Search the Community

no - this is the surgeon's requirement. There are surgeons who won't operate on patients who have BMI's over 60 because that's considered "high risk". The insurance company isn't going to consider that particular piece when deciding whether or not to approve your surgery. In fact, they'd probably prefer you get under a 60 BMI as well so your risk of complications is lower. I was initially worried that if I was too successful in my six-month supervised diet that was required by my insurance company that they wouldn't approve the surgery. But that's not what they're looking for. They're looking to see if you're capable of following a plan long-term, since that's what you'll need to do AFTER the surgery. They don't want to fork over thousands of dollars for someone who's likely to not follow rules and just gain all the weight back. So if anything, this 80-lb required weight loss is likely to improve your chances of being approved -- not disqualify you for being too successful. I lost 57 lbs before surgery by working with a dietitian and gradually improving and shaping my eating habits to align with what I'd be eating after surgery (gradually increasing my protein intake, gradually weaning myself off caffeine and simple carbs, gradually reducing my calorie intake, etc). If you don't think you'll be able to do this on your own, then find a dietitian who's had some experience working with bariatric patients. I was really surprised I was able to lose all that weight pre-surgery - but I think it was a combo of wanting to do whatever I could do get the surgery -- and the accountability of working with a dietitian (i.e, knowing I'd have to report to someone every month on my progress).

Hi! Sorry it has taken me so long to respond but I had a rough go with my surgery! And more complications then expected. But I am getting better every day! I had a lot of scar tissue from previous surgeries and my hemoglobin got very low after surgery and I had to receive several transfusion. Super scary ordeal but I’m seeing the light now and excited I’m down 20 pounds since preop diet. Good luck with you surgery!

Could it be an incionsal hernia? I have had a lot of pain about 2" below my hernia. Looks like it's an incisional hernia. Evidently it's the most common complication at about a rate of 33%.

My cousin had surgery in Burlington Vt. I think there’s only one hospital there. I had surgery through Beth Isreal Deconess/ Lahey clinic. Several of my acquaintances had surgery through Mass General Brigham. Both Boston hospitals have WLS centers in associated hospitals, like South Shore hospital in Plymouth and Weymouth have WLS centers associated with Mass General Brigham Woman’s. Yeah, the big hospitals are glomming together and branching outward making very complicated names. Where you go depends on your insurance, or where they take self pay.

I went to Mass General Brigham and Dr. Matthew Hutter was my doctor. I think the BMI is only an issue for your insurance - if you are willing to self pay, probably any surgeon would do the surgery. However, I am not sure I'd recommend their program as I had to wait 7.5 months, only part of which was for insurance. The rest was due to them being understaffed and what felt like disorganized. They are all very nice, but they don't return phone calls or messages through patient gateway in a reasonable amount of time. I was hoping they would be better after surgery, but this has not been my experience. The surgery went well and my only "complication" is that I'm hungry all the time. I also looked into the program at Newton Wellesley hospital and almost switched to them when MGB was taking forever. They seemed to get back to me much quicker and I sort of wished I'd gone with them. Good luck!

Hello everyone , I had a revision from VSG to Roux-en-Y on October 1st. I just made it home from The hospital no complications . The first day is painful but today I’m feeling a little better . It’s not as bad as I was expecting but I asked to walk right out of surgery and basically walked every 2 hours which helped a lot with the gas pain ! Good luck everyone!

Mine is confirmed for October 27, 2021 for a duodenal switch, I had a gastric sleeve back in October 24 2018. Went from 360 to 215. I had a good run with it but ended up in the icu for 18 days due to COVID and nearly dying and became limited in mobility. I had such bad complications and I still do but more manageable. My body aches are so bad than when I was overweight. My Dr.’s don’t want to do another sleeve because the likelihood of gaining the weight back is greater again, whereas the duodenal switch is more effective, luckily my gastric doctor handles both and is excellent! I can’t wait, just nervous about the vitamin deficiency though 😰 good luck to you all!

