Search the Community

I didn't have to do it, but my husband (who is finally going to have his surgery) does. I weighed more than him and had more comorbidities, so I'm not sure why I didn't have to do it and why he does. I don't know what criteria they use to decide, but I hear it's really common. Don't be discouraged!!! I know setbacks are disappointing, but you'll get there. Trust me when I say it's better to do extra testing to be safe than to jump right in to surgery and have a lot of complications that have to be addressed later on.

Congrats on getting answers and having the problem fixed. I can tell you that I had SO SO many complications that led to a revision. Once there's answers, that's truly half the battle. I had 6 surgeries in 6 months to correct everything, but now I'm 3 1/2 months out from my revision and feel fantastic. I'm happy you're on the other side of everything now. Hopefully it'll be smooth sailing for you from here on out!!

It seems like a lot of surgeons require you to be nicotine-free at the start of the program and commit to remaining so for life. I know mine does. If I were to be found with nicotine in my system at any part, the process would stop, and I would have to start over from the beginning after I quit. I know the risk of ulcers in your stomach, particularly with gastric bypass, is really high if you smoke, and there is something like a 20 times higher risk of having complications from the anesthesia, which is why they're so strict on it.

(Also my status update, btw) It's finally here!! My last day with a "normal" digestive system. Tomorrow morning I go in at 10:15am to check in, go through all the pre-flight checks (IV, vitals, sign consents, talk to anesthesia and my surgeon, etc), then into the OR I go! This process has taken what seems like forever. Way back in April of 2022, I saw a general surgeon to have a Nissen Fundoplication to deal with my (horrible!!) reflux and repair my hiatal hernia. Problem was....my weight made it so there would be a high risk of both failure after a couple years and potential complications. He then suggested I see a bariatric surgeon (which was the first time anyone had ever made that suggestion. So off I went to see bariatrics. From the first appointment, Dr. Beekley was nothing but supportive. He never once belittled me over my weight, or made me feel like I was making excuses for my health. The entire team has been awesome. They keep up with me in myChart, letting me know what Pre-op clearances I needed, or if anything extra was needed from other providers (which, given all my health issues, there was always something extra that was needed lol). But all that hoop jumping was worth it. Now I'm packing my bag and getting ready to have my life completely changed for the better. While I may be increasingly nervous the closer I get to that OR, I'm also excited beyond belief. I've been stuck in this messed up body for entirely too long, and I can't wait to start leaving it behind and meet the woman I know is inside.

Mine is a PA. The key differences between the role of a PA vs. an MD come to light when complex issues arise. MDs have knowledge about complicated conditions that many PAs may not possess. I was not happy to leave my family doc of many years for her to begin with. But my insurance changed with work, and he was no longer considered in network, sadly enough. My company has their own doctors and pharmacy, and the coverage is amazing, but the choice of doctors there are limited. Yes, before ever considering WLS, I wanted to find an internist to sort out all the meds I was on. Some I knew were necessary, some were preventative and some questionable. To be told that I will be on all of them the rest of my life after my bariatric team told me otherwise was disappointing to hear and questionable. She's always been quick to prescribe meds. I didn't see her often but when I did, I always walked away with one or two more. She prescribed Ozempic to me years ago before it became a thing. I didn't take it long, after reading it caused tumors/cancer in mice plus it made me feel horrible every day. Then recently, when I saw her to get a release for WLS, she wanted to put me back on it. I declined. Ironically, we had a discussion about Ozempic face at that time. She told me if I lose too much weight in my face after surgery, to look her up and she will fix it. She owns a business that does fillers. botox etc. So she lives in that world. I guess I've always felt that since she is a PA, she may not be as knowledgeable as an MD when it comes to medication. But I will wait to see what the bariatric team tells me first before deciding anything. Like assuming I would change doctors based solely on her looks? I recently had 3 of her patients tell me they already changed doctors for some of the very reasons mentioned here. So nothing "snap" about it. If anything, I'm biding my time and giving her the benefit of the doubt. For now. Agree... I'm more holistically minded and need a doc who's likeminded. Not someone that hands meds out like candy. I'm not working this hard to be told I can never reverse the need for them. I realize it will take time and I may not be able to eliminate all of them but just never tell me never. Not yet anyway.

