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Hi everyone, I am new here, i have posted on another site frequently, but they don't seem to have an app... Anyhow, i am 2.5 yrs post op, lost all my weight, no problems or complications, so yay! That's great and i have been very happy. My husband and i decided to have a baby back in April, and I had no trouble getting pregnant. I am currently 7 mos pregnant. I am getting worried though, at this point i am ahead of schedule, already gained 30 pounds. I can honestly say i have been eating as i should, only a few craving caves here and there. Did anyone else exparience this and bounceback ok after having the baby? Also, i have no idea how many calories i should be eating at this point... I am going to see a dieticien soon, but in the meantime, i am trying to keep track and be really careful. Any help is appreciated. Lil Moon

My decision on lap band was for a few reasons . It is less invasive. I feel it is better to lose the weight more gradually. recovery time s faster. Less complications. It is reversible. With lap band all you have to take is a good multi vitamin.

Hi Nikki Sorry I didn't see this until today. I had the band for almost 10 years and after about 7 years, I started having lots of complications. I always had difficulty with fills and unfills because my port flipped almost immediately after surgery. I did fairly well with the band and lost about 100 pounds. However, I regained almost all of that weight after 2 children, 5 months of bed rest and an injury from running. I started looking into revision mid-2010 and was given the choice of RNY (which I found out I couldn't have due to my severe anemia) or sleeve. I wasn't happy with either of those choices so after about 6 months of research I found out about the plication. I was going to go to Mexico but ended up finding a doctor here in Southern California who had just started doing plication. I was his very first banded plication patient, which was scary but somebody's gotta be first!! Anyway - I've lost a bit over 42 pounds in 15 weeks. I'd like to lose about another 50-60 pounds. I started at 283 and am now at 240.5. I am actually surprised that I've lost as much weight as I have considering I'm a revision patient. I track my food but not religiously. I ensure that I eat 50-70 grams of Protein and drink about 60-80 oz. of Water. I do exercise almost everyday and walk/jog about 2-3 miles per workout. I completed my first 5K a few weeks ago and am planning on wogging (walk/jogging) a 10K July 23. I have averaged about 10 pounds per month and have lost 42% of my EWL (excess weight loss). I've gone from a 22/24 (26 top) to loose 20s and almost fitting into 18s! My goal is to be around 170-180ish which for me is a size 12/14. I don't want to be much smaller than that as I prefer that size on me and so does my husband! PS-I have not had any fills in my band and I plan on leaving it completely empty.

When I started thinking about WLS I thought about doing the band too. After talking to my doctor, I decided on the sleeve. For one, the amount of work you have to do to make it work, plus all of the complications make it not worth it. And I've heard of so many people who ended up getting a reversion to get the sleeve. And something else my doctor told me that really swayed me against the band - other doctors are very leary of working w/ band patients. So if you move, need to change practices, or move, you have a hard time finding another bariatric practice willing to take you on. You don't have that probem w/ the sleeve. Hope that helps!

Dr. L did my lap band 4 years ago I wish I would have looked into other options because I was scheduled to do the sleeve but then they told me my insurance was not covering the surgery about 2 months into the process therefore my options were limited and I had to cash pay so I did the Lap-Band it has now slipped and caused major complications! I am going to Blossom Bariatric and having a revision to sleeve l. I liked Dr. L I just think I had other options to pick from but was vulnerable and desperate for anything kind of my fault I guess ..lap band was 9 grand and I was able to make payments with no interest and the sleeve was 17,000 cash no payments. Blossom is 12,500. Everyone has a different story they weren't to bad at oband center just felt alittle cheated. I wish you the best of luck and I am sure you will be in great hands! Sent from my SM-N910V using the BariatricPal App

I felt like I couldn't breath a sigh of relief until it was done and I felt like I was past any complications that might come up. So, after a few weeks and I was feeling better and the weight was coming off...then I finally got excited. And that has continued. Still love to see that I haven't gained and even more excited when I loose. Wishing you much success. Sent from my SM-N920V using the BariatricPal App

