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Hey all! I am doing my pre-op tests right now, and all the appointments. I am really really scared that my current ventral hernia is going to make me not be able to have surgery or give complications. Any body else has a hernia that got the surgery and it was fine? Or vice versa. Anything, let me know!

RNY is reversible, although it's a complicated surgery and usually not done unless there's a serious medical problem that can't be resolved any other way. If the problem is something like a hernia, they should be able to repair that without reversing your RNY. I'm not sure about the defective muscle you mentioned -- hopefully they can repair that easily...

It is part of the standard clearances my doctor wants. They are looking for plaque in the legs, how fatty your liver is and I am not sure why they scan the stomach as well. We have leg and abdominal sonograms, sleep study, lung strength test (breathing test), Stress test, echocardiogram, ekg, nutrition, psych, panel blood work, endoscopy - I think that is about it. I did ask if these were required because of my weight (I am a higher weight than a lot of patients) and they said nope - required of all patients for the practice. Supposedly the practice has a much lower complication rate that most other centers / practices and it is because of their prep work before the surgery. My pre-op diet consists of a 5 week plan - first 2 weeks I eliminate a meal with a shake (1 shake a day), then the next two weeks it is 2 shakes a day and one light clean meal. The last week is complete liquid shakes 3 times a day. You certainly have to want to do this because if you don't, you wouldn't go through all the stuff required.

My surgery date is March 3rd so next Wednesday. My surgery will be a little complicated as well because I have to have a small mass removed so I will have a partial gastrectomy also. Thank you so much for your words of encouragement it means a lot.

When is your surgery date?The hardest part about this to me was the first Few days of the liquid diet. The surgery was remarkable because I just new and had accepted that I was going to have several days of pain. That was not the case at all. Once you get past the gas , for me personally it was a huge sigh of relief. I am in no pain. I know this is not the case for everyone but for me I am just amazed. PLUS I had a lap band taken out. I hated that thing! So my surgery was a little more complicated Than just the gastric sleeve. I wish I had done this 15 years ago. It was not an option for me at the time. You re going to do great!

Hello All- New Guy here. Confession: I am the spouse of the soon-to-be patient and recipient of a sleeve procedure. But we will be going through the upcoming changes together in 8 weeks time as she starts her process. I’ve been researching all the diet standards and recipes as chief house cook and trying to come to grasp with some of the upcoming permanent changes that will impact my wife/ best friend/ love of my life. Primary reason for undergoing the procedure is medical, due to both a sports injury in college and severe diabetes that got worse after each of our four children. She JUST qualified in the 36 BMI range with medical conditions and after tons of other attempts, her doc said this was a necessary last resort to avoid complications later in life. We’ve been married 14 years and together for just shy of 20! I would say our marriage is solid: we have been through times where we couldn’t rub two pennies together, a very difficult sickness and then death in the family, her 9 years of medical training and my “earning your stripes” years in my career and then most recently COVID and all the fears of having the wife/mom immediately at risk in one of the biggest hospitals in the city. We’ve always worked to take both time for family vacation as well as time away just for us with date nights or sometimes a big week away. Our marriage, intimacy and family, though right in the thick of crazy child-rearing (we have twins!), is probably in the best place it’s been in years. I guess this is where my real question starts: I fell down the internet rabbit hole about a week ago reading not about all the medical info and diet info, but about family and marriage impact. Personality changes, mood swings, emotional issues, depression, people acting like “a different person”, and the term “bariatric divorce”. My nights have now been basically sleepless. A year ago we were told we could lose our medical professional spouses to COVID and thankfully she never got sick. However, now I am petrified of losing her to bariatric surgery and her “new self”. She has very much assured me this would never be the case and worked to calm my nerves. Now, I am a numbers and research guy and much of the data out there says our relationship should be fine, statistically. We’ve been together for many years, there are not underlying toxic issues, and when we first started dating we were both very fit... Like I said, I think we are rock solid and I am committed 100% to doing this with her, including changing my diet and exercising more, as well. Sure, we’ve had challenges in the past, but nothing that has ever threatened our relationship and who hasn’t? We’ve always worked through everything together and come out the other side stronger (as best as I can tell). Still I am ashamed to admit I feel threatened, if not only for the many, many articles you can find online. She is primarily doing this so we can grow old together and get rid of her ailments and to be a more active individual with our busy kids. She joked and now I do too that she will look like she did when we first met and dated and that it will be a huge bonus just for me and she will love the way she looks again, even though it’s not the reason we are even doing this... That she’ll feel more confident also to dress more like the way she used to (prior to kids and wearing scrubs, she was pretty high maintenance- which I admittedly miss and she knows it). So, the endgame question is- has anyone experienced some of those threatening items about personality changes and shifts, life decisions out of nowhere and the like? I’m trying to do EVERYTHING right here and while I am a confident guy, my biggest fear in life is losing my wife or kids. She’s my best friend and I could never love anyone as much as I do her... I want her to get healthy, but for herself, she decided to do this and came to me with it and I initially went all in to support her. This could make our lives better and longer despite some of the permanent changes. And we actively are talking about “the benefits” regarding appearance and intimacy on a daily basis. So even though all of that is positive talk, and reassuring, I’m turning to the people with experience to ask- AM I JUST FREAKING MYSELF OUT??? thanks!

