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I planned on taking 2 weeks off, and if I didn't have complications that wound up keeping me out an additional 2 weeks, I'd have been fine with returning to work after 2 weeks. Of course I think it depends on the type of work you do. I'm at a desk all day, and sitting was a little uncomfortable at first. Getting in and out of cars can be uncomfortable for some. In my case, I wasn't able to get into my car until the 3 week mark I think without pain. I got fatigued easily the first few days out of the hospital, but it didn't stop me from doing things around the house and going for walks outside.

I didn't have any complications. I only stayed overnight in the hospital. You will be just fine.

I had surgery August 7, 2012. No complications. Felt great the second day. A little nauseous this morning, but meds took care of that. I'll be going home in the morning. Overall, can't believe how good I feel after having major surgery. I had bypass and the doctor also found and fixed a hyatial hernia. Hope this helps.

A lot of people understand just may not still be hanging around here when it gets to that point of removal etc... Those that do well don't always want to hear negatives and don't want to "jinx" their band situation. For those of us that don't do well or have complications it can be very frustrating because we want that same result. It doesn't mean we don't work as hard our bodies are just different. I just never was able to lose the weight and ended up gaining back what I lost before the surgery. It's hard to pin point exactly why but possibly with all my issues I just needed the malabsorption that other procedures have. I ended up being too tight and vomited too much and ended up with acid reflux which a lot of people get and even without any saline in the band was still having issues. So it was removed. I waited about six months before deciding to revise to another surgery, the RNY. My daughter had RNY a few months after I received my lap band and I've been with her through all the ups and downs but in the long run she's been successful. I got the lap band in 8/07, was put in the hospital for chest pains in 9/08 (acid reflux) and had it removed 10/08. The removal was covered by insurance and I'm in the waiting stages of approval for the revision to RNY 6/09. As far as I know it should be covered and am crossing my fingers and toes! Good luck to you Nancy.

MillyBell- I very much appreciate your posting this, and am so happy things are going well for you! I am one of those people who needs to be OVERLY-prepared for things like this, so I'm on this site every day checking out recipes, as well as everyone's experiences. Truly, I do not mind reading about the complications that may occur, because that way I won't be surprised if/when they happen. However, if all I read about were the complications, I'd never get it done! I try to read as much - if not more - about the happy stories, and am telling myself that I will be one of those with a happy ending. I happened to be picking up my dad from the hospital this past weekend, and it's the same hospital where I'll be having my surgery. I asked the nurse if they had bariatric patients on that same floor, and she said, "All the time!" Then she asked me if I even qualified, because I didn't look "big enough". I took it as a compliment, and left it at that. But I checked out the room to see where I could plug in my cell phone, where I would put all my stuff. Haha! She said they would take great care of me while I was there. Made me smile! Thanks again, and I wish you the best!

Here is a good Site to Check and Read about prolapse's I would be concerned as to WHY? it occurred so EARLY in your banding ..Good Questions to ask your Doctor. GOOD LUCK! Please keep us posted. Complications associated with adjustable gastric banding for morbid obesity: a surgeon’s guide http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3038361/

I had my surgery in the US, but I paid for it out-of-pocket. I had rare complications 2 weeks after surgery that resulted in a week's hospital stay and a lot of expensive, on-going follow-up care. My insurance company was billed for all treatments I have received for my complications and they have not balked at payment. They've even paid for a couple of blood tests as part of my VSG follow-up-- I think because they didn't realize that the blood tests weren't ordered as the result of the complication. I guess think of it this way: if you made the choice to jump out of an airplane and hit a tree on the way down, the insurance company would have to pay for your injuries, even though they wouldn't pay for your plane ride. So even though they won't cover your surgery, anything that happens to you afterward is their responsibility.

This is just a thought wrapped in a question. If your insurance won't cover complications after WLS, period, it really doesn't matter whether or not you self pay in the States or in Mexico, does it?

