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Thank you all, again you have no idea how much your support helps me get through <3 Acute something or other. I had sludge in it when I stayed the 3 weeks, and they said it SHOULD go away on its own. It got worse and inflamed and my gal bladder wasn't contracting like it should of. I know it's a typical complication and I have a major family history so I guess I can't say I'm not surprised, just overwhelmed. It's not crazy pain though, just uncomfortable. Sleeve hurt more (: stent comes out next Wednesday so PRAYING the staple line leak is cleared up and on the road to healthy again!!!

Hi SPF, Where did you originally get your band? Does the doctor think the complications are from the band or from a combination of situations. Please let us know.

I had my surgery on Monday 5/2!! I am so excited to be on the losers bench! My surgery went well with no complications. Stayed one night in the hospital and had the best care. Came home Tuesday afternoon with prescription for Tylenol with codeine and an anti nausea medication. I took them up to last night. Stopped because was getting a headache. Haven't needed the pain meds. Walking has helped with the gas bubbles. Thankfully no shoulder pains like I read pre op. I'm on full liquids until 5/11 when I see my surgeon for my follow up. I am having some diarrhea off n on. Not happy about that. Working on getting in my water and protein. Cream of chicken soup made with 1% milk for extra protein has been delicious! I have absolutely no regrets! Any suggestions on what I can eat on this stage is greatly appreciated!

I wanted to share some of my fears with revision surgery. I am only two weeeks away from my operation and I am starting to get nervous about my life afterwards. I figured I could share my fears along with others and hopefully get some support as well. So here goes. These are my top fears about revision surgery: I wont lose any weight or hardly any. I wont be able to follow doctor orders and may cause myself complications. I will come out of surgery only to find they couldn't do it after all. I will not feel as much restriction as I did with the band. I will only lose weight for a short time like with the band, and then start gaining it all back I have more fears but these are the most prominent. I guess this whole journey with the band has just scarred me in some ways and made me doubt the power of surgery, even though I know from seeing my friends and family who have done it that it works. I guess I worry since I chose the band first, things wont be the same for me and it wont work as well. Share your fears with me.

Lots of good advice above. There are more than 300 000 people who are active/inactive members of this forum, from all over the world, who’ve had no complications. Sure some people do have complications but that happens with any surgery but very few considering the number who’ve had the surgery. Sometimes the complication arises as a result of a pre existing or undiagnosed issue. I’d also remind them that continuing to be obese is more dangerous than the surgery. It’s your health, your life. And I’m sure you made this decision after a lot of thinking, research & considered all the options available to you. Good luck with your surgery & with speaking with your family.

We've been told that if we drink alcohol, it's not an issue of if we have complications, but when. My NUT and case manager worry about gastritis and ulcers, along with transfer of addiction. That being said, not quite 6 months post op and I've enjoyed an occasional glass off wine or beer. No upset tummy yet.

I am scheduled for Monday, August 24. I am on day 2 of a five day clear liquid diet. I'm not so much hungry, but I am kind of weak. I have been making and drinking homemade broths. I see a lot of you have protein included in your diet - my Dr. said nothing about protein only clear liquids and I have been wondering about not getting enough protein. I am very nervous and excited (at the same time) about the surgery. My Mother had a revision from the Sleeve to Rny n April and had several complications - she is still not feeling up to par. So, all those complications are in the back of my head and making me anxious. Btw, I am in Pittsburgh.

Yeah I have been trying to get this surgery for years but my insurance will not cover it even though I've had countless doctors try to fight it and prove that it's "medically necessary"! It is so ridiculous! So now I decided to just go in and do self pay and guess what... Only about three months later, BOOM I'm scheduled for surgery already. It's sad how much money talks but insurances don't want to consider this a serious surgery that is sometimes needed! Anyone else out there self paying? I'm a little nervous about it cause I guess if there are complications my insurance won't help me with any of that either :/

Congrats to everyone who had their bypass recently! Hope everyone is doing well! I was discharged yesterday and spent my first night at home last night - boy was that nice. Great, full night of sleep! Feeling great, no complications other than Potassium is a bit low so need to go in for additional lab-work today. My hunger has pretty much all gone away, so I'm very happy about that. No nausea, getting down protein and various drinks just fine. I did put on about 8 pounds while in the hospital from all the fluids they were pumping inside me, but now am quickly taking it back off. All-in-all, doing wonderfully! How about the rest of you?

