Search the Community

For many years I gained weight strictly due to being lazy and eating poorly. But for the last several years, I have been driving myself crazy because I feel like I have been doing everything I should be doing in terms of eating the right foods (Whole30 and Paleo) and exercising intensely (Obstacle Course Racing and Weight Training) and nothing worked for weight loss. I have often felt like my body and brain were working against my heart and preventing me from achieving what I wanted. In my ongoing research, I recently found another Bariatric Surgeon that post his bariatric videos on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/DrMatthewWeiner I found his Informational Seminar video to be much more informative than any other I attended during my search for a local surgeon. One point in particular is the slide I've attached to this post. The stats he shows in this slide are my exact stats. His explanation here is that to gain 100lbs over a 20-year period, a woman only has to eat an average of 50 additional calories per day. Which is basically nothing. This takes into consideration pregnancy weight gain, weight loss, and weight regain over this time period. He affirms that significant weight gain from such a low number of additional calories means that there is actually something else going on besides just eating more calories than you burn. And as many of us suspect, it is due to hormonal and metabolic changes because of both age and changes that occur from diets you go on. This alone lifted a huge weight off my shoulders. Because I am not crazy after all, my brain and body were working against me. And surgery can help me get back to where I want to be. It further confirms my decision to have this surgery and use it merely as one tool in my arsenal to regain my health! I wanted to share this for anyone else has felt like they were crazy and wondered endlessly why diet and exercised worked from everyone else but you...

New episodes of Bartiatric Strong up on YouTube. This is the only show out there that talks about fitness and nutrition as it pertains to bariatric patients. We discuss nutrient needs, how to fuel your workouts, what different exercises we could be doing. Anything and everything on the topics of how to fuel better performance in our athletic endeavors. Check it out, comment, ask questions, and subscribe if you want to be notified when new episodes are uploaded (im trying to do weekly) Nurse Mike

Insurance may not qualify you based on BMI? I am 5'3 and don't think I would have done this at 200lbs UNLESS I had serious medical conditions associated with the weight. Many bariatric offices offer medical weight management programs (special shakes and usually Phentermine) as alternatives to surgery. Schedule a consult! Sent from my SM-G930R4 using BariatricPal mobile app

Hey Everyone, I just wanted to post for anyone in or around Kansas City. Dr. Fearing is my surgeon at Bariatric and Metabolic Specialists. She operates at Menorah Medical Center. SHE IS THE BEST!!! I have a chronic kidney condition and she has been amazing working with me and my nephrologist in order to get myself surgery ready. She personally calls me to review my lab work! Surgery is in T-5 days! I cannot recommend her enough!

I haven't had BOB (band over bypass) but know a few folks who did that. It didn't help one of them, another did fabulously well and lost all the weight she'd regained plus another 10 or so pounds and has been maintaining fine. I've lost track of the other BOBsters. I would urge anyone who's considering revision to think carefully about exactly how their original surgery "failed". Did your original surgical tool stop working, or did you stop working it, or a combination of both? You really need to have that clear in your head before you have more surgery. Every bariatric procedure requires some degree of hard work on the patient's part. If your regain after RNY has been medically shown to be due to a stretched pouch or dilated stoma, you also need to talk to your surgeon about how to avoid those conditions once you're banded. Good luck, and congrats on the baby!

The adjustable gastric band (Lap-Band or Realize Band) is not all that new any more. The Lap-Band has been approved for use in the USA since 2001, the Realize Band since 2007, and other brands of bands have been used in the rest of the world since the 1980's. I had a band slip (resolved with a complete unfill) and a port flip (corrected with surgery), but I loved my band. You're correct that band surgery is reversible, though I wouldn't recommend doing that unless it was to treat a complication. Just because it's reversible doesn't mean that the band is easy to remove. RNY (gastric bypass) is also reversible, though not easily. VSG (vertical sleeve gastrectomy) is not reversible, and only the "switch" part of DS (duodenal switch) is reversible. Good luck with your decision. It's good that you're doing research. I suggest thatyou carefully weigh what other bariatric patients and a bariatric surgeon tell you, and pick the procedure that feels right for you, to meet your weight loss needs and your post-op lifestyle. Jean

