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You certainly need to get a second, and probably third, opinion to find out what's going on; they should be able to explain to you, in layman's terms, what your situation is and what the options are for treating it. That is usually a straightforward and insurable step here in the States, but I don't know what hoops you may have to jump through in the UK. It does sound like something's not right in what they did (which is why you want a second, impartial and uninvolved opinion,) as strictures are not common with sleeves that are done correctly; they are common and easily treated with an endoscopic dilation in and RNY, and that may work with a sleeve stricture, or may not depending on what caused it (usually a misshaping of the sleeve.) I did quite a bit of research on these topics a few years ago when they found a cancerous polyp in my stomach; fortunately it was very early and all treatable endoscopically, but all of these various options were discussed and researched. There are some Facebook groups specifically for patients with partial or total gastrectomies, which is what they are proposing for you. The most common approach here, and what it sounds like they are proposing for you, is a Billroth 2 gastrectomy, which has been around for about 140 years, and is the basis of the RNY gastric bypass, The main difference between a partial or total gastrectomy is whether they can use some of the remaining stomach to form an RNY like pouch (partial) or remove all of the stomach and attach the esophagus directly to a loop of intestine, or an additional roux limb as in the RNY, and form "stomach" pouch in the intestine where the esophagus is attached. So, going without the stomach is possible and entirely livable (there are several books on Amazon about "eating without a stomach" which go over what is basically a normal bariatric diet progression.) To the surgeons I was dealing with (at a major regional cancer center,) the total gastrectomy was a much bigger deal surgically and recovery wise than the partial, as attaching the esophagus directly into the intestine was a much touchier procedure with a more extended recovery and healing time (on a feeding tube for several months,) than going through even a small pouch of stomach tissue - something else to consider with whatever choice you have in surgeons (try to find one who has done a lot of these.) One of the things that stood out as fairly common amongst the Facebook group was problems with bile reflux, and you can see how that could easily happen by looking at the altered anatomy. The surgeon I was dealing with said that he did not experience those problems if he kept the various limbs within certain minimum lengths (which presumably some other surgeons didn't do in order to minimize malabsorption and weight loss,) so another point to consider in finding a surgeon who has some direct experience with these problems.

I am having a bypass on 25th October. I'm UK based so not had to lose any weight beforehand and so I'm currently around 270lbs and 5ft 8inches tall. I start my pre-op on October 11th and it's a yogurt and soup diet which should be relatively ok as I love both. Not sure if I'll love both at the end of the two weeks though!! Best of luck to all of you having surgeries early October!

Bypass 4-11

Wow, you've been through a lot! I've never heard of a revision like that before, nor that they did further revisions once you had the rny! What you described is my major fear, to have the surgery then have it creep back on despite me following all the rules! Thank you for sharing, yes it is maddening..I have my 6 week next week, I plan on discussing it with them at that time!

It’s a very different situation. I had RNY back in 2004. I lost a lot of weight and maintained it for 18 months. Then it started creeping back on. When I was finally ready for a revision (somewhere around 2014-ish, different team), the team kept losing my endoscopy results. I finally lost interest. In the last few years, I’ve felt ready to try again. My insurance has changed, as have revision methods. My insurance approved a procedure called Endoscopy with Argon Plasma Coagulation. They make the opening to the stomach pouch smaller by zapping it and creating scar tissue, making it smaller. I had the first procedure in 2022. Unfortunately, the surgeon didn’t tell me that there were more to come. No one reached out to schedule the next procedure. I assumed that the revision consisted of that one procedure. That’s why I thought the revision wasn’t working for me. When I spoke with my surgeon, she was surprised that I had done as well as I had with just that one time, as well as the fact that no one had contacted me to schedule the next procedure. I’ve had the second procedure, and I have continued to lose weight. I know the stalls are maddening, and if it continues for more than a few weeks, talk to your surgeon.

