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Chunk - here is some information I put in a previous topic - that you may find interesting. If you go to www.surgery.com, it will tell you the following (I got this from typing "deaths from sleeve gastrectomy" into my search engine) The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery lists the complication rate in vertical sleeve gastrectomy to be relatively low, even among patients considered to be at high risk. Cumulatively the overall mortality (death) from vertical sleeve gastrectomy is 0.39 percent—lower than with traditional bariatric surgeries. (last updated 11/24/2009) From an article on www.gastricbypassfacts.com, here is a extract from "How Does the Sleeve Gastrectomy Work?" The risks and complications of the sleeve gastrectomy:As with all forms of weight loss surgery, the vertical gastrectomy does carry risk and these will clearly vary from one patient to the next and must be discussed with your physician. Complications might include: Gastric leakage and fistula 1.0% Deep vein thrombosis 0.5% Non-fatal pulmonary embolus 0.5% Post-operative bleeding 0.5% Splenectomy 0.5% Acute respiratory distress 0.25% Pneumonia 0.2% Death 0.25% http://healthengine.com.au/article/sleeve-gastrectomy.html This article quotes " The mortality rate in gastric sleeve is 1:500 and it lies between the gastric band, which is the safest, and the laparoscopic gastric bypass, which carries the highest risk." So the first source says 3.9 patients out of 1000, the second source says 2.5 patients out of 1000 and the third says 2 out of 1000. So I would feel comfortable (based on these 3 sources) saying the death rate is somewhere between 2 and 4 per 1000. To contrast that - imagine 1000 people walking around that are your height and weight - with your exact health problems. How many of them would die in the next year from their health problems? From something I was reading this week on another forum - surgeons who perform 100 or more sleeves per year have lower risk rates. Hospitals that perform over 150 sleeves per year have lower risk rates. If you are considering a surgeon, ask how many procedures he/she has performed in a year, and how many he/she has performed in total. Then ask the same two questions about how many of his patients died. This will give you an idea where your surgeon is versus the norms. Also ask about the hospital you will have the surgery performed in - how many procedures do they do a year? Any surgery is scary and has risks. You can't go through life avoiding all risks. For me - the risk of dying of heart problems from NOT DOING this surgery and staying obese was much higher than the risks from the surgery. This surgery was the right decision for me. I wish you good luck on making your decision.

The sleeve is the way to go, faster recoup time, less cutting...get another opinion,..my doctor is a Bariatric spec....check the internet in your area or within a few miles, this procedure is getting popular.

Well said @Alex Brecher !! Good thing there's those of us who aren't afraid to put ourselves out there and show the world what a good bariatric surgery is. Great article.

Thank you so much for starting this thread!! My surgery is scheduled for 6/18. I am so equally excited and scared poop-less!! I'm 5'6 and SW 326. I am married with an 8 year old daughter and I am most looking forward to playing with my daughter...and my husband too! Good Luck June Surgery siblings!! Here's to life renewed!!!!

My bariatric group did blood work...from that point on they had me take a Multivitamin, D3 and Calcium daily. They do that to build up your Vitamin levels and get everything balanced. When surgery comes, we don't take the Vitamins again until after our first post-op visit. About 2-3 weeks after the surgery day. I asked about vitamins right after surgery and they said sometimes folks stomachs are very sensitive to vitamins because they can be harsh and some can't tolerate it yet. Instead they said your body has enough stored for the 2-3 weeks without you having issues. They'd prefer we took the time for our incisions and stomach to heal then start into the vitamins. Oh and B12 will come after surgery.