Hello Everyone! Quick overview.... Started with my highest weight at 328, and was banded at 280 on March 30th 2010 in Mexico. I got all my fills and aftercare from Kaiser North Bay. Lowest weight was 190 in 2014 right after having my first baby. Now after my second baby I am up to 235. I am having problems with my band and finding a "sweet spot" for getting back on track. I am sure my pregnancies did a number on moving things around. I just went to a bariatric doctor yesterday in South San Francisco (my normal one is on vacation, so I saw his colleague) He was unable to fill be due to not finding the port and saying I was too heavy. I was very frustrated since I have NEVER had a problem having a fill even at 260+. My original doctor has told me before when I have asked for a revision that they do not take lapbands out unless it is an emergency situation. The doctor I saw yesterday told me he would take my lapband out anytime without question, but the revision was a different story. He said to even consider it I would have to get down to at least 210, and then we could go from there. I guess I am just wondering if anyone has gotten a revision from Kaiser South San Francisco or Richmond, voluntarily. My doctor keeps saying scar tissue will hinder him from doing anything.... Thanks everyone

Well guys I ended up selling some land to get 11k and then used a credit card for the rest. Surgery date is scheduled for 4/21 and I gave the cashiers checks to the bariatric coordinator today

It gets better. The first 2 days I was weak and had a headache but then those symptoms resolved. I'm not gonna lie and say you won't be hungry at all, but if u keep busy and drink ur shakes its doable! I like the Bariatric fusion chocolate mousse shakes the best. And sugar free jello really helped when I felt starving, because the solidness felt good in my tummy. Sometimes a drink won't cut it. Good luck to you. Don't give up or cheat! I thought I would break down but honestly have not cheated once in 3 weeks. Pretty proud of myself!

