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From different research sites it shows bypass reduces the hormone, as well as surgeries like vsg. Some research shows that hormone levels return to normal after a few years. http://press.endocrine.org/doi/pdf/10.1210/jc.2003-030705 http://press.endocrine.org/doi/full/10.1210/jc.2003-030705 It is also produced in our small intestines, so unless we have all our stomach and intestines removed, we will still have ghrelin in some quantity.

So I had my bypass on May 10th. I have puked and puked. They did a endoscopy everything was fine. So my surgeon had a ultrasound of my gallbladder done the same day. It showed gallstones and sludge. She said this is common with rapid weight loss. So last Wednesday I had my gallbladder removed and she repaired two hernias and I have one more hernia they are putting off fixing until I finish losing weight. I’m so frustrated, I was really excited because I made homemade chicken noodle soup with a little bit of Turkey sandwich. Well I only had a couple bites and puked that up too. I’ve lost almost 90 pds but I’m tired of being sick. I go for my post op check Wednesday maybe it’s just to soon.

Dear Friend - I want you to have a decent life too. The band is a wonderfult tool to help you stick with a good healthful way of eating. Of course you have been on every diet and wgt loss program out there - we all have. It's not your fault that you cannot stick with a restricted calorie diet or you gain the wgt back. Diets don't work. Goolgle the last sentence and you will find a wealth of information as to why they don't. I don't know how old you are - I am 49 and decided that I didn't want to miss out on life anymore. And I didn't want to loose the wgt only to live in fear of it returning - which it always did. Banding may be slower than The Gastric Bypass - as far as loosing wgt - but it is so much safer and healthier. If you are determined to never go on another diet again, in my opinion, you will not regret getting the lapband. The band, if used correctly and to it's maximum performance (appropriate fills) - will aid you in restricting calories, also you will not be hungry while doing so. In many larger people - you will find that surgeons who have been an advocate of Gastric Bypass will first band their patients in order to get them to a healthier wgt before doing the bypass. You may experience some issues that lower bmi patients do not - but your surgeon will be aware and will watch for this. God Bless... Patti

I just got home from the hospital. The surgery went well. I'm running a mild fever if it gets worse I'll have to go back in. The pain is pretty bad.

I'm very disappointed in your doctors. My center stressed, at each and every informational meeting, that if you have even mild regular heartburn bypass is the best route to take. They should have you taking omeprazole (maybe not til your 3 week check up) - that may help. It's taken for six months to prevent ulcers. If it helps, stay on it. That's what I was on pre-RNY for my reflux. Hopefully you're on the mend soon

I am having a very hard time loosing any weight since the weather has gone into this deep freeze. I had my bypass a year &a day ago & I have been lucky the weight has been coming off steadily for this year with the infill now. Two weeks ago I got on the scale & was thrilled, I had broken through the 250's & weighed in at 248lbs, I stood on the scale & cried I was so excited. When I weighted in this week, the rotten thing said I was 258!! How did I gain 10lbs in a week??? I do mother & eat candy or sweets unless it is sugar free or under 10 grms of sugar. The only thing I can think of is I really haven't been out of bed in over a week, I have chronic RA &Fibromyalgia, & I have been in so much pain I haven't been able to move ( my RA is so bad that I am disabled from it & take pretty heavy duty pain killers) . Sorry this is so long & I sound like I'm whining, I guess I just need some advice/encouragement/etc. from people who have been through or -Maybe I just need to vent I don't know. A little help please?

I'm barely out of the starting gate, so I can't address your main question yet. However, I wanted to point out that, when my doctor said that most patients achieve a loss of 50 percent of their excess body weight, he was framing that within a year's time. He went on to say that, within 3-5 years, my loss would approach that of someone who'd had gastric bypass surgery. The people best equipped to answer this will be long-term bandsters---I hope you get lots of good information; I'll be interested to see the responses.

