal #1. In retrospect, I had gotten so used to being so fat for so long that it seemed ludicrous to initially choose a goal in a “normal” BMI, but you know what???? I’ve decided I’m worth taking the chance and going for the 145.

I had zero complications. But I was careful about which surgeon and which facility I chose and that made all the difference. So your question would elicit different answers from different individuals because everybody is different, has different health issues to start with, etc.

Don't do this. Don't look for the complications hon. We're all different. Work harder on making damn sure you pick the right facility out of country...cuz that's gonna be more important!!

Im going abroad for my VSG surgery and im worried about what will happen if anything goes wrong after and i have to go back under the knife. What was your experiences pls Did you bleed etc? Please help Sent from my SM-J530F using BariatricPal mobile app

Dunno hon. It depends on your condition and insurance. But you're doing the right thing. The first thing to do is find your new doctor and have them order the tests that will determine if you have stretched your tool and what your options are. They will also look to see if you have any other complications such as hernias, fistulas, stretched stomas, etc. Then they will advise. But while there, you should ask for a referral to an RD (bariatric) and a bariatric counselor and start working on changing behaviors. Cuz a new surgery is fine...but if you don't change your behaviors long term, then you will be back in the same situation. But having said that, there are MANY people who have lost their regain and who maintain today. Hang in there. All is not hopeless!!

I have had an incredibly smooth process so far with very little complications. This week I began to notice a sudden drop in apetite. Has anyone else had these fluctuations? My hunger post surgery has been low but this week its non existant. On the plus side I am losing more weight but I would like to feel normal again. I guess we all have good and bad days.

This is really a brilliant observation and guidance!!! All of our tools "mature" that means we all experience the ability to eat more over time. It's partly why Dr. Weiner on YouTube warns about the myth of "everything in moderation" because the crap food most of us ate is toxic to our systems and a few bites of pizza will turn into 3 pieces by 3-5years out! So it's best to learn new eating habits/relationships with healthy food and realize what true portions look and feel like to us while we're in that first 18mo honeymoon period. Now like Tea said, many of us had larger capacity tums after surgery. I know my surgeon gave me a larger pouch and a shorter malabsorption. From the start I could easily down 4oz of water or more! Never had one moment difficulty with any full liquid or soft food (or any food). I was a liquid pro! I'm now 4lbs from my Goal #3 and on my forever diet. And make no mistake, it is a diet. But all animals have a "diet" so I don't look on this as a bad thing. But I actively gave up eating as a hedonistic free-for-all event when I decided to have surgery. I plan my day, weigh, measure, and log my food every day. I weight every day. I exercise every day. I monitor my fluid every day. This is part of my job. And it's become easy peasy and second nature to do this. I find comfort in it. I'm sorry for your complications that kept him from performing the expected surgery. But as many said before, you can get considerable help from the surgery. You have to find out the specifics of it though as @RickM already wisely counseled! You really can't expect to be loosy goosey with your food and "sorta" eat healthy. You must really apply yourself until you know what your new "tool" will and won't help with and until you know if you have any leeway or if you will just simply need to work a little harder. I have to work harder. I'm on a hormone blocker for cancer remission that puts me in super menopause (so super hormone imbalance) + hypothyroid. But I've still lost about 155lbs in the lasts 2 years. So it's possible. I'm 5'4" and weighed 287lbs when I started changing my life for the better. ((hugs)) Hang in there!

Hi yall! Its post op day 3 for me. My surgery went well with no complications and no additional fixes needed. I stayed in the hospital two days. The second day was mostly at my request since I live almost 2 hours away and couldn't drink much. I kept having the so full of water feeling like you'd burst since I got out of surgery. Seemed like a lot of the pain I felt was from gases stuck by my ribs. It was very painful and would come in waves. But they kept me comfortable with pain meds when I requested it. Last night out of no where my mouth started watering bad like before you throw up and before that it was so dry. It felt like whatever that watery episode was cleared my way of left over gases and I could finally drink more then an oz in 4hrs. I've gotten my oz's up today and drank one 11oz protein shake. Im slowly trying to build up. I'm not sure how much I'm suppose to drink in one sitting at the hospital it was no more then 5oz in an hr. Now that I'm home is it the same or am I allowed more... I forgot to ask the doc. I just dont wanna hurt myself or overfill my stomach. Anywho hope everyone else is doing well! Sent from my SM-G965U using BariatricPal mobile app