FYI, if interested: Excuse its length, but here's the email blast I received of today's ASMBS' Connect: News topics of the week re: obesity and WLS. You might find some articles of interest to you. They sent: The following is a summary/brief analysis of the obesity and surgery stories making news this week: Company Seeks FDA Approval for Balloon System for Obesity… Retinopathy Stable After Bariatric Surgery…Sleeve Gastrectomy vs. Medical Management for Diabetes… UK May Seen Huge Increase in Bariatric Surgery… New Clues on How Metabolic Surgery Affects Diabetes…Sharon Osbourne Felt Like a Cheat After Surgery… Obesity Worse Than Smoking… Childhood Obesity Drops in NYC… Stigma Around Obesity Persists… Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery in the News… ReShape Submits Dual Balloon System Application to FDA (Bariatric News) ReShape Medical is seeking FDA approval for the ReShape Integrated Dual Balloon System, "the first and only dual balloon for non-surgical weight loss designed for people with a BMI 30-40." According to the company, the system is the first device to meet its primary effectiveness endpoints in a U.S. randomized, sham-controlled pivotal trial. Dr. Jaime Ponce, Principal Investigator in the so-called REDUCE trial, commented, “Meeting the primary endpoints is an important accomplishment, as it convincingly demonstrates the superiority of the ReShape procedure over diet and exercise alone. The ReShape procedure offers a new alternative to help patients kick-start weight loss and learn new behaviours. We are excited about what this new treatment option may do for millions of people needing to lose excess weight.” The device has been available in the E.U. since December 2011. ReShape Medical anticipates a launch in the U.S. in mid-to-late 2015. No Change in Retinopathy in Diabetes 2 Years After Surgery (Medscape) Results from the STAMPEDE trial presented at the American Diabetes Association 2014 Scientific Sessions show no change in diabetic retinopathy for patients two years after bariatric surgery. Lead author Dr. Rishi P. Singh commented that he was “pleasantly reassured” that there wasn’t a higher incidence or significant progression of the disease after surgery. He said the results demonstrate that regular eye exams are still important for this patient population. "This is the first time that a prospective, randomized clinical trial has shown that intensive medical management vs gastric bypass doesn't appear to increase the retinopathy incidence or progression, nor does it increase the rate of vision loss or changes in intraocular blood pressure (a sign of glaucoma)," he added. Dr. Bruce Wolfe, bariatric surgeon at Oregon Health and Science University, commented on the results saying, "The induction of remission or improvement in diabetes control is positive for the patient, but drawing conclusions about the many-year process of diabetic complications of diabetic neuropathy or diabetic retinopathy is premature." Additionally, he added that patients who are informed that their diabetes has gone into remission after they have had bariatric surgery may think, "I don't need to go to these eye assessments anymore," but that would be too hasty, he stressed. Better Long-term Diabetes Outcomes with Sleeve Gastrectomy vs. Medical Management (Healio) Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy helped adults with type 2 diabetes achieve better blood glucose control than standard care alone, according to research presented at the joint meeting of the International Congress of Endocrinology and the Endocrine Society. To determine long-term outcomes of diabetes in patients with sleeve gastrectomy vs. medical care alone, investigators reviewed medical records of veterans with type 2 diabetes, ages 18 to 80, undergoing the surgery at a VA medical center in a major metropolitan area. Two years of data from the charts of 30 patients treated with surgery were compared to 23 control patients. All patients had received medical treatment and been part of the MOVE national weight management program designed by the VA National Center for Health before being offered surgery. Significant improvements in BMI and HbA1c were seen in patients with surgery at one year, with improvements sustained through the end of two years; BMI decreased from 46 to 34 and HbA1c from 7.25% to 5.98%. These kinds of outcomes were not witnessed in patients without surgery during the study. At study completion, 76% of patients with surgery were able to discontinue or reduce their diabetes medications, compared with 26% of patients receiving medical treatment only. Thousands More to Get Obesity Ops on the NHS: NICE Calls for Huge Increase in Surgery - But Even Obesity Charities Condemn It (Daily Mail) New draft guidance from the U.K.’s National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (Nice) suggests that people with obesity who have type 2 diabetes should be assessed for bariatric surgery under the country’s National Health Service (NHS). At present weight loss surgery is given to patients on the NHS who have morbid obesity with a BMI score of over 40 or to those who have a BMI over 35 and who have another serious health condition - such as type 2 diabetes. But now Nice is suggesting that people with a BMI score of 30 to 35 should be considered for an assessment for surgery under the NHS if they have been diagnosed within the last 10 years. This could mean hundreds of thousands more patients could be considered for treatment. The draft guideline also recommends that people who have undergone bariatric surgery under the NHS should have a "follow up care package" for at least two years after their operation. However, opponents of the guidelines say it is wrong of Nice to recommend that the NHS offer operations costing £5,000 when the agency faces a £30billion deficit. Scientists Discover Clues Why Weight-loss Surgery Cures Diabetes (Medical Xpress) A study published in the journal Endocrinology found the actions of specialized cells in the intestine that secrete a cocktail of powerful hormones when we eat may help bring us a step closer to understanding why gastric bypass surgery "cures diabetes in most patients." The research team showed that gut hormone cells previously thought to contain just one hormone, had up to six hormones including the hunger hormone ghrelin. Study team leader Dr. Craig Smith, a Senior Lecturer in Molecular Cell Physiology at University of Manchester, commented, “Understanding the messages the gut sends out when we eat food and when things go wrong, as is the case in diabetes, is our next challenge and hopefully one that will result in the development of drugs which could be used instead of surgery to cure obesity and prevent diabetes.” Sharon Osbourne Opens Up About Feeling Like a ‘Cheat’ After Gastric Bypass Surgery (NY Daily News) In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Sharon Osbourne commented that she has “secret shame” about having bariatric surgery in 1999. "I felt (like) such a cheat when I had that band on my stomach,” she said. "People are saying, 'You look wonderful! I'd go, 'Thank you, I just have to leave and vomit.'" Osbourne had the gastric band removed in 2006 and says she controls her weight through the low-carb Atkins diet, but admitted she struggles because she is still a food addict. Obesity in the News… Extreme Obesity Cuts Lifespan More than Smoking: Study (Reuters, CBSNews.com, Voice of America) Extensive media coverage of the “largest-ever study of the effect of extreme obesity on mortality,” which showed the “most extreme cases” may shorten a person's lifespan more than smoking. Scientists at the National Cancer Institute found people who suffered from severe obesity died 6.5 to 13.7 years earlier than people of healthy weight. A data review was conducted of 20 large studies from U.S., Sweden and Australian, which included 9,564 adults with extreme obesity and 304,011 of normal weight. Heart disease, cancer, and diabetes were mostly responsible for an increased risk of dying “at any given time” when BMI rose to levels of extreme obesity. The study was published in the journal PLOS Medicine. Severe Childhood Obesity Shows a Decline in New York City (Reuters) The prevalence of severe obesity among school children in New York City was down by almost 10% in the 2010-11 school year compared to the 2006-07. Earlier research had shown a decline in overall obesity among NYC public school children, but the prevalence of severe obesity had not been studied. The new study, published in the journal Preventing Chronic Disease, shows NYC rates “buck national trends.” Height and weight measurements were recorded for 947,765 children attending public schools in kindergarten through eighth grade. Severe obesity fell from 6.3% of the children in the 2006-07 school year to 5.7% in 2010-11. The change represents a 9.5% decrease. The prevalence of severe obesity was highest among boys, minorities and poor children. Additionally, while prevalence declined in every group, the greatest decrease was among white students and wealthy students. Many Obese Women Face Stigma Every Day, Study Finds (HealthDay) A new study found women who were overweight or suffered from obesity were likely to be faced with frequent, daily insults and humiliation from strangers, family and friends. Researchers recruited 50 women who were asked to log their “weight-stigmatizing” events in a diary during the course of a week. A total of 1,077 occurrences were reported including physical barriers (84%), nasty comments from others (74%), being stared at (72%) and others making negative assumptions (72%). Each woman experienced an average of three negative events over a seven-day period. Researchers found BMI was “the most significant factor associated with all forms of stigma except that caused by interpersonal relationships.” Ted Kyle, advocacy advisor for The Obesity Society, felt the study was limited due to the size and lack of data from other groups including males and other ethnic groups as most participates were white. He commented, “Most everybody struggles with some kind of health issue but obesity is something you wear on the outside.” The study was published recently in the Journal of Health Psychology.

