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I have apap. There are two schools of thought on post op care both raise some valid points. However, the apnea patients with a machine that can actually take a breath for them should definitely have their equipment in my opinion. There is some concern post op about pap use and Extra air going into the pouch that can cause complications. Apnea patients are more high risk and need extra care and not the one size fits all for every apnea patient. Recovery has its own protocols usually and most doctors are just borrowing time in a hospitals surgery room for the procedure so hospital policy trumps im going to take my pap with me and hope it works out. Of all the things that couldve went wrong you came out golden cause sleep apnea is high risk for surgery complication so take some comfort in that

I wouldn’t take the advice of anyone here regarding altering post surgery rules because they are not doctors. Logically though if your surgeon gives all his patients the same eating plans it makes things more simple to analyze when complications do occur. After surgery there is inflammation not just from cutting but also anesthesia. There are many reasons you start on liquids almost everywhere that I have read. Do not trust forum posters guesses with your life. Ask your doctor why they do it the way they do it

Yes, I had also read that there is a correlation between higher-weight TT patients and fluid-related complications. (I had forgotten about that until I read your post.) I think, given my weight, my surgeon should have inserted drains as a precaution. I also had lipo; I forgot to mention that.

Ok...so this is what my surgeon said about drain-less tummy tucks (or any type of surgery for that matter). According to him, generally, the thinner/smaller the person is prior to surgery, the better the candidate for a drain-less surgery (not to say that bigger people are NOT good candidates, though, just that there would be less fluid build up in a smaller person). He elected to put 2 drains in me because he did a little lipo in the flank area (why lipo influenced his decision to put in drains, I don’t know, I didn’t ask). He also told me I would likely not need the drains in so very long due to my size. He was right, by Day 1 at home (Day 3 post op) my little fluid collectors were basically empty. He took them out at my next scheduled appt (Day 5 post op). Of course there are lots of surgeons out there who do drain-less TT’s in everyone, regardless of size, and have fabulous results...this was just my surgeon’s preference. Sorry you had the sh*tty complications . But im glad that you’ve put it behind you and are now properly rocking your bod ❤️

Thank goodness that your visiting nurse caught it! The fluids drain through the lymph system and eventually out through the urine. Along with my drain less TT, lymphatic massages are scheduled starting 1 day post op. There is also the use of an abdominal binder then a compression garment. I had it performed in Miami, FL. The binder massages & compression garments seem to be industry standard there & in Latin America whether the TT is drain less or traditional. Glad you can enjoy the end product despite the complications

My surgery was done in Paris, France, where I live. I chose the top plastic surgeon in the city, vetted him carefully. He had done hundreds of TTs, and said that mine was the first time he'd ever had a complication. (Of course I can't check if that is true.) The initial surgery went well and I only stayed one night in the clinic. I started developing a fever a couple of days after the initial surgery. I called the surgeon's office and the medical secretary didn't seem alarmed about this. (I should have immediately requested to be seen...but I wasn't mobile enough at that point to get to his office. + I trusted the secretary. Big mistake on my part.) Luckily I had visiting nurses coming to my home post op to change my dressings. It was a nurse who saw my abdominal skin turning yellowish (indicating infection) and she felt my lower abdomen which was hot. My lymph glands in my upper thighs were also enlarged and very painful; I could not sit or walk. On day six she said she suspected I had an infection. By that time I had an extremely high fever, I alternated being freezing cold and trembling to sweating so much I slipped off the hospital gurney by the time I got to the ER. They scanned me and saw all the fluids collecting in my lower abdomen...fluids that, had I had drains, would have drained out of my body and I would not have developed an infection. They got me back on the operating table immediately (I was very close to dying, with my system shutting down due to the scepsis), reopened the abdomen along the same line as the initial surgeon (so I don't have a double scar) and cleaned everything out. After that they put in three drains, I had heavy antibiotics (they had to put in a PICC line for these). My red blood cell count was so low they had to give me 2 units of blood. Nurses cleaned my drains and changed the dressings 3 x day for a week until they deemed me healthy enough to go home. The drainless TT relies on the surgeon's ability to do a "quilting" stitch when reattaching the inner muscles. The quilting stitch, as I understand it, makes so that fluid can't collect. I'm not exactly sure where the fluid goes, however, as it has to go somewhere! In my case, the quilting stitch did not do the job of keeping the fluid from collecting and it just sat there inside of me with nowhere to exit. Eventually it would have probably seeped out of the wound area, bursting through my stitches. Additionally, my surgeon did not think a compression garment was necessary. The second surgeon was astounded at both the idea of a drainless TT and lack of a compression garment. I'm now 15 months out, and all of these complications are behind me. I love my tummy....truly a work of art. It's a firm slate, and I never get tired of looking at it. However, the aftermath was indeed traumatic and something I will never forget. My takeaway is this: fever is NEVER normal post op. It is the first sign of infection. I should have gotten myself to either the hospital or my surgeon's office at that point.

