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So sorry for your friend. I hope she heals and gains her health back. Lapbands can erode, twist, cause scar tissue and so many complications, she may have had someof those problems. You will never have those pre-existing issues for your surgery. You can ask the surgeon for his complication rate, what type, has he had to do any repairs and under what circumstances, etc. The complication rate is very low, lower than gallbladder surgery. Take a deep breath. Make a calm and informed decision. I wish you well.

I'm very happy for you... just remember things work out a for a reason. Do not even focus on the wieght gain, once you will see your baby in your arms it will be worth every pound gained. I like the names you picked out, but Isabella stands out, that name is very pretty. I'm just curious, though, have you had any other complication with your pregancy because of the band? How soon after the pregancy did you have to get an unfill? I'm just trying to get info for me, since I had been trying to get pregnant for 2 years before the band and just in case and if with this weightloss I might get lucky!

A word of advice: DO NOT PICK UP ANYTHING HEAVY POST-OP. It may seem silly, but I didn't follow that advice when I was at work a week after surgery and picked up a box. I didn't think it was odd, and didn't feel anything. But my weight loss slowed down a year or so later and I got acid reflux. When I switched doctors in 2003, the new doc found that I had a hiatial hernia, which moved the Band and complicated my weight loss. I had a revision done in 2004, and fixed the hernia as well. I didn't mean to scare you, but felt like I had to warn you about the only downside of the Lap Band. That complication was my fault, not the doc or the Band's.

Many people are going to gasp at your comment that it's not uncommon to need a revision or replacement after 7 years, Delooka. But I know what you're saying. For my money, another laparascopic surgery to get a new band and a clean bill of health is a small price to pay, especially if it's being covered by insurance (which my band replacement is). Seriously, even if I had known back then that another surgery would be required four years down the line I STILL would have chosen the band over bypass. These are minor complications, easily dealt with, compared to the risk of major long-term complications with something as drastic as a gastric bypass.

You really shouldn't take anything unless it has been cleared through your surgeon as it might cause complications with the surgery. Perhaps you can gargle with salt water if you are getting a sore throat, get plenty of rest and drink lots of water.

I am just speaking for myself, but my Digestive Disease doctor stated to me that he would not support my decision to have the gastric bypass. He highly recommended the lapband since it is the least invasive and if you have complications it can be reversed. I have only had my band for 2 months, I am walking every day and I still have loose skin, just not as bad as a friend I have that had the bypass surgery, also needs to have plastic surgery. And as Wheetsin says..genetics have a lot to do with that as well..I have stretch marks from having my children and a c-section to boot..so anyone that has had one of those know what I'm talking about! I really think after 2 years of checking into this surgery that the lapband is the way to go! Good luck!

Wanted to post an update for any of you that may be experiencing the same issue. I ended up having to go to the emergency room Christmas night. I called my surgeon and he said that some people have issues with their kidneys getting backed up and their bladder shutting down after surgery. I ended up having to be catheterized for the next seven days and put on additional medication for infection and bladder spazisms. For anyone else who experiences these symptoms, PLEASE go to the hospital immediately in order to avoid having severe complications with your kidneys. I was lucky and caught mine in time.

-Im so fat right now That's why you are having this surgery. You are doing something about your health, be proud that you are not sitting back doing nothing but complaining about it. -I just wish July 11th would hurry up and come It's coming! Get busy take on one more project at home you can finish before the surgery. Give your bathroom a make over, rearrange your living room, paint the guest room, go to a movie, volunteer somewhere, that will help kill some time -How will I make it through the Pre-op? One day at a time. Don't focus on how much longer you have to go, focus on how far you have come, it will be over before you know it. Seriously don't count down until at least the halfway point -Im so fat right now Me too -What if this surgery doesnt work for me? Don't sabotage yourself before you even start! Do you have a good plan in place that sets yourself up for success? Exercise plan is equally as important as food. -What if Im always going to be this size? Your not. Stop thinking like that. Seriously -How did I let it get to this point? Probably the same way as most of us did. By over eating, comfort eating, poor diet and lack of exercise. You can't change the past, it's already done. You can make the future better and you are taking steps to do that. It's ok to reflect on the past and learn from it but don't beat yourself up, move forward! -Im so fat right now Not for long! Woot woot! -I hope I wake up You will. Most people die from complications not on the table.

first thing you need to do is see your doctor. he may want to do a endoscopy or barium swallow or take out some Fluid. do not ignore this. it is not normal to be getting stuck this often. you can cause some complications unless this is address by your md. but you are likely right in assuming that you are eating incorrectly. it is hard and the way we have to eat doesn't come naturally. right now I would give your band a break and go back to liquids for a few days. you may be swollen from all the stuck issues. call your doctor

radink, my sister had the Bypass surgery. She lost a lot of weight fast but it left her with a lot of sagging skin and unfortunately, her insurance refuses to approve the surgery to have the excess removed. Due to other complications/issues, she was nearly 450 lbs when she had the surgery and now down to about 250 but I would say a good 35 is skin. If you choose GBP, make sure your insurance company will approve the surgery for the tummy tuck and removal of the excess skin. You lose much slower with the band but I believe that gives your skin more time to shrink naturally (not to say there won't be some excess).

