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My Doctor said that a reinforced gastric sleeve is to prevent bleeding and staple-line leak, which are the most common complications. They first staple the sleeve and then sew it.

My surgery is November 20th and I can't wait! I feel like my life is on hold until then. I have a wonderful husband and a great life but I hate the way that I look and I'll let it limit me so much. I want to start letting myself fully enjoy life, and be happy with myself. I of course have my fears......complications.....regain....failure...will it work for me? But I have never doubted this is what I need to do since I made the decision to have surgery. I'm 3 weeks I will be starting my 1 week liquid preop diet! I wouldn't mind skipping that part! Lol..but it will all be worth it.

Had surgery 4/26 no complications down feon 234 to 168

I have Regence Blueshield of Idaho insurance and they specifically exclude any treatment or surgery related to weight loss, including complications that arise from any such treatments. (Despite paying over $3500 in premiums to them every year....F.....ers!) anyways, I've researched several other insurance companies in Idaho and they are all the same (ditto to previous exclamation). Does anyone have individual insurance in Idaho that has had bariatric surgery covered? I'm going to self pay for the surgery itself because I'm not about to kiss their as....es and jump though all their hoops, but I was hoping to have coverage for any post op complications that may arise. Thanks!

I have had significant left side and shoulder pain since I got the Lap-Band placed, August 6, 2013. I know that it is due to the phrenic-vagus nerve being stimulated. This nerve has to do with breathing and eating as well as your eyes and sinuses. I had very significant pain there directly post-op, but I passed it off as gas pains. Since recovery, I have had pain there at almost all times. I have not been able to sleep on my left side for 11 months, making my right hip have joint problems (that's a whole other issue though). I am wanting to know if anyone has had experience with this? My surgeon is recommending a complete unfill, so I will have an inactive band, causing me nerve damage (I have 5cc in my 10cc band, no restriction). I understand that this pain can be common to have sporadically, but is usually not constant as it is with me. I have been in pain that is significant enough to keep me from going to work and school. Has anyone else had an experience with a complication like this? Or does anyone know of the complications that my band rubbing against a nerve could have long term? If so, what was done to treat this issue? I am only 18, so I was planning to have this band in for the long haul, not to have serious complications haha. Thanks!

Stalls happens to nearly everyone. Personally I suspect that the people who do not hit stalls also find valuable antiques at garage sales, win free cruises and never get traffic tickets. I stalled from week 3-7 (but did not know because I did not weigh myself except at the doctor), then I suspect I stalled multiple times after that too. I still made it to where I needed to be. Bariatric teams usually stress the importance of hydration over food at this point post surgery. There is usually more concern from the complications of dehydration vs low calorie intake - we are trying to use the excess stored fat after all. Ask your team if it is okay to only eat the amount you are comfortable with and at the frequency that works for you. The extended eating time frame is usually for when we start solids. Most of the time If we hold up our end of the bargain (mentally), our bodies will do the same. It will all come together eventually and life after WLS will not always feel like a chore. Good Luck!

