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Hey everyone! Today is exactly 4 months since my gastric bypass....I have lost exactly 50 lbs since surgery and 80 lbs total since I started this journey....I had a very rough month of April battling horrible diarrhea and then constipation! Finally for the past few weeks now I'm starting to feel somewhat back to normal [emoji3]....I have yet to start a regular exercise routine ...I know that's bad!! If only the weight would fall off as fast as my hair is lately! [emoji15][emoji37] Anyway..I would like to thank everyone for helping me along the way with any advice you have given to me...I find a lot of great information here...along with some humor and drama...makes for good entertainment at times...lol

Omg! I had internal bleeding. My surgeon was incredible. Had his own personal Mobile number. I was told by him that I was to ring immediately with the slightest worry. Thank god I did as I spend 4 extra days in hospital post 7 days out of surgery. Was given IV antibiotics and tummy injections for blood clots. He was brilliant. I bled more than others which formed a clot that got infected. Any signs of chills or temps its straight to the doc. He gave me a scan straight away and bloods were taken. I am so sorry your daughter has gone through this because my surgeon told me that if my inflammation markers didnt come down it was straight to gastric bypass. He doesnt muck around. I recovered quickly but I guess thats due to quick response. I sincerely hope your daughter will be ok. Im disgusted at her doctor. Im concerned about her 3 leaks. If all else fails please seek another surgeon and please keep us posted. I know exactly what shes going through! Love sent Sent from my SM-G925I using the BariatricPal App

Hi all, tomorrow I will be one week out from my bypass. My recovery has been a bit bumpy, I spent about 24 hours over the weekend puking (I don't know where it all came from!) and in pretty severe gas type pain. That calmed down, and know I'm just trying to increase clear fluids, and not worry about protein. It was scary and painful and I don't want to overdo it again! It's kinda weird thinking I've had virtual no calories for a week, but since I'm able to use the bathroom and everything seems normal there, I'm just going to press on and hope for more each day. Anyhow, my surgeon closes incisions with staples, and I'm scheduled to have them removed this week. While I'm looking forward to having them out because I think they are gross, I'm honestly super nervous! I've never had staples out. Could anyone share their experience or insight on what to expect?

Thanks Julie - my tt is on Thursday May 1st. Just a few more days. I'm very excited. We had a work day at our church today and one of my friends had gastric bypass a few years ago and I think its been a year or more since she had the tt. She also had the same dr that is doing my tt. She said she loves it and she said I'll love it. It was good to hear from one of my dr's patients first hand how well he did. The only negative statement was that she doesn't have an hourglass figure anymore. She said even when she was fat she still had ah hourglass figure and it made me think of LJM saying about the tree stump figure. I said I've never had an hourglass or pear figure so I've go nothing to lose. I'm an apple so if I loose the belly its hard telling how I'll end up looking. I think thats the biggest fear in all this ... what am I going to look like afterward? Will it work for me? I hope so, I hope I'm happy with the results. Pray for me...

Hi I am new to VST and so thankful for ALL OF YOU! I feel like you've helped me avoid landmines (especially those who have had revision surges - thanks so much for sharing!!) I want to find out everything I can about Gastric Plication Surgery. 1) Where & when did it originate? 2) Approximately how many people have had this surgery worldwide/US? 3) Please tell me your experience if you had it.. 4) Any links to articles I can research? (Found a few, but hungry for more..) 5) Anything about PRE & POST OP diet I would love to know.. THANK YOU SO MUCH! I am 34 with BMI of 32, got about 60lbs to lose. My parents are obese and I've been told another 20lbs=diabetes most likely for me. I have tried to eat way less and make my stomach smaller..it is helping, but I am realistic that it definitely isn't the same as surgery. This new procedure sounds perfect and like a decision made much easier! I've been considering WLS for about a month now.. How long does the average person take to think about it and then schedule?