I had it done, and honestly, the recovery was SO SO SO much easier with the bypass than the sleeve for me. I had a ton of complications and the revision was the best thing possible. My only regret is that I wish I had just done the bypass to begin with. Losing weight with a revision goes A LOT slower, and you don't lose nearly as much as you do with the initial surgery. But you'll feel so much better and be able to get back to living your life.

NettD my surgery had some Complications so I have a bit of a longer triad ahead than expected. During the camera insertion a vein was nicked. When they went in with the gas tube, my abdomen had blood. They had to open me up to find the blood. I ended up with my bariatric team as well as a trauma team working on me. One the nick was found it had already sealed and stopped bleeding. I got my sleeve but now I have a huge 12”+ to heal rather than my 5-6 holes I was expecting. I can’t complaint my doc was a rockstar and controlled my pain amazingly. Now I’m sick of bed rest and I’m fighting to get water in since I just wanna sleep and heal. How are you doing?

There is a good reason to avoid the RNY revision if you can - the reactive hypoglycemia and marginal ulcer (and all of the medical care limitations that stem from it) issues, but it's not the end of the world, either if that's what you need. It's a common procedure that's been done in one form or another for 140 years, so its quirks and features are well known (but I would rather avoid its quirks if I can). I would certainly get a second, and even third, opinion on it, as while the sleeve is a fairly straightforward procedure most to do these days, repairing one that isn't working correctly is not necessarily so. Most bariatric surgeons started out with the bypass, so that is their comfort zone and they often prefer to go back to the familiar when things get a bit complicated, while there are some who have gone deeper into the sleeve and specialized in it and related procedures, such as the DS, and they are more comfortable doing things that others wouldn't do. We sometimes hear on these forums that "you can't do a Nissen (fundoplication) on a sleeve as there isn't any fundus left (well, not much) yet there are some who routinely perform them. Between that and meshing, there are options, and an RNY doesn't necessarily fix the potential recurring problem, as it, too, yield a small stomach pouch that is subject to herniating. If possible, for a second opinion, I would seek out a surgeon who does the DS (duodenal switch) as that is a good proxy for one who is well experienced with dealing with sleeves, and is more comfortable with more complex procedures as well. If they recommend an RNY revision, too, then that's a pretty solid confirmation of what's appropriate for your specific case.

When I had my revision from sleeve to bypass, I was on Omeprazole and was slowly weaned off. Just stopping completely can cause that rebound issue, so he had me taking the full dose every day for the first 4 weeks. Then every other day for 2 weeks, then 3x a week for 2 weeks, then I went off them completely. And I had absolutely no issues at all. I had to have the revision because I originally had the sleeve and had MAJOR complications (incredible gerd that required 80mg of Nexium per day, still had break through reflux so Pepcid was added as needed, and then pre-cancerous polyps developed all through my stomach and duodenum, requiring 5 surgeries for remove everything). My surgeon wanted me on the PPI and to do a gradual step down to wean off to protect my stomach and allow it to heal so there wouldn't be any additional issues. I would say maybe try stepping down gradually off the PPI and see if that helps.

I'm 2 months post op, and I was good for awhile, but the past couple of weeks, I've been really sick and I almost always feel hungry. I've read a lot of people have it during the puree stages, but Im back at a regular diet and even after I eat... I'm hungry again 5mins later 😓. Im a bit worried about it. I did have post op complications, and like I said, still having issues... but the near constant hunger is new. Anyone else have that as well?

Finally got another referral to a dietician as my Surgeon doesn't offer a dietician after surgery, but couldn't get an appointment to see her until Oct. 19th. Really not happy with my aftercare after this surgery. If I had known that after surgery I would basically be on my own, I would have chosen another Doctor. I am happy that I didn't have to do the long process to get surgery and that it went fine and so far no complications but otherwise the Doctor sucks. I am still basically eating only turkey or chicken and trying to get in a little bit of vegetables, I am supplementing with a green powder drink in the morning. Eating has lost all enjoyment now and I know that I can't do this long term as it's not healthy to only eat protein. I am just waiting until my appointment to change what I am eating now.