That is curious, and beyond my limited experience! I suppose that is can be strictly an esophageal problem, though as I noted, I have only seen such things as they related to other root causes. No, I haven't had such a revision, though it was suggested at one time for another issue, but I have avoided having to go that route (with the help of some second opinions that basically said to leave well enough alone for now.) I do have minor GERD, which is readily treated with low level OTC meds, so there is nothing worth fixing at this point on that account. The sleeve is predisposed to GERD by virtue that the stomach volume is reduced a lot more than its acid producing potential, but the body usually adapts to that over a few months, and most surgeons prescribe a PPI for the initial few months and then wean off of them. (Similarlly, the RNY is predisposed to dumping, reactive hypoglycemia and marginal ulcers, so there is no free lunch in that regard, no matter what procedure one goes with - there is always some risk there.) I would prefer to keep the sleeve as long as it cooperates, as the RNY is a little bit fussier to live with, but it's not the end of the world, either, and certainly preferable to what you are going through; my wife has a DS which is a bit fussier still, so I'm familiar with all that entails if I need to go there. The surgeon who has adopted our local support group does quite a few oddball and esoteric revisions (like the complex RNY to DS), people come from across the country to see him, and he sometimes pulls up scans on his laptop of one of the wonky sleeves that has come his way, so we get some feel of what can be done, that other surgeons pass on. That's why I brought up the stricture idea (beyond your regurgitation sounding like that might be it,) because that is something that many surgeons prefer to revise away rather than correct. I does seem like you are heavily restricted, much more so than normal for a normal sleeve, or RNY. 500 calories isn't so bad - it's not that unusual for people with any of these WLS to still be down there, though more commonly somewhat higher in the 6-800 calorie range; it's the water intake that I would be concerned with as dehydration will get one thrown into the hospital a lot faster than low protein or other nutrients in the short to intermediate term. The vast majority of people go through this, an RNY, or VSG, or a DS, with little or no complications, but sometimes they crop up; hopefully, you have had your share of them now and that's it. In some respects, the RNY is a more familiar procedure for the surgeons,, even if they don't do as many of them as sleeves, as it has been around in bariatrics for 40-50 years, so most started out with them; the basic procedure upon which it is based has been around for some 140 years in treating gastric cancer and other GI maladies, so it is familiar territory for most; the VSG on the other hand, had more limited application until it was created/adopted for WLS as part of the original BPD/DS, so it was not as widely used until the DS guys started using it some by itself (usually as part of a two stage DS) and saw that it offered good weight loss all on its own, so I wouldn't worry too much about your surgeon's experience with it, as that was the default WLS in Canada until fairly recently.

