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Wanna hear a good one? Last June, 2016 I decided to go the vsg road. We had planned on a Xmas holiday vsg (I am special ed teacher at a high school). That makes a 7 month prep period. Well.. Then my wife found out she needed a new hip! Immediately! So... my surgery was delayed until late at least spring (I had to shovel snow, as she would not be able to.) Hi Complications, so I am pushed out till at least July 2017. If I get the vsg in July, that's will mean a 13 month "prep" period. But I am using this time to really get the best nutrition habits I can.

Choosing a surgeon is one of the most important decisions you will make when getting weight loss surgery. The right surgeon can get you through surgery and put you on the path towards lasting weight loss. So how do you choose a weight loss surgeon? You may already know that you should think about the quantifiable aspects: think numbers. You want to know how much weight that surgeon’s patients tend to lose, what kind of complication rates does the surgeon see and which types of complications do they tend to be, and how much experience the surgeon has in terms of lifetime surgeries and current number of surgeries they performed per month. But what about the rest? What about “bedside manner” and all the things it includes? Finding a surgeon with great statistics may not be enough to guarantee that you have found the best surgeon for yourself. There are some less definable characteristics to think about. Explains well Your surgeon should be able to explain everything you want to know in terms you can understand. If you are the type of person who needs to question every detail, you need a surgeon who is willing to take the time to explain everything you want to know at the level of detail you are requesting. Don’t accept “because I said so” as an answer. Even if you are not the type to ask many questions, you still need to be able to communicate with your surgeon. You need to understand basics such as your surgery options, what to expect in the hospital, and your pre-op and post-op instructions. Keep looking for another surgeon if the one you’re considering now cannot explain well. It is the surgeon’s responsibility to do so; you are not “dumb” for not understanding. Treats You with Respect Basic respect can make your entire experience more pleasant, safer, and more successful. “Respect” is complicated, but it can include some of the following. Treating you as an individual rather than giving you cookie cutter treatment. Taking your concerns seriously. Giving you information to help you make decisions, rather than forcing decisions on you. Discusses risks and expected weight loss seriously with you, and does not make unrealistic promises about surgery safety and impossibly fast weight loss. Is Accessible There may be times when you have a question or concern that cannot wait until your next appointment. Is your surgeon accessible? If not, does your surgeon have someone else you can call at any time? Find out what happens if you need to contact your surgeon, or a nurse or the nutritionist, during or after business hours. You want to be sure you are in good hands at all times. Focuses on the Future You’ve heard over and over that weight loss surgery gives you a tool, and that the rest is up to you. You’ve also heard that this is a change for life, not a quick fix for a few months or a year. Your surgeon should be giving you that same message. Stay clear of any surgeon who does not discuss the future with you. Be wary if the surgeon seems to believe that his surgery will be enough to get you to the weight you want. As much as you may want to believe it, it is not true. You will need to eat right and work hard for years to get your weight under control, and you need a surgeon who will support you every step of the way. Gives You Confidence No matter what happens in your life, which decisions you make about surgery, and what triumphs and challenges your weight loss surgery journey includes, things will be better if you feel positively about them. Your surgeon can help by giving you confidence that: He or She will take care of you no matter what. He or She believes in you. You are making the right decisions for yourself. This can be difficult to judge, but see how you feel after walking out of the surgeon’s office. Do you feel excited and hopeful? Or do you feel overwhelmed and daunted? A few nerves are normal, but you should also feel that you can do this. If not, find a surgeon who does let you feel self-confident. Fantastic surgeons are out there, and you deserve one, but you may need to put in some effort to find one. After checking out the statistics, you may need to depend on your gut to help you make the right decision. You can go into surgery with more confidence when your surgeon is communicative, respectful, and positive.