@dreamingofasleeve From what I read, it is normal to have some reservations and fear pre-op. In the weeks leading up to my surgery, I know I was certainly questioning myself every step of the way, even up to the surgery itself. As they were strapping me to the operating table, I was crying. And, just like Matt, I can say that I'm glad I did it now. That was not always the case. I went through a similar experience as Matt with Lap Band, but I had my band out long ago and lived without my tool for about 8 years before realizing that I needed help. Since I got sleeved, I've gone through what I call a food "mourning" period where I think about what I've done and what the ramifications are to my relationship with food. There was a certain pleasure in eating and for me, it was linked to socialization and love. I have had to come to grips with that and change. I think I will always struggle with it, a little bit. Today, food is fuel. Yes, I still derive a certain amount of pleasure in it, but I don't eat for pleasure. Today, I eat to live. I don't live to eat. My advice to you is to do a little bit of soul searching. Bariatric surgery of any kind is not the end all/be all. YOU need to examine how much you are willing to adapt and change in order to reach your goals. Any weight loss surgery is a tool, a powerful one, but a tool just the same. Good luck!

It’s really important to get a blend of both insoluble fiber (bulking fiber) and soluble fiber (prebiotic fiber that feeds the healthy bacteria in your gut) it’s usually best to get fiber from foods. I’m still working on this myself but I’ve got other gut issues. i didn’t finish what I meant to say so had to edit: benefiber is only prebiotic and is what dextrin. Psyllium fibers are just no good either. Chicory is an excellent prebiotic fiber. At first it is hard to fit in fiber especially with foods but I never trust the fiber supplements they sell in grocery stores. You can try making chia pudding for fiber. Also adding milled flax seeds will give you soluble fiber, insoluble fiber, healthy fats plus protein. You can mix flax in a lot of things. Milled flax seed is one of the best sources of both types of fiber. a good fiber blend is also gentle fibers, I Think found it in vitamin shoppe or vitacost.com https://www.jarrow.com/product/327/Gentle_Fibers I forgot Inulin is also a good fiber. I’m pretty sure it’s a prebiotic fiber. im trying to find ways to not use laxatives. Cascara sagrada is a good natural laxative. Also Ayurvedic supplements (I studied holistic health but my memory is getting worse over time so I can’t recall the name) I did find this interesting article on the subject of fiber after bariatric surgery https://www.njbariatriccenter.com/constipation-weight-loss-surgery-dont-suffer-silence/

Hi everyone! My name is Anthony and I'm 31 years old. I've struggled with being overweight all of my adult life. I am just about 5'9" and currently weight 245 lbs. It may not seem like I have to lose as much as some others and a lot of people tell me that I don't look like I weigh that much, but I know that I don't like the way I feel or look. I have back and knee pain, especially when I am standing for too long. It's also difficult for me to exercise at this weight. I've lost weight in the past via diet and/or medications but it always manages to come back on. I'm strongly considering the gastric sleeve. My only worry is that I did have my colon removed when I was 16 due to severe Ulcerative Colitis. I now have what's called a "j-pouch", which is basically when they form a new bowel out of your small intestine so that you don't need an ostomy/colostomy bag (I did have one for 3 months in between the 2 surgeries - first surgery to remove the colon, second to reverse it and make the pouch). I've checked with my doctors and one of the colorectal surgeons said he doesn't recommend the gastric sleeve and a couple of others said their only concern would be having urgent bowel movements due to having less of a digestive tract, but told me to check with the bariatric surgeons to make sure. The bariatric surgeon said he thinks it would probably make me have LESS bowel movements since I would be eating less and the food would be moving slower through my system. Wish me luck, I am having another virtual consultation next month!

I am you. I had LB surgery Dec 08 and lost 80lbs. since I've gained back 40lb, maybe more now. I can eat OUT OF SIGHT and nothing stops me, i.e., slipped band. This "tool" I paid CASH for wasn't going to be a fix-all - it helped me, but then I lost my support tools, gym, groups, counseling/therapy, etc. I'm now trying to get converted to the sleeve and when I hear stories like yours it just scares the bee-jessus out of me. Just last week I consumed a large cheesesteak - wasn't even hungry. 1/2 the time I eat its because its "noon" or dinner time or my kids/husband are eating. I'm addicted to food and I need to be addicted to exercise and changing my bad habits. I don't even know if I need the LB removed and sleeve done b/c like I said - 1/2 the time I eat I'm not even hungry. If I made healthy choice, no cheesesteak or pizza or pasta...I'd probably be able to loose on my own. Its sad to hear how much mind struggle we have and the bigger question is how do we conquer it? Food is a drug to me...I'm going to see a new bariatric doctor in liue of removing the band and doing the sleeve with insurance this time. I paid 14k for my band in 08 and feel like a complete failure. I understand. what are you doing for support and guidance?