It is so totally normal to be scared. I was too. Not only is it SURGERY with all of the possible complications, but then you have to go through the emotional aftermath. I made it through the surgery and now I am dealing with having to find another outlet for stress. I'm not sure I know how not to be fat, since like you, I have been overweight almost my entire life. I'm just trying to say (and not very well) that the surgery is so much more than having most of your stomach removed. It changes you fundamentally. And that's more than difficult. I am so happy I went through with it, and have no regrets, but I'm back to seeing a therapist to help me deal with the huge change I have made with my life. Good luck, let us know what you decide to do. -Kendra

Vertical gastric sleeve (VGS) to Mini Gastric Bypass (MGB) ? I was sleeved about 7 years ago in Mexico. The operation added about 90 pounds of weight loss over 18 months. However unfortunately, after several years and a couple of babies, the weight has come back on. I’m exactly where I was seven years ago. 😔 I feel my pouch has been stretched slowly over the years and my metabolism is shot. Not uncommonly, one of the side effects of the sleeve was terrible heartburn. I’ve been taking a prescription grade antacid since my surgery. I recently read that this particular bariatric side affect has been linked to stomach cancer. 😳 I recently consulted with bariatric surgeon in Mexico to see what my options are and he suggested I convert to a mini gastric bypass. He said it would resolve the acid reflux complication and also I would lose the weight I have regained. Has anyone gone from VGS to a MGB that could share their experiences with me? Either here or privately? I’d really appreciate it. 🙏🏼

DOn't let them treat you without an EKG and a chest xray - EKG eliminates heart problems, and hopefully chest xray will catch any emerging infections... ....BE REALLY CAREFUL NOT TO TOUCH MORE THINGS THAN NECESSARY!!! You are post surgery and having a complication as it it...you do not need to contract MRSA or anything else. I would ask for a mask as soon as you walk in, and take you own antibacterial goo - on the way home, go buy some hibiclens from a pharmacy or walmart, and give yourself a basin bath wit about 1 oz to 2 quarts Water - hibiclens is chlorhexidine gluconate - avoid eyes, ears, etc. use it in diluted form. <<<ex Funderal Director and (now) somewhat germaphobe :/

I am presently in the process of finding a lawyer and bringing a suit against the doctor who put in my band. It was done in Mexico, and was not sutured in place, so was slipping around and causing pain and nausea. It had to be removed back here in the states a week after it was put in. Of course my insurance company here won't cover the bills because they were related to a "non-covered" procedure. So including the initial surgery fee, I now have $38,000 of uncovered bills, oh yeah, and no band! Legally, it is more complicated since the surgery was done in Mexico. I will post when I have more concrete information, but right now this is in the preliminary phase.

I was just wondering if anyone has consulted a lawyer reguarding complications? I really feel like my doctor was negligent by not listening to my complaints and I feel the infection got a lot worse because he woudn't listen to me. It was like he just wanted to put the band in, get the money and didn't want to hear that there could possibly be something wrong. I was sent to the ER by my regular doctor. The ER doctor saw inflamation around the band which indicated infection and he put me on antibiotics and talked to the surgeon on the phone. 3 days later the surgeon told me to stop taking the antibiotics and said I didn't need them. This is just one example..... Thanks,