You may already know that you should think about the quantifiable aspects: think numbers. You want to know how much weight that surgeon’s patients tend to lose, what kind of complication rates does the surgeon see and which types of complications do they tend to be, and how much experience the surgeon has in terms of lifetime surgeries and current number of surgeries they performed per month. But what about the rest? What about “bedside manner” and all the things it includes? Finding a surgeon with great statistics may not be enough to guarantee that you have found the best surgeon for yourself. There are some less definable characteristics to think about. Explains well Your surgeon should be able to explain everything you want to know in terms you can understand. If you are the type of person who needs to question every detail, you need a surgeon who is willing to take the time to explain everything you want to know at the level of detail you are requesting. Don’t accept “because I said so” as an answer. Even if you are not the type to ask many questions, you still need to be able to communicate with your surgeon. You need to understand basics such as your surgery options, what to expect in the hospital, and your pre-op and post-op instructions. Keep looking for another surgeon if the one you’re considering now cannot explain well. It is the surgeon’s responsibility to do so; you are not “dumb” for not understanding. Treats You with Respect Basic respect can make your entire experience more pleasant, safer, and more successful. “Respect” is complicated, but it can include some of the following. Treating you as an individual rather than giving you cookie cutter treatment. Taking your concerns seriously. Giving you information to help you make decisions, rather than forcing decisions on you. Discusses risks and expected weight loss seriously with you, and does not make unrealistic promises about surgery safety and impossibly fast weight loss. Is Accessible There may be times when you have a question or concern that cannot wait until your next appointment. Is your surgeon accessible? If not, does your surgeon have someone else you can call at any time? Find out what happens if you need to contact your surgeon, or a nurse or the nutritionist, during or after business hours. You want to be sure you are in good hands at all times. Focuses on the Future You’ve heard over and over that weight loss surgery gives you a tool, and that the rest is up to you. You’ve also heard that this is a change for life, not a quick fix for a few months or a year. Your surgeon should be giving you that same message. Stay clear of any surgeon who does not discuss the future with you. Be wary if the surgeon seems to believe that his surgery will be enough to get you to the weight you want. As much as you may want to believe it, it is not true. You will need to eat right and work hard for years to get your weight under control, and you need a surgeon who will support you every step of the way. Gives You Confidence No matter what happens in your life, which decisions you make about surgery, and what triumphs and challenges your weight loss surgery journey includes, things will be better if you feel positively about them. Your surgeon can help by giving you confidence that: He or She will take care of you no matter what. He or She believes in you. You are making the right decisions for yourself. This can be difficult to judge, but see how you feel after walking out of the surgeon’s office. Do you feel excited and hopeful? Or do you feel overwhelmed and daunted? A few nerves are normal, but you should also feel that you can do this. If not, find a surgeon who does let you feel self-confident. Fantastic surgeons are out there, and you deserve one, but you may need to put in some effort to find one. After checking out the statistics, you may need to depend on your gut to help you make the right decision. You can go into surgery with more confidence when your surgeon is communicative, respectful, and positive.

I had my surgery in Mexico 3 weeks ago and had a awesome experience. No complications and I am down 22 lbs so far. I paid 4395.00 for the gastric sleeve.

I had a Vertical Gastric Banding 17yrs ago and had a lot of complications and so my doc said the only revision he would consider is the RNY. Also, if you look statistically the sleevers have a higher percentage of gaining weight back.

Awesome! You're in great hands! Everything went well...and quickly. Seems like everything happened in a blur! No complications so far and most of my incisions are healing beautifully. I have one that is raised and will need some topical intervention to help it fade, but that's alright! If you haven't joined his private patient FB group yet, you should! You can get an idea of how all his patients are doing! Best wishes!

I don't think you are crazy. I am in the same boat with the BMI, thankfully I don't have any health issues (yet). I could gain 15 pounds, qualify for the surgery here, spend 6 months jumping through insurance hoops, and still end up paying around $13,000. Our insurance is awful. So for me I don't see the point in gaining weight and possibly pushing myself into getting comorbitities when I'll still have to pay that much for surgery. Yes, there are some sketchy surgeons who are advertised very cheap and probably not the best to trust to do your surgery. But there are also wonderful ones. That's where you need to do your homework. I hate that people bring up the leaks and horror stories so often when you mention Mexico. I doubt any of them have ever really heard of stories they're just basing their thoughts off of the stigma that Mexico has here in the US. Complications are possible no matter where you have your surgery. Don't think that just because you have your surgery in the US that it is risk free.

