Search the Community

As a recent sleeve to bypass patient - specifically to resolve the terrible GERD, Gastritis and Esophagitis caused by chronic acid reflux - I can so relate to your comments. I had acid reflux disease before I even had the sleeve, and my surgeon never told me that GERD could be a complication following sleeve surgery. In all fairness, I think that this has really only come to the surface over the past 5 years. Now surgeons, and GI doctors, seem to be more versed in GERD following sleeve surgery and more prone to advise patients to choose the bypass. On a positive note, I've had ZERO acid reflux since my bypass surgery October 2020. I stopped taking any PPI, and my primary care doctor is thrilled. Long term use of PPI's can also lead to bone loss in women. Best decision I made was choosing the revision surgery.

If you have had a band for 5 or more years... where are you, weight-wise, related to your over-all goal? What complications, if any, have you experienced? What are the best things about the band? What are the worst things? And...(drumroll please) would you do it again?

If you have had a band for 5 or more years... where are you, weight-wise, related to your over-all goal? I'd had my band for 3.75 years when it was removed for slippage. I lost 130 lbs which got me closer to a "normal" weight than I'd ever thought possible. It was relatively easy maintaining this loss, and THAT was my goal. So I'd say I reached it, in spades. What complications, if any, have you experienced? I had occasional bouts of reflux and irritation, seemingly kicked off by allergic congestion. I also think my band was too small from the start, leading to chronic irritation in the fourth year. What are the best things about the band? The best thing was the control it gave me over food. The incredibly liberating feeling of having a half a sandwich for lunch and NOT BEING HUNGRY for hours was a complete miracle to me. What are the worst things? The hardest part of the whole thing for me was learning that a half-sandwich really is enough food. Learning how little my body needs to survive and thrive was quite difficult. And without my band, I'm finding it impossible to apply that knowledge because I'm hungry. The band gave me the ability to eat only what I need to live, and lose the compulsion to eat more than that. would you do it again? ABSO-FRICKIN'-LUTELY. I am in the process of jumping through hoops to get a replacement band. Whatever it takes, I'm gonna do.

I was one of the 10%. I was in the hospital 8 days 5 longer than I was suppose to be. I got an infection somehow somewhere still don't know what from. I had a temp, white blood count was high, Fluid in my longs had trouble taking deep breathes which is what they want you to constantly try to do. Went in for a second surgery to look for a leak and didn't have one. They put in drains and got on antibiotics and I started to get better. It was rough the first 3 weeks of recovery. My body went through something traumatic. Low calories trouble drinking, diarrhea, extreme weakness. I did not ever end up back in the ER. I took it day by day and realized that first week or so liquid is the most important thing. My dr even told me that he didn't care about the protein or the Vitamins he cared about hydration first which was very true. I was faint a few times. But I focused on the fluids over food. Then eventually around week 4 it got a lot better and I was back to work week 4. I have never tracked anything. I refuse to live that way. I do however consciously make the right choices knowing in my head what is high carb versus more protein. I limit my carbs just by making good choices. Now that I can have a salad or a piece of fruit or a handful of nuts and be full and satisfied, making the choices are much easier now. Before I would never be satisfied on just that. Now I am so I actually want it. It's amazing. After eating the same things or getting in a routine you know what u should and shouldn't have or how much so I mentally keep the numbers in check. I refuse right now to write it down. And so far just making the right choices is working. I am 4 months out today and I have consistently lost every week with the exception of a stall for 2 1/2 to 3 weeks. But that's ok. I'm down 42 since may 8th and 57 all together since I started my journey. Good luck to you. Even with my complication I have no regrets. It's a risk but a risk I was willing and ready to take to feel better. The recovery is only temporary everyday gets a ill easy and u feel a little better. Then one day you wake up and feel 100% back to normal except u eat a lot less now. And somehow you have energy again. It's a blessing and a freedom I can't describe until you go through it yourself.

A gastric sleeve is different from a Divided RNY. A gastric sleeve still maintains the body's normal functions with a different stomach. I've talked to several bariatric specialist and everything I Am doing is all normal. Sometimes you can't feel the fullness in your pouch and you throw up because 2 tablespoons of something over filled it. Trust me I am a researching health nut. I had other complicated issues that had nothing to do with food addictions the reason I was overweight .

