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I am 7.5 months post op. I have had zero complications and no regrets. I am 1 lb shy of losing 100 and 46 more to go. The absolute only regret I have is not having this surgery 10 years earlier! I had gastric bypass and am very satisfied with my choice.

Hi!! It is so nice to meet you! My name is Stacie. I have between 130 and 150 to lose. I am also going with the sleeve! I have a friend that had it in Nov. And she did great! My best friend had gastric bipass and was in and out of the hospital due to complications. I feel more comfortable with the sleeve. I'm so glad you responded! . I love this app and I'm so glad my friend told me about it! Where do you live? I am in IL!

I personally appreciate your reality check! I just had an arm and boob lift 2 days ago and I'm headed to a post op appointment in a few hours. Do they have any idea what happened to cause your complications or is it just a random, unlucky draw? I wish you a speedy recovery and I hope in the end it all works out!

Thank You so much for responding. I guess I would like to know about postoperative pain, nausea, vomiting after the procedure. Any complications?

How does he cover complication costs? Does he cover it or do you? Leaks happen but they are rare. I think this is a big reason I am such a huge advocate of keeping people in the hospital at least 48 hours, that's when leaks are likely to show up and hopefully, they can fix it right then and there. You just do not want to be at home when you have a leak, you need to be in a hospital setting. I wouldn't let a potential leak stop you from getting your life back. Your risk from being obese is much worse than a less than 1% chance of a leak.

I completely understand how you're feeling right now, just a few weeks away from your surgery. It's been a long journey for you, with research, funding, and changing options along the way. It's natural to have doubts and worries when you see others experiencing complications or when logistical challenges arise. But it's wonderful that you found a new surgeon and that you're now scheduled for surgery. Even though there have been reschedules and unexpected hurdles, it's important to stay positive and focus on the fact that you're making progress towards your goal. I can imagine the mix of excitement and disbelief you're experiencing. It can be hard to fully believe that this life-changing surgery is about to happen. However, you've gone through all the necessary steps, received clearance from different tests, and had your psych consultation. These are all significant milestones that bring you closer to your surgery date. As you navigate the challenges of balancing college classes and family responsibilities, remember that you're stronger than you think. It's not uncommon for life to throw us curveballs, but you have the determination and resilience to overcome them. Try to embrace a positive mindset and visualize waking up from surgery with your sleeve. Visualizing your desired outcome can help you feel more confident and prepared for the journey ahead. Remember, you've come a long way, and this surgery is the next step towards a healthier and happier future. Stay focused on your goals, trust in your medical team, and believe in yourself. Soon enough, you'll wake up from surgery with your sleeve, ready to embark on a new chapter in your life.

I'm two and a half weeks away from surgery, and it still doesn't feel real! I started this journey over four years ago, researching my options and trying to get funding. The sleeve wasn't available to me then, so I was going to do RNY because that's what my aunt and a friend had. But, my aunt had some complications and she just looked sick, and it worried me. Plus, I'm in Southern Illinois and I would have had to drive to Chicago (five hours away) for the surgery and that also put me off. So, fast forward to 2009. I attended an info session at the new bariatric center in a town close by. I decided to go for the RNY. I was told I had to do a six month diet, so I started that and in the meantime, the surgeon was let go. So, this summer, I found out there was a new surgeon and had heard good things about him. So, I attended yet another info session and learned about the sleeve. I was convinced right way. I made my consultation and saw him for the first time on October 29th. I've gone through all the tests, got clearance from everything and I'm now scheduled for surgery on January 17th! I'm having a hard time this is actually going to happen, though. When I went for my consultation, I was put on the Fast Track (six weeks til surgery.) that was in October. But, I couldn't get my psych consult until the end of December, so they scheduled my surgery for January 10th. I went on 12/28 for psych and they didn't have me on the schedule! But, they got me in for the following and I got cleared by psych yesterday. In the meantime, my surgery was rescheduled for January 17th because my surgeon will be out of town. Then, I started freaking out because I'm in college and my classes (and my husband's classes) start January 18th. So I have to juggle classes starting and trying to get my kids to school while I'm in the hospital. It seems like Murphy's law is in effect, and I'm encountering all sorts of obstacles. So, again, I keep feeling like this is too good to be true! Am I really going to get my sleeve? I don't think I'll believe it until I wake up from surgery with my sleeve!

Hello. Anxiety is normal. If its unbearable, talk to your primary doctor. Mine gave me Lexapro and it helped amazingly! I am 3 weeks post op now. I just want to tell you that if you trust your decision, trust your doctor, and are confident in the hospital you chose, then you can relax. They are professionals and have performed hundreds, if not thousands, of these surgeries, no doubt. I can also tell you that your experience is going to be uniquely yours. ( Read that last sentence again.....) Please, please, please do not read these threads about complications and assume that you are going to go thru the same issues. I can tell you that odds are in your favor. Complications are a very, very, very, low percentage. Keep in mind that people are reaching out for answers sometimes and those types of worries can dominate a lot of these threads. Look for positive threads...read some of the post op threads. The energy you are using on all this worry and anxiety is not necessary. Have faith, trust, believe and you will be just fine.

Oh ok that could also be it but its hard since I'm going to the gym already and burning about 400-500 calories on cardio machines but I wasn't sure if I needed to make them up cause I do try to stay between 800 calories but if I subtract what I burn I'm left with only 300-400 calories maybe I should slow down. This journey is so complicated sometimes but it will be worth it in the end thanks for your feed back:)

After reading these blogs for the last 8 months, I am of the opinion that if you start to get used to eating less etc. before the surgery you will have an easier time with the recovery process and you won't have to put your system into such a shock. But like I said that is my opinion. I started drinking the shakes and trying to lose weight as soon as I went to my first seminar. I was required by my insurance company to lose 30 lbs and I lost 41 lbs before surgery. I had absolutely NO complications or problems after the surgery. I really think that getting my body into the process of eating less really helped the process go smoothly.

It's hard to know which is best for everyone because everyone is so different. If there was 1 perfect operation then that is all anyone would ever get. There are pros and cons to all of them and you need to decide which is best for you and your lifestyle. Everyone on here is going to be somewhat biased because we all seem to be pro-sleeve, but the best thing you can do is gather your research and go to your appointment with the surgeon and ask a lot of questions. A good surgeon is going to look at your BMI, how much weight you want to lose and your current health issues and will be able to recommend what they feel is your best option. Personally I chose the sleeve because I like the fact that nothing is re-routed and I will not have to deal with malabsorbtion issues. I know that if you have a very high BMI and you are looking to lose a lot of weight my surgeon recommends the bypass, but he is confident that I will be capable of losing the 90 pounds that I would like to lose with the sleeve. My surgeon told me he never recommends the band anymore because that is only to be used as a temporary fix and there are too many complications with it. The sleeve is relatively newer than the bypass (which is still considered to be the gold-standard of WLS due to higher amounts of weight lost), but I feel confident in my choice. Yes, it is permanent and can not be reversed, but that is part of my body I wouldn't want back! Sleeve can always be converted to bypass down the road if you do not see the results you were hoping for. Hope that helps!

Yeah I actually checked with the surgeons office again yesterday and they just said no special instructions from him except to continue my normal diet. I feel like I need to keep things light just in case. I really don't want any complications. I guess maybe I'm just being over paranoid.