Thank you for your help. I have been reading this forum about people that have been successful in Mexico. I am sure there are those that have not been happy or had complications also. It is a hard decision. I am going to ask my endo doc at my next appt. for advice.

Thank you so much. I can assure you making the decision to get surgery was no easy task for me. It took tons of soul searching to realize it was my end game and only move left. Im glad you're doing well and so jealous your surgeon lets you progress that fast, mine has me on liquids for 21 days post op...After that I can progress to Tuna and soft fish and what not. I was drinking a ton but the PA in my surgeons office keeps scaring the crap out of me and telling me to slow down, cause I can pop a staple. I dont think its as easy as she makes it out to seem..But Im better off just listening to them. My freind's mom didn't listen to her doctors and died as a result of complications from the surgery and that has always been in the back of my mind..

I had my surgery at Hackensack Medical Center. My surgery went well, Dr said no complications. First day was painful, due CO2 it felt like a big bump in my stomach, the pressure is very discomfortable, also experienced some chest pain. First day they had me with IV only, no liquids. However, no hunger sensation. Started walking to help gas pain, Dr recommended to walk as much as I can, which I did and felt much better. Second day, started with 1 oz fluid every hour, along with Incentive spirometer, and walk. I felt some gas pain / pressure on my chest. Dr recommended gas chewable pill, that changed my world, it helped me a lot to pass gas. One thing to note here is that I use CPAP machine, I didn't realized the amount of positive air the machine sends to my stomach, Dr brought that point, that night stopped using CPAP and used oxygen instead. It made lot of difference. Remember there are only two ways to pass gas, and also remember your stomach is too small to make that happen.. second day I walked a lot, at least 8 times, counted my steps and approximately 1,100 steps per every walk I did. Third day, big difference, I feel better, like a 20 year old LOL, my gas pain has minimized to level 1 out of 10. Now I am drinking 2 oz every hour. Looking forward to go home today I also had ultra sound to check blood clogs, all good so far. During 3 days nurse has giving me pain medicine through IV, so far so good

Hi there! Dr Eschete did my surgery on the 7th. It went well and I have had no complications.

I had the bypass on 11/14/16 with zero complications. I'm so happy for that! I had my levels checked for the first time, the dr said everything came back on the higher end and that's great. On surgery day I was 341 as of yesterday I am 284. That's a total of 57 pounds gone! I lost the total weight of my granddaughter!!! I feel amazing. I have stopped taking BP meds along with cholesterol meds. I am no longer pre diabetic as my A1C is 5.3. I'm so happy I did this. This was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Very proud of myself and my family are amazed at the changes in not only my looks but my attitude.

I had mini gastric bypass in Mexico through BariatricPal TeamMX with Dr. Illan on December 12th, 2016. It cost me $5400.00, which I think is determined on your weight, BMI, and maybe your medical history, but I'm not sure. I stayed in the hospital 3 days and 3 nights. I didn't really have too much pain. I had soreness and gas pains. The gas pains were worse than anything else but it got progressively better as I walked more and more. I walked for the first time a couple of hours after I got back to my hospital room after recovery from the surgery. Dr. Illan is one of the best surgeons in Mexico. I watched my surgery video. Both him and the other two surgeons on his surgical staff handled the surgery with precision and great care. It did not seem like it was a more complicated surgery to perform. Your acid reflux problems should end after this surgery. I had acid reflux and LPRD (silent reflux) and I have had no problems. They give you omeprazole that lasts 14 days, I think. After I finished those, I started retaking one pantoprazole (Protonix) 40m caplet a day just for precaution, and until I go back to my ENT doctor to get scoped, to see if I still have LPRD. I'll probably wait 6 months before I do that. Both RNY and mini gastric bypass have been shown to get rid of acid reflux problems because of how things are rerouted.

