Did You Have Complications After Weight Loss Surgery?

[Alex Brecher 10,515]

Alex, there was a thread or whole area in Gastric Sleeve dedicated entirely to complications experienced by individual members... I cannot find it now. Do you know where it went? I think this posting you just made, is very helpful. but it IS very general.

I guess I would like to see a STICKY with a list like the last gal had... she was keeping track of how many leaks, etc and different kind of complications there were with folks here. I have referred numerous folks here to find that Complications posting.

i feel too many people are running to the sleeve without any research. I just feel every one needs to know what MIGHT happen in their case. Forewarned is the best situation.

Suggestion from me:

STICKY for each TYPE of operation delineating complications, and individual story.

I sure wish I could find the list of complications in Gastric Sleeve. It seems like it was easier to find before my visit here today.

We have an entire forum dedicated to complications:

http://www.bariatricpal.com/forum/429-gastric-sleeve-surgery-complications-support-group/

Same for the other procedures.

[Babbs 14,681]

My GERD got worse after the sleeve. I was on full liquids for 6 weeks after surgery to see if it would help at all. Unfortunately, it didn't. He doubled my medication, but to no avail. I will pursue with a gastro when the time comes, but for now I just watch the kind of foods i'm eating and the speed i'm eating to try to help it a little...and it does to a certain extent. I'm concentrating on weight loss right now! I know I need to deal with it eventually

[mae7365 372]

Didn't drink enough fluids and had vomiting issues 2 weeks post op; ended up readmitted with dehydration and hypokalemia (low potassium). Lots of I.V. fluids, potassium and Vitamin cocktails and 24 hours later I was discharged. I was put back on liquid diet for another couple weeks. I now make an effort to drink more, eat at least 60 grams of Protein daily and I think I'm pretty much where everyone else would be 11 weeks post-op. I won't know for sure until I see my surgeon in March!

[cornhusker 115]

Nothing. Little sore for a couple days, but other than that not a thing. Didn't even need pain meds. Eating was not an issue either. I'm careful to track and measure everything. Sleeved October 8. Down 80 lbs. Got blood work back couple weeks ago and everything is great! Had another sleep study two weeks ago. Met with the sleep doc last week. OSA is gone. And so is the CPAP. Life is good.

[BLERDgirl 6,417]

Nope, not a single thing. Walked in recovery. No issues with gas, Constipation, nausea, etc...

I think my meniscus repair was more painful.

Edited January 29, 2015 by BLERDgirl

[MichiganChic 3,262]

I voted Other. I had a post op infection that started 5 days after surgery and had to be opened and drained about three times, and took about 7 weeks to heal. It was fairly minor, but still a worry. Other than that, it's a sleeve of steel.

[Dr-Patient 830]

Not one complication. None at all, thank God.

[JustWatchMe 7,117]

None!

[Marie Louise Hoefer 3]

I had the biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch (bpd/ds) on September 22, 2014. The next day I was discharged, and was given the option to walk out or be wheeled out. I chose to walk out, unfortunately this was a bad idea. Apparently one of the kitchen workers spilt Water on the floor of the lobby, but didn't put any sign out to warn people. So when I was walking through the lobby, I happened to step in it. I slipped, my left leg twisting to the left and pulling under me as I fell backwards. Thankfully this incident didn't affect my surgery, but it haulted any additional walking for excersize for a very long time. The fall I think in creased the pain in my left side, that took at least a month to go away.

Two weeks after surgery I developed an issue in my stomach, where I was vomiting 4-5 times a day for no reason. I wasn't nausious, and it wasn't due to food. I have pretty bad allergies, and misunderstood the consumption of pills, and thought I had to stop taking all pills that I was taking before surgery. So I had a bad case of post-nasul drip, which was draining into my stomach. Though I attempted to drink my Protein shakes, or take my Vitamins, I would just start to throw up, and so the idea of eating was a put off, and I just stopped. I wasn't able to get my fluids in as I should, because the moment I introduced any liquid in my stomach, it stired up what ever mucus was in there and caused me to throw up. I spent most of my time in bed, where laying on my side or sleeping was when I didn't feel the most crappy.

This went on for about two and a half months. My vision started to get bad, I was seeing double, and my head was dizzy, light and it was like I was intoxicated. I couldn't walk straight, it felt like my legs would just buckle under me, so I had to always hold on to someone when I was walking. Around Thanksgiving my stomach finally settled down, and I was able to eat the first solid things, turkey, ham, mash and gravy. I didn't eat a lot but it was a nice chage. I only threw up one more time, and that was after taking a sip or two from OJ. Due to the excessive citrus in the concentrated OJ isn't agreeable with my stomach, so I avoid it like the plague now.

I attempted to return to work on December 4th after only working two days in November, but went home ill, and was still living my life in bed till December 9th, when I had an incident tat caused me to finally kick myself in the ass and go to the ER, Pretty much was severly dehydrated, my urine was copper, and my Vitamin and food levels were extremely low. I was admitted that night, and hooked up to a "banana Bag", liquid vitamins. I was also hooked up to an IV to get the fluids. By the next day, my head didn't feel so light, and drunk and I was able to walk on my own while holding on to the IV cart thing I was hooked up to. I learned how to use crutches to go up and down stairs.

I was discharged on the 11th and went home to recover more. I was able to eat, start taking my Vitamins and get my Water in. Since then it's been one day at a time and my legs are getting stronger and stronger. My eyes are nearly back to normal, and I'm working hard to ensure that I get my vitamins in like i'm supposed to. I'm back to work, and now I'm struggling with getting burnt out on water and Protein Shakes. So I'm working on finding ways to keep it interesting and with variety. Needless to say, I will not procrastinate or be stubborn about my health since this incident. Now I know the symptoms of dehydration, and what to look out for, in the event that I fall off the tracks again.

[terrydumont46 1,954]

I developed congested heart failure from all the iv fluids. so I had to stay in the hospital for 4 days instead of the next day discharge. had no complications from the surgery itself.

[Dabliss111114 180]

Hi. Overall I did great after my RNY surgery, but I checked "other" because at 8 weeks out I came down with a terrible intestinal flu complete with fever, chills vomiting and diarrhea. I also had some extensive dental work done prior to getting the flu, and my dentist put me on both an antibiotic and had me use an prescription antibacterial mouth rinse. Shortly after getting over the flu I started having terrible swelling and burning in and around my mouth. My regular doctor said it was an extension of the intestinal flu, but finally had me check with my dentist after it didn't get better within a week. My dentist said that I had a thrush infection in my mouth probably caused from the combination of my immune system being weakened from the flu and all the antibiotics. I'm still being treated for it, but was told by both my dentist and my regular doctor that it could take my immune system several months to get back to where it should be.

[Mommabird 367]

I had my RNY on December 10, 2014. I had to have 20 staples put in to close my six incisions. Those were no problem. At my two week post-op appointment, the staples were removed and steri-strips put over my incisions. That's when the fun began. I was told that the strips would stay on for 7-10 days. At a week the first one came off leaving open blisters behind. The next day I took the rest off, hoping to avoid the blisters. Instead, I started breaking out in huge whelps and rash, followed by insanely intense itching. After a trip back to the surgeon's office, i was prescribed a cream to use with two OTC anti-itch creams and told to take Zyrtec in the AM and 50 mg Benedryl at bed time. The Benedryl at bed time made me itch worse. I would have quit taking it from the start, but as all the itching was so bad it took most of two weeks to realize that it was making things worse! After stopping the bedtime dose of Benedryl, things started resolving and the whelps and rash started to go away. I'm seven weeks post-op now and today is the first day that I can look at my stomach and NOT see the marks that were left by the whelps!

[GreenEyes604 753]

I had a few complications post op. I became extremely dehydrated and wound up back in the hospital about a week after my surgery. Around week two I became extremely dehydrated again and had to have in-home infusion for 7 days.

Also do to my belly bulge which hung over my belly button, the incision right above my belly button would not heal. It took almost 3 weeks for it to finally heal correctly.

[RJ'S/beginning 5,358]

Yup......Had a leak 3 days after the sleeve. Ended up in a coma and a stay of 5.5 months in hospital. Had to date 18 surgeries and/or procedures.

It has just been a barrel of laughs you know!

No regrets though......

[andi7411 1]

I was in and out of the hospital for 13 weeks with complications from surgery. I had a leak, internal bleeding, a feeding tube, a drain tube, 8 strictures, Fluid around my lungs.

Edited January 29, 2015 by andi7411