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Is that the norm for your doctor, or was there some kind of complication?

A friend going in for weight loss surgery tomorrow just asked me this question: “Do you have any advice for me? ” This was my response and I hope it helps others too, although this was just my own experience & others experiences would be terrific as well!💕... Hi!😃 I remember feeling like surgery day would never come too! It’s the first day of a steadily better life!!👏🏼👏🏼 Advice, well I suppose first off, DO NOT forget to ask for something for calming/ anxiety when they start getting you ready for surgery. With me I was excited & feeling great til I got called back & then got strangely flooded with fear & emotions about being put under (for the first time) & really needed something. I was even crying a little but they never offered anything, so I asked. That was all I needed to relax again. 👌🏻 The other thing I’de say to definitely prepare for is the MENTAL ASPECT. Prepare now, and just know that the first weeks are the hardest (the first 4 weeks for me). This new postop time is difficult. For some, there is a bit more pain, but most of us have none👏🏼👏🏼. Other complications may occur too, but know now, it WILL BE SO WORTH IT! The most common issues (for me) however, were...EATING very differently, which can even lead to a bit of depression with some people. (I‘de say don’t even bother to try to sit down with your family for 3-4 weeks at dinner time). Also prepare for unusually smelly GAS, unusually smelly BREATH, many unusually smelly trips to the BATHROOM (w/ chronic liquidy DIARRHEA for me, 2 weeks of that followed by chronic CONSTIPATION for 2 weeks. It was not drinking enough Water in my case, but again that was just me). For many it’s just constipation though. Lastly, prepare to SLEEP ALOT. Do not try to return to work til week 4-5 if possible (perhaps using FMLA if possible..?) You’ll be really tired or about this long. That being said, just know, those were what stood out to me, hence my own personal experience & advice. I know many others have more great tips to watch out for too. HOWEVER, I do want to say, everything will PRETTY MUCH go back to normal by about week 5-6, maybe sooner (except eating large amounts). Again, that was just my experience however, and certainly changes some person to person. Everything is back to normal for me and I’m feeling fantastic in every way. I felt that way since about week 5 actually, but even BETTER EVERY WEEK! I’m at week 7 post op & feel terrific.😃 I knew everything would pretty much return to normal because my mom, dad & sister had RNY surgery years ago & I went along for their journey. But many don’t know & can get really depressed. I did not since I was prepared for those first several weeks. I knew it would all pass & I knew that my job now, was to eat my Vitamins, drink that Protein , water, sleep & simply be smelly!😂 😂🤣 It all went away for me-including the intense fatigue. Its pretty wonderful starting somewhere between weeks 4-6. I espesially love NOT having that smelliness come out of me anymore!👏🏼👏🏼😂 Oh by the way, if your spouse sleeps with you, you may want to ask them to please make themselves a pad in the guest room, basement or couch for these first weeks- the smelly gas for me was ALL the time & just awful!!😬🤓 the smell is just so different post op!😱 My hubby went to our guest room prior to my surg due to his snoring & it saved me post op humiliation since he was still sleeping elsewhere!😄😁😆 I hope this helps some dear soul out there who stumbles upon it! It’s going to get better sweetheart!!!🙏🏼 Hugs!💕❤️ jennifer **This is not meant to be an all inclusive list of post op issues, it was just one persons experience as reinerated several times, please bear this in mind dear readers💕**

I'm scheduled for December 19th! I can't believe it's almost here. I have pre surgery and pre op this week where they'll share foods, proteins etc info that I'll need. I'll be on the 2 week liquid diet. I've taken tueaday-friday off from work. Monday is Christmas so I'll return on Tuesday. God willing with no complications. I'm wishing everyone a successful month and saying a prayer for your doctor's steady skilled hands and a speedy recovery. I bought a size 10 skirt just to hang in the closet LOL. I've had some people tell me if you get through day 3 of liquid diet, then you're good. Thoughts??

