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Hi 48 hours out and back home on my sofa. No complications, walking well, drinking well. Now for 2 weeks liquids ... really happy so far SW 165 After sleeve 125kg Conversion to MGB surgery 7th Feb weight 125kg Goal weight 70kg

I ate fish broth like an hour ago and I feel this heat or like burning sensation in what feels like the end of my esophagus and the beginning of my stomach. I had surgery 02/02/18 .. it’s not the first time that this happens... would it be GERD? Help I don’t want complications

I had my surgery on 12/8/18 with Dr. Lopez I flew into San Diego in the morning, picked up at the airport and drive across the border. I had surgery that same afternoon. He did the Sleeve, DS, hernia repair and gallbladder removal. His surgical staff was friendly and made me very comfortable. I stayed in recovery for one night then moved to a different floor for another night. Then to the hotel for three nights. I’m so glad that I went with Dr Lopez. I’ve lost 30lbs in two months. I had zero complications. I was very sore post op in my abdomen and felt like it took forever to heal from the hernia repair and took 8 weeks off from work. Airfare, surgery, spending money and passports for two people was less than $9000. HW 270 CW 210 SW 242.8 GW 135 DS Surgery date -12-8-17 I’m 42 and 5’2”

I came in for my 2 week appt and said the same thing. "Did you even do the surgery?" was my actual quote, half joking and half serious. The APRN told me that the people who follow the rules tend to feel the same way I did. Those without complications have a general good experience. I hope that's all that's going on with you! I still get hungry. I can eat fine, but I am careful not to over do it. I measure almost everything (unless I can count it, and then I count). I am progressing really well with regards to my food stages, even (gently) tip-toeing ahead a little here and there, and haven't had issues with fluids or nausea or anything. And I've stalled (weight) for a week and a half right now, but I'm not worried. I injured my leg this week and can't exercise, so it is what it is. I'm curious what your doctor will say and how it may differ from what mine said. Either way, I hope your x-ray/appt goes well! Keep us posted.

Okay....the set point is reduced with surgery, so yes, it's easier to lose weight in the beginning. This is why it's called the honeymoon phase. Easy peasy...but then you get on in time and you have to work it, just as any other person who manages their weight...but the catch is...you've developed great eating habits, better foods in your diet, and you are working out, whether it's just a simple walk a day or going to the gym and lifting, or whatever workout you want to do. Now, if you're eating 1200 calories a day to lose weight on your own...that's WAY TOO LOW. Please believe me, I did that, so do the numerous others who did it, and guess what...you have a rough patch and you start eating back the way you did, and WHAM! It gets piled back on and more! So, please please also believe me when I say, you can gain weight eating too low. I did this. Not because I was on some kind of diet, just because I didn't eat. When I did eat, the body was saying "hey, you didn't feed me enough food, so I'm going to hang on to every calorie you've just eaten, especially the fat and store it." My doc got on to me for this!!! So, education is key. Sometimes you have to figure out how the body actually works and figure out what you need to do. So, I entered in your stats in this calculator. I don't know your age (but I put in 30) and I don't know your activity level (so I put in light 1-3 times a week). Your body, at these stats, is supposed to be getting about 1697 calories a day to lose at a 15% deficit. When you lose, you revisit the calculator and get your new numbers. When you meet goal, revisit, and you'll have a general idea of how many calories you'll be eating to maintain. Now, I wish I had the discipline to have done this in the beginning without wls, but I needed to forced, per se, to learn better eating and change my lifestyle (I'm now plant based/vegan/vegetarian-like); I was also at a higher BMI and nearing getting complications due to my age/lifestyle then. I've always enjoyed working out, so that wasn't an issue for me. I'm at 40 lbs from my goal...and when I reach it, for my future stats, I'll be eating approximately 2400 calories a day. Sounds like a lot right? But my body will need it for the amount of energy it puts out. Check out the calculator and check out this website, if you plan to do it on your own. http://eatmore2weighless.com/weight-loss-calculator/

I am extremely scared of the possibility of leaks and freaked out for a full day after taking that bite of an egg, worried I would cause complications. Trust me, I am taking it very seriously.

