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Well, I've been having issues after my surgery. The first was the infection in the left incision site. That incision had to be opened back up and it's had to be packed daily since so it can heal from the inside out. At one point they thought I might be getting a second infection in the same site so being a weekend, I was perscribed hefty antibiotics. I ended up having to see my surgeon because the visiting nurse was concerned and it turned out it was healing great and my surgeon said I could stop the antibiotic if I wanted. I took it one more day then just couldn't take how it made me feel so stopped as she suggested. Well that was about 10 days ago. Since then I've had bathroom "issues" but, I figured it was the antibiotics the day it was bad and then after that figured it was my diet because I'm on the Protein only stage....no carbs, Fiber etc. I won't be on stage 5 which includes fruits, veggies and healthy carbs until next week. Anyway....I couldn't take it anymore. Today was bad and I felt I couldn't leave the house so I called her. She said it's either this C. diff or I've become lactose intolerant. I told her I thought about the lactose too so didn't have any and it still happened. She said the testing will show which it is. The visiting nurse came today to pack my wound and they naturally ask questions on how I'm doing each day. I told her what was going on and explained what "it" looked like etc. She said it really does sound like C diff. So we shall see. I read about this C. diff and it said some relief can come by eating starchy foods. I didn't have anything to eat today because I just wasn't up to it. I've made sure to keep hydrated. We have saltines in the house and the explanation said they were a good choice so I had about 6 saltines today so see if it helps a bit. Mashed potatoes didn't help when I had them yesterday or the day before. (sigh) I know after this all clears up I'll feel better and be grateful that I've done this...but for right now man oh man, I'm tired of visiting the restroom and feeling like a prisoner in my own home. I'm also hoping if it is C. diff we've caught it fast enough so that no other complications happen. I guess a few days will tell what's going on. I just wanted to let folks know what's going on so that if you're going through any of this you'll know too. Thanks for listening/reading.

Hello all, I was sleeved on July 12,so this is my 4th day. I can honestly say I have no comments yet about my sleeve, because I had great amounts of nausea, gas and dehydration so severe they attempted to find a vein in my arms, hands, feet and lastly my neck. This took place during my hospital stay and after being sleeved. During my 1 week pre op diet, I lost 16 lbs, however I ended up gaining all back due to my IV..so it was nothing but Water weight. I started off desiring the lap band, but I heard about all of the complications, and switched to the gastric sleeve. My doctor informed me, that he made it very small..and I believe it. just drinking 1 oz of water , feels like I went to a buffet and pigged out. I hope it gets better because I don't want to be dehydrated again. I know my weight loss will be a guarantee with this type of restriction, and I have noooo hunger nor desire for food since Tuesday ..4 days ago. Today I will attempt a Protein drink, and see what happens. I do notice a change with my stomach, crystal light pink lemonade gives me alot of gas pain, but it wasn't like that before and my drink can't be icy cold but luke warm. Cold drinks give me stomach spasms...but not painful. I'm still painfree yayyyyyy...so far since my sleeve date ...I have lost 10 lbs in 4 days. So I am excited about my new beginnings once my healing process is over. Does anyone have the same problem or did before and what did you use for gas. My pepcid does ok, gas x ok..??? Sheri

Every insurance provider is different, so call yours and ask. I had my VSG in Mexico, but I called my insurance provider ahead of time and asked if post-op complications that landed me in the ER would be covered and they said yes.

hi Rachel, I'm glad you have decided to make a life change early in your life. I am a 57 year old nurse and like you decided to have gastric surgery when I was 47 for multiple health problems. I went for the least invasive surgery there was at that time which was the lapband. Did well for a couple of years untill the band started leaking it was replaced and i was able to maintain myself for several years untill this year I had complications again. I had the band removed in January. Insurance would not allow the conversion to the sleeve so after I gained weight again I tried for the sleeve. It was approved without problem. Don't know what the insurance are thinking. Anyway I am 3 weeks out and looking forward to a better experience I have lost 30 lbs since my revisit x the sleeve. It hasn't been a smooth ride due to all the scar tissue but hope it all gets better. Good luck with yours. I'm sure you will do fine.