Hi, as someone that is very familiar with Eastern, Southeastern Europe and West Asia I would strongly recommend against a surgery of this magnitude there. Your life is extremely valuable and surgery complications can be horrible. I know it is much cheaper to do it there, but there is no price on life. It is not even about physician competence (since some of the best doctors in the world come from those higher education systems), it is about medical facilities and their level of sterilization (or lack thereof). I think you should save money, take your time and get the surgery where you are. I grew up there and moved to US in my thirties. There is no comparison in the medical care, and surgery facilities, they are definitely superior in US and in UK. Please remember that your life is worth everything and you can end up much worse than where you are right now. It is worth saving money and getting that procedure completed where it is safe. It is your life and it is more valuable than everything!

I would want to look closely at this, verifying the bile reflux and determining if there is any acid reflux component to this before getting into long term treatment options as the treatment can differ widely depending upon that diagnosis. If it is bile, then I wouldn't expect Pepcid or other anti acid meds to do much as the are treating acid and not bile, a base. I'm not sure what meds they do use but likely different ones. Bile is used to neutralize the acid coming out of the stomach along with the digested food into the intestines. Is your surgeon in the loop on these findings (I assume so, but check if you haven't heard from them yet,) as that may change his prescriptions. If it is strictly a bile problem, then a bypass will probably correct it, but not guaranteed as it moves the stomach/pouch outlet downstream into the natural path of bile secretions; the key, according to one surgeon I discussed this with, is the length of the roux limb, as that is the one that connects the pouch with the mainstream intestine and how far any bile would have to travel to reflux into the stomach. This doc noted that at 80cm or greater (IIRC) he didn't run into any bile reflux problems. The basic RNY procedure has been around for some 140 years for gastric cancer and gastroparesis (it is usually termed just a partial gastrectomy, or likely some other fancy latin names as well,) and it that use, bile reflux is a not uncommon complication. My non-MD take on it is that in those cases, they tend to keep the limbs short to minimize malabsorption and weight loss (last thing a cancer patient usually needs is more weight loss!) So, the longer limb makes sense here. Discuss this and make sure that your surgeon is up on this aspect of it. The other option if it is basically a bile problem is the DS, duodenal switch, which is pretty much a guaranteed cure for any bile problems owing to the very long path between the bile ducts and the stomach, but relatively few bariatric surgeons offer it owing to its greater complexity. Note this only applies to the "traditional" or Hess DS and not the newer SIPS/SADI/"loop" or simplified DS, which like its mini-bypass cousin has bile reflux as one of its common complications. The DS will not help any acid reflux problem as it uses the existing sleeve (though may resleeve it if it was malformed causing GERD rather than just overproduction of acid,) while adding the intestinal rerouting for malabsorption. The DS is a better choice over the RNY revision if slow or inadequate weightloss is an issue, too, as it is a stronger metabolic tool. Good luck on this - bile is surely a much less common problem with the sleeve than acid reflux, so the industry isn't quite as settled on solutions for it.

6 yrs out, highest weight 410lbs 1 year after surgery Dr told me to stop losing at 235lbs. I had zero pain. In fact, when I came through, I asked doctor if my liver was to fatty, and he laughed and told me I was all done. I got up and took a walk around the hospital floor with him. I had gastric sleeve. I had zero complications. I hope the best for you all. My secret for keeping it off, I hover from 235 to 245lbs... I ask myself am I eating to live or for fun. It helps me