I have only told three people. My other half a co worker and a lady at the hairdresser. They are both happy with their decisions. They both lost 100 pounds. Sleeve took 9 months. And bypass took 1 year.

Hi! I did speak to a different surgeon who agreed that Bypass is the best choice for me. It is the one I know most about. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I had gastric bypass on 5/7/2021. I began my weight loss journey in August 2020 when I attended my hospital’s bariatric seminar. My insurance required 6 months of diet before surgery approval. My fist dietitian appoint was mid-October 2020. Prior to this appointment I had very little motivation to lose weight. I was 280+ pounds (5’ 7.5”) and depressed. My ankles swelled every day, I had trouble moving, none of my clothes fit well and my wedding rings didn’t fit at all. I had gone off the rails. Between October and March 21’ I managed to lose 45 pounds. I attribute my success to my husband also taking charge of his health and being a great partner. My packet was submitted in March and approved 1 week later. My surgery was scheduled 7 weeks form the approval to my disappointment. It was a long 7 weeks! I didn’t gain or lose weight during my wait. I was officially 237 at my pre-op appointment. I managed to lose 10 pounds prior to surgery on the liver shrink diet. I was 227 the morning of surgery The surgery went fine. I had some nausea and dry heaving the first few hours. I was able to get water down but not much else. The drain really caused me trouble so it was removed 12 hours later. I ended up only staying 1 night in the hospital because I was determined to get released early. I walked all the time and really kept my RN on his toes. Thankfully the doctor agreed with me that I would recover better at home. The next evening I was discharged and could sleep in my own bed. I followed the diet exactly for nearly 8 weeks. I went on a cruise with my family and 95% ate to plan. I would have a taste of dessert but let me tell you I sure paid for it. Dumping is real and it affects me. I seem to dump if I eat too fast, too much, or an item too high in sugar (hello chai tea!). I learned many lessons that week I’m thankful for. The surgery did exactly what I needed it to do- deter me. I have had trouble with constipation. I am taking 3 colace per day and benefiber each morning. Seems to help but my body likes to hold onto waste. I might go back to miralax to help move things along. I’ve always had trouble in this area but now it’s more consistent. On Saturday I hit “onederland” and weighed 199. I never thought I would get here. I weigh myself each day and I am fluctuating between 198 and 199 this week. I have a heck of a lot more energy than I did a month ago. I am moving my body every day and using my elliptical at least 3 times a week. I have changed sizes! Last summer I wore a 20 and now I need a 12. It blows my mind. It’s hard to describe how I feel. I can see the change but I don’t believe it’s me. People I haven’t seen in a year take a look at me and their mouth drops and tell me they didn’t recognize me or make a comment like “omg you have lost so much weight!” In a way it feels good to be validated but at the same time I hate the attention. Honestly if I didn’t lose another pound I would be happy. I am under 200 and I feel/look great! I can move without pain and I have energy. Heck I mowed the yard today! I’ve had some negative comments too- mostly from my parents- “you’re starving yourself, don’t loose too much weight, and I think you’ve lost enough” It’s painful so I don’t speak with them much. I feel my weight loss has been slow but I remind myself how far I’ve come. 80+ pound weight loss is nothing to bat at! I’m doing a great job! I hope to be better and update this thread monthly! Thanks for reading.

lc6342 and all of you who've experienced complications you have my sympathy. Pain in your left shoulder is a sign of a leak. I'm surprised your doctor didn't know that! I'm 3 weeks out from gastric bypass and I'm experiencing pain in my stomach, upper right side. Could be gall bladder. I can drink liquids but I can't keep any solids down. My ribs & diaphragm hurt so much from the regurgitation that occurs when I eat the simplest things. My doc is sending me to a gastroenterologist tomorrow. I hope that everyone gets relief & look back on this experience as a bump (massive potholes for some) in the road to healthy lives. Best wishes. JP

