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My stats aren't quite the same as yours, but when I had surgery, I was 375. I think my BMI was 60 at surgery. I had hypertension (well controlled with meds), insulin resistance, dilated cardiomyopathy (with reduced ejection fraction), and who knows what else. They all assumed I had sleep apnea too, even though I didn't have indicators for it. I'm not sure how high risk I would be considered, but I have no illusions that I was low risk in any way. I was terrified of complications, and made sure to have a will and advanced directive in place just in case. As self pay, I was even more terrified that complications would bankrupt us. I needed a super low dose of Xanax the night before surgery I was so scared. But, I knew that staying at my weight, with my issues, was absolutely a death sentence, so for me, the risks were worth taking. Even at elevated risk, the risks of staying this heavy were much higher. I agree with @Splenda - follow the surgeon's recommendations to the letter. Those blood thinner injections suck (not gonna lie, I had to do them for 14 days post surgery) but they are literal life savers, and us heavier folk are at greater risk. Between now and surgery, keep doing what you can to ensure you are as healthy as possible. Eat well, if you are on any meds, take them religiously, whatever it takes to get you in a good place physically and mentally. So far, this surgery has been amazing. I feel fabulous and for once, I have hope of meeting my goals, or at least getting damned close. Good luck!

When I had the surgery, I was 41, 6'1", HW of 505, CW 490, surgery day weight of 460. I had sleep apnea, prehypertension and a BMI of ~60. I also had to take blood thinning injections post-surgery. I also had bypass surgery (which has a higher risk of complications). So you and I are/were in roughly the same ballpark. I came through the surgery fine. Definitely sore. But it drastically improved my life and I would make the same decision in a heartbeat. Heck, I was able to look down today and see my toes, instead of them being covered by stomach. I've gotten to experience stepping on a scale and having the first number be a 2. I am approaching the nine-month mark and I weigh 295 and wear 2xl/3xl shirts (I'm like a 2.5xl at this point, I was a solid 6xl pre-surgery). Do you have risk factors? Yeah. But here is what I noticed from that list: you don't have a major condition that will obviously cause complications (like some disease that makes it difficult for your blood to clot or something like that). Do you have a higher potential for complications than someone who only weighed 400 pounds? Yeah. But its a generalized risk, not a specific risk. My recommendation, if you are still interested in the surgery, is to determine right now that you are going to follow your surgeon's post-surgery advice to the letter. If you need 28 days of injections, decide right now that you will do all 28 days. Whatever meds or vitamins he tells you take, take them. Commit right now, "I am not going to disobey my surgeon in a way that increases my risks." You cannot eliminate the risks entirely and if I am being honest, those risks will come to mind when you are being wheeled around on the gurney. You have no guarantees about what the other side of the surgery will look like and feel like. And you will wake up from the surgery in pain. But if you decide that you will do everything you can control to minimize the risks, I think you will be happy with a decision to have the surgery.

Hi everyone. Need some serious reassurance. I’ve gone through my full program. I have been approved for surgery (the sleeve). I met with my surgeon yesterday and he was very blunt. I’m one of the highest risk people he’s willing to operate on. I hit 4 out of 5 factors that put me into a high risk. BMI, prehypertension, sleep apnea, and one other I don’t remember. The only one I’m not hitting is age. I will also need to take injections for 28 days of a blood thinner because my clotting risk is so high. He seriously freaked me out. He said while he was still comfortable operating, he was not confident there would be no issues and needed me to be aware that there are incredibly serious risks for someone like me. I’m 35, 6’3”, CW is 497. I’ve lost nearly 50 pounds in the past few months and am continuing to lose on my current diet. I’m having serious second thoughts. I need someone, anyone, who can help talk me through this. Maybe someone who also was considered high risk and went through with it? Please and thank you!

let me look again-I just googled gastric sleeve mental health and quite a few popped-up. I think mental health risks need to be added to possible complications from doctors. my surgeon really blew it off which is disappointing. I wish we could have had a more enlightening conversation about it-but I get it, he’s busy. it’s like a stomach amputation factory nowadays!

