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What kind of complications do you have?

I had a band placed in 2011. Worst medical decision I ever made. I caused major problems ... Acid reflux, night coughing, and more. In the last three or so years I had horrible doubling over pain at least 3-5 days a week. After a gastro did an EGD on me he found gastritis and esophagitis to where my pouch opening to the stomach was nearly closed due to inflammation. He referred to to a Bariatric surgeon suggesting a revision the the sleeve. I ended up having an emergency revision to gastric bypass. I did not choose the LB removal only because of weight regain. My surgeon said that the sleeve would make my GERD worse so I chose the RNY. No More GERD! No More Pain either! I feel great! During the surgery he found my stomach high in my chest due to a hiatal hernia caused by the band. He also did repairs to the esophagus (was in an S shape). Also my port was nearly detached. My new bariatric surgeon’s Center for Bariatric Excellence no longer places Lapband... but does a lot of removals and revisions due to serious so many complications.

Bubbles, you are asking all the right questions, here are some further thoughts I hop can be helpful in your decision making. In my initial consultations I did the same thing and received a lot of information from my Dr, this encouraged me to go forward with my procedure. Be prepared, it's always good to start with asking your Dr. how many ESG's they have done. My Dr. had done ~50 procedures when I first consulted with him this summer. Hope4momof4 has a great follow-up to this question around what complications (frequency and severity) does your Dr experience with ESG operations? Building on this I would also ask your Dr. to compare ESG complications to Vertical Sleeve Gastronomy (VSG) their patients have experienced? In my experience with the 3 Dr' I spoke to their answers were the same or less number of complications (lack of an incision being the primary factor of ESG having fewer complications than VSG. None of the 3 had experienced more severe complications with ESG. Since the ESG procedure is fairly new, I looked for other questions to learn more about the Dr's experiences: How frequently do they use endoscopes 2 days per week in OR completing multiple procedures was my Dr's response Do they also do Vertical Sleeve Gastronomy My Dr. has done VSG for years, many hundreds of procedures In this discussion with my Dr. I learned the internal stitching technique (OverStictch) done on the stomach walls was the same for ESG and VSG. This made me more comfortable about their experience level. Ask your doctor about

Oh you did not read who many cheat the band and cry they can’t lose weight. I never said I have not had issues caused by the band but I knew the risks and chose the band. I’m not the one crying. You sound very negative in general, sorry life is not working for you but people come here for advice not to to be damned. I have had two surgeries and will have another very soon. It is what it is. Sorry for your troubles and statistics are about 27% have complications Tamie 2009 256/150

Don't recall anyone posting that they were eating any of the above. this reads like the pharmaceutical propaganda regurgitated. Lucky you that you haven't had complications, but about 50% of the people who have been banded have been permanently maimed by the band. I hope you don't end up like one of us. seriously, I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. My hospital roommate was in the OR for 4 hours while they were removing the adhesions from his band to his liver and other organs. There is a reason it has been banned in some countries...and it is not because of ice cream. My province estimates it is costing the healthcare system 100k in ER visits for every band in the province (prior to revision). The revision rate I've heard from the local bariatric center is around 80%. Every single band study done (even the positive ones) show a complication rate (that requires surgery) in the 30-50% range. You are in the lucky 50%...

I was sleeved Monday morning a few complications after surgery

Posting these is hard for me- But if they help someone- I’m all about being real. This is where I came from. Before wls I was at rock bottom in my life. I was overweight, in so much pain, addicted to opiates, in a miserable abusive marriage, terribly unhappy, i could barely work, so hard to walk, so hard to just live. I’d been on or off of a diet since I was eleven. I was constantly binging or starving myself. I’d tried every weight loss plan under the sun and I was totally burnt out. I’d tried therapy, you make it. Perhaps if I’d stuck to therapy that would have worked, but at the point I had surgery I was so exhausted I just needed something sure. I was totally committed to the surgery although i didn’t follow the rules very well, I’ve never been good at self care. I couldn’t take care of myself well before surgery and i struggled to do that afterwards. It has taken a lot of work to get better at that. I went in knowing what could happen and that i wouldn’t be able to eat normally again. It was worth it to me at the time. My surgery had complications but the weight loss was easy due to a severe stricture that I had, plus i was just determined to lose the weight- nothing was gonna stop me. I did really well eating very little for a long time, I was so burnt out on food i was able to break my codependent behavior towards it. Maintenance was really really hard for me, I had issues with wanting to keep losing weight and not being able to stop. I rejected food so hard it was a real struggle to begin eating again and I had to seek therapy for that. I’m doing well now and so much has changed. I have a very different outlook with food. I’ve also gone through plastic surgery 2x and I’m finished with that. I’m at my 3 year surgery anniversary on dec 4. My start weight was 240 and my current weight is between 130-135. I’m 5’6. I went from 240 to 120 in about 10 months. My lowest weight was 115- scary. I’ve since gained to a healthy 130 ish. I try not to slide back into the 120s because I look sick at that weight. I don’t try and maintain my weight through dieting anymore, I practice “Intuitive Eating”. While being thin is nice and my weight is something I care about, these days I try not to weigh myself and I focus on overall health and well being. My next goal is to get more active with weight training and exercise. Surgery is no walk in the park. I had a rough time and I still struggle. But it was worth it for me, as you can see. My weightloss did stall a week or two here and there. I never let that get to me, I just kept my calories low knowing eventually it would start again. During the weightloss phase I tried to focus on my life and stay busy rather than focus on every pound. I definitely ate very very little. I suffered from malnutrition and health problems because of this so I would not recommend it- take your vitamins and get in your protein. Don’t ever let anyone make you feel bad for choosing surgery. And don’t feel bad if weight loss takes you longer than others. My biggest regret is that I didn’t give myself more love before my surgery. But at least I gave myself enough to try and change my life for the better.