Hi, I had my Sleeve in Melbourne, Australia on 14 Sept... My surgery like many exbanders was complicated by an abscess and adhesions (my band was 75% eroded when removed July 2008).. so I had an feeding tube placed, in case of complication... have to say my recovery has been remarkable,... feel better than I have for 18 months, which was when my band possibly started to erode... still take pain medication for back pain,... as I tend to get back pain rather than abdo pain from my stomach... I have progressed through liquids- pur?e - soft and now to normal diet as tolerated... which I am doing well with... find the rules are a the same as with the band... cut food up small... and chew well... I have lost around 8 kg (16-18Ib)... and expect a fairly slow weight loss as I only have 20 kg to loss, as my BMI was 28 when sleeved..... Have found though that I now have no desire to eat sweets, where as post banding I craved anything sweet... am exercising.... and back to work two weeks earlier than first thought, this week... and the feeding tube will be removed within the next few weeks as it isn't being used.... At this stage i am so glad i went ahead with the sleeve for so many reasons....

I would not even consider any other Dr. besides Dr. Aceves due to his extremely low complication rates. You can read about him and his experience in the doctor section or you can pm me and I will email all his credentials to you. I felt extremely safe in Mexicali. I was very bored in my room so I took frequent walks outside all around the neighborhood of the hospital. Everyone was very friendly. There is a reason he is the surgeon of over half of this board.

Reasons I chose Sleeve over bypass: Less risks and complications Able to take Nsaids Loss of hunger ( I now have control over what goes in my mouth) No Vitamin deficiencies No DUMPING syndrome Less chance of regain. (some 50 percent of bypass regain all of their weight and then some) Sleeve is effective for the rest of my life, Rny only for 2 years Sure I could eat the wrong things with the sleeve, I choose not to, but even if I ate the wrong thing, let me tell ya there is just no room for much food at all and believe it or not even after only about 3 or 4 bites of a meal I am TOTALLY satisfied as if I just had a huge meal. I really don't know how anyone could eat too much with the sleeve as that one bite too much causes instant discomfort and then the food has to go!

Hi, I agree with what others said above. Re my own decision. Like you I was initially interested in bypass surgery. I knew I had a lot of weight to lose (although my PCP's scales went to 350, the past two years, I weighed more than 350 so I didn't know exactly how much I needed to lose). When I went to the orientation session, I learned about the sleeve and that it had fewer complications than the bypass, which interested me because I knew my weight and age (62) put me at greater risk for complications. When I had my surgeon consultation a few weeks later in May, I learned I weighed 385.5, which shocked me. I told the surgeon I was conflicted about the bypass vs. sleeve. On the one hand concerned about complications, on the other concerned about less weight loss. He told me recent research showed success rates about the same after two years and that he didn't really see any advantage for me with the bypass. If I had diabetes, he said he would have recommended the bypass because he thought it worked better for diabetes (but several people on this board have diabetes and they have done really well!!). He said if I were a member of his family, he'd recommend the sleeve. So I chose the sleeve because of fear of complications and a belief that the outcome would be about the same as the bypass. Results so far: Starting weight 385.5; goal weight: 150. Preop diet began 6/14 - lost 19 pounds; surgery 6/29. By December 29 I had lost 105 pounds total. Won't weigh again until January 29. My mini-goal was to lose half of my excess weight (117.75 pounds) by end of December but that didn't happen. As you can see I got really close though. I have severe arthritis so I can't execise as vigorously as some others on this board, but I do execise. My doctor's goal for me is to lose 70% of my excess weight or down to about 200 pounds. However, I firmly believe I can make MY goal of 100% loss of excess weight or down to 150. I figure it will take 18-20 months total, but I am sure I can do it with the sleeve. My doctor says if we use our weapons, we can lose weight indefinitely -- no stopping point until we want to stop. WEPNs = Water, execise, Protein, nutrients. Btw, our guest speaker this week at surgeon's support group was a woman who had lost well over 200 pounds through bypass (she was in such bad shape she was in assisted living and was in her early 50s I think) and had kept it fof for a number of years. She was talking briefly to me before the meeting began and when I said I had the sleeve, she said that she would have had it had it been available at the time she had surgery. The sleeve was the right decision for me. Best wishes in deciding which is best for you! Hang around on the board and you'll learn a lot more. People here are so inspiring to me.

Surgical complications and infections post op are legitimate fears. However, can be significantly reduced with the right diet, wound care, and doctor follow up. I'd express these concerns with your surgeon before the big day. Let him know that you've not healed properly in the past, and maybe he will take extra precautions.