Hello all, I am a week post op from my gastric bypass surgery at Forest Park Dallas. I have lost 10 pounds so far and I am now pain free. I am amazed at the progression I have made in such a short time. I could not be happier, and I am ready for this journey to begin. I have been heavy all my life, and was the kind of girl who was always told, "You have such a pretty face, if you could just lose some weight." I was always thankful that if I had to be fat, at least I was pretty!! I am the "healthy fat" person; no diabetes, BP, cholesterol, heart issues at all. Most of the reason I chose to have the surgery was pure vanity. I have never been able to shop in a normal store, wear teal summer clothes, a bathing suit, fit in a bathtub, not have my thighs touch, and a whole miriad of other things that I want to do before I die, lol! I am tired of being hot all the time, sweating while I am getting ready for work, and always being the fat friend. However, I do have a family history of all the things mentioned, and I do have a 3 year old son to raise, so here we are!! I am now at the lowest weight I can remember which was in 2005. I have no idea what I am going to look like when this is all over, but I am ready for the ride!!!

Since signing on for BP, I've occasionally mentioned in various places having strayed and wanting to get serious again. Finally, Step #1 for the second time.. Band surgery was October, 2009. My highest weight was 311. From about three weeks before surgery until mid-February, 2011, I lost 115 pounds. At 197, my goal of 145-150 was in sight. "Something," an event with emotional fallout, happened and that February, I stopped losing and soon began to gain. I went as high as 268 and mostly have hovered at 265-270. Twice in between I buckled down, lost about 25, only to regain them. All along I've wanted to get back to business. Just in the last couple of weeks, the feeling really set in. I made appointments for esophagram and to see the NP yesterday, ending a two year absence. Sure that I had great dilation (the band had been loosened twice before for that reason) and that the band was out of position, it was a thrill to find that I was wrong on both counts. I'd prepared myself to discuss revising to sleeve, but decided to give the band another shot. The NP agreed that it's worthwhile. The band had been rearing its head for several months, giving signals that I'd eaten enough. Other band signals and sensations that I vaguely recalled from the past were absent, so I had an adjustment, adding .5 cc for now, and already feel hints of the old effects. My next appointment is in August. We'll see what comes next at that time. How nice it will be if the band becomes a good partner again, "nice" being one hell of an understatement.

good luck!! I thought you and the band were done so this is nice to find out you still might be able to lose without having to get a revision.

I wouldn't suggest doing the band over VSG... in my opinion. I first was going to do the band and changed my mind after seeing how many people decided to do a second surgery to revise from LAP band to VSG. I did tons of research before making my decision, and although I have gone back and forth about whether to go through with it (I am def. going to do it at this point... only 1.5 weeks away!!! so excited), I NEVER veered from what procedure after I decided on VSG.. Remember, it's just my opinion based on my research. I know someone personally who had LAP band with not so good results, but I also see that many have had success with it if they didn't have much to lose. I think it is totally up to the person's preference. One reason I chose VSG is that I wanted really good results (I have a lot to lose), but I didn't want a foreign object in my body (LAP band - my fears = band slipping, body rejecting, band growing into body tissue, going through a procedure and not seeing big results) and I didn't want my body functions altered/re-routed (Bypass - my fears = basically I wanted something a little less invasive and VSG was a good compromise)... The middle road was VSG. VSG, although only recognized as a procedure in and of itself in last several years, was part of the DS since the 80's. Many patients would get the VSG part done as a precursor to the DS, but it was realized that the VSG on it's own was successful for losing weight and became a stand-alone procedure. So, it has been around for awhile. There is not vitamin malabsorption issues. Your body parts still function as normal - no rerouting. No foreign objects placed. Can tolerate NSAIDS better than some other surgeries (although it is recommended you don't take them at all if you don't have to). Etc... Many things influenced my decisions, and those are some of the reasons. I wish you the best in whatever decision you decide on. Remember, this is your decision - not your sisters' or kids'. Whatever makes you and your hubby feel comfortable doing, do that. If it is LAP, then do that. If not, then don't choose what someone else wants for you. I hope I was able to help some... Best wishes on your decision! I know each procedure has it's pros and cons, and you just have to decide which is right for you. :-)