Photochic- I am convinced! I dont trust BC anymore either. Im getting my tubes tied as well! Did you have any complications or weird side effects? Sent from my iPhone using RNYTalk

Hey all. I was sleeved today 12/14 around 1230pm. In recovery I woke up with pain. I was there for what felt like forever and then I was woke, again, up by everyone say “stay with me, keep your eyes open, stay with me”. I had no Idea what was going on. I kept drifting in and out. I was (still am) so scared. Apparently I was given Narcan in order to “bring me back”. I still don’t fully know what happened. Now I am getting very little pain meds as a precaution so that sucks. But the pain is causing nausea and I keep throwing up dark blood. Not a little, but fountains of it. I’ve been given Zoltan, phen, and a blood thinner. Has anyone else gone through anything like this after surgery ? I can’t even sleep because I’m scared I won’t wake up. So I will drift off for 10 mins and then “jump” awake.

I've had my consultation with Dr. Stowers (via phone since I live out of state) and so far it has been a good experience. I'm wondering if anyone has gone to him for the sleeve? If so, what was your experience like? Any complications? For fellow sleevers that are a few years out, how has your progress been and are you maintaining? Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!!

Oh lord, what a mess....call your gyn but if there's any chance you're pregnant they'll likely want you off birth control immediately due to risk of complications to the pregnancy. Good luck!!!! HW 312, pre-op (RNY) 255, current weight 198

You can have sex when you are comfortable enough to do so. They say to be very gentle though and not to do anything too wild haha. Also it is important that you use birth control because you become very fertile after surgery. My doctor recommended not to plan pregnancy until at least 18 months past surgery date. Generally, I think it's about a year at least. If you become pregnant earlier, it can cause complications.

I am a month out and I still haven't had sex, my poor husband. I haven't for 3 reasons...1 I'm terrified I will hurt since I still have some discomfort, 2 I have now been on my period (first one in 17months) for almost 2 weeks, & 3 I'm scared I'll get pregnant. My surgeon says not to get pregnant for 18-24months because there could be some complications.

Guess it makes sense so it won't be in too long and cause complications...I mean eh they deal with vaginas daily LOL

I can understand that, I havent taken the pill since very briefly in my 20's as I really dont like mucking around with things in my body like that. But I always felt it added a couple of kilos to my weight. Now I'm in my 40's and I know that I am having bowel complications from mild endometriosis. I know if I go and sort it out I'll end up on some sort of hormonal therapy like going on the pill. And I've put it off and off and off...... I always got by just fine without the pill, I used a diaphgragm even though they went out with the ark, it seems. But the mechanical barrier method worked for me and didnt affect my body. I had my tubes tied after my third baby.

DO THE MATH 164 Studies, 161,756 Patients Over Nearly 10 Years: What Does This Add Up To? BARIATRIC AND METABOLIC SURGERY IS EVEN MORE EFFECTIVE THAN PREVIOUSLY REPORTED AND GETTING SAFER! A new meta-analysis of studies carried out between 2003 and 2012 shows higher remission rates of diabetes and high blood pressure and a lower mortality rate than previously reported. The study, published online in JAMA Surgery, is an update to a meta-analysis of studies conducted between 1990 and 2003 and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA, Buchwald et. al.) back in October 2004. Researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis reviewed outcomes from nearly 162,000 patients in 164 studies (37 randomized clinical trials and 127 observational studies), over almost 10 years. They discovered 92 percent of patients in randomized clinical trials experienced diabetes remission after surgery, slightly higher than the 86 percent remission rate found in observational studies, but significantly higher than the 76.8 percent remission rate found in the 2004 JAMA study. Remission rates for hypertension were about 75 percent in both the randomized clinical trials and observational studies, while the remission rate in 2004 was 61.7 percent. Body Mass Index (BMI) loss five years after surgery ranged from 12 to 17 in the new study. Before surgery, patients had an average BMI of 45.62. "With the 2004 study, we now have 22 years worth of data from over 180,000 patients and 300 studies," said study co-author J. Esteban Varela, MD, MPH, MBA, Fellow of the ASMBS. "The data continues to prove bariatric surgery is not only safe and effective in providing significant and sustainable weight loss, but is the most effective treatment today for diabetes, hypertension and an array of other diseases and conditions in people with obesity." In the new study, 30-day mortality rate was 0.08 percent, down from the 0.3 percent reported in 2004. Complication rates ranged from 10 to 17 percent and the reoperation rate was about 7 percent. Complication and reoperation rates were not reported in the previous meta-analysis. By procedure, gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy resulted in the greatest weight loss, but had a higher rate of complications and mortality than adjustable gastric banding. Gastric banding had the highest reoperation rate (12% in randomized trials), while gastric bypass had the lowest at 3 percent, followed by sleeve gastrectomy, which had a reoperation rate of 9 percent. The new meta-analysis included sleeve gastrectomy, which was not available in the 1990s. Of note, sleeve gastrectomy had comparable weight loss to that of gastric bypass at 5 years. "This is but the latest study to validate the high degree of safety and effectiveness of bariatric surgery," said Ninh T. Nguyen, MD, FACS, President of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) and Vice-Chair of the Department of Surgery at UC Irvine School of Medicine. "Today we are performing operations that are as safe or safer than gallbladder and hernia repair surgery." According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 78 million adults were obese in 2011–2012.1 The ASMBS estimates about 24 million people have severe or morbid obesity. Individuals with a BMI greater than 30 have a 50 to 100 percent increased risk of premature death compared to healthy weight individuals as well as an increased risk of developing more than 40 obesity-related diseases and conditions including type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer.2,3

