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Tummy tuck (included muscle repair no lipo) on 1/19/22 I am 2 weeks PO tomorrow The good: I felt the pain was less than I imagined. I felt sore (and still do slightly) of course but it was far less than I anticipated. The horrible pouch, AKA Joey, is GONE! What a relief! Good riddance to Joey! At my appointment yesterday I was told I am healing VERY fast and ahead of the curve. They said I look more like 4+ weeks. Everything looks good! I’m pleased already with my results even with the above the suture line swelling mid line. The bad: Constipation experience 2-3 days post op (I’ve blocked it out). I won’t get graphic but dear lord this was not good! The pain of this while being sore and stitched up was horrible! Yes, I took all the stuff yo prevent this. However, each time I get surgery this happens to me! I’d rather give birth! The drains…. I knew I would hate them and I did. One drain leaked from the site for 7 days. Once that was removed it helped a lot. The second drain (non leaker) was just removed yesterday so I am feeling like a human! Indigestion and gas have been an issue. It is quite unpleasant to be bloated with when you are stitched up. Advice: You need a person to help the first few days for sure. Changing dressings, emptying drains initially would have been impossible for me if I didn’t have my husband. Don’t try this alone! Get a recliner. We already had an electric one so it helped me a lot. I sleep in it and don’t think I could possibly sleep anywhere else as I am NOT normally a back sleeper. The recliner helps adjust your position so you can find the sweet spot where you don’t hurt. Drink lots of fluids and eat foods that do not create gas. Be kind to yourself. If you are like me, you have wanted this surgery for a long time. Don’t try to do too much so that you cause a complication. Have a firm pillow at hand so you can press on your tummy when trying to get up in the beginning or sneezing/coughing (ugh). I hope this helps someone. Feel free to ask any questions you may have.

I am in the process of getting a surgery date for revision, sleeve to bypass - & this time around I feel a bit more scared than I did previously with my first surgery. I am worried of complications after surgery, did anyone run into any crazy complications after their revision?

We all heal & recover in our own time. Some will say I was fine after a week or two others will say a month. Me, I was a couple of months but I always seem to take longer to recover from everything even a cold. Plus it was complicated by my tendency for occasional drops in blood pressure becoming low BP all day every day. Even my head became doughy & my concentration was poor. Don’t give yourself a deadline. Take your recovery at your pace & listen to your body. Keep working at meeting your fluid & protein goals. But you won’t feel like you did before - you’ll feel so much better because of your weight loss & improving general health. Won’t it be great.

If everything goes as expected you should be fine. For peace of mind You could ask about the incomplete process. If you were to have any complications and couldn’t keep up with classes or catch up you most likely could get a note from the doctor and take an incomplete which allows you to finish the classes the next semester.

I had RNY April 13th 2021… I set a goal in my mind of 100lbs and I would be happy. Today, I weighed in at 179lbs. 9 months after surgery, I am down 101lbs. No regrets, no complications, life is beautiful. Just wanted to share with you all.

only about 30% of us dump (I've never dumped - and I know a lot of people who haven't), and even if you turn out to be a dumper, you can prevent it by limiting your sugar intake (or for some people, fat - some people dump on fat). So yes - it's a potential complication of bypass, but the majority don't experience it, and it's controllable if you do. So I wouldn't worry about it too much. Also, I think that flatulence thing isn't very common, either. And the scars are tiny - smalller than VSG scars since they're not pulling anything out. I really can't see mine at all anymore. You'll do fine!

I had sleeve surgery five years ago. Went from a high of 392 down to 315. I am 6’7” but still to heavy. Since Covid I’m back to 345. I know I need to shed pounds. My cholesterol is high and I am pre diabetic. On Thursday I have my Bypass surgery. Needless to say, im nervous. I know rare but I worry about complications but I believe complications from my weight outweigh it. Anyone else having surgery this week?

