Search the Community

You could have intentionally bad posture that day. If you don't stand up too straight when your height is measured, it will revise your BMI upward. <innocent whistling>

Just found this website and so thankful to have done so! I had my surgery on August 4th for gastric bypass. Going into day 5 post op and I have to say, I was so nervous I was going to be in agony for days after surgery but my pain never went over a 5. only issue right now is some residual gas pain that has settled in my lower bowels and trying to sleep comfortably through the night. Other than that, so thankful for my experience so far!

I am having my bypass on the 16th. Very excited! Half way through my pre-op diet and I am so hungry….

Hi ChocoSnowBunny, First, so sorry to hear you had cancer, I can't even imagine how devastating that can be and praying you never have to go through that again. Second, I'm so glad you went for another opinion. My surgeon told me not to be hard on myself because of gaining weight back because it was the surgery that failed not the other way around. Patients with a very high BMI that have the gastric bypass, will most likely gain half or all weight back because it's not the right surgery but back in 2006, even though the duodenal switch was being done, it wasn't as popular as the gastric bypass. I researched this and my doctor was right. My BMI was 55 back then. Don't be hard on yourself anymore and there is nothing wrong with you. I hope you get your appointment soon. My best to you and I'm excited to hear about your journey also.

I am about 5 years post-op and definitely regret it as well for mostly the same reasons as SleevedK above. Yes, I lost quite easily at first but that only lasted the first year. After that I could not lose anymore no matter what I tried. The worst thing? I am ALWAYS hungry. Before I had VSG, I had done low carb/keto for quite awhile and lost well and had a lot of energy. Part of that is eating plenty of fat which keeps you full. Unfortunately, after VSG I could not eat much fat. Protein first of course, but if I had too much fat I'd get sick. I also LOVE vegetables and can no longer eat much of them. I fill up quickly at a meal but am starving an hour later. I was told that at least in the first 6 months or so, hunger would never be a problem b/c the part of your stomach they remove is where the hunger hormones are secreted and that eventually that would come back. I was hungry from day one and it never changed. The biggest disappointment to me was that I did want the bypass. I went in for surgery and woke up to find I had nothing done. Doctor tried but could not pull my intestine far enough forward to attach it without stressing the incision. I went on a liquid diet for a month and lost 22 more lbs, tried again with the agreement that if it still wouldn't fit, he could go ahead and do VSG and that's what I woke up with. My surgeon has a very good reputation and I trust him. My body has always done weird things. Not sure if it's just all the fat in the omentum around the intestines that was the cause or adhesions from my previous gallbladder surgery, although he did say he broke down some of those. By 3 yrs post-op I'd not only not lost anymore but started regaining. The regain is totally MY fault, not the surgery, but I was so tired of fighting to lose with no results that I began eating junk food again and it crept up. All told, I lost 85 lbs and regained 28, and have been sort of stuck there. I'm now revisiting trying to do low carb since it works for me once I get past the initial cravings, etc. I had some GERD prior to surgery but it went away with the weight loss, only to return with a vengeance after i began to regain. It is MUCH worse than it ever was prior to surgery. I have not had an endoscopy to see if there is a hiatal hernia or anything yet; it's on my list to get checked out soon.

I'll be 61 in October. I just recently got a revision from vsg to RNY. There is gas pain, some stomach pain but never over lvl 6 pain for me. The nurses told me that they thought I'd be one of the ones that needed most help but I never called them in. I stayed one night. There must be some truth to the older the patient is, the better they do in surgery and handling the pain. I think you'll do great.