Don't bet on it. Boredom eating (or any emotional eating for that matter) is alive in practically everyone. This "food for fuel only" schlock is only the wet dream of the dieting/WLS community. "Elimination" of emotional eating is just not possible. Also, physical and emotional hunger are entangled all too often. When I e. g. eat after a complicated intervention that lasted for hours I'm usually eating out of both physical hunger (it's afternoon and lunch is like really late) and emotional reason (need for relaxation) and I'm definitely not in the mood then to analyze and evaluate what "might be the stronger reason for eating" or "if I should've eaten something different" or "if I should've stopped eating earlier" or "if I should've eaten at all before having done a meditation session to relax" or whatever. Does it seem like calories are over the top? Was it an out-of-control-binge? No? Then I won't waste another thought on it.

not many surgeons will place lapbands anymore - too many people have had complications with them years after surgery and had to revise to sleeve or bypass. So I agree revising to something else is a better option for you.

I always KNEW it wasn't my fault I couldn't lose weight successfully. Over the years I picked up so many healthy eating habits that stuck with me, and ate healthier than most people I know, and still was fatter than all of them. I still saw myself as a failure for never being able to lose weight and keep it off. The surgeon who took out my gallbladder recommended wls to me and I'll never forget him saying it is almost impossible for someone, especially the bigger they are, to lose weight and keep it off, and surgery resets all of that. His words were so validating. I had considered wls for years but never seriously until he said that to me. I made my appt. with a bariatric surgeon that day. It's so different now that I've had surgery. I actually see results for my efforts and I couldn't be happier. It really upsets me when I see articles that tell people that weight it basically all within our control, because it really is not. I'm not staying our habits don't have anything to do with it, because they do, but it's so much more complicated than that. Sent from my Nokia 7.2 using BariatricPal mobile app

You're probably hearing about this because people who have complications are more likely to post about them than are people who've never had any. ^^THIS^^

I'd stay away from FB groups - there are a lot of toxic ones out there, from what I hear. I've never bothered with them - there are much better sites for information, like this one. complications aren't all that common. And most people do NOT have revisions (some do because of severe GERD, but they're in the minority. The majority of VSG patients don't develop GERD, and for those who do, a lot of cases can be managed through medication. Leaks and stomach blockages are pretty rare. You're probably hearing about this because people who have complications are more likely to post about them than are people who've never had any. They're looking for support or advice. People who are two or five or ten years out who've never had any issues would have no reason to post about them.

Well, I'm only two years post-op, but I haven't had any complications so far. I haven't developed GERD, haven't had a stricture or anything like that. Complications happen but I think you are overestimating how likely they are. A lot of people have the surgery, lose their weight and go on about their lives! Feel better, I know those first days pre-op can be rough. Hugs. 🤗

Hello everyone, I am now 5 days post op. Thankfully, I have not had any complications and am able to drink liquids with no issues so far. I have been giving things a lot of thoughts and although all is going well now, I fear of complications in the long term. It seems from posts I read on FB groups that almost everyone will have a revision surgery due to acid reflux. I've also read of other complications such as leaks years post op or stomach blockages. I did my research before surgery, but now that I actually went ahead and had surgery, I feel like I'm gonna be on edge knowing that something bad due to VSG can happen down the line. Anyone here years post op with no major issues? I just need some re-assurance all will be ok. 😣

(Successful & Extremely Happy VSG Patient) Like most have said, go with what your surgeon suggests... I am clearly not a surgeon -*HOWEVER*- I will share my real life experience. I may be a bit bias, however I believe I had/have one one of THE BEST SURGEONS in the industry (Dr. Joseph Green, Maryland Bariactrics). My Dr. did prescribe a pre-op liquid diet which not only helped clear my gastro-intestinal tracts, but also help reduce the size of my liver. Fatty liver is a common co-morbidity many of us may have going into surgery and an enlarged liver may complicate surgery, by extending across your abdominal cavity, obstructing access to the stomach as well as diaphragm if hernia repair is also required (I had both hiatal and umbilical hernia repair). Apparently by surgery time I had remarkably small, smooth and healthy looking liver (never thought I would brag about that - even got a photo! ;-). I am convinced this detailed preparation and measures were key to my success. On the contrary - I had a colleague who also had VSG and their surgeon's office said "enjoy it while you can" and only required them to fast the night before surgery. Their overall surgery did not turn out as un-eventful and ended up with months of additional procedures and recovery. Anywho, hope this helps. I would ask if liver reduction is a concern and a liquid diet would definitely help.