@serenity786 I am sorry to hear you going through complication. There is no to be afraid to get band removed. You will be in good hand in Canadian Government Health Care. It is important to get removed before it get more damage in your body. However i am glad you got email as well. It seem like why most Toronto lawyers refuse to take case because of policies and they already knew Rosenberg Law firm was already taking lapband case. so I assume Vancouver and British Columbia had different policies than Toronto. That explain why this law firm taking it up quite some time to get approval by Judge to start Class Action.

Oh wow! When & where was your surgery? Any more details (surgeon, infection type, wound care, etc) can help others avoid these complications ♥️

If u dont mind me asking, what was the complication u had and who was your doctor Sent from my SM-N970U using BariatricPal mobile app

Well I've not had band but I did have RNY bypass and all my blood work have been fine. My hair issue wasn't loss of hair just that it grows slower. Dumping only happens if you eat like junk food which we shouldn't anyways.. My weight loss has been amazing and even surprised myself... No complications here but I am only 9.5 months post OP. Maintaining well

hair loss is very common with both surgeries. It has nothing to do with the type of surgery, it has to do with the trauma that surgery causes to the body. It's actually a risk with ANY major surgery - not just weight loss surgeries (although I'm guessing you see it more often with WLS, though, since we're taking in so few calories the first few months after surgery). At any rate, it's no more common with bypass than it is with the sleeve. Most WLS patients experience it. The good news is, for most of us, we're the only ones who notice, and also, it's almost always temporary. Vitamin deficiency is rare as long as you keep on top of your vitamins. You'll have to take vitamins with either surgery. dumping - only 30% of us dump (I never have). And it can be controlled by limiting or avoiding sugar. if you have reflux, bypass is the way to go. Bypass often improves if not outright cures it. Sleeve has been known to make it worse (it doesn't happen to everyone - or even most - but it's a significant enough minority that most surgeons will steer you toward bypass if you've had reflux issues) yes, there are more complications with bypass, but to be honest, they're actually not very common with either surgery. Most of us sail through with none - or only very minor issues that are usually "fixable".

