Any Regrets?

[bilbisgfy 36]

Hi!

I am new to the VSG community. I have been thinking about a lap band for 10+ years, but my sister informed me the sleeve procedure about a month ago.

So I have decided to actually pursue the single incision sleeve procedure and I need to do my due diligence and ask if anyone that has had the sleeve procedure done, do they have any regrets about it? If so, what are they? Has anyone had the single incision procedure done? Likes/dislikes about it?

Like most of you guys, I will have to go to Mexico in order to afford the surgery (completely excluded from my policy from work and I couldn't find another policy on Healthcare.gov that didn't exclude it)!

I have basically OCD'ed researched about the sleeve procedure and just wanted to introduce myself and ask a few questions. Everything that I have read so far on this forum has been positive, aside from a few haters (which are everywhere)!

I look forward to hearing back from you guys and hearing about your experiences too!

Thanks so much!

Sally

[Navigating the Wilderness 824]

I've had both the band and the sleeve. I personally found the band to be worthless. I had the vsg 2 months back, and it has helped much more so than the band.

Having said that I can say, and I really want to drive it home, that neither surgery will do much for you if you are not prepared to stick with the eating diet.

My advice to you is to find a post-op diet recommendation and follow it, not for one week, or one month, but maybe 6 months or so. If after six months, you still feel like you can follow it, go through with the surgery. If not, take some time and reassess everything.

Some people find when they have VSG they lose their appetite, this did not happen with me, so from a dieting standpoint I don't really feel any different 2 months post op than I did pre-op. Of course the first couple weeks when you are doing the majority of your healing, the inflammation will definitely present restriction.

I suppose if I tried to jam 6 tacos in I would have discomfort, but I have never had a problem eating anything in any rational amount and feeling like I needed to throw up afterwards, but then again, I don't force feed myself until busting either.

The fact is most food if chewed well will just push through the pyloric valve and go into the intestines if you keep eating. It will especially do so if you drink liquid right before a meal. I say this because I am 100% convinced that the physical sleeve is maybe 20% of the success, while diet and exercise account for 80%. It may even be more like a 10%-90% split. I'm sure there are some people who will disagree, so I will qualify all of this by saying it is just my opinion.

[bilbisgfy 36]

Thank you!

I do eat a fairly balanced diet, I do exercise, the weight is just somehow "glued" on me.

I have tried diet pills, I am even in a healthywage challenge right now!

NOTHING, has helped me kick the cravings, ESPECIALLY at night with sweets!

That is why I am considering using the sleeve procedure as a tool, not a one-stop solution, to become healthy again.

[Clementine Sky 708]

I only regret not having the single incision surgery, because even though the scars have faded they're still visible. For the first time in many years I feel confident in a swimsuit at the beach, but I can't wear a bikini because of the scars. The coordinator I'd worked with for booking my surgery in Mexico had discouraged the single incision because she said that after she'd had the VSG she had so much loose skin she needed a surgery to remove it, and so the extra cost would be wasted. I appreciate that she was trying to save me $1000, but the advice wasn't solid, because there was a tremendous difference between our starting weights, making me far less likely to have the loose skin she experienced. I don't have any loose skin, but if I had lost 200 pounds instead of 80 I probably would.

So I'm glad the OP is having the single-incision. That's literally my only regret. This surgery changed my life for the better.

[bilbisgfy 36]

Thank you Clementine Sky!

Do you mind me asking what your starting point was (weight or BMI) & who was your surgeon?

What was your overall experience (traveling, culture, etc.)?

I have pretty much decided to have the surgery, just throughly vetting the pros/cons before scheduling a date with Bill.

[jennyqp 62]

No regrets wish I did it sooner. I considered Mexico but found a surgeon in Florida for $10,000. I am almost 8 months out. I cannot eat much at one time. I do see that you can sneak in ice cream or sweets which I have done a few times. Did t know there was a single incision available. My scars have faded and I wear a one piece bathing suit.

[Diana_in_Philly 1,426]

I didn't do single incision. My surgeon did three incisions, only two of which are visible and are about 1/4 inch. One incision was in my belly button, one near my upper right ribs and the other was about mid-belly on the left. I'm 7 months out and they are almost invisible now.

My only regret was not having surgery sooner.

[teacupnosaucer 445]

7 hours ago, Navigating the Wilderness said:

I've had both the band and the sleeve. I personally found the band to be worthless. I had the vsg 2 months back, and it has helped much more so than the band.

Having said that I can say, and I really want to drive it home, that neither surgery will do much for you if you are not prepared to stick with the eating diet.

My advice to you is to find a post-op diet recommendation and follow it, not for one week, or one month, but maybe 6 months or so. If after six months, you still feel like you can follow it, go through with the surgery. If not, take some time and reassess everything.

Some people find when they have VSG they lose their appetite, this did not happen with me, so from a dieting standpoint I don't really feel any different 2 months post op than I did pre-op. Of course the first couple weeks when you are doing the majority of your healing, the inflammation will definitely present restriction.

I suppose if I tried to jam 6 tacos in I would have discomfort, but I have never had a problem eating anything in any rational amount and feeling like I needed to throw up afterwards, but then again, I don't force feed myself until busting either.

The fact is most food if chewed well will just push through the pyloric valve and go into the intestines if you keep eating. It will especially do so if you drink liquid right before a meal. I say this because I am 100% convinced that the physical sleeve is maybe 20% of the success, while diet and exercise account for 80%. It may even be more like a 10%-90% split. I'm sure there are some people who will disagree, so I will qualify all of this by saying it is just my opinion.

I didn't lose my hunger either! But strangely my "cravings" have been absent so far. But I definitely get hungry at my meal/snack times.

[Lexigurl82 160]

I had the sleeve and I am a year and 4 months out. No regrets other than not having this surgery sooner. I am 110+ pounds down from my highest weight, the smallest I have been since high school (and I will be 35 this weekend). I say go for it, it will be one of the best decisions you'll make.

[Clementine Sky 708]

6 hours ago, bilbisgfy said:

Thank you Clementine Sky!

Do you mind me asking what your starting point was (weight or BMI) & who was your surgeon?

What was your overall experience (traveling, culture, etc.)?

I have pretty much decided to have the surgery, just throughly vetting the pros/cons before scheduling a date with Bill.

My highest BMI was 32, and it was 30 on the day of surgery in August of 2015. It's currently 19.5. I put the scale away because it was so discouraging then. I was barely fitting into a size 14 and XL tops and skirts, and am now in a size 2/4 and an XS. I'm 5'8. I lost weight at a slower pace than most do after WLS (about a year), but I eventually met and then exceeded my goals.

I had a fantastic experience in Mexico! I live in Los Angeles, so it was a simple morning's drive down to the border. There's a long-term parking lot with reasonable rates we were instructed by the coordinator to leave our car at, and the driver met us and took us to the Marriott in Tijuana. My surgeon was Dr. Fernando Garcia, and I thought he was kind and caring. I didn't spend that much time with him, but I felt at peace. The medical team took good care of me, and were attentive. I had discomfort and some pain the first day, but was given ample medication to prevent anything too intense. My period started during surgery, and it seemed to amplify the cramps. Had that not happened I think the pain would have been even more minimal. I'd brought a heating pad with me and it helped. Still, I was up and walking around within a few hours. I was actually told to slow down because my laps were too fast, haha. I slept most of the time the first two days, though. I'd brought an HDMI cable to hook my laptop up to, and had it loaded with movies to keep my parents entertained (they were my support team since my husband was working) while I snoozed. They could have stayed in the room with me, as some other family members of patients did, but it was more comfortable for them to stay at the Marriott. The hotel was a bit dated, but still quite nice, and they were eager to please. The shuttle took my parents to the clinic and back every day, and also to other places. There is a little shopping center down the street with an Applebees, Starbucks, and Walmart. They paid a bit extra to stay on the executive floor, and it included access to a little dining area that served Breakfast and light dinner fare. We all felt perfectly safe. Once you move beyond the border there are some really pretty and nice areas. On our last day there we played tourist and had fun. We then went to the outlet mall on the American side of the border before heading back to LA. I felt fine by then. The only problem was an irritation caused by the surgical tape.

I spent one night at the Marriott before the surgery, two nights at the clinic, and then one more night at the hotel before we left and headed back to LA. I was given the medications and wound care that I needed. The only additional money spent was on the x-ray of the leak test, which was $20 (and optional). My room at the clinic was spacious and comfortable, and had a private bathroom. The total cost was $4200, which included the 2 nights at the Marriott, and ground transportation from the border to the hotel and back. Since my BMI was under the eligibility requirements for my insurance, I would have had to pay for it myself in the US. I'd been quoted between $29,000 and $35,000. I feel confident that the results would have been precisely the same. Another huge perk of having the surgery in Mexico was far more control. I didn't have to jump through insurance hoops or wait months for a surgery date. I scheduled it for precisely when it was the ideal time (three weeks in advance). I see my endocrinologist for follow-up care. My blood work has been excellent, and I'm just taking two Flintstones with Iron a day.

I met with a nutritionist there and received a folder with information. You definitely don't get the same level of patient education as you would if you were attending six months worth of classes or whatever the other requirements are for American surgeons, but between the info I was given and what I found online, I've felt equipped with all I needed to know to succeed. Reputable bariatric centers like the ones at UCLA, the mayo Clinic, and Stanford have nutritional information and instructions online. I also thought Dr. Matthew Weiner's YouTube videos were helpful. I'd bought a book on Amazon about what to expect with bariatric surgery. The few times I had any questions, I posted them here and received informative responses.

I'd do it all exactly the same if I could rewind time, except I'd choose the single incision. That's it. Otherwise, I'm very satisfied.

[bilbisgfy 36]

Thank you guys so much!

[painter88 101]

I have major regrest!!!!


That I didn't do it when I was 25, rather waited until I was 35.

[bilbisgfy 36]

I have major regrest!!!!


That I didn't do it when I was 25, rather waited until I was 35.

LOL! At least you have already done it!

[Noneyo 171]

What painter88 said!!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using BariatricPal mobile app

[MHOUSE 10]

I was really happy with my experience. I only told few people before I went because one of the people I did tell had me so scared after I spoke to her! She had seen some Dateline program from 15 years ago about Mexico surgeries and had to tell me about it. I knew I had done plenty of research and talked to a lot of people on Facebook who had gone and they assured me it was going to be fine! It was. Minus having to get used to the "relaxed" concept of time down there-once I accepted that, things were great!

My surgery was 3/27 and now that im home and doing really well, I tell everbody!

*side note- I work a physically demanding job and do wish I had taken 3 weeks off. My first week back to work was exhausting.