Search the Community

I would also do some research regarding the recall of lap bands by the FDA in recent months. I just felt the complications from the band made it not an option for me and chose the band

The doctors are very serious and sober about the diet and lifestyle rules that you must abide by in order to avoid or lessen the complications. This procedure is not for the faint of heart. I believe you need to be 100% committed to it. I am struggling badly right now so I have great hope that when it becomes my turn on the surgeon's table, the journey to life long health will begin.

Hey everyone thanks so much for all your replies. I am sorry I have had a hectic couple of days and not had a chance to even read through these let alone reply. Now that I have can I just say thank you for all your positive and encouraging words. It sounds like most of you wish you had it done sooner. And the fact that loose skin may not be as much of an issue if I get it done now sounds tempting. Maybe I'm not mature enough to commit who knows. My life was different nearly two years ago when I first started towards my journey for this surgery (I'm from the UK and getting it done on the NHS is a looooong process). I was in kind of a bad place and felt like not only would surgery help with my weight but also force me to kick some bad habits I had with alcohol and cigarettes. Now things are different and I've learnt to respect myself I have cut out the cigarettes and lowered my alcohol content greatly. I'm also thinking do I now have the will power to lose this weight on my own? I tried many attempts before but outside factors and stresses contributed to making it more difficult than usual but now that they are no more and I am finally happy I feel like I can try one more time to do it myself before getting this done. 2 years ago I didn't even care about the risks I was at such a low point and desperate. Now I respect myself and my body and my life and feel that I am not having enough issues with my weight to consider this. I hear stories of people not being able to walk 5 minutes without getting out of breath, or not being able to go on fairground rides, or even having past heart attacks. I am not at that stage yet and feel I am not only less deserving of it but also not in the position where if I don't get this now I might not be able to see my 50s. Being slim again would be lovely I must admit and being able to have children would be amazing but right now my life isn't at any risk. Which is why I don't think I should put it at risk if that makes sense? This is not me saying a definite no just going a little deeper into why the complications concern me more than usual now compared to when it did at first. Sent from my F5121 using BariatricPal mobile app

@hardwork&dedication It is nerve wracking to me as well. I have having the extra skin on my stomach removed on June 5th even though I am not at goal yet. It is very large already and giving me issues so insurance is covering it, I will have to pay for my revision when I get to goal out of pocket though. I also will want a thigh lift and as mentions a breast lift. I may or may not want my arms done too. They don't bother me as much as my thighs and breasts. My surgeon said he does not recommend the thigh surgery though and quotes a 90% complication rate.

I'm in Alabama. Banded in November 2008. Was approved yesterday by insurance for revision to Sleeve due to complications with the band. Dr. Miles did my band and will also be doing the revision.

@@JupiterinVirgo you have no idea how much I needed to hear your words. I too have struggled with trust issues in med field along with self doubt and fear of complications. As I get closer to my surgery date (12/21/16) my addiction is trying everything to win. I know this isn't a cure all, and I know there is lots of work to be done, but fear has held me back for so long, that I have listened as if it is a trusted friend! Your words were exactly what I needed to hear to tell fear, once and for all, to take a hike! I will not let fear rule my life any longer! This is a Weightloss adventure, but the journey is in finding out what we are made of, what we have been missing, and what we are meant to be! Thank you again!!!!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App I am so honored, if in some small way my story gives you strength or courage. I know it's really close now-really just stays away for you. The doorway to a new life! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

During my first consultation with the surgeon, he asked me a bunch of questions regarding my past efforts with trying to lose weight. He asked about my support system, my reasons for wanting the surgery, and he asked my ideal weight. We also discussed my goal weight based on my body type. The bulk of the session was the opportunity for me to ask questions. Here are some of the things i asked the doctor that may be good to bring up. 1. How soon after the surgery would I be able to start trying to get pregnant? 2. What are the risks/complications and the chances of them occurring? 3. What are the stages of the approval process and what classes/doctors appointments will i need for approval? 4. What is the average amount of weight a person my size would lose in 6 months after the surgery? 5. Why is gastric sleeve better/worse than other procedures...lap band/gastric bypass/etc? 6. What is the recommended goal weight that I should ultimately reach based on my body type? 7. What exactly happens during the procedure and how long will it last? 8. How many years experience does the surgeon have and how many patients has he lost during the operation and why? (this is a pretty hard question to ask, but i did so that i would at least know. My doctor has lost 2 patients but they were almost 500 pounds, high risk, and had multiple commorbidies and were going to die if they did not have the surgery). Since I am a low risk patient, he assured me that he had done thousands of surgeries and that i would be fine. Good luck to you!!

