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I don’t think many of us on here do have liver problems. The point of the liquid diet is to shrink your liver prior to surgery so that it decreases the risk of complications. Your stomach and liver are very close (if not over lapping). The bigger you are, the bigger your liver is & longer you will need a liquid diet for.

I definitely hear you in this post. I just started my process with my consult yesterday, and I thought I’d have 6 months to think about it, but it’s only a 3 month wait for me so my mind is now racing thinking about my options. I’ve lost 75 lbs on my own (what I’d like to lose at minimum now) but I gained it back and then some. I have PCOS which causes horrible insulin resistance and is preventing me from being successful on my own. I have to remind myself of the science, because I keep thinking “if I can do this with surgery, why can’t I without??” But... I can’t. My worry about surgery is more of complications. I work in a hospital with the most critical patients on a daily basis so my view of the horrid stuff that can happen is skewed and it makes me a bit skiddish of a “elective” procedure even though logically I know this is for my health and happiness and truly what I need. So... I’m just processing and trying to get myself mentally ready for taking a leap that could have negative health consequences by reminding myself constantly those negative possibilities are such slim ones. Good luck with your process!

I had it a year and a half ago. I have no regrets what so ever. I genuinely feel bad for anyone that has had any complications. But many of us don’t. There’s really nothing to be nervous about. They knock you out, take out half your tummy and wake you back up lol. Everything else is on you and as long as your consistent and accountable, you’ll be just fine. I have ocasional reflux but tbh i would rather deal with that then be fat forever. So i still wouldn’t change a thing. Good luck to you.

I'm with @Missouri-Lee's Summit and as a self pay patient could pick out whichever surgery I wanted. I chose RNY Gastric Bypass because it was the "gold standard" and seemed to be the most effective in terms of high percentage of weight loss and stats of maintaining. As a binge eater, I wanted as much restriction as possible. Also, I liked the idea of a possible "reversal" and not completely removing my stomach in the event of any severe complications down the road. I have no regrets.

Just go with your gut instinct! If you think you want to have the sleeve then go for it. My initial instinct was the bypass even though I was at a low starting bmi and even with complications post op I have no regrets. Also, heartburn can happen with the bypass as well especially if you're prone to it, i had it pretty badly. So unless there is a major deciding factor, go with your gut! You got this! Sent from my LM-G710VM using BariatricPal mobile app

This would have def offended me, but I'm going to take a different approach on it. I would say that his opinion has little to do with your choices or success after surgery. You need him to do the surgery, without complications, period. After that, his job is to monitor your vitamin levels and record your weight loss. Just because he's a bariatric surgeon, doesn't mean he's a fitness expert. I wouldn't take advice from a surgeon on fitness, just because he's a doctor. So if you want to "bulk" up, then go for it! But I wouldn't let it discourage you from using him. If his known skills are reputable, and you've established with him... I'd say continue forward.

My time is winding down my surgery is Wednesday getting closer and I’m nervous . I’m still struggling with some depression and I couldn’t be my emotions but I believe I’ve done all I could about my weight on my own. I’ve always been heavy even though people try to excuse it because I look good (not trying to toot my own horn) but people always says that it was okay for me to be big because I’m not ugly but besides that the sleep apnea, high blood pressure, and asthma has taken over my life. I’ve gather some great tips from this website and YouTube and I just pray that I make it with out any complications..I choose not to tell my parents or any of my friends because I can’t handle the excuse or negativity I just can’t anymore I’m feeling a little guilty as well but I’ll get over it

I don't mean to be an @$$, but I never thought of myself as being fat forever either, couldn't imagine it. I always thought I'd lose it, one way or another. But it became increasingly obvious that if I didn't get this surgery, that I would be obese forever. I would die from weight related diseases or complications. Just saying, this isn't the end of the world. I feel like a normal person now. I don't label myself as a bariatric patient. I don't think about it anymore. I eat well, that's it. Oh, and I go to the doctor to get my vitamins checked.