Yes I’m a bypasses mines is scheduled on Aug. 12

I am so incredibly happy for you. I had Gastric Bypass in 2001. Most weight lost AFTER bypass (279) SW (before surgery) - 345 CW - 315. After enduring stage 4 breast cancer in 2010, I gained most of my weight back. I decided to return to my original doctor and request testing to find out if something went wrong with my original surgery. I was told everything was still in tact and I just need to start from SCRATCH! But I explained that I was able to eat a heck of a lot more. And that I would like options as to what can be done to tighten and/or revise my surgery. I believe my doctor was so eager to NOT have any "revisions" needed that he just sent me away - RUDELY! So I decided to ask around and seek a second opinion (of course - years later- because I believed there was something wrong with me). I followed his advise - but still believed something was wrong. Fast forward. I met a woman in my SAME situation and she referred me to her doctor for help. NOW, I am just waiting for an appointment. I will be researching the duodenal switch. I was never given this as an option. I am so excited for you.

I want to know if some people can drink like normal again after gastric bypass? months out of course. I enjoy wine and don’t want to give it up. I don’t like sweets so I’m not worried about not having that again, but just want to know if anyone could have a couple glasses of wine again? That’s all I drink and yes I know be careful …. Please just answer the question I do not need the Karen lecture on why get surgery if you are gonnna drink

I posted this on a different thread, but wanted to share. Not sure why the revision has been so successful for me, but I'm loving the results. Here are my stats over my 6 year journey. Highest weight May 2012 - 222 lbs. Gastric sleeve surgery weight November 2014 - 212 lbs. Lowest weight post sleeve May 2015 - 151 post op 6 months (61 lbs. lost) Highest weight prior to revision surgery January 2019 - 205 lbs. (54 lbs. gained) Weight day of revision surgery October 2020 - 185 lbs. Current weight August 2021 (10 months post op) - 128 lbs. (57 lbs. lost) I hope that I never have to add a line that says I've gained weight back again!!!! Good luck on your journey!!!!

I haven't had the revision you are contemplating, but I hope you find someone who has to chat with, and I wish you well with it.

Ahhh, I wanted to add that my throat no longer burns all day and I can sleep without acid rushing up to my mouth. The revision was successful (so far) for the original purpose and that was Gerd/esophagitis.

Hi, I'm new to this site. I was hoping to hear from anyone who has had a revision from RNY to Duodenal Switch? I had Gastric Bypass surgery in 2006 but have gained half the weight back that I lost. The weight I lost was good but not near my goal weight. I'm scheduled for revision surgery 8/12/21. Thank you!

Had the revision a few days ago. I went from vsg to rny. From day one with the sleeve, I was hungry. I don't know why. From beginning to end, the most I could eat was 10 oz with my sleeve, and I still lost weight but I remember it being a struggle to keep under 1200 cal. So with the RNY, the recovery pain isn't much different than the sleeve. Every pain was doable. I didn't feel nauseous, never threw up when I was in the hospital. I do feel like I did 1000 sit-ups. GasX helped a lot. I felt like I could've walked out of the hospital that evening but I had to stay overnight (due to insurance). I walked out of there at 11 am the next day. It's been 4 days, and I'm not hungry at all. The two days of clear liquid for pre-op was difficult, but now 4 days post-op RNY there is zero hunger. It's a new feeling for me. Some notes for the curious: I had a urinary catheter while asleep. My revision took less than 1.5hrs. I had a serious dry mouth and a sore throat that made me want to eat more ice chips and drink more water, which is good. No nausea, I took Aprepitant 40mg capsule two hours before. That helps with post-op nausea and vomiting. If any of you have any questions, please just ask and I will share my experience.

I've had both. I had the sleeve for 5 years and revise to a bypass just recently. The urgent diarrhea happened with the sleeve too, and some of them dump. I dumped with it, unfortunately. This is just for me... But if I had to do it all over again, I would skip the gastric sleeve and go RNY. Post-op sleeved, I was hungry from the beginning and not too long after I develop Gerd. I'm post-op RNY now and I don't feel hungry at all. The VSG surgery and RNY was basically the same pain level. Having said that, they are both good choices. Not everyone develops Gerd from the sleeve.