Thanks to you all!! I know that ultimately it will be my decision, but it doesn't hurt to get feedback from others. I am continuing my research and hopefully, I will make the right decision. The more I read and watch, I notice so many complications from the band. I also read about so many people going from the band to the sleeve........ Thanks again guys! Off to more researching!

Pretty much the same as what others have already said! Complications - The main reason I took so long to have the surgery (I first looked into it about 15 years ago) is that I've always been lucky enough to have good health, and I was afraid that I would have complications and end up being sick and in the hospital all the time. I actually didn't worry that much about dying, but I don't have any dependents. In the last few days before surgery, it occurred to me that I should put my affairs in order just in case. I intended to leave some notes on my work in case I died and someone had to pick up what I was doing, but I eventually decided, "If I'm dead, work can be someone else's problem." Surgery getting canceled/delayed - I had a fairly narrow window to get the surgery at a time that wouldn't conflict with any major commitments, and I was afraid I wouldn't be able to get in that window because of COVID, insurance delays, issues discovered during pre-op testing (I had this feeling that they would find a problem on the EKG the morning of surgery, or that I would get COVID right before surgery), and then I'd have to wait until next year to do it. The pre-op process seemed a little too easy and I was just waiting for the other shoe to drop. Not losing weight/regain - I live in fear of regain every single day. I've been on a lot of diets and lost a lot of weight, only to regain it and more every time. I've heard of people getting WLS and regaining all the weight, and wow, that would be devasting, to go through all of this and end up back where I started. I'm doing great now, but I have this nagging knowledge that I've been here before, succeeding at weight loss for a short period of time, but I've never been able to sustain it in the long run. I actually had very little concern about my appearance since I looked horrible at my heaviest and it could only improve. I wasn't bothered by the thought of having loose skin because I think loose skin is far better than the alternative (skin full of fat). I never thought I would consider plastic surgery, but now I'm jealous of the results of people here who have had it, so I'm not so sure anymore (I still have a long way to go before I get to that bridge, though).

I had two major fears: 1. I would have some sort of serious complication. For some reason, people delight in telling you horror stories once they know you are having bariatric surgery and all that gave me anxiety. 2. I was afraid it wouldn't work. I don't know why, I just wasn't confident that the surgery would be effective for me. As it turned out, both fears were unnecessary. I had no major issues with surgery and I'm happy with my results so far. 🙂 And now I get to be a counter-example for all those horror stories, LOL.

I had a few fears: 1. Dying, as many others mentioned 2. The recovery time/process. For whatever reason the pain and stages of food afterwards really freaked me out. 3. Changing my relationship with food and missing some of my old favorites. 4. Complications like staple line leaks. I am currently five days out from my surgery so I can’t offer any long term advice or insight, but I can tell you was ecstatic when I woke up and was actually alive. The pain isn’t as bad as I imagined it would be, but it’s there (incision pain and internal stomach pain when sipping)... and one thing that happened that I didn’t initially fear was that my surgeon found a mass on my liver while she was operating so now I have that to worry about once I heal from my sleeve surgery. I’ll have to have an MRI and biopsy in a few weeks. I’ll add that I’m only 35 years old so I’m hoping it turns out to be nothing.  But, I’m still glad I did this, my long term health is finally a priority for me and I needed this tool to get there.

Do you know the phrase, "With friends like that, who needs enemies?" Anyway, yes, there can always be complications with surgery. On the other hand, these are statistically safe surgeries with low rates of complications. You face much greater health risks by remaining obese. As far as keeping it off long-term, you have a much better chance with surgery than just doing it on your own, where the success rate is dismal (something like 5 percent, I think). The surgery isn't magic, it just gives you a fighting chance to lose a significant amount of weight AND time to change your eating habits for long-term success. Good luck!