For me, the insurance just requires 'being treated'. The big deal is for the surgeon and the anesthesiologist-- they want a minimum of one month. This is to safeguard the procedure and reduce complications during surgery.

I had Roux-en-y first. I then had a revision to sleeve due to complications from the rny. So my case is a bit more complicated than most. For instance, most sleevers don’t dump. I also had a lot of scar tissue and a stricture. I’m sure some of this contributes to my issues... although my best friend had a perfectly done RNY and has a lot of long term issues too. So it’s hard to say.

It is a hard decision ,unless you are overrestricted and can't eat and drink enough. I'm lucky to still have my band and no major issues at almost 11 years. I keep the fill low and don't argue with my band most of the times Maintaining 90 lb loss till last unfill. Now 80 lb loss. Sigh I do worry when I read the boards about all of the complications though.

My surgery date is Dec 6th. I am so very excited but nervous about only this... I had a radical full hysterectomy 10yrs ago at the age of 30. At that point I had lost 70lbs but gained it all back plus due to my hysterectomy and complications. Since that point I have struggled with my weight. Gaining and losing the same 15-20 but never getting bigger than that and not getting smaller. So my question is has anyone else had a similar struggle then had the sleeve and lost the weight? Sent from my SM-N950U using BariatricPal mobile app

It's my understanding that these long term complications are less than 10%. (Which means over 90 people out of a hundred DON'T have a problem). The most common issues: Acid reflux happens regularly in sleevers vitamin deficiencies happen to almost everyone at some point. About 10% of patients need to have their gallbladders out, but that is an acute issue that can be solved (and possibly prevented with Actigall). It's good to know what you could be signing up for. Surgery definitely has risks, but fortunately the most dire of them happen only rarely (maybe 5%).

Thanks to all for support and interest, I made it through my procedure today. Started in OR about 0730 and was out of the OR in about 2hours, took another 2 hours or so in recovery room to feel good enough to go home. Dr. said procedure went well, no issues/complications. Thanks to my wife for all her support, especially today! We arrived back home about 1 pm and I'm just sitting up and taking it easy. I'm still a bit groggy, taking anti-nausea and pain meds now as I had a headache and some gas pains coming out of the recovery room. Gas pains are 2-3 out of 10 on the pain scale, headaches is getting better 1-2 out of 10 (which is great because I have had migraines in the past) and hope both of these go away soon! I plan to walk a bit this evening and progressively more tomorrow. I'm drinking clear liquids now, small amounts spaced out every 5 minutes or so, for the next couple of days. Next step after that is to go on protein drink diet for first 2 weeks. I will keep sharing my experiences as I progress thru recovery and towards the new me! Really looking forward to this change! Special thanks to home4momof4 for the prayer, it worked!

I agree with those above. What works for one won’t work for all. We find different ways of managing our lives and bodies. Success is defined differently by everyone. It’s not black and white, this is a complicated long term commitment. A lot of doctors have changed their protocols and one surgeons strategy doesn’t always match up with another’s. Vets are qualified to give advice- because they have been through it.

Hi. I have been researching bariatric procedures for weight loss for a few years. I'm 45 year old woman whose weight fluctuates between 170-190 lbs. I have met with a couple of bariatric surgeons to explore the balloon and lap band. I'm not impressed with the balloon, and the complications associated with the lap band scares me. The ESG seems like a good fit for me, however, there are no long term studies to prove it's effectiveness and safety. My body over produces scar tissue, so that is my biggest concern with any surgical procedure. I have been struggling with an autoimmune disease which is exacerbated by my weight and poor food choices. I need to lose weight and I'm unable to do it on my own. In 2005 I was able to get down to 120 lbs and maintain it until 2011 with the help of phentermine. I was buying it online and the formula was very strong. I maintained the weight loss until the online phentermine was discontinued. The phentermine prescription I now receive from my doctor must be formulated differently because it has little effect. I want to lose weight and get off the medication. In 2011 I began suffering from various immune related ailments. The doctor's believe it is Burchett's disease. I'm prone to illness and infection. The foods I eat and extra weight I carry is literally killing me. I'm a single mom of two girls, ages 13 and 16. I need to be the healthiest I can be for them . I'm desperate and scared. I have a consultation next week with Dr. Reem Sharaiha at The Center for Advanced Digestive Care at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. I will continue to post my experience through this journey to help those researching procedures. Thanks for all who share, it has been immensely helpful to read the process others have experienced.

Like needing to loose nearly 100 pounds isn't enough??? My daughter (who is large) said that to me. I replied, "My BMI is 40 and i'm having health complications."

If you compare the complications for the two surgeries, as far as leak rates, blood clots, that kind of thing that would land you back in the hospital it seems that they have similar percentage rates for both procedures. That is what our surgeon told us and he encouraged us to decide what procedure we were most comfortable having after the information session based on an individual basis. Whatever you decide, you’ve found a great place here for plenty of people in every stage of the weight loss surgery spectrum!

Ohh thanks! My surgeon said the same thing.. i pray to God I don’t have any complications so i can be there with her. how are you doing lately? Hope you’re not dealing with constipation anymore. how come you didn’t update your ticker after 30 lbs loss! I have a feeling I’ll be updating every .5 lb xD ok so I wanted to ask you ( and everyone on here who’d like to share) these questions: are you driving yet? how many days post op did it take before you felt somewhat normal and went back to doing normal daily things? Have you been working out or walking? sooo I’m going to do a two weeks of the pre op diet :/ i think i’ll try to just stick with the clear liquids for both weeks. Don’t trust myself to tasting real food for one meal only a day. Will see how it goes

Hmm... difficult situation. I don’t know anything about your general make up or how you are going to fair obviously, however, if there are no complications you should be able to get through it. Even if you have a couple of days of crappiness like I did you’ll be fine as long as you rest and stay hydrated. It’s not ideal of course but unless you’re willing to reconsider your own date I don’t see another option. It’s a tough spot to be in, no doubt. Good luck!!

I had my band January 2013. I couldn''t be happier, there are problems with all wls surgery. I have had people who had bypass who nearly died, Ive had sleeve people stay sick all the time its not the easy way out no matter what. the band does require more compliance and being alert to what you are eating and how much. I wanted to lose enough to get rid of diabetes, high blood pressure and wanted to feel better. I was 66 when I had mine done. I also had skin removal surgery this past March and have not had any complications. I know everyone has their opinion but bashing the band on the lapband forum is why so many of us have stopped commenting or following the forum any longer.

After six months of appointments and jumping through hoops...I had exactly one thing left to do... My upper GI, the Xray with the barium swallow. Since I don't have any symptoms of GERD, etc...I figured it would be pretty easy. The test is pretty nasty. You drink plaster of Paris, essentially, and roll around back and forth like a trained circus dog while they take x-rays...but it's tolerable. What was less tolerable was being ready to leave on a mini vacation...and having the office call and tell me my results were abnormal. "You need to see a gastroenterologist for an upper endoscopy to see what's going on." Great. So, I'm thinking all sort of bizarre stuff... Do I have cancer? Cause ya know they're not going to tell you anything about what's going on. Then, it occurred to me that I signed up for the service at my hospital where I can access my health history including being able to view test results....so I was able to pull up the X-ray report. It said there were abnormalities consistent with benign polyps. Whew! Ok, i'm not dying...but where does this leave my surgery? I was so discouraged....the upper GI was the last hoop I had to jump through. I was done! LOL. Guess not... By absolute luck, the gastroenterologist had a cancellation and was able to get me in within a week. The sedation was interesting....sort of that twilight stuff...not exactly anesthetic, but you don't remember much. I do have a vague memory of gagging on the endoscope and the nurses patting me and telling me I was doing great. Afterward, I learned that my polyps were not big enough to remove, but I had chronic gastritis, and they took a biopsy of the inflamed tissue. I'm thinking...great, cancer again? LOL (yep, my mind always goes there at the word biopsy) Nope...they were mostly looking for the bacteria that causes ulcers and infections. Anyway....I got put on Famotadine for the gastritis...and felt pretty crestfallen, wondering how long this would complicate things and if I'd ever get my surgery..and how long I'd have to treat it, etc. I felt kinda robbed...like all my hard work was going to be undone by this complication and I'd be in limbo forever. So discouraging. Turns out I was free of the bad bacteria, and gastritis is very common, and would not be a complication to the surgery. Whew! What felt like a major disappointment and major obstacle....turned out to be much ado about nothing. Wanted to leave this story in case someone had a similar test result and felt as freaked out as I did.

Welcome! All your fears are understandable - so many of the people that you talk to and the articles that you read will tell you all about the complications rather than the successes and I strongly believe that there are way more successes than those who have complications. Plus, there are many complications and health issues with being obese too. The most important thing is that you do your research from finding a good surgeon (does your insurance recommend a Center of Excellence?) to learning what you can about the procedure and what you need to do to make it a success and to avoid complications where it is possible to have some control over them, plus recognizing the signs of potential issues post op as well. Make the most of your six month supervised diet to learn what you can - I know a lot of people (myself included) wanted surgery the next week / month and were impatient to get on our journey, but in the end, having those six months was useful time to find out as much as I could about what I would be able to eat, things to expect and all the other things that you might come across. It was also time for my husband to accept the fact that I was going to do this since initially he was very concerned about it though supportive of me doing it but that concern made me drag my heels. As for your other family, it is understandable that they have concerns given what happened in the past but I would continue to pursue your decision regardless, answer any questions that they have and try to allay their concerns. You are not your Uncle's ex wife, she may have had underlying issues that you are not aware of, or maybe did not follow what she was meant to do (not saying this is the case, but there may be things that happened that your parents are not aware of) and things are very different now to back then. Good luck with your journey! I hope that you will update us as you progress!

My name is Crystal, I am 33 years old. I have had weight issues as long as I can remember. I lost a lot of weight (80 lbs) back when I was about 15 years old. I couldn't keep it off and gained it all back plus about 70 lbs over the years. My heaviest was 284 a few years ago while pregnant, and 274 recently, not pregnant. So here I am , having tried EVERYTHING!!! I lost maybe 25lbs a few years ago with my fitness pal, but very quickly gained it back, plus 5-10 lbs. I asked my nurse practitioner about bariatric surgery many years ago, and she said she would not recommend it due to the complications associated with it. Now she is finally seeing that no matter what I try, I just can't lose the weight. So she is going to refer me to a surgeon after the new year. My insurance requires a 6 month weight loss plan, with a 10% loss, to qualify for surgery. So I had my first weigh in last week, and will go back to my nurse practitioner monthly for weigh-ins. I am scared to death, I have 4 children, 3 ages 4 and under. My uncle's ex wife had roux en y and almost died from complications about 15 years ago. My parents have never forgotten this and are against any kind of weight loss surgery. During recovery I am sure I will need their help with my kids at some point, but I can just imagine them saying "I told you so" and lecturing me, if my recovery doesn't go so well. My husband doesn't think having a doctor reroute my intestines is a good idea but is supportive in whatever decision I make. I am determined to do this, but have doubts and reservations. I am here to find support and maybe put some fears to rest! Seems like every time I Google questions about weight loss surgery I end up on this website. So I figured i should probably just join, hahahaha! I started eating healthier maybe a month ago, gave up coffee creamer, and got down to 262. But, as usual, I am putting the pounds back on. Up to 265 right now. This constant battle is depressing.

If you don't have complications I could certainly see going home the same day. My first day I was extremely high on narcotics, but from them on I've basically felt fine and would've had no issues going home. I ended up staying a few days for unrelated complications from anesthesia but other than that pain was extremely manageable with no nausea and vomiting. Walk enough (and have a good surgeon) and the gas won't be that bad either.

She told me to consume ALOT of protien its called reactive hypoglycemia i went to an endocrinologist eating carbs causes your sugars to rise and then drop so I significantly dropped my carb intake also I drink alot of gatorade it helps with staying hydrated just makes sure protien protein protien. I started consuming protien bars but you have to watch the carbs on them try to stay below 30g per bar. This is my experience but everyone is different so i would always let your doctor know. my complications included an abscess on my spleen and a hole in my stomuch and the infection went into my blood almost didn't make it but im happy to say im 1 year post surgury and down 100 pounds so no more regrets Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using BariatricPal mobile app