Well, you need to find a supportive shrink. GERD is 20% in the normal population and 10% in sleevers. Don't stress about it. Even if it is going to happen to you, worrying about it won't stop it, it will just make the situation worse. Focus on losing weight and being healthy. When people look at complication data, they forget that a lot of people were in terrible general health before they ever had surgery. So since we have started down this path... I'm looking at their blog http://suethsayings.blogspot.com/ This is what they have to say about the sleeve... Really? because it is 5:30 PM and I have had 2 eggs, bacon, 32 ounces of coffee 32 ounces of iced tea, 32 ounce of water, and 12 ounces of pork. My sleeve holds a lot. I'm about to suck down 100 grams (2 cups) of spinach. I still have 2 hours left to eat and I plan on doing some damage, LOL They are completely ignoring ghrelin, but from the entire tone of their blog, they don't even research actual studies or science about surgery, claiming there is zero research. @Deactivatedfatgal The person running that site and blog is bitter and deranged. I had a friend from college, that had RNY back in the early 2000s. She had complications and ended up on a feeding tube. That sounds like a tragic story right? The part left out is 2 days after she was home she was drinking Coke (not even diet) and eating KFC (just a pinch to see if I can tolerate it she said). Her complications were brought on by herself. Not to mention she was not heavy enough to qualify for surgery and wore ankle and arm weights under her clothes to make her BMI high enough, Lots of people are not good cadidates for surgery but they don't tell that part of the story. You can notice even around here when people say they regained, they NEVER tell exactly what they were eating and in what amounts. They keep it vague and say they were eating bad. If you were tracking their food and looking at their binges in print, they would be less likely to do that, but that isn't what happens. So when people tell their WLS tales of woe, remember that there is more to the story.

I had surgery on 3/25/13 but lost 30-25 pounds in the month before that. I've lost a total of 101 pounds as of this morning. I had my gall bladder taken out on Monday but other than that, I've had no problems/complications. I have really got to get some pictures linked in here to show some progress. My weight loss has really slowed down over the past month but seems like it has picked up since my gall bladder came out. Hopefully it will continue on down. I'd love to be below 200 by Christmas. I guess we will just have to wait and see how it goes!

Mexico is too complicated for me I already looked into it. My daughters won't stay with anybody which means I have to bring them with me along with my parents to watch them and that is plane tickets and hotel and food and hours on a plane. I want to have surgery and go to my bed and rest and I rather have a local doctor that I can go to and knows me. My doctor is a very reputable doctor, I cannot tell you how many lap bands he has done but he was an apprentice to one of the first gastric bypass doctors back in the 70's and they put their patients through the ringer with classes and nutritionists, support groups and writing a letter of understanding etc.... before he does the surgery.

I have been researching gastric bypass since November 2016. My surgery is less than 2 months from now. I was somewhat familiar with it before then but not fully educated on it. What I am learning as time goes by is that reading posts on this site,viewing youtube videos plus the research I do on my own & taking notes is so beneficial. The more information I surround myself with and comprehending that information makes me feel more secure with my decision to have the surgery. Learning the possible outcomes whether it be a complication a rare complication and or what is normal gives me a sense of awareness that will help if I encounter anything post op and or during recovery period. The more you know and understand gastric bypass and your responsibilites the better your results. This surgery is not for those who refuse to follow their doctor's instructions. My doctor stated to me that he puts safety on the top of his list with his patients. That stuck to me and I appreciate him for saying that. So, that means the patient also needs to put safety on top especially during the healing process. The whole purpose of the body needing time to heal properly and fully is that we have to follow the instructions given to us because it was designed for us so we can be successful in healing and then progressing on to the next step. I dont want to disappoint my surgeon and I definitely do not want to disappoint myself. This is about choice. This road is a journey that takes time and patience.

