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I spoke to my surgeon today his morning and he said that if it wasn’t better by the afternoon to go to the ER. He said he didn’t think it was a complication from the surgery. So I went to the ER and they did an ultrasound to check for blood clots. No blood clots: so they gave me some pain pills and sent me home to follow up with my surgeon again. I think I’m going to make an appointment with a neurologist. Now that blood clots are ruled out I think I should have my nerves checked out. That’s the only other thing I know to do

I did tell another friend today, and she was a bit negative. She mentioned that someone she worked with had gone under the knife at the local private clinic that's still operating, and that she had complications and had to have surgery two more times. She didn't know if this person had a gastric bypass or sleeve, but it was a few years ago. She also mentioned another friend of hers who had weight loss surgery in Poland, everything went well but my friend said that this person had never looked worse in her life and that the surgery had aged her terribly. She mentioned wrinkles and hair loss, and that her friend still had very thin hair although it's been two years since her surgery. I have a neighbor who had a gastric sleeve in Eastern Europe a year ago. She does have more wrinkles than before, but her hair is just as thick as ever, so I guess it varies. This neighbor of mine had more wrinkles than average before surgery, since she was both a smoker (recently quit) and an avid sun worshipper. I have almost no wrinkles although I'm middle aged. None on my forehead or in my face in general, except for little bags under the eyes and crinkly lines in the corners of my eyes. I've used prescription retinoids since I was in my twenties, and I'm sure that helped. How likely am I to become super wrinkly if I lose 40 - 80 pounds? I understand that on the average people lose 70% of their excess weight with the gastric sleeve, so for me that would be around 56 pounds. I weighed 46 pounds less than I do now nine years ago, and I looked a lot better at that weight with no noticeable extra lines. Is it likely to be that much worse if the weight loss is through surgery? What is your experience, those of you who have already had the surgery?

I've seen statistics from the US that show that death from gastric sleeve is very rare. However, I live in a small country and there are only two places that do weight loss surgeries locally. One is a state run hospital, that has a very good track record and nobody has died from weight loss surgery there, but it's very hard to get surgery there. In order to qualify for surgery there, you first have to go to an inpatient program at a state run rehabilitation centre and the waiting list for that is measured in years, not months. There used to be two private clinics who did weight loss surgeries locally, but after two people died from gastric sleeve in 2018 and one case of serious complications, on of them closed. In all, six people had died after a gastric sleeves performed by their surgeon. They had limited aftercare and the same applies to the private clinic that is still working. Also, I wouldn't be able to go this summer if I chose the private clinic locally, since it costs more and they have a long waiting list too. We have socialised medicine, so if you have complications afterwards you are referred to the state hospital or public health clinics. In Poland, I would stay for at least two days after surgery at the hospital and up to five days, and they have an excellent track record. You can choose a trip that last for five days or seven days, and I would chose the longer one. It's similar in the other country I'm considering, which is Latvia. Does it still seem unreasonable to go overseas for the surgery in my circumstances?

I just had the sleeve done on Friday June 3, and yesterday June 5 I noticed that both my thighs (top and outside) were numb. I thought it was the way I was sleeping. I’ve been walking as much as I can. I called my dr and he said that it wasn’t a complication from surgery and that if it doesn’t improve to go to the ER.

I had my surgery May 18th. I have had zero complications, and only a little pain on the first day after surgery which was managed at the hospital. I was tired the first week after surgery, but I have been feeling more and more energetic with each passing day. I'm also dropping around one pound per day. I am off work right now and go back to work on June 13th and I feel pretty confident that I can handle it. How's everyone else doing?

major complications and dying from surgery are VERY rare. That was more of an issue 30 or 40 years ago, but techniques have improved tremendously since then. but yes - I had the same worries and went back & forth about having surgery for about 10 years before I did it. I think what decided it for me was the realization that I was more likely to die from complications of being obese than I was from complications from the surgery.