I had my gastric bypass on 3-13-13. My weight on the 12 was 280, current weight 5 days post op is 269. Pain was also minimal but that GAS is a mother. My doc sent me home on full liquids, was only on clear liquids the day after surgery. The only thing that pretty much sucks is that i have a drain coming out of my tummy

Has anyone had a Gastric Bypass after suffering a Lap Band Erosion? My erosion back in March was at the Esophageal Junction.

I had rny gastric bypass may 2, 2012. I had to have 2 blood transfusions and my blood pressure was higher then normal. They did the upper GI and found no leak so I was released after 2 days. When ingot home a couple days later I was having trouble keeping anything down. I was very thirsty all the time. I had a lot of pain in my belly button area that would go around to the lower back. I still had the jp drain in (thank God) I started seeing brown liquid in the drain and that's when I realized it was my protein shake. I went to my surgeon and he sent me to the ER and they did a cat scan and found a leak. They also found an abscess and a gastric gastric fistula. The leak cause the connection from my old stomach to my new pouch. So when ever I would eat or drink it would go out through the fistula into my drain and old stomach. My doctor admitted me into the hospital. I had to have a picc line and I was feed food bags. He couldn't go in to fix it because the area was to mushy. He wanted everything to dry out and then see if the fistula would close on its own. I was in the hospital for 18 days. I missed my daughters high school graduation. I was so upset. I even began to question why I did this surgery. After I was released from the hospital he kept me on the food through the picc line. I had to have home health care. A nurse came out once a week for about 2 months. Finally everything was getting better. All my vitals were back to normal. The doctor did another cat scan and decided the fistula was so tiny that no food would pass through it so we decided to wait and see if it would close on its own. I started on the diet I lost a lot of weight. I started at 264 lbs and lost over 105 lbs. about my year mark I started having trouble keeping any food down everything made me throw up. I kept complaining about the pain it felt like something was always getting stuck. He checked for a stricture I didn't have one. We checked the gallbladder, mine was fine. Everything we checked we couldn't find what was the source of all this pain. Finally he did a endoscopy. I had a pretty good size ulcer. They put me on carafate and 2 other antacids for 6 months. The pain and everything just kept getting worse. I asked if the fistula could cause the problem. He said it was to small. Well we did another endoscopy and now the ulcer is tripled in size. Now I barely eat anything. I went in for an upper GI. As I drank the stuff I watched on the screen all the liquid go into my old stomach. The fistula was bigger. The acid in my old stomach was coming through the fistula and caused the ulcer and damaged my pouch. I was told I had to go in for gastric revision. March 12, 2014 I went into the hospital and the doctor removed the upper part of my old stomach were the fistula was and he had to take down the pouch and rebuild it using part of my intestine. He said this surgery is more intense then the first and I would be in a lot more pain because of all the scar tissue and mess he had to repair from the first surgery. I was in the hospital for 3 days. I am now 6 weeks post op. I feel so much better this time. I was not in as much pain as the first time. I honestly believe that God said I was in enough pain the first time, that I didn't need it this time. I weighed today at 130 lbs. my new pouch is smaller then the normal size so I need to make sure I get my protein and water in. I was told I may have to eat a little more often. But so far I'm doing great. I am glad. Went through this surgery if I didn't the weight would have killed me. Even with the complications I would do it again if I had to. Everything has risks. I had a great surgeon who was there for me every step of the way. And I had a lot of family and friends support. And I pray to God everyday for giving me the faith to get through this and heal.