One of the biggest barriers to getting weight loss surgery is the fear of complications. From mild ones like nausea and constipation to more serious ones like obstructions and leaks, complications are common among bariatric surgery patients. Did you have complications after Weight Loss Surgery? Nope, aside from a little soreness during the recovery, things went great! Yes, but nothing serious. I just had some stomach issues. Yes, somehow I developed some nutrient deficiencies. See below for which ones I had and how I fixed them or whether I’m still dealing with them. Yes, I ended up back in the hospital. See why in the conversation below. I haven’t had weight loss surgery yet, but I’m crossing my fingers that nothing serious happens to me. Other. Read my answer in the discussion below. Mark your answer and give us the details in the conversation below. Sharing your experience can help other members who are making their own decisions about weight loss surgery.

I was in and out of the hospital for 13 weeks with complications from surgery. I had a leak, internal bleeding, a feeding tube, a drain tube, 8 strictures, Fluid around my lungs.

Not one complication. None at all, thank God.

3 months post RNY: Nope, did great. My only complication was constipation and it was the worst part of my surgery. Wish I had gotten in front of that. I still take a Peri-Colace everyday and lots of other stuff to be sure. Drinking enough is always a struggle. Would do it over again in a heartbeat.

please explain any complications or issues you had with them im trying to make a informed decision:nervous

I used Dr. Huacuz and found plenty of research on him through the forum and others... all positive. I didn't have any complications or issues. They were forthright with all the information.

For the pre-op diet, I knew it was only two weeks. I have always been able to do a diet for at least two weeks. I am in my first full week post op. The liquid stage is easier here because again, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Also, the liquid stage after surgery is to let your stomach heal with the band around it. If you eat too soon, you can cause damage to your stomach and risk complications with your band. The thought of having something go wrong with this now, keeps me on track. I was not hungry the first few days after surgery. I was just trying to get my liquids in to keep hydrated. I am hungry now, but it isn't taking even 1/2 cup of soup to have me feeling full. The thing about the band is, you won't be on a "diet". This will be a lifetime change with the aid of this wonderful tool. So instead of dealing with extreme hunger as I normally do with diets, I will have my band to help me get full faster and stay full longer.

Hi all, sorry for the complicated questions!!! Just trying to figure out a timetable and such for this. I am nervous and scared but I know its the right choice.

My bags were packed. I was ready to go. I was at my lowest weight and psyched. Got to the hospital at 9 am this morning and sent to Pre-Op to ready for the 11 am surgery. Stripped down to the hospital gown with an IV in my arm and waiting the green light. At 11:15 am I was notified it was delayed 2 hours due to complications with the patient before me who was in surgery at that moment. At 1:30 pm I was notified it was delayed at least another hour. At 3:00 pm I asked if I stayed could the surgery still be performed and more importantly was the surgeon in any condition to do it ? They passed that question along and to my surprise the surgeon showed up. He asked me to cancel. He said his regular team was going off duty and this was major surgery. For my safety he recommended it be rescheduled. I was bummed but what could I do. I'll get my new date in the morning. UPDATE: 5/26//12: I've been rescheduled for June 6th.

