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Here's FYI for those that are interested! Advantages and Disadvantages of Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Advantages Reduces stomach capacity but tends to allow the stomach to function normally so most food items can be consumed, albeit in small amounts. Eliminates the portion of the stomach that produces the hormones that stimulates hunger (Ghrelin). Dumping syndrome is avoided or minimized because the pylorus is preserved. Minimizes the chance of an ulcer occurring. By avoiding the intestinal bypass, almost eliminates the chance of intestinal obstruction (blockage), marginal ulcers, anemia, osteoporosis, Protein deficiency and Vitamin deficiency. Very effective as a first stage procedure for high BMI patients (BMI > 55 kg/m2). Limited results appear promising as a single stage procedure for low BMI patients (BMI 30-50 kg/m2). Appealing option for people who are concerned about the complications of intestinal bypass procedures or who have existing anemia, Crohn’s disease and numerous other conditions that make them too high risk for intestinal bypass procedures. Appealing option for people who are concerned about the foreign body aspect of Banding procedures. Can be done laparoscopically in patients weighing over 500 pounds, thereby providing all the advantages of minimally invasive surgery: fewer wound and lung problems, less pain, and faster recovery. Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Disadvantages Potential for inadequate weight loss or weight regain. While this is true for all procedures, it is theoretically more possible with procedures that do not have an intestinal bypass. Higher BMI patients will most likely need to have a second stage procedure later to help lose the rest of the weight. Remember, two stages may ultimately be safer and more effective than one operation for high BMI patients. This is an active point of discussion for bariatric surgeons. Soft calories such as ice cream, milk shakes, etc can be absorbed and may slow weight loss. This procedure does involve stomach stapling and therefore leaks and other complications related to stapling may occur. Because the stomach is removed, it is not reversible. It can be converted to almost any other weight loss procedure. Considered investigational by some surgeons and insurance companies. __________________ Originally posted at www.lapbandtalk.com

OMG. I am now 12 weeks prego and starting at 4 weeks all the way to 8 weeks I was puking my guts up. Probably like 20-30 times a day. At the end point, I was just eating to be able to actually throw up food instead of stomach acid. Durring this time, I had 1.2cc in a 4cc band and could not make it out to my local fill center to get an unfill because I was so sick. My OB gave me Zofran (witch is I believe the strongest antinausia med you can take,not positive though) I also got phenergan suppositories since anything going in my mouth was comming right back out. Eventually, I had lost 15lbs and was so dehydrated (and had not peed it 3 days) and fed up I went to the ER and was given 4 bags of IV fluid. Even with all that fluid I still didn't urinate that day or the next morning so I went to my OB and they immediately admitted me and I was in the hospital for 4days on IV's. Upon arrival at the hospital I was immediately seen by a GI doc (due to throwing up blood) and a Bariatric surgeon (due to the band still being filled) They ordered an xray of the band and immediately unfilled the band. Luckily the band had not slipped (THANK GOD!!!!) and after the unfill and 4days and 10lbs of fluid put back into my body I have not thrown up since. It was really rough. So if there is anything I can advise people that are acutally throwing up constantly, make it your first priority to get your band unfilled. I personally think that if my band was unfilled I probably would not have gotten into such bad shape as I was in. I was hoping to actually leave my fill in through out the pregnancy because it was not that tight, but I'd rather be healthy and pregnant than skinny and pregnant. This time baby is priority and not me. Even though this was an accidental pregnancy!!!

I had emergency gallbladder surgery about a month ago. I found out I had a BMI of over 50, & a fatty liver. My gallbladder surgeon highly recommends gastric sleeve surgery. He does bariatric surgeries as well as general. Yay me... I have begun my journey; I had my 1st dietitian appointment, done my upper GI scope, have a cardiologist appointment this week & a follow up to the upper GI this week. I am waiting to find out about the sleep study and have 2-3 more appointments with the dietitian before surgery... Was wondering what the best pre & post Op protein shakes are best as well as liquid & chewable vitamins are recommended..... Sent from my LM-Q730 using BariatricPal mobile app

I don't know if you have a Trader Joe's near you but I really like their High Potency Chewable Multis. I have two a day to meet the bariatric standards. They are also a lot cheaper than just about any other chewable multi.