With battling weight most of my life 10 years ago I got a lap band put in. I am now 57 years old, 15 years ago I was diagnosed with type two diabetes At the time my Lap Band was put in my weight was 230 pounds. That might not sound like a lot of weight but for a male 5’8 it was a lot for me. In addition to having type two diabetes I have also had two neck surgeries and three back surgeries over the years. The Lap Band gave me significant weight loss. I got down from 230 to 160-165. I also lowered my Metformin from 1000 mg to 500 mg. I lost approximately 70 pounds of weight and maintained this weight for about nine years. To say that it was an easy road for me would be lying, I was constantly having the band loosened tightened loose and tightened like being on a roller coaster. I had problems with the Lap Band being so tight that I was having major acid reflux problems. In addition to that I had some small ulcers around my esophagus next to my Lap Band. Last year I decided I had enough of this and had a lot of fluid taken out of my band. The major acid reflex went away immediately however, I still have some ongoing minor constant heartburn and a small cough because the Lap Band is still in place but a lot of the fluid has been taken out. Because of that removal of fluid I have gained back for the first time in 10 years 35 pounds. Now I am back up to taking the same amount of diabetic medicine Metformin 1000 mg because of the 35 pound weight gain. The bariatric center in Los Angeles is recommending that I conceivably switch to a Bypass Surgery and not a Sleeve. This decision is not completely final yet, and the decision towards leaning towards a Bypass Surgery rather than a Sleeve because of the acid reflex problems I’ve had for so many years which only really developed soon after getting the Lap Band 10 years ago. My next surgery would be involved removing the Lap Band and switching to a Bypass Surgery all at the same time in one surgery. As in all surgeries there are risk concerns for changing the body anatomy, however regarding the Bypass Surgery my new understanding is the body does not absorb as many vitamins and nutrients as it would from a Sleeve Surgery and there is a potential for hair loss and dumping and other potential complications? Any advice or opinions from anyone that has been down this same kind of road would be much appreciated. Thank you for your time and concern. Hopefully one day I can help someone else.

With battling weight most of my life 10 years ago I got a lap band put in. I am now 57 years old, 15 years ago I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes At the time my Lap Band was put in my weight was 230 pounds. That might not sound like a lot of weight but for a male 5’8 it was a lot for me. In addition to having type 2 diabetes I have also had two neck surgeries and three back surgeries over the years. The Lap Band gave me significant weight loss. I got down from 230 to 160-165. I also lowered my Metformin from 1000 mg to 500 mg. I lost approximately 70 pounds of weight and maintained this weight for about nine years. To say that it was an easy road for me would be lying, I was constantly having the band loosened tightened loose and tightened like being on a roller coaster. I had problems with the Lap Band being so tight that I was having major acid reflux problems. In addition to that I had some small ulcers around my esophagus next to my Lap Band. Last year I decided I had enough of this and had a lot of fluid taken out of my band. The major acid reflex went away immediately however, I still have some ongoing minor constant heartburn and a small cough because the Lap Band is still in place but a lot of the fluid has been taken out. Because of that removal of fluid I have gained back for the first time in 10 years 35 pounds. Now I am back up to taking the same amount of diabetic medicine Metformin 1000 mg because of the 35 pound weight gain. The bariatric center in Los Angeles is recommending that I conceivably switch to a Bypass Surgery and not a Sleeve. This decision is not completely final yet, and the decision towards leaning towards a Bypass Surgery rather than a Sleeve because of the acid reflex problems I’ve had for so many years which only really developed soon after getting the Lap Band 10 years ago. My next surgery would be involved removing the Lap Band and switching to a Bypass Surgery all at the same time in one surgery. As in all surgeries there are risk concerns for changing the body anatomy, however regarding the Bypass Surgery my new understanding is the body does not absorb as many vitamins and nutrients as it would from a Sleeve Surgery and there is a potential for hair loss and dumping and other potential complications? Any advice or opinions from anyone that has been down this same kind of road would be much appreciated. Thank you for your time and concern. Hopefully one day I can help someone else.

I had the regular BYPASS was sore a few days but now over 9 months out with no complications..

I like this! Kinda like gratitude journaling - challenging yourself to find something that is good even when it feels like everything sucks! Congrats on your progress, complications and all! ❤️

I got *really* lucky. Both of my therapist's parents had gastric bypass, so she really understands everything I go through and am going through. The best thing she ever told me is that with all the things I've been through to get here (I had a lot of complications after my sleeve), I'm alive and healthy and doing well for myself. I can still have a bad day, but it'll never be as bad as it had been now that I'm getting healthy for myself. She also mentioned that on bad body image days, I should try my best to focus on the fact that this is a *healthy* change for me, even if I feel like I'm still big. NSVs are a huge thing for us, and she tries to make me find one a week to tell her, especially if I was having a bad week. I can always find something, though, so I know something's working, and it's been really helping with my body image because, hey, I *am* making changes, even if my brain doesn't want to accept it sometimes.

