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There is always risk in surgery. I know a guy who went in for a hip replacement and was ready to go home and died of a blood clot. Things happen. However more patients die from gastric bipass than lapband. The risks and complications are few. Everyone is entitiled to thier opinion and each one of us have to make our own dicisions. It is up to each of us to do our homework and feel comfortable with what we decide.

Staples??? Apparently yours was not laparoscopic surgery. Well, hope your healing is without complications. Sounds like so good so far though. Keep posting. Keep visiting and exploring this site. There are wonderful people, ideas, support, critiques, complaints, etc.

Well dont be like me and ready e v e r y post of surgery complications. i have freaked myself out!!

I see you've decided to go forward with the sleeve surgery. Good for you. I am nearly twice your age and really wish I had done this years ago. If it matters any, not everyone has complications or difficulties with the surgery. I had none. Not even gas. So congratulations on making a smart decision.

I hope I do not have any complications with them. I called and verified 3x if I needed a 6 mos supervised diet and they stated no as long as I have 5 years of weight record . I have 3 from my primary doctor , 1 from my Ob gyn and 2 from a previous family physician . I hope they will accept them. I also got records from enrollment at the ymca and Shapes ( gym membership) My bmi is 40 .2 . Did you have to take a sleep apnea test?

I feel amazing! I guess it's from losing weight, not eating all the junk, and of course vitamins! I even look forward to my walks everyday because each day I wake up I feel different because I am shrinking! I do struggle with head hunger but watching that scale go down definitely over rides that!! I was one of the lucky ones and had no complications and very little pain, mainly gas and feeling like I did 100000 sit ups. It is a major adjustment but it depends on you and how bad you are sick of feeling sick! I reached the bottom and decided I am done! LOVIN MY SLEEVE

If there were no urgent reason for a bypass, or a complicated hernia situation to consider, this would smell like the old bait-and -switch trick. Given that, I would think that the surgeon just simply has more experience with the bypass and is more confident in his/her surgical skills in that regard. Who knows? Maybe you will get a different answer. However, if the second surgeon also feels that a bypass would be a safer procedure and give you better long-term results, then that is probably the way to go. I went to the bariatric clinic expecting a lap-band and ended up with a sleeve.

I was the exact same way...couldn't get enough information! Today makes 7 mos. post-op...95 lbs. down and lovin' life! I guess I was fortunate...zero issues/complications. I was fanatical about following doc's orders, however still visited this site daily for post-op info/advice. Before you know it, the surgery will be behind you and you'll be having the time of your life! Good luck!

Yes, relax! Everyone having this surgery goes through the same exact concerns you have. It is very normal, but don't let fear and doubt cloud your judgement. I had incision complications after my surgery, but it doesn't even come close to making me regret having a vsg.

The only absolute in biology is that there are no absolutes, there's always an exception or a complication. (That's why I love it!)

I took four weeks but I had a complication and had to have a second surgery about a week out. I could have gone back in three but I had some nausea that would have been hard to deal with and I was still getting my food under control. I have a desk job but I travel all over PA.

I chose the band because bypass and the sleeve scared me too much. Yes, you are adding something to your body, but with the other two surgeries, you are permanently altering your body. I like that if for some reason I have complications with the band, it can be taken out and I am back to how I was before. Of course, I do plan on keeping it in there forever, but I like to keep my options open. I also liked that the death rates with the band were much lower than the bypass, and also lower than the sleeve. Another thing I didn't like about bypass and the sleeve was that you must take Vitamins for the rest of your life. Of course, as a bandster I should take my vitamins, and I will. But with bypass, you must. One of the reasons for getting the band for me was because I wanted to get off my diabetes meds, and I didn't want to just have to start taking different meds. Of course, gummy vitamins are much more fun to take than pills anyways, I look forward to it, lol. I hope that helps, it's a hard decision and I wish you luck.

I went ot a siminar recently and the answer is yes. If you have complications you will have to pay out of pocket for that. What you pay out of pocket is just for the post op,surgery, and first year. Anything after that is on you. That's what the Dr. out of El Paso said. I think each Dr. is different though. Hope this helps some.

Hi everyone! I am 27 years old, married in June of 2008. I am getting banded on tuesday January 6th 2009. The reason I am having this done is so that I can be healthy enough to have a baby. It will be my first. This is where things get a bit weird. You see I am a teacher of students with special needs. I teach kids with autism, downs syndrome, cerbral palsy, etc. and I ADORE my job. However, I am naturally paranoid about having a child with a disability and want to take all precautions while I am pregnant. Has anyone heard anything about this band creating any type of birth defects or complications with the pregnancy. I know it may not be what everyone wants to talk about but I think it's important to know. Thanks for understanding. Meghan

Thank you @JamieLogical and @liannatx. I appreciate it. I could take a few days off, but I teach. It wouldn't be fair to the students as we only have a month before the exam. I guess I am just starting to get a bit anxious now that I have decided to do it. Seems it may be best to wait in case of complications or fatigue. Thank you!