So I found out I have a uterine fibroid the size of an avocado and one the size of a jumbo egg (12cm and 6.5cm), and my uterus is apparently huge (the size of a 14 week pregnancy, I'm told). Well today was my follow up appt and I was told that my fibroids are so big, the only option I have is an abdominal hysterectomy (they are causing issues with really heavy bleeding all through the month, not at specific times for my period). We're looking at about 5 weeks out for the surgery. Apparently this is going to be a MAJOR surgery, and my doctor said I will have to do nothing, just at home, for 2 weeks at minimum but prefers me to take 6 weeks. WHAT??? 6 weeks??? She said since it'll be abdominal and not laparoscopic, it'll be 2 days in the hospital, a lot of pain, inability to sit up or do much walking during the first 2 weeks, then very slow going for the next few weeks after that. I mean...what??? ALSO... there's a part of my stomach, just above my belly button, that has always kind of stuck out. No matter what I do, it doesn't go down or get smaller. There's not really any pain, but I always thought it was because I was fat. But I've lost a lot of weight and it's still there. The gyn said it might be a hernia, but my bariatric surgeon never mentioned it during the surgery. If I have a hernia that was never found, I'd like to get it fixed. If it's not a hernia, I'd like to figure out what it is. It makes me look pregnant, and it really bugs me. The part below my belly button is my (apparently) huge uterus and fibroids. The part above my belly button is....who knows..... I'm just mentally worn out. I really thought I was done. I thought everything was going well. I don't have pain, I work out all the time, I'm thrilled with everything. And then.....boom. More crap. UGH..... This isn't a bariatric complication, so I'm very thankful for that. But I mean, SERIOUSLY??? More crap??? Sigh.... By the time I finish all this, I'm practically gonna have a brand new body. So at least there's that....

Tomorrow will be my 1 year anniversary since my gastric bypass surgery. I have lost 86 pounds. I’m not going to lie, I honestly thought I would have lost more by now. Although weight loss has slowed down tremendously, I have yet to see a gain on the scale so I take that as a win. I would like to lose at least another 50 pounds so I have to remember this surgery is not a cure-all, it’s simply a tool. I’ve been extremely lucky and have had no complications whatsoever. I don’t experience dumping syndrome at all (well I did once when I ate some ice cream and have steered clear ever since) but other than that there really isn’t anything I can’t eat, I just eat a whole lot less. I can definitely be better about my diet, like always, but one thing I’ve incorporated into my life that has stuck is exercise. I don’t feel good unless I exercise so it’s become addicting (in a good way). Anybody who is reading this and contemplating this surgery, or is in recent post op and struggling, I have absolutely no regrets about having this surgery. The first 2 months were rough, but I got through it and so will you!

Revision weight loss is definitely slower than the original weight loss. I'm almost 11 weeks out from my revision and I've only lost 23 pounds. But at this time when I had my original surgery, I had lost 70 pounds. It's just the nature of things. I had my revision because of complications, not for additional weight loss.

it shouldn't complicate it at all. Once you're out a ways, other than eating less food than before, things are pretty normal...and often much easier than they were before surgery.

Thanks for sharing your story, summerseeker. I am a frequent traveller, and have been thinking about how having a GB might complicate life when trying to navigate airports, restaurants, that eventual cocktail that I want to treat myself to in 11 months.

That's an amazing update! Sorry you have had to deal with some bad complications but I love your positive outlook. I hope they can fix everything soon. Congrats on one underland! That's such a fun achievement, That's nice that your surgeon was helpful to reference plastic surgeons. Mine just said that there were 2 in the area and that was it lol. Your current stats for exercise ect is impressive, great job! It's so nice to see how far people have come in a year. The year flew by pretty quick too.