The mini will have one anastomosis (connection) vs 2 for RNY bypass which gives you less risk for complications of leaks and dumping syndrome. It’s also simpler and quicker procedure for the surgeons. The cost was the same for both where I’m at. I’d go with the mini if the price is the same, otherwise go with the cheaper one!

My recovery is great! I had bad acid reflux the first week but it’s all but cleared up now. I’ve received several emails on nutrition since then and reminders, etc. In your case, it won’t matter which of the MGB or RNY bypass you do since you already had the sleeve. The mini can cause more reflux with the remnant stomach backing up into the pouch, but since yours was removed with the sleeve you shouldn’t have that issue. Statistically there’s less risk of complications with the mini outside of that but for either procedure it is very low. My Dr. didn’t tell me he was doing the mini until afterwards. There’s a lot of communication breakdown there but it’s not like they screwed up the surgery or anything. Be very careful with that. The coordinators don’t know anything about the procedures more than we do via google. The renew staff does speak English but they’re a parent co so you won’t necessarily see them 24/7 like you do the nurses. My stomach was partially removed (which makes it a SASI) to decrease ghrelin levels and reduce reflux risk since I already had GERD. They use CER hospital, which is only 7 years old and pretty nice. My bathroom there is nicer than the one back home! One family member/friend is allowed to come with you and stay the night at no charge and if you choose so you get a “suite” which gives an extra space and bed for said friend. The doctors there all speak English well but the nurses speak only a little so google translate helped a lot, lol. Some of the nursing practices are a little dated but I fixed anything that seemed off (I’m an RN). They were very attentive with wound care though I will say. As far as cleanliness goes, it’s the cleanest hospital I’ve ever seen! Sheets, towels, trash, etc are changed daily. I didn’t even use all of my towels bc I didn’t need that many. One week of meds for after surgery is given to you at no charge which is nice. Getting to know the other people in your cohort was the coolest part bc you all go through it together and support each other! I didn’t receive a video/Skype call from the Dr. beforehand but if you request it I’m sure they could do it. All bariatric procedures are done in the afternoons so he’s free in the mornings (cosmetic procedures are done in the AM). 1 night stay at The real inn hotel is part of your charge and it’s really nice and modern. I actually got mine for free bc one of the coordinators wrote down that I was waiving the hotel for the optional $100 reduction when I wasn’t, so they charged me $100 less but ended up comping the room anyway for me (I told you the coordinators don’t know what they’re doing.) I do wish there was better communication before the procedure so if you can get a Skype call with the doctor beforehand that would be great as communication is the main problem there. If you can get Dr. Green (you better book wayy ahead) then go for it bc everyone loves him. He even takes pics of the sleeve patients’ stomachs and gives them a copy, lol. Sometimes I wish I had him! I’m a lower bmi patient like you-my bmi was 31 when I signed up. I was the smallest one there but no one cared. Overall, it’s a good experience and I would do it again in a heartbeat 💗

If you don't mind me asking, why did you have the revision from MGB to full GB? Did you have complications? Also how has your recovery been going? Any side effects or complications? Are you happy with Dr. Illians work? I hope your doing fantastic and already seeing fantastic results. [emoji847] Sent from my SM-G991U1 using BariatricPal mobile app

June 30th here for the RNY. I am extremely nervous! Especially since my appt with the surgeon about possible complications. Trying to be positive but I’m terrified!

That’s pretty much the consensus I’ve gotten as well. I’m praying that I’m the type to quickly bounce back and have no complications. I hope both our surgeries and aftermath go well♥️🙏🏼

I’m a bit nervous too. With the surgery and the immediate aftermath. It seems some have no issues or complications and others have a harder time with nausea, acid, etc. Hopefully all will go smoothly for us both tomorrow!