Hello everyone I am considering the Sadie over gastric bypass. I spoke with the dietician about the Sadie procedure and everything seemed good but then she tells me I might have involuntary diarrhea. Also I may have very smelly bms and gas. Does anyone have any info about this? I really don't want to end up in diapers Thanks

Thank you for responding! My bowel movements are daily so that isn't the issue. I've read stalls are common, but I wasn't expecting one only 3 weeks post op! May I ask, you said you checked with your doctor when you had a stall? Then you had a revision? I had a RNY, what more could they revise at that point? I'm sticking with the program..don't really have a choice even if I didn't want too...major surgery done..no going back. 😋 I know its fairly common to experience these stalls, but, it doesn't make it easier its still frustrating!

Has anybody had surgery in Mexico bariatric Center in Tijuana Mexico? Could you share your experience? Thinking abt getting a revision DS there.

Most, if not all, of us have experienced a stall in weight loss not long after having the surgery. Check your bowels; you may be constipated. Just stick with the program. Talk to your surgeon, if you don’t see progress. I did that and discovered that I had had only the first of several procedures in my revision surgery.

Bypass patients, is it the same for gastric sleeve patients? All, thank you soooooo sooo much for your feedback and assistance! I cherish you all so very much. I did get some children's ibuprofen but haven't taken it yet. I just wondered if it would be okay to take in a pinch of tylenol didn't do its thing. I also worry about liver health. I hope you are all doing awesome!

You are right it is a long term thing. For a little perspective - You will be eating something for the rest of your life. The choice is do you eat something that will nourish your own body or eat empty calories that do nothing for nobody and make your body be sick and have to struggle through life? You got this. Pick yourself up and rejoice in life. Start a new hobby or make a new friend. Do something that you enjoy that doesnt involve copious amounts of food. Having the sleeve is just another stepping stone. It will provide you with more skills and more control with food. It will be worthwhile. Health is a long term goal. You wont see changes every single day but they will happen if you take care of the body that helps you get around in this world. The days turn into months and the months turn into years. If your are trying to heal your emotions with food you will fail every time. Decide. You really can do this. A year on from having the bypass - I can go for walks. I sleep much better. I can buy clothes in a normal store. I am more confident and I now more active in community groups. I have made new friends. I can take care of myself and not need to rely on others. I feel so much better in my own skin. You really do want to give yourself the gift of life. You got this.

I'm almost 15 months out from my original surgery and 3 months out from my revision. These numbers are where I was at when I hit around 10 months out and I've pretty much stayed here because I'm used to it. I was told I could go up if I want, and I may go up to 1200 on non work out days and 1400 on workouts since I'm doing heavier and longer workouts now. But with the smaller stomachs that we have, and the frequency we're supposed to eat, and the kinds of things we're supposed to eat, it is actually a lot easier to stay at the lower calorie amounts. You definitely shouldn't be anywhere near 2000 per day.

The issue at hand here is that NSAIDs are a big NO-NO for bypass patients, owing to quirks of the bypass anatomy, specifically that the anastomosis where the stomach pouch is tied to the intestines (the stoma) is at a downstream part of the intestine that is not acid tolerant, as the duodenum is (the part of the intestine immediately downstream of the normal stomach.) Consequently, that stoma is easily irritated by the acid from the pouch, and doesn't need any additional stress from stomach irritating medications such as NSAIDs. The most common place for ulcers in a bypass patient is at the stoma. The sleeve based procedures like the VSG or DS don't have that problem as the normal anatomy is preserved in that respect. It still pays to be cautious as the stomach has been cut and reduced, but all the suture lines are amongst normal acid resistant stomach tissues, so there isn't nearly the sensitivity that there is in the bypass. Many practices simply carry over their bypass experience and advice to their sleeve patients owing to an (over)abundance of caution, simplicity, and their lack of direct experience with the sleeve and NSAIDs. When I had my sleeve around twelve years ago, our surgeon's advice was to use them as needed post op as soon as the narcotic pain relievers were no longer appropriate (so, within a week or two,) though when I talked to him more recently he was more of a mind of within a few months post op.