Follow your plan. Whatever your dr. advises you to do is what you should do! I see that you said you have not started your pre-op diet yet. Can I advise you to start a.s.a.p?? The more you lose pre-op, the easier it will be on you post-op. Not only for healing, but you will also just be that closer to goal and possibly avoid complications! I lost 55lbs pre-op and my recovery was a BREEZE!! Good luck to you! Kelly

RNY and sleeve both have their advantages and disadvantages. Some factors to consider: Sleeve is still relatively new - about 15 years. RNY has been done in various forms since the 1950's. RNY is by far the most common bariatric surgery. Approximately 80% of all bariatric surgeries worldwide are RNY. Becuse of the two factors above, there is a great deal more experience and long term statistical information on the outcomes of RNY surgeries compared to sleeve. This may be part of the reason that some insurance companies are still hesitant to cover the sleeve. RNY is more invasive than sleeve but average weight loss for RNY patients is substantially higher than it is for sleeve patients. That may change as more experience is gained with sleeve and better procedures and techniques are developed. RNY is widely acknowledged as the single most effective "treatment" for type 2 diabetes currently available to medical science. RNY has a greater risk of malnutrition than sleeve because RNY involves both restriction and malabsorption while sleeve is restrictive only. Both surgeries appear to be equally safe as far as mortality goes. However, non life-threatening post-op complications such as infections are more common for the more invasive RNY than they are for sleeve.

I was also only one night. My night in the hosptial was bad as my room was right outside of the nurses desk and they forgot to turn up the heat when I got to my room, so I was cold all night. But I walked almost every hour. I don't think there was another sleeve patieint so I had the hallways to myself. I was released by 10 am the next morning, My DH and I went directly to walmart to fill my prescriptions. I went home and took a nap then we went to a park and did a small walk. Since I had no complications-no gas/nausea-One day was fine for me. I also had a hiatal hernia repair.

Hello to all, I just recently had my VGS done this past wednesday and was out by Friday. I am fortunate in that I heal fast. I notice that I find myself becoming more concerned about the complications after all is said and done. My surgeon said after 6-8 weeks the stomach has absorbed the staples and sutures. What i find that I am having trouble understanding is how this is called an irreversible procedure yet many have said the stomach can stretch out again. Does this mean it can grow back to the size it was previously or that it can stretch to a bigger holding capacity and that is it? Another part of me questions what I have done. I was around 354lbs,but i always worked out but found out my metabolism had stalled,my sleep apnea was at a superbad level. Yet no matter how hard i worked and even with just Protein shakes and a regular meal of broiled chiken or lean meat,i still could not drop weight. Now a day before surgery im 350,i check myself today. and im 337. To me though it's more a component of being on a liquid diet rather than anything else. Im just wondering if i gave up good times with my family eating out at restaurants and not being able to finish a plate that has 2 sides and one main dish. Not that i do that all the time,just I don't want to enjoy 1/4 a plate then get full and the smell would still be tempting me even though i feel full. Am I only the only one to have these feelings of uncertainty? I am not an emotional eater or a stress eater. I eat because I enjoy it. I even love to cook. I know i did this for my health. I just feel unsure.

Below is an email from my Dr's office... Do you think Allergan will cover this type o complication? basically my band has a bubble, aneurysm, blister (whatever you want to call it) in it and when they fill it the fluid is all going in to this bubble. Below you can see what Allergan wants to see from my Dr as he is appraoaching them to replace it... just want to know what you all think??? Ok, I finally have some information for you. Dr B let me know that we need to do a fill under fluoroscopy to show Allergan where the dye is going. So we will adjust your band while we are shooting an xray which will show Allergan the fluid is not leaking out of the band. I am having Becky work on dates for next week to get you in to do that. I will let you know once we have a better idea. We are getting closer. No, it is all accumulating in a bubble. Think of your band as having a blister except the fluid goes in but can't come out. Jessica Thorpe, RN, BSN, CBN