That 6 months is your time to change your habits and increase your exercise level so that you are prepared for surgery. The less you weigh, the more you exercise, and the better your nutrition all adds up to being less likely to have complications from surgery and anesthesia. It also adds up to being more successful after surgery! The more you lose now the faster you'll get to goal after surgery! I was definitely not perfect during my 6 months but I did lose 30 pounds and mentally prepare for the changes I'd have to make.

Or go back to the medicine. You know the chances of complications, the issues associated with anethesia, the post op complications and the risk vs reward of this procedure. I don't know if your like me but if you are, just ask to be informed. know your lab values, ask what your d-dimer is etc. Knowing the medicine can be a blessing in that you really do know if everything is going ok. course the flip side is, if its not, you will know too. Knowing the complications you also know how to prevent most of them right? Walk, Insp. spirometer etc. You know what to do to decrease the chances of complications. If you need someone to talk to PM me. I work 24's so whenever. =) You will do great though!! I can feel it!

Gosh, bless your heart. Sorry about your band. Hopefully your story will help other Bandsters and remind us all to be aware of the risks. But one question - I know you didn't feel as if you need a fill, but in the year after your banding, who was your local doctor before you found this new one (who sounds great, by the way)??? I mean, I know Dr. Ortiz placed it, but which doctor did you see that concurred with you that your band didn't need a fill? I always caution Bandsters to go for 'follow-ups' and so-called 'fill' appointments even if they don't think they need a fill. Often these follow up visits (even when things are going well and restriction is good) help to underscore issues that might arise and pre-diagnose little complications early on. Those appointments aren't just to re-tighten the band. They are great opportunities to find out how you're eating, how you feel, your diet/food choices and other great information. Anyway, congratulations on your pregnancy and good luck on the next leg of your band journey.

I chose LB over GBP based on: 1. You lose the weight slower, which is healthier for your body. 2. LB allows your food to be processed normally, allowing your body to absorb the necessary nutrients by taking its time instead of a quick route to your lower intestines. 3. It's reversible! So if there are any complications, I'm reassured by the fact I can have it reversed, if all else fails. However, with the newest appliance on the market (the AP), the slippage rate has been reduced dramatically - just in the past 4 yrs. 4. I like the idea of having a less-invasive surgery - recovery should be better. I have 2 aunts that have had the GBP & they've been happy with it, but I just didn't want to take those chances since I'm a mom of 2 young children! Good luck in your decision & process.

Hi, Jane. I wish you luck on your decision as it is a very personal decision you have to make. I don't know if this will help at all with your decision, but if you'll bear with me, I like to share my story thus far and pre-band. Since I was about 15, I've progessed from chubby, to overweight to heavy, to morbidly obese. Like all of us here on this forum, I've lost weight, gained more weight, cried over my weight and most recently I just simply gave up. I'm 46 years old and at my highest weight 330 lbs! I have hypertension, pre-diabetic, my back hurts after standing or walking for more than 5 minutes, and I'm pulling away from all of my friends and family. I wasn't even trying any more, I lost hope and I've always been an optimist... I've been researching lapband for almost 5 years. It sounded to good to be true, so I never fully beleived it. I considered bypass surgery for a very little while and even went to a seminar that discussed both bypass and lapband. At this particular seminar, they were pushing the bypass as the surgeon has been performing bypass surgery for over 20 years. He felt that lapband was too new and the weight loss was slow. So, he essentially poo poo'd the entire idea. I left the seminar very discouraged and I knew that I would never be able to choose the bypass, it scared me more than being fat. Still I kept researching the lapband, it seemed to make sense to me, but I was still feeling a little lost and hopeless. Recently I had a realization that I want to live and I want to live healthy (physically and mentally). However, I still know that no matter how determined I might feel, I know that am human and the amount of weight I need to loose is just too overwhelming. I can't do this alone or without an aide. I went to another seminar that focused on the lapband procedure. While this surgeon was pro lapband he also discussed the other weight los procedures and noted that, in his opinion, any weight loss surgery, even bypass and it's associated complications and risks, was still a better risk than being obese and suffering from comorbidities. For me the answer was clear. I have no doubt that I need to change my life, but I also need the tool to help me loose the weight and more importanly, keep the weight off. The bypass was still too radical for me and too scary, so I am choosing the lapband. I've begun the process and just awaiting some final medical test results and hope to be banded in the next month or so. I know this won't be an easy journey. I will have to make huge adjustments in my life and I will still have to deal with my emotional eating. The weight may not come off as fast, but slow and steady wins the race. Mostly, I know that I will have to work "with" the lapband and not "against" it. It's a wonderful option and if you are honest with yourself and do what your physician tells you, it works and with less risks than the bypass. I'm full of hope and optimism yet again. :wink2: Again, I wish you luck. And as others have said here, read and research both procedures and maybe even make a list of pros and cons for both procedures...

:cursing: Did anyone here stuggle with decision of band vs. bypass? Hi everyone! I'm new to this site. I posted this as part of a thread yesterday and haven't gotten a response, so I'm trying again as a new thread. I'm sure that all surgeons handle the process differently, but after nearly a year I have finally jumped through my hoops and have been scheduled for surgery on feb. 25, I have 2 appts with my surgeon between now and then as well as a slew of addittional appointments with nurses and classes and pre-opp stuff. I haven't actually met my surgeon yet. Weird in a medical way, but seems to be fairly normal in the weight-loss surgery world I;ve heard. Has anyone else had this experience of not getting through the 'gate keeper' to see an actual doctor at your practice until you've been given the all-clear and scheduled? Anyway, I originally chose the Lap-Band after researching it for more than a year and then going to my doctor's seminar last Spring. I was mainly afraid of the 'permanace' of the bypass, and of course of complications. Until I consult with my surgeon on 2/12, I won't know if he thinks I should go with one vs. the other but I'm sort of leaning towards bypass now. That's why I searched for this site tonight. I've done all my research, but I need to hear from more people who are living with the band. For people who have had an option... why have you chosen one over the other? I'll be lurking around here, absorbing what I can from what everyone has posted in general (so glad to have such a great forum!), but any specific replies would truly be helpful. I'm a nervous wreck. I hate feeling like this is a 'decision' and that I might make the wrong one, when in fact I know that this is no longer a choice, it's a necessity in order for me to live a healthy happy life and be here fully for my daughter... I know this is such a blessing and have been waiting for sooooo long. Leave it to my human-self to now be freaking out about the very thing I've been wanting so badly!

That pre-op liquid diet is a killer. It is very very tough, both physically and emotionally. Headaches, hunger, crankiness, crying. Your body will adapt in a few days. and I promise that you won't feel like this once you are post-op. This is just the painful kick start to your journey. Staying positive is really important. Drink a lot of water to flush the toxins out, and have a lot of broth so that you feel like you sat down to a meal. Please follow your surgeon's instructions. My surgeon told me after my surgery that he could tell I followed instructions and that his job is so much easier when patients follow the pre-op instructions. (and making our surgeon's job easier means less risks and complications for us). Please think of it this way... these are pre-operative instructions from your surgeon and must be followed to the letter to reduce your risk of complications and improve your surgical outcome. It is not the same as cheating on a diet or ignoring your nutritionist's advice, which will just slow your weight loss. Hang in there. it won't always be this hard