Yesterday was my one year roux-en-y gastric bypass surgery anniversary and as of today I am officially in onederland! 199.8 lbs! highest: 410 lbs | surgery: 355 lbs | current: 199.8 lbs (1 year post-op) | goal: 185 lbs I had my one-year appointment with my surgeon today. We discussed my progress, and how my restriction is doing. I have some recurring nausea and vomiting that happens about every other week or so. My surgery a year ago had a rare-ish complication (occurs in less than 0.9% of rny patients). My roux limb, the piece of small intestine that now connects to my stomach pouch, became severely constricted by scar tissue, and I had a second laparoscopic surgery to fix that. I've since had three upper endoscopies to widen my stomach pouch because I still have semi-regular bouts of vomiting. My stomach pouch also has an ulcer which may be a cause for the vomiting. I have another endoscopy scheduled for next week, and my surgeon and I discussed my options: treat the ulcer with strong bouts of Prilosec, or if that doesn't work have another laparoscopic surgery to cut out the ulcer and reconnect the roux limb to the now even smaller stomach pouch My surgeon also put in a referral to a plastic surgeon so I can start seeing my skin removal surgery options. I doubt I will ever be able to afford the surgery in the U.S., but I would certainly feel better having surgery here than in Mexico or Thailand. My current stats are: Exercise: 20-30 mins cardio and 45 mins strength training each day, 6 days per week Hydration: 80-100 ounces of water/iced tea per day (my fave drink is Starbucks peach green iced tea) Food: 80-100 ounces of protein; 1000-1200 calories per day (I don't track my calories closely) I love strength training! I'm starting to see a ton of muscle definition in my legs, shoulders, back, and arms. I also recently attended a convention and walked more than 15,000 steps each day and it was TONS easier to walk around downtown Seattle than it's ever been in my life. I'm so excited to be below 200 pounds - I haven't been below 200 pounds since I was in middle school! I hope you all are doing well! Keep up all your hard work!

FORGIVE THE LENGTHY MESSAGE. NEED TO GIVE CONTEXT I am wondering if any one experienced this my starting weight was 139kg before surgery on the 15th of January 2023 on day of surgery it was 131kg 2 weeks post-op i was stalled for 8weeks which was not a bother to me at the time i healed quite quickly with no complications and was moved to solids within 3 weeks by the dietitian too. between January and April i lost some weight down to 111kg Since april i have not lost anything. I have gained and lost 3-4 kg since April till date which is September 6th 2023 I do everything many people say on every platform which had never been a challenge namely Monitor what i eat: I eat between 88 - 1200 calories I have more protein than anything eggs, lean meat, chicken, fish, shrimps carbs are mostly bulgur wheat. which i have sparingly 2ce a month. Plantain i have daily to balance my protein intake but not as much as protein. I prob have more grams of protein a day and that includes protein water. I work out 4-5 days a week for up to 1:30 - 2:00 hours each day In April i worked out more 4 days a week 2ce a day 2day time cardio 1:30 hours night time strength training. no weights heavier than 25kg i take my vitamins biotin and all recommended as well as powdered collagen Recent bloods shows everything within normal range. I am going into my 5th month and i am still 111kg Since April. My dietitian is numb on what is going on, the nurse recommended liquid collagen ( which makes no sense) and have said hormones.... but hormones cannot affect this 5months straight. I did bloods to check my thyroids and it showed elevated parathyroid (no idea what that means)..... not gotten an explanation as my vitamin levels and calcium levels are normal my nails are very soft and brittle and my hair falls like the weather ( only blessed to have a full head of hair but cant say it is helpful soon) No ...... the clothes i wore in April are still the same September. measurements are the same..... the only win i am getting from this is that my knee and ankle dont hurt as much when i workout. i dont burn out as i used to and i work out more than i used to before which was walking up to 50k-70ksteps a day. I have never been one who drank alcohol and havent started post surgery. I have never been one who ate junk food like crisps, tacos, burgers. I have not been diagnosed diabetic nor with PCOS i noticed when i had no carbs in my diet i lost fast but when i introduced carbs as suggested by the dietitian everything came on hold I NEED SOME SIGN THAT I AM NOT IN AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE OR A LONG DREAM!!! Cos it feels pointless having done the surgery not to be an effective tool Anyone in a similar predicament before