I was banded in October or November 2010, and lost about 80 pounds. By 2012 I'd had all the fluid removed due to regurg, pain, etc., even with minimal fills. Even with the band unfilled, foods still got stuck and some things were completely off limits. I just dealt with it for a few years, ignoring the problem. Earlier this year, I finally decided to do something about it and saw a bariatric surgeon here in Minneapolis (my band was placed in Omaha). In June of this year, I had a barium swallow xray done, and I was diagnosed with esophageal dismotility, a complication of the band. So, the band needed to come out. (For anyone reading this curious about the insurance approval process, I have Blue Cross Blue Shield and it was pretty straightforward, I just had to show proof of getting fills done (got my records from my old surgeon's office) and proof of a complication (the barium swallow showing dismotility).) I had the band out in August, and will be sleeved on December 7, in just 2 days. My surgeon does the revision in two different procedures because she feels there are fewer complications this way. Though there are other surgeons in the same group who do the revision in the same procedure. Waiting in between is not exactly easy on the pocket book (though I would have hit my out of pocket max either way), and my sick time at work has really taken a hit, but I understand the reasoning. Looking back on it, I'm really glad I've had the time between getting the band out and getting sleeved. I've had time to unlearn all the unhealthy habits I developed while dealing with my failed band. (And yes, I realize the failure was likely partly my responsibility, too, for anyone looking to jump all over me for that one.) I had to sip with my meals to get food past the band, and I definitely wasn't getting enough protein because that was likely to stick, too. Basically, I've had time to practice the "way of the sleeve" to replace the "way of the failed band". Between the band and the sleeve, I also have been hungry. My stomach hasn't rumbled this hard in years! (Maybe because it couldn't physically do so?) Protein shakes have helped, and paying attention to whether or not I'm actually hungry (or have any right to be based on what I've already eaten) or if it's just mental "hunger" have kept me from gaining weight. I've actually lost about 20 pounds now, and not just from the liquid diet I'm on before surgery. While it's frustrating to have to do two procedures, I hope you find the time in between helpful. Good luck! Wishing you the best.

I am from Mexico and had RNY on october 17th 2017. I did a lot of research to choose a good doctor and found Dr. Roberto Rumbaut, he is one of top WLS doctors in Mexico... I would never consider any doctor that is not in one of the main cities in the country like, MExico City, Guadalarja or Monterrey where I had the surgery... The best hospitals in the county and obviously the best doctors are there. Even Tijuana that I know is quite popular in this forum will never be an option for me..... Also complications do happen, I had a stricture that had nothing to do with the doctors technic or method, it was simply a scarring issue that was fixed in 20 minutes..... I hope you get much better ! BR

Thank you everybody. I got the message. I hope the sleeve least let me know that I am full . I do need to remove the band after 8 years because it is complicating my esophagus , so I thought I should get something to help me with controlling my hungry.

Mine is at 7:30, I’m the first of the day. I can’t sleep though. I think I’m too nervous. I’m really, really excited. But also super nervous about being put under and having a complication or even of having the surgery cancelled (but mainly the other part). So many thoughts and emotions! [emoji51][emoji51][emoji854][emoji854] 5’6” 25 yo CW: 256

I used to get "you didnt look that big" or "I didnt think you were big enough for surgery", but I would answer them with "Tell me how many 300 lb 80 year olds do you know?" This would usually silence them... Overweight people can be complicated when it comes to feelings and emotions and the things that they feel offended at, so it's really a delicate subject around them. I had a cousin stop talking to me after my surgery cause I suggested she do it, and she needs it way more than I did I can tell you that...It's almost as if most fat people cant come to terms with the fact they are fat, or they dont see themselves as fat. I know looking back at old photos I didnt realize I was as big as I was, so it is a form of a mental disease and you become disillusion. I say you dont have to entertain the question of the topic and just change subjects to avoid any hurt feelings..