First, congrats! A number of ladies experience increased fertility with weight loss, despite how much we hate it when our docs tell us weight is a factor or no matter how many times we've been told we have a number of female issues. Somehow, with the weight loss, the body gets back on track and it surprises a lot of ladies. As you can see from all of the surprise pregnancy posts you'll find here! I was two years out when I got pregnant but still had a very limited capacity. I could eat one scrambled egg with cheese and one turkey sausage link in a meal and feel stuffed. As my pregnancy has progressed my capacity has increased as well as my appetite, so while it's still a bit of a challenge to consume enough, I'm doing alright. My situation was complicated by nausea. If I ate any meat, I'd get sick. I'm already lactose intolerant and while it's supposed to improve during pregnancy mine got worse - to the point where putting a tiny bit of butter on toast would make me ill. My Protein shakes were totally off limits for several months, too. So I really do understand the concerns you're having. The solution is to go back to the way things were in the beginning, when you forced yourself to eat around the clock to hit a nutritional goal. It means choosing your meals carefully so that you can get a well balanced meal in a tiny portion. It also means trying your darnedest to get back on those shakes and make them stick. I have been able to drink mine again for the last few weeks and I feel MUCH better and have more energy since I was able to do that. And I really can eat more in a sitting now. Your stomach should relax as you get further along and the hormones are really increased. That helps a lot. When you say your stomach hurts are you talking about cramping and nausea? Is it hurting after dairy? I first developed lactose intolerance with my twin pregnancy and the first clue was really uncomfortable stomach cramping after anything dairy based. I would definitely bring this, and the fact that you've had WLS to your OB's attention ASAP. I am on two different prenatals, additional Calcium, B12 shots and a special Iron supplement to keep my levels up. I am only just now, five months in, getting enough nutrition that my labs come back in good shape. While it's been a particular challenge for me, try your hardest to shelve concerns about weight gain. I was so freaked out a few months ago because I had already put on seventeen pounds. But here I am, 24.5 weeks out and I'm only up 15 pounds - somewhere along the way I lost a couple of pounds. And it's all baby (okay...baby and boobs, but I'm not complaining about that part!) and I really do realize that I'm going to do just fine losing this weight afterward. The biggest concern is making sure the baby is getting enough, and you sound like you're already working to help this issue. My doc told me and I believe it - the baby will suck every bit of energy and nutrition from my body and leave me tired, nauseated and run down before it will go without. So if you're at least trying, even when it's not easy, you should do just fine. So, try the shakes again. Try to set a timer to eat small, regular, protein and calcium rich meals. Eat as much of what you're able to eat as you can, within reason, of course. Foods that are really good for protein, besides meat are lentils (lentil Soup saved me when I couldn't eat any meat a few months ago), cottage cheese, seitan (if you like it), and of course Beans always help, too. Good luck, ~Cheri

Hi and congrats on taking the steps to a healthier and better you. The sleeve is a wonderful and I absolutely love life post-op. As for your questions, I'll answer honestly and openly as I can. 1) I am a smoker. Smoking inhibits healing, and can cause ulcers. Not only that, it increases your risk of a leak due to hindering healing of the staple line. My surgeon knew my smoking status, but I didn't quit pre-op. Could it have contributed to the fact that I did have a leak, yes, but the biggest issue in my recovery and leak issues was because I had a band first that destroyed my stomach tissue. Smoking also complicates anesthesia recovery. Your abdomen is sore, causes more coughing and I had to use a spirometer to help prevent pneumonia. That really sucked because coughing caused major discomfort. I have quit twice since surgery, and am now trying to quit again. I actually went on Wellbutrin to help with the withdraws of nicotine as the patch, gum and cold turkey make life with me pure hell. 2) I had a huge panel of labs, a chest xray, psych eval, and consult with a nutritionist. Some surgeons require an upper gi and sleep study. 3) I didn't have a drain initially. A lot of surgeons use drains to make sure there is no leak, and some pull it before discharge, some require it stay in for about a week. I only had drains due to the leak repair surgery, and they stayed in for over 2 weeks. 4) I was not catheterized for my revision. I urinated before surgery, and was dry when I came out. 5) hair loss can happen to anyone that goes through surgery. It's a pretty normal occurrence. There is absolutely nothing you can do to stop it. It's a combination of anesthesia, surgical stress, and rapid weight loss. I lost hair for about 3 months, and I lost half of my hair. Luckily, I had super thick, coarse hair and no one that didn't know me before never guessed that I had lost all of my hair. The only thing you can do pre-op and during your recovery is to take hair/nail/skin supplements to help with regrowth. Biotin is usually the one most people choose. I didn't do anything to help with regrowth until I started losing. I used Folicure extra care shampoo. I started having new growth pop in while I was still losing. Currently, I look like a chia pet, and have chopped my hair off, layered it and bleached the top to help hide some of the new growth. I kept the back and underneath dark to help give the illusion of depth and volume. Unfortunately, hair loss seems pretty inevitable. There's several patients on this board that got in there Protein and extra protein, and they lost more hair and lost it for a longer period of time than I did, and I didn't get in my protein until I was on soft solids when I could eat chicken and other meat. My main advice is make sure you can handle the mental and emotional aspect of this surgery. It's a huge change, and no matter how much you read or talk to people will you really grasp it all until you go through it. I truly believe going in positive, and upbeat helps. Find strength within yourself, and know that you are doing something absolutely fabulous for yourself and your family. Know that recovery can be difficult, you'll be tested, you'll be exhausted, you might be mad at yourself especially during the post-op diet, but all of that is just temporary. Questions to ask your surgeon: What size bougie do you use to make the sleeve? What are your leak/complication stats? What are your expectations of my weight loss? Do you provide follow up care, labs, access to a nutritionist and psych if needed post-op (especially since you'll be self-pay find out what all is included in that cost)? Do you prescribe an acid reducer such as Prilosec, Prevacid, Nexium to protect the sleeve, how long should I be on it? Post-op diet instructions? Pre-op diet instructions? How many sleeves have you performed? How many bariatric procedures have you performed? How long is the hospital stay? Leak tests, how many and when are they performed? That's all I can think of right now. Best wishes on your consult, and if you need anything ask away. We'll all be here for you through this journey.