I first looked into weight loss surgery more than 15 years ago, and my family talked me out of it because of the potential complications. I continued to consider it off and on over the years, but I kept deciding not to do it because I couldn’t stand the thought of giving up everything I loved. Eating was really my main pleasure in life, and I didn’t think I could handle giving up everything I loved — pizza, ice cream, French fries, cookies, even diet soda (my one guiltless pleasure). Eventually, though, I got to the point where my weight was destroying my health and my life. Last year, I was diagnosed with hypertension and diabetes. My mobility was going downhill quickly and I felt so limited in everything, like my career and traveling, because of my weight. I came to the realization that I was giving up a lot to continue living as a super morbidly obese person, and I had to make a choice between turning my life around or continuing to eat myself into an early grave. I decided to have weight loss surgery because I realized that it was worth giving up the food to get back my health and my life. That is a decision that each individual has to make, and the trade off is different for everyone. It took me a long time to get to the point where I thought it was worth it. I encourage everyone to take a hard look at the pros and cons, what they would gain and what they would lose, what they are willing to risk for the potential rewards, and go into it with their eyes wide open. I have now lost half of my starting weight, and I’ve completely turned my health around. My blood pressure and blood sugar are on the low end of normal. I can easily walk a mile and go up and down stairs without getting out of breath or sweaty. I can wear mainstream brands of clothing and fit in an airplane seat with no seatbelt extender (or I could if I were traveling). Giving up the food is a small price to pay. And although I had to give up a lot of my old favorites, I still find pleasure in eating. I cook more now and I enjoy finding new, healthy recipes. I’m not going to lie — I sometimes feel sad when I think about my old favorites that I can no longer eat — but to me, it was worth it. Like many, many WLS patients, my biggest regret is that I waited so long to do it and missed out on so many good years of my life by being morbidly obese.

Probably not. Most insurance companies require either a BMI over 40, or a BMI over 35 with comorbidities. Your BMI is 33, so you would probably not qualify for insurance coverage. Some surgeons will still perform bariatric surgery for patients with a BMI under 35, but you would most likely have to pay entirely out of pocket. The reason for the requirements is that bariatric surgery is a pretty extreme treatment that requires major changes to your life, and although it is a relatively safe surgery with low complication rates, there is still some risk to it. For most of us, it is a last resort after we have tried and failed many diets. I started with a BMI over 60, so it was pretty clear I wasn't going to be able to lose enough weight without surgery, and the risks to my health were high if I didn't lose the weight. Another thing to note is that even if you meet the typical requirements, every insurance company is different, so you would need to check with your own insurance company. Some employers do not sign up for the bariatric surgery rider (because it costs extra), and if that's the case, your insurance wouldn't cover bariatric surgery under any circumstances.

IIRC, my surgery was scheduled a month or two out, but that can vary from practice to practice depending upon how busy they are, and now we have Covid getting in the way, and if you were cancelled due to weather, that's another complicating matter - so it's really anybody's guess in your case. Pre-op diets also vary markedly - we didn't have any other than the day before surgery - but most typical is a week or two for those that have them. Those that do them can also waive or modify the requirement if scheduling dictates, and depending upon the patient's situation (have you already been dieting for insurance purposes, is your weight on the "moderate" side, have you had a clear liver ultrasound, etc.) If your surgery was just cancelled, then I would expect that you already would have known about whatever preop diet requirements that they have, and they would remain the same.