My social worker at the bariatric center mentioned that because food addiction provides us something, many people switch to other addictions to provided the same comfort. She mentioned, smoking, drinking, pornography and shopping! I thought she was wrong until the mention of shopping rang a bell for me. I can't wait to buy new, cute clothes! So I have to make sure a new and harmful addiction doesn't spring up to replace the old one!

@@Kindle, I hope things work out and I love that your bariatric team all the way in MX still has a vested interest in your overall health and participate in your care. Totally cool.

My insurance policy specifically states that it won't pay for skin removal surgery after WLS. Here's the line from my policy: "An expected outcome of successful bariatric surgery is redundant/excessive skin. Surgery to remove this skin is generally not considered medically necessary and therefore not covered."

I woke up about 2am with a bit of pain in lower left ab area. I took some maalox and tried to get back to sleep. By 4 am I was vomiting and the pain was radiating around my back and across the whole abdominal area. I had it in my mind I was food poisoned because I took a chance on Chinese food that I normally won't eat. But I ate about 530pm and woke at 2 am so that seemed strange. By 5 am, in one of the lulls in the pain spasms I woke my son up to take me to the emergency room. I had another bad spasm and couldn't get dressed, so we left about 45 minutes later. By the time we get there, I can barely walk and continuously dry heaving. They get me in pretty fast - the pain med made me high, but didn't touch the pain. The zophram reduced the naseau. By the time I got back from the ct scan I was in screaming pain, dry heaving again and the shift had changed. New nurse guessed my diagnosis and switched me to a strong anti inflammatory pain med and treated the vomiting symptom.. I felt better within about 10 minutes! Thank God. My pain was like a 9 if unmedicated childbirth is like a 12 (on a scale of 1-10). Really I felt as though I might die, or worse yet that I wouldn't and have to suffer so. So anyhoo..you guessed it, really big kidney stone, way up high. Follow up with urologist since they don't think this baby will pass unassisted. Great. Current problem is that an NSAID is needed but not good for us. Called my lovely bariatric practice and have a plan of attack on how to protect my tummy for short term use of NSAID. My luck has not been 100 percent good in 2016 so far.... Sent from my KFJWI using the BariatricPal App

Yep, 2 shakes a day and then 1 meal from the list of acceptable meats/veggie in very small portions. I am using the Nectar chocolate protein powder in milk. I am continuing to see my bariatric therapist that my bariatric center had me go to for my evaluation. She's amazing. I'm so glad to hear that it normally gets better for most. This week has been tough. I don't know how people do it for longer than 2 weeks or even stricter diets pre-op.

Do the bariatric soups have enough protein and veggies in them for the first two weeks? Sent from my SM-S550TL using BariatricPal mobile app

I have Medicare, you have to jump thru hoops with them just like regular insurance. They require the 6 month diet, bariatric center of excellence and so on. My husband's insurance doesn't have any requirements, so I am not even going to use my Medicare.

My doc has recommended bypass, and I'm 90% sure that's what I'm going to do. Yet when I get on Bariatric Pals, it seems the majority of the people talk about the sleeve. They say it has fewer complications, doesn't cause nutritional probs or hair loss, is a more up to date procedure and that the weight loss is comparable. Yet, my doc says bypass is gold standard, better stats and better long term weight loss and maintenance. So those of you who have had bypass, what's your real life experience? What's the good, bad, miserable about bypass? Is there anything you wish you had known or wish you could change? Don't worry about "scaring" me. Knowledge is power for me. If I know exactly what to expect, even if it's hard, I tend to do better. Thanks in advance.

I had thought it was another doctor, like my situation. My family doctor insists I keep taking Triamterene daily for edema, and my bariatric surgeon says no. It's like a tug o war. Lol Sent from my SM-N910V using the BariatricPal App

I'm about to get v sleeved and I got a medic alert card from my bariatric clinic stating that I'm not to have any aspirin or nsaids bc they can cause stomach damage to the small sleeve so definitely ask your surgical people

I'm a DS patient and I take two 500 mg of chewable calcium, two chewable multivitamins of ADEK (Bariatric Advantage), and one sublingual B12 (3000 mcg). That's it per my doctor's orders. Not too bad at all.

I originally wanted the RNY, but after my bariatric surgeon consulted with my other physicians it was decided that VSG would be best due to a chronic disease requiring anti-inflamatories and other medications. 10 months post op and I don't regret my decision to have VSG. My stomach is still here, just smaller. I love the restriction it provides. I am still alarmed daily by the amount of food I used to eat!

I had the gastric sleeve June 18, 2014. I was very nervous when I arrived at the hospital. The nurse talked to me and then the Bariatric team talked to me, while I was given the Iv i never felt a thing. They also gave me 2 Nerve pills to help with the anxiety. I am not gonna lie to you, but you will be in pain. I tolerated it fine. The day of my surgery I weighed in at 500 lbs and now I weigh 325 lbs nd still losing. It is a hard journey, but with support from family you can achieve your goals. Good luck and prayers being sent.. My name is Samantha...