I am scheduled for Sept 10 for the GERD. I have had my sleeve for the past six years I’ve had nothing but complications. I didn’t experience the GERD till six months after the sleeve is done but they didn’t diagnose the gERD till almost 3 years later. I’ve been on three different PPIs, Bought a $7000 bed to elevate me while I sleep, and have to take another medication four times a day just to give me a little relief. For the past three years been trying to get a Stretta procedure approved. Each time getting denied. This year my insurance finally started covering Stretta but because of the insurance they wanted pic. The ESG showed I had a hiatal hernia and polyps. So now I’m going to be having A gastric sleeve to Roux en Y revision.

Yeah, you really want to be on an inhibitor while you are healing ESP with the sleeve since the sleeve is notorious for having elevated complications with GERD and reflux. It's common with all WLS though, since they are damaging your stomach, you want as little irriation during healing as possible. That's where the acid reduction comes into play.

My doctors told me absolutely no smoking ever after surgery because I could get a bleeding ulcer so now I am considering not going through with the surgery. She also said I can’t have edibles 😞, is she wrong? Seems looks quite a bit of you have smoked and had edibles after surgery, anyone experience ulcers or any complications? 

I agree with the posts about not losing the weight and GERD. My doctor and I decided on the sleeve as I’ve never had GERD. A little over 2 months post surgery and I still don’t experience it. I do hear a lot about the bypass being better for diabetes, but I stopped all my diabetes medications two days after starting my pre-op diet, and I’m already down to normal levels for A1c and haven’t restarted any of the meds. Personally, the sleeve was my number one choice because it’s less invasive and had fewer complications like dumping. I am losing at a slower rate than the bypass people who had their surgeries around the same time, but I’m still down 43 pounds in 66 days and 99 pounds since I started the WLS journey. I was initially wary because the sleeve is a newer procedure. Turns out the first record I found of it was in 1988. Sure, it’s been perfected and changed over the years, but it’s always been one of the steps of DS. So it’s actually been around quite a while. I found a great surgeon who is very well known for WLS and the rest is history. Also, I don’t believe the majority of sleeve patients end up revising, but since you see the posts of the people who do, it seems like a bigger majority than it is. After all, no one really makes posts about nothing changing 😂

I’m posting again since I didn’t give that much information. I’m July 18th, sleeve, at Fort Gordon Georgia. I’ve been on my liquid diet for 10 days this far. I have cheated with egg drop soup... I find several doctors have different diet requests. No sugar for 10 days and that doesn’t bother we... what I want is a piece of chicken 🍗 😆 I started this process last February and had to go thru some things twice. It didn’t take me that long, I wasn’t emotionally prepared since my brother passed away unexpectedly in 2015. But now I’m ready 🙏🏼. I have to say I’m more nervous about the possible complications versus the meal/diet/ lifestyle changes. And I’m a RN did we over think 🤔 everything. I 🙏🏼 for positive outcomes for everyone and healthy healing... 😃

I think it’s important to stick to the plan that was provided by your team. You’re still healing and you don’t want to risk anything and have complications. It can be frustrating to see other people eat ahead of you on a different plan than yours even if you had similar surgeries and surgery dates. Hang in there, you can do it

Just got home from hospital after surgery on the 12th. Dr and nurses said I did really well for someone 1 and 2 days post op. No complications mild nausea from morphine. But that’s it. Glad to be home and starting the healing process. Let’s do this!