Enjoyed a lovely carvey with hubby and our two sons yesterday for my birthday which is today. i even had half a yorkshire pudding, it was yummy. I am getting a stairlift fitted today, I didn't think i would be so excited by a stairlift on my 55th birthday, but can't wait, my left leg is agony when i walk, no more crawling upstairs in agony, yay. I am going out tonight with the ladies from our church, it is the ladies christmas meal that just so happens to be on my birthday, thinking i might have a steak. I am hoping that by this time next year i will be wearing size 18 rather than the 28 i am in today, or even a 16. I am already eating much smaller meals than i was able to eat last year, and next year i suspect i might be eating a starter for my main course, bring it on. Still waiting to get my blood test results back, hoping it will be soon, ive waited 5 weeks now, so must be nearer getting them. Funny thing about time, 5 weeks just seemed like an eternity 5 weeks ago, but here i am, 5 weeks done and hoping i will get the phone call any day now. I have been able to address comfort eating in this waiting time and also am pleased that i now prefer to go for the healthier options for my meals and always try to share it with my dogs or leave some on the plate, not bad for someone who was brought up to eat everything on my large plate. It took a long time to get over the dissapointment of my sleeve op being cancelled, but now i am at peace that i will have it when it is the right time for me, God knows best, i am resting in Him. I particularly wanted to do a blog today to record how i am feeling and will compare with how i am next year, believing God Has got good plans for me, to do me good and not harm, and that my latter years will be even more fruitful than my former years, that the years that the locusts have stolen from me will be restored back to me 100 fold, amen. Praying for everyone who reads this to have a quick easy operation with no complications and a swift good recovery, to get to the weight of your dreams. I also pray for all who have already been sleeved for good healthe and continous weight loss to get to your dream weight too, God Bless to all, Janet, xxxxx

I did not have a pain pump, I was in alot of pain, but I think that might have made it much more complicated and worse. Just a tip, make sure you get your scheduled fills after to get best results! Good Luck! I took a nasal spray pain medicine which was great and worked well.

#1 FOLLOW YOUR DOCTORS ORDERS !!!!! The reason not to eat food is that your stomach is healing - band is sewn to your stomach - you can cause these stitches not to hold... You just had surgery - Just because someone else has a different schedule for each food phase doesn't mean you should follow their advice - they are not doctors - each doc has their own plan - some docs have better results/no complication than others.. Make a pot of Beans - any kind you like - seasoned as you like - then when the beans are done - put them in a blender with a little of the broth - puree them - then add them back to the broth - cream of bean Soup - it's so much better for you and taste better than the canned stuff... You can do damage by eating - Please don't ask pple here to put their stamp of approval on what you are doing - Just cuz someone does the same thing as you doesn't make it right or ok - it's still wrong.. You can do this... This is just the beginning of your journey - follow the rules you will be successful

Thanks guys. So happy to hear Meemee is Starting to feel better. My Stricture was caused by misinsertation of the bougie ( being pushed in to far) And the tauntness of the stomach being pulled across the bougie before stapleing. It is a complication of the surgery. Complications DO NOT happen often but when they do it is 100% you. My doctors had never seen this before. They are a centre of excellence. I am so grateful I had such careing doctors. And that I didnt end up with a gastric bypass or worse massive medical bills. As I am a Canadian with ironically no medical coverage in the states. I live very close to seattle so I would drive down with my husband for care. Any questions are welcome. Oh, by the way I feel great now with no major issues just reflux that I take omeprizol for. And I am 10 lbs away from goal!

I think a food addiction (like mine) is comparable to an alcohol addiction. I am only speaking for myself here not others. A friend of mine who is a recovering alcoholic told me one time that she abused the privilege of drinking alcohol so she lost that privilege if she wanted to survive. I think of it the same way with food. Because I abused the privilege of eating anything I wanted by overindulging, I lost the privilege of eating all the "good stuff". If I want to survive to see my grandchildren I HAVE to give up some of the "good stuff". It's a choice. I would rather give up some of the "good stuff" than give up a foot or leg due to complications of diabetes. It's a hard choice but I choose to live a healthy life and give up the "good stuff". I still on occasion have a bite of the good stuff but only a bite and as a treat. You have a choice too. I am sure you are aware of all the complications of diabetes. If you continue on this path insulin is in your future. But again, it is your choice. I hope I didn't ramble but my point is changing your eating habits and lifestyle is very hard and very complicated. Good luck not matter which road you choose.

I agree that it was meant to be. I started out thinking I was going to get the lap band as well. Luckily while I was doing research I ran across this website. I saw all the people who had to have their band removed due to complications. I also saw how great people did with their sleeve with few problems. I was also glad I didn't have to worry about fills and stuff like that. I think the band is good for some people but just not for me, especially not with my high bmi.