FORGIVE THE LENGTHY MESSAGE. NEED TO GIVE CONTEXT I am wondering if any one experienceD this my starting weight was 139kg before surgery on the 15th of January 2023 on day of surgery it was 131kg 2 weeks post-op i was stalled for 8weeks which was not a bother to me at the time i healed quite quickly with no complications and was moved to solids within 3 weeks by the dietitian too. between January and April i lost some weight down to 111kg Since april i have not lost anything. I have gained and lost 3-4 kg since April till date which is September 6th 2023 I do everything many people say on every platform which had never been a challenge namely Monitor what i eat: I eat between 88 - 1200 calories I have more protein than anything eggs, lean meat, chicken, fish, shrimps carbs are mostly bulgur wheat. which i have sparingly 2ce a month. Plantain i have daily to balance my protein intake but not as much as protein. I prob have more grams of protein a day and that includes protein water. I work out 4-5 days a week for up to 1:30 - 2:00 hours each day In April i worked out more 4 days a week 2ce a day 2day time cardio 1:30 hours night time strength training. no weights heavier than 25kg I take 2-3 liters of water throughout the day no compared to 3 months ago. Up to 1liter during my work out and the rest throughout the day. mostly sips. I do get hungry but try to drink water to quench or use the plantain (carb for the day) to satisfy myself i take my vitamins biotin and all recommended as well as powdered collagen Recent bloods shows everything within normal range. I am going into my 5th month and i am still 111kg Since April. My dietitian is numb on what is going on, the nurse recommended liquid collagen ( which makes no sense) and have said hormones.... but hormones cannot affect this 5months straight. I did bloods to check my thyroids and it showed elevated parathyroid (no idea what that means)..... not gotten an explanation as my vitamin levels and calcium levels are normal my nails are very soft and brittle and my hair falls like the weather ( only blessed to have a full head of hair but cant say it is helpful soon) No ...... the clothes i wore in April are still the same September. measurements are the same..... the only win i am getting from this is that my knee and ankle dont hurt as much when i workout. i dont burn out as i used to and i work out more than i used to before which was walking up to 50k-70ksteps a day. I have never been one who drank alcohol and haven't started post surgery. I have never been one who ate junk food like crisps, tacos, burgers. I have not been diagnosed diabetic nor with PCOS i noticed when i had no carbs in my diet i lost fast but when i introduced carbs as suggested by the dietitian everything came on hold I NEED SOME SIGN THAT I AM NOT IN AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE OR A LONG DREAM!!! Cos it feels pointless having done the surgery not to be an effective tool Anyone in a similar predicament before

So as you all know, I had A LOT of complications with my sleeve. I ended up with gastritis, esophagitis, horrible gerd, and precancerous polyps all though my stomach and duodenum. I had 4 endoscopies to have them all removed. Then I had a colonoscopy and found 3 cancerous polyps (stage 1) and they were removed and I'm ok. Wouldn't have found ANY of that had I not had the complications from the sleeve. During that time, I also had a ct scan to see what was happening, and 2 large fibroids were found in my uterus. Well, now that everything else was taken care of and I had my revision from sleeve to bypass, I decided to deal with the fibroids (they are causing my stomach to be large, my uterus is HUGE, they cause discomfort, very heavy bleeding, etc) One is 12cm (roughly the size of a grapefruit) and one is 6.5 cm (the size of an egg). I also had an endometrial biopsy (those SUCK) and was diagnosed with endometrial hyperplasia, which is precancerous. So now I have an appt to see what to do about all of this. Again, never ever would have found this if I hadn't had complications that led to all the testing to figure out what was wrong. Sometimes the fear of the unknown, the long road ahead, and the daunting testing and procedures to diagnose and correct complications can make surgery seem like a no-go. But potential complications shouldn't necessarily be seen as a deal breaker. I had several precancerous and cancerous conditions I knew absolutely NOTHING about, and I wouldn't have known about them until it was too late, had it not been for the complications from the sleeve. Trying to find out what happened inadvertently led to correcting not only the initial sleeve complication but also the silent and secret health issues that definitely would have creeped up on me and taken me out had it all not be found when they were. I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. Maybe hitting every speed bump on the way sucks and feels overwhelming, but at least now it's done. I'm already healthier than I have ever been, and I'm only getting healthier. I'm following dreams I previously let go, and being 45, I'm at the age where health risks start to increase anyway. Now I'm having it all taken care of and I can just do my thing and live my life. I said all of this to say.... don't talk yourself out of a life changing and life SAVING surgery because there's the potential for complications. Yes, they're scary. Yes, they suck. But YES finding and treating them early on (especially if you never would have known about them otherwise) is a blessing. We are doing these surgeries to get our lives back. And if that means finding and treating other issues that can/will cause us problems down the road, consider that a perk of the surgery.