I kept mine a secret at first. Eventually everyone found out because I had complications. You may find over time, once you’ve lost the weight, it won’t matter as much who knows how you did it. I was embarrassed at first and feared a lack of support but I ended up getting a lot of support. I tell people now and they don’t even blink. Wls is so common these days.

I would definitely consider Mexico. Tijuanna has a top notch facility dedicated to bariatric and plastic surgery only. Just remember if you have a complication like with your gallbladder for example, you might have to return. Although your insurance here will likely cover gallbladder stones. Mexico is a great choice.

Thank you for your candor, I couldn't agree more. I am scheduled for 12/27 at a different facility. I did a lot of research but it is always concerning to hear about complications, especially when they are so extreme. It's terrible that you had to go through this ordeal and the way you were treated because you didn't have the perfect success story. I hope you are feeling better now after your revision to RNY. Good luck in your continued recovery. I know I will be keeping this in mind during these last few weeks before I leave, and things to look out for while there.

Hello, I joined today in hopes of finding others who are long term vsgers who had horrible gerd after surgery. I had my surgery in 2007 and by 2015, my gerd was so unbearable that I had something similar to a nissen fundo with mesh. That surgery has failed and my doctor is now suggesting a revision to rny. I am concerned about the risk and possible complications. Has anyone here had a sleeve to rny revision after nissen fundo-type surgery? I searched the forums and couldn't find anything specific to this order of surgeries. Thank you for any information you can offer. Lisa