I have thought about weight loss surgery for a few years and seriously for a year now. I've been overweight for over 20 years, and in the last nine years I have gained around 44 pounds. Currently I'm around 80 pounds overweight with a BMI of 37. Like so many here, I've tried so many things to lose weight. Meal replacement shakes, weight loss club, exercise, different kinds of low carb eating etc., with diminishing results. The last time I lost any significant amount of weight was almost decade ago, when I was pregnant with my son. I lost about 22 pounds from before I was pregnant, but I gained it back double in the years that followed. I was at my highest weight in 2019, and since then I've managed to lose and gain the same 10-15 pounds several times. Before I was a mom, I used to exercise regularly, but as a new single mom with a full time job, I didn't have the time. I started with a low carb diet four years ago and started exercising in a gym a year after that, but then covid came and all the gyms closed. I started having blood pressure problems at the end of 2019, and it has gotten worse since. I'm now on two different medication for blood pressure, plus Metaformin for blood sugar. I got covid last winter and after that my stamina is a lot worse, so I feel like I'm fighting an uphill battle I keep losing. I have the money to pay for surgery, if I go overseas to have it. I'm in northern Europe and am considering two private hospital in Eastern European countries. I guess I'm afraid of complications, of dying and of not getting the desired results. A part of me feels I should just be able to exercise and do keto to lose the weight, but I've tried it so many times and failed. As I said, I'm a single mom and want to live a long and healthy life for my son, who does not have another active parent in his life. I've only told one friend that I'm considering this surgery, but I hesitate to tell my family. I'm the only overweight person in my family and I'm not sure they'll be supportive. Did anyone else struggle this much with deciding to have surgery or not, and what finally helped you to decide?

I'm praying everything goes well and that I've done everything right cause I really struggled. God be with all this week that are having your surgeries. Success, no complications, and that the surgeon is well rested and alert. Just good vibes only!!! Sent from my SM-A037U using BariatricPal mobile app

Building on my comments above, if you got along well with your band - it seems like you did - but just had mechanical problems with it, then the sleeve is a good replacement as its' character is similar, being strictly restrictive, but without the foreign object problem potential of the bands. The bypass is a good procedure that has been done for over forty years as a WLS, based upon procedures that are about 140 years old developed for gastric cancer, so it is a well established and understood procedure, both the good and bad. There has been a continuing effort in the industry to develop better procedures (as there should be) and a number have come along, with some remaining and becoming established as viable alternatives (such as the BPD/DS and VSG) and others falling by the wayside, never getting traction (such as the mini-bypass,) and others where the jury is still out (the SIPS/SADI/Loop DS.) The BPD/DS generally works better, being stronger metabolically, but is also technically more challenging to perform, so few surgeons have adopted it; the VSG came out of the DS (the DS is based upon the sleeve, and adds malabsorption) and has established itself as being comparable to the bypass in average performance - overall weight loss and regain resistance - in a more straightforward procedure that has fewer long term compromises for the patient. GERD is the main potential bugaboo with the sleeve, which compares with the bypass's predisposition toward marginal ulcers, dumping and reactive hypoglycemia. The ulcer potential is what presents restrictions on some medications with the bypass, the biggest group being NSAIDs, but there may be others that one encounters in life that will also be off the table, or severely restricted, with a bypass. There is also the blind stomach and upper GI loop with the bypass, which makes those areas more difficult to monitor and evaluate through life (can't just stick an endoscope down there to take a look,) and there are an increasing number of endoscopic treatments for a variety of maladies available these days that would also be off the table. If one needs periodic monitoring in that region, for instance for a history of stomach polyps or family history of some cancers, the bypass becomes much less interesting. Another factor to consider is what I call the "Plan B" case - what to do if things don't work out as expected and things need to be revised? While the bypass is technically reversible, that is rarely done as that in itself is another fairly complicated procedure. The bypass, overall, is something of a dead end procedure in that it is difficult to revise into something else is need be. As weight regain is similarly possible with either the sleeve or the bypass, there isn't much to be done to correct that with the bypass - installing a band over the pouch or tightening up the stoma are the most common revisions, and neither has a very good track record for resolving regain problems. The VSG, on the other hand, can be revised (some would say "completed" into a DS fairly easily as it is the first step in a DS, or it can be revised into an RNY if GERD problems can't be resolved with meds (the RNY is usually reversed if an ulcer problem can't be resolved with meds. So, more options are available with the sleeve should a "plan B' be necessary. These are the reasons why the sleeve is building in popularity; there are good reasons to choose either, but one needs to take a close look at one's circumstances going into it to determine what is the best trade off for one's needs.