Hi Elaine, sorry I didn't respond sooner. I didn't see your question until now. For some reason, doctors don't talk about the Loop DS that much. It may be because they don't perform the surgery. It is considered experimental by some doctors & insurance companies although it has been around for a while. The Loop DS wasn't in my binder either. My doctor told me about it and thought that it would be the best option for me. We discussed the pros and cons and I agreed with him. It is the duodenal switch, but a modified version. You will have a single anastomosis rather than two. What I liked about it was the fact that you don't have to take as much medicine as the normal ds. I take medicine 5 times a day, but it's only a total 7 or 8 pills to take over that time. There are also supposed to be fewer complications and malnutrition risks than the regular ds. There is a thread for it in the duodenal switch forum. Someone else may be able to direct you to more information about the surgery. Right now I'm on week 4 of a 6 week liquid diet. My surgery is February 26th. From reading different messages on this site, my surgical team is a bit more strict than others. I'm allowed a protein drink, water, G2, or certain raw veggies. I'm like you, my goal is 170 or 180. Are you just getting started on your pre-op journey?

My sleeve was done with this robot. All positive from me. Amazing tech! Incisions are very small and healing really well, no complications, and the surgery itself was very quick. I've heard that you should ask your surgeon how many procedures he/she has done with the robot to make sure that they are well experienced using it.

I hope she can have the bill sorted out so that she ends up being responsible just for the amount she expected to pay. What a frustrating ordeal. If you were planning on having surgery at the same hospital I can definitely understand why you'd consider canceling. I had a really positive experience with Dr. Fernando Garcia in Tijuana in August of 2015, and am relieved that I wasn't burdened with bills from it. I paid $4200 up front, which included two nights in the clinic and two in the Marriott. My endocrinologist agreed in advance to provide follow-up care once I was back in LA. I had no complications, and exceeded my goals.

Hey so I’ve been healing really well. I was sleeved 2/2 and I haven’t had any complications besides gas. I started walking immediately after surgery and had my first bm two days after surgery(sorry tmi!) It’s great overall, but I can already hold down liquids and my protein shakes. I even had a small bite of an egg and was fine. I’m a little worried because of how easy it is for me to get my fluids in. I have also been feeling hungry very often. I just don’t want to mess up and not lose weight. I start to feel full after about 3-4 oz and then I stop for a few minutes and am able to drink again. But I’ve read a lot that many can’t even drink a lot after surgery?? Is this normal?? Looking for any support buddies!!

Looking at my claims at my insurance site (Blue Cross Blue Shield Michigan), have the actual bills in front of me. Billed cost for the hosptial, OR, surgical supplies, staff, recovery room, room and nursing care $47,290. My Surgeon $11,913 Anesthesiologist $2,560 Bunch of other stuff under $1000 each, pathology, etc. About $65,000 in total. My first quote was low. Was a center for excellence and a major trauma hospital affiliated with one of the best research hospitals in the nation. They perform over 300 bariatric procedures per year and have one of the lowest rates in the region for complications. They have a 24/7 hotline for bariatric patients 365 days a year. Bigger price tag, but I enjoyed the confidence of statistically better outcomes....and the knowledge that I had access to the best talent in the field in case anything went wrong. My insurance was excellent. Was out of pocket less than $2000.

Welcome! Welcome! Welcome! So sorry to hear of your complications but very happy to see that you are doing better!!! I wish you a speedy recovery!!! Sent from my SM-G930VL using BariatricPal mobile app

She had no complications and just stayed over night. If they say it's correct I will be putting a stop on mine ! Sent from my XT1650 using BariatricPal mobile app

Hey! My name is alex! I’m post op VSG as of Jan 22nd. I’ve lost 20 pounds already! I’m a pretty unique case. Before the surgery I was given a shot of blood thinner. In this procedure they also take a liver biopsy. The surgery went perfect, there were no complications; until I got into recovery. The mix of the blood thinner and the pain medication they administered had caused internal bleeding to start. Being admitted into the ICU, I was given 3 blood transfusions, my hemoglobin kept dropping, but they didn’t have an exact answer for me and my family. The doctors believed I was bleeding from my staple line on my stomach, which was true as well, but not to the amount tests results were showing. I was having an overwhelming amount of pain in my right side but it wasn’t until the day before I was released they did a CT scan to find a 10 inch hematoma on my liver. What was supposed to be a 3 day stay turned into a week with much stress. I have been told I am a very rare case, my surgeon even told me he had never seen this in his years of work. But I’m doing good, the pain can get pretty bad sometimes but it’s all working out. Hope to meet some cool friends in here!

OK...Bariatric Centers of Excellence are an American thing.....because they are accredited by two American organizations, one of which is the American Society of Metabolic Surgeons...the other is the Surgical Review Corporation. To qualify, hospitals have to do 140 bariatric procedures per year, and staff has to have extra training in bariatric surgery complications, sensitivity training for bariatric patients, nutrition and post op care, and safely moving bariatric patients. Their accreditation signifies a level of excellence in the field of bariatric medicine. There are currently 778 Bariatric Centers of Excellence in the US.

