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So everything went great surgery was perfect, and I had no complications (praise God!). Let me be very honest. The first day was horrible, even into the first night. I had so much chest pain from the gas and acid reflux, its extremely painful, but would rather see you prepared. My only incision that hurt was the one where they took out my stomach. It burned but by day two I was fine. I'm excited to go home today. Yesterday I had 14oz of liquid and today I've already had 4 yes I'm tired. But walking gives me energy and it helps with moving my food and gas so very much do as much walking as you can. I wish you all the best of luck on your journies. And remember you make this tool work for you, but you must exercise abs use it the right way. I'm glad I made this decision, one of the best choices I made )

Fletcher, Don't beat yourself up! You have already done it and you can't go back and correct it. But, what you can do is make a decision right now to stay on track. If you are like me, your dieting history probably included so many starts and stops. As soon as I blew a diet, I would think, "well, I already messed up, so I might as well eat this too." Don't let that happen to you this time. Instead, get focused on letting your body heal...that is the whole point of the liquid phase. If you keep eating solids before your body is fully healed, you could have some complications. I came to love tomato soup during the liquid phase. My doctor even let me crumble up some crackers in the soup. If you make the soup with milk instead of Water, you are adding some Protein that way. Some milk has more protein than others. If you are in an area with a Braum's store, their milk has a lot of protein compared to most. Hang in there! You can do this. I know that it seems like the liquid phase will last forever, but you'll be through it before you know it!

Glad ur feeling better! I took it as long as he prescribed it to me for as long as he told me to so I don't know, guess they are all different... I haven't had any pain at all after the first 3 weeks and no problems or complications, but I will let everyone know the outcome!

One thing to consider with a band and no insurance is after-care. With a band, you have to have fills or the band does you no good. Many surgeons offer fills for a period of time in their fees, but after that, you are on your own. Fills can cost a few hundred dollars per. My surgeon wants me to have an Upper GI each year. That would be another cost. Bands are not a set-it and forget-it procedure like bypass is. Should you have a complication down the road and need the band removed, such as erosion, it is another full surgery. If your band should slip, treatment starts conservatively, but can end up back in the operating room. If all goes well, banding is cheaper than bypass. I've seen amounts around 10K in the states for a band, I don't know what after is included in that price. Bypass would be substantially more as the procedure takes quite a bit more time to complete. There are many self-pay people here who are extremely happy with their choice. But be sure you can afford the aftercare. If you cannot have fills, then it isn't worth it. And empty band is like an empty gas tank...it just sits there going nowhere fast.

honestly it was the best thing i could of ever done before...it not painful...at least for me it wasn't...its just a big life style change... you have to be prepared to eat less..eat healthier and work out (you don't have to but if you want to get the maximum results i suggest it) When you get banded there is about a 6 week recovery in sense of it wont be filled...so after a week or so your going to feel hungry and your going to be able to eat more than you will probably want to...Once you get your first fill thats when it really all begins. I just got my first fill on 12/2. He filled me 7.5 which was prolly a lil too much but i'm working with it. Every meal i eat is centered around protein(chicken, turkey, ham, cheese, fish, etc) i do not drink with my meals...makes your hungry faster, i also find if i do drink right after it actually hurts a bit...i can eat about 1/4 cup at a sitting...the goal is to eat 1 cup at a sitting...Of course there are certain foods people with the band should avoid but thats just more a matter of avoiding complications. I have chosen to mainly cut out sugar of my diet. i found it has been easy...your biggest thing to remember is to become creative in how you eat things...for example if you really like mayo on your sandwitch but can live w/o it i use either diojonaze or i used avacado's that are mashed up and spread it like a spread....its good and has a lot less calories...the surgery itself isn't bad at all....most of the time its same day...i arrived at the hospital at 6am...and left around 9pm that night...i had very minimal pain that night which i took a liquid pain pill my doctor prescribed for me...the only pains i had were from gas.... within 3 days after surgery i was eating creamy soups and egg salad...it was great....i can honestly say i myself was shocked how quick and easy of a recovery it was...

I'm 4 days post op and my glue is starting to come off. I'm kind of freaking out because it's only be 4 days & I don't want any complications! Is this normal?? I just need some peace of mind if it is, and if it isn't what should I do? (ER, call doctor, ect.) Thanks so much!