about a year ago I posted my story in the hopes it would give some of you hope to never quit and never give up on your dream. my dream was to lost weight and have surgery. after 3 unsuccessful times being in the operating room in 2004 at 323 lbs and then an insurance rejection of the sleeve in 2010 at 300 lbs, I was finally sleeved in march 2013. now its august 2014 and im 1.5 years post op with the sleeve. before and current after pics are below the story. below is my original story from June 2010 along with updates from August 2013 and today August 2014. if youre reading this, stay motivated and believe that it can happen to you the way it happened to me. best of luck to you all. -------------------------- ORIGINALLY POSTED JUNE 16, 2010: hi everyone! i have read so much in this forum and want to say thank you to every single poster! ive learned so much and sincerely appreciate verticalsleevetalk.com. im a 47 year old male living in brooklyn, new york. i currently weigh 305 lbs and have been overweight all my life. ive been hovering around the 300-315 mark for about 10 years. before that i hoovered around 280-300 for the prior 10 years. my high weight was 323, which was in 2004. the most ive lost dieting and exercising was about 40lbs on a few occasions, but i always put it back on. in 2004 i decided to have wls and was going to have the gastric bypass done. after going through all the steps and being approved by my insurance, i went to the hospital and was put in scrubs for the operation. then i was told by the nurse that the doctor had a family emergency as his daughter was in a car accident and he had to leave the hospital immediately. so my surgery was rescheduled for 4 weeks later. during these 4 weeks i ate plenty and went on a "goodbye to food" tour! this tour took me to all my favorite buffets and i ate like it was my last meal, even though i knew i shouldnt be doing that. 4 weeks later i again went to the hosptial and was put in scrubs and before my surgery the doctor said he couldnt operate because my sugar level was unexpectedly through the roof. i begged him to go through with it, but he said he couldnt and i needed to lose some weight and not do what i did by gaining weight and eating everything before surgery. so it was again cancelled. now i was determined to lose weight before i went back in 6 weeks for the eventual operation. in those 6 weeks i ate perfectly and lost 30 lbs. the day came and i went in a 3rd time to the hospital. again i was put in scrubs and this time all the tests, including my sugar were normal. but the doctor was surprised that i was able to lose 30lbs in 6 weeks. he sat me down and said the operation was a serious one and if i was able to lose 30lbs in 6 weeks, maybe i should give losing weight on my own another try. he convinced me to not have the operation. so i actually went on to lose a total of 89lbs in 7 months and got my weight down to 234 and felt great. i was actually running on a treadmill for a few miles non-stop and was in the best shape of my life. one year later i was again at 310lbs. i never considered wls surgery again because i honestly in my heart didnt want the bypass portion done. and im thankful that even though i was in the operating room 3 different times, i never had the bypass done. later in life i researched the lapband as it became popular, but again i didnt want the lapband either due to all the complications of it. only a few months ago i discovered the option of the sleeve, and it seemed like exactly what ive been waiting for. a tool to limit my intake, with no bypass and nothing permanently inside of me that needed followup adjustments. so im now in the process of going through everything i need to do before my dr. submits for approval to my insurance. the only thing left is the psych evaluation, which im in the process of completing and ill have it done shortly. then ill meet with my dr. again on june 30th for the final time and he will submit everything to the insurance company and ill hopefully get approved. so thats my story. its seems that bypass just wasnt for me. and ironically back in 2004 i was all for it. now today in 2010, i wouldnt do a bypass ever. im thankful it never got done and i believe it wasnt meant to be. especially being in the operating room in scrubs 3x! again, thank you to everyone who has ever posted in this forum. you do not know how much it helps, even the people like me who only read and never posted before. best of luck to everyone on their journey. ----------------------------------------- UPDATE AUGUST 6, 2013: back in 2010 after completing all the steps and requirements with dr. mcginty, I was denied by my insurance as the sleeve was considered experimental by them. they did offer me the gastric bypass or the lap band, but I refused both as I was only willing to have the sleeve done. so dr. mcginty said he believed that in a few years all insurance companies would be approving the sleeve as readily as they were approving the gastric bypass and lap band. and he was right! in jan 2013 I found out that my insurance now did cover the sleeve and I went back to dr. mcginty. I went through all the steps again and in march 2013 I finally got sleeved! today, august 5, 2013 I have been sleeved 4.5 months. in jan I weighed 291.5 lbs. today I weight 210 lbs. I lost 18 lbs before surgery and 63.5 lbs since surgery. this is the lightest ive been in 25 years and my goal is to reach 180. im finally on my way after waiting 9 years! so don't ever give up! the sleeve was meant to be for me...it just took me 9 years to get it done! --------------------------------------- TODAYS UPDATE AUGUST 20, 2014: I was sleeved in march 2013 at about 300 lbs and reached my goal in jan 2014 at around the low 180's. today, Aug. 20, 2014, I still weigh 182, so since jan I have basically maintained my weight for the last 7 months in between 180-185 so I think this is the weight I will permanently stay at. I exercise 3-4 times a week. over the last 1.5 years ive become a runner and do about 15-20 miles per week. i started out by just walking but now ive also completed a few 13.1 mile half marathons and earlier this year I finally fulfilled a lifelong dream of mine and completed a 26.2 mile full marathon. I can definitely eat a lot more now that I did when I was first sleeved, but I do make the right food choices of what I put in my mouth. I can see that if I made bad food choices I could easily gain back 15-20 lbs or even more because like I said, I can eat a lot more now than I could a year ago. so making a lifestyle change is critical for long term success with the sleeve. if you don't make the correct lifestyle changes, eventually you will stop losing weight and as your ability to eat more increases, you could actually start gaining weight again. thankfully ive been one of the lucky ones and ive had no complications or trouble eating. I never hit any serious plateaus as I went from around 300 to the low 180's very steadily. but I did work the program and I always ate right and I always made time for exercise. I think these last 2 steps is what truly made me successful and made my journey an easy one. life is good, the sleeve is the best thing that's ever happened to me and at the age of 51 im in the best shape of my life! NEVER GIVE UP! NEVER STOP BELIEVING THAT YOU CAN DO IT! I HAD 9 YEARS TO QUIT AND STOP BELIEVING BUT I NEVER DID! IF I CAN DO IT, SO CAN YOU! BEST OF LUCK TO YOU ALL, BOTH PRE-SURGERY AND POST OP READERS. below are some before and current after pics. if anyone has any questions for a 1.5 year post op sleever, feel free to ask.