I do have insurance but did not meet their eligibility requirements because my BMI was too "low", so I went the self-pay route. The highest quote was $35,000 for a surgeon in Beverly Hills. The quotes from other local surgeons ranged from $29,000 to $32,000, and had a one night stay in the hospital or clinic. I ended up going to reputable surgeon in Tijuana for a fraction of the cost, and two nights. $85,000 is astronomical, but I'm not surprised by outrageous medical bills anymore. My husband is a young physician and has had patients show him bills that are insane, but he has limited control over them. I'd definitely look at an itemized bill. Unless there were serious complications that required far beyond the typical surgery it shouldn't be anywhere close to that much.

I'm pretty sure that's not what people are saying. They are saying that the main page is for those who are in a desperate place and joking/sarcasm can be misinterpreted. I'm not autistic and I know humor is needed. We are just saying that jokingly telling someone you eat 2 lbs of beef 3 weeks after surgery isn't really a "joke" if nobody knows you are joking and people take you serious. People can die from complications from this surgery. I guess if making a joke is more important than people living, than yeah, humor rates as the top priority here then...

I had a head on collision with a semi in 1992. Broke both my wrists, ankles, knock out most of my teeth, compression injury to my heart, and severe trauma to my back. It took my 3 months to walk with a walker and another year to walk unaided. I had rotator cuff surgery and bone spur removal on my collar bone in 2007. The recovery from the rotator cuff and collar bone were the worse pain I have ever felt. Coughing or sneezing would reduce me to a gibbering, sobbing mess. It was truly incredibly painful. I cannot tell you if it was the removal or bone spurs or the cleaning of the rotator cuff that caused the pain. However, I will say that it was totally worth it. That shoulder is now my good one. Follow their PT instructions to the letter! I was off work for 8 weeks. Exercise was not even a consideration for me. The pain was far and away too much. Now, before you become frightened. A very good friend of mine owns a garage and he is a master mechanic. He had rotator cuff surgery and his bicep reattached. Similar to my surgery but muscle complication instead of bone. His surgery was on a Friday, the following Wednesday he was back at work using just one arm and not taking pain killers. EIther he is a freak of nature or I am an incredible wuss.

After safely driving all over Mexico for a month last year and experiencing excellent healthcare and a warm and friendly culture for myself, I would feel very comfortable going there for surgery and saving loads of money. Fortunately my RNY in 2003 was covered nearly 100% by my insurance company and I did not have to go through the red tape of supervised 6-mos diets, psychiatric evaluations, and nutrition counseling. But I have a close family member whose insurance does not cover WLS. We are considering the gastric sleeve and if and when he decides to go through with it then we will travel to MX for surgery. The gastric sleeve is in fact a fairly straightforward surgery and the cost in MX can be as little as 10% of the cost in the USA. According to the ASMBS it has less early complications than the DS or RNY. I don't see any data on long term complications but I am sure it does not carry the risk of nutritional deficiencies as the DS and RNY. I would love to hear the real life experience of people who have had the gastric sleeve in MX. Thank you.

Hello, I haven’t posted an update in awhile. I’m down 100lbs and have basically been able to maintain since my lower body lift in August! RYN - Oct 2016 - 292 LBL - Aug 2017 - 197 Today 191lbs Everything has come pretty easily to me and no complications! I don’t exercise very much, just keep busy with my son and try to walk on treadmill 1-2 times a week, some ab work and push-ups here and there. I want to maintain at 185, so I’m back to logging food and watching things a little closer. But can’t believe how far I’ve come. Planning another round of plastic surgery probably for April - revision to upper tummy with breast lift as well as a small arm and thigh lift. Would also like some fat transfer to butt! Have my consult in two weeks.