I hit goal weight a couple of months ago, and continuing to lose weight, and am so glad I had the revision done. Had a blood test recently, all good numbers. The best I have ever had in my adult life. My cholesterol and triglycerides, protein, vitamins/minerals, everything is in normal range. I was one of the few that had complications with the VSG so I'm hoping I won't get complications later on with my RNY. So far so good. No more severe gerd, feeling really good. Wishing you all great continued journeys. Glad to see someone posting on this still. Ahh, sorry. I didn't see this was for sleeves. I know I was talking one thread for August 2021.

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.

Hi all, I like sharing the story, because I remember having just as many questions when I had this (lapband) done back when my youngest child was 2 (so 8 years ago) I had been at a regular weight (5'5 or so and 130 lbs) - was good for me....until I got preg with my first - and SOMEHOW gained 70 with him (when I was 26) and despite diets, Weight Watchers, boot camps, south beach, no carb, walking, gym memberships - I only lost 30 of it. THEN, 6 years later (at the age of 32, I purposely got pregnant again, gained only 30 this time around, But remember - I was still carrying around the 40 pounds from my first baby(cakes). Anyway, in desperation, I did it. And I felt embarrassed that I had to go that route. But with my new metabolism and having two pregnancies - and after all the regular stuff, gym, walking, boot camp etc. -- it would not leave me and I didn't feel healthy. So, I did get the lapband, and it was a pain in the ass, there were required seminars and prescreening and pretests, liver checks, etc. etc. (but btw, eating healthier, exercise *walking was a huge help*) So, when my daughter was 2-3ish (back then it took forever to get certified, especially if you were too close to the BMI weight, which I was right on the cusp of not being qualified. Back then, it was like you had to gain weight before you qualified for it. When all was said and done, (again about 10 years ago now) I did land at a net weight loss of 70 pounds (from 240ish to 140/150) - but once I stopped having it filled, I did gain about 20. However, it doesn't matter, i'm back to close to pre-pregnancy weight and feel more in control about losing that in a healthy way. I know it's not easy when it's more than 50 pounds to lose. But, I do feel better! I don't really care now the nubmer that I weigh, as long as I feel good and more healthy. I quit getting it filled after after three times- it was very restrictive , even the doctor could see that. So, LONG story short, I was at where I wanted to be and had it completely unfilled, then removed about a month ago - I have not gained any weight!!! That is people's fear, but nope, I am happy to report, I actually lost 7 pounds since it was removed. And I feel much better with it OUT. I, obviously, am not against people who want or need it, but just keep an eye on it. My doctor said (not quoting him direct but in a nutshell he said ----> "10 year shelf life, if that - the statistics are still coming in" - just be careful. One POSITIVE experience from it: because I was restricted from eating for so long (whether band was filled or unfilled), I learned quickly to eat reasonable portions, not binge eat like I did when I was pregnant or whenever (everyone situation is different of to why they over ate)....and with the confidence that came with losing the weight - it did encourage me to PERMANENTLY eat different, healthier, and overall be more conscious of our eating habits and choices. And for those of you with kids, I don't need to repeat that! we want our kids to lead by example. I wish you all the best - I guess I'm leaning any advice for people with hesitations or wondering about self-experiences , and here to say - if you have the band, control the mind set and make it a permanent mindset and keep an eye on it!!! Because eventually you will not need it nor be able to have it. The removal surgery very me sucked badly, it was all wrapped around my intestines. (my doctor quit even doing them 7-8 years ago because of the complications they are seeing now that they have been reported more). But I guess, after everything else I tried and in combination with the rest of effort, it was worth it. if you get into that new "groove" - you won't need it the rest of your life. The important part, I think, is to sustain how your appetite and mind reconfigures itself afterwards. If you have any questions at all - feel free to message me! P.S. - I am not condoning lap band nor against it. I am only sharing my personal experience - just because I know that people need it for whatever reason they choose (health/self-confidence/feel better/not be so hot in the summer/can't lose/new metabolism sucks/never lost that baby weight, , etc., 👨‍⚕️

I was self pay. I live in KY but had my surgery in TN. (Only a hour and 45 mins drive) I had zero problems. My plan even covered complications up to $25000 for 90 days after surgery.

I am on day 17, thankfully I have had "0" complications. No problems taking vitamins or with my puree diet. I hope and pray everyone is progressing well on this journey.