This was a post about switching surgeons at the last minute. They had gone through everything and were waiting on insurance approval, but they found another hospital a few hours away with more surgeries per year and fewer complications and wanted advice on if they should switch and how to do it. Not sure why that merited a delete! *shrug*

I have lost only 16 lbs at 5 weeks so I am frustrated along with you. Had hoped for much quicker weight loss. I'm grateful for no complications, however.

There really is a lot of variation in practice! Makes me wonder if these variations don't contribute to the success and complications for some with this surgery. I can only hope that my doctor is doing the very best?

Is your weight loss history standing between you and your current success after weight loss surgery? If you’re not getting the results you want, there’s a good chance it is. In Part 1 of the series, we brought up the idea of learning from your past, not running from it. Now, we take a look at a few more ways your past might have brought you down, and what you might be able to about it. Problem: Depending on Others This one’s not always so obvious, but it may be keeping you from reaching your full potential in weight loss and, frankly, in life. Of course, it’s normal and healthy to depend on others for some things. Maybe you rely on your spouse to pick up the kids from school, and you depend on your parents to parents to take care of your house when you’re on vacation. But what about the important things? What about your health? Do you take full responsibility for it? Or do you do what you did as a kid – depend on someone to make sure you had the food you needed and expect your parents or the doctor would make you better if you got sick or hurt? You’re still living in the past if you have not taken control of your health. You are the one who needs to purchase and prepare healthy food; set aside time to work out; eat the right foods to avoid complications from surgery. Others can help, but you need to be in charge. Problem: Looking for the Quick Fix If you look for a quick fix, you’ll probably find one. You can lose weight quickly using any number of strategies, and you’ve probably used them all from juicing to low-carb to low-fat. The problem with quick fixes is they’re quick to break, as you’ve found out when you went off the diets and gained the weight back. After WLS, don’t look for the quick fix. Be patient, and know you’re in it for the long haul. Looking for the quick fix can be something obvious that you recognize in yourself, but it is not always. Looking for the quick fix can be as subtle as subconsciously thinking of what and how much you eat as a temporary diet or thinking of your exercise program as something with a start and finish. You may be subconsciously looking for the quick fix if you’re unwilling to sign up for a long-term gym membership, or to invest in a kitchen scale or bariatric surgery recipe book. If you feel these things aren’t worthwhile, think about why. Is it because you don’t honestly see yourself needing them for long because you’re not really invested long-term into weight loss surgery success? Problem: Not Building Your Support System Many obese people struggle with late-night eating. Even if they are able to make it through the rest of the day eating reasonably healthy, night-time binges can strike furiously. If you weren’t able to overcome them previously, it may have been because you did not build enough of a support system. This time, don’t underestimate the power of your support system. Include people, such as friends and family, as well as alternate plans. You can set up many layers of protection against late-night overeating. Don’t store junk food at home, and don’t drive home past trigger spots like drive-through burger joints. Have two or three friends or family members whom you can call or talk to if you’re about to make a bad choice, and choose a pre-determined activity to do before eating, whether you decide to blog, sew, or take a walk. Also, have plenty of ready-to-eat healthy food around so it’s easier to grab than any junk. Problem: Lack of Self-Confidence Have you ever heard of a self-fulfilling prophecy? You think something will happen a certain way, so you act as though it will happen that way, and then it does. For weight loss, that can be a bad thing if you let it. “I know my diet’s going to fail, so I’m not going to bother weighing my food.” Then, guess what – you don’t lose weight! “I knew I wouldn’t lose weight.” But self-fulfilling prophecies can be just as positive as they can negative, especially if you have self-confidence. “I know WLS will work for me, so I’m going to hit my protein goals and weigh my portions every meal.” When you don’t even let doubt creep in, you can be more empowered to follow the behaviors that lead to success. Weight loss surgery can be a fantastic tool for weight loss, but it’s only as good as you make it. To make it more powerful, don’t run from your personal history. Recognize your past, identify what went wrong, and fix it. Make sure this time really is different.

My surgery is next Friday on Aug. the 10th and I have been seeing all of the complications and its making me nervous. I know I know that I knew all of these possible complications before but, for some reason they are just now becoming real.