Nine days until plastics in Mexico! About me: 53 year old female, VSG in August, 2015, highest recorded weight 289.5, weight at time of VSG 256, currrent weight 166 (BMI 27.5). I certainly feel like I've done my research on plastic surgeons! I did a ton of research online (BariatricPal, ObesityHelp, RealSelf among other sites) and consulted with two plastic surgeons in the US and two in Mexico. I have decided to get plastics with Dr. Francisco Sauceda in Monterrey, MX. I met with him in person in November. He spent two hours with me talking about his approach, the process, what he felt was realistic for me and what was not. I stayed in the hotel where his patients stay once discharged from the clinic so I could get a feel of what it will be like to recover there. I was fortunate enough to meet three of his American patients who were each about one week post plastics. They all raved about him, the quality of care, the already visible cosmetic improvement. I marveled at how ambulatory they were just one week out. The approach that Dr. Sauceda uses is in many ways quite different from that of other surgeons. They don't use general anesthesia and instead use epidural nerve blocks, Versed type medication for sedation - I think it's called twilight sedation - and this allows them to perform longer surgeries. He and his partner work on the patient simultaneously so they can complete more procedures in less time. So where other plastic surgeons had said I'd need multiple surgeries spaced out over a few months, with this technique most of the procedures can be done at once. I'll have brachioplasty (arm lift), breast lift (haven't decided on implants yet; don't want big boobs anymore but want perky ones), lower body lift including abdominoplasty (not sure if regular or fleur de lys), pubic lift and inner thigh lift all in one day, and then 3-4 days later will have a neck lift and lower face lift. It's going to be BRUTAL but I'd rather get this over and done with and move on with my life! They keep you in the clinic for as long as you're on narcotic pain meds, typically 3-4 days, and then get transferred to the Hampton Inn for continued recovery where for another 10-14 days you get daily visits from the nurse who will help with bathing, cleaning incisions, helping take off/put on the compression garments. Dr. Sauceda apparently comes by and visits very frequently too, not sure if it's daily. Many of you will ask about the price for this. All inclusive, I was quoted $21,500. This includes all the procedures, the stay in the clinic, the stay in the hotel, surgeon and hospital fees, nursing care, compression garment, meds and bandages. A driver will meet me at the airport and bring me to the hotel, and up to $600 of my airfare will be reimbursed. I didn't bother going through insurance and will pay out of pocket. I am really fortunate: I do speak Spanish although you can apparently get by fine if you dont. Also, my work is computer based so I can work from anywhere. I've decided that I'll stay in Mexico a full six weeks (if I can stand the boredom). The reason I chose six weeks is that in my consultation with Dr. Sauceda, he said that I could resume normal activities and exercise after six weeks. He said the danger for his patients is between weeks 3 and 6 when they start to feel better and have more energy and then overdo it. His fear is that at this point, the resorbable sutures are at 50% of their strength and the incisions are still healing so the risk of complications when overdoing it is very high and incisions can open up. I also think that if the drains come out and I somehow develop a seroma, I'd rather still be under the care of my original PS team. So I'll be in Mexico til the end of March. I'll post some before pictures soon. I hope these posts will be helpful to all of you. I'll do my best to answer any of your questions! Lastly, one of the wonderful patients I met in Monterrey vlogged about her experience there: She also interviewed Dr. Sauceda:

I had my surgery on the 18th of January..I've lost 40#'s. I had some complications after the surgery that prevented me to walk much but now I'm moving along. I noticed today that I didn't get winded walking around a grocery store or had to lean on something. I'm on stage 3 and I'm eating refried beans with scrambled eggs in the Am, chicken salad for lunch with 3 crackers, and for dinner it's 3 crackers with humus. I can't stand the protein shakes so I habe to figure out another way to get my protein.

Thank you very much it helps a-lot to know that someone else was almost in the same situation as i am and you succeeded thanks to the lord. I was about to give up and to forget everything about the surgery and just don’t keep showing up to my next visit but you know what im not giving up until I’ve donde what i have to do. I will leave this in hands of my lord because he knows that i deserve a second chance in life because being obese and having complications for the obesity is not life.

Wow, it looks like you've had a tougher journey than most. I hope all of the complications are behind you. Keep up the good work!

You are an amazing source of strength. I’m hoping my experience will be as smooth as yours. I met with my doctor on Thursday to make sure I knew what to take in terms of meds for the day of procedure and after. He wants me to take the generic Emend for nausea the morning of and then one more the day after in addition to the nausea patch they will give me at the hospital. This should cover any nausea for the first two days. I will also be on Librax for cramping also the morning of the procedure and every four hours for the first two days. After those initial two days it is as needed. The final med is for acid reflux which I’m to take the next day and then for two weeks after. He really reassured me about this procedure as I went in there scared and nervous. He told me I’d be fine and that he’s done at least 50 ESGs at this point and hasn’t seen any complications. What’s interesting is that he tells me that he has been steadily doing 2 per week now! I think Mel was right in saying this procedure is catching on. In all honesty I’m struggling with the preop liquid diet. I’ve tried for three days to stick to it and by the late afternoon I cave and eat something. Do you guys think this is a real problem? Will this affect my procedure? I will try to stick to it for the remaining three days. I guess that is why I needed this procedure in the first place. I’m also worried that. If I can’t stick to it preop does that mean I won’t be able to succeed postop. Any thoughts? Please keep me in your thoughts on February 6. I have grown to view you all as family and I truly hope our paths cross one day. I never would have had the courage to do this without you all cheering me on! All my love.