I’m the same exact weight! My surgery is June 22nd. I’m nervous too. (Also nervous because they put my surgery on hold due to all the covid cases for 7months and during that time I gained weight. I’m really nervous about what they’ll say at my pre op appointment.) I’m nervous about complications. But I keep thinking that at my weight, I’m at risk of dying everyday! 😬 🤷🏻‍♀️ Hang in there!

I never said it was gone, it has improved dramatically. Prior to surgery I was on 40 mg Nexium and eating Gaviscon dual action tablets almost after every meal as well as the liquid Gaviscon so yes it has improved as my surgeon said it would as he believed my weight was a big factor in my reflux. I am yet to try to come of the nexium although I have been advised to but I remember how awful re-bound reflux is and I am happy with just taking 20 mg. Prior to surgery I had that big side effects fear and wanted to get off them right or wrong but I am comfortable where I am now in regards to my reflux. I didn't want the risk of possible complications that come with a by-pass which is why I opted for a sleeve. Don't worry I had a melt down just before being wheeled into surgery because of my post op Gerd fears ( that I had read about on the internet ). My surgeon reassured me I would be fine and so far I have been.

You still have to take vitamins with sleeve, but the risk of vitamin deficiency is lower, because sleeve allows you to absorb all the nutrients you are able to eat - the issue is if you are focusing only on protein and can't eat too much, you are not getting enough nutrients. Sleeve does have slightly lower rate of complications, but both are pretty safe. With sleeve, you have to worry about GERD, so if you have GERD now, it's probably better to do bypass. However, certain medications have absorption issues with bypass, so depending on what medications you take, it might be better to do sleeve. I think you need to talk with your surgeon and see what they recommend, and get a second opinion if you still aren't sure. I wasn't sure, and after two surgeons suggested sleeve, I went with it. I think that was the right decision for me.

How was your surgery? Did you experience any complications?

Even with everything I went through and the complications I would do it again I feel better. I'm more active and happier. Had my bypass December 2021 down 100lb. From 290 to 190 Sent from my SM-A716U using BariatricPal mobile app

Hello gang, I had WLS in 2004. I was one of the early lap band recipients in Australia under Prof. Paul O'Brien. I did great and lost 46kg (101lbs), but then life set in and I had two kids and a suicidal husband so I let the weight creep back up. I had a revision in 2013 due to a hiatus hernia so large I was having esophageal spasms. So now, I'm at the heaviest I've ever been, and I've got a ventral hernia that goes from my navel to my sternum. My surgeon said he won't even try to fix it if my BMI is over 30 because it will just come right back. He then talked to me about how the lap band has fallen out of favor because it was not as effective as the original studies promised. He suggested a revision to a VSG, and set me up in my insurance's approval program for WLS. The first step is the removal of the band and port and recovery from that. Surgery is scheduled for July 7th. After that I'll progress through the "hoop-jumping" to qualify for the VSG, which providing everything goes smoothly, I'll qualify for in October. So far no one has stated any pre-surgery weight loss requirements, but I have been studying the various plans and doctor's programs I've found online, as well as reading personal stories from support forums like this one, so I can get an aggregate view of the entire procedure both pre and post-op. I must admit that the pendulum swings widely across what I've seen, both in program execution and in individual responses. Of course, I realize that there are outliers on every scale, and I'm averaging what I see. I got this little binder from the program introduction meeting (Dignity Health), and I've been adding my own research to it, things like print out of appropriate bariatric (or equivalent) vitamins based on their recommendations, worksheets for tracking eating and drinking, pre and post-op protein shakes, mixes, and recipes, motivational type posters, and text documents on things like how digestion works, how protein is used by the body, etc. Note, all the research is stuff from actual university or journal studies, I'm not taking answers from Reddit or Quora as facts! I've decided the biggest issue I've seen is the grief process that hits people after the surgery when they suddenly realize they can't eat what they want. I've read a lot of threads (not just here) of people rebelling and hating themselves and hurting themselves because of this. I do not want to deal with this. I'm already working on changing my eating habits, albeit slowly. I want to be more in control of this transition than I've seen, So, if you've read this far, my questions to you are: Did you make any effort pre-op to really change your eating habits? Did you experience grief or regret post-op if you didn't? Did you regret your surgery for any reason OTHER than the food restriction/complications? Thanks for discussing!