My question is why bypass? Have you seen the regain stats for the super morbidly obese? Are you willing to trade in a lifetime of nutrient and Vitamin deficiencies for maximum of 2 years of calories malabsorption? What will happen after you start absorbing calories again? Those were all my concerns when I was researching. At least with the sleeve if you do not get to your goal, you can go DS for malabsorption without the regain stats of RNY. Each surgery has it's pros and cons, but honestly the long term complications with RNY are downright scary. There are a few members on OH that have lost all their weight with BMIs over 65. I'm talking 200-250lbs withing 16-20 months post-op, and they didn't have to have a second procedure. I know you are frustrated, but really research the good, bad and ugly of the surgeries. I recommend checking out the struggling, failed and revision forums on obesityhelp.com so you can see for yourself just how many out there struggle with RNY. Best wishes, and hang in there.

I'm another one with Lupus...So glad to hear that some of you are feeling better since the surgery. For those who aren't, I'm sending you best wishes for glowing good health and soon! I'm set to have my surgery on July 2. I'm lucky because I have no major organ involvement with my Lupus. My only symptoms are sore joints and muscles (not even usually bad enough to take pain killers), a malar rash, lots of hair loss, and pretty hard-core fatigue. The fatigue is the worst. I sleep about 10 hours a day, plus naps, and can't keep up with a full-time job. I'm an elementary teacher, but I only work half time. Holding up my coffee cup is tiring! My parents are worried that the surgery will complicate the Lupus stuff. But I keep thinking that if nothing else, walking around 100 pounds lighter has got to help with the tiredness....I mean, if I was carrying around 100 pounds of potatoes and someone lifted them off me, I would be a whole new woman, right? By then I would be a bald woman, of course... But if that's the deal, I'll take it!

How can I say this? When we know better, we do better...this is especially true in medicine.. My aunt was heavy, too heavy. Really high BMI. I don't know what she weighed, but very short and very heavy. Eventually couldn't hardly walk at all. The surgery they offered then was state of the art for that time. It was some kind of lap band that she got that got all wrapped around her insides to the point that it had be removed b/c she couldn't get food down at all. But that time has passed, it was the first lap band or stomach stapling and that was gosh, 30 years ago. She died 13 years ago or so, from being overweight. She was in her late 50's, and otherwise she had been healthy - just heart problems from being overweight for so long, loss of muscle tissue, etc. She prayed for that magic pill to lose weight. In time the magic weight loss pill came along and it damaged people's heart valves, not hers I guess bc she was already gone, but it did damage my dad's valve. Then there was the more modern lap band, then the bypass/RNY/DS, etc. and now the sleeve. And actually now the sleeve plication. You gotta realize your doctor is working with the most up to date information. We get used to hearing about things like lap band and it was great for some, or gastric bypass, which some people did well. But now the sleeve is better than those. Maybe you really do need to look at data. Kinda sounds like you really wanted gastric bypass, but what if this is better? I weighed 220 and I was paying cash bc my insurance did not cover ANY WLS or complications from WLS. I asked my doctor which surgery would be best for me long term, most effective, safest, etc. I didn't ask which was cheapest, because I didn't care. He immediately said sleeve. I went to a nutrition meeting with like 6 other people getting WLS. Some lap band and some gastric bypass. All of them were on insurance. They were all getting the lap band or gastric bypass, but all wished they were getting the sleeve. Their insurance did not cover it bc it was too new, That was a year ago so since then a lot are covering it. At a certain point you gotta pick a doctor and trust him. I do have one question though. The sleeve plication is even less risky than the sleeve, from the little I've read here, so if you were not able to lose weight to have the surgery (the 100 lbs) then could you get the plication at least temporarily to keep you from being able to overeat? I just wondered if you had spoken with your doctor about that. The plication is where the stomach is not cut but it is rolled up and stiched so that only a small portion of the stomach is available to put food into. I was wondering though. 100 lbs seems like a lot to lose before surgery, but I know he is trying to help you. I wish you the best.

I chose the sleeve after doing research on malabsorption, complications, etc. If I had to do it all over again, I'd do the sleeve again. I can eat darn near anything I want, just in small quantities. I haven't experienced dumping one single time, even after a few bites of ice cream. Luckily for me, I made the conscious decision to truly change my habits to help make sure the sleeve was going to be a successful tool, so I don't eat a bunch of crap. It's usually protein and veggies only, or protein bars/shakes, eggs, etc. My HW was 347, SW was 283, and currently 186. I lost over 50 lbs within the first few months, and 97lbs in 8 months. My brother even said I look anorexic or gaunt in the shoulders! So now it's off to the gym to try and build muscle mass.