I'm actually going to NOT recommend this. Insurance benefits and coverage are a potential minefield of complexities. To venture into this arena as a lay person is not for the faint of heart. If your PCP and (proposed) surgical facility are part of the same system, I would rely upon them and their insurance experts and resources to handle all if the minutiae. After all, that's part of the service you're paying for. Only if you start getting pushback, denials, or nonresponse from the medical team, would I recommend getting involved with the process. At the same time, be aware of you medical insurance coverage, its deductibles, copays, in-network vs. out-of-network coverage. Once you are approved, ask what your out-of-pocket costs will be and make sure they align with your understanding of your medical coverage obligations. In my case I was NEVER involved in the insurance approval or documentation process even once. I never had any direct contact with my insurance company. The bariatric medical team/department handled all of the paperwork, the application and approval process, everything. My only involvement was after the fact when I got the bill for my copayment ($375 surgical copay was the only cost I ever incurred outside of $30 physician visit copays). In my case it was when I was diagnosed with (early stage) type II diabetes in June of 2019, following having been on high blood pressure medication for several years. I figured that at age 53 I was living on borrowed time if I didn't make some rather drastic changes... I'd kinda like to live to see retirement. I had looked into weight loss surgery in 2000 or so, but it was still relatively new, the options were limited, and the complication rate was MUCH higher. So I told my PCP that I was potentially interested in weight loss surgery and would like to re-explore options. He referred me to the bariatric department. I had an initial exploratory meeting with an LPRN, and once we tentatively determined that sleeve gastrectomy was the best option, they set me up an introductory meeting with the surgeon. Only after that consultation and pre-surgery weight loss goals had been determined did they initiate insurance approval. As was explained to me, the biggest factors in the approval process are BMI and comorbidities (exacerbating medical conditions). In other words, if your BMI is above X you have the best chance of approval, or if your BMI is X-10 but you also have an additional medical condition(s) (diabetes, high blood pressure, , etc.). So it can be somewhat of a sliding scale and will likely vary by insurance company. What followed was a 6-month+ process of meetings with dieticians, the surgeon, a full psychological evaluation, and proven attempt to lose weight even before surgery is scheduled. My surgery was originally scheduled for April of 2020, but COVID intervened and it was canceled, ultimately occurring in July of 2020. Lemme tell ya, trying to maintain a weight-loss/healthy(ier) way of eating while the world and society is collapsing around you and being prone to "stress eating" ain't fun. Remember, in March/April of 2020 we didn't yet know what direction the pandemic would take... this was the time of panic buying, overreaction, and just general freaking out. Our department started working remotely on March 17, 2020 and we were still adapting to the world of Zoom meetings. Looking back on things, I'm surprised things worked out... now I'm a heck of a lot lighter... and STILL working from home.

Hi Y'all. I'm at a loss & don't know where to go. I'm hoping someone here will be able to give me some advice? Here's my story. I had a weight loss surgery clear back in 1982, and it was called, Gastric Exclusion, or more commonly, Stomach Stapling Surgery. I am nearly 40 years post op!! My results were fair, but for sure not worth what I went through & continue going through! Approx. 12 years ago, I had been fighting a stomach ache for weeks. It wasn't horrible, just nagging. Then I went to visit my daughter in southern California, and something about getting on that flight, turned my "nagging stomach ache", into projectile vomiting, & it did not let up until I ended up in a San Diego ER, & they gave me some Protonix, & sent me on my way. Well, that lasted less than an hour, & I was trying to get to my daughters, 80 miles north... well, this projectile vomiting was so bad, and nothing would stop it! Well, the 4 day trip I had planned to go get to know my new grandson, was extended to 10 days, 9 of which were spent in a lovely hospital bed with palm trees outside my window view. They had me with a Naso-gastric tube, the one that goes from your nose into stomach to drain all contents of stomach continuously. On the 8th day, they finally scheduled me with a gastro enterologist, (really?? duh!!) and he did a scope on day 9, and found that one of my staples, had dislodged, and was floating around in my abdominal cavity, and had began boring a hole in my stomach wall!! The doctor who performed the scope dislodged the "staple", and took it out with the scope itself, at which time, my nausea, projectile vomiting and all pain magically went away along with that staple! Well, I was just so happy to have the issues resolved & be on my way back to Colorado, that I didn't bother getting much information about what was the cause & effects, or what to do in the event that I started having similar symptoms again! (finally bringing this to today!) Yeah, you guessed it. I've been having the same type of pain for the past week or so, & I fear it's going to be the same problem rearing it's ugly head again! I actually ended up in the ER a couple days ago, because of horrific abdominal pain, WAY worse than the pain I had 12 years ago, & they admitted me for a night & day for observations & kept me NPO while I was there. They did a CAT scan, & said they "THINK" I have an obstruction that will resolve on it's own. I attempted to tell these ER docs & nurses about my surgery in 1982, but they looked at me like I was from another planet, & just excused the topic. So, my question is, has anyone ever heard anything about this type of complication or ANYTHING 40 years post op, and if not, does anyone know where I could get information on this subject?