What is your current weight (your info shows you below your goal right now). I would say nevermind the doctors and their pressure or sales tactics. Have you fully researched both procedures? Which has the largest success rate? Which has the lowest complication rates? Which is more affordable (if you're out of pocket)? And there's threads here for both procedures, I think. I would reach out to folks on those and pick their brains about recovery time, pain levels, malabsorption, complications, costs, etc.

I had the bypass almost 6 months gas pain was awful after and the gas pills may as well have been Flintstone vitamins. I had a hard time walking because of complications and having to go back in for surgery 4 days after my bypass as funny as this sounds car rides help also the seat need to be in an up right position though. No more constant gas pain after a few weeks. But I still get burpy alot Sent from my SM-A716U using BariatricPal mobile app

So i had my surgery last month. I am self pay as insurance will not cover. I paid around $18-19K. I had to pay before i could have the surgery. A couple weeks after surgery i notice there was a claim from the hospital on my insurance for that same surgery for around $40K. Which they denied since its not covered. I called the hospital to find out what the heck is going on. So i gave them my receipts showing i paid the Surgeons fee, Surgeon assistant fee, Anesthesiologist fee, Hospital facility fee, complication coverage fee, Pathology, psychological exam, and nutritional evaluation. all coming out to about $19K. So they told me they would figure out what happened and why my they did my insurance instead of self pay. Today i get a email from the hospital that they switched me to self pay and that i am owed a refund of over $3,000 which was odd because i am not owed anything. So i called and they checked and checked and said they gave me a discount since I paid cash lol. So i was like... ARE YOU SURE... Because once i get this money i am paying off my credit cards and you wont be getting that money back... and they checked and said i am good. So i should be getting some moolah back here in the next couple days lol. So thanks for that mistake haha.

I had the loop DS / SADI-S in November 2021 (~6 months ago). I have a 300cm common channel (the part of my intestine that can still digest food and absorb nutrients). Since my surgery date I have lost 82 lbs and am still losing about 6lbs a month. I had some complications post surgery that I've had to deal with. Turns out my gallbladder was bad going into the surgery but no one realized it (since I had sludge and not stones). So they didn't take my gallblader out during the surgery and had to go back in to remove it 3 months later. I really wish they had proactively removed it because I was sick for months waiting for the gallbladder surgery and recovering from a second surgery so soon sucked. I still have a hiatal hernia because for reasons, it didn't get repaired. Again, I'd totally recommend making sure that they fix EVERYTHING while they have you open... I also have bad liver function test results that I'm waiting to hear back on, so I can't really comment much on why it's off. I feel fine though. I take vitamins 6 times a day for the rest of my life: 3 calciums and 2 multi vitamins. So far my vitamin levels look good. I eat about 500 calories a day still at 6 months out because I'm not hungry still. I realize some programs want more calories, but my surgeon has stressed that I shouldn't eat unless actually hungry. I don't have problems with any foods really, and my digestion is just fine (though I guess more gassy than before). I had a lot of health problems before surgery, none of which were resolved by the weight loss (total: 133 lbs). My a1c is better, though I still spike super high (200-300) if I have carbs (or surgery!) and even a small amount elevates my blood sugar all day. In my opinion, my a1c looks good because I'm eating so few calories, and zero carbs. In reality I will have diabetes for life and will need to watch that. I am still on blood pressure medication, still have migraines, still have intercranial hypertension, still take statins for my cholesterol, still take heartburn medication, etc. I am off of my diabetes medication for the time being. I did the weight loss surgery to resolve my health problems. So far I am very happy with the results, mostly because it's nice to be able to move around without getting hot and tired, and have people see me as a person and not immediately judge me for my weight. But it hasn't really made me healthier yet. Maybe it will eventually but either way it feels worth it.

Hi. Newby here. Post surgery (May 4) gastric sleeve. I’m on soft foods this week and the first day eating something I could actually chew was HEAVEN. Well, it was a couple ounces of tuna, but it felt wonderful. Up to a few days ago I was not experiencing complications, but then I started having sharp burning pains near my left incisions. It was only when I stand from sitting or bend. Now it’s more frequent and more intense. It really hurts, but the nurse says it’s a sign of internal healing and should subside in a few weeks. It feels like the opposite. More like the stitches are ripping and the burn is excruciating at times. I’ve tried wearing a binder to hold in my belly thinking the extra weight is pulling the incision, but the touch of the material seems to intensify the burning sensation. Anyone else experiencing/experienced this? Did it eventually go away? Hearing that will give me hope.