Hi, I had weight loss surgery when I was 63 and I am now 65 . I have been sleeved of 2 1/2 years. I lost 105 pounds on my journey. So I do know a little about what I am going to say. I have done what you want to do or have already done. So I have been thinking about this. WHY do so many of our friends not say Yay! or I am happy for you? 1. They know NOTHING about weight loss surgery let alone when we say we are have the "sleeve" done? 2. They have not heard of any positive things about WLS. 3. They are scared for us because we are having some kind of surgery they no nothing about. 4. They think we are having gastric bypass (we know it isn't but they don't) and they have heard nothing but bad thing when it comes to this surgery. Dumping, malnutrition, people gaining weight back again, because they have stretched out their pouch. 5. The are sure we are going to die during the surgery.:thumbs_down: 6. They have never had a weight problem in their life.:censored: 7. They view this as the easy way out--it take more courage to have this surgery than to do nothing at all, but they beleive it is the easy way out. 8. How will you stop losing weight. 9. Is this healthy--they are sure it isn't.:hurt: 10. It cost too much money and you will never keep the weight off and WHY if you are over 60 would you want to do this to yourself? So those are the top ten reason I can think of that the people are thinking all these things. I think if we are willing to talk more about it to them "AFTER" we have had the surgery and explain things to them--I say educate the uneducated friends that we have, they may be more willing to listen. There are so many people that just can't image that we would have surgery to lose weight, so they really have to see with their own eyes that you are OK and healthy and this is working for you. I know you want their support, but honestly sometimes it is just not going to happen. This isn't something that we just woke up one morning and said hey I think I will have someone remove 80% of my stomach and then I will solve all my weight issues. We thought about this for a long time, we did some research, we checked with other people and joined web sites to educated ourselves. So, don't let the uneducated people in your life stop you from doing what you know is right for you. If you had a tooth ache you would go see a dentist to get it fixed--and they would think that is the right thing to do. We have an addiction to food and an emotional connection to food. What is wrong with going and getting the help we need to stop our addiction. This is our tool that we are going to use to accomplish the weight loss with. It isn't a magical cure by any means. It takes time, work and effort on our part to become successful. A little support along the way also helps a heap! Finding the right doctor to trust our life with and one who is highly skilled in the field of WLS is the next step. For me that was Dr. Aceves, and I can't say enough kind words about him and his skills and he GREAT staff and wonderful hospital. I knew at 63 if I was going to take this giant step, it had to be with someone that I trusted and that had done a lot of these with no complications and was a skilled surgeon. So when the next person you talk to rolls their eyes around because you are over 60 and going to have weight loss surgery, please just have some patients with them. The are very UNEDUCATED. We will work at educating them and letting them know that this really isn't about them at all. It is ALL about you and you have earned and deserved the right to have this surgery. You will be making a lifestyle change and not be on a diet any more. You are going to put yourself first, for the first time in a long time. I want you to feel good about what you are doing because it is going to be a life changing event that is going to be so fabulous. Someone is going to call your "skinny" for the first time and you are going to smile and say "yes" I did it. I am here every step of the way to assist, you and help you. I will answer your million questions you may have and help you deal with the emotions that you are feeling. I want you to know that you are doing the right thing by wanting to become healthy and add years to your life. Hugs to you and you go for what you want in life. If not now then WHEN???? Suzanne

there have been many posts about this during the months I've been a member here, so I can fairly confidently give you the general response and summary...most people have no complications and have said they could actually go back to work within a week's time if they had an office job for sure...because of low energy levels, I would have had a hard time doing a full day of my desk job after just one week...I had planned to take 2 weeks off, and I think that was a good plan...because I had the opportunity to do so and had the leave time accrued, I went ahead and took a third week off and worked some from home...it wasn't a recovery issue but just some adjustment time I decided to give myself before returning to work

I have a desk job & took 2 weeks. Had surgery 7/2, no complications, & will be going back 7/16. I do expect to be pretty tired that week though.

On December 21st I had gastric bypass and my gallbladder removed during the same surgery. My gastric bypass was no issues at all. I had multiple complications with my gallbladder removal and was in the hospital for 14 nights. I was wondering if anyone else had done this and if so how was there outcome?

One year ago today was the beginning of the rest of my life. The past year has been an absolute blessing. I have truly enjoyed everyday of my journey and I am still in total bliss with my sleeve. This has been one of the best decisions I have ever made. I feel absolutely wonderful. I have not felt this good in more than a decade. Of course the weight loss has done wonders for my self esteem and self image. It feels wonderful to have people constantly telling you how good you look and being able to receive it because it is true. I love my life. I love how I feel. I really like how I look. Everything is going really great. I have not had one complication. I could not have asked for a better experience.

Hello James, Thank you so much for sharing that information. It was very informative and you look great. It has been 10 months for me since I had gastric bypass and have many challenges. I am definitely going to keep this maintain a phase in mind. I am in my goal weight due to TPN that I receive because before I was underweight due to all my complications. I have gained a few pounds but I am where I am suppose to me. I still having problems keeping food down most of the time. I wonder if I am doing something wrong.

I am extremely nervous about the surgery tomorrow. I just want everything to go smoothly with out any complications.

So I had 4 appointments yesterday...3 revolving around my sleeve and the other one was my dentist. My appointments were with my nutritionist, fitness trainer (part of my weight loss program), and my sleep specialist. Good news is I weighed in at 257 pounds! I don't have any complications and it seems I might be able to stop taking my nexium. Bad news is my premier protein shakes that I have had to drink twice a day have been staining my teeth! Ugh. So I guess I am going to have to switch from my chocolate version to a lighter color when I'm done with the 3 boxes I just bought from costco. My nutritionist appointment went fairly well. She doesn't have any real concerns. I learned that I have, once again, not been getting enough calories in. I average around 600 calories a day. According to her, others at this stage are already up to 1000 calories. I was concerned and asked her if this is going to affect my metabolism because it has been 3 months, basically, since my body has been in a severe calorie deficit. She recommended that I try real hard to get my calories close to 1000, but no more than 1200 so I don't hit stalls etc. I think if I could manage to eat that many calories, then I would lose weight more consistently and hit less stalls. My other appointment with my fitness trainer went well. She was impressed and very supportive about all the steps I am taking to be more active. I expressed a little disappointment with how "slow" my weight loss has been considering all the effort I put in and the first thing she asked me was, "are you getting enough calories?" So, right now, my calories are my main focus. I don't think I am a slow loser, but I think the weight should be coming off quicker considering my age, bmi, and activity level. I have always, in the past, lost weight fairly quickly so I feel something is just a little bit off. I am putting every effort into eating more calories. This is a daily struggle for me. I feel the only time I can manage upwards of 800 calories is if I eat slider foods, fried foods, or high sugar foods...all of which I want to try and avoid. I am still figuring all this out and am extremely frustrated!!! I never would have thought that I would be frustrated because I am having difficulty getting enough food!!! I want to do everything I can to keep the weight coming off at a consistent pace with no stalls. The only issue right now is that I am not eating enough calories to support my intense workouts. Yesterday, I tried real hard. I basically ate from the time I woke up until I went to bed. As soon as I could eat something...I did. I even let my husband take me to Ruby Tuesday's thinking this could help up my calories. At the end of the day, I did reach 1200 calories, but I felt crappy and overly full. I actually felt extremely tired like I was going to pass out...I think from eating too much. I don't like how I felt yesterday! Today, I wasn't hungry ALL DAY. I drank most of my meals. So I am sort of at a loss. If I stuff myself just to get my calories in, but am not hungry the whole next day, then what? All in all, I don't want to stuff myself. I want to just eat normally when I'm hungry. I guess I just need to find higher calorie foods or make them. I am extremely dedicated in upping my calories because I truly feel that my weight loss will be better and more consistent. Oh and I am definitely losing some hair. No one can tell, but me because I have soooo much hair! My brush has extra hair in it, my rubberbands, and the hair catcher has extra hair. I hope it doesn't get too bad, but it was still worth getting my sleeve.

Yup. I came home from the hospital at 9 days post-op (I had non-surgical complications) and when I weighed myself a week later I was down 19 pounds. I was worried I wouldn't lose any more weight after I came home, but in my second month I was down another 10 pounds.

You're very welcome - I wish I had found that BEFORE I did my two week diet! This is a good place, we've been where you are. Don't be ashamed about slip-ups, no one here is perfect. From what you've said, I think you'll be fine but I'm hardly qualified on medical issues. Call your surgeon on Monday, tell them about the cheating to avoid any complications, and see what they say.

I did adjustments when i felt i neeeded them. I listened to my body and paid attention to how much I was eating. I was in the green zone probably after my 2nd fill.. around 6 months passed (i lost most of my weight during that time) then suddenly it felt like i could eat much more. So after that i would get filled .. realise it was too tight and have to get unfilled...never got back to the green zone. My advice is listen to your body... dont have your band too tight as this will contribute to complications down the road. I believe i was successful mainly because i was using the band as a tool.. so even if i was hungry i tried to make good choices. I hope that helps. How are you feeling now?

Hello mogelqueen, can u tell more abt sleeves... How it feels? Wt were ur complications?

Congratulations on your removal. Did you realize that Dr Garcia could have done the revision for you at a nominal fee? This is of course if you didn't have complications. I only paid $500.00 extra to have my band removed and sleeve done in same surgery. Good Luck with your sleeve, you have chosen the right surgeon to do it, he is amazingly skilled!!

I think you keep doing what you are doing. Keep reading up, get all the reliable information you can. Talk with your surgeon. Build trust in your doctors and the process. Vent when you need to, this forum is chock full of successful sleevers. Yes, you will come across those that had complications, but that is the reality or any surgical procedure. It is just as important to know the possible risks involved. Only you will know when you are comfortable enough to move forward. Good luck!

My surgeon straight up told me that if you have 100+ pounds to lose he doesn't recommend the band as average weight loss is only about 50 pounds. Since I've been in this process I have seen many on here that had terrible complications with the band since it's a foreign object in your body. Do your research- it might be right for you but it definately wasn't the choice for me.