I had to shrink my liver as well. I went off of all meds during that stage as I kept getting really low numbers. But I'm type 2 bordering on type 1 due to pancreatic complications. I was able to go through the process well. I have been on so many different medications through this process. I was able to get off of insulin but now that I'm getting close to my goal weight my numbers are increasing again and I'll probably be back on insulin in a few months, sadly. But I'm doing so well otherwise I can't complain. I mean I can, I sometimes do, but I try not too. lol!!!!

Hey everyone! I'm looking for some advice from anyone who either pre or post operatively had anxiety & worry about complications to the point that they took medication. In 2013 I had a pulmonary embolism and for like a year afterwards every single minute of every day I was afraid it was going to happen again. Eventually before I went crazy I was given klonopin. I have had anxiety attacks on and off for the past 3 years if things get too stressful but over time they have decreased in intensity and frequency. I have fibromyalgia so i'm already in pain and because of my previous experience I know that after the surgery i'm going to be paranoid for like a month that I have an issue. I'm going to the doctor to pick a surgery date on Friday (4/8) and i'm going to tell him that there's no way I can go through with it unless him or my primary doc gives me something to keep me calm for a little while. Anyone have any suggestions for what works best or have any similar experience to share?

Ask about how they handle complications that might arise dying surgery. Or what the recovery process is like. Inquire about suggestions for handling the anxiety of the surgery, or ask what FAQ other patients have had. An open dialog can be created. Plus if you have a case manager you can ask them too.

What if any complications have you experienced? Thank you for answering..I have just joined this site. Thinking of having the surgery. ann

Hello, I would like us to get to know each other, so here's my story... I am 47 yrs old, Married to my wonderful husband Richard for 27 yrs now. I have two awesome sons, Jason 26 and Josh 23. My son Joshua was married last July and they are about to have his first child. The decision to have this surgery was not an easy one for me. I have diabetes, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, acid reflux, sleep apnea and side effects from the diabetes. I have seen people get diabetes complications and have their toes, feet, legs removed. Blindness is also a real possibility. I have nerve damage starting in my feet, and sighs of damage in my eyes. I want to be able to play with my grandchild and enjoy my life as I get older. So...... this is why I made the decision to have the surgery. I was on 3 different meds for my diabetes, including insulin. My surgery was 8 days ago and I am off all the diabetic meds, sleep apnea is gone, blood pressure is better. For now I still take the blood pressure med and the med for cholesterol, but am told I will be off them soon. Each day I feel better and better. I have lost 22 pounds since I saw my surgeon in May. 11 since my surgery on 6/19. I am very pleased with the improvment of my health and am told it will get better in the coming months. I would really like to hear from you. Thanks for reading my story. RanayB

I am a pre-sleever also. I have done my paperwork also. I am also an RN and by law those are questions that health care faciities and providers have to ask you. It has to do with Living Wills, Advanced Directives, Medical Power of Attorneys and other documents that health care facilities need in order to take care of you in the event that you have some sort of complication or adverse event. This is not just for the sleeve surgery but any surgery. All these documents do is give you a voice of how you want to be cared for in the event anything was to happen that you needed life support, feeding tubes, etc. to sustain life. If you read these documents, it states that it gives you voice in how you want to be cared for in the event that you cannot voice your wishes. You can designate a family member to make these decisions for you. If you do not have a Living Will, then the State in which you live will have a line of authority set as to who can legally make these decisions for you. Please do not be freaked or uncomfortable. It is a formality. I have one, my husband has one, my parents have one. In time of need, you will feel much better knowing that you made the decision of how you want your final days to be taken care of. You have the power to make your own decisions by completing one of these forms. Please let me know if you have other questions, please do not put off this important surgery by being uncomfortable with legal forms. Just formality. You go girl.