Had my RNY on Monday August 18th in Danville PA at Geisinger. Had some unexpected complications and some annoyances which may someday actually seem funny to me and my family. First off, The Bypass surgery itself went well, the Doctors were very good and the nursing staff...heck even the cleaning staff, made the experience bearable. Now for the bad parts. surgery started at 11 AM on the nose, I was looking at the clock as I took a nice long deep breath. Approx 8 hours later I was finally groggily awake, still in the recovery room looking into the teary eyes of my grandaughter and my husband.Seems i didnt want to breath on my own, every time they turned down the respirator I forgot to breath ! I'm here now and still breathing, so I guess it could have been a lot worse. The surgeon informed me later that he found an old hernia repair which had basically disintegrated, leaving me with mesh for them to clean out and he did a quick temporary fix for the hernia. Says the surgery for that will be a walk in the Park! So onward and upward. The next and worst thing of all was the monster bed they put me in. according to my Surgeon it is the latest best bariatraic hospital bed. cost $7000. I told him, during rounds, that is was worthless. i couldnt turn over or even sit up in the bed, I was basically a turtle on my back. This was also making it hard for me to cough or breath properly.The nurses said the beds are only useful for tall people or those who need mechanical aids to move them. they found me an old short-procedure wooden recliner to sleep in and I finally was able to breathe. Was having some Fluid build up in my ankles on wed, they didnt seem too concerned and sent me home. by Friday my foot was twice normal size and red and shiny. Bumex to the rescue. Started it on my own. didnt bother call anyone for advice. Seems to have worked as my swelling is slowly subsiding. Saw my PCP today and he spent the visit asking me why they took me off various meds? How the hell do I know? He wanted me to have the procedure and now seems upset that he cant micromanage it. His problem not mine. he is normally not like that but I guess we learn something new about people every day. So I came home, took a well deserved nap and am sipping on my wylers light raspberry iced Water and dreaming of pain free days. 2 1/2 hour drive to Danville tomorrow for checkup. Fun.