I had to do a six months supervised dietian classes. i started in march 08. had surgery in january 09.i had to do all the pre op testing.part of my problem was not making my own appointments i was waiting on the doctors office to do it for me.no you have to follow up on your own make sure you call them an ask is their anymore tests you need. then i had to wait because of the holidays. but in all i had it on january 13th.with no complications thank goodness. in all its took me 10months.good luck on your new life journey.

SleevePlicationTalk Newsletter Hey, Sleevers!Spring is a time of renewal and rebirth. Better weather is here, and summer is just around the corner, so April is a perfect time to fulfill or renew commitments to your weight and health! Let the fresh air and green plants inspire you to try new recipes and get outside for some calorie-burning fun! First, though, why not read through this month’s newsletter for some inspiration? These are the contents of the April SleevePlicationTalk.com newsletter. Sleever Poll – Would You Have Weight Loss Surgery Again? Claim Your Fifteen Minutes of Fame! Stay Hydrated and Healthy! Enjoy the newsletter. Then log onto SleevePlicationTalk.com to talk about it and anything else on your mind! As always, we welcome your comments and feedback, so get in touch any time by sending a private message to Alex Brecher. See you on the boards! Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder SleevePlicationTalk.com Sleever Poll: Would You Have Weight Loss Surgery Again? Knowing what you know now about weight loss surgery, would you do it again if you had the chance to make your decision again? Yes, without a doubt! The surgery has been everything I’d hoped for. Yes, probably. The journey hasn’t been easy, but I’m losing weight and feel that this was my best option. Yes, but I would have chosen a different type of weight loss surgery, not the lap-band. No. I’ve had complications and my health has suffered and/or I haven’t been hitting my weight loss goals. I haven’t had the surgery yet, but I’m looking at the results of this poll carefully to help me make my decision! Other...read my response below! Choose your option, and then explain it in the discussion forum using this link! Staying Hydrated after Weight Loss Surgery If you’re having trouble getting enough Water after weight loss surgery, you’re not alone! In fact, meeting your Fluid recommendations is one of the most common challenges that weight loss surgery patients report. You wouldn’t expect that staying hydrated would be a major concern compared to challenges of eating right and exercising, but it is. Why? You can’t drink fluids during or around meal and snack times. You might not like the taste of water You need more fluid than before because you’re trying to be healthier You can’t drink caloric or carbonated beverages, like juice, soda and sugar-sweetened drinks, such as coffee drinks and sports drinks You need at least 1.5 liters, or 6 8-ounce cups, of fluid each day. If you don’t get enough water, you can become dehydrated. This can delay your recovery from surgery if your procedure is recent. Even if your surgery was long ago, dehydration can give you headaches and make you tired. It can also interfere with weight loss by making you feel hungrier. These tips can help you stay hydrated. Get in the habit so it’s natural! Drink 1 to 2 8-ounce glasses when you wake up in the morning, and 30 minutes after each meal or snack. Drink an extra glass of water before and after you exercise. If you sweat a lot, drink a cup of water each 20 minutes during exercise. Instead of plain water, try ice water, water with lime, lemon or a sprig of mint. Decaffeinated coffee and tea and non-carbonated diet drinks, such as diet Fruit Drinks, are good alternatives to water. Claim Your Fifteen Minutes of Fame! You know we’re always busy around SleevePlicationTalk.com. We already published The BIG Book on the Lap-Band: Everything You Need to Know to Lose Weight and Live Well with the Adjustable Gastric Band and The BIG Book on the Gastric Sleeve: Everything You Need to Know to Lose Weight and Live Well with the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy. The book has practical advice for anyone thinking about the lap-band or any weight loss surgery. It’s packed with information from the earliest stages of your weight loss journey through your lifelong diet. It’s available in print and ebook from Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Soon, we’ll have Big books for the Gastric Bypass and Gastric Sleeve! Sleeve plication patients can benefit from them, too. The overwhelmingly positive feedback has convinced us to work on another book! This one’s going to be a lifesaver for life after weight loss surgery. It’s dedicated to all types of WLS. The book will have diet tips, food lists, meal plans, recipes, exercise and tips for preventing and dealing with complications. It’ll be a motivational book, too. We need your help to make the new book great! We’re asking SleevePlicationTalk.com members – that’s you! - to share your favorite recipe or recipes to publish in the book. You can submit your recipe by sending a PM (private message) to member Alex Brecher (the board’s founder). Include the name of your recipe, the ingredients and quantities, how many servings it makes, which stage(s) of the weight loss surgery diet you can use it for and how to make it. Also let us know when you use it, how you learned or created the recipe and any other stories you have related to the recipe, such as the first time you tried it. Thanks! We’ve loved reading the recipes that you’ve sent us so far – keep them coming and don’t miss your chance to be published! That’s all we’ve got for this newsletter, but there’s plenty more to talk about on the boards! Thanks for all of your support and feedback – you, our members are what make SleevePlicationTalk.com the great community that it is. Don’t forget to send us your recipes and give us any other feedback! Take care of yourself and each other. Sincerely, Alex ==============================================================If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, you may unsubscribe by going to your Control Panel and clicking on the Newsletters tab, or clicking on the following link: {unsubscribe}