1. First of all, don't let their opinions make you falter. Yes, some people DO fail. However, most of the time that can be traced back to them getting back into bad eating habits... i.e fast food, drinking soda again, eating cake, cookies, ice cream, and massive amounts of bread and pasta. And statistically ANY surgery can cause nerve damage not just weight loss surgery. It depends a lot on your own body, how many other prior surgeries you've had, if you have nerve disorders like different types of neuralgia, Fibromyalgia, etc. 2. I read up on statistics when deciding on my surgery and Gastric Bypass has a 0.14% chance of mortality in the operating room (essentially 1 in every 1000 people), 1% in the first 30 days and 6% in five years. However, you have to think about the fact that many of us have been overweight for a very long time and it takes a toll on our bodies which is likely the reason for the 6%. Some people just waited too long to do anything about it. Avoid NSAIDS like the plague though because once you have Gastric Bypass that causes massive bleeding and you'll land yourself in the hospital. No ibuprofen or asprin for you! (though you likely already know this lol) And I TOTALLY understand the facial pain! I have TN (trigeminal neuralgia) and it was misdiagnosed for YEARS which means it didn't get the proper treatment and led to it getting worse and worse until I was in constant pain for MONTHS! I couldn't sleep, couldn't eat, couldn't talk because of the sheer amount of pain I was in and I would cry myself dry. I was exhausted, in agony, miserable and desperate to find an end to the pain. I would literally go to work and cry while I worked. I had brain surgery in 2017 and it had a similar mortality rate to the GB surgery and had some other rare complications and even some common ones. I was at peace with whatever happened. If I was one of the rare 1 in 1000 that died then it'd be an end to the pain, if I was one of the other 999 people then I had a 95% chance that the surgery would work for me and a 5% chance that it'd do nothing to help me. Even then, I knew it was just a temporary solution since TN has no cure. And it did work. For two years. The pain came back last year, but the surgery is amazing in the fact that it's kept the most debilitating type 1 pain away. I have atypical TN (which is apparently rare) and have had both type 1 and type 2 pain. I had the surgery because the type 1 pain is like being stabbed repeatedly in the face with a scalding hot poker where it twists and twists and twists and then repeats. When I have flares I only suffer from the type 2 pains now and hope that the type 1 never comes back! Also, I haven't had a flare since August! I hope that everything goes well for you in your surgery and I hope they can eventually figure out what's causing your other health issues so that you can get the necessary treatment without those issues getting worse. I wish you the best!

Yes, but if I had a chance to do it over I would go with the sleeve. I was emptied do to complications and my fill center has closed down. I can't find anyone to do a fill in my area and after 5 years of keeping the weight off I have regained most of it in just one year. Trying to start over but it's pretty depressing.

even though I have had some complications I would do it all over again. weighing less is just magical.

Hi there. For me it was the other way around - I really wanted the bypass but my care team determined that it was medically contraindicated for me. I tried hard to change their minds but in the end I went with their recommendation. I was disappointed, but it turned out okay, I didn't have any major complications and the surgery has been effective so far. However, in my case, there was an actual medical reason why the bypass was extra-risky for me. I got a 2nd opinion and the 2nd doctor agreed it was contraindicated. In your case, it sounds like the surgeon just feels the bypass will be more effective? If there is no medical contraindication, it seems like after being told the pros and cons, you would be allowed to choose the surgery you want. What would happen if you just said, "Look, I understand your reasoning, but I'm not comfortable with the bypass. I want the sleeve."? Would he refuse to do it? Could you get a 2nd opinion? Maybe if another doctor indicates that the sleeve is a viable option for you, your surgeon will relent. Have you shared your concerns about the bypass with your surgeon? Maybe with more information, you'll be more comfortable with it? In any case, it doesn't seem right for you to be forced into a surgery you're not sure you want. You're the one who has to live with it, so you should be calling the shots (assuming there's no medical issue preventing the sleeve). I'd revisit the issue and get more information, then decide for myself one way or the other. Hope it all works out for you!

Thanks to all those that replied. I just heard through another patient that my surgeon whom I have not met yet,uses a 39 bougie. I want the best results with the least complications. That seems rather large in todays VSG world. It appears bougie size is more important that percentage of stomach removed. I am that 5ft nothing lady. Can't wait to see if she offers me information on how she chose that size or if she offers me something differnt since I am no where near the same height as this patient. I'll let you know in August after I've met her.

Your surgeon is right. Even if you look through the complications section, it seems everyone who has the surgery does not regret having it. Congrats on getting your date!

You have to understand that this isnt a one shot surgery and I am "fixed" kind of thing. There are revisions, complications, appointments to adjust restriction.... point being its a lot of time, money and effort. A doctor is going to tell you that should plan on 50% of your excess weight loss with the band - so for you what is that like 35lbs? I am not sure its worth it for you. That said, and end to the yo-yo dieting might be. You also have to ask why your fat... Do you have portion control issues (I did) or do you eat all day long (I didn't). From what I have seen on here the band seems to work better for folks with portion issues. Also what do you eat? The band isn't going to help you make the right food choice - you will still have to do that on your own. I had never been the thin guy - but I am now thanks in part to my band. 296 with a bmi of 42 to 165 in a little over a year, but not without two additional surgeries. But still the best decision I ever made. Good luck

I think how we come through band placement has more to do with our general overall health/condition than anything else. Also (it seems) people with a higher BMI have additional challenges with the procedure. I know people that are in their 60's and they are very fit and healthy - and then there are those in their 30's who are not. I'm on my 12th day after surgery and I am 49. I had a lower bmi (34) than some and my health was good and I had no complications whatsoever. At least in the short-term (knock-on-wood). I went to Dr. Kuri in TJ, Mex - I lacked any insurance for this so I was self-pay. Dr. Kuri is one of the best in or out of this country - so if you do it, find yourself a surgeon with an excellent reputation and one that has done at least 300 bands on his own (not the clinics total). Patti

I did cheat the first 2 days, I won't lie! But I stuck to it the last 5 and I actually just got sleeved today!! No complications, everything went great but my surgeon prefers for his patients to stay over night for observation. I'm so excited guys! Thanks for answering my questions!

If it helps any... The stats for anesthesia related death is fewer than 1 in 100,000 patients. A true anesthesia related complication causing death is rare. I have to admit, the fear of my doc doing bypass vs. banding crossed my mind too. But we were talking about the band in OR before I went to sleep so that risk was pretty low. Aren't you a nurse? Ever see a patient getting a BTK amp write with magic marker on the good leg, "DO NOT REMOVE"? Write on your stomach, LAP BAND ONLY. Or, ask how much time they scheduled you for surgery. If it is 1 hour or less, you are good to go. If it is 3 hours or more, jump off that table and run the other way. Removing your heart... impossible. You have to actually be brain dead before they can do that. Lap to open procedure, rare. But it might need to be necessary. It's not the end of the world, it will just feel like it after surgery. That is mostly done if the patient has previous adhesions. If your liver is too big most docs will simply not do the procedure vs. opting for open. Clarify that. If your liver is too big explain they should close the lap incisions and you will do a LSD until it is smaller. Just keep in mind, the rare risk of complications with the band causing death is just that, rare. The risk for morbid obesity isn't rare, it WILL happen. So you have a choice, a rare risk or a certainty. I'd go with rare, and did.

hi horns10 - I am pre-op too and I have the same feelings as you do. I am scared I won't be able to make the changes too so its good to know that I am not the only out there that has these feelings. I know I want to do it and I'm scared of any complications that not following the post op diet might do so I am determined to follow my doctors instructions to the T. Please know that you are not alone with your feelings and if you need help just write. Take care! shelli

Yikes...well let me tell you....I was not at all indicating that she would stretch her pouch, if you had read the entire post I had indicated that I had experienced gain at one point in the last 4 years simply due to choice. We have "satisfied" our appetites for the last years and in my simple opinion....and that is all it is...an opinion, we need to teach ourselves quality not quantity. I didn't have a fill for 4 months and did not eat simply due to the desire to loose the weight. I am not saying anyone is wrong or right. I am not say that there will be stretched pouches, remained obesity, complications or a party in your monkeys cage next week at 6, I am only saying GOOD CHOICES....thats all. We aren't going on if you don't want an honest opinion then that should be stated in the post titling....LIE TO ME PLEASE! I am not going to....I have faught this fight and it is not an easy one! 4 years....let me know when you have been banded 4 years....one of the first 1000 in this province...I have the inside scoop....again.....JUST MY 2 cents.....POPT

I was Type 2. Banded on 2/10/09. My doctor had me discontinue my Glucophage, Avandia and Amaryl starting the day of surgery. My A1c levels are presently 7.0. I still want to lose albout 55 pounds and my numbers are still going to improve but at 7.0, my doc says he will not medicate me as I am still losing because my A1c will continue to drop. Frankly, that's why I did this in the first place. Avandia is a "black box" drug (potential for cardiac complications is high with this drug) but it was what made the difference between control and no so good. My doc promised me I could come off it immediately, so I didn't look back, LOL.