Anyone know of any surgeons that do lap band replacements as a revision procedure for a slipped band? I'm trying to find a surgeon to do a consult with to talk just replacing my band that slipped a couple years ago and I had unfilled (no complications just preventative unfilling). insurance coverage isn't an issue and neither is location; though i'd prefer a surgeon in the US or Canada.

Hello All - I'm trying to identify surgeons who have done replacement bands as a revision procedure. I had a slippage (with no complications) a couple years ago and had my current band (it's an original model, 260 degree) unfilled as a preventative measure for any complications from the slippage and to give me time to decide how i wanted to proceed. I was highly successfull with the band until the slippage, which occurred after the band was overfilled on refill. Since have it unfilled in early 2015, i've slowly gained weight back and have decided I want to fix the issue by having the old band removed and a new band placed. (i've read the research on types of revisions and weighed various options and a new band is best for me). I am trying to identify suregons in the US or Canada that do lap band removal/replacement surgeries and googling has let me find any specific offices to contact and I thought I would ask here before I start cold calling bariatric surgeons. Does anyone have any ideas or recommendations of suregons that do removal/replacement of lapbands? Insurance coverage is not an issue; nor is travel, though I prefer a U.S. or Canadian surgeon just for convenience. Ideally, I'm looking for a surgeon with experience in band removal/replacement surgeries. But I'm open to suggestions of any one I may be able to schedule a consult with to discuss it. Thanks!

If you can see through it, then it's fine. Just strain out the solids - it's not worth risking complications from eating too soon. Better than plain old broth, IMO.

I am 7 months post. I had a very easy recovery; after surgery I had pain in my arms and hands because of the anesthesia, but my abdomen was minimally painful. Once I began my eating plan I had no complications. I weigh my food. I follow my surgeon's plan. In order to go through with wls I had to be able to commit to everything the plan required which meant replacing bad habits with good ones. My bloodwork shows no signs of deficiencies and I do take a multivitamin and iron. My husband and kids are all athletic. I have three teens who play sports- swimming for all three and among them they play basketball, soccer, track, cross country, and tennis. I have had excellent support from them all as well as my elementary aged kiddo. My advice is to evaluate your psychological toughness first and foremost. Your body will respond to the surgery but making it a success has to come from your willingness to change for life.

Not everyone has "damn complications." I'm doing very well after gastric bypass, and I say that even though I developed an internal hernia nine months later. This is a SERIOUS complication but I caught it on time, had outpatient surgery and am doing great. I am grateful I was able to have surgery and I don't regret it one bit.

I am a full time Firefighter for the past 12 years. I have struggled with my weight my entire life and feel that it's well beyond the time that I should have done something about it. Not only do I work my Fire dept job, I also work Part time as a FF/Paramedic at another Fire Dept and part time in an ER as a Paramedic. My average work week is 90-110 hours. My concerns are that of hydration and sustenance. As I understand it, Post Op you are limited to 8oz portions of foods and Water at a time. During an incident, there are times that I'm drinking 2-3 12oz bottles of water or potentially going 6-8 hours with out the chance of eating or drinking water. Where as I know that I need to do something drastic to become healthy, honestly, this idea scares the hell out of me as to the potential complications and my circumstances. Any input from those in the field who have done this?

Can you share your experience with me? How much does it cost, how long was your hospital stay, is it a lot more painful? Is it more complicated for the surgeon to perform? Will I have more acid reflux problems since the stomach will be smaller? Thank you.

How can you speak about the reality of somebody elses situation being "so much easier to manage those things" rather than the complications the surgery "might" cause? Clearly you have had issues with your own revision based on your numerous negative comments all over this forum - and I am truly sorry that this is the case for you. But surely you realise that the complications you are experiencing are felt by a small minority of patients and is not the norm? Everybody I know, and from all feedback Ive read regarding patients who have had revision - they wish that they did it years ago rather than putting up with food blockages etc with the band.

Hi there! I had my first appointment on Thursday and I'm wondering all the same things you are! My insurance only requires 3 months of pre-op care so I could have the surgery as early as June. I was 100% for it when I left the office Thursday but last night I was hit with crippling fear. Mainly your fears 3,4&7. My husband is supportive and enthusiastic I'm just nervous I guess. I've never had a surgery before and I feel like I'm electing to have surgery and open my self up to future complications. (Ignoring that being obese for the rest of my life has its own set of complications!) 5'5" 294lbs good luck!

