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I definitely would've been nervous about complications if I had it done in Mexico too. Lucky thing you didn't have any problems. I haven't lost any more weight since the past weekend but can't really complain. Glad to hear your doing well.

I'm following my surgeon's instructions. They are designed to maximize my weight loss and reduce the risk of complications. These phases are just a few weeks long... it should be no problem to get through them. Why take the risk?

I am sorry but that is a statement borrowed from a general surgery professor. I was not referring to her. It is a general statement. Complications are expensive when one survives it... Did I say she had a complication?

Hey all! Using my daughter's account because it was already logged in. I am 60 years old and have had my band for 8 years with no problems. SW was 256 and CW is 180. I never really had any of the typical complications associated with the lap band. However, finding that "sweet spot" has never been easy. My port needs to be replaced, not the band, just the port. Yesterday, I saw my daughter's surgeon (she had a sleeve in Dec) and he asked me if I had ever considered converting to a sleeve. So my question is, if you had a lapand that was fairly successful and am happy where I am, what would you do?

Technically what you did isn't 'cheating'. It is stressing your body. The meal plans are not dietary advice, they are post operative instructions. Your stomach, while tough, is still healing. It was 'cut in half' and the cut edge is being held together by 3 rows of staples. There's no need to irritate that edge by eating stuff that could force the stomach to do extra work. The fact is that even if you damaged something, you will likely not feel anything immediately . Your stomach has suffered major trauma in the form of surgery and it is still healing so it may not transmit signals properly for a while. Don't do it again. Complications are expensive.. (if you survive).

I have not. Been tempted but too scared of the complications

Sure, go ahead and ignore your doctor's instructions. There aren't nearly enough posts in the complications forum. And even if you progress through without doing serious damage to your delicate stomach incision, being held together only by a tiny row of staples, at least you wil be well on your way to feeling comfortable breaking the other rules that actually allow you to achieve and maintain your weight loss goals.

Hello everyone, Please read my story , I do have questions and I hope someone will be able to help me finding the answers. I am a 35 yr old female. Always struggled with weight. Current weight 97, for my height I should be 55-65 kgs (current BMI 37). In 2005 I was diagnosed with PCOS and also type 2 diabetes. Was on metformin tablets until 2011 , when I had my first child. Post birth I was on insulin at night times and then in Jan 2014, I had the gastric band as I was trying for second baby and also wasn’t having much luck with weight loss. I went down to 77 kilos and at 79 kilos (my sugar was under control)fell pregnant with my second child in Dec 2015 and post baby birth Aug 2016, my band doesn’t seem to be working. I am breast feeding and baby is 6.5 months old. My sugars are out of control (so far no diabetes related complications), I cannot be on a certain tablet since I am breastfeeding , I am on metformin and night time insulin (high dose). I am always anxious about it all. I feel I am not going to be alive and see my kids grow, every ache and pain makes me think the worse. So I went and saw my surgeon for a revision and he has suggested mini gastric bypass (MGB). So I have gone ahead and booked removal of my band on the 10/03 (it’s not working anyway, so it better come out)and MGB 8 weeks later on the 5/05. I am getting all nervous now, it is such an evasive surgery and I am reading allot on the internet about it all. I was wondering if there are people who will share their experiences (long term and short term MGB patients). I had an array of questions for my Surgeon, but I only started to research on the relation between MGB and cancer post my appointment with him. Does anyone know if : 1. There is a correlation between MGB and cancer? Maybe your Surgeon has answered this for you? I will be asking this question when I see my surgeon post band removal. 2. The bile reflux, is it a normal occurrence? I would imagine this would feel so yuck. 3. How hard is to follow the meal plan post MGB? I have young kids and some of you will know what that is like , HECTIC and I know I need to look after myself ( which I don’t). This question is more so to prepare myself mentally for what’s coming. 4. Do you regret having the MGB? 5. Anyone who is perhaps had MGB for a long time …how are you going? Have you maintained your weight loss? 6. Any other tips and trick for this novice is welcomed. I thank you for reading my long post and wish everyone good luck in their journeys. Sam.

I had surgery on 1/13/17 with Dr. Illan, so almost 6 weeks out. It was an amazing experience and no complications. I've lost 24 pounds so far and enjoying food in a different way. I was lucky because I experienced very little pain or gas. It was a breeze. I was at the beach 2 days after being released from the hospital. I followed all the instructions and took the medicine given afterward. Best thing I ever did for myself

Has anyone had any complications once surgery was done?

Wow, sounds like you had a rough start. That sounds very scary. I think I would have freaked out, I went to Mexico to have it done and had to fly back by myself. I thought about complications, but kept on back of my mind. Nice loss. I am on a stall now I have been stuck for 10 days now. Not too worried, I know at some point it has to move. Glad you have lost nice amount and doing well.

This is the reason I didnt share with many people the dumb comments. You have to remover WLS is for obese people with all kinds of complications. I also had a coworker say that to me at 25 years old and I didn't move foward now at 32 I didn't want to be 40 with more issues just sleeved 2/16.