I hadn't even heard that Flinstones chewables was an option. My doctor told me to take Bariatric Advantage only the first few months after surgery. I will have to research further about it. NieMarie I am like you and am not sure what to take! But I know my Dr said I should take liquid Vitamins for some things. I am getting nervous that if I don't take the right things afterward then I will get sick. When is your surgery?

I recently changed them. Can't stomach the bariatric ones I bought a few weeks ago. I'm sure it will be fine, but I am super nervous with everything. Lol.

I'm writing because some of you have been so great to answer my questions and told me to keep you updated as my first consultation was yesterday 7/11! I went in and my doctor was so kind and helpful. He answered a lot of my questions before I even asked them. We agreed that the sleeve is the best surgery for me, and he said my BMI is 49 which is SO weird because last week another doctor said mine was 39, and when I checked it said 42. Maybe they use different BMI charts? Lol. Regardless I qualify. They sent me to a bariatric coordinator. I have Affinity and we went over what they would approve before surgery. I have to do a ton of appointments but the only thing holding me back is the fact that Affinity requires me to see a nutritionist once a month for 4 months. So all of my other appointments are in July and August but seeing that nutritionist for 4 months has me going into October. After my approval, she said that she will book the surgery out 2 weeks. I have to say it's a little frustrating that's the only thing holding me back.... Now I wanted to get people's opinion about scheduling, I'm a graduate student that travels a while to and from both my internship and school. I was wondering if I could do the surgery during my Thanksgiving break (about a week) or if I should just wait until my winter break. My doctor said I would spend one night in the hospital and then start the special diet. He makes it sound doable for my Thanksgiving break, but if I need extra time I want to make sure. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Two weeks ago I called my new insurance company to make sure VSG was covered - before I ever went to the informational meeting about any type of bariatric surgery, before I got my hopes up, before ANYTHING. I went to the meeting, got excited, got down and got funky with the idea of VSG. I filled out the forms, I made the appointment for my first visit with the surgeon. My first visit was today. I got weighed in, measured, and then the assistant asked what type of surgery I was interested in. I told her VSG. *crickets* "Oh honey," she said. "Aetna doesn't cover VSG." But they DO, I argued. They SAID SO when I CALLED THEM. They wouldn't lie to ME, would they? "Way-ul, we'll just play like they're gonna cover it for today. You give 'em another call again tomorrow and let me know, and we'll see what happens." Fur will FLY, Ladies and Gentlemen, if I have been lied to. FUR WILL FLY.

Sylvia, every bariatric center/doctor has their own system. However, first meeting should primarily be a discussion on wls, What it is, what it's not and what it will do for you. There should be dialog on your health history and the doctor may resume with a physical assessment to get the ball rolling. At which point there may be a followup appt to initiate the process, or perhaps if you are already decided, a review of the steps required before getting approved for the surgery.