My surgery was on May 9th and let me start by saying that all the pain that I went through and the discomfort I am going through right now, is well worth it! I have lost 21 pounds from my HW of 258 bs. Looking forward to many more! Bad news first: I have super tiny veins, very hard to find. Before surgery, the nurse could not find one so the Anesthesiologist came to try to start an IV. The stupid doctor inserted the IV inside of my left wrist. Within minutes, it had infiltrated and had started to swell up. Another Anesthesiologist came with an ultrasound machine and found one vein in my right arm where the IV went. During my stay, the blood draws were a nightmare since many techs poked me several times to find a vein. As a result, my whole arm is black and blue. I could live with that but since yesterday, there is bad tingling in my left hand and my range of motion is almost negligible. it feels like I am holding a live electric wire in my hand, Every time I extend my foreman, an electric shock runs through it. The more I researched this, I found out that this is caused by nerve injury and that the IV in wrist is a no-no. I went to my surgeon today who was shocked to hear that the other doctor tried to put an IV there. So, tomorrow I am going to an ortho hand surgeon for a consult. I am so upset at that stupid doctor and hoping that is just an inflammation that pinched a nerve. I don't want another surgery. Now to a couple of questions: How long before the incisions healed and the pain got better? I cannot sleep on either one of my sides. How long before you were able to eat more than 200 calories? I have found ways to sneek in Protein and had around 30 grams today. I know I need a lot more but that is a start. I am trying to stay hydrated too. Sipping Water all day, drinking some gatorade and even had a sugar free popsicles but calories were not enough to survive. Thank you for all your support during this process! This website rocks!

hi and thank you, what are wls? I went back to work because it was a new job and I wasn't supposed to ask for time off until I'm off probation and I told her that ppl had said they were good in a couple of days. my job is a lot of walking and sitting and standing so I thought it would be good for me too It was painful but I got through it, I chose the lap band because its reversible ( if I have complications) and it seemed less evasive than by pass or the sleeve. what are you having done? or have had done?

Considering surgery in Mexico if UHC 100% denies me and I can't get it cheap enough here in Texas. Which Mexico surgeon/facility did you use? Any complications/infections? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

The bougie is just a guide. The size of the sleeve can be different for other reasons as well, how long your stomach is, how tight the stomach is pulled in to the bougie... My surgeon mad the bottom half a little bit wider than the top... that is normal and helps keep complications down. Let your surgeon do his/her job, with good previous results, Im sure you will do great!... larger bougies tend to get less reflux and eating problems... (not giant, just 36-40)

Well hugs girl. I'm glad your on your way to getting back on track, complication-free & where you want to be. Good thing Ins. is covering it. Whew

When I started with my first consultation back in January 2013 I was certain I wanted the bypass. As I read and did more research, I realized that the part of the process that concerned me the most was not the surgery itself but the re-routing of the intestines, the malabsorption part of it, and the possible complications from those two things. That is not to say there are not possible complications with the Sleeve, but for me, those were my main concerns. I realized because of that that the sleeve was a better option for me, even though I may be able to lose more weight with the bypass. I feel like whichever surgery I had would be an awesome tool. if the difference between what I would lose with the 2 surgeries would be 20 pounds more with the bypass, than I would do the sleeve -which I was more comfortable with -and WORK IT to get those extra 20 pounds or so off. Know what I mean? That's how I came to my decision and haven't regretted it! I would say though, don't depend on anyone's experience....read up, do as much research as you can, and make the most informed decision possible that you feel the most comfortable with.

Ok...first, be glad for the posts that talk about the negatives. When I was doing my research, nobody was talking about these things so I went into surgery with a whole different perspective. Knowing then what I know now...I might (stressing might) have made a different decision but at least I would have had the full story. I read an article (I swear I need to print these off or bookmark them) that said only 4 out of 10 banders are successful...success being determined as only losing 50% of their excess weight and that's only of the percentage who don't end up losing their band from erosion or other medical complications and I can't remember whether these problems were 60% or 40%...sorry. I had my band out two weeks ago due to chronic phrenic nerve pain. My insurance did not have to give prior approval since it wasn't elective...it was due to a 'complication'. I'd guess most insurance companies work that way. My surgeon wanted to do a revision to the sleeve. I would have had to go through the whole approval process (psych eval mainly) again for that one. My insurance company had no problem in approving the sleeve (I didn't get it by the way) because the band was being removed because of a complication...not because it didn't work. Even then, the surgeon said they know how to word the paperwork so insurance companies will approve. Oh, and according to my surgeon, the band is not considered 'restrictive' but the sleeve is so again perhaps it's just in the wording? You can read about the experiences of others...good and bad...but it still won't tell you how you'll do. Ask yourself this...if you don't get the band, then what will you do? Yes, there's a risk you'll be one of those who fail at the band *or* are failed by the band (and it happens more than the manufacturers would like to admit)...but you could also be one of those who are successful. Personally, I wouldn't give up without trying. .