This is a huge, life changing decision. It is good you aren't taking it lightly. Take some time imagining your future life. Do you see ill health or good health? Plump or not-so-plump? Who is the real you? If you had surgical complications Or Obesity related health problems, Which would be worse? Personally I am 38 years old. My life has entered a downward spiral of obesity-related conditions. Without the surgery, there is no "up". If you are young, and haven't exhausted the diet/exercise train, and have no physical complaints, then maybe it is premature to pursue the surgery. You have to dig deep to figure out your path. Do not let others dissuade you from doing what is right for the YOU. Those people don't have to live in your body, and they won't have to live with the consequences/benefits of the surgery.

Had some complications after surgery, had some blood loss and wound up needing two blood transfusions, then my heart was racing and high blood pressure so they moved me to the cardiac floor. Spent 6 days in the hospital. But it was still worth it, lost 46lbs already.

I don't have any direct experience with the Mx docs, but I'm sure others will chime in with their experiences; the only one that comes to mind who has a good following is Dr. Sauceda. My perspective on this is that with plastics it is preferable to keep it local if at all possible. This is not a MX vs. US thing, but rather a travel vs. local thing. Plastics, particularly getting into body lifts and the like, have a much higher chance of minor to moderate complications than your original WLS. Things like incisions that don't heal promptly or open up again, lingering drainage issues, seromas forming, etc. Much of this can be handled via pictures and email but other things are better handled with an office visit. It's usually much better to have the original doc handle these things than trying to find a local third party to do the pickup for him. It's one of the things to consider when weighing the costs of travelling vs. local care.

God, I spent all of two weekendsago begging my sister not to call the police. Finally on Monday, I took myself because I felt such deep comfort after I had my plan figured out. I knew I couldn't do it to my family. But that's how deep the pain was and I didn't have food to bury it. I never had any issues before, experienced it all post op. My food addiction and severe fear of complications is driving me mad. You may feel a billion times better post op as the weight falls but if your not prepared to tackle your food addiction it will haunt you as does for me. Please seek counselling to tackle this decision don't rely on your mind to make this decision. You need an objective voice to challenge you.

So I was banded in 2006 at 293 lb, at the age of 24. My lowest weight was 145 about 18mo post op. I've maintained 175-185 through seriously "getting it" - good eating habits and regular exercise. December 2014 I learned that my band tubing was no longer connected - likely due to complications with the low profile port I had installed behind my belly button, in my opinion. Anyway- in December 2014 time they did a scope to see if I was a candidate for repair - I am not, there is damage to my esophagus. I was having some restriction just from the device and didn't really want to "face the facts". I did nothing. Now...I think I need to do something. I am mentally making myself eat little of nothing, despite having no REAL physical restriction. I'm not a candidate to keep the lap band. Does anyone have any similar stories? I'm terrified of gaining the weight. I already saw 190 on the scale and went on liquids for a week. I'd ideally like to be back to 150. I have an appointment with a surgeon Friday - I have a feeling he's going to push for removal and revision to gastric sleeve. Thanks for your thoughts, experiences, advice...

I don't think many doctors will sleeve you twice. Too much room for complications. They will most likely tell you to try dieting, then probably attempt a different type of weight loss surgery..