So, I just had my blood tests and MRSA swabs in advance of surgery next week (1st March) and decided that I would detail my journey here. Partly because I want to remember to come back on here when things get tough and I need a reminder of why I am doing this, and partly because I want to have a record of what I’m doing anyway, and I figure that having one that others can read, contribute to and, maybe, learn from (if I ever get to the point of having any lessons to teach) is as good a way as any. So, my background… I’m 29, living in London. I’ve always been overweight, ever since I was a kid, but my weight has fluctuated a lot. Generally, when I move to a new place, it falls, until I discover all the good places to eat, when it rises again. About five years ago I managed to get down to about 200lbs, but since then have crept steadily up and now I am about 290lbs. I think as I get a bit older, I’m realising a bit more the impact my weight is having on me. Over the last couple of years – walking has become more of a chore, for the first time, tying a seatbelt on an airplane has become a problem, I feel less and less energy and more strain on my joints. And I simply don’t want that to get worse. I haven’t felt any motivation to lose weight since that last time in 2009, and I had to admit to myself that I never will be able to do this on my own. So I have a choice. Continue to put on weight. Face into my thirtieth birthday at nearly 300lbs, maybe my 35th at 400lbs – who knows. And continue to see my body become more and more unable to cope. Or I stop. I take action, accept that I’m not going to be able to do it alone and take measures that will force me into a position of being healthier. It’s also driven by the fact that I want to have kids. As I’m gay, the most likely way for that is to adopt, but I’m pretty sure that I wouldn’t be approved as an adopter at my current weight. And even if I was, I don’t think I could be a good dad as I just wouldn’t have the energy to be rolling around playing with a kid and giving them the attention they deserve. I decided to self-fund for the operation. I have been diagnosed with sleep Apnoea (in December) through the NHS, and since that’s technically a comorbidity, my GP did say that I could be put on the NHS waiting list. But faced with a wait of two years or more, I decided it would be better to just get it done privately. So I met with my surgeon, Ameet Patel, before Christmas. I had hoped to have it done before Christmas, but I was due to start a new job on the 12th, and he said that if I had the operation on the 3rd or 4th January, he wouldn’t recommend me going to work on the 12th. So I decided to wait until Easter when I could take some time off work. As it turned out, there were no available dates at Easter, and leaving it later brings me too close to a trip I have planned at the end of May. So I ended up plumping for 1st March. I’ve had no pre-op diet to follow, so I’ve probably been a bit naughty in what I’ve been eating since I found out my date. I know I shouldn’t but I have been seeing these last weeks as an opportunity for one last hurrah with food. Biggest Fears I was sent my consent form in the post, and seeing the risks in black and white terrified me – especially where it just bluntly lists ‘Death’ as a risk. Even though I’ve talked them through with Dr Patel, and even though I know the risks are very low, they feel very real now. I’ve started to think about things I need to do in case the worst happens, and again, I know it’s a very low risk, but my family live in a different country, so I’m making sure my partner has their number in case he needs to call them etc. The reality of that is kinda scary. I’m also scared of complications – and not knowing whether pain is normal or a sign of something more serious. But my biggest fear is that I just won’t be able to be happy when I can’t eat what I want to. I keep telling myself that being able to go shopping for clothes or go for a run or exercise without wanting to collapse will all make up for any feeling of deprivation – and that I won’t feel that deprived because I just won’t have the same appetite that I have now. But it is probably my biggest fear that I will spend the rest of my life regretting what I’ve done. To combat that I just keep reminding myself that the price of having that total freedom to eat what I want is looking and feeling like I do now – I plan to keep a photo diary of my journey to remind myself that however much I regret not being able to eat what I want when I want, it will be nothing compared to the regret I would have if I had the opportunity to get healthy but turned it down. My Hopes This is the bit that keeps me going. My main hope – what I desperately hope – is that the tales I’ve heard of your tastes changing are true. I would dearly love to wake up from the operation and be revolted by the foods I used to love and suddenly find love for the foods I used to hate. If only I could like vegetables and low fat foods more! My biggest hope is that my tastes will change, so that when I can’t pig out on chips it won’t matter to me because I don’t want to pig out on chips. The same applies – big time – to Diet Coke. I’ve never been one for full fat soft drinks, I find them syrupy. But I love diet coke, and I am really dreading not being able to have it. If I could wake up and not desire it, that would be super. I’m not claiming these hopes are realistic. More generally – like everyone – I hope this works. My thirtieth birthday is in October and I have a vision of how I will look and feel for it. I hope that vision becomes a reality. I also hope that my relationship withstands the change. My partner has been incredibly supportive. I think one of the reasons I put on weight is that he loved me and found me attractive when we first met and I was overweight (but still, I was only about 200lbs) – I think my mind went ‘yay, you found someone who’s attracted to you even when you’re fat…eat away’. But my weight gain has made me feel less attractive and so has impacted on our relationship. As I say, he’s been really supportive and I just hope that the changes don’t result in any changes to how either of us feels about the other. So, having rattled on for too long, let the journey begin…

I cannot say anything about post-op, because my surgery is not until Dec.2, but I sure can about now. I am being weined off my antidepressant Celexa and boy did I have a few off days this past Sat-Tues. I will not go completely off my Celexa today as was planned. Now I will go down to 10 mg for the next 6 days, then I will have to go off completely the day of surgery until the doctor says I can go back on it. I was on 60 mg until the pre-op diet. They want patients to get weaned off of it so that the withdrawal will not cause complications or they won't be so severe if there is any. I guess right after surgery it is too difficult to swallow pills for a little while. I hope I don't have to stay off of mine very long. When had those off days I was on 20 mg a day, so I know that it is probably the effects of it being reduced from 60. If you are on any medications, have they let you start them again. I wish you all the best.

Same story here! VSG June 14 with Bhatti GI & North Memorial in MN. Recovery has really been a breeze. I took 1 week off from my desk job for surgery recovery. At almost 8 weeks, 32.5 lbs down. Including a recent 10-day vacation, eating normal foods at restaurants, but small amounts. On vacation we walked 3-6 miles a day. Normally I barely exercise…yeah…I know I need to do better, but I do physical farm work too. No food intolerances, nausea, pain, hair loss, or dumping. I get my 65-90g protein, hydrate, and have my vitamins & probiotic. 900-1200 calories/day. Too often my carbs are too high (>75g). It’s hard to get fiber. The “hardest” part for me and the only deviation from the plan that I have committed (besides erratic levels of exercise) was clear liquids. I was prescribed 3 days CL before surgery (lost 4lbs) plus 2 weeks CL after surgery. 2w after was way too long. I got dizzy and weak because I couldn’t get enough protein. Switching to full liquids was like paradise. Did that a week early with no issues. North Memorial’s diet plan is very conservative. I also got Covid for the first time at 4w post-op. I only had a scratchy throat for 3 days and was tired for a week, but had no problems keeping to the dietary guidelines. Almost zero movement b/c I did strict quarantine for 10d to not spread it. I am surprised I’ve done so well given how crazy it all sounds in retrospect. Major abdominal surgery, FT work, life with 3 kids, Covid, harvest season on the farm, and lengthy travel all in 8 weeks. But it’s been great! I have tons of energy! Fear of complications and lack of insurance coverage kept me from doing this for probably 8+ years. It’s nice to hear positive stories collected in one place. I feel for those of us struggling. I still fear something will crop up. We are fortunate.