Hi everyone, I had RNY 7 weeks ago today at UCSF here in northern California. My husband and I live on the Mendocino Coast and are both educators. I am an elementary school (k-2) librarian and he is a high school government/history teacher. At 28 I was diagnosed with diabetes and then at 29 I was diagnosed with kidney cancer. I had a successful surgery where they removed my entire left kidney along with the gigantic cancerous tumor that was attached to it! Because of the diabetes and history of kidney cancer my doctors recommended the RNY. So now, at the age of 31, I am on the road to a healthy life! I have been very lucky so far, no complications and I have had no problems getting my liquids and protein in everyday. It is amazing how much your posts have helped me during this process so far. It is so comforting to hear stories that are so similar to my own experiences. I look forward to getting to know all of you and sharing our journeys together!

I have BCBS of Illinois. I was approved for the sleeve and one overnight. That is all my doctor required. Additional nights would only be if there were complications. Would your doctor be OK with a 1 night stay... maybe the insurance would approve that. Good luck.

Hi---I had surgery the same day as you :-) Sorry to hear about your complications! Someone once told me to just step on the scale every other week, so that we aren't dwelling on the number. The weight will come off, some weeks more rapidly than others. I'm guessing that once we become a little more active, the weight is going to just melt off. For me, five days postop, I had already lost 18 pounds. Now the scale hasn't budged in three days.... But I'm not too concerned. I will be starting on puréed food today, not really sure what exactly I will be having, it seems so weird just preparing two bites of something, Lol.

The standard for my doctor's office is after your 2-3 week follow up appointment. Although they were willing to write it for 6 weeks. I think I could have gone back after I was off of pain meds (4-5 days) but I would have been exhausted. It also depends on how well you recover. I am only 36, I had zero complications, a starting BMI of 42 and was otherwise very healthy - all of which made my recovery very easy. Now if I was still at my old job, which I hated, I would have taken the full 6 weeks.

My surgery is today...feel exactly the same way. I think I am finally at peace with this decision...praying for a great outcome with no complications! Will pray the same for everyone else going through this process. Good luck to you all and keep us posted! My surgery is at 11 today.

so yes i have been debating on posting this topic but i need answers i am an weed smoker prolly about 2-3 times a day i am geting the gastric bypass on sept 21 im not sure if i should quit smoking bc of the possibility of complications during surgery from smoking..i have looked it up online and nothing says weed can cause issues during surgery but nothing definite was wondering if there was anyone else who has quit prior to surgery for that reason

Failure isnt black or white either. To what "failure" was he referring? Many many people do not lose ALL their excess weight. Is that failure? Or is a realistic outcome for a set of people suffering from an illness that is as much mental as it is physical? How can a band around your stomach fix all the issues with obesity? It cant. But is losing enough weight to save your life, improve the quality of your life and get you independent and back into the world again a success, or is failing to end up looking like a supermodel failure? The stats for people who dont lose any weight, lose and then regain or who have complications that end up with band removal are significant, but 50%? No way. And for a good proportion of those who "fail" its all factors within your own control anyway. Stats say you lose about 60% of your excess weight with a band. Yep, that's what happens if you have the surgery and just kinda go along with it. Its not a bad outcome. But if you eat consistenly right, do the right kind of exercise and approach it with the determination that you are going to do all the work needed, you'll lose more than that. I know that with a band and an hour long run every day, I would have to deliberately drip feed myself liquid mars bars by IV all day every day to gain weight. My weight never budges, I've kept it off for 2 years now and I never even have the slightest qualm that I cant continue to do so.

I had my 6 month follow up with my surgeon yesterday. He said I was firing on all 4 cylinder.... finally!! I had gastric bypass April 8, 2014. Unfortunately, I'm one who had complications. I wound up back in surgery no even 12 hours after the bypass. I had adhesions which caused a bowel leak. Thank God my doctor was a great, conscientious surgeon & discovered the problem & repaired the hole. But I became septic. The antibiotics weren't working & my temp kept climbing. For 3 weeks I was on a ventilator & medically comatose. I remember nothing until mid May. I later found out that it was touch & go for a while. I figure God kept me here for a reason. I pent a total of 2 1/2 months in Yvette hospital & another 2 weeks in rehab learning to walk again & building my strength up. But here I am! No longer diabetic, no high blood pressure. & feeling better than I ever have. I'm walking! Everywhere! At my heaviest. I was 350lbs & only 5'3". I'm now 210lbs 140lbs gone in 6 months. I Thank God everyday for letting me live to change my life & experience this new body. I'm not finished yet, but I WILL get there. Yes it was a tough situation to go through, but looking back,so worth it.

Pain in conjunction with fever cold indicate a serious complication. Please call your doctor immediately. I'm so surprised by just how soon people progress with food. I personally think people are rushing things with trying to eat foods when they aren't properly healed yet.

Sami, it's normal to be worried. The percentage of complications is so small. The percentage of complications due to obesity are great. I for one actually freak out in the pre-op suite, right before they wheel me in. My heart races i become nauseous ans sweaty. I have learned to ask for a valium from the anesthesiologist to keep from running away.