Hello, I am scheduled to have surgery on May 21st! I am excited, but a little scared. Not sure what to expect. This is my question..........how bad is the pain during recovery? Is it reasonable to expect to go back to work in a couple of days instead of taking a whole week off? I have been reading alot of the threads and I identify with so many of you. My difference is that I have had a previous gastric bypass about 13 years ago. I feel like such a loser for gaining the weight back! - but am blessed with two beautiful daughters to show for it! I have been struggling with feeling selfish for wanting this surgery so bad - I am a self pay. My husband said we will just have to treat it like a car payment and my life is more important. - I hope he still feels that way after a few years of payments! lol Well, if any of you have had a prior gastric bypass or if anyone has any thoughts for me, I welcome the comments. Hope everyone is having a great day! Christy

Hi Gigi, I made the revision from lap band to gastric sleeve recently. My doctor required a three month wait between band removal and sleeve surgery. He said a lot of the callous tissue that builds around the band will subside if given a waiting period. It made sense to me, and asking around in my area at seminars pre-decision to do this, all the doctors (under my medical coverage) in my local area were of the same opinion. They said simply, waiting was safer. The band removal was quick. I was in surgery and out same morning. The port site, removal, was the most painful area for a few days. The sleeve pain levels were less than the band removal, however new eating rules and such of course have been a much bigger event after the sleeve. Best wishes to your husband, and you. It's great to see your support already in this, as My husband has been terrific supporting me.

Well, it has been a little over a month since I last posted. A lot has happened. I have officially lost 28 pounds, according to my doctor's scale. I only needed to lose 21 pre-op. I met with the pyschologist on Nov 12th. She was super nice and made me feel comfortable and didn't ask any weird or odd questions. I was very lucky and got a Case Manager appt for that following Tuesday, nov 16th! By the way, my mom had all of her appointments the same day. So we went into the appt with the Case Manager and she let us do our appointments together, it didn't bother me. She had the same concerns as my surgeon with me having the sleeve. Basically saying that since I am so young, 28, there are no long term studies and all of that. I explained again, that I did not want my intestines rerouted and that as far as I was concerned I would rather risk not knowing what could possibly happen in the future. The furture is unknown anyways. So then the Case Manager looked at her surgery calendar and asked when I wanted to have surgery. I said as soon as possible. So she set me up with December 13th. My mom was disapointed that her surgery date is not until Jan 3rd. Though that is because she is having gastric bypass and they didn't have any surgery days available for that procedure until then. So we then scheduled our pre-op appointments which are on Dec 2nd. All of this seemed to happen very quickly. I had to stop my birth control right away and have to take a pregnancy test a week before surgery. I went in for some more blood work and now I am all set until Dec 2nd. I am worried about the silly stuff. Like the catheder. Um, that doesn't sound pleasant and I hope I am sleeping when they do it. Then staying in the hospital over night by myself. I am scared of that. Not that I will be awake or able to entertain but I have never stayed in the hospital, never had surgery. I am a wimp! Then all my family is worried about me being home alone while my boyfriend works that first week. Will I really need that much help? He will get me my beverages and meds before leaving for work at 6:30am then he will be home around 2:30. Won't I be sleeping, sipping and walking? Oh and we live in an apartment and have stairs. So I figure I can just walk in circles inside, right? Walking is walking. My grandparents are so sweet. They are going to pick me up from the hospital, my mom has to save her time off from work for her own surgery. My grandparents have an extra bedroom but no bed because they gave it to my brother. So my grandpa says, "If you want to stay here just tell me and I will go out and buy a bed." That cracks me up. They would buy a new bed just so I could stay there for a few days! I love my family. My boyfriend is worried that my family will be mad at him for not taking time off. I'm not worried about it. He is a teacher and that is a week before winter break. But he did say that he would drive out to see me after surgery after he gets off work. It is almost a 2 hr drive so that is super sweet! I now need to start making my list of what I need to buy for the hospital. Robe, slippers, chapstick, gas x strips, a blanket, a small pillow. I am sure I will overpack. Though I am nervous and trying not to think about the surgery every min of the day. I am trying to break up these next 3 week into small things. Like Thanksgiving, then Black Friday shopping, then Pre-Op appointment, then family x-mas party, then Surgery. The next few weeks are going to go by so fast. I just need to take it one day at a time. Make sure that I am sticking to my pre-op diet. GREAT... the BF is making cookies! Good thing I love him a lot!