The man was from infection at the incision site And the lady was complications from the surgery

I was banded 8/16/07...I have had considerable weight loss with the band and pretty much no complications. At first I followed the rules to a tee, knowing that I needed to build up to the eating-solid-foods bit to really know how this band would work. I was 322.5 one month before surgery...then 302 on the day of surgery....and am now 260 after just over 2 months of getting banded. That's 42 lbs. people! And I have never had a fill. My dr. says that if I feel restricted enough then I don't need one, also my weight loss seems very good. Everyone is congratulating me, but here is the bad part...I don't feel like I am doing right anymore. These past few weeks, I have had ice cream, bbq, fried foods, not much excercise at all (less than 30 minutes 2 times a week), and birthday cake! Sometimes I feel like I severly struggle with wanting to eat because my head says so, not my stomach, and frankly I have a hard time knowing if I should eat or not. I keep up on my Water, and for the most part keep up on my Protein, but I just hoped that someone out there could tell me if they have experienced a similiar situation or if I should be worried about a slippage or (GOD FORBID) erosion. It's like I'm on auto-pilot. How come the scales go down each morning when I am not doing everything they say to do? I feel guilty about it, but since I am losing, everyone else thinks I'm just being silly. I warned you, it was a dumb question, but what does restriction feel like? And do you think I'm just feeling guilty about eating bad foods and not excercising?

I found out about a year ago that I have one (1) mutation of factor five leiden in my blood after suffering from a superficial blood clot in my left calf, at the time I was smoking about a pack a day and on the birth control pill Yasmin. Anyone been banded with the condition?? Any complications?? Thanks

I agree i think you should do what is best for you. I went to mexico and i have lost 100 pounds in 5 and half months. I have no complications. I have had to get used to my new body, eating habits and the reflux. Thats about it. I would suggest talking to someone who has been to mexico for the sleeve. My ex girlfriend was the reason why i went, she didnt have any complications either. I was a self-pay i could not afford the us prices of 12-30k as opposed to the 4k that i paid in mexico and i was put up in a hotel for my entire stay, the food and water and drinks were also free. All of my meds and aftercare were also free. There is a huge community of people who have had surgeries in Mexico who support each other. I wish you the best on your journey. Take care.

Kathy, i know how you feel i still love food, i found talking to a dietican or food consoler helped teach me how not to turn to food when i wasnt havent a good day, but food was my life, I still eat most foods i did in past but in very small portions now. Another reason i had my surgery done on Nov 2nd was so i could atleast have mush foods at thanksgiving (fat guy) always thinking.. LOL Its not easy believe me you have to get yourself saying I can do this, Food will not run my life anymore!!! If you stumble get back up and start the next day... But please follow what your doctor says you dont want any complications, i have read others eating different foods at different weeks, stick with what your doctor feels is right for his patiants.. Good Luck God Bless!!!

Thank you for all your help in advance. I had my lapband placed as a self pay in Mexico 21/2 years ago. I found out this week by endoscopy that it had eroded. Now I am in pain and need to have it removed soon. My problem is my insurance company. They do not pay for obesity surgery or any complications it may cause. What do I do? I can't afford the huge bill this will create. I have contacted my Doctor in Mexico. They could remove it. They would charge $800-$5000. Plus any cost for travel and hotel. I know that is still less than the US, but I am a little uneasy with how it may be removed. Mind you, this was only the scheduler, but they would remove it endoscopically. Just cut it and pull it out my mouth in office. But what if there is a hole in my stomach that must be repaired? A little scary. So any help with this situation is very needed. I know I got myself into this mess because I wanted to loose weight and look good for once in my life. I still have a good 40 more pounds to loose. I am sad, I don't want to gain it all back and have a huge finacial burden on top of it. Help!! By the way, I have Lifewise of Oregon for insurance. :thumbup: