Search the Community

My weight remained around the same but I had a revision at my goal weight. Also my surgeon was modest with the length of my bypass (less than 150) because he was adamant that I shouldn’t lose more much weight (his preference from his experience- YMMV) For me, It is not the same restriction as the VSG. The VSG was a mid chest tightness like something was stuck. RNY feels like a lower abdomen fullness of eating way too much. I always try to stop before I get to that point. But I can eat pretty much the same amount with the RNY as with the VSG. I hope that helps ❤️

I'm almost 3 weeks post-op and have only lost 6 pounds. I'm down a clothing size and halved my blood pressure medicine dose, cut my insulin by 2/3, and have been taken off one diabetes medication. I'm thrilled with that progress but admittedly a little bummed with the scale number not going down much. My surgeon looked at my tracking and said I'm doing everything right and to be patient and not worry about it. I know this is true but it's still disappointing comparatively when I read of significant losses by other bypass patients. I am happy for them though. Anyone else have this experience? Sent from my SM-N950U using BariatricPal mobile app

@GreenTealael Thanks for your post. How was your weight loss after the revision? Many have said they didn't feel any restriction like with the sleeve which was my concern. I am currently on my pre-op diet for this week, my revision surgery is scheduled for Monday Aug. 28th.

I've never had an issue (with either my sleeve or now my bypass) when reheating food. I do it all the time because I can never finish what I order from restaurants when I eat with my colleagues.

After RNY gastric bypass surgery, when was real oatmeal ok? Nothing against cream of wheat or watery oatmeal but I’m not doing very good with anything else. I’m having major food aversions. Day 29 post op. Week 5. Any

I agree. I love my surgeon to pieces as a person. He is very compassionate and kind but that doesn't mean he's done a lot of revision surgery. I have coexisting Lipedema so I'm going to try to address that now instead. After learning more about it the Lipedema may be the reason for my weigh gain when I began menopause and is something I can't control through diet and exercise unfortunately. I've lost 27 pounds since I began working with the bariatric center and my legs have gotten bigger because of the fat disorder. It's a weird circle....chicken or egg? lol! Anyway I still haven't spoken to my surgeon but I have already reached out to 2 Lipedema specialists for consults to see what they say too Thank you so much and congratulations on your success! Keep it up!!!

I don't know if there is a proper answer since your doctor didn't seem to care either way. I did the bypass, I did not have to wear any compression anything, and was advised to keep clothing loose for at least 2 weeks including no abdominal binders. As long as you keep walking around to get the air moving out and are not just sitting or laying down all day and getting in your liquids as best as you can - it will help your recovery. I am not sure if your concern is for swelling or just overall keep things pumping - for me almost immediately after surgery my ankle swelling disappeared and had lessened knee pain. Now I have owned compression leg sleeves as I work a desk job and was having trouble with excess swelling in the legs and ankles mostly during the pandemic and just bought some on Amazon. I don't think you'd have to worry about a prescription since it isn't anything mandatory to wear. Just measure your calves to get the right size. Regardless of when I felt like they were fairly comfortable, it was impossible for me to withstand them for more than a few hours. I don't know how much walking you will be able to do in the week immediately following surgery as it's more of a hunched over stroll, but it's great to aim to get in as much as you can when your body allows. I would say as long as you have water and enough electrolytes you should be good.

Hi all, New here. I had gastric sleeve surgery Nov 2016, got pregnant a month later. Initial lost 76 lbs. Gained about 20 lbs back at the time of Covid until now. I have GERD and a hitial hernia so I have opted to get a revision to bypass in hopes of forever getting rid of GERD. I never got to my goal weight which was 150 lbs. I was about 16 lbs shy of that. I am about 189 lbs on a heavy day. My concern is that I wont lose as much weight because my BMI is not extreme. Anyone else out there lose more than 20 lbs getting revised being at such a low starting weight? The Dr's office of course says I may not lose any weight at all which I just can believe.

I have sleep apnea.. i have to take the test for my doctor and get levels. I am a flight attendant and only experience it mainly after flying for work a trip.. i recently developed this as i gained 25 pounds since i started this job. I do not have a Cpap machine. Once the doctor gets my test results back, he can write me a script for one and my insurance can cover it. I am always able to use my reflexes to wake myself up and start breathing again. It doesnt occur every night. Maybe once or twice of an occurrence (occurrence meaning a single night) it can happen with me stop breathing multiple occasions thru out the night.. Last night, it only happened once.. the night before that it happened 3 times. Im able to re-catch my breath and drink some water and go back to sleep. MY MAIN question after all that, is… how do doctors make sure that you dont stop breathing during anesthesia when you only use your cpap machine before surgery and after surgery. How are they able to monitor your breathing so that you dont stop breathing during the actual surgery? Because i dont think you’re hooked up to a breathing machine are you? Has anyone had to be hooked up to a breathing machine during their actual gastric sleeve or bypass surgery ? What if I fall asleep after I leave the surgery center and im still under anesthesia? Should i wear my cpap machine at all times for a day or two? For those with sleep apnea that are outpatient, what did you do?

Reading how each person's journey is going has been encouraging for me. @Sanvsan73 Loosing 40 pounds is awesome @SleeveToBypass2023 15 pounds in a month...that's terrific as well. My revision is scheduled for Aug 28th - I will be happy with relief from GERD as mine causes me to bring foods back up sometimes hours after I've eaten and in bed sleep. Acid reflux was bad at the dentist office when they laid me back. I found myself bringing up stomach acid in the sink in the exam room 😕 This surgery will be critical for me to avaoid even more damge long term. Of course as most of you I would love to drop 40-50 lbs I gained after 2020. My sleeve surgery was in 2017 (Feb). All of your weight loss no matter how small or big is encouraging. Issue today I am having a hard time drinking these prep-op shakes! They are sitting heavy on my stomach.

No direct experience, as I'm out here on the left coast, but by reputation I would want to talk to Dr. Mitchell Roslin. He gets mentioned occasionally in our support groups from the doc's interfacing with him at the ASMBS conferences, and I like the papers and talks that I have seen him present online and response from other patients of hisi; I like his approach. He is capable of doing all of the major bariatric procedures, including the complex RNY to DS revision, and like most DS capable surgeons, he is not a big fan of the bypass (because there are better things out there,) I have heard patients for whom he specifically recommended the bypass because that is what was the best procedure for that case. Most bariatric surgeons give you the choice (maybe) of the sleeve or the bypass, whether or not either of those are really the right thing for you. Again, short answer, I would have a consult with him as part of the process of deciding. Good luck in this venture....

I'm having a revision from sleeve to bypass August 28th due to severe reflux.

Got my approval for revision from sleeve to bypass! Aetna

When I was preparing for my original gastric bypass, my surgeon was worried he might not be able to do it laparoscopically because of my weight. He needed my liver to be smaller. He was actually “threatening” to not do it at all, unless I lost enough weight. I bought all kinds of Atkins shakes, and that’s all I consumed for 4 weeks. I lost 30 pounds. It was enough to keep my surgery. He also recommended clear liquids for the first week afterwards. I bought chicken stock and added red pepper flakes to it.

Definitely get a 2nd, and even 3rd, opinion. Maybe this surgeon didn't want to do the extra work. I'm surprised he didn't do the bypass the same time as the hernia repair. I've seen a TON of stories on here from people that had both done at the same time. Even when the hernia was a surprise!!

I'm sure I've accidentally swallowed a big seed sometime in the eight years since my bypass. If it's too big too pass through, it'll either sit there until your stomach acid dissolves some or all of it, or your stomach will toss it back up. I've been on bariatric forums for about nine years, and I've never heard/read about issues with cantaloupe seeds mucking things up, so I'm guessing you'll be fine.

I went in for the revision in December and he was unable to do it because I had a hernia and scar tissue. So I had the hernia repaired and waited for the revision until just 2 days ago. I went in again to have the revision and he didn't do it at all because of the scar tissue. I was thinking this is the end of the road for me but now I'm reading your posts. Do you think I should get a second opinion about it? I regained weight and I have bad GERD. I feel hopeless right now and now reading this I'm wondering why I didn't get to have the revision surgery at all LeighLon

I have asked the question earlier about protein intake and was given the answer to ask my nutritionist but I don’t have one. Not being difficult but why does it seem like the protein intake recommended seems excessive? I understand that with bypass surgery you may not absorb the full amount of nutrients but CDC recommends something like 35 grams per day for a woman, and I understand that under normal circumstances the body can only absorb no more than around 25-30g at one meal yet I’m seeing some women say they’re aiming for 100-130 grams per day! That seems like a lot of protein and calories…what’s the deal? What am I missing?