Hello and welcome...you can click in the search bar and you will find lots of ppl who had revision surgery....good luck on your journey

I had surgery eight years ago at age 55. No diabetes, though - just obesity. SUPER obesity. Also, borderline sleep apnea that I didn't know about until I did a sleep test for surgery. I lost 235 lbs and gained back about 20 lbs in year 3 post op (a 10-20 lb rebound weight gain after you hit your lowest weight is very common). Maintained ever since, but it's work. On the other hand, before I had surgery, the most I could lose was about 50-60 lbs, and every ounce of it would come back. Happened dozens of times. So yes - weight loss is sustainable after bariatric surgery as long as you monitor yourself. I had strictures at two months out and four months out. Very easy fix. The PA at our bariatric clinic told me it was the most common complication, and that they happen to 5% of gastric bypass patients (and if they're going to happen, it'll be during the first three months post-surgery - they're very rare after that). I personally wouldn't call something that happens to 5% of people "common", but that does give you an idea of how common complications are. Basically - they're not very common. about 30% of bypass patients have dumping syndrome. I've never had it and most of the people I know haven't had it, but some of us do. It's caused by eating too much sugar at one sitting (or for some, too much fat at one sitting seems to set it off). It's because food passes through to your small intestine much more quickly once you've had bypass, and your intestines go into overdrive trying to deal with the sugar (or...fat). It can be prevented by limiting the amount of sugar you eat at one sitting (which we should be doing regardless, even us non-dumpers). good luck in your decision. Honestly, I should have done it years ago. My only regret is that I waited that long to have it done. My life has changed dramatically for the good. I'd go back and have the surgery done every year if I had to - it's been terrific!