Hello everyone! I am so glad I found this website. Here is my story. I have been overweight my whole life, but especially after I got married and had a baby. Well, my baby is alomst 14, and I still haven't dropped the "baby fat". I come from a family with history of heart disease, strokes and diabetes. In fact, I lost a very dear aunt to complications of diabetes 2 1/2 yrs ago, when she was only 54. My Dr.s have told me, it's not a matter of "if" I will get diabetes, but "when". I want to do something about my health before I have tons of serious health problems. I already have high blood pressure. I have been considering weight loss surgery for a few years, and have of course tried many diets, and exercise programs. I can lose weight, I just can't seem to keep it off. I have done lots of research about the band, and watched the live surgery, and "Big Medicine" on TLC. I have talked to several surgeons and nurses (I work in an Operating Room) Finally, in May 2007, I made the decision to have the band, and went to a seminar. From then till August I put together everything the insurance company required, and less than 2 weeks later (yesterday) I found out I was approved. Yeah! I live 5 hours away from my surgeon, and so this board is my support group. Luckily, 3 of us from our work are all doing this surgery within 2 weeks of each other, so we will have each other for support. I am the last of us to get banded, so I will get to see what the others go through, before I do. That could be a good, or bad thing!!:paranoid I look forward to getting to know each other.

I cut mine to a long angled bob (after it had already started falling out REALLY bad) in October then chopped it into a short bob thing recently just because. (google Chelsea Kane, thats my haircut!) Nioxin puts out a 3 step hair care system I wish started using from the time of the surgery, it stopped it dramatically! Of course 5 months and about 1/3 of my hair later.. better late than never though! (I have to note though, I had a LOT of complications, hence why so much fell out)

Wow Julie? Can you explain where you found research on people with the sleeve going septic and dieing? I've researched the sleeve for months and never saw this complication? Just curious. __________________ Originally posted at www.lapbandtalk.com

Here's FYI for those that are interested! Advantages and Disadvantages of Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Advantages Reduces stomach capacity but tends to allow the stomach to function normally so most food items can be consumed, albeit in small amounts. Eliminates the portion of the stomach that produces the hormones that stimulates hunger (Ghrelin). Dumping syndrome is avoided or minimized because the pylorus is preserved. Minimizes the chance of an ulcer occurring. By avoiding the intestinal bypass, almost eliminates the chance of intestinal obstruction (blockage), marginal ulcers, anemia, osteoporosis, Protein deficiency and Vitamin deficiency. Very effective as a first stage procedure for high BMI patients (BMI > 55 kg/m2). Limited results appear promising as a single stage procedure for low BMI patients (BMI 30-50 kg/m2). Appealing option for people who are concerned about the complications of intestinal bypass procedures or who have existing anemia, Crohn’s disease and numerous other conditions that make them too high risk for intestinal bypass procedures. Appealing option for people who are concerned about the foreign body aspect of Banding procedures. Can be done laparoscopically in patients weighing over 500 pounds, thereby providing all the advantages of minimally invasive surgery: fewer wound and lung problems, less pain, and faster recovery. Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Disadvantages Potential for inadequate weight loss or weight regain. While this is true for all procedures, it is theoretically more possible with procedures that do not have an intestinal bypass. Higher BMI patients will most likely need to have a second stage procedure later to help lose the rest of the weight. Remember, two stages may ultimately be safer and more effective than one operation for high BMI patients. This is an active point of discussion for bariatric surgeons. Soft calories such as ice cream, milk shakes, etc can be absorbed and may slow weight loss. This procedure does involve stomach stapling and therefore leaks and other complications related to stapling may occur. Because the stomach is removed, it is not reversible. It can be converted to almost any other weight loss procedure. Considered investigational by some surgeons and insurance companies. __________________ Originally posted at www.lapbandtalk.com

I am a vaporer as well and this is what I did and I had no complications. Three days prior to surgery and for the first week post op I went to zero nicotine level vamping. The next two week I went up to low level nicotine, and then back to regular vamping. I was a little irritable, but I did it!