I am so sorry you are hurting so much. I too, had a very rough time of the pain. Like you, I've got major back issues (herniated discs neck, mid and low back) and have had several surgeries in the past and this lapband removal/bypass replacement hurt like hell. I wasn't trying to scare anyone off, I even said I would do it again but just really didn't realize how much it would hurt because compared to the prior LapBand, it was 10x worse in pain. I take Norco (hydrocodone & acet) and Lyrica and that Dilautin (sp?) was awful, it only worked for an hour at most but once I was able to get back on my Norco, it was bearable. And I'm not a medical professional, but I am a bit of an observer of human behaviors and the human condition and at my age, I've seen a lot of things and have learned that it is best to try to prepare yourself for whatever life may want to throw at you because bad stuff never seems to happen at a good time :). Thus, I made sure I had my own pain meds because just when a bitchy old hag of a nurse wants to threaten to hold them over your head, you don't have to put up with crap, Or more likely, when staff is short and you are forgotten by the folks who are supposed to be caring for you in the middle of the night, etc. I'm not saying you need to ignore dr orders, I merely said it never hurts to be prepared for people to not do what they're supposed to do for you! Be prepared to take care of yourself. I remembered my husband having spinal fusion surgery 10+ years ago, malfunction at hospital pharmacy so he was hours without meds. I watched that man screaming in pain and literally could do nothing to help him! The nurses had the audacity to try to come close his door (so they didn't have to hear him in agony) which made my head explode, I pretty much told them that IF I HAD TO HEAR HIM, THEY HAD TO HEAR HIM TOO AND IF THEY DIDN'T WANT TO HEAR HIM TO GET HIM THE HELLO OUT OF PAIN! Going through these life experiences changes your perception, tends to make you learn what you don't want to go through again. SoutheastP-Again, not trying to scare you. You may not have the same pain level or tolerance level, I'm just saying for me, IT HURT. That damned drain "football" suction port thing is what literally felt like they were suctioning my insides out! IF you have one, make them empty it (or have family do it) within 2 hours, do not let it get too full or have too much suction on it because I thought I was going to die from the pain. And you don't have to take anything with you, I merely said that you might wish you had it. It is hard enough to be recovering from surgery, but if you are a chronic pain patient like I am, those pain meds help make life bearable most days for me, to be hurting from fresh incisions and still have my back & neck pain & hips hurting is a lot to bear. Many of the bariatric patients I speak to have spinal issues which is why so many of them are overweight to begin with as they cannot get much exercise due to pain issues or mobility issues. And I also said, I'd do it again, but just like to be prepared for whatever you are going to encounter. I also had a LapBand REMOVED and then replaced with a new Gastric Bypass so a 2-in-1 surgery which may have made mine more painful than what you're getting. In any event, see you on the other side of it and wishing you a lot of success! peace

I had a pretty rough go. I actually ended up back in the hospital after being discharged because they gave me the wrong pain medication. The pain medication they had been giving me (hydrocodone) doesn’t do anything at all for me. I kept telling them that but they kept using it and then promised that they would send me home with oxycodone and didn’t. So at three in the morning I had to go to the ER and be readmitted. It was excruciatingly painful when I was not on pain meds that were effective. Mostly the gas in my upper shoulders was the painful part. I had a hiatal hernia repair and a bypass. My doctor was not fantastic, I did not necessarily need to be readmitted to the hospital. I really just needed the correct prescription. But he wanted me in there so he could watch me, or for some other reason? He seemed very angry with me. I will say this. I wish I had known that it could be that painful. I would’ve been able to more completely prepare myself and be more accepting of the pain if I knew it was coming. That’s why I’m mentioning it to you all, not to scare anyone but just so you can get ready in case you are one of the people that it hurts. It clearly doesn’t hurt everyone. As for me, I’ve had two spinal cord surgeries that were less painful than this one. So everyone has a different experience, but mine was not fantastic. That said, I feel ok now and am home, doing well. Good luck, all.