Hello! So obviously, I'm new here. I just wanted to say hello, and add my 2 cents. I'm 5'8, and my current weight is 360lb. I can't say for sure that this is my highest weight, as I'm pretty sure I've lost some weight since January, but I never weighed my self, so I can't be sure. I guess it really doesn't matter though, 360lb is high enough, don'cha think! Lol. I've been fat (said not as derogatory, but as a factual statement), almost my whole life. I had the few years pre-puberty as skinny, but once 11 or 12 hit, that was over. I am lucky enough to have gained confidence in my self in my early 20's. Loving myself, body and all. So I never tried all the questionable fad diets and gimmicks that are out there. However, I was aware that a lower weight would be healthier in the long run. Obesity runs in my family, and my Nanie (my Mom's Mom) died from complications due to being obese. I knew I didn't want to end up in the same situation as I got older, so I did try calorie counting and exercise. While it was semi successful, I just wasn't able to lose much, nor keep it off. I knew I needed something more powerful, and lasting, for me to make weight loss work. So I've always been interested in bariatric surgery. Due to many circumstances, surgery through health care (Canadian here), was just not an option, and money for pay myself surgery, was just as unlikely. However, after a few family members went through they're own surgery, seeing how helpful surgery really was for weight loss in individuals who haven't been able to do it on their own, some of my family decided that they wanted me to have this chance, and put things in motion for me to be able to do this. Fast forward to now, a few months later, I have a surgery date of September 5, going to a surgeon in Mexico, the same one that one of my family members went to. She is confident enough in her experience to have set me up with them. In fact, she'll be traveling with me, to help me out. I'm excited for this journey, and a little nervous, I've never had surgery before, but I know this will be good for me. While I've been lucky enough to have remained relatively healthy, with only sleep apnea as an issue I have, I know that won't last as I get older if I don't do something now. So that's my story so far. I'm loving being able to read everyone's story on here, and hope to add more to this great community!

Got home yesterday evening. No complications on surgery side. Gas pain, nausea. belly ache, flem. Have been out of since after surgery. Will start a new thread once I'm somewhat normal. Thanx all for the well wishes.

Had mine Thursday at 7:30 am and went home 2pm on Friday. No complications and was able to get my liquids in. i was incredibly uncomfortable in the hospital

My surgery was late in the day before I was #3 in line. The two cases ahead of me were, apparently, a lot more complicated than mine. Originally, I was scheduled for about 12:30-1:00pm, but the cases took far more time than anticipated. Yes, it seemed like forever waiting for my turn, but if I were on my surgeon's operating table, I wouldn't want him to rush my bypass because someone is WAITING. Yes, it is completely normal to be nervous, especially if this is your first surgery or if you've never had experience with anesthesia. Anesthesia nowadays is a piece of cake. You will be under so fast that you won't have time to be nervous. Believe me, there are highly-trained professionals taking care of you and you'll be extremely well cared for. I was under before I could count to five. It's that fast. Don't make yourself crazy reading isolated bad-experience stories. Those don't apply to you. Either the stories are updated or they're about people who had complications from the get-go. Please don't worry yourself unnecessarily. It's important to separate your rational fears from irrational ones. And, sweetie, you will wake up. In fact, before you know it, you'll be in the recovery room where more people will be buzzing around you, all taking wonderful care of you. Be positive. This is a day for you to celebrate. You packed your bags. You've worked hard to get to this point, so enjoy your surgery date. Take photos. You'll regret it if you don't. This is the beginning of your journey. Your life will change for the better. Be happy. Everyone here is rooting for you. If you need to talk, come back here and someone will talk to you. Feel free to send me a private message if you'd prefer that. I have a medical background so I can help you understand some of the medical stuff, too.

I have 3 young kids and I Know I have a bit to go before surgery, but how long will I be in the hospital if I have no complications? Sent from my Z983 using BariatricPal mobile app