I took of 3 weeks. I'm working from home doing Telehealth. I am 5 days out and exhausted. No major complications (no major pain, no nausea, no vomitting, no reflux, incisions healing) but I am fatigued, my tongue is coated white patches and some brown colors that mostly scrape off) from my chocolate protein shakes, chewing multivitamins, etc.. I assume. If it doesn't clear I probably call doc in a few days. I shouldn't be dehydrated because I'm drinking fluids all day (64oz). Maybe I should do 64 water plus the liquid meals. I walk around the house and get dizzy. Make sure to take enough time off because I am thinking I should have taken 6 weeks.

I would definitely wait. I’m 3 weeks out on Wednesday from sleeve surgery and I’m still exhausted and drained. I don’t even have energy to brush my hair. But I’ve also had complications with mine.

I know I say this all the time (as do several other members on this forum), but here I go again: Everyone has to remember we are all so very different and have different circumstances that will affect our individual weight loss. Comparing total pounds lost is deceiving as a myriad if different factors affect this. People who are heavier in the onset will generally lose more total pounds. If you MUST compare (and we all know that we shouldn’t!) compare percentages and/or BMI changes. A 300lb person losing 25lbs in the first month is mathematically the same as a 200lbs person losing 16lbs. Same goes with a 6 foot tall person vs. someone who is 5’3”. Add in gender, medical history and amount of weight loss before surgery, etc., and the formula gets even more complicated. In the long run, (i.e., average the percentage changes over a course or say, a year), one will often find (if one more or less sticks to plan) that most people will end up with the same numbers, in terms of percentage weight lost. Of course, there will be outliers. It’s hard, but try to remember that this is about you, and you alone. The determination of your success is not dependent on the numbers of others. I know, easier said, right? Just do the best to u can. ❤️

I totally agree, I researched tremendously and saw vsg to be better suit for me due to certain complications rny has Sent from my SM-N970U using BariatricPal mobile app

Hey guys, just a little something to keep you encouraged. For me, the pre-op phase was the hardest part of my journey. I am currently 9 mos. P.o. from gastric bypass. I love my tool and wish I had went forward 3 years Ago when I first started this journey. I had lots of questions, but I wanted to know what life was like after the procedure. I wanted to hear from people who were experiencing it. So, this is my info..sw 264 lbs. , cw 186 lbs. Medical issues before surgery...hypertension, diabetes, pcos, infertility, lupus, heart murmur. I currently only take a low dose hypertension pill ,but they will evaluate that at my next post-op appointment. Life is good and I have had zero complications, zero visits to the hospital after surgery. Im grateful for that! I started a YT channel ( under my name Bariatric Blondeshell) that addresses the pre op phase and what life is like for us after surgery. I hope if you check it out you will be encouraged afterwards! Keep pressing on everyone, you deserve this!

Unfortunately not every surgery ends all rosy, there are some surgery complications and some people do have issues in the medium to long term. If you don't want to see anything that you perceive to be discouraging, negative and anxiety inducing you will need to give a lot of threads a miss or not be on social media at all. The OP came for support and encouragement too and should be able to tell there story.