I have fears of complications, regain ('ve lost 100 lbs and gained it back before), and dying in surgery. I'm not sure how I'd rank them; it depends on the day. I think regain is my biggest fear because it's the most likely, and it's not something that will go away after surgery. I think I will always fear that.

I went from band to sleeve. Only two weeks post op for the sleeve. Yes doctor explained that due to a lot of scaring from the band that the weight loss will be slower, but still very successful. It's still a tool at the end of the day and depends on how you use it. However, I realised that I just couldn't live with the band anymore with the side effects. My doctor that did the sleeve stopped doing bands 4 years ago due to the side effects and higher complications. He said that there is a big difference between quality of life and he no longer wanted to promote the band. I don't regret anything ????

Surgery 4/10/18 HW: 295 CW: 252 Slow start out of the gate. Surgery was complicated by adhesions from band and I was overmedicated recovery unit. Been on solid foods for a few weeks. I have to be careful with bread, but I don't eat a lot of it anyway. I do OK on my plan, but have had a few episodes of uncomfortable slime/foamies. Sometimes I can figure out the cause, sometimes I can't. Discovered last week that traveling can be a challenge, but I do the best I can. My weight loss is going much slower than I'd like. I'm told that it's because of my previous bariatric surgery/lap band. Guess the body has "been there/done that" kind of attitude. Happy I'm losing inches. Am down 2 pant sizes. Glad my energy is back. Started off on MD Patches, but developed sensitivity to the adhesive. Don't like the chalky chewables and the soft-chews are kind of expensive. I can take small pills, but the larger vitamin size caplets can be uncomfortable. Currently taking SF gummy supplements, which seem to work and I consider them my treat for the day. My skin is looking great. Not much hair loss. I notice a little extra in my brush, otherwise I seem to have that in check.

I did not qualify for covered WLS under my insurance plan (lowish BMI and no co-morbids) so according to three different conversations with the ins.co., complications for self-pay (they called it elective surgery) would not be covered either. Just for fun, I asked about non-covered plastic surgery complications and same deal: no coverage. It's the biggest concern self-payers have.

I am about 9 months post-op and about 8 weeks pregnant. I have PCOS as well and the doctors told me it could take a year for my cycle to come back. I waited 2 months or regular cycles and we tried- sure enough it happened on the first try. I have had some complications so far and the doctors are saying its because I wasnt a full year post op from bariatric. I was in the hospital last week for dehydration and anemia. I have been SO sick to my stomach that even eating the 4 oz I am supposed to eat is coming back up. Im worried about what the next 7 months hold for me as the past 3 weeks have been a nightmare. Everyone is different so please dont take this as a warning... just sharing my experiance.

I figured I may as well post here in case anyone else is experiencing anything similar. Back in early July I noticed a loss of restriction and got in to my doctor who was only able to draw back 4.5cc instead of the 7cc I was supposed to have in my band. We monitored this over a couple of 2 week periods and each time I would go from 7cc to 3.5 or 4. He tried to check me under fluoro and was not able to see a leak at all, so I had surgery 09/16/09 to search for a micro leak. My doctor said he injected the dye into my band and nothing happened, so he had to clamp off the tubing and when he injected it again, the saline shot straight up to the ceiling in the operating room. He fit me with a brand new port and I am back in business. He also did a scope on me while I was under and said there is absolutely no sign of any sort of erosion or problems. The second surgery was minimal and only the port incision was re-opened. It was by far the complication that I wanted if I HAD to be the person to have one. Good luck to everyone!

I was surprised my recovery went as easy as it did. I had some really great mentors and a fantastic surgical team who educated me WELL. Maybe that's why I was surprised about my recovery, because I was prepared for what CAN happen, (leaks and other complications), but didn't, as well as what WILL happen, (stalls, emotional roller-coaster, learning your new limits, etc.).

I've been researching till I'm blue in the face and now just want opinions. I'm sure this question is on here somewhere but I can't find it. I'm leaning toward the Realize but now am confused because I'm researching too much. Of course I want my surgeons opinion, that is a no-brainer but if I'm given a choice, how do you choose. Each has good things? Things I like about Realize....it is made of softer material which I understand is to assist in complications of erosion? It is the lowest port, which I love. It is supposedly the widest band which assists in the slippage issue. There are less complications with the Realize over Lap? I like the idea of how it locks into the muscle. Things I don't like and why I think about Lap Band...there are kink issues with Realize, and when it is filled, it almost shapes a triangle shape vs. a smooth round shape....which I would think be better contact with your stomach? Initial testing of the Realize-C shows lesser weight loss??? Less fills required with Realize, but if I only get the 9 cc band, is this going to give me enough restriction? Why did you choose your Realize or Lap Band? I know this is my decision with input of my surgeon but this is a big decision. LOw Profile port is huge on my list of Pros however...I know Lap has a low profile and I'd ask for that!

Hi , I don't post often anymore, but would like to "talk" to you as a "seasoned" sleever. The pain is not horrible at all. .c/sections and hysterectomies hurt alot more then this does. . just make damn sure you do your walking every couple of hours and sipping of liquids. . . when you get home continue to walk and sip. . if not, you'll run into complications with gas pain and so on. . . None of us have died yet being on liquids for the 2 weeks. you will be ok. . you have to think positively about this. . if not, get ready for some problems. I hated my sleeve the first few months, and the reason was because I couldn't eat like the pig i was. . . I wanted to stuff everything into my face and snort and grunt, but I couldn't. . .I could only eat small portions and sip liquids, like a proper lady. . . i really really hated it, but now 10+ months out, I am so proud of myself, I eat like a proper lady and actually watch how the "other side" eats now. . . I would have this surgery again, but be forwarned, you have to prepare yourself for this, both emotionally and physically. . . don't just jump into thinking it'll do all the work for you it doesn't you have to do the work. . . just like a hammer, it's just a tool, you are the one who has to make it work. . .if not and your not ready, don't do the surgery. . I love Downs children, they are all so cute and sweet. . .they give and show love so openly. . you want to be there for them, you will enjoy your trip with them, you will be proud of yourself once you get over the initial hurl, you will have a good time not only with them, but with your new self, and hubbie. . . congratulations on your February date! You are going to do well. . . just be prepared please!

I had two different health insurances when I first went in for a consult and my coordinator told me the same thing. She said it is basically because if you have two health insurances they'll essentially fight over who has to cover it because neither of them really want to and you get caught up in all the red tape. Your primary will want the secondary to cover a certain percentage and the secondary will want the primary to cover it all. Plus if you have different waiting periods (4 months and 7 months like you stated) it can get fairly complicated. Its not as simple as just submitting to one insurance because they check to see what other health insurance you have by looking up through your SSN. That said, 7 months seems like a long time but it took me about that long to prepare for surgery both psychologically and with all the pre-op requirements. I had to wait 2 months just to get an END consult, and then I had to wait another month just for an open appointment. The psych eval takes a little while to track down as well. To be honest, 7 months for nutritional counseling will prepare you much better than 4 in the long run. You'll be more knowledgable about what you should be doing post-op and how different types of food affect your body. I know it sucks to wait that long, but a longer prep period before this major, life changing surgery will benefit you so much more in the long run.

I have not. Been tempted but too scared of the complications