You should be on a liver shrinking diet for 2 weeks before surgery. They should be giving you instructions. You'll be out of work for 4-5 weeks. Yes you take your husband with you the day of surgery. Hospital stay with out complications is 2-3 days. Get your instructions from the nurse practitioner. Drink boost or premier Protein drink. Water... Talk with the staff. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using the BariatricPal App

Welcome! I think pain is a purely individual thing. For me, I had some minor complications, immediately following my surgery, and ended up staying in the hospital for 6 days. After the third day I only needed my pain meds (I was still on a pump at that point) to help me sleep at night. The fifth night I didn't use anything, and didn't use any of the pain meds they gave me when I came home (not even Tylenol). But, I have a relatively high tolerance for pain (lifetime migraines and chronic lower back pain). When I was on full liquids (from the day I came home from the hospital) I enjoyed chocolate Muscle Milk Lite (its sugar free), decaf hot tea, unjury chicken broth flavored Protein powder (especially when made with chicken broth instead of straight water), whipped cottage cheese, unsweetened applesauce, Gelatein 20 (a high-protein Gelatin...20 grams of protein in a 4oz cup), and cream of tomato Soup (made with skim milk). I never actually "pureed" anything, when I got to that stage. I ate a lot of tuna salad, and fish, ground turkey, fat-free (but not whipped) cottage cheese, hummus, thinly sliced deli meats (turkey, chicken, and roast beef...all very lean and low-sodium)...anything "soft", "ground", or easily flaked. I was initially on this stage for a week, then developed breakthrough acid reflux. When I called my surgeon about it, he added a daily Prevacid solutab to my meds, and put me back on full liquids for an additional 3 weeks. (I still ate fish and tuna salad, and had no problems with that.) Everyone who is anyone in my life knows I've had surgery. I've been very open about it, and don't bother myself with what anybody else thinks. On the whole, I've found people to be very supportive, and thrilled with my progress so far. I make jokes about my eating...when waitresses look at me funny, because I don't order anything to drink, or when I ask them nicely to please only put 2 oz of fish, and 2 TBSP of veggies, on my plate, and to please put the rest in a to-go box before bringing it to the table...and it takes all the discomfort out of the situation. I felt an increase in energy within 2 weeks of surgery, although I still had days (for several more weeks) during which I had NO energy. I began walking on a treadmill 10 days after my surgery, and progressed to walking an hour (at 3.0 mph) twice a day, each time followed by an hour of Water aerobics. Yeah...call me crazy, but I am thoroughly LOVING losing this weight!! My complications were related to increased inflammation in my sleeve, immediately following surgery. The morning after surgery, I was taken for a leak test, during which they found my stomach so inflamed the dye wasn't able to pass through...at all! I went back to my room, they put an NG tube back down my throat, and left it in another 4 days. I was NPO during that entire time...not even ice chips to suck on...in order to give my sleeve time to settle down, and the inflammation to resolve. The evening of the 5th day they removed the NG tube, and let me try sips of water during the night. The following morning they allowed me to move to Clear Liquids, and I enjoyed some beef broth. (I tried Jello that day, but it didn't feel "good" going down...I still haven't had regular jello. LOL) The day after shifting to clear liquids I was moved to "full liquids", and allowed to drink my first Protein shake (I love the chocolate Muscle Milk Lite!). When I had no problems with that, they decided to let me go home (YAY!). With the exception of the wicked bad acid reflux (which I never had prior to surgery), I have had no problems at all. I follow my surgeon's/nutritionist's directions, take tiny bites, chew them like crazy, and take 30-45 minutes to eat my meals....and I'm steadily losing weight. If you, or your husband, have any additional questions, feel free to reach out...I'm happy to lend any help I can. Laura

So all the people who got sleeved jan 8 th how is it going? How much did you lose ? Any complications etc? What's your exp so far regarding the surgery ? Any regrets ?

I didn't do this, but would recommend you meet with the new surgeon (or his/her staff), and explain the situation. They can help you figure out what to do. If you feel super strongly about this, then even if it means starting the process completely over, be willing to do it. The postop care is an ongoing relationship.. kinda like marriage. Most surgeons don't like taking patients that were operated on by another surgeon, especially if there is a complication. So make sure you are comfortable with your choice before going under the knife.