diet plans are the same for both surgeries, so there won't be more restrictions for bypass than there are for sleeve (and once you're out a ways, there are no restrictions. That's not to say you won't have intolerances to certain foods (you might - or you might not - and that would be the case with either surgery), but beyond the first few weeks or months, there aren't any restrictions since you have a sensitive stomach, I don't think either surgery is going to be better or worse. Don't forget that they remove 80% of your stomach with sleeve, so as far as your stomach goes, either surgery is going to be traumatic since they cut into it (or in the case of bypass, staple it off) diarrhea isn't common with bypass. The opposite, constipation, is very common with both surgeries. I wouldn't worry about urgent diarrhea. You hear about that more with the DS, which you are not considering. It's not that it never happens with bypass or sleeve, but it's not very common.

Thank you so much for your reply. Really helpful. My stomach can be a bit sensitive too... That's what worries me a bit with a bypass?

Deciding which surgery to have is not straight forward & it’s a good idea to ask for real life experiences to help you decide. Some factors will direct you more to one or the other more easily. Like some surgeons recommend bypass over sleeve if you have a larger amount of weight to lose. If you have reflux/gerd already the sleeve really isn’t for you. Then it becomes lifestyle choices, existing medical conditions, weight loss history, etc. that will influence your decision. I had sleeve surgery even though I had occasional reflux. I experience it more now but it manifests differently. One of the reasons I chose the sleeve was because it would change my digestion the least but also because I could revise to a bypass if I needed in the future. My tummy has always been a sensitive (lactose, spice esp chilli, fatty or oily foods, etc.) because of the reflux, a parasite in my gut, an acid tummy & just me. Consequently, I thought I’d be more likely to end up with additional food limitations with a bypass. 27 months on & I’m happy with my sleeve. There are odd foods I’m not good with. Bread, pasta, rice, potatoes sit like a weight in my tummy. Dry meat & vegetables like char grilled ones cause the foamies & gagging. Oily fish upset me more now than before surgery. But this is very individual & you can’t predict it. Amusingly I’m way better with dairy than I was before - tossed that parasite with most of my tummy. I find it harder to find non spicy & non chilli food than foods I eat with my sleeve. Foods you struggle to eat in the first couple of months after surgery may be fine later on. Your tummy can be sensitive to begin & you might have episodes of diarrhoea, vomiting, dumping, foamies. It can help if you introduce foods back into your diet slowly. Most of this is temporary or only if you eat a specific food & I just try to avoid those I know upset me. Some people, though, seem to have no issues with food at all. These experiences seem to be similar across the surgeries. I remember my mother lamenting she didn’t know what food to buy when I visited her. The reality was she didn’t have to buy different foods or cook differently (mind you I’d always do the shopping & cooking when I’m there). I just bought my own yoghurt & protein bar snacks but otherwise we ate the same foods except she has dessert & slightly larger portions. You may choose to make a lot of changes to your long term maintenance diet (I have - rarely have sweet cakes, biscuits or desserts, no fast foods, etc.). You may chose to go the moderation path & still include the odd take away, sweet treat, etc. Doesn’t matter what form your maintenance diet takes it just has to be sustainable for you & how you want to live your life. Good luck with which ever surgery you choose.

I haven't had the enlarged fundus personally, but I have read about this happening to people after the sleeve. The "good" news about it is that it gives you additional options in how to treat the reflux. Most sleevers do not have enough fundus left for a fundoplication to control the acid to be an option, but since you have a larger fundus than normal, you probably can have at least a partial fundoplication (aka Toupet fundoplication). You may want to talk to a surgeon who does reflux surgery about that option if it is looking like they won't cover a revision to bypass.

Any August 2021 bypasses? Is the other name.

Check out the August surgeries on “where are my August peeps?” That group is mostly sleeve. There’s another for August bypass. They are both easy to find on the recents page. By the way, my surgery is the same day as you! I have the hardest time after dinner with this liquid diet. I’ve been sewing, chatting on the phone, organizing my house, sewing, basically anything that keeps my hands busy and my mind off food. I’ve turned into a bit of a monster and told my family that the kitchen is closed at 6pm! The lights are off and I put a chair in front of the door. Eight days in and it’s working. Beware of watching TV because of the ads. I’ve been streaming videos or watching PBS when I do watch. Good luck and check out the other groups! You can do it for this short term.