Hi everyone! I’m having surgery tomorrow 10/2/21 in Tijuana. My mom had the same gastric sleeve procedure done at the same location years ago and is doing great…but I’m still so nervous. I’ve never had surgery before and am really scared of anesthesia or some crazy complication (though I know the chance is tiny). Also I’m afraid I won’t be able to eat anything normal after recovery…I really love cooking and having friends and family over for dinner. It’s always been such a source of pride to me and I feel sad I won’t be able to enjoy that the way I used to. Just trying to focus on all the good things that will come of this to stay calm and positive. No more joint pain, fitting into old clothes, better body image, etc!! Very best of luck to everyone, I just signed up for this and it’s really comforting to know I’m not alone

Hello, Over the course of October I will meet with three different medical professionals to choose a weight-loss option. First I will meet with a coach from The Fasting Method. She specializes in Fasting regimens and Behavioural Therapy. The cost is around $1000 for 4 online coaching sessions and an online support group. Most of the fasting I will do myself and will need a lot of determination to stick to the 36-hour fasting protocol they recommend. Next, I have a consultation with a surgeon at a private clinic. The cost will be 14,000 for a gastric sleeve and the surgery would be completed before the end of the year. They provide all of the medical services for surgery plus 3 months of nutrition counseling and medical follow-up at 1 month, 3.5 months, and 1-year post-op. They also have an online facebook support group. Finally, I have an appointment with a new General Practitioner who could provide me with a referral to a bariatric clinic within a hospital. This process would be covered by the province if I were accepted into the program. However, the process could take several years (1-4 years) before I received the surgery. Yet they would provide the most support both before and after surgery in order to be successful. I am really unsure of which option is best for me and I wonder if other people might have insight into what could work for them knowing what they know now. The first option, fasting, I have tried on my own and was successful for 8-12 months but gained all the weight back and then some. The second is the quickest way to put in place a permanent tool that I will have to use on my own to lose weight. It is also the most expensive. The third option would provide me with a lot of support and I think I probably do need some type of talk therapy. I'm expecting this surgery and the dramatic weight loss to be like an emotional rollercoaster for me. However, I do not have many obesity-related complications just yet (such as diabetes, hypertension, etc.) although my BMI is around 40. How much support did you need? Which option would you choose knowing what you know now?

Sleeve_me_alone covered it all brilliantly, and I agree that these are questions you need to write down and take to your next appointment. Only thing I want to add is I'm an ex-smoker (2 and a half years quit), and my surgeon warned me that smoking again, or even passive smoking, runs a massive risk of developing ulcers in my new pouch and joins. Not that I had ever intended to smoke again given how LONG it took me to be free of the damn stuff, but the fear of that complication will ensure I run a mile.

It is surprisingly easy in my experience. I was mostly tired. I was never in any pain except when getting up off the bed and scooting back on the bed. Walking was painless which I did pretty quickly after surgery. The days following I had no pain at all but I did have a Fentanyl patch for 3 days. I was back to work in a week and have had no complications at all since.