This has probably been posted before but it is relevant here and might be new to some. I might just go and add it to the Headhunter thread too, for the benefit of the newbies who are reading that. LAP-BAND: Statistics subframe <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap width=530 height=60>Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding In 2000 Consecutive Obese Patients: 12-Year Results </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top noWrap width=565 colSpan=2> Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding (LAGB) with the LAP-BAND is the most commonly performed surgical procedure for the treatment of morbid obesity in Europe, Australia and South America. Since FDA approval in 2001 the LAP-BAND has ranked second among all bariatric procedures performed in the U.S. and, to date, approximately 300,000 LAP-BAND procedures have been performed worldwide. Background: The purpose of this study was to examine 1,791 consecutive laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) procedures with up to 12 years of follow up. LAGB is widely accepted but its efficacy in the long run is questioned since long term results with a high follow-up rate are not common. Between September 1993 and December 2005, 1,791 consecutive patients (75.1% women, mean age 38.7 years, mean body weight 127.7+ –24 kg, mean body mass index (BMI) 46.2+ –7.7) underwent the LAP-BAND procedure. All operations were performed by ILOST surgeons, Dr. Franco Favretti and Dr. Gianni Segato, part of the multi-disciplinary team that developed the laparoscopic application of the LAP-BAND back in 1993. Results: The ILOST team of surgeons has performed the LAP-BAND procedure on more than 6.000 patients. Dr. Franco Favretti and Dr. Gianni Segato have just published the long term results (more than 12 years) of their own series of 2.000 patients. These results are unparalleled. There are no similar reports in the scientific literature. Results measured over 12 years included mortality, complications, weight loss and resolution/improvement of co-morbidities. Life expectancy was evaluated in an additional study of LAP-BAND vs. medical therapy. Patients were followed at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months post-operatively and yearly thereafter. Band adjustments were performed with barium swallow under fluoroscopy. Zero surgical mortality in the entire series. A mortality rate of 0 in 1,791 consecutive LAP-BAND patients attests to the benign nature of the LAP-BAND surgery. Re-operation rate of less than 5%. Major complications requiring re-operation occurred in 106 (5.9%) patients. These included stomach slippage + pouch dilatation in 70 (3.9%) patients (band removed in 20 patients–1.1%, repositioned in 50 patients–2.8%), erosion in 16 (0.9%) patients (band removed), psychological intolerance in 14 (0.7%) patients (band removed), miscellaneous (HIV, infection, mircroperforation) in 5 (0.27%) patients (band removed) and gastric necrosis in 1 (0.05%) patient (gastrectomy performed). If we exclude the 31 major complications of the learning curve period (first 100 patients), the complication rate is reduced to 4.4%. Unprecedented 12-year follow-up rate of 91% allowed ILOST surgeons to report reliable data. Most common co-morbidities were hypertension (35.6%), osteoarthritis (57.8%), diabetes (22%), dislipidemia (27.1%), sleep apnea (31.4%), depression (21.2%), hyperuricemia (27.1%), gallstones (8.7%) irregular menstrual cycle (4.9%), heart failure (1.4%), sweet eating (22.5%) and binge eating (18.5%). Average weight loss in the entire series of 1,791 patients. Weight loss (kg, BMI, %EWL) for the entire series is represented in Figure 1. At 10 years the average weight was 101.4 ± 27.1 kg (loss of 26.3 kg), the BMI 37.7 ± 9.1 (loss of 8.5 points) and the %EWL was 38.5 ± 27.9. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

The other thing is that each year more and more participants dropped out of the study. The last couple of years in the 12 years had something like 35-40 patients. What happened to the rest? Some probably got bored with being studied and are doing fine. Some of them probably died, maybe not from band-related complications, but maybe not. The rest I'm guessing started gaining back the weight and dropped out of the study out of embarrassment. It's good to know such a study exists though and that the band has been around long enough that the medical community does have a good sense of long-term results.

Thanks for your response Heather, but 800cals? Please tell me you are not serious!? I will not be having a fill for 3-6 months due to complications with surgery and atm I can eat almost anything, how can I possibly stick to 800? Especially when I couldn't stick to 2000 pre band??

This was the best thing I could have ever done. I haven't had any complications, no drama. I guess we have all gotten to the point where we are ready to shed this weight and keep it off. Not everyone here who has had the surgery was really ready (you can see it in their responses). Of course we're used to eating whatever we want, whenever we want, but look where that got us:thumbdown:. For me, this has been and will continue to be a life changing experience. I am eating better than I ever have in life, I'm exercising (I mean really exercising), I work out 5 days a week , 2 of those days with a personal trainer. It's only been about 6 weeks since surgery and I am getting so many compliments, people are really noticing. Others that need to do something about their weight are inquiring about the procedure. I would shout it from the mountain tops if I could. THE LAP BAND WAS THE BEST THING TO EVER HAPPEN TO ME:thumbup::lovechoc::scared2: