Gastric sleeve in September... question [emoji780][emoji780]

[Trixxx 2]

Hi

I'm going for my gastric sleeve surgery in September in Istanbul turkey and I have a few questions?

1 . Does GS affect your breathing in any way ?

2. is there any vomitation of blood in the mouth after surgery

3. Can I smoke my vape with nicotine after GS

4. Is it hard to swallow (water/protein drinks) in the days after GS

5. What happens if I miss my Vitamin tablets for a couple of days , will I feel weak ?

6. I suffer from Heartburn (gastric reflux)will my heartburn tablets be ok to take after the surgery

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[summerseeker 2,145]

If you already suffer from reflux then the Gastric Sleeve is not the operation for you, You need a Gastric bypass. A sleeve will only make your reflux worse

[catwoman7 11,212]

2 hours ago, summerseeker said:

If you already suffer from reflux then the Gastric Sleeve is not the operation for you, You need a Gastric bypass. A sleeve will only make your reflux worse

I agree - I'm surprised your surgeon didn't bring this up with you. Normally gastric bypass is recommended for people with reflux.

as for your other questions,

1 . Does GS affect your breathing in any way ?

Haven't heard of this issue

2. is there any vomitation of blood in the mouth after surgery

haven't heard of this - but it seems plausible since it's stomach surgery, so I suppose it could happen

3. Can I smoke my vape with nicotine after GS

we were told no smoking/nicotine

4. Is it hard to swallow (water/protein drinks) in the days after GS

for some, yes - but for most, no.

5. What happens if I miss my Vitamin tablets for a couple of days , will I feel weak ?

a couple of days shouldn't be an issue, but I wouldn't make a habit of it. We have a few sleevers on here who were given the go-ahead to stop taking certain or all Vitamins based on their lab results - but it'll be awhile before that kind of decision (might be...) made. In the mean time, you should be taking them regularly.

6. I suffer from Heartburn (gastric reflux)will my heartburn tablets be ok to take after the surgery

yes, you can take heartburn meds, but again, I'm a little surprised you'll be getting sleeve surgery since you suffer from heartburn. Sleeve can make that worse. It's not inevitable - and it doesn't even happen to the majority - but the risk is big enough that many surgeons will recommend bypass instead of sleeve for heartburn sufferers.

Edited July 3, 2022 by catwoman7

[Trixxx 2]

Thanks for the replys guys I am getting Gastric sleeve for weight loss and has nothing to do with my gastric reflux, I do drink a lot off coffee which I will cut out that causes acid in the stomach , thanks again for the replys

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[RickM 1,747]

6 hours ago, Trixxx said:

Hi

I'm going for my gastric sleeve surgery in September in Istanbul turkey and I have a few questions?

1 . Does GS affect your breathing in any way ?

Existing breathing problems will generally improve with any WLS as the weight comes off.

2. is there any vomitation of blood in the mouth after surgery

Not normally, only if there is a serious problem.

3. Can I smoke my vape with nicotine after GS

Most practices say no, as nicotine inhibits healing, but yours may have a different view.

4. Is it hard to swallow (water/protein drinks) in the days after GS

Not usually, but sometimes people have a lot of inflammation in the stomach that makes it difficult for a while, so we are usually told to just keep sip sip sipping all day long until we can drink more normally. I could drink relatively normally (not gulping) from the start, but my wife could not when she went through it.

5. What happens if I miss my Vitamin tablets for a couple of days , will I feel weak ?

With a sleeve, not much. Weakness or lethargy is more a function of diet or longer term deficiency.

6. I suffer from Heartburn (gastric reflux)will my heartburn tablets be ok to take after the surgery

Most practices prescribe a PPI (heartburn) med after any WLS. The sleeve (GS) can make heartburn or reflux problems worse, or better. I would want to know what is causing the reflux before doing a GS, as some causes, such as a hiatal hernia, which is quite common in obese people, will be fixed along with the GS surgery, but if there isn't an obvious correctable cause, that would be a concern and maybe reason to change do a different procedure. Note that changing procedure does not reduce your chances of side effects (and may increase them) but merely changes what those side effects might be.

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[Arabesque 7,246]

Everything that @catwoman7 said. I’d just add:

1: Haven’t heard of any breathing issues post surgery, but if you are a smoker this may be something to watch. See #3.

2: Vomiting is a possibility post surgery but haven’t heard of any one vomiting blood. When I had the awful diarrhoea attack day 3 it was very dark & I presumed it was old blood.

3. Some require you to stop nicotine before surgery. Nicotine will slow your recovery & increases risks for surgical complications.

4: I had trouble swallowing for about three days because of swelling. I was spitting up a lot of saliva. Though not easy, I was still able to sip & swallow meds. I found warm/hot drinks are more soothing that cool/cold.

5: Missing the odd Vitamin is ok. We all forget at some time but don’t make it a habit. You don’t want be become lacking in an essential vitamin, mineral or nutrient. I am someone who was allowed off my Multivitamins - at 8 months which was 2 months after I reached goal. I was having blood tests every three months (sometimes more) & my surgeon told me if there were any drops I’d be back on the multi vitamin. Three years out & my bloods are still good. Lethargy & energy drops in the weeks post surgery aren’t uncommon. You’re healing, recovering, & on a reduced diet. Adding an electrolyte drink can help, as does getting in your fluids, Protein & Vitamins & resting when you need to.

6: Pre existing reflux usually rules you out for a sleeve as sleeves are predisposed to develop reflux/gerd post surgery. Being prescribed a PPI (acid reducer) post surgery for a couple of months is pretty common as your tummy tends to produce excess stomach acid while healing & in response to changes to your digestive system & eating. Personally, I’d had reflux for years before my surgery. It was pretty mild. I controlled it with dietary choices & rarely took medication - a couple of times a year maybe. I still have reflux. It’s still not very bad but it manifests differently. I still watch my food choices & take a PPI every day.

Edited July 4, 2022 by Arabesque