Hi all, I'm new. I'm from the UK. I'm trying to decide between a sleeve and a bypass. I think a bypass may be a better fit but I'm scared about getting urgent diarrhea and whether more foods are off limits with a bypass? I think it's probably about the same for either but the bypass is a bit more scary because ts more invasive. I know everyone is different and what happens to one person might not happen to another but I'm just trying to get a gauage. I know you have to learn your foods and if you try something new you would do it at home ......I suppose I'm looking for reassurance ..,and honesty lol 😅

I'm 48 and in the beginning phases (dietician visits and tests) of bariatric surgery. I am probably getting the RNY. A lot of posts that I see are from younger women (which is great!), but I'm concerned that the weight will come off slower now that I'm older. Especially since menopause is probably around the corner. Could you share your stories (successes or challenges), so I could get an idea of what things look like for women close to their 50's. Thanks!

I've been in this WLS world for close to twenty years, since the initial work up to my wife's DS and then my VSG some years later, and from what I have seen from many in our support groups, most everyone can lose up to around 30lb of regain - it takes some effort and a few months, but it comes off more or less like a "normal" person. 50lb or regain is more a a 50-50 proposition - some can lose it on their own, and some need a revision to help it along. My general feeling is that the revision should be your last step rather than your first. Go back to some basics and try to understand where your regain happened, as if it happened, once, it can happen again after a revision., so you need to get your head around the root of the problem. Is it a head problem, meaning that maybe some therapy is in order, or not really understanding the nutritional side of things and how to eat and live to maintain a healthy weight - an RD can be helpful for this. Or, maybe a bit of both. Unfortunately, our WLS, and by extension a revision for regain (rather than for complications) is really more of a "do over" rather than a cure for the problem Very commonly, before we had WLS, the most frequent reason for failure in dieting is that the diet will yield some weight loss, maybe even to normalish weight, but then the person declares success and goes back to their old habits, and diet, that helped to promote the weight gain in the first place - they never really learned how to live, and eat, to maintain that healthy weight. This is why we frequently see people regaining fairly rapidly after notionally successful dieting. The same basic profile often happens after WLS, only it takes a while longer to happen owing to the lower volume that we can eat, but that tendency is still there. Another consideration is that every time we go inside to do surgery, we back ourselves further into a corner, limiting our options for future treatment should that be necessary, whether for regain revision or for something completely unrelated; you have limited any future surgeon's options in what they can do to help you with some future problem. This is why I am very shy about "wasting" a surgery if I can possibly treat the problem some other way. Again, let it be your last choice, rather than your first.

Hi, I'm also 4 mos out with a stall between 192-195. I'm also became caretaker for my elderly Mom so lots of stress going on here. I know how that can impact a person's health but at least I'm not gaining. Still thrilled to be in "onederland" and really enjoying breaks I get from other fam members so I can do my. Reformer Pilates classes where my focus is now cardio/sculpt. I also hop on my treadmill at home buty water intake has really taken a dive. Need to work on that. The great news is that my A1c # for diabetes no longer requires meds. I'm so, so, happy about that🙂. Btw, my highest history of weight gain was 261, pre-op was 245 to 235 from the week fast, and now 192. Goal is 150 since I am 5'6". I had the revision from lap band to gastric sleeve. My niece had the bypass and she said that her stall required her to go back on protein shakes 3x a day un order to trigger more weight loss and so far she has lost 100 pounds. I think I will be trying that, too. Good luck to everyone and I love seeing the pics Mizzkay! You look awesome. Blueslily, thx for keeping this topic alive. I'm right there with you on the stall. We can do this! Sincerely, Trish