I had the revision from sleeve to RNY last August due to severe gerd. Have lost all my excess weight and I can finally sleep restfully all night long. No severe gerd. I can't say whether you will screw up again but I assure you, with the RNY, it'll be much harder to slide back into bad habits. I'm in my 10th month and it's been a lovely journey for me so far. I am still elated that I can get full on 2 eggs. Unfortunately, complications can happen with all surgeries. I had a complication with the lap band and the VSG. No fault of my own. RNY is no longer a permanent surgery, but it is a risky procedure to reverse it. The sleeve is considered permanent. As for vitamins, I had a complete bloodwork 2 weeks ago and I was not deficient in any vitamins, minerals or protein. Cholesterol, triglycerides, sugar, all perfect. I only take a vitamin patch by patchaid. It may not work for others but it sure works for me. I hope this helps.

Apparently LapBandTalk is wondering where all of it's former members went and why us "old timers" no longer post. So far the first 4 pages, to my surprise have been "I'm doing great, lost my weight and enjoying my new body" type posts. I was the first bust thy bubble with complications. I figured those who had bands prior to VSG would at least enjoy the read if not want to share your story to prevent another poor soul from going through what we have. I did NOT go looking for this thread of LBT, they sent an email out asking where some of the "Old Timers" were and I figured perhaps some of you who used to post there may have changed your email address but would still LOVE the chance to be honest with what the band did to you and your body http://www.lapbandtalk.com/topic/126044-any-old-timers-still-around/page__st__60#entry1584321 is the link. Enjoy!

Curvyjudy I was sleeved by Dr. Aceves in March - about 7 weeks ago. I live in USA and was skeptical about even going on vacation to Mexico - seriously. I was scheduled for surgery here in the USA and started doing research. The surgeon I was scheduled with had done only "about" 26 of the sleeves. Dr. Aceves has done over 900 of them so I started thinking to myself - why not go with the most experienced? THen I thought: "you are crazy"! Mexico?!! So I went back and forth and back and forth and finally my husband said - well you decide. I just couldn't get his experience out of my head. Really had nothing to do with money - it's my body so I would have paid triple to have it done right. Lots of people on this site talk about "how nice he and his staff are" - I could care less about "nice." Anyway, I went with him - first of all they drug you up alot LESS than in the U.S. hospitals which is much better for your respiratory system. Secondly, they keep you double the time in the hospital so they can monitor you. And third - I have had NO complications from the surgery. He's excellent. Give it some thought. Sometimes I still can't believe I had it done in Mexico - but that hospital is totally clean and professional and I was nothing except impressed.

Yay! Im glad that it isnt too bad for everyone :redface: I am so excited. I heard that as much as 40% of people fail on the complications board. Does anyone know if it is really that high? I am really hoping that this is what works for me....

One member asked the question: Is sleeve surgery “taking the easy way out”? This question really got my juices flowing and thinking. For all of us who endured the agony and anguish of bariatric surgery, we recognize there is nothing easy about this most important matter. Let see, how easy this is? 25 intelligent reasons for making our choice. 1. Exercising and working out with little or no results (life long) 2. Yo-yo dieting with little or no results (life long) 3. Heart disease 4. Respiratory problems 5. Stroke 6. High blood pressure 7. Elevated cholesterol 8. Diabetes 9. sleep disorders 10. Gout 11. Discrimination (on the job, in public, airline seats, etc) 12. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) 13. Amenorrhea - absence of menstrual bleeding (gals) 14. Impotence (guys) 15. Cancer 16. Psychological problems 17. Kidney disease 18. Liver disorders 19. Economic factors (cost of associated illnesses, food, clothes etc) 20. Insurance issues 21. Osteoarthritis (a degeneration of cartilage and its underlying bone within a joint) 22. Social problems – (family, friends, dating etc) 23 Gallbladder disease 24. Pregnancy complications 25. DEATH The dictionary defines “easy” as: 1. Not hard or difficult; requiring no great labor or effort: 2. Free from pain, discomfort, worry, or care: Our lives have been anything but easy. As always, comments welcome. Lash

Huntsville hospital Dr. Mailapur. My healing is great. No complications. My eating is still limited because meats and eggs make me throw up. I think that will get better I just need to wait a while and try them again. As of this morning down 27# which I feel is pretty slow but I feel confident that I'm doing things right (except I could exercise more). So trying to be patient. I get about 60-80 grams of Protein and 3 cups Water. Need more water. Around 700 calories. What about you?