Had vsg in my fifties, had vsg to rny revision recently (almost 2 yrs ago) in my 60s (gerd related). It's been great. Maintained 100+ weightloss over the years. My weightloss rate was on par with others much younger than myself. I had no complications, recovery was very easy for me. As far as long term success, after the honeymoon period, and hunger returns, long term weightloss requires some discipline in following your plan. But since you are already practicing good habits since 2015, you are ahead in the game, and I think you will be very successful.

Don't you just hate when people tell you, “You really don't need the lap band. You look like you can work it off". Well if you don't I do! I had a woman at my church tell me this and she has had the Gastric Bypass. My first impression of her statement was, well don't that just beat all. She has lost a lot of weight and is looking real nice; why wouldn't she want the same for me... Not that I care about her opinion it's just as I am traveling down this journey I am look for encouraging words only. Maybe her words were meant to be encouraging however, she has had GASTIC. LMBO! A co-worker who has had the lap band tells me daily how much it’s not worth eat while she snacks at her desk daily. I am excited and I am working hard in the gym, I have my eyes set on the prize and I am not letting no one and that means no one get in my way of a new me! UGH! I feel better now. LOL

I have 4cc's in a 10 cc aps band. I can still eat like suesue can too. Sometimes food gets stuck too depending on what it is and what time of day it is, so I do know there is something in there trying to work. I go for another 1cc this week I think...hopefully that will help me. I know that just even a half or a full cc can be the magic moment. It really is frustrating to keep wanting to eat when you just want to get restriction..you feel like you are failing yet another diet in your life. It does take a lot of patience with these bands, but we will all get there. I must admit, sometimes I get jealous when I watch shows like "Big Medicine" where people get the gastric bypass and lose like...80 lbs in just 3 months.:faint:

I am working on my Master's of Science degree and hope to gather several responses. Would you like to be a part of research by sharing your experience after gastric bypass surgery? The survey is completely anonymous and asks questions about your body image perceptions and alcohol usage one year after having bariatric surgery. Just click on this link or copy into your browzer to complete the survey. http://nnu.us.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_aXzZzHDDZiajdC4 Thank you in advance for contributing to this all important research. Feel free to pass this survey opportunity along to anyone who has had the surgery. Warm Regards, Northwest Nazarene University