What am I worried about?1. The pain right after surgery. I have heard some people say that they had little to no pain (including my mom’s friend who is in her late 60’s). I have people say it feels like an incredible amount of pressure but manageable. Some say that they were in an incredible amount of pain right after surgery for 1-2 days, etc, 2. The pain post op (in general). Again, I have heard people experience minimal to no pain, once in awhile, and some say they are almost always in pain. Am I going to be throwing up , constipated, and/or sick to my stomach for the rest of my life? Is this common? I also heard some people have difficulty swallowing and it being painful going down. IS heartburn common?3. Complications. I am concerned about potential leaks, blood clots, bleeding etc 4. Feeling regretful. I don’t want to wake up and panic. I know someone who had a panic attack when she woke up from surgery. 5. Does your sleeve feel “weird” in your body initially?6. Long Term Maintenance (I have the commitment) but have their been any studies?7. food and Nutrition-I hope it wont be too painful for me to eat and be able to get the nutrients that I need. On a positive note, I have a great surgeon in mind. He has a less than 1% complication rate and he is highly regarded as one of the best and also a trauma surgeon etc. I have a good support system. I have healthcare even though I am getting my procedure in Mexico. I know that this is ultimately my decision but I am indecisive in general! I really want to get this procedure this summer and I know that I need to send in my money ASAP in order to secure the date that I want. I have been having a difficult time sleeping over this. I just really need support and guidance. I am 5’5 and 309 lbs. I’m superobese and something needs to be done but I just feel like I am taking a lot of risks and that may be worth it in the end and necessary but I’m scared.

This is what I've told those who have inquired about why I had surgery: I actually had a hiatial hernia repair with removal of adhesions from a previous laparoscopic procedure done years ago; thr adhesions were the root cause of a lot of complications I was having. Was considering the sleeve, but my other health issues were WAY more pressing. Funny thing is, my dr said that with the procedures I had done, I could successfully lose the same amount of weight I would have lost if I had the sleeve surgery! So, I'll still get the benefits because I'm following a healthier diet/exercise plan! This detailed explantion has seemed to shut down well meaning but NOSEY coworkers, family members, and friends.

I can't speak from direct experience since I haven't had that revision done (yet) though such a procedure is on the table as there are differing opinions on my particular issues. A second (and even third) opinion is a good thing to get when considering a revision, particularly when it is due to some complications. One of the dynamics that exists in the bariatric world is that most surgeons have more experience doing bypasses than sleeves, so there is some natural inclination for many of them to revert to their comfort zone and go bypass when things get complicated. Most are sufficiently competent making sleeves these days (more so than 5-6 years ago when it was just starting to get routine insurance approval,) but the lingering question is how good is any particular surgeon at correcting problematic sleeves. Is a recommendation for a revision really the best solution for a particular problem, or is it merely the most convenient for the surgeon? Certainly, there are situations where a bypass is the correct solution and the trick here is to find whether or not that is your particular case. A second opinion from a surgeon who is deeply experienced with the sleeve would be a good start. I often use the DS as a starting point in establishing VSG experience as the DS is based upon the VSG and has been performed for some 30 years now, so those longer tenured DS surgeons tend to have a lot more specific sleeve experience than the average bariatric surgeon. (and there are a few who broke off from the DS world early on to specialize in the sleeve.) Further, a good number of them get involved in some of the more complex revisions (like RNY to DS) so are more capable than average in correcting sleeve problems. I have been rather impressed with readings and conversations that I've had over the years that as a group, while they may prefer the DS as their primary offered procedure, they have no problem recommending a bypass when it is the appropriate solution to a patient's problems. While DS docs tend to be fairly few and far between, there are several good consult prospects in the bay area. They are well worth seeking out for that second opinion. We can PM if you want to discuss further details. Good luck in getting this resolved.