Hello! This is my first post on this Forum about that and maybe you can give me some insight. i'm 3 weeks post op from Germany and i have a RNY-Bypass i'm okay so far no pain enough fluid struggle with food which is normal this early i guess. the Question i really have, i use to watch a lot of youtubers for meal plans and "how my future could look" and most of them just say "i did have a bypass" but not specifically which one, i once heard that the RNY bypass will always have way smaller portions than the Omega-sleeve and i'd like to ask if thats True and i'm also very Intrested to hear how your Portionsizes are after lets say, 3 year Post op. thanks and have a great day

I saw this Swedish study linked to the one you posted: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35595650/ They found that continuous use of NSAIDs in bypass patients for 30+ days was a significant risk for ulcers, but temporary use was not. Additionally, they found no association between NSAID exposure and peptic ulcers in sleeve patients. So it seems you might be right about the extreme use of caution (to avoid being sued). Not to say anyone should disregard medical advice, but it does help to put the risk into perspective.

Update: Gastric Bypass Date 8/16/2023 Starting weight 376 Current 334.2 Down 42 pounds Note: No pain at all, not hungry. Do I miss a large pizza and a movie yes... Would I make same choice to do surgery yes I want to be active again..

What surgery did you have? When I had my sleeve, I was so sensitive to temperature of liquids, amounts, had to sip very slowly. When I had my revision to bypass, I was able to drink an entire 20oz of water 3 hours after surgery and haven't had any issues at all. Some people on here had to take it slow when they got home, some were able to just jump in and drink however much they wanted. I was in both camps.

OMG, ok here's what happened. So last night, for the first time in a year and a half, I was finally in the mood for some ham (lost my liking of pork for a long time). So hubby made a hickory smoked, spiral cut ham. OMG it was AMAZING. I took a tentative bite and it was like a FLAVOR EXPLOSION in my mouth. So delicious!!! I was so excited to actually like it again that I scarfed it down. Like, I ate all 3 ounces of ham in under a minute. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT do that. Ever. Once you have your surgery (especially if it's the bypass) DO NOT EVER EVER EVER scarf your food. Even if you want to. Even if it's the greatest food in the history of all food ever. Do NOT eat it quickly. Go slow and chew it. Pretend you're a train and CHEW CHEW it. About 5 minutes after I finished eating, I was in hell. OMG. The pain, the stuck feeling, the "omg my stomach is gonna burst" feeling, the nausea, the praying to ALL the deities and making bargains and deals and swearing to never do it again...it all started. I was MISERABLE all night. And I DO mean all night. So learn from me, people. NOTHING tastes good enough to make that TERRIBLE behavior even remotely worth it. Be very mindful about what you eat, how fast you eat it, and how much of it you eat. This concludes my TED talk.

7 years for me. I have hiatal hernia and asthma. My bypass date is the 5th of October. Please do as much reading as you can. The LRD is horrible but it’s worth it. I live in the uk so it’s different but covid didn’t help at all. Good luck and I hope yours doesn’t take as long as. X

they tell me about 4 months - insurance requirement. I do not have a surgery date as of yet but sometime in November. Have health issues is the main reason for the gastric sleeve. so far I have had a psych evaluation, 2 dietitians visits - useless in my mind. a endoscopy because of a hernia surgery 18 years ago, had to see the cardiologist because of the heart bypass I had 7 years ago, EKG and stress test just for his clearance. have 1 more appointment with my nephrologist because he will not clear me until there is a surgery date due to the fact, he doesn't like the fact I am cutting carbs and eating too much protein. I understand that because of the fact that I have stage 3 kidney Dease with only 1 kidney working. So, more labs a chat before he clears me. have to visit my endocrinologist because of my diabetes, have to make a plan to resolve the insulin resistance before surgery and then right after to check how my medications will need to be adjusted. Have to point out that all these doctors insist that surgery is no longer a choice but more of what is needed. my family also insist that I have surgery. Am hesitant about it to be totally honest. I feel that I do not overeat and have been on sugar free diet for 15 years now. But have tried and failed too many times on various diets never losing more that 15 lbs before hitting some kind of plateau and stall for weeks. So frustrating. I am going forward to have the sleeve. will post my progress as I know more.

I initially had the sleeve and was told I could maybe try it at 18 months out, but it was very heavily discouraged. I had a revision to bypass and was told absolutely no forever.

I don't know which surgery you had, but it's more of an issue with bypass than it is with sleeve (although my surgeon forbids it for either surgery). Although the PA at my clinic once told me that I could take it on a VERY OCCASIONAL basis...like if I have a terrible headache that Tylenol is doing nothing for. But again, only very occasionally. After eight plus years, though, I still haven't taken any. I take Tylenol for headaches. It doesn't do as good of a job as ibuprofen, but it does help.

I've found different foods to process differently (bypass +hiatal hernia repair, June 6th of this year). My wife made a Bolognese sauce (ground turkey) that went down like it was meant to, and caused no gastro-intestinal distress. @Penguin733, fwiw, I suspect that at 7 weeks, I was just getting into real food. I got religion when I got stopped up, and got the "foamies." Talking to surgeon, and folks here, I was told to measure or weigh. I now know better what I can eat, both in terms of volume and nature of the the food. (FWIW, I had a nice small loin lamb chop tonight and et the whole thing!). Give yourself some time and also recognize that some foods are harder to digest than others; if you look at the surgical procedure that you underwent, you'll understand that there is a stronger filter in place than before; that can help you lose weight. In my case, it also reduced the amount of gastric acid blowing back up my esophagus, which was the driver for me. I've also lost a massive amount of weight in a short time. I respect what this operation can do.

I went to see my GP this week to get some testing done. I actually looked forward to going, knowing things would to be better than the last time I saw her pre-op. She along with everyone in the office flipped out when they saw me. I'm down over 80 pounds in 5 months. The nurse said I lost a small person. LOL I could fit comfortably in the chair when they drew my blood. You know that little table that folds down in from of you? I had room to spare. She asked if I was having fun buying new clothes. I told her yes. I love thrifting and now able to get around to do it. The head nurse had to come in and take a gander at me. She called me yesterday and told me my bloodwork results were amazing. Everything is in normal range now. I am no longer pre-diabetic. Even my liver and kidney functions are normal. Those things scared me the most and my main reason to get the Gastric Bypass. Don't ever let anyone tell you those things aren't reversable. My GP said she can't believe my numbers. Told me all her sleeve patients don't have these kinds of results in a year, even after prescribing them Ozempic. She sees patients from a local surgeon who only does the sleeve with no follow up support. I'm guessing most of those people aren't following any protocol because I see the good results on here, every day, of sleevers' success stories. I love reading them. I went out of town to get my bypass in April that thankfully has a great Bariatric support team. I go back to see them for my 6-month checkup Oct 11. They did a vitamin panel on me last time and all was well except my B12 was a bit high but nothing to worry about. And I go back in January for my annual physical with GP. Was told they can hopefully start taking me off my meds. I will be closer to goal weight by then. Something else to look forward to.

Hey, @Jlw1403. I had my bypass + hiatal hernia repair on June 6th of this year. The operation went fine, and being on liquid, then pureed, all the various stages, wasn't hard, I just wanted more. I took the supplements (multi + iron, and calcium) but as I progressed now more than 3 months out, I'm less hungry, find a lot of food or the thought of it, almost distasteful, and have to force myself to eat. Drinking liquids is not a problem simply b/c I get dehydrated, especially in the Texas heat. You should talk to your surgeon/dietician and see if there is any physical reason why you are having a problem. I would not do it in an accusatory fashion- more in the "I need help here " vein. I think, from what I've read here, that everyone's experience varies. It's like we all have different sensitivities to certain foods after the surgery, but-at least to me, you should be able to intake the basic minimum-- I was OK with the Max Protein drinks for about 2.5 months- then I found them gag worthy and couldn't digest them. I'm told it's about sips, not guzzling, but still. It is a pretty serious surgery- one that has a ton written about it in the med journals, and pretty safe in terms of outcomes. But tolerance for food and drink is probably very individualized. Get help. You don't have to suffer.