Hello, Sorry this a a long post but I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who's had similar experiences. Has anyone had a gastric bypass that didn't work? I knew something was wrong pretty soon after my surgery as I had no restriction. I'd known all of my surgical team since 2010 when I had a gastric band. After a year of filling and un-filling and coming to the end of my free fill period (they would have cost £100 after that), the bariatric nurse and I could never reach that sweet point between nothing going through the band and so being sick all the time and no restriction at all so I knew I had to give up on this. Then in 2012, I lost 9 stone (125lb) by following a very low calorie diet (VLCD). I did this for 9 months, eating just four sachets of food at just under 600 calories a day. I got down to just over 10 stone (140lb) on my 40th birthday at the end of 2012. But in 2013 when I was off the VLCD, I struggled to keep the weight off. By October 2013, I had tried everything and decided to go for further surgery. I was initially going to have a sleeve but the team's dietician had said that sometimes band to sleeve revisions weren't as successful and I'd read that the bypass is the recommended revision for those who've had bands. Add to this that it was sold to me as the 'gold service' of weight loss surgery and I'd read that it's the operation that has been done for many years and has lots of experience and evidence behind it, I went for the bypass. I knew something was wrong pretty soon after my surgery as I had no restriction. In early December 2013, the dietician agreed that I should not physically be able to eat or drink Fluid in the volumes I could (I felt and still feel like nothing had changed) so he sent me for x-rays which were inconclusive and the measurements/calibrations weren't noted at the time. However, one of the surgeons said in an email that he thought the stoma was around 20mm in diameter. Everything I read says this is too large as food goes straight through the stoma, meaning I never really feel full. The smaller stomach and stoma should mean that I feel feel on less food. It took months for me to push for a second set of xrays and I really felt that I was being ignored. Emails were replied to only after a few weeks when I chased them up and I have an email from the same surgeon saying they were deliberately slowing things down in the hope things would rectify themselves. But they didn't. They did agree to a second opinion and I chose a surgeon in London who not only runs a centre which is ICE accredited (International Centre of Excellence) but has performed over 2500 bypass surgeries and specialises in those that go wrong. He sent me to another hospital in London on that day for some more xrays and then delivered his report. He identified and the xray specialist agreed that the stoma was too large to have any effect i.e. 'no functional effect' at the site. He also discovered that I had a sort of extra bit of stomach or additional reservoir. They call this a hockey stick or a candy cane but the effect on the surgery is unknown. He recommended that my hospital carry out an endoscopy to rule out a stricture. My hospital received the report and said they didn't feel the stoma was too big and in fact it was a good thing as "one of the theories as to how the bypass works is getting food that is eaten into the small bowel quickly as this has hormonal feedback to tell the person to stop eating". I have never read anything like that before and that certainly wasn't how they explained the procedure to me. I've always understood a bypass to be the creation of a smaller stomach so you feel full on much less food (that's what makes you stop eating, I know nothing about hormonal feedback) plus the shortening of the bowel meant some calories weren't absorbed after bypass. My hospital also didn't think the endoscopy was worth doing either as I'd had no sign of a stricture. Throughout, I have been asking the surgeons whether an endoscopy would help them to see what's going on inside there but they thought not. One of the most disappointing things was how disinterested my hospital were from the beginning. I felt that they'd taken my money and I had to fight to make them believe there was a problem. Even then, they really didn't move to try and explore what had happened. I don't understand this as they are still doing this procedure on people. I thought they would have wanted to know what had gone wrong with me so that it didn't happen to anyone else. Also very disappointing was the fact that I woke up to a LEAD surgeon I'd never met and never even heard of. Like I say, I've know this team since 2010. They hadn't mentioned there was a new member, let alone that he would be involved in my operation and certainly not that he would be my LEAD surgeon. I trusted this team and I felt this was a breach of that trust. I also trusted them to look after me if anything went wrong. I'm in the process of taking on a lawyer plus, because of my tweets about my experience, a local journalist who's interested in the fact that many bands are being revised, how surgery is sold to patients and what happens when they fail, has contacted me. I feel I should raise awareness that there are things that can go wrong that you don't hear about, as in my case. Would I advise anyone not to have bariatric surgery? No, all I would say is don't use a hospital just because its local to you or you know them. It doesn't mean they'll look after you if things go wrong. Find an ICE, look at patient feedback like mine and get a cast Iron guarantee that they'll take care of you if there are problems. The hospital's final letter to me told me that they would not be refunding my money and advised that I pursue diet and counselling. I feel like they just put me on the 'it doesn't work for some people' pile when I didn't even know such a pile existed. Aren't diet, exercise and counselling things we do over and over again before considering the massive step of surgery? In fact, my hospital's own website begins ... "If you’ve exhausted all other weight loss options, you might be considering weight loss surgery”. I'm still paying off the loan for this and I'm left in the cold! David & Goliath. Please share your feedback with me. Thanks for reading.

Here is a pretty unbiased chart comparing band sleeve and bypass.please use this to start your research.but dig deeper for each one.By pass has the longest history.sleeve has no long term referenced. I chose the band for many of the reasons on the chart and what others have said I'm not opposed to the sleeve but there is not enough long term study on it and I thought cutting off 3/4 of my stomach was a bit drastic for a first step.But if the band fails I may consider the sleeve over bypass. Weight loss surgery site for info http://www.trueresul...-loss-surgeries