For me it was life changing in every sense. The surgery was quite simple, minor pain at the incision areas, but aside from that really no serious pain. Thankfully, I didn't have some of the 'gas pains' that others have. No nausea, vomiting or extreme discomfort. Not really very hungry for the first few weeks either. I'm not sure if it's common practice, but right before my surgery and at my 6-month check up I had a "Myers Cocktail" which is basically a bunch of vitamins given through IV. Really helped with recovery and energy levels during a time where you really can't get much energy from food. YMMV, but for me recovery was super fast. I was eating pureed food by day 2 and solid foods by I think the end of week 2. Don't worry too much about calories in the beginning. Regardless of what you eat, you won't be able to eat much. Refried beans were a lifesaver for me the first few days on pureed foods, and the Ricotta bake that you see mentioned so much here was also a staple. Couple pieces of advice (again, everyone's different but some of what I see on here leads me to believe that the issue is more frequent than some others): Pay attention to your water. Sounds silly, but right after surgery I had no interest in drinking anything. I had to remind myself to drink water. So I started carrying around my water everywhere. That helped. Kept me sipping throughout the day. One of my biggest issues pre-op was that I ate fast, and when I say fast I mean really really fast. I honestly believe that was a huge part of my weight gain as it led to difficulty digesting, overeating, etc. Use the time in the beginning to re-train yourself on eating slowly and chew chew chew chew chew! Even your liquids. Even your pureed food. Even your smoothies. Chew it all. Sounds weird, but helped me monumentally. Don't try to jump into exercise too early, but don't put it off too long either. We all do this to bring about changes beyond food. We all want to be more active, make healthier choices. It's easy to want to jump right in, but I would wait until you get clearance from your doc (ask) to start, because any injury can cause complications with the surgery or set you back in your recovery or both. Also, you don't want to wait too long because it's WAY TOO EASY to fall back into old habits. Ask your doc at every checkup if you're cleared to exercise and when you are, get moving. Have a plan ready to go. Start with walks and move into beginner plans if you have to and then progressively take on more as you can, but start. Don't get discouraged with stalls. They happen. For some they happen sooner than others, but I think most of us experience them. Just stick to your plan. There are some good articles on here about how to work through stalls. Stalls will hit your ego a lot harder than your overall progress, I promise. Keep with your plan, and you'll push through. Use this time to change what you eat. Just because you can't eat as much of something does not mean that it's a good thing to eat. In the very beginning (first 1-2 weeks), you just need to get something in. Once you start back on solid foods, make sure you're choosing healthy foods. That doesn't mean you have to count calories, macros or any of that. Of course you can if that's what helps you, but I would use this time to find what works best for you. Since you can't eat a lot of different foods, chances are when you start back on solids you'll likely be eating only 1-2 different foods at a time. There won't be 3-4 sides, etc. It's a good time to see how different foods make you feel. Some people do great on a high-protein, low-carb diet. That didn't do it for me. I stuck with the physician's plan for the first 30 days (high protein), but I wanted something more balanced and more sustainable (for me) long-term. I made the change to go to a whole-foods based diet, and it's what I still do today, almost 5 years post-op. I stay away from anything processed as much as I possibly can. This doesn't limit me as much as other diets and it worked really for me. Try foods and see how they make you feel. Weed out the ones that leave you feeling bad, bloated, tired, etc. Enjoy what you couldn't enjoy pre-op. When you get out there and start enjoying the things that you may not have been able to do before your surgery, it's automatic motivation to stay on plan. If you have activities or certain things you have had to sit out because of your weight, having the opportunity to do them is like being a kid again and doing these activities for the first time. Remember those experiences. They will get you through any challenges you might face. Remember that times do get challenging, but that's why you're here. There's a lot of support here. I'm sure you have family and friends to help in that arena as well, but there's something about talking with people who've experienced everything you're going through. Don't forget that we're here. Sorry for the long-winded post, but I hope this gives you some encouragement as you start your journey. Best of luck to you and please keep us in the loop with how everything is going!

I feel as though your post is important as it shows more about the risks that we are taking going down this route. While most complications are rare, it’s important to know about some beforehand, so you know what may (or may not!) happen to you. I feel I’d rather be braced for the rare possibility that I have a complication (or several in your case), than go into it completely blind. At least you could know more about how severe of a complication it could be, or not be. I hope that you, escape_pinacolada, find your relief soon, and that this will be just a blip on the radar of a future life of healing and recovery. Best wishes.

I’m not talking about complications with surgery. I’m talking about vitamin malabsorption and other issues. With RnY you are completely moving everything around and rerouting. Everybody I spoke to about before I made my decision has had issues plus it does have a higher rate of failing as well. I had been looking at this as an option for about 15 yrs. I spoke to people who had different surgeries. Not every case is the same. To me the the sleeve had the least amount of risk and changes to your system as you are only removing part of the stomach. People also need to understand that what may be good for one is not good for all.