This is what I found about the SADI: SADI-S stands for Single anastomosis duodeno-ileal bypass with sleeve gastrectomy. It is a new surgical treatment option for morbid obesity that is basically a variant of duodenal switch surgery, in which a single intestinal bypass is made as opposed to two. Patients spend less time in surgery and are exposed to a reduced risk of complications. DFW Bariatrics and General Surgery has got you covered if you are considering undergoing the SADI Procedure in Dallas and surrounding areas. How Does SADI Work? There are two steps involved in the SADI-S Procedure: Firstly, the surgeon performs a sleeve gastrectomy to remove approximately 80 percent of the stomach. Secondly, they detach the intestine just below the stomach after which they reattach it to an intestine loop roughly 2 meters down. The effect of the SADI-S Procedure is to bypass food from the part of the intestine that is metabolically active. This results in the lessening of the length of the intestinal loop in which nutrients are absorbed. Patients experience a smaller appetite, consume less meal portions, and have hormonal changes that positively affect their metabolism. Benefits of the SADI-S Procedure Reduces the risk of diarrhea and nutritional deficiencies often associated with the duodenal switch Gives patients greater weight loss when compared with standard gastric bypass or gastric sleeve, which is great for those with a BMI above 50. The SADI-S Procedure can be performed on patients who have undergone sleeve gastrectomy but experienced insufficient weight loss or a relapse. Reduces the long-term risk of intestinal obstruction when compared with duodenal switch and gastric bypass. It is great for people with poorly controlled Type-2 Diabetes as it offers a more powerful metabolic effect when compared with a standard gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy. Unlike gastric bypass surgery, patients experience a reduced likelihood of issues such as unstable blood sugar fluctuations, dumping syndrome, marginal ulcers, food restrictions and intolerance. Potential Disadvantages of SADI-S Procedure Potential risks associated with the SADI-S Procedure are similar to those of any other bariatric procedure. These include: Anastomotic leaks Infection Bile reflux Intestinal perforation Venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism Bowel obstruction in the long-term Abscess

I had 6 months of sick time accrued, so I took 6 weeks. I really wanted to spend that time working on changing habits, forming new ones and walking. I really wanted to make sure I was cementing my 'new life' before I introduced another element into the change. I didn't have any post op complications or issues. I know not everyone has the ability to take so much time off, but I found it really helpful for my emotional well being as well. I didn't know if I'd be super hormonal, in pain, or whatever and I thought healing mentally and physically and only focusing on ME would be beneficial, and it was.

My surgeon encouraged me to choose the sleeve over bypass because the previous hernia surgery is less likely to cause complications with the sleeve. And I'd like to eventually be able to take anti-inflammatory meds again. My mom had bypass 14 years ago and she can't take anything much for her arthritis because anti-inflammatory meds burn her stomach. I don't want to be in the same boat when I'm her age.

My sleeve surgery was two days ago, April 25. My surgeon now does it as outpatient, unless there are particular health concerns prior to surgery or complications following. I don’t recall being given the option to stay overnight. Surgeon said since I have good mobility and care at home it would be the best option. I’m not totally sure how I feel about it now. I didn’t quite feel ready to leave as they were discharging me only like 5 hours after surgery. And I ended up having severe vomiting for 24 hours, every 30-60 minutes. It was really scary and I would have probably liked having nurses/doctors nearby. It’s passed now.

I was self-pay as well, and it was never an issue at any of the practices I consulted with. Now, I will admit I was really stressed out about any complications happening since insurance probably wouldn't cover them but the risk of staying as overweight as I was at the time of surgery was definitely going to land me in the hospital at some point. Definitely talk to other practices and see what they say.