Most surgeons only fill a small amount at a time. IF this is your case, I would get the fill as soon as possible. It would be very rare to have any overfill complications from the first fill. You will have to be careful what/when you eat on vacation though because some foods MAY become problematic. Try to keep your stress to a minimum - most people get very tight when stressed. Good luck and enjoy your vacation! Brad

Hi Everyone, I would love to join your group. I too was banded on January 12th. I live in Derry, NH and I happened across your posting under Post-ops. So I am 44 and started this process by attending my first meeting last June. I was finally banded a week ago last Monday. I am doing pretty well so far. There were a couple of complications the first 3 days. Because of swelling and too much Fluid in my band, I was not able to get as much liquids & Protein drinks as I should have been. I was getting very weak and lethargic. So the Doctor had me come in on Thursday AM to have some of the fluid removed from my band. It was instant relief and I have been able to stick to my fluid intake as prescribed. I do have lots of hunger pains though... but I just muddle through. Saturday I was able to be up and go to the movies with my family and was really starting to feel back to normal. But yesterday, about 2 pm in the afternoon, the gas moved into my shoulder and you would have thought someone shot me with a bullet or stabbed me with a knife. The pain was horrible and I downed about 3 spoonfuls of the pain meds, I was walking around crying and trying to work it out. I took a really HOT shower and then laid with a heating pad. Finally the meds kicked in and I was able to rest with lots of pressure but not too much pain. I have continued the pain meds as I can tell when they are wearing off and the pain starts creeeping back up. Today... its not been too bad but I am keeping on with the meds just in case. Otherwise, I am able to post on the forums and see what's happening with everyone. I have 5 incisions and most of the tapes have fallen off and I have replaced them with bandaids. They are not too itchy or irritating. I work from home so it is easy to rest when I want... and I have taken full advantage of being the patient so that my husband and son can do their part in helping me! Nothing like being waited on & pampered for a little while. Might as well take the opportunity! I would love to join your blog if someone could let me know what I need to do to start posting to it! I will get some photos together as well. I started at 228 (5 feet 2 inches) and am now at 203 so I am well on my way. I have a couple of friends who are many months into this and one friend who had it removed as she was ill all the time. I personally don't think she was truly following Docs orders properly. I am in this for the long haul as I know you don't get this way overnight and you will not get rid of it overnight either. I am expecting at least 18 months or more before I am truly nearing my goal of 145 lbs. Thanks for listening!

Carlene: First of all congratulations on your sucessful marriages and annulments and you must be a very wonderful, thoughtful and smart lady to have been able to work all these things out over the years. Not to mention persistent. I don't know when your annulments took place. Ours was in the 70s and money was definitely involved. We were part of the Tucson diocese. I had to answer (at the downtown cathedral in the presence of church administrators) 2.5 hours of written questions. My ex was asked to fill out a similar set of questions as were all the members of my family and his. That was all done by mail. It took many months and there was definitely no guarantee (according to everyone involved) that the annulment would be granted. My first marriage was in the Baptist Church. I was baptised Methodist as a child and then later, prior to my wedding, baptised in the Baptist Church. I too had to furnish my birth certificate and baptismal certificate for the annulment. My husband does not take communion. He did receive special dispensation (if that is the correct term) to take communion when he was the best man at his brother's wedding. I am not sure why that was such a big deal, but it was. I think DH had mixed emotions about it. As for money... the brother mentioned above and his DW moved to Lubbock in the 70s when she was preggers with her first born. They were new to town and she had some complications with her pregnancy and so they did not go to church without fail every week right away and did not get envelopes to use every week like they normally would have. After Jeff was born, they called to make arrangements for his christening. They were told that the church would not consider a christening since the parents had not been donating regularly to the church coffers. They protested and said that they had been donating every time they attended church, but that since she had been confined to her bed off and on, it was not every week. The priest said that he had no way of knowing if they had contributed or attended church since he had no record of their attendance and they had not signed up for tithing envelopes when they arrived in Lubbock. The answer continued to be no. Now this couple were both raised in the Catholic Church, attended Catholic Parocial schools and came from very strong (and very large) German Catholic families. They were horrified that their son would not be christened in a timely manner and shed many, many tears over it. This was the beginning of the end for them and their relationship with the Catholic Church. That wound never healed and she now sings choir in the Episcopal Church where they live and he just doesn't go. You may think that story was exaggerated for effect, but I assure you it went down just as I told it (except for my choice of words).