This is a long post, but it details my gastric sleeve experience in Mexico, and I feel like it's important to share it. I'm sure there are great results from this clinic and others in Mexico, but here are some of the pitfalls: I had a sleeve gastrectomy in April in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, with Dr. Juan Francisco Hidalgo (Weight Loss Team), and I have had extreme complications since then. I had to undergo a revision surgery to a full gastric bypass because the multiple strictures in my stomach were so bad that surgeons at the Mayo Clinic (arguably one of the best groups of bariatric surgeons in the world), after five procedures, couldn't fix them. They say it was most likely Dr. Hidalgo's technique that created the stricture - he uses a much smaller bougie (tube to shape the stomach) than is typically used in the United States, and it is more likely to create complications. I know loads of people have a good outcome from Mexico surgeries, but I share my experience because I owe it to anyone contemplating this. I did a lot of research before going there and thought I had chosen well. The website of Dr. Hidalgo is very sophisticated, and there are no language issues when asking questions in advance because of the English-speaking administrator, Gerald. The website gives reams of information in perfect English -- all very comforting. Plus, as I was considering the surgery, they offered me access to the support group on Facebook for patients of Dr. Hidalgo -- something that seemed so authentic and convincing since I could read posts from all kinds of real people. However, after they recently found out about my complications, Gerald, the administrator, removed me from the group even though I was not all over it bashing Hidalgo but had just posted a couple of times about my situation. I suddenly felt so duped -- I believed all the great testimonials and was too gullible to understand that only people with positive outcomes were allowed to be in that community. So since I can't share it with people allowed to join that private group, I feel it is my responsibility to share my experience here: My experience in the Puerto Vallarta hospital was very hairy - I woke up after surgery in some kind of lounge with no one around me and in extreme pain - sobbing and begging for help, and after that at one point my blood pressure was so dangerously low that they wouldn't let me lay down anymore - forcing me into a sitting position, and I think it was possibly because the nurses gave me pain medicine twice at one point. Dr. Hidalgo was summoned to the room, and actually suggested perhaps my condition was because I hadn't taken my Wellbutrin for a couple of days. Um, what? I sincerely thought for a little while that I might die. Promises that the medical staff would check in on me at my hotel regularly after discharge from the hospital didn't materialize, and a bellboy had to track down Dr. Hidalgo to remove my staples because I was due to fly home. And then when I required intervention a couple of weeks later because I couldn't eat or drink anything due to the stricture, I was told by Dr. Hidalgo that I just needed a shot of cortisone (Seriously? Where?), and when they sent my "surgery report" to share with the U.S. doctor, it was actually just a generic report with my name at the top - not my report. It didn't even include my actual surgical information because it talked about the port they had installed, which I never had. When I asked for full records, including the swallow study/leak test done with X-Ray at the hospital before discharge, I was told that Dr. Hidalgo didn't have any of the records, and that it could be three or four months before he got it from the hospital. My diagnosis was that I had a severe stricture in my gastric sleeve in several places, and the five additional surgeries were to try to stretch and stent the stomach open, but nothing worked and I had to have a complete revision to a roux en Y gastric bypass because my stomach was unsavable. The Mayo surgeon's professional opinion based on my situation and the generic "surgery report" Hidalgo's team sent is that this stricture was caused by Dr. Hidalgo because he uses a bougie that is far too narrow. This is the tool used to size your new sleeve stomach, and Hidalgo uses size 18, while the medical standard in the U.S. is more like 28. Though I asked several times, Dr. Hidalgo would never provide my actual medical records or X-Rays from after the surgery, but the Mayo doctors believe the X-Ray immediately following the surgery shows the stricture, which left just a 1/4 inch opening and was slowly killing me. I didn't eat a solid piece of food for 140 days, I was anemic and malnourished and needing fluid IVs just to stay hydrated because I couldn't even force enough water down the narrow stricture. Half of my hair has fallen out, I was confused and exhausted for months due to malnutrition, and I could hardly function. I lost 75 pounds in four months, but I only had 100 pounds total to lose so that was a dangerous pace for someone my size . Yes, I lost weight, but this was not a safe way to do it and I was desperately sick the whole time. Besides, my procedures to fix my $4,200 gastric sleeve from Mexico cost more than $125,000 - thank GOD I have good health insurance because just the co-pays alone have caused me significant hardship. I'm sorry to share such a terrible story. I understand how hopeful it feels to finally have the opportunity to lose weight because I was desperate to do so. But I made bad choices, it seems, based on a fake Facebook "support group," and English-speaking staff, and a charming doctor. My advice is to choose slowly and well and to comb forums looking for posts from people who may not have had the best experiences with the clinic you choose. I have a network now of a couple of other people with an experience similar to mine from surgeries with Hidalgo's Weight Loss Team, and none of us ever saw anything negative ahead of our visits. People with complications need to share them for the benefit of people in the future. I would also recommend that you ask a surgeon for the technical aspects of their procedure and then compare them to the vast volumes of research available from doctors who practice in the U.S. The bougie size is a big deal, and so are the exact kind of staples used. And above all else, DO NOT leave Mexico without a copy of every medical record generated about your care, from the films of the leak test to hospital logs. Even in Spanish, they can be invaluable later to a team of doctors trying to help you if you have complications. I have learned these things the hard way, and it's been a rough road. If I could do it over, I would still have the gastric sleeve, maybe, but I would have been much more cautious in the process. I wish you all the best.

I had a great experience with Dr Ramos as my surgeon. The surgery went perfectly uncomplicated, My recovery was extremely quick, experienced zero side effect including no gas pain post op. As you can see by my stats the surgery was also successful. I guess as with everything your mileage may vary. To be clear I am not a Ramos fanboy, I am just very satisfied with the job I asked him to do. I wasn't looking for someone to make me feel good or fluff my ego. I was looking for competent surgeon and don't regret my choice. I actually did a lot of research before deciding on Dr Kelly. I learned that he had excellent training and actively keeps himself current. He has been doing VSG and other bariatric surgeries for well over a decade. He not only has likely done more bariatric surgeries than most other Mexican surgeons but at the same time has tackled many more high risk surgeries (i.e. super obese and /or concurrent significant medical commodities ) that other surgeons have avoided to keep their complication/death stats down. I also learned there is a great deal of non altruistic motivated politics in Mexico's bariatric scene.

I had a chest cold for 3 days before my surgery on 11/28. I told the RN the day before and she said come in anyway and they’d listen to me. The doc said they do surgery as long as the lungs sound good and thankfully mine were clear by then. They said if you have symptoms “above the neck” like nasal congestion they don’t cancel surgery but they don’t mess with lung issues. So I was technically still sick with nasal congestion, but my surgery went perfectly and I had no complications...and I’m recovering well at home. So I would tell them— you may not have it cancelled!

Don't worry. I had an endoscopy and found out I had gastritis, too. I'm on Famotidine for it. I never had any symptoms, either. All gastritis is...is irritation of your stomach lining. Mine was likely causes by too much ibuprofen for my athritis. I learned that Chronic gastritis is EXTREMELY COMMON in morbidly obese people...and something like a third of women who have bypass...have Chronic gastritis (many don't know it, and it's only discovered upon examining the discarded portion of stomach). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4768929/ <---read this, it'll help. From the article: "The mean operative time was one hour and 20 minutes for all cases, including the gastritis cases, and the mean hospital stay was 2–3 days for all of the patients. Five cases developed post-operative complications (three with leaks, two with strictures), but none of them was found to have gastritis. " It shouldn't be a complication. And the medication you're taking for it will help aid in the healing of your new stomach. Seriously....no worries.

I'm a 67 year old female who underwent gastric bypass surgery in September, 2017. I have a very complicated medical history and was considered a high risk candidate. I have diabetes for over 40 years and end stage kidney disease. (stage 5) I have neuropathy of my extremities as well as in my large bowel, (colonic inertia), bladder, and heart. I have a disease called Charcot joint disease in my feet. This makes me lose my balance and fall so I have to walk with a walker. I have congestive heart failure and high blood pressure and high cholesterol. I also have asthma. I am on the kidney transplant list. In order to get a kidney the BMI has to be below 38. My BMI is 40. My max weight gain was 264 pounds and height of 5'3 in. At time of surgery I weighed 248 pounds. I was unable to do the pre - op fast because on day 8 of the two weeks to decrease my liver I ended up in the hospital and nearly died because my potassium had dropped to 1.9 and my sodium 22. I couldn't walk or think . Was admitted to stabilize my electrolytes. (3days) finally after 2 months they scheduled me! (September 11,2017) Instead of going home the next day, I was admitted for 5 days because my heart started racing . I forgot to mention that I have rapid heart beats called Supra ventricular tachycardia. And my blood pressure shot up so I had to stay until I was stable. Because I am sensitive to narcotics ( causes confusion and disorientation) I could only take Tylenol for pain! I m glad that's all behind me now because I really suffered from pain about 15 days) . Now I'm in week 12 and doing great. I used to take 22 pills twice daily. Now I take 3 pills twice daily. Of course I take all of my vitamins as well. My weight is 192 ( my max weight was 264) My BMI is now 34.0. I will see my nephrologist this month ( December) for my status on the transplant list. I'm happy to say that I feel so ALIVE! Before my surgery I was told that I had a 20% chance to live. And I felt like death was imminent. I have a NEW zest for life! Sent from my SM-J700T using BariatricPal mobile app

I was truly unaware of my gastritis my doctor prescribed Nexium before my surgery i'm already on day four of my liquid diet I have surgery December 13 my question is, anyone else with the same predicament I really want my post-op to go smoothy I've been approved for surgery I want to make sure I will have no complications I'm worried [emoji30]

Hey everyone so I did my endoscopy yesterday and the doctor discovered I have a mini hernia and gastritis he has prescribed nexium pre-surgery wondering if anyone else has similar situation and if they did well after VSG surgery I don't want any complications I'm scheduled for surgery December 13 I'm approved for VSG got this far I really want this surgery without compromising my health plz let me know

Yaay!! So happy to hear your bp has been normal. No complications after surgery then & you can take care of you!! 👏🏼👏🏼Great to hear, that’s a delicate time & your home now, awesome. Thanks for updating us too. Sleep away & take care til your up to giving us another update😃 hugs! 💕Jennifer

Yes, today is my first fill. I've seen people say that they've taken several fills to get to what's known as the "green zone" - that perfect zen place where you can only eat the small amount you SHOULD be eating and not being hungry between meals, and it not being too small to get the food down (vomiting, feeling stuck, etc.). I asked my doctor about that before my surgery - "How may fills does it typically take to get to that sweet spot?" He said that I will always leave his office at that spot. But that over time, I'll notice that I'm getting hungry more often or that I'm able to eat more food. And that I should then come in for another fill. He said a fill tends to last longer over time; in the very beginning, I might need another fill after only a week or 2 or 3. But as time goes on, fills should last me several months. I'm very unclear on WHY that is. Is it because the stomach shrinks a bit? Is it because there is some stomach swelling after a fill, and it feels tighter then and then looser later? I see that some doctors only fill a small amount at a time - like 5 cc. Others don't seem to be that limited. But I'm sure I'll understand more later today, after a visit and having questions answered. My diet has been good since the week prior to surgery, when they put me on an extreme no-carb, not-even-veggies diet to shrink the liver prior to surgery. Then it was 6 days of liquids, then it was straight back onto solids. My diet now is more just a few rules than it is complicated. 1) Only eat when hungry, 2) STOP eating when I feel satiated, 3) Low carb, low fat - NO breads, rice, pasta, grains or potatoes, 4) No liquid calories - everything must have mass, and 5) no drinking during or immediately following surgery. I have been eating largely that way since I started back on solids. Some days I've folded and had a granola bar when hungry, or have had a morning coffee or evening tea with sugar. But other than that, I've been really good overall. What I expect out of this fill is to be able to be less limited on meal consumption size, and to not be as hungry in-between meals.

I just wanted to share some progress. I am post VSG 2.5 months and have lost 87 pounds total. I'm doing fairly well, I didn't have any complications. I still consider myself pretty darn lucky. SW- 386 CW- 299. Sent from my Pixel XL using BariatricPal mobile app

I think, personally i wouldnt want to get it done in mexico if the option to get it done here is available. Im going through the insurance hoops currently. Its frustrated having to wait so long but honestly it has prepared me mentally and physically. This is not something i would want to jump right into. Another aspect to think abt is the after care. Having ur surgeon and his team here for u after surgery is a big help. I have read stories from.ppl who have done it in mexico who flet a lil lost after surgery. I kno not every doc in mexico is the same, but this is something that ive come across. And god forbid any complications occur its good to have the surgeon who operated close by. This is just my opinion. I would only choose to do it in mexico if there was no other optiom bc it is much cheaper there when u r paying out of pocket. Sent from my SM-G950U using BariatricPal mobile app

hope4momof4, what a great note by melesg on what to ask during initial consult! Amazing how similar her list was to mine. Weight loss experience, time to lose weight, complication rate and what were they were all the key questions for me in the initial consult. One thing I covered in addition to ESG was to find out from my doctor how many other bariatric procedures he had done. I asked this as ESG was still quite new here. Apparently there's a similar suturing method (Overstitch) and instrument used in ESG as VSG. My doctor was very familiar with this technique and made me more confident. In the end we agreed ESG was a better fit for me than VSG (less recovery time due to no incision and less invasive technique (not removing part of stomach) was a big factor in my decision for ESG). I also asked about ESG reversal and my Dr. was quite clear ESG is permanent procedure, in the initial weeks as new tissue builds up around your smaller stomach. The diet plan they shared with me during the dietician consultation later, covered a lot of post procedure eating questions. Think you're in a good place to be ready for this one! Good luck and let us know if there's anything else we can share to help!

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