My DH was very supportive after I took him to a wls seminar and we looked at all the stats.....especially after we look at the rny vs. the lapband. My mother was VERY worried and though not negative, definitely wasn't very supportive. She thought it was unnecessary, that I just needed to exercise more and eat less. Even though she has been heavy her whole life and knows it's not as simple as that. My dad, on the other hand, was all for it! It was and still is, very excited for me. My children were worried, but they like the progress they see and are very supportive. My older sister was very supportive and thinks I made the right and smart decision, going with the band instead of the rny. She is a nurse and sees a lot of the complications with rny. My younger sister, who needs to lose more than I do, is.......well, distant. I think she thinks that I took the easy way out and comes up with tons of excuses why she can't lose weight, won't lose weight, refuses to look into the options.......I hope she realizes that it can be life changing and very much worth the hassles. My friends and co-workers are all excited for me....even if my partner supervisor at work is the "food nazi". He's always saying, "can you eat that? Should you eat that? Why are you eating that!!!!!" Sometimes I wish I had never told him!

Hi Christine, I just recently had VSG surgery by Dr Aceves in Mexicali, on September 23. I highly recommend him. My insurance does not cover the surgery so I was self pay, and heard about the more affordable options in Mexico, so I did a lot of research for several months on physicians and facilities there. His program was my choice for a lot of reasons. First, because of his extensive experience with this particular surgery, and the fact that he does other surgery as well. He has performed over 600 VSG's. There are very few surgeons who have done this many. The research that I read in professional journals states that once a surgeon has performed over 300 of a particular operations, they have seen everything there is to see and their complication rate goes way down. His complication rate is lower than national averages that are reported in the literature. I did not want to see a surgeon who was "learning" on me! Secondly, the number of years he has been operating in general was important to me. He has 0ver 18 years experience with laparoscopic surgery and 10 years with bariatric surgery. Third, the surgery takes place in a full-service hospital, not a "surgery clinic", which is the case with some of the Mexican surgeons. I am safety conscious, so in the event there is a complication, I wanted to be in a hospital that had an ICU, blood bank, full service radiology dept, etc. Fourth, Dr Aceves' program also provides an internal medicine evaluation, and he has an assistant surgeon who also sees you regularly. You are visitied MULTIPLE times each day by the physicians. I have never seen such attentive care by physicians in US hospitals, and I have worked in many of them since I am an RN for over 30 years. Dr Aceves and Dr Campos in particular were outstandingly kind and attentive. Fifth, Dr Aceves does 3 leak tests before you leave. These are tests to be sure there are no leaks in your new sleeve, which is one of the more serious complications that can have. Some physicians don't do this number of tests. Dr Aceves is conservative about this and I was glad to learn it. His post-op diet is also conservative compared to many, because a more conservative approach can help prevent post-operative leaks. Sixth, the program was so user-friendly. They assign you a coordinator at the beginning who answers all your questions via phone or email. Their driver picks you up at the airport in San Diego, transports you to the hospital where pre-op labs/xrays/ekg are done; they drive you tor a nice hotel room that first night, they transport you back to the hospital for surgery the next day, you stay in the hospital for 4 days and then are taken directly to the airport on that 4th day. All this is included in the fee, which is about 1/2 what you would pay in the US. You pay your own airfare. When I missed my connecting flight due to weather, I immediately called my coordinator and she re-arranged my pick-up time, transportation, hotel reservation, and lab schedule and took care of everything. It was so easy, I did not have to worry one bit. I found the hospital to be very beautiful, and cleaner than any hospital I have ever been in. It is a private hospital, and has decor more attractive than any I have been in here in the USA. The staff are very nice, most of them speak good English, and they are very kind and attentive to your needs. If you have any questions or concerns at all, Dr. Aceves is right there to answer them and he truly listens, as does his assistant, Dr. Campos. They are especially concerned about pain control after surgery, and I have to tell you, I had very minimal pain after the surgery. I've had 3 prior surgeries in the US and the kind of pain management in this program was the very best. I received spinal anesthesia as well as general, which is recommended in some of the research literature I had read prior to deciding. It truly was amazing for pain management. It is important that you do your own research until you are comfortable with your own choice, and you can read a lot about various physicians and facilities on this website and the obesity help website too. At OH you can research how many surgeries various physicians have done. Read, read, read before you decide, so you are really comfortable with it. Best of luck to you!