Looking for advice, will try to be brief. Thank you for allowing me to join your community! As the title explains, I have had two operations in the last 12 years. I have had issues with alcohol in the past which led to my revision. Anyway, I will complete a 'my story' post soon. Today I am trying to determine if what I am experiencing is normal or not. Thank you, in advance, for your candid advice. I developed GERD-like symptoms about nine months ago. I tried to moderate it with diet (less spicy / tomato), a few rounds of Prilosec. About seven months ago I gave up all alcohol in-part due to the painful symptoms. I had greatly moderated from my two bottle a day heyday, but I still drank. I am proud of my progress, but meetings may be in my future. At three months, Dr. ordered an endoscopy. I had the procedure October 30, 2021. Results showed that I was inflamed, but no ulcers. 'Just stay on Prilosec, forever if you have to' is the advice I received. After endoscopy, I decided to give up all carbonated drinks (I was hooked on about 100+ ounces a day of Diet Dr. Pepper). My go-to drink is now water. Also have added a lot of unsweetened iced tea and some coffee. A few days after New Year, my appetite started to decline. Just the thought of food was making me not feel well. I work from home and I fell into a habit of: one yogurt in the AM, protein drink at noon if hunger strikes, then just maybe 10 bites of anything around 4pm. Dinner at 7, maybe 20 bites over two hours. Hunger pains come on strong at times, but go away fast with 2-4 bites of anything.. As of today, Jan 23, my appetite is still just about 30% / 40% of what it was. I still find myself feeling like I have to 'force' myself to eat sometimes. Nothing sounds or tastes very good. I had a colonoscopy in December. Came back normal with one non-issue polyup (sp). Last week, I ran out of Prilosec. I decided to see if maybe I could get away with an as-needed solution. Big mistake. For the last three nights I have been awakened with extreme pain in my stomach. I have been taking Pepcid and Rolaids / Tums as needed. I plan to restart Prilosec tomorrow. Not sure why my stomach is still on fire??? I have a rather bland meat and potato diet. I quit alcohol and all carbonated drinks. Maybe a liquid fast and 100 Hail Mary's? This is my theory about my appetite issue: I think giving up the pop has resulted in far less bloating in my small stomach. Perhaps this has allowed it to heal back to a normal, or less inflamed, size. I cannot eat as much, but if I space out my eating, I'm sort of fine. I'm not sure about the mental aspects of this situation or how they corollate in parallel to the physical issues. However, the last time I felt this way (loss of appetite, could barely eat) was just before my emergency revision. Thankfully I have not developed the abdominal pains of that episode, just the eating issue. Just for context: I am a 47 year old male, about 260 pounds. I worry about constriction due to scar tissue, I was warned to look out for this. Thank you for any thoughts or advice! Matt

I am doing band to bypass on 2/1 and in same boat. Did band 13 years ago and was successful but has to come out due to complications

Hello all! My surgery is scheduled 1/24/22! I’m super excited about this new journey. I pray everyone has a complication free surgery! Here’s to a healthier you in 2022!

developing - or worsening - GERD is a potential complication with sleeve, but it doesn't happen to everyone. I had GERD before surgery and wasn't willing to take the risk, so I went with RNY. I guess it comes down to if you're willing to take the risk or not. It doesn't get worse for everyone - but it definitely does for some. I was just afraid I'd be one of those for whom it would get worse.

Yea mine is costing about $19K. Which kinda pisses me off because i swear with insurance insurance negociates prices with the hospitals but apparently i cant... Like i had a colonoscopy, Endoscopy earlier last year and they billed my insurance like $15K but my insurance only paid them around $3K. But anyways My binder i got with all my info said i needed to call to make these appointments for everything. The hospital would not do it. I also have to call like 6 different companies to make payments for the surgery once i am approved from the surgeons office, anesthesiologist, hospital fee, Pathology, Some complication insurance coverage they require and so on. lol

if you have issues with reflux, then the bypass is the better option. Otherwise, it comes down to personal preference. vitamin deficiencies with the bypass are rare as long as you keep on top of your vitamins. most common complication with the sleeve is GERD. Happens to about 30% of sleevers. Usually it can be controlled medically (by taking PPIs), but there are a minority who have severe cases that only a revision to bypass will cure. most common complication with bypass is dumping. Also happens to about 30% of patients. It can be controlled by limiting or avoiding sugar (and for some people, fat). I had bypass almost seven years ago. Like many of us, I've never had any issues with it, and I would do it again if I had to make that choice today. I've been very happy with it. they're both good surgeries and you'll find many people on here who've had a lot of success with both. Unless you have a medical condition that would make one more appropriate than the other, I think either option would be a good one.

@sleeversk did you have any complications post op from cheating ? 🤣🤣 Man I will have to finish out with the rest of the days doing liquid until next Wednesday lol

I’m twenty days “new” today. I had complications (there were two hours of removing former surgical adhesions and scar tissue). I was in the hospital for 10 days. I think they just liked me being there. I’m a super optimist so I tried to make light of things like horrible diarrhea. I was treated so well the whole time. I’m still nauseous and in pain but like my mom said.. “this too shall pass”. On the happy side.. I’ve lost 23 pounds. I have no idea about how many inches. I think I look the same. I think it’s all lost in my face. 😀😀

I had the most brutal Gallbladder surgery aged 17 in 1976. The surgeon cut me from the bottom of my breastbone to my pubic bone. What he was thinking is anyone's guess. In those days we questioned nothing and got on with it. I was really really nervous that my bariatric surgeon would not be able to do the surgery on me because of the adhesions. I know its small fry to your surgeries but he managed it. I researched many types of surgery in case he rejected me because of the complications. I know some new procedures are being tried, You can have a balloon in your tummy for 6 months that limits the amount you could eat. Another one was done via the mouth using the endoscopy method. They gathered the stomach into a small bag and tethered it there. Dont despair surgical advances are coming to help you, you deserve the break. Good luck