Ever taken or ever been administered the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, a standardized psychometric test of adult personality and psychopathology? You probably have many times before, but you just didn't know it. Psychologists and other mental health professionals use various versions of the MMPI to help develop treatment plans; assist with differential diagnosis; help answer legal questions (forensic psychology); screen job candidates during the personnel selection process; or as part of a therapeutic assessment procedure. Often, these tests are administered by companies selecting from a vast pool of prospective applicants for an open position. However, I have been told before that seldom my thinking may be unconventional and I might sometimes take a novel approach to viewing my world. Therefore, even though my operation is not until late next month, March 2017, I have an explanation that I came up with of why I chose the Bypass over the Sleeve. I told my psychologist this, and he thought it was brilliant thinking. Ever seen the classic Stanley Kubrick film, A Clockwork Orange? In the movie we follow the main character Alex Delarge. "Alex is the narrator, protagonist, and antihero. He is portrayed as a sociopath who robs, rapes, and assaults innocent people for his own amusement. Intellectually, he KNOWS that this sort of behavior is wrong, saying that "you can't have a society with everybody behaving in my manner of the night." He nevertheless professes to be puzzled by the motivations of those who wish to reform him and others like him, saying that he would never interfere with their desire to be good; he simply "goes to the other shop." In an analogy or parallel to this, I fit the character of Alex Delarge, not as a sociopath, but simply as a Morbidly Obese Person. I know that chronic obesity can lead to major issues such as Type 2 Diabetes or High Blood Pressure. Luckily at the age of 29, I have been blessed by many years of good genes based on the fact that my only issues right now are sleep Apnea, ADHD, and Major Depressive Disorder (in full remission). Anyways like I said, I am acutely aware that my current eating behavior/habit is wrong and can eventually lead me to trouble. Therefore, in the past, I have been recommended that I consider undergoing Bariatric Surgery if I can't control this behavior/weight myself. Next, later in the film A Clockwork Orange, "Two years into a prison sentence, Alex eagerly takes up an offer to be a test subject for the Minister of the Interior's Minister of the Interior's new Ludovico technique, an experimental aversion therapy for rehabilitating criminals within two weeks. Alex is strapped to a chair, injected with drugs, and forced to watch films of sex and violence with his eyes propped open. Alex becomes nauseated by the films and then recognizes the films are set to the music of his favorite composer, Ludwig Van Beethoven. Fearing the technique will make him sick upon hearing Beethoven, Alex begs for the end of the treatment. Two weeks later, the Minister demonstrates Alex's rehabilitation to a gathering of officials. Alex is unable to fight back against an actor that taunts and attacks him and becomes ill at the sight of a topless woman. The prison chaplain complains Alex has been robbed of his free will, but the Minister asserts that the Ludovico technique will cut down crime and alleviate crowding in the prisons." One of the reasons why the Gastric Bypass procedure is so effective is because of its special caveat, the Dumping Syndrome. A form of operant conditioning, the Dumping Syndrome focuses on reinforcement or punishment to weaken voluntary behaviors, like eating the wrong foods. Therefore, one is in a sense losing an amount of free will with Gastric Bypass. In the Adjustable Gastric Band or the Sleeve procedure, you do not get this extra feature, and I feel that the reason why the Gastric Bypass procedure is so superior is that it will not only make my appetite smaller, but it will also control my eating behavior. This is something I need. I think that the reason for Bariatric Surgery is a last resort to change unhealthy eating habits. The last point I am going to make about the Gastric Bypass is very controversial unconventional thinking, but I feel that it is something that is very necessary to consider. What is a contingency plan? A contingency plan is defined as devised for an outcome other than in the usual (expected) plan. It is often used for risk management when an exceptional risk that, though unlikely, would have catastrophic consequences. It is also an often-discussed topic in the world of non-profit management. Fast forward to the end of A Clockwork Orange, “Alex wakes up in a hospital with broken bones. While being given a series of psychological tests, Alex finds that he no longer has an aversion to violence or sex. The Minister arrives and apologizes to Alex. He offers to take care of Alex and get him a job in return for his cooperation with his election campaign and public relations counter-offensive. As a sign of goodwill, the Minister brings in a stereo system playing Beethoven's Ninth. Alex then contemplates violence and has vivid thoughts of himself having sex with a woman in front of an approving crowd, thinking: "I was cured, all right!"” In regards to the term contingency plan and with the finale of A Clock Orange, the point I am trying to make is that God forbid there is some sort of major complication with the Gastric Bypass procedure, there is a contingency plan for it. Doctors don’t like to mention this, but it is not completely permanent. It CAN be reversed. Even though it is impossible to mend several nerves that help with normal gastric function, the procedure itself can be reversed and can restore 95% of what the patient had before the surgery, to begin with. However, the Gastric Sleeve cannot be reversed. The sleeve can be revised to the Bypass, also known as a Duodenal Switch, but you cannot get your original anatomy back. I know it is then silly to compare that situation with Alex in A Clockwork Orange. However, I have read many forums where the reversal procedure has saved many people’s lives for those who couldn’t tolerate the Bypass. Anyways, this is what I told my psychologist, and he thought it was an incredible way of looking at an important decision. Please share with me what you think? Thanks, Gabriel

My apologies for calling your post a troll post. Please do not do it (self advance your diet) again. Complications are expensive, and that's even when you live through them..

My surgery was last Wednesday. I have dropped 22 pounds since pre op diet! (3 weeks total) I'm so happy! I'm sleeping better than I ever have, thinking more clearly, having more energy. This has been the best decision of my life. Only complication in hospital was drainage tube causing major pain, and then some soreness out of surgery but I called the doc up and got that fixed. And now I just feel fantastic! How's everyone else doing?

Well it's the morning after surgery for me I'm blessed to have no complications. Walked twice yesterday and luckily haven't experienced blowing or gas yet. Mostly just layed around and slept. How is everyone else doing? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Well it's the morning after surgery for me I'm blessed to have no complications. Walked twice yesterday and luckily haven't experienced blowing or gas yet. Mostly just layed around and slept. How is everyone else doing! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

It's so normal to be anxious...most of us have lived our entire lives as heavy people and can't imagine being any other way. The surgery itself can be scary and the liquid phases aren't much fun. But, let me tell you from my experience, waiting the 6 months for inaurance and then having a few complications in the beginning...I would go through that again to be where I am today! I am 5 months out (already!!) and am down 75 lbs! I have a ton of energy, eat to live and enjoy my small pant size! Don't let the anxiety get to you too much...it will pass...just go day by day.

Thanks everyone! Yeah I'm hoping I can get pass this complication and that it doesn't get work, but as for the alcohol i don't mind not drinking, but it seems like the friends I hung out with do mind, so I'm not invited to go certain places or to go out which I still enjoy doing, but just not drinking. Idk, it just sucks that they don't feel the need to hang out with me, when we could do other stuff too you know? Doesn't have to be going out.