I don't know how many are "many" (there is something called "adverse selection" that is common in online forums, where negatives outnumber positives because everyone with a complaint will post about it, but those with nothing to complain about are largely silent, so things tend to seem worse than they are,) but it does happen for a few reasons. The sleeve is predisposed do reflux problems due to its geometry and physiology. The volume of the stomach is reduced much more than the acid producing potential, so it takes a while for the body to adapt, and sometimes it doesn't. Also, the sleeve is considered to be a "high pressure" system in that the stomach is often closed off by the pyloric valve at the bottom, so excess gas, fluids or solids have no place to go other than back up; the bypass is a "low pressure" system as there is no pyloric valve in the system, so excess gas can vent down into the intestines. In contrast, the RNY due to its geometry and physiology is predisposed to dumping, marginal ulcers, reactive hypoglycemia and bile reflux. With either procedure, this does not mean that everyone will experience these problems, just that this is the natural result of the anatomical changes that have been made. Another compounding factor with the sleeve is the relative experience level of the profession - in the US, the sleeve has been routinely approved by insurance for about the past 6-8 years, while the bypass has been routine for around 40 years. This means that there has been some revisions needed due to inexperience in some of those early sleeves - the surgeons may have been well experienced doing bypasses and bands, but a new procedure, even a straightforward one such as the sleeve, brings along its own subtleties and nuances that take practice to master. Resultant shaping issues can promote or exacerbate the reflux problem. In the US, most bariatric surgeons are now far enough up the learning curve that most are now making routinely making functionally competent sleeves (one should always seek out a surgeon who has several hundred of whatever procedure one is interested in under his belt.) However, now the problem is, as it has been since early on, is that many are not very experienced in correcting any problems that may crop up with a sleeve, so the natural inclination is to stick within their comfort zone and revise to a bypass when a problem occurs, rather than correct the sleeve. So yes, the OP is correct in some respects that there are some unnecessary revisions being done, though not necessarily just for the sake of charging for two procedures. As time marches on and the industry gets more experience with sleeves, I would expect that the revision rate will decline as both the sleeves will be made better overall, and the surgeons learn how to repair them when necessary rather than revise them, much as the bypass has matured over time and some of its predisposed problems are less common as they have learned how to mitigate them to the extent they can (bile reflux isn't too common anymore as they have worked out techniques to minimize its occurrence, for instance.) Another factor that may skew the impressions some is that the bypass is a difficult procedure to revise - it is something of a dead end surgically speaking. If poor weight loss performance or regain is experienced, there is little point in reversing it and revising it to a sleeve as they are both so similar in performance that there isn't much to be gained. There are minor tweaks that are offered - tightening of the stoma or intalling a band over the bypass - but overall results are generally pretty poor. Revising it to a DS, which can offer improved weight loss and regain resistance, as well as diabetes remission, is a very complex procedure that only a handful of surgeons are capable of performing. So, we don't see a lot of bypasses revised for that reason, though sometimes they are reversed if there are significant complications that can't otherwise be resolved, though that isn't a trivial option, either.

@simon66 We all have our personal reasons for having the surgery, and in all honesty, the aesthetics and looks were the least of my concerns. Since having surgery, I've contemplated having skin reduction surgery, even at the ancient age of 52. Having surgery is a major event and the greatest benefit is health and quality of life. Both of my parents have died from heart disease or complications from being obese and diabetes. So, for me, it was an easy choice. I have gained energy, motivation and decreased my risks for theses leading causes of death or disability. Good luck on your journey.

https://obesitynewstoday.com/bariatric-surgery-reversibility/ "In addition to reducing the size of the stomach, the gastric bypass also rearranges the digestive system, which is why it is usually not reversible." https://www.realself.com/question/gastric-bypass-reversible "Gastric Bypass surgery is considered a permanent operation but can be reversed for medical problems only. The risks of a reversal are extremely high." So, "potentially" reversible, but reversing is almost never done due to complications. The band can be removed, the sleeve, your pouch can and will stretch out, but the bypass, the restriction plus the rerouting of your intestines, this surgery should not be considered "reversible" as a justification for getting it.

A surgeon discussed this at our last support group meeting. He said that while by-passes are "technically" reversible, it's still another major surgery, it can have complications just like any other, and there may be a lot of scar tissue on the portions of the stomach that you'd like to rejoin. It is a very major undertaking and really shouldn't be considered one of the "pros" of bypass.

I did a huge amount of research before making my decision and one of the main reasons I went for a gastric bypass is that if you get complications you can reverse the operation as nothing is taken away. With a sleeve you remove most of the stomach so once it’s done it’s done. I found very few advantages to the sleeve and the Acid Reflux is a major reason why it soon became a no go for me. Another big factor is if you have diabetes a sleeve doesn’t really change that much, where a bypass can reduce it hugely or in some cases eliminate it completely. That is a huge reason to seriously consider a bypass over a sleeve. I am not trying to say that everyone should have a bypass, but every day I read more and more people who say Sleeve to bypass for me. Something seems wrong about that. I think you are right James, it seems to be on trend right now, which is extremely worrying. I get the feeling that most people get told what to have, rather than make there own decision based on evidence. I bet if the patients are told with a sleeve is final or with a bypass it’s reversible if you have complications, most would go for a bypass. Anyway rant over 🤣🤣