I am a band to sleeve revision. On Monday, I will be 6 weeks post-op. I had a band for 10 years. If you pull up my profile you can access my story. I explained all of my troubles before the sleeve surgery in that section. So far I have not had any complications and I am feeling really good now. I am back on a regular diet again. I worry about the leaking problems too so I try to follow the food plan and just hope that I don't feel any leaking symptoms. My surgery was done at one time. He removed the band, performed the sleeve procedure, and repaired a hiatal hernia. It's still pretty new to me. Maybe someone else can help you with your questions. Good luck to you.

thank you 1959JimmyJames. I won't find out anything till Wednesday but do know that there are not options other then the band has to come out. I don't know when he'll be able to do it cause I'm leaving for vacation to Vegas May 10th, kind of our 25th anniversary present to us and i've had this planned for 2 months and am NOT changing it due to my husband working off shore on the oil rigs and is only home for 4 weeks at a time. and that's another complication cause i can't have any kind of surgery unless he is home so he can help with the kids so this is going to be really difficult. I'm hoping maybe i can get this last 25 lbs off before it comes out but am going to talk to him about the sleeve. I'm 5 foot tall, very stocky built and all my fat is everywhere. kind of shaped like an apple so i really want to get this last 25 off. what i'm wondering though is will they even do the sleeve on me cause my bmi is 30.3 but it's still in the obese section so i'm hoping it will be an option. just sick over losing my band cause it's been working soo good for the last 8 years. like i said, they never would have found this if i hadn't fired my last dr cause he was an ass(sorry) and this new dr needed to know what band i had and how much Fluid was i it cause dr ass wouldn't tell him or give him my history. has anybody with a 30 bmi ever had the sleeve.

I posted this on another forum and felt it might be useful for other people to have a read of, if like me, you like your scientific facts. Maybe the below will provide a bit of clarity as to the 'nuts and bolts' of some of the bariatric procedures and their long-term (within the limitations of the data) efficacy. This first academic journal quoted was published in May 2013. So, it doesn't get more 'up to date' with regards to evaluating the comparative effectiveness in the three biggest weight loss procedures. I have only reproduced the abstract and have quoted the source below as the abstract covers the salient information we'd be interested in. The second section is all about the metrics, with a snapshot of all the procedures being evaluated in a tabulated form (the table was removed from the cutting and pasting process, so read left to right) and the risks associated with the operations. The primary and secondary sources are also cited. Better to make decisions based on rigorous scientific research, than hearsay and charasmatic sales pitches, I feel... Hope it helps. Article 1: Abstract: Objective: To evaluate the comparative effectiveness of sleeve gastrectomy (SG), laparoscopic gastric bypass (RYGB), and laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) procedures. Background: Citing limitations of published studies, payers have been reluctant to provide routine coverage for SG for the treatment of morbid obesity. Methods: Using data from an externally audited, statewide clinical registry, we matched 2949 SG patients with equal numbers of RYGB and LAGB patients on 23 baseline characteristics. Outcomes assessed included complications occurring within 30 days, and weight loss, quality of life, and comorbidity remission at 1, 2, and 3 years after bariatric surgery. Results: Matching resulted in cohorts of SG, RYGB, and LAGB patients that were well balanced on baseline characteristics. Overall complication rates among patients undergoing SG (6.3%) were significantly lower than for RYGB (10.0%, P < 0.0001) but higher than for LAGB (2.4%, P < 0.0001). Serious complication rates were similar for SG (2.4%) and RYGB (2.5%, P = 0.736) but higher than for LAGB (1.0%, P < 0.0001). Excess body weight loss at 1 year was 13% lower for SG (60%) than for RYGB (69%, P < 0.0001), but was 77% higher for SG than for LAGB (34%, P < 0.0001). SG was similarly closer to RYGB than LAGB with regard to remission of obesity-related comorbidities. Conclusions: With better weight loss than LAGB and lower complication rates than RYGB, SG is a reasonable choice for the treatment of morbid obesity and should be covered by both public and private payers. SOURCE: Carlin A, Zeni T, Birkmeyer N, et al. The comparative effectiveness of sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass, and adjustable gastric banding procedures for the treatment of morbid obesity. Annals Of Surgery [serial online]. May 2013;257(5):791-797. Available from: MEDLINE with Full Text, Ipswich, MA. Article 2: September 2012: Morbidity and mortality associated with LRYGB, LSG, and LAGB from the ACS-BSCN dataset LRYGB LSG LAGB 30-d mortality (%) 0.14 0.11 0.05 1-y mortality (%) 0.34 0.21 0.08 30-d morbidity (%) 5.91 5.61 1.44 30-d readmission (%) 6.47 5.40 1.71 30-d reoperation/intervention(%) 5.02 2.97 0.92 SOURCE: Data from Hutter MM, Schirmer BD, Jones DB, et al. First report from the American College of Surgeons Bariatric Surgery Center Network: laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy has morbidity and effectiveness positioned between the band and the bypass. Ann Surg 2011;254(3):410–20 [discussion: 420–2], in: Timothy D. J, Matthew M. H. Morbidity and Effectiveness of Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy, Adjustable Gastric Band, and Gastric Bypass for Morbid Obesity. Advances In Surgery [serial online]. n.d.;46(Advances in Surgery):255-268. Available from: ScienceDirect, Ipswich, MA

Hello! I am performing in a charity variety show 3 weeks after surgery. I have to do a couple of numbers that essentially would be the equivalent of 3-minute line dances. Not super- complicated choreography, but pretty fast. So, 3-weekers, do you think I'll be ok as far as incision healing and stamina? Thanks in advance!

You are not breathing as deep as normal due to the pain it causes. This IS something you need to buck up and do. One major post op complication can be pneumonia (with any kind of abdominal surgery) cause patients tend to shallow breathe not wanting to hurt, then the secretions accumulate in your lungs causing pneumonia. You can prevent this from happening by making yourself take deep breathes....take 10-20 everyhour. Splint your abdomen (hold a small pillow or folded up blanket tight to your abdomen..over you incisions, and breathe deep. You should even try to cough to clear your air passages. Your hospital may of sent you home with an insintive spirometer to help with the deep breathing. Really try to do this even if it hurts. Also you must get up and move even if it hurts, to prevent blood clots from forming. These are basic things to do post op to prevent complications. Take your pain medication and breathe and move. Good luck....the pain gets less everyday and the more you move the faster it gets better.

I found out about a year ago that I have one (1) mutation of factor five leiden in my blood after suffering from a superficial blood clot in my left calf, at the time I was smoking about a pack a day and on the birth control pill Yasmin. Anyone been banded with the condition?? Any complications?? Thanks

Surgery date 5/31/11 1. Band came overfilled and stomach swelled shut - all Fluid was taken out next day in office. No restriction at all now. 2. Allergic to pain medicine 3. Allergic to whey Protein - lived off egg drop Soup and Boost for over a week. Already on mushy foods but have not lost any weight since surgery and regain of dehydration. Do you think the MD will fill my band at post op appt? Is no weight loss normal with no restriction after surgery??? I had lost 100lbs on my own but my body wouldn't lose anymore so my body is already used to eating 1200 calories or less a day... just curious if anyone else experienced similar issues and what happened and if sometime soon I’ll actually lose weight? Feeling discouraged.

four ducklings wow! Most surgeons who are accredited have awesome stats. Complications can always happen of course but obesity can kill you too. So can driving a car...or crossing a street.. . I guess surgery just puts it in our faces because it's new territory for many of us, you sign your life away on forms and everyone tells you horrible stories! I've had general anesthesia anniversary if times and many procedures and a couple if surgeries. It's always a bit scary but I do remind myself if what I started out saying... obesity comorbidities are deadly, and life activities can kill you too so that might help you too I did ask my surgeon how many patients he has lost on the table and it was zero in many years and a small handful from drastic complications like pulmonary embolism often bc people feel symptoms and don't seem medical attention until it's too late! They do a lot to prevent clots, infection, etc these days...

I started with going through the "best" hospital in my area....we have several. Turns out this was not a Bariatric Center of Excellence and my insurance balked two months into my program. I swapped over to another surgeon who was affiliated with a Bariatric Center of Excellence and only enough it was through the oldest and smallest hospital in the area. Funny thing is that I ultimately chose to self fund the surgery as it was less costly than actually using my insurance....insane, right ? My new surgeon was OUTSTANDING in every way. He did a great job and was excellent in his advisements and coaching. My suggestion is to locate a bariatric center of excellence. These have proven statistics over time of low complications and excellent results.