My insurance doesn’t cover WLS. I am making arrangements to be able to pay out of pocket and started the process at Duke in NC but then the surgeon said she wouldn’t do the surgery since my insurance wouldn’t cover the surgery due to risk of complication and high medical bills. Has anyone else experienced this??? I have an appointment with WakeMed BARIATRICS on May 10th, I explained to them what happened at Duke and they seemed surprised by it and said they except self pay. I am just terrified that I am going to be be crushed again for the 2nd time in 3 weeks and don’t know if I can take it. Any advice??? I have checked in to ACA insurances and multiple agents said none of the policies cover WLS.

Oh my 😕 4 days is very limited but chin-up and just pray that all goes well and there's no complications. My surgery is on the 16th of May, I too will be getting a hiatal hernia repair and gastric bypass, I've had my hernia for years. Can't wait to get it repaired finally! But I think you should be ok with 4 days of recovery as long as there's no other complications just make sure that you do light core exercises and lots of walking prior to surgery, that will speed up your recovery (as I heard from people who have had it) And good luck with your surgery hope all goes well for you Sparkly🙏👍

I hadn’t heard of it either & it wasn’t an option with my surgeon. Is it a Sydney thing?? I wonder if stomach stretching after sleeve was either an old wives tale or to scare patients to encourage them to eat correctly (portion size, frequency, etc.) so that wouldn’t happen. I do recall Dr Nowzaradan operating again on one of his patients saying they had stretched their tummy again but they had been eating exactly the same way as they always had: huge portions, many times a day every day for a long time. So they deliberately worked to stretch it again. No surgery would have helped them. As others have said it sounds similar to lapband (gastric banding) which are not performed as often because of higher risk of complications. There are a lot of people here who have had to have a revision to sleeve or more commonly to bypass because of issues with their band. On googling I noticed that some weight loss clinics don’t identify the possible side effects of the minimiser but did discover one (Perth) clinic that did: … placing a ring around the top of the sleeve can cause obstructive symptoms much like adjustable gastric banding resulting in difficulty swallowing and food intolerance. It can cause dilatation of the top of the sleeve which we consider to be the most critical part. It may also increase the risk of reflux, volume regurgitation and possible aspiration. But if you’ve done your research, weighed the pros & cons, and you know yourself & your challenges with eating best, & your surgeon supports you, it is ultimately your decision. All the best.

Update- So April 8th was the original post I made. I was 273.4 lbs. I fluctuated between that and 274 up until a week ago. I had to start working out. Getting my food plate together with all my macros on it, but most importantly i had to get my sleeping in order I was only getting 4-5 hours a night, which was horrible for my goals. I’m now at 263, so that’s a 10lb loss in 2 weeks. Still in the slow loser club and happy to be here! I’m expecting my body to stall soon but I do know how to get through it now. It is sooooo mentally important to understand your body is complicated especially mine lol and you’ve got to let it go through what it has to in order to accept your decision to change it’s mechanical or hormonal structure.

Looking for advice on band to sleeve with Medicare. I’ve had band for 11 yrs. Very complicated health history. Staying thinner /healthier is imperative for me. I’ve gained back 30 lbs. My bmi is 29.1. Last time I checked several yrs ago it was going to be a problem to get surgery to revise to sleeve because I hadn’t gained all of my weight back and now my bmi wasn’t high enough Anyone else have experience with needing to keep weight down but not being high enough with your bmi now to have revision surgery done ?

Yeah, many surgeons now agree your new stomach size can't be stretched so why would you add a lapband type device into your body to prevent something that won't happen anyway.so many people had complications from lap bands ( my surgeon doesn't even perform lap band surgeries because of that reason) I would do .ots of research before going down that road.

It’s a big decision and it takes however long it takes (don’t rush it). That being said now that I have done it my only regret is not doing it sooner. Perhaps if you search a little bit on other sites about the complications of the comorbidities that you are up against if you don’t do anything and the medical interventions and possibly even surgeries that you may need down the road if you don’t have WLS you will realize that the risks of not doing surgery are worse than the risks that come with this surgery. I know for me I realized it was time to have the surgery when already at a BMI of 33 I had knee pain that kept me from exercising and without that activity I gained back all the weight I had just lost from doing my treadmill at home all through the first year of COVID. I could just forsee it snowballing to get worse and worse because my gynocologist gave me my weight history and I had gained steadily (outside of the yo yo dieting) over the last ten years at least (they could only go back that far). There is also a thread on here called weirdest non scale victories that I always recommend to anyone who is on the fence about surgery. It’s just a reminder of all the little things outside of the more obvious medical issues that change in your life when you lose the weight and there are many many little things that are not scale related. The last thing I will add is that for many of us our insurance requires six months of supervised diet before they submit for approval so starting the process while you are still thinking about it couldn’t hurt. You can always put it off if you are still on the fence after the six months but my guess is you will probably have made up your mind by then.

I know that's a question that only I can really answer, but it's one that keeps spinning through my head. I came to this site today to do a bit more research and realized I had joined back in 2018! So yeah, this is something I've thought about off and on for the last four years. What's stopping me? First, I have had SO many surgeries in the last decade. Fourteen to be exact. I really don't want another one. Second, the thought of having part of my body removed (especially my stomach) is triggering and scary. Been there, done that. A bit of history: Up until about 8-9 years ago, I was a fairly thin and fit person. In Jan 2012, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I went through five months of really rough chemo, a mastectomy (a body part removal), anti-estrogen meds for seven years, surgeries galore (including an oophorectomy - another body part removal), depression, anxiety, depression and anxiety meds (even ones that say they don't cause weight gain - HA!)... just a lot. Through all that, the scale just went up and up. I'm now 80 lbs overweight, pre-diabetic, have sleep apnea, and my cholesterol is high for the first time in my life, and just mostly feel like hell. In the last four years, I have tried several (doctor prescribed) "weight loss" meds, injections, a liquid diet, an elimination diet, calorie counting, points counting, exercise, nutritional counseling, intermitant fasting, acupuncture... the list goes on and on. Nothing has worked or has been sustainable. So I came here to just get more info and couldn't resist clicking on topics that speak to regret (I know I shouldn't do that, but I couldn't help it). I mean, this is a no-going-back situation. Most of the stomach is being removed! I know there are no guarantees that I won't have regrets, or that the procedure will work or that I won't have complications, but I WANT those guarantees. So much in the last ten years has been up in the air and I hate that feeling. But I also hate feeling miserable in my own body, so... How did you make that final decision to go forward? I want to lose this weight more than anything. but this is a really huge decision I wish I didn't have to make. Sorry for the long post. And thank you in advance for any insight you can offer!

Hello everyone my surgery date is Tuesday April 26th and I am nervous and excited. I have a 7 day pre op diet all liquids! First few days were hard now I’m just counting down the days until surgery hoping that my liver shrinks enough so there are no complications. I just recently found this site I have been looking for a support group for so long. I’m very interested to hear from those who have already had the surgery earlier this month .. any best practices or challenges to share? I have read up on everything I can and I’m getting the sleeve.. but reading and watching videos is nothing like experiencing it first hand. Congrats to all who have already gotten through the surgery I’m worried about post op but also excited if that makes any sense at all!

Hello everyone! New to this site. I have done a lot of research and I am pretty positive I want to have the SADI-S surgical procedure done for weight loss. Has anyone else had this done? If so, can you please tell me about your experience with it? I want the good and bad parts of your experience to know as much as possible. I went to one of the major hospital bariatric surgeon groups in my area that said they accept self pay since my insurance doesn’t cover anything dealing with weight loss and after 5+ hours of classes and meetings with the team the surgeon came in and said no to any surgery because my insurance will not cover it and she doesn’t want to do it in case of a complication and me being 100% financially responsible for the cost. So I have another appointment with a different major hospital bariatric surgeon in 2 weeks and I explained what happened and they said they will deal with the insurance company and will accept self pay, they said this is a common thing they deal with. Thanks for any information and help you give!