Who I am now isn't so important as how I came to be this person, wife, mother, grandmother, sister. The history is what formed me, challenged me to overcome, compelled me to do better than those who came before me. I was born near the mid-point of the last century, in a large western US city. My parents married because they had conceived me when my mom was 16. My birth father was 19. As it turned out, he was a violent paranoid schizophrenic and a pedophile. My mom was later Dx with Borderline Personality disorder. I won't go into detail, suffice it to say that my earliest memories are horrific. My two younger brothers and I suffered the abuse and neglect until I was 9 1/2 years old, when a neighbor girl was assaulted by my birth father, he was arrested and sent to a state psychiatric hospital for treatment. I was taken in to protective custody for four days, while my mother was investigated and cleared of complicity in my abuse. He was not allowed within 300 miles of me, upon his release, 4 years later. When I was 14, he committed suicide. My mom had remarried in 1960 to a wonderful man I refer to as Dad. He earned my trust, respect and love. They had two more little boys in the two years following their marriage. My Dad died of sleep apnea in 1978, we were all devastated and heartbroken...it was the undoing of my mom and my dearest brother. My mom turned to scotch for comfort, inviting my 17 year old brother to be her drinking partner. My mom died 8 miserable years later of pancreatic cancer. Those 8 years were awful, watching my mom decline, my brothers suffer. She raged constantly, told me often that I had no idea of her pain, her suffering. She made life a living hell for her family and circle of friends. She was diagnosed and died in 12 short weeks later. My brother died 14 years later, the victim of a predatory female who took advantage of his alcoholism, a recent injury, subbed his Rx pain Meds with extra strength Tylenol. Took him 3 weeks to die of liver failure, on our dad's birthday. My heart was broken. This brother was the first male I had in my life who loved me unconditionally. He was born when I was 11 and he was like a son to me. He was my husband's best buddy, my kids favorite uncle, everybody loved him. Yes, he was an alcoholic, very high functioning, but losing him was the saddest event of my life to date. My brother has been gone for 12 years...I think of him every day. I remember my little grandkids running up to the car when I'd arrive at their house, all four of them would climb in the car hugging me, asking me "...is you sad? Did your Brubbie die? Sorry *****, usses loves you! ". They did this for months, until I finally told them I felt better because they healed my broken heart. I have 8 grandkids 6 teens, 2 in their twenties. The youngest 4 are all the same age, 3 identical girls and a boy. I am blessed. Of my four siblings, two have passed. The oldest, died at age 51 as a transient. He inherited the mental illness genes and I never saw him after my mother's death. The next oldest lives in NM, his mind ravaged by years of alcohol and drug abuse. We have minimal contact thru FB. The youngest has never been able to form healthy relationships with anyone...I see him once per year when he comes to visit. He misses his big brother too. He tells me that his true home is wherever I am. I wish my mom had let me take him when he was 15 and she went on her 8 year binge. So...this is my emotional history, in a nutshell. The other stuff doesn't matter, except to say that my family is healthy, successful and happy. We celebrate often, mourn together when the time comes and love and support each other faithfully. My kids have all been married to their HS sweethearts for over 20 years each. We have done better than the generation before us...the bar was low on my side, but my husband and his family were great role models. I'm thankful every day for their love, support and example. I miss them painfully.

Oh ok that could also be it but its hard since I'm going to the gym already and burning about 400-500 calories on cardio machines but I wasn't sure if I needed to make them up cause I do try to stay between 800 calories but if I subtract what I burn I'm left with only 300-400 calories maybe I should slow down. This journey is so complicated sometimes but it will be worth it in the end thanks for your feed back:)

I haven't had any complications with the band. I have gained some weight back lately, but it was due to my own problems and had nothing to do with the band. I had gotten down to 192.4 and now I am back up to 207 :rolleyes2: it wasn't the fault of the band...it was just me. The only "problem" I had was when I went in for my first fill they had some trouble finding it and had to wiggle the needle around a little bit (doesn't really hurt, just felt weird) other than that things have been great!!!

So sorry to hear of all your troubles! Please hang on to that determination and hope you've mentioned throughout your post - you will get to the other side of this. This isn't your fault, it's an unfortunate series of events and complications that could have happened to any of us. I'm sure your husband is upset and scared, rather than hating you. One thing to consider is getting another opinion. The best physicians can benefit from consulting with others, and in no way implies he doesn't know what he's doing. I'm sending prayers and good thoughts your way for a speedy recovery.Please keep us posted as to your progress!