As others have said, these are all questions you should be bringing to your appointments. It might be helpful to keep a notebook with questions so you can jot them down as you think of them, and then bring them to your appointments. Don't feel like you need to know it ALL right now. This is a process and it takes time to get to a place where you are ready to commit. Do your research, find resources, as your questions. All totally normal. I would also STRONGLY suggest some counseling before you decide. It is absolutely imperative that you work through any trauma or baggage that might be contributing to unhealthy habits. Surgery is just a tool, it will only work as well as you are able to wield it. Making sure your mind is healthy is absolutely the best thing you can do to set yourself up for success. That being said, I took a stab just to help give you some guideposts. 1. What am i supposed to weigh before surgery? Is there x# of pounds or bmi im supposed to lose from the time of my consultation til my surgery? - This is program dependent. Some have a goal weight or BMI, others want you to loose xxx pounds before surgery. Ask your program. 2. What should my end weight goal be? - The expected weight loss with VSG and RNY is 60-80% of your excess weight. So, if you have 100lbs to lose to get to a healthy BMI, you can expect to lose 60-80 of those pounds. Some programs set a goal weight, others do not. Again, ask your program. 3. Can i really not have fruit, potatoes, corn, noodles or breads? These are huge things in my list of foods i would go to eat. I am a big sweet tooth n fruit is 1 way i would want to eat healthier. - Most programs do not say you can "never" have specific foods again. But there are a host of factors that determine what your long term eating habits will look like (what can you tolerate without feeling sick or having dumping, etc., are you hitting your water and protein goals, do you have any nutritional deficiencies, etc.). That being said, if you aren't ready to commit to long term changes, you may want to hold off. Sometime WLS requires we give up certain foods in order to be at our best.  4. Has anyone ever experienced any big side effects risks or complications? Ones drs dont usually discuss as risks til... bam u have been diagnosed. - Yes, side effects can occur. Surgical complications include internal bleeding, leaks at the "seams," anesthesia issues, all the normal stuff. Post-op complications can include GERD, hiatal hernias, malnutrition, and other things. Research the possible complications so you are well informed and ask your surgial center what their complication and surgical infection rates are. Overall bariatric surgery is very safe, but all surgical procedures carry risks. 5. Anyone know the death rate, complications or big risks being elevated with certain family backgrounds? Example... maternal family with several cancers? - See above, surgically very safe. All of this is available online, just do some scholarly Googling and, as always, as your program. 6. What if i start smoking again? - Just don't. It will kill you just as fast as obesity. Learn new coping mechanisms, go to therapy, pick up a hobby. From a surgical perspective, smoking greatly increases the risk of complications and can greatly increase recovery time. 7. What if i consume alcohol? - This is a combo of personal and program. Most programs have a strict prohibition for a period of time, others say try not to drink ever. In the end, its empty calories and you will get drunk MUCH faster than you did pre-op. Plan to abstain for a good long time. 8. What if i think my 14 yr old needs this surgery? - Talk to their pediatrician and get them into counseling. Do NOT rush into that. This is a major, life altering surgery and could be massively traumatizing for a child.

So i had my initial consultation. So i met my surgeon, my nurse practioner, and dietician, when i asked questions they had answers but since i left i feel like i didnt ask the right questions or not at all. So anyone willing to help me understand some things would be helpful. A lil about me.. 39yrs old, tubes tied after baby #4, im 5'4" and weight is 242.3 currently, but my highest was 302 mom of 4, divorced and now in a relationship for 4 yrs. Was a scrawny child (67# in 7th grade) ate candy/junkfood mostly my childhood, hit puberty gained a bit, met my ex husband and was in high school, began the sedintary lifestyle, began gaining weight and when i got pregnant at 17, i gained 107# in my 1st pregnancy. Never realized how big i was, never looked in a mirror w/ being depressed. Just kept gaining weight after each child, kept trying diets from watching my calories to only eating before 6p, to not eating anything except 1 time a day, i drank tons of water etc... i stopped working to be the stay at home, homeschooling mom after i got pregnant with baby #4. He cheated n i decided enough was enough. He left me and i lost 102# in 3-4 months of being manic depressed. I slowly gained it back after 6 yrs. Not watching what i ate, going back to the workforce, eating everything on the go, fast food, dine in with kids, i am a massive sweet tooth, and i drank easily 100 oz of dr.pepper a day. I have not drank any pop since 9.29.21. I have started cooking my own meals. Portion control is sooo hard, i could eat forever n either not ever get full or eat til i puke or close to it. I smoke 1-1.5 packs of cigarettes a day. Set to have gastric sleeve surgery after the 1st of the year, tbd based on covid rules. My questions are... 1. What am i supposed to weigh before surgery? Is there x# of pounds or bmi im supposed to lose from the time of my consultation til my surgery? 2. What should my end weight goal be? 3. Can i really not have fruit, potatoes, corn, noodles or breads? These are huge things in my list of foods i would go to eat. I am a big sweet tooth n fruit is 1 way i would want to eat healthier. 4. Has anyone ever experienced any big side effects risks or complications? Ones drs dont usually discuss as risks til... bam u have been diagnosed. 5. Anyone know the death rate, complications or big risks being elevated with certain family backgrounds? Example... maternal family with several cancers? 6. What if i start smoking again? 7. What if i consume alcohol? 8. What if i think my 14 yr old needs this surgery? Sent from my SM-N975U using BariatricPal mobile app

Hello I'm 3 weeks post op sleeve revision to bypass. I don't feel any restriction and am able to get in all my protein. On to pureed and yesterday I tried some pureed chili and have felt awful since. I am very nauseated. I don't think it's the chili anymore but perhaps I'm moving too quickly to pureed foods. With the sleeve, I could tell right away if I was full. With bypass, I'm not feeling restriction so it's difficult. I have been weighing and tracking everything. I'm hoping once I'm healed I will feel some restriction. I'm not getting in 64oz of fluid and I'm wondering if this could be the issue. Why are we so dehydrated after WLS? UGH. I love bypass as I had complications with the sleeve right out of surgery. Is there anything I can do for this nausea? I have read some older posts that the 3 week mark tends to be like this but improves around 6 to 8 weeks. I hope so cause I feel pukey. TIA ❤️

I had my parents come for a week, although they stayed in a nearby hotel because I have a small apartment. They live about 5 hours away. It was great for them to come for emotional support, but honestly, that was about all that was really needed. The surgery center made clear that I was supposed to be doing all of the fixing of food etc. My mom kept saying "let me do that," but I kept reminding her I needed to do it myself. It was good to have them for the laundry (mostly getting smaller clothes out of storage and sheets and towels, but that could have waited another week) and dishes (again, mostly what they were using as I was only eating liquids like protein shakes and yogurt). I was in a lot of pain so it was nice to have them here, but it did make it harder to sleep during the day as my mom can't sit still and kept asking me what else she could do 😐Now that they have left, I have asked a fried to buy me a case of protein drinks (I had one brand I liked) and bring them into my apartment because they are too heavy to lift. If you have a complication, that would be a different issue. Oh, I didn't try stairs until about day 4, but they turned out to be a non-issue. However, sleeping in a bed was hard because it was very hard to get up from lying down due to incision pain (felt like I had done about a million sit ups). I suspect that will be harder than the stairs to your bedroom. If you have a wedge pillow and can sleep on your back, that may be helpful. Other people have suggested recliners, but I don't have one. best of luck!

I am sorry to hear that you are having a hard time after the surgery. Thank you for sharing your story, as those who are also struggling will see that they are not alone, or can see if their complications are similar. It is also good to share your experience because there may be others that have had already gone through what you're going through, and can give you advice. Many people researching the surgery may also interested in hearing about possible complications they might experience. I hope that your complications improve & you are feeling better.

I still see my surgeon annually, although I know others who switched over to seeing their PCP instead after the first year or two. As long as they know which labs you need and you don't have any complications, it should be OK.

I did gain some weight back but not enough to qualify. This is considered a complication and therefore not coded as a gastric bypass. I hope I can get the weight I put on back off though. It’s about 25 pounds. Small in the big picture but feels significant to me.