Could anyone give me any insight on how this will work? The differences between the sleeve recovery verses the revision recovery? I'm not entirely sure if I'll be getting one but at this point my gut is saying that it's going to be necessary. I can't eat or drink anything. Throwing up, dry heaving, Still have stomach pain, they think it's all from gastritis. I feel like i'm starving to death at this point. My diet is ice cubes (barely). I can barely walk from malnutrition. I just turned 19 and I'm in college so I also don't know how much it would affect my classes. I'm looking for things that are obvious about the recovery and things that aren't obvious that I might not think of. And if anyone else has gone through this. When I got the sleeve I was more able to research things and literally memorize everything but I'm so messed up I really need someone to just help me figure it out kinda.

From what I've read and experienced, there's no BMI requirement for revision due to complications such as GERD. Some have been able to get a revision based on BMI alone, but I think that's rare. Sent from my Z6201V using BariatricPal mobile app

From what I gather, for most insurance companies, it just needs to be complications from the first surgery. I'm not even in the obese category. Sent from my Z6201V using BariatricPal mobile app

I was in a similar boat where my surgeon told me that either RNY or VSG would be fine and left it up to me. I also considered the pros/cons and worried about the effects of RNY. I ultimately went with RNY because I wanted the surgery that gave me the best chance to lose the most weight. If you know you will be self-accountable for your vitamins, you have already drastically reduced the chances of long-term bad effects. Obviously, there are no guarantees that everything will turn out OK (and that weighed on my mind when I was on the gurney, waiting for my surgery to start). But long-term complications are relatively rare in people who are committed to taking their vitamins, hitting their protein goals, etc. I can also attest that I had a nagging knee injury that has almost completely gone away with my weight loss. You're on the right path and you're thinking this through clearly. My overall advice/encouragement: if you believe that you have more discipline and willpower than your current physique reflects, go for the surgery that offers the greatest upside -- your discipline/willpower will be a big factor in reducing the downside effects.

yep - it's hard to make a choice. Some people have medical issues that make one choice more appropriate than others, but if you have no such issues, then it can be tough. generally the more powerful the surgery, the greater the potential for complications, although none of the surgeries done today really have a huge percentage of complications. Most complications are minor, and a lot of people really don't have any at all. The most common issue with malabsortion surgeries like the Loop DS is nutrient deficiency, but then you said you'd be really good at keeping on top of the the vitamin regimen, so that's not likely to be a problem for you. Most of the people (not all, but most) who have issues with that aren't diligent about keeping on top of their vitamins. Note I'm using words like "most" and "unlikely". Of course, there's always a chance of serious issues with any surgery (even having your tonsils out!), but if you follow the rules, the chances aren't likely. my choices were VSG or RNY, because those are the only two my insurance covers, and my surgeon doesn't do any form of DS. I chose RNY mostly because I had GERD (and RNY is recommended for GERD sufferers), but also, I was over 200 lbs overweight, so I wanted to have the more powerful surgery. I was willing to take the slight risk to get that benefit. I know none of this helps you with your decision, but these are some of things *I* considered when I was going through this. Good luck making your decision - and keep reading as it might make it easier to decide...

I read about this before my surgery back in November 2021. Gallstone formation is a known complication due to fast weight loss. Sending you lots of healing energy. Let us know if you are doing the cholecystectomy. I will have my 3 mo follow-up soon and I will discuss this cos you can take something to prevent the gallstone formation.

I used Ramsey Healthcare at the Woodlands in Kettering. My surgeon was Mr Sutton and bariatric nurse was Emma. They were and are an amazing team. Yes I paid a premium, but I have so much after care and lifetime support. I interviewed 3 different surgeons across the country before I made my decision and I am glad I chose him. Within 6 weeks of first consultation I was in and having my surgery. i had my surgery in 13th July, I weighed 15 stone. I now weight 9 stone 10. I have had no complications at all! I used a bank loan to fund this as the interest rate was more favourable. It did cost me £10k but it’s the best money I have ever spent! i also have an on hand dietician and an app which has lifetime support and contact with a range of professionals good luck in your journey!! 😊

Either one is going to give you a better chance to meet your goal. I had no clue what I was having when they put me under; I just knew I needed help. We were shooting for bypass, but if my prior hernia repairs would complicate it, he'd do a sleeve. Woke up with a bypass. 🤷🏽‍♂️ And I had horrible heartburn before the surgery. None now, but even knowing that, we'd have done a sleeve, and just dealt with the heartburn if we had to. Dropping the weight, kicking diabetes, being more energetic, all carried more weight than gerd.

I had the lapband in 2009 and due to complications had to get it removed and got the bypass all fairly quickly and I had the revision on 12/15. I struggled with post op diet until this week when I started to eat some puréed foods but I am just not losing weight. Emotionally really frustrating that I went through all this and not seeing results.