Girl I feel you!! I was so nervous the few days before my surgery. I can help you as much as I can! I had surgery the 6th. After I had surgery, I could only tolerate room temp water. Cold can make your new stomach cramp. Mine still cramps with really cold liquids. Warm broth is really good too. I had a really hard time with the protein shakes and still do. But you gotta get protein in so try your best to get them down. Eating, you don’t. Lol I have my post op appointment tomorrow and I am still on full liquids aside from cottage cheese. I had to eat it with steroids I had to take due to a complication. One tip I have is take the pain meds they give you. If you try and be tough you will regret it I promise. Message me if you ever want to talk!

this is what our SPD says on the subject and this is from an email directly from our DIRECTOR of CORPORATE BENEFITS (i.e. the head hauncho at Corp) Notice Wausau was our OLD insurance and BCBS SC is the new He sent me an excel spread sheet that was titled bariatric surgery.... Now to me this is pretty vauge.... although it DOES look easier under BCBS.... especially because I'm in the >40 range BCBSSC BMI must >40kg/m-2 BMI must >35kg/m-2 with associated complications (diabetes, hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea) The first treatment must be dietary and lifestyle changes. When this fails, surgery may be considered. Wausau BMI must >= 40kg/m-2Review conditions that are exasperated by the obesity.There must have been structured diet attempts that are physician monitered prior to surgery.Must be considered morbidly obese for at least three years

No complications either. Couple foods have given me trouble when I reintroduced them but that's too be expected. I do get "dumping" but not like it was described to me but def enough so that I do not want to eat said food or drink which is fine! I am only 6 months into the process & I am loving my new life, loving how active I am now. Best thing ever!

Nothing I consider to be a complication here - I'm about 3 1/2 months out, but so far, so good. I picked up an infection in the hospital, but we handled it with meds and it didn't overly complicate my healing process. I followed my surgeon's instructions to the letter and have been RELIGIOUS about taking my vitamins so far. The weeks before and after surgery are tough, but a successful surgery is worth being careful!

I also have PCOS and had surgery to help with conception. I am 4.5 months post-surgery and have lost 75 of the 120 that the doctors wanted me to lose over the year (I would like to lose 150). I had electrolysis for my facial hair and it has worked great. I am getting conflicting information from my doctors. I am nearly 36 y/o and have been trying to conceive for 3 years. The OB/GYN and Fertility Specialist want me to start trying again in September 2012. This will only be 6.5 months post-surgery. The surgeon is recommending that I wait until one year post-op. She is telling me that the only reason to wait is so that I can lose more weight, but that I should not have any additional complications due to surgery, especially if I wait until 6 months post-op. My husband and I are tyring to decie what to do. Have any of you received this type of information?

For those that regret their decision to be banded or are contemplating WLS and think that the sleeve is 'perfect" this is a brilliant thread that I think is well worth reading. It shows that people with sleeves have exactly the same issues that people with bands do.Some are ecstatically happy with their choice, some wish they had never done it. Some had serious complication etc. http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/74528-would-you-have-weight-loss-surgery-again/page__st__120 So remember there is no perfect WLS. Each individual has to decide , in conjunction with their Dr, what they feel is right for them. It is very important to be aware of possible risks and complications. Whatever surgery you decide on , make sure you do it with your EYES WIDE OPEN.