I’m sorry you’re in pain but chips, a sandwich or sweets are not going to stop the pain. In fact it likely will cause you more pain, other side effects & may be complications. Remember you just had major abdominal surgery. It’s why we slowly work our way through a liquid, then purée, then soft food diets for weeks before we start on solid foods again. It does seem odd you weren’t prescribed pain meds on leaving hospital. You could still be experiencing gas pain which they used to inflate your abdomen during surgery. The best way to get rid of that is to walk. Even short walks about your house will help. Always contact your medical team if you are in pain or experience anything that is not normal or usual. Ask them for a food plan & a list of foods you can eat as you work through the healing stage if they didn’t provide you with one pre surgery. Also, do you have a nutritionalist/dietician? If you don’t, ask your team for a referral to one who has experience with supporting bariatric patients. You’re embarking on a journey that, if you work at it, will change how you eat & what you eat & lead to a slimmer & healthier you. Good luck on your journey.

I share this issue. The formal diagnosis and treatment for hypothyroidism came over 25 years after a goiter was first noted. Fat people are often un treated or under treated for this condition. You can absolutely have long term success. It will take longer. The myth of rapid weight loss immediately after surgery will be dispelled. However, at an average weight loss of 0.34lbs per week, I reached my goal over 17 frustrating months. You may gain weight while being faithful to your program then start losing weight again. The metabolically challenged (my surgeons term) will be successful over time. With multiple metabolic complications, I've lost the fat and maintained my desired weight. Twelve years post op I've been able to beat down each incidence of re gain. Stay on program and research healthy alternatives to boosting your metabolism. While your doctor's plan is your primary guide, a little tweaking may be needed over time. You Can succeed. You WILL succeed. EDIT: After reading all replies written before mine, I have a suggestion for everyone. -Make a chart of all medications and supplements with their interactions. Apps and web sites with this information are abundant. -Prepare a doseing plan to ensure each item is taken timely and correctly. Include each dose for anything taken multiple times daily. Include the strength and form for every medication be it Rx or OTC. Include the brand and form for all supplements. Include items taken only as needed and those on a schedule other than daily. WHY? -You will maximize the benefits from your thyroid medications and avoid cancelling the effects of your supplements. -You will learn how best to take everything you use. Your goal is to minimize side effects and maximize benefits. -You will have details at your fingertips for your weight loss support team to review if needed. -In case of a medical emergency, you have this vital information on hand. While it seems like a lot to do, you already have the information. It is likely your pharmacy's app can do this for you with its doseing reminder service. (My intention is to be helpful based on the original post. Therefore, I've supplied no backgroud. Castrad01 posted for support not my autobiography.)

Well, mine’s been complicated. My revision (8/2020) was mostly for the hiatal hernia of almost my entire sleeve that gave me constant hiccups. Then I had an internal hernia repair 11/2020 and then a small bowel resection 12/26/2020. But since my revision I’ve gone from 212 to my goal of 155. Mostly because hernia repair and bowel resection recovery follow the same diet as post op WLS- liquids to soft then solids as tolerated. I just had an EGD today to make sure everything looked good and I’m cleared for whatever I can tolerate as long as I chew well.

Thank you for answering my questions. Iv been watching YouTube videos and read the forum on here and they have helped. I was worried about the lifting and the pain because I have two children that are all about mommy sometimes and the videos and forums that I have found don't say anything about the pain after unless you had complications. Iv had both scopes done before so is the gas pain you feel like that? My mom had the gastric bypass about 10 years ago and everything has changed so much since then so she hasn't been much help because now everything is done laparoscopic.

Surgery Surgery was on the 8th. At home now. No complications. It only hurts a little at the incion sites. Im managing with meds. No having any problems swallowing or holing food except that mess they make you swallow to see if have any leaking. I threw that mess up quick! Minimal gas pains on day one but once I started walking, that subsided for the most part. The only complaibt I have is that everything tastes sweet including water. Anybody else have that issue?