Last summer when I started thinking seriously about bariatric surgery, I had trouble finding info on the timeline for Kaiser patients in the DC/MD/VA area. So for anyone who's interested, here's the process (and my timeline): Got a referral from my primary care provider (9/3/19) 1/2 WLS class with a nutritionist (9/19/19) 1/4 appt with a nutritionist (10/23/19) 1/2 Surgeon-led bariatric info session @ Holy Cross (11/12/19) 2/4 appt with a nutritionist (11/22/19) 2/2 Surgeon-led bariatric info session @ Holy Cross (11/27/19) 2/2 WLS class with a nutritionist (12/20/19) 3/4 appt with a nutritionist (1/16/20) 4/4 appt with a nutritionist (2/12/20) Got approved for surgery (2/14/20) Appt with surgeon @ Holy Cross to schedule surgery (3/3/20) It's designed to be a six-month program starting with your referral and ending with the appt with your surgeon to schedule surgery (with variety of mandatory classes and one-on-one sessions spread out over the course of those six months). Here are some of the other requirements you have to take care of before a board will review your medical record and approve you for surgery: Ideally, you lose some weight, but there aren't a set number of pounds you have to lose. Behavioral health evaluation H-Pylori antibody stool test Sleep apnea screening Write a letter to the surgeon about why you want to have surgery Although my nutritionist is at South Baltimore County Medical Center, the only two bariatric surgeons currently available for Kaiser patients in the DMV are at Holy Cross in Silver Springs. My surgery will likely be at Largo Medical Center, and once it's scheduled, I'll update this post but I've been told to expect a six to eight week wait. I hope this helps!

I think my surgeon must have checked with my insurance company prior to having done all the prerequisites for approval and they told them it was a covered procedure. I had to go on a 6 month medically supervised diet, see a nutritionist, and have a psych eval(its easy). Through that whole time I worried about getting approved. I had a BMI of 38 with no diabetes, high cholesterol,etc. The only thing I can think of that I had was bad knees( due to the weight). After I finished my prerequisites and had all my info sent in I was a nervous wreck. After a couple of weeks the bariatric program called and told me I had been denied because it wasn't a covered procedure which they did not understand because they had been told that it was covered. The bariatric program told me not to give up and they told me some things I could try to get approval. I was DEVASTATED for 3 days. They called me back on the 3rd day and told me the insurance company had called back and said it was a covered procedure. So I went from having a covered procedure to a not covered procedure back to a covered procedure. The story gets even stranger: A lady I work with has a BMI of >40 and has the comorbities(diabetes, cholesterol etc) has gone to 2 separate bariatric programs(1 was the one I used) and they have told her its not a covered procedure under her insurance. We have the same insurance company (through work). The only difference we can figure out is that I bought the more expensive plan and she didn't. We don't know if that would really make the difference or not or its some arbitrary thing the insurance company came up with. Good luck to you and I hope you get your band.

Did your primary suggest you get a second opinion from a second bariatric doctor? If you are that unhappy with the care you are receiving then you have every right & reason to do so. However, never having seen you before they would (should) send you for tests to find out what/if there is a problem. But of course this is just my opinion.

@@LittleBill they've heard it all from bariatric patients. It's in their FAQ. They know that some people, including WLS patients, are under doctor's supervision and are cleared to eat VLCD, but they will not change their program. It's not worth anyone's time to bug them about it.

It's a glitch for us. I hope they can find a way to set it for bariatric patients Sent from my SM-G920T using the BariatricPal App

I take the watermelon bariatric advantage. It makes me nausoues it's so disgusting. It tastes like fish covered in watermelon. It makes me GAG. I try taking with coffee to mask the taste. I recommend something else.

I have the Bariatric VitaBand in cherry flavor. At first they weren't too bad, but now they are gross. I will probably switch to Flinstones.

I also had Dr. Weiss from tri-state bariatrics and am two weeks post-op. I am, so far, very pleased. 288 at start, 277 at surgery and 261 now.

I am going with Dr Illan this month after reviewing a lot of doctors this year. I know only the best surgeries are uploaded to youtube but his are beautiful. I say that as one who has been in an OR. I only say that to let you know the doctor you chose is good too. The main reason for the reply is that there are good bariatric surgeons who will follow you in the states. Make sure to do your research on the doctor, get all medical records in hand and a copy of the surgery film if possible. Dr Illan has flash drives for purchase I read somewhere, or bring your own. Call local doctors and inquire if they will do follow up. Things are changing. Best wishes. Family is just worried for you. Again research a lot.

self pay Bariatric Pay Mexico. https://www.bariatricpal.com/forum/486-mexico-self-pay-weight-loss-surgery/ The owner of this site (Alex) bariatricpal will delete any negative reviews of bariatric pal Mexico off this site. Note a surgeon has left their employment. Many have not received their refunds and the office and Alex are not giving explanations. Please read the reviews on this link from yelp . The owners and affiliates cannot edit or censor comments from clients. https://www.yelp.com/biz/bariatricpal-tijuana Alex will most likely delete this post.