Congratulations! I'm 10 months post gastric bypass and remember how very excited I was when I got my date. It's been life changing! Almost at goal. Best to you! Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

Got my surgery date of 2/10. Was so nervous I cried. My hubby is being very supportive .. Told him to be ready top be me for a few days. Trying to get my leave from work done was told I couldn't come back tol after post op with my fitness for duty report. Hoping all goes as planned. Sent from my SM-J737A using BariatricPal mobile app

Joy, I am a heavy drinker, no not alcohol, Water with crystal light, and I drink constantly, wondering if I'm pre-diabetic. Anyhoo, I am struggling with not going to be able to drink once I'm banded, during meals, I know this is how to lose the weight and I can do it, I know I can and will, but I simply get thirsty while eating. A gastric bypass patient told me a trick: she takes a glass of ice and when she feels the urge to drink, she take a pc of ice and puts it in her mouth and gets her mouth wet and then takes it out. I think this may work for me. I can't wait till I'm banded and want so much for this to work and will work the program. Congrats on your weight loss.

I understand that there are a lot of changes that come with bypass surgery, but one thing I've been wondering about is: does your GI system feel different? Now that everything has been rerouted, do you physically feel differently as the food is moving through your body? I know my body pretty well and how food moves through it. I just wonder if anyone was surprised by overall changes in their digestive system now that the stomach has been detached.

You might post in the general or RNY forum as it is a more common problem with the bypass and fairly rare with the sleeve.

I'm 2.5 years out and I can tell you that although I had some restriction after surgery (mostly, I think due to the swelling of the wound and the time it takes to heal), by 6 months out I could eat what others could only do at 2+ years out (full chicken breast, some veggies, etc.). I never felt a restriction the same way that others have mentioned - I could move ahead much faster in trying new foods post-op than what was recommended (I didn't, but could have). Now I'm looking at getting a revision to bypass because clearly the restriction of the sleeve did not work for me. I know it's not just the sleeve, part of it was the mental side of things. For me, I've come to realise that there is no going back to normal eating patterns. The new food/portion control is for LIFE. Fail at that, the sleeve can fail (at least, it did in my case). I remember the day after my surgery crying to one of my doctors that I didn't believe that they did the surgery (despite the scars and tubes and everything else) because I wasn't in any real pain, had no nausea, and was full of energy, the complete opposite to every other patient in the hospital when I was there. She told me I was one of the lucky ones that come out of surgery feeling good and that I should be thankful for it. She then showed me a picture of my stomach that was cut out (to prove it) and said that it was longer than usual. I sometimes wonder if, because of that, I didn't have the same restriction as others. Anyway, long story short, everyone has a different reaction post-op to surgery. You may be someone who feels restriction years out so it will help you keep portions small. You may be someone who feels less restriction as time goes on, which means you have to have the mental strength and determination to stick to what is right, and not be distracted or influenced by others in what you eat. Either way, the best way to keep your sleeve small and unstretched to be vigilant in portion control and drinking protocols. Maybe forever.

I'm 10 weeks in to my Gastric Bypass, after a failed Lapband. I have had a big problem finding food I can eat and getting the required protein. I was 379 lbs at my surgery and I'm already down to 301 lbs. Which is awesome for me, but protein shakes make me vomit almost right away after 6 weeks of nothing but the shakes.(2 weeks before surgery and 4 weeks after) I thought I could get protein from fish and shakes but can't seem to get them down, and stay down? Small slices of cheese along with a couple crackers and peanut butter are almost a daily staple. As is very thin deli sliced lunch meat. I had a florascope and everything looks good? When I get hungry, I get nausea and after I eat I get nausea. I throw up about 50% of what I eat. I guess it's dumping syndrome cause I get alot of hot flashes right before I get sick. I tried GNC for other options but spent alot of money on stuff that didn't work? Did anyone have these issues? And any recommendations on food that is easy to keep down? Fish,eggs and milk have been very hard for me so far? My blood work was all good but low in iron which I take a med for now. I can deal with not eating much, but I'm miserable being nauseous all the time. I've had my Dr. Give me scripts to ease feeling nauseous but nothing seems to work? Thanks for any light y'all can shed on my issues!