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

All doctors are different, I have an extremely conservative doctor, I had a few complications with surgery but this is what he expects from all his patients. Clears - 1 week - broth, Isopure, decaff tea, sugar-free Popsicles, Sugar-free Jello Full Liquids - 5 full weeks - Protein shakes, Syntrax nectar, unjury unflavored Protein added to Soups, skim milk, Low Fat Creamed Soups, or strained creamed soups like Cream of Asparagus, cream of chicken, broccoli cheddar (strained) Healthy Request Bean & Bacon Soup - completely pureed, then add Water to it, so it's fully liquid, some people are allowed cream of wheat - I wasn't allowed that also anything from the clears section allowed, Sugar-Free pudding, Plain Greek Yogurt - not allowed Cream of Potato (too many carbs) Tomato soup (too acidic) strained vegetable soup, etc. Pureed - 1 week or until you think you can handle soft foods Tuna & ff mayo - (must be very moist), instant mashed potatoes with added Protein powder, poached eggs or runny scrambled eggs, canned chicken pureed with ff mayo, refried Beans with ff sour cream, cooked white fished, pureed add ff tartar sauce, 1% cottage cheese, (once on pureed, watch how much cheese you take in, because constipation is an issue) Soft foods - 1 week, meat that you cook in the crock pot and you can cut with a fork and falls apart, no nuts, no seeds, softly cooked vegetables, tuna, fish, etc. Regular foods - or anything off the other lists. This is all subject to how well you do on each phase. We are not to advance until told to. My surgeon seems to have one of the longest full liquid phases. Pureed foods (tuna & chicken) are not going down too easy on me. I can get it down but only about 1 ounce along with maybe 3 teaspoons of 1% cottage cheese, but then I have a heavy feeling in my chest and stomach, not sure if it's been too dry. Today I went to broth for dinner because I have a migraine and I feel nauseated, due to the headache. I will go back to purees tomorrow and hope for the best.

I'm a failed LapBander. Go sleeve! My personal opinions (not to be taken for medical fact or for normal comparisons - I have many LapBand friends through blogging that have been quite successful): BAND Requires active maintenance to get to and stay at "green zone" for optimal weight loss Body fights foreign object in your body Complication rate relatively high (much higher than when I got it in January 2010) High incidence of acid reflux Stretching of pouch Intolerance of many foods (for me - lettuce & bread were the big ones...but nachos went down easy?!) SLEEVE Virtually maintenance free Permanent alteration Lower incidence of complications than LapBand Forced behavior modification from the word "go" - no fill/unfill drama of LapBand Currently the top, and best rated, WLS on the market - being used in higher percentages now vs. LapBand because of complications Long story short, my LapBand slipped in early 2011 because of the fill/unfill game my horrible doctor played without ever doing a barium swallow to see what was going on. I lost 120 pounds initially, but when I developed a solid food intolerance (had to force myself to throw up daily) because of the severe slippage (now being treated by a phenomenal doctor), I regained all but 30 pounds I had lost because I developed "soft food syndrome" - in essence, I drank high calorie liquids to soothe my pain. Finally had the LapBand removed in March 2013 and was sleeved 9 days ago. I learned great lessons through my LapBand ordeal and have gone into the Sleeve surgery with my eyes wide open and my brain in a better space. I'm eager for my new life!

I'm going to my (second) consultation on Feb 14th. I have a list of questions I plan to ask - please let me know if you think I should add any others: will I be able to take any kind of NSAIDs for my arthritis in the long term will you be able to fix my hiatal hernia at the same time as the sleeve how many incisions will you make how many VGS have you performed proportion of your patients have developed leaks or other serious complications will you be able to prescribe liquid Vitamins, other versions of my many medications while I am healing and unable to swallow large pills post surgery support systems available chances my GERD will actually get worse after surgery will my anemia and low Vitamin B levels get worse after this surgery/injections for these? Feedback appreciated - thanks!