Hi! I just signed up with Bariatric Pal, so I'm unsure how this works! I am not tech savvy! My surgery will probably be scheduled for October or November. I have fulfilled my six month insurance requirements and have gotten approved! That is, if I don't back out of having it! I've worked so hard getting here, but now I'm unsure and dealing with some other personal issues that may affect my decision! I go back and forth with it every day! I'm 65 years old and have been obese for about 20 years now, so I still remember what it is like to be thin and miss myself! But now, it is more for health reasons that I must do this surgery or lose weight on my own! I was 259 when I first signed up for program. Now I am 229 after 6 months on diet.I did great the first three months, but it gets harder because I do not like vegetables and I do not like to cook, so I am not eating as well as I should. This high protein, low carb diet is supposed to be for life, so I'm worried about sticking to it! I'm more scared about complications after surgery than I am the surgery, although I don't like the idea of that either! Im questionsing why I'm getting this done, since I did lose some without it. Will it really make it easier because I won't be hungry? Or, will I just get sick if I eat wrong or too much!! Good luck to all y'all!

Thank you so much for the many constructive and helpful responses. To clarify my worries, here it is distilling them to two points of greatest concern: Ability to incorporate good fats into a post-gastric-sleeve diet The foundation of my current diet (that I would be happy to keep for the rest of my life) consists of lots of vegetables, moderate amounts of high-quality protein, and the inclusion of a good amount of healthy fats (avocado, EVOO, butter, animal fats from pastured, organically raised animals). This is supposed to help the body adapt to regularly burning fat (whether from the diet or from our own fat stores), and to much more easily reach satiety and control hunger, in addition to the various documented nutritional benefits of these fats. I read over and over again about directives to keep post-bariatric diets very low fat for the rest of the life of the patient. Also various posts from patients about not being able to tolerate fats and struggling with digestive issues. How much of a problem is this universally (realizing and respecting that everyone's body, digestive system, and hormonal balance are different)? Ability to do fasting and support periodic zero-protein day(s) I have started to incorporate time-restricted eating (16/8) with great success and starting on my first 36-hour fast over the weekend. I have not only had great results on the scale, but starting to see amazing physiologic benefits outside of simply lowering my body weight. I definitely would want to have the ability to have a longer (3 day?) fast once in a while to trigger autophagy and reap some of the other benefits related to insulin and metabolic issues. I realize that for a period following surgery I would have to be adhering to the physician-prescribed diet aimed to maximize healing and avoid complications. But what is the situation six months or a year down the line? Can I incorporate fasting then, or am I eternally tethered to a 70g-minimum-per-day protein intake that I cannot violate without risking my health? Your help and insight are appreciated!

Hello September 2021 VSG team! I had my procedure 14 Sept 2021 and have regrets thus far. I’m 9 days post op and we’ll on my way to recovery with little to no adverse complications to report. Weight loss 9 days post op 14 pds. I have found this app/form immensely informative and appreciate each and every tidbit of the individuals experience included in this shared journey. Be well.

Glad you're home and getting better! I had a complication from the blood thinner too so I know ALL about the "passing." Yeah... it was no fun. My blood pressure dropped to 70/34 and that was lying down. My hemoglobin dropped 5 pts, and I ended up with 5 units of blood and emergency surgery. Fun times, but as soon as that was done, I recovered just like I was supposed to and haven't had a problem since. I hope your continued journey is as smooth as mine has been! Good luck!

I turned 5 months post op September 14th. I lost 81 pounds so far and 3 pounds away from my goal weight but wouldn't mind losing more or maintaining my weight. No regrets from surgery I do suffer from minor complications like with occasional severe heartburn. Also the foamies from slightly overeating or drinking too quickly after lunch which leaves me with severe nausea and my mouth salvating for hours until my food digest. But overall im very happy I had the surgery

I'm in preop waiting and so scared. Not of the surgery but potential complications long term

I have had zero pain. Up until today. I had surgery on the 8th so just over a week ago. I’ve lost zero weight. I’m following the diet perfectly. But today, I get a pain that’s just under my left side rib cage. Sometimes it’s on my left side where my ribs are but deeper. I heard leaks can be a complication. I’m terrified of that!