I had a pretty rough go. I actually ended up back in the hospital after being discharged because they gave me the wrong pain medication. The pain medication they had been giving me (hydrocodone) doesn’t do anything at all for me. I kept telling them that but they kept using it and then promised that they would send me home with oxycodone and didn’t. So at three in the morning I had to go to the ER and be readmitted. It was excruciatingly painful when I was not on pain meds that were effective. Mostly the gas in my upper shoulders was the painful part. I had a hiatal hernia repair and a bypass. My doctor was not fantastic, I did not necessarily need to be readmitted to the hospital. I really just needed the correct prescription. But he wanted me in there so he could watch me, or for some other reason? He seemed very angry with me. I will say this. I wish I had known that it could be that painful. I would’ve been able to more completely prepare myself and be more accepting of the pain if I knew it was coming. That’s why I’m mentioning it to you all, not to scare anyone but just so you can get ready in case you are one of the people that it hurts. It clearly doesn’t hurt everyone. As for me, I’ve had two spinal cord surgeries that were less painful than this one. So everyone has a different experience, but mine was not fantastic. That said, I feel ok now and am home, doing well. Good luck, all.

So I had this revision in June, and I can tell you that the weight loss will not be like it was with the sleeve. I had it because I developed GERD, esophagitis, gastritis, and a TON of pre-cancerous polyps all through my stomach. So I also didn't have a choice. I was on 80mg daily of Nexium, Pepcid for breakthrough, Tums, and still had break through GERD anyway. With the sleeve, I lost 30 pounds in the first 2 weeks. With the revision, I lost 14. I also wasn't interested in doing it for weight loss, since I was chugging along and doing well until it all went stupid. My goal was to get back to living my life, get back to my beast mode work outs, get back to feeling good and not having pain. And that's what the surgery is doing for me. I was finally having hair regrowth when I had to have the revision, so I'm fully expecting to see more hair loss. It's started shedding more again, so I'm mentally preparing for it. I can also say, the recovery from the bypass has been SO SO much better than with the sleeve. I honestly wish I had just done the bypass to begin with. So much less pain, I was up and around faster, able to do things better, could handle my pills and supplements (had to crush or completely eliminate them with the sleeve for the first 4-5 weeks), able to handle cold liquids (couldn't with the sleeve), able to get my fluids in so much easier (I drank a 20oz of Water in the hospital the day I had my surgery and could barely handle 3-4oz with the sleeve). So all in all, I'm exceptionally happy I did the revision. No more GERD, no more PPI, no more pain, much easier recovery, and while the weight is still coming off, it's doing so at a slower and more manageable pace. I wish you all the luck, and I promise you'll feel so much better after the revision.

It's absolutely your choice. But for me, it was a no brainer. I tried everything there was to try, more than once. My health was terrible. I knew I couldn't do it myself, and I knew I wouldn't be here for my kids and granddaughter if I kept going the way I was going. And even though I had some complications with my initial surgery and had to have a revision, I still feel having bariatric surgery was the best decision I have ever made. My only regret is not doing it sooner.

Yep, me. I had to be on 80mg of Nexium daily, Pepcid as needed for breakthrough, and it still didn't help. I had severe gerd, gastritis, esophagitis, and polyps all through my stomach and duodenum. 4 endoscopies later, I had to have a revision to a bypass. Changing my diet didn't help. Eliminating exercising didn't help. All the antacids didn't help. I never had any gerd or reflux before the sleeve, but it was debilitating after. Revision was the best thing I ever did. The recovery for the bypass was LIGHTYEARS better than for the sleeve. I was able to go home after 1 day instead of 2. I was drinking a 20oz of water with no issues 2 hours after the surgery. I was walking with minimal discomfort. Never took the pain pills prescribes and only needed Tylenol for the first 4 days. Never had to sleep propped up. Never had to worry about temps of liquids because there was no sensitivity to it. Was able to take my pills and supplements without cutting or crushing them. There is a HARD STOP with eating with the bypass that I never had with the sleeve. If you have 1 bite left but you're feeling like you're done eating.... DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT eat that last bite. I promise you you'll regret it. With the sleeve, I could squeeze in that bite and feel really full. With the bypass, it makes you hurt and feel sick. Not worth it. Weight loss is MUCH slower with a revision, so as long as you go into it knowing that, you'll be ok. Getting your life back and being gerd and pain free is so so worth it. My only regret is not just doing the bypass to begin with. I wish I would have skipped the sleeve altogether.

Yep, me. I had to be on 80mg of Nexium daily, Pepcid as needed for breakthrough, and it still didn't help. I had severe gerd, gastritis, esophagitis, and polyps all through my stomach and duodenum. 4 endoscopies later, I had to have a revision to a bypass. Changing my diet didn't help. Eliminating exercising didn't help. All the antacids didn't help. I never had any gerd or reflux before the sleeve, but it was debilitating after. Revision was the best thing I ever did.