According to the internet: Nausea and vomiting are the most common complaints after bariatric surgery, and they are typically associated with inappropriate diet and noncompliance with a gastroplasty diet (ie, eat undisturbed, chew meticulously, never drink with meals, and wait 2 hours before drinking after solid food is consumed). If these symptoms are associated with epigastric pain, significant dehydration, or not explained by dietary indiscretions, an alternative diagnosis must be explored. One of the most common complications causing nausea and vomiting in gastric bypass patients is anastomotic ulcers, with and without stomal stenosis. Ulceration or stenosis at the gastrojejunostomy of the gastric bypass has a reported incidence of 3% to 20%. Although no unifying explanation for the etiology of anastomotic ulcers exists, most experts agree that the pathogenesis is likely multifactorial. These ulcers are thought to be due to a combination of preserved acid secretion in the pouch, tension from the Roux limb, ischemia from the operation, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use, and perhaps Helicobacter pylori infection. Evidence suggests that little acid is secreted in the gastric bypass pouch; however, staple line dehiscence may lead to excessive acid bathing of the anastomosis. Treatment for both marginal ulcers and stomal ulcers should include avoidance of NSAIDs, antisecretory therapy with proton-pump inhibitors, and/or sucralfate. In addition, H pylori infection should be identified and treated, if present. After my surgery, my surgeon put me on Omeprazole [Prilosec OTC) which is a proton pump inhibitor for the first year to help my stomach heal properly. I did not experience recurring bouts of nausea. After the first year, I discontinues and all was well. So if you are not taking any NSAIDs such as aspirin and if you do not have an H pylori infection, then perhaps you have an ulcer.

I had my bypass surgery on April 11th, and lost about 18 lbs in one week. However, since then, the weight is the same and frankly it's unbelievably frustrating. Does anyone know why this might be happening?

I had Lap Band surgery in 2004. I can't eat fruits and anything else that is not soft. I have severe GERD and acid reflux. I would like to have revision to Mini Gastric Bypass, all that done in Toronto, Canada. What is that like, is it a good choice? What are the possible problems with Mini Gastric Bypass? How do you maintain weight since it is not adjustable?

Hello everyone! My name is Patience and I am 22 years young! I had RNY gastric bypass November 15th 2011. A little over 8 months post op now and I am down to my absolute goal weight! 240lbs pre op - 127lbs post op!! I lost everything really quickly due to my high excersise level and very healthy eating. I am overwhelmed with my success and love hearing others success stories as well! Please ask any and all questions you have and I'd love to help any way I can! My big question today is about calories! Have any of your nutritionists or surgeons suggested a specific number of calories you are allowed to have during a day or have they discouraged you from counting calories? Let me know! Thank you! Eat healthy, Be active, Stay happy!

I had Lapland too for over 6 years, lost some weight, had it revised to Rey gastric bypass, Jan 14 th, how r u doing now?

There are lots of chair based exercises you can do. A quick Google search should turn up quite a few. Arm raises, calf raises, bicep curls, etc. Good for you for wanting to start out with good habits! Lap band 10/2007 revised to RNY 12/22/2017 HW 270 SW 263 CW 253

Greetings: I am now located in Cedartown, Georgia. My Gastric Bypass surgery was done in Indianapolis, Indiana in March, 2013..

Well I have a band. I am here because I'm hoping to be approved for a sleeve revision. I'm not the typical band horror story (I.e. erosion, slips, reflux, etc). I was banded 09/2008 and still haven't reached any type of consistency. I can eat a meal today and it is fine...Tomorrow I can go for leftovers and not be able to keep any of it down...SAME MEAL. My story is only my story. Plenty of people have done well with the band...just not my case. I'm not in the convincing business, but if it helps...regardless if my insurance approves a revision to sleeve, I'm definitely getting this band removed. It gets annoying in social settings having to excuse yourself. I'm still noticeably overweight and some people that don't know I even have a band have rumored that I have an eating disorder. Now that is kinda funny, but not really. My reason for getting a band vs. bypass (didn't know too much about the sleeve when I was in the market for wls) was the fact that my body would remain as close to it's natural state as possible. Now for my 20/20 hind sight...I just don't think the band was a good idea. AND my health is still at risk... But again...that is my PERSONAL opinion. Another thing to consider...that I didn't...is life evolves. I never knew I'd keep getting promoted and my job has moved me 3 times since 09/2008. Some surgeons won't accept patients from out of town. I've been with my job 12 yrs, but another thing some may want to consider is if you switch insurance companies. Some companies won't cover band fills from a surgery they didn't authorize. None of that has been a problem for me, but I'm 31. It is very rare for most people my age ( well in these days, any age)to have the same job and insurance for 12 yrs. I'm not trying to come across high and mighty nor as a know it all. You asked. When I reach out for opinions I don't like people to hold back. I was just trying to throw some things out there for you to consider. Or....you could be a total band success and negate everything I've said...lol Good luck