I think it is awesome that you are looking forward to a healthier life. Asking people's opinions here is a great way to start thinking about which way to go. However, the best resource is your bariatric team. There are many factors that make one procedure better than the other. Some of these factors can only be found by tests and the experience of the surgeon. For me, I was told by two different bariatric surgeons that the only procedure that would even be recommended was the sleeve. I have had multiple abdominal surgeries and these preclude having the bypass. By discussing everything with my current surgeon and along with my upper endoscopy and a follow-up CT scan, the best option for me is the sleeve. Good luck with your journey.

Hi Guy, This is my first post to the forum, but I have been doing a ton of research lately and I am trying to decide whether surgery is right for me and which procedure to go with. I am a 44 year, 5'10" and at my highest weight I was 258. I was always a thin guy up until my late 20's (when I was generally around 185). In my late 20's, I somehow managed to get up 210, then went on diet and started working out and got back down to 185 in a couple of months. Then I got married and got up to 220, then back down to 200, then back up to 241, then down to 215, then back up to 256, then down to 217. Now, I am 44 was back up to 261 of June this year. The pattern is pretty clear and continuing going up and down the scale isn't doing me any favors. I was sort of on the fence about surgery, but last month I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and that freaked the crap out of me. I always knew I was at risk cause I get the fat all in my tummy, but it's one thing to be at risk and another to actually have the disease. I also have high cholesterol, high triglicerides and sleep apnea. At this point, I am really concerned about my health. I am married and I have two young daughters, 2 and 7, and I would like to live to see grand children someday (and live with good health--not with crappy quality of life). My cardiologist referred me to a bariatric surgeon in March, so I have been through the initial seminar, consultation, nutritional counseling and monthly weigh-ins. At that time, I was leaning towards VGS, but that was before I was diagnosed with diabetes. Now, I am thinking maybe RNY is the better option? I would like to be able to consider mini-gastric bypass, but it doesn't seem like any doctors in the NY area perform this procedure (I don't think many in the US do it actually). I am kind of scared about doing this, but more scared about not doing it. Is there any reason why I should go with VGS over RNY??? Thanks in advance for the advice!!!

:thumbup: My name is Julie, I'm 37. I got my lap band 2-5-08. My starting weight was 258. Now I weigh 205.My surgeon is Dr Michael Lara at Del Sol Bariatric Center in El Paso Texas. I am thrilled I did it. I have to admit the results aren't as dramatic as I had hoped, but it has helped me quit a bit. I guess I was thinking in the back of my mind when they were lecturing about the diet and exercise I thought to myself " I won't need to try that hard !" And even though I'm not really deprived, I do have to work harder than I expected. But as I said I am happy I had the surgery and would absolutly recomend it to anyone struggling with a weight problem.

Hello, I was sleeved June 25th but am dying for some Bariatric friends in Shanghai! Are there anyone living shanghai aswell? Saf

I wanted to write a review about my hospital experience. I had my surgery October 24, 2013 by Dr. Charles Huddleston. Every appointment I had with him, before surgery, was informative, helpful, and considerate. He was extremely willing to talk about the different surgical procedures with both my mum and I. He was never rude and he never belittled my weight problems. On the day of surgery, I got to see him an some of the team. I was able to voice all my surgery concerns with the team, and had reassurance. After surgery, I was told he did visit me after I got settled in my room. (( I don't remember him visiting, due to the surgery meds. )) Later that day, he visited me again, when I was more awake. Again, he told me follow up care, he told me how surgery went, etc. He then told me he would see me tomorrow morning. Sure enough, the next day I got to see him. Later on the second day, I got to see him again I saw my Dr. Huddleston a total of four times, in two days. He's very concerned for making sure his patients feel safe and secure. He doesn't want you to feel out of the loop. In all honesty, I rate my entire experience with him as a whole 10/10. If you're wanting a bariatric surgery, I urge you to make a consultation appointment with him!!

So has anyone ever gotten a 6 pack after having bariatric surgery? Losing weight and retaining muscle is one thing, but are you able to get definition and put on more muscle after this procedure? Just wondering what the likelihood is considering the dramatic decrease in food intake and the whole sagging skin syndrome. Thanks guys.

Clarification on "Full Liquid" - I just googled this and found this link: http://www.livestrong.com/article/213702-bariatric-full-liquid-diet/ Does that agree with what everyone considers a full liquid diet? Again, my surgery was on 11/2 and I am still on more or less clear liquid diet

I will be starting the process for Weight-Loss Surgery!!!! I get my email for orientation for the classes I will be taking at Kaiser Permanente by email.

As surgical wounds are healing, there are often some distinct changes that occur to the skin both around and near the wound. A few things that one can expect – and things to watch out for: https://advancedtissue.com/2013/12/3-ways-know-difference-healing-infected-surgical-wounds/ A study was conducted that looked at patient incision care and other discharge concerns. The study found that knowledge of incision care and amount of information received about incision care were rated low. The five most frequently mentioned postdischarge concerns included bowel trouble at home, wound pain at home, looking for wound complications, watching for wound infection, and activity limitations. (This study is 12 years old. Hopefully, knowledge of incision and discharge care has improved drastically.) https://www.o-wm.com/content/bariatric-surgery-patient-incision-care-and-discharge-concerns

Hi Tellie - Your theory may not be that far off. My third fill was similar to your experience - a few days before my third fill I starting to have some pains in my back where I imagined the band to be, a pinching like feeling. I couldn't really imagine how much worse it would be going even tighter, but decided not to cancel the fill. I can't tell you the relief I felt as soon as all the saline was drained out - it was like suddenly being able to breathe again, not realizing I hadn't been breathing before. Third fill was given, and I felt much more comfortable than at the end of my second fill, but definitely tighter. My fills don't usually kick in for about 4 weeks. I have only heard a few others comment that they seem to be on that same delayed schedule. As far as why they take time to kick in at all, perhaps the sudden release of pressure relaxes the stomach, and it takes a few days for it to react again to the renewed pressure. (I love making up my own theories - lol) As far as whether you need a tweak now, or not... You really have to use your best judgment. If you're not losing and not having any problems with this fill, you may want to get readjusted. Just promise yourself that if you end up too tight you'll take the time and expense to have some fill removed. Good luck!

no problem. Not I think most ppl on here are from the U.S and many have gone to Mexico for bariatric surgery. Best of luck.

i have the Bariatric Advantage chewy bites and they are pretty tasty and easy to eat...

Misha, may I ask what, if any, information has been provided to you by your surgeon and / or dietician? Did they provide any post op guidelines around food, drink etc and to what volumes or measurements? This seems to be a question that is being avoided. If you went out of state or overseas for your surgery sometimes ongoing support and/or post-op programs is not given, and people do struggle. If no post op guidelines were given pre surgery or at the time of surgery , I assume such information is not going to be available to you and that it may be beneficial for you to seek out relevant information from other surgeons/clinics online. I have always found this website useful https://drjalil.com/bariatric-post-op-diet/, it may vary from other post-op guidelines elsewhere but that's the way it is, post-op programs do vary significantly.

I was extremely nervous about my visit. I saw the psychologist affiliated with the bariatric program at the hospital, even though I was given the option to see whatever psychologist I wanted-as long as he/she was certified. It was a lot of questions about previous weight, weight loss attempts, why I believed they failed, if I have a support system in place, and ALOT of questions about the surgery and diet/lifestyle changes afterwards. Basically, they are looking to make sure you have done your research and are mentally prepared for it all; do you understand what is going to happen/what the surgery entails. It went very well. I was VERY honest, and obviously answered correctly. I was "passed" by him, he gave his report to the surgeon, and I was submitted. Now just waiting to hear back from insurance. Good luck and be honest!

I like food still, though not the same things. My sense of smell and taste changed a lot with my surgery, so whenever my SO has fries, I want to gag whereas before, I'd eat an entire large no problem, but I crave vegetables and fruits and proteins now. I spend a lot of time surfing the web looking for recipes I can try out and I have found so many bariatric foods that are good comparisons to things I had before, but WAAAAY healthier. I eat four times a day and have 70-100 protein a day, and it's all fairly tasty food. At the beginning, I didn't want to eat, nor did any food really taste good, but after about three months, I finally started liking food again. I don't crave like I used to, I haven't binged in 6 months (OMG!!!!!), and honestly... it's not satisfying to eat anymore, it's just something I have to do, so I try to make sure it's healthy and tasty so it's not so boring. It's worth it, though. Food doesn't control me like it used to. It's nice having a choice now.

It's called bariatric chewable one a day. By procare health. I bought mine there but the website is procarenow.com

August 27, 2018: The gastric bypass procedure reduces the size of a patient’s stomach by more than 90 percent. This procedure affects people physically and emotionally, said Alex Brecher, who launched the online community Bariatric Pal (bariatricpal.com) after his own lap band surgery in 2003. The website has message boards, a store that sells a wide variety of products for men and women who have had weight loss surgery, and even helps arrange less expensive surgeries in Tijuana, Mexico, for patients whose insurance won’t cover the procedures. http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-fea-bolt-bariatric-20180802-story.html# Brecher, who traded in his lap band for bariatric surgery earlier this year, said the dramatic weight loss can also bring about some unexpected emotional issues. “Some people aren’t ready to look in the mirror and see something other than an overweight person,” Brecher said. “They see that different face looking back, and a lot of times they realize they still have to deal with the emotional things that got them to being overweight to begin with. When you lose weight and you’re not able to lean on food for emotional support, it can bring the other stuff to the surface.”

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and we’re already in the throes of preparing for the holiday season ahead. The holidays mean one thing—food, drinks--and more food. As an obesity expert and surgeon who performs weight loss surgery, I can tell you most of us gain weight from here until the end of the year—and more than just a pound or two. Whether you’re maintaining your weight or trying to lose those last few pounds before Thanksgiving, I’d like to share my thoughts on how to manage your weight the same way you would manage a project at work, school or home. In the real world, it’s admittedly difficult to prep healthy food in advance and squeeze in a trip to the gym between commuting to work, dealing with home projects, driving kids to football or dance and trying to get to bed by 11 p.m. every night. Add in the additional responsibilities of holiday activities and—no surprise here--watching your weight plummets on the priority scale. But you can do it nonetheless, it just takes a little planning. My most successful patients, who face losing hundreds of pounds after bariatric surgery, organize their lives to put nutrition, exercise and other healthy endeavors on equal ground with the other aspects of daily life—no matter what. Here are some of my favorite tips and tools to plan a more organized strategy that will support your path to a healthier holiday season: 1. Figure Out What Needs Fixing Everyone has periods of time when eating right and exercising goes off kilter. Take a few minutes to figure out when and why this happens. Are you running out of healthy foods too often? Are you stressed at night dealing with the kids and eating to calm down? Are you so exhausted you can’t be bothered with working out? Once you identify these triggers, you can create a plan to overcome these challenges. 2. Organize Your Surroundings Without a doubt, living or working in a chaotic environment is stressful. If the kitchen is a mess, there is no food in the house and you can never find your favorite sneakers, you’re putting yourself at an unnecessary disadvantage. Get your home and office back under control; start with the most disorganized space and clean it up. (This can usually be accomplished in less time than you think and the results will make you feel five pounds lighter). 3. Schedule Your Workouts the Same Way You Schedule a Meeting Pick a specific time during the weekend to review your calendar for the days ahead and schedule your workouts accordingly. And then actually go—no matter what. 4. Plan Meals, Grocery Shopping and Cooking Once a Week Reviewing your schedule for the week will help figure out where and when you’ll be eating meals, what foods you’ll need, and how much time you need to cook. Look at the weekly grocery store circular and stock up on healthy items that are on sale. Planning saves money. 5. Go to Bed—No Excuses Sleep deprivation interferes with weight loss by confusing hormones that signal hunger and fullness levels. Research shows that people who stay up late consume more calories than those who go to sleep at about the same time each night. When you're tired, your willpower wanes. Even as adults, you still need to aim for eight hours of quality sleep per night. Managing your weight during the holidays is like taking medicine—you train yourself to do it every day, just like brushing your teeth and eating lunch. Which areas of your life could reap the biggest improvement if they were just a little more organized? Start there. In a few short weeks, you are going to realize the positive impact on your life—and your waistline. When January rolls around, you’ll be starting a new year looking and feeling your best. Now that’s the way to welcome 2016.

So, I'm taking the Bariatric Fusion vitamins - you take 4 a day, at least 2 hours apart. While I usually space them throughout the day, my NUT said it was OK to take 2 together. So, here's my dilemma - I ran out of vitamins at work, so I took one this AM, then 2 when I got home at 9PM. I won't be awake at 11. I can't decide if I go ahead and take another around 10 to get my 4 in today, or assume its too much too close together so the last med won't absorb? Any advice? thanks! PS - already packed a week's worth of vitamins to take to work tomorrow so this won't happen again.

This thread is for anyone who has had complications after any type of bariatric surgery. I think most hope and experience a good outcome from surgery but, we also know the risks going into this. Any first hand experiences would be appreciated. What type of surgery did you have? What is your medical complication(s) that you are diagnosed with? What are your treatment options and what did you choose. Any medical referrals or resources in your area that you would recommend? your experience/story if you feel comfortable sharing

Congratulations on your amazing success and progress. I wish you much luck in your renewed efforts and achieving your goal weight!