Hello, Sorry this a a long post but I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who's had similar experiences. Has anyone had a gastric bypass that didn't work? I knew something was wrong pretty soon after my surgery as I had no restriction. I'd known all of my surgical team since 2010 when I had a gastric band. After a year of filling and un-filling and coming to the end of my free fill period (they would have cost £100 after that), the bariatric nurse and I could never reach that sweet point between nothing going through the band and so being sick all the time and no restriction at all so I knew I had to give up on this. Then in 2012, I lost 9 stone (125lb) by following a very low calorie diet (VLCD). I did this for 9 months, eating just four sachets of food at just under 600 calories a day. I got down to just over 10 stone (140lb) on my 40th birthday at the end of 2012. But in 2013 when I was off the VLCD, I struggled to keep the weight off. By October 2013, I had tried everything and decided to go for further surgery. I was initially going to have a sleeve but the team's dietician had said that sometimes band to sleeve revisions weren't as successful and I'd read that the bypass is the recommended revision for those who've had bands. Add to this that it was sold to me as the 'gold service' of weight loss surgery and I'd read that it's the operation that has been done for many years and has lots of experience and evidence behind it, I went for the bypass. I knew something was wrong pretty soon after my surgery as I had no restriction. In early December 2013, the dietician agreed that I should not physically be able to eat or drink Fluid in the volumes I could (I felt and still feel like nothing had changed) so he sent me for x-rays which were inconclusive and the measurements/calibrations weren't noted at the time. However, one of the surgeons said in an email that he thought the stoma was around 20mm in diameter. Everything I read says this is too large as food goes straight through the stoma, meaning I never really feel full. The smaller stomach and stoma should mean that I feel feel on less food. It took months for me to push for a second set of xrays and I really felt that I was being ignored. Emails were replied to only after a few weeks when I chased them up and I have an email from the same surgeon saying they were deliberately slowing things down in the hope things would rectify themselves. But they didn't. They did agree to a second opinion and I chose a surgeon in London who not only runs a centre which is ICE accredited (International Centre of Excellence) but has performed over 2500 bypass surgeries and specialises in those that go wrong. He sent me to another hospital in London on that day for some more xrays and then delivered his report. He identified and the xray specialist agreed that the stoma was too large to have any effect i.e. 'no functional effect' at the site. He also discovered that I had a sort of extra bit of stomach or additional reservoir. They call this a hockey stick or a candy cane but the effect on the surgery is unknown. He recommended that my hospital carry out an endoscopy to rule out a stricture. My hospital received the report and said they didn't feel the stoma was too big and in fact it was a good thing as "one of the theories as to how the bypass works is getting food that is eaten into the small bowel quickly as this has hormonal feedback to tell the person to stop eating". I have never read anything like that before and that certainly wasn't how they explained the procedure to me. I've always understood a bypass to be the creation of a smaller stomach so you feel full on much less food (that's what makes you stop eating, I know nothing about hormonal feedback) plus the shortening of the bowel meant some calories weren't absorbed after bypass. My hospital also didn't think the endoscopy was worth doing either as I'd had no sign of a stricture. Throughout, I have been asking the surgeons whether an endoscopy would help them to see what's going on inside there but they thought not. One of the most disappointing things was how disinterested my hospital were from the beginning. I felt that they'd taken my money and I had to fight to make them believe there was a problem. Even then, they really didn't move to try and explore what had happened. I don't understand this as they are still doing this procedure on people. I thought they would have wanted to know what had gone wrong with me so that it didn't happen to anyone else. Also very disappointing was the fact that I woke up to a LEAD surgeon I'd never met and never even heard of. Like I say, I've know this team since 2010. They hadn't mentioned there was a new member, let alone that he would be involved in my operation and certainly not that he would be my LEAD surgeon. I trusted this team and I felt this was a breach of that trust. I also trusted them to look after me if anything went wrong. I'm in the process of taking on a lawyer plus, because of my tweets about my experience, a local journalist who's interested in the fact that many bands are being revised, how surgery is sold to patients and what happens when they fail, has contacted me. I feel I should raise awareness that there are things that can go wrong that you don't hear about, as in my case. Would I advise anyone not to have bariatric surgery? No, all I would say is don't use a hospital just because its local to you or you know them. It doesn't mean they'll look after you if things go wrong. Find an ICE, look at patient feedback like mine and get a cast Iron guarantee that they'll take care of you if there are problems. The hospital's final letter to me told me that they would not be refunding my money and advised that I pursue diet and counselling. I feel like they just put me on the 'it doesn't work for some people' pile when I didn't even know such a pile existed. Aren't diet, exercise and counselling things we do over and over again before considering the massive step of surgery? In fact, my hospital's own website begins ... "If you’ve exhausted all other weight loss options, you might be considering weight loss surgery”. I'm still paying off the loan for this and I'm left in the cold! David & Goliath. Please share your feedback with me. Thanks for reading.

Hi all, My name is Aliese and I just joined the VST site yesterday. I am about to embark on a new journey. An attempt at becoming a healthier me! I won't bore you with a bunch of details about my health issues but let me just say, that I think this is the right step for me. I am in the Pre-Op phase of getting the Gastric Sleeve. I'm on day 2 of my 5 day liquid diet. My surgery is scheduled for June 13, 2013 with Dr. Tiesenga, out of The Chicago Center for Bariatric Surgery. So far I am experiencing headaches and it's probably from the low caloric intake. I am diabetic, so my sugar normally runs high (around 120 fasting) but this morning it was 82. Now that may be in the normal range but my body has gotten use to running on the high end, so I suspect that is why I'm having the headaches. I hope it will subside soon. I now have to be more diligent about taking or not taking my medication and getting my sugar levels while I undergo this transformation. This will be a whole new world for me. I plan to utilize this website to the fullest and I hope to meet new and interesting people that can offer me some support and guidance. Well, that's all for now. I will check back in after I have my surgery! A New Me, Aliese

LowCarb is good, another place that is good is well.ca. It is in Guelph, fast service too. I used the sugar free flavoured syrups for my Optifast period. When I was on the protein shakes I really liked the Bariatric Foodie site. Never had a problem drinking them with her recipes. Started at 242 in February 2014 when I had surgery, and am now 100 pounds lighter. Can't believe I am back to me.