Search the Community

I had my surgery done like that in May. I ended up with big time complications and was in the hospital three weeks.

Results are not the same. Some people have various complications, ranging from excess of vomiting to suture line leakage to death. Some people never lose all their weight. Some people regain some or all of their excess weight. The surgeon you choose DOES matter. Following his/her instructions also matters. There is a reason that some places have earned Bariatric Center of Excellence designations, it's not by accident. It shows in the results. Even a huge variation in pre/post op plans and such among centers of excellence!

I can understand your feelings. I am scheduled for surgery July 17 and I am anxious & happy. But my happiness is outweighing me being anxious. Kind of weird to have them at the same time. I had two surgeries on my feet in the past and risks were discussed & I understood them. Unfortunately, surgery wasnt successful so I will have to have another surgery next year. I have chronic pain too. I can accept that because I understood the risk & possible outcome. So, with the gastric bypass surgery I have a good understanding of the risks and to always check in with my doctor if I encounter any problems and or if something is not right. My surgeon Dr Joyce is such a great surgeon. I trust him. It really helps when you and your surgeon can bond. You trust him and he trusts you to call him when there is a problem. This is a big decision and it will get us on a healthier pathway. Choosing to be healthy is always a good thing. The thoughts I have about being healthy outweighs the risks or complications that may happen. God is good God give us strength

2 weeks post ops and my team says I am doing great. Starting weight shortly before surgery was 293 and I am now at 277.... 16 lbs so far. My incisions have all healed, I have had no gas pains, nausea or any of the other uncomfortable complications I have read about here. Stayed on full liquids day 2-10 and still incorporate a lot of full liquids such as yogurt, cream of wheat and protein water into my daily diet. In fact you could say I am on full liquids all day, eating whatever else will go down comfortably for dinner, keeping an eye on my own personal nutritional goals. I was doing this for awhile before surgery anyways, and has now bwcome habit. I worry about progressing too fast with the diet. I asked my doctor if I ate something wrong, would it cause any problems with the band, such as slipping? He assured me that might have been true in the “old days” but that he now ties the lapband in securely by bringing up some of the lower stomach and stitching it around the band. The band will not slip by eating something wrong. He did say if I had a prolonged bout of throwing there was a slight chance of slippage, but unlikely. He also said that before the first banding the stomach pouch will not stretch as there is little restriction, any excess food just slips through to the lower stomach. His said I would be limited in what I eat by what felt comfortable “slipping through” and could gage how much swelling is remaining from the surgery by what size goes down OK. I would learn from trial and error what I could eat and what would be not be nice to me. So I have tried out various other foods to see how they feel, being sure to chew very well. This is very much feedback trial and error, as if I forget and do not chew well it does not feel good going down. I have the best luck on foods that are on the soft slippery type, like fish(scallops, red snapper), noodles, eggs and various oatmeals, even soggy morning cereal. All with no problems. No gas, bloating nausea or any other complications that I can feel. All went down just fine. Rice, flour tortillas and anything fibrous that can’t be chewed into pieces get “stuck” and I have to wait for it to clear before eating more. Not painful, just annoying. My nutritionist did say to avoid coffee as that has tannic acid which could cause ulcers on the band. I wonder if that applies to tomato products, such as spaghetti sauce, as tomatoes have tannic acid, as does wine, I think. I will need to verify that with her. I am thinking it may be the daily prolonged use of coffee that could cause an ulcer, but for now I just say no. The temptation is to keep pushing the limit, such as gobbling down a Burger King Steakburger ( I did not even though I probably could if chewed well), but I had better have enough self discipline to not do that or I have wasted my life, time and money on a procedure I do not respect. I log everything on FITDAY.com (have done this for years) and keep a careful eye on my calories, cards, proteins, etc. When I was on full liquids I was taking in about 800 calories and usually met the 60 protein goal. I am looking now at keeping my calories around 1200, so that I will continue to lose weight. My doctor has taken me off the high blood pressure med as I now test in the normal range. I have reduced my glyburide by 50%, and am slowly reducing my 24 hour insulin. I am experiencing fasting glucose of 120, which is about 100 points lower than pre lapband. So far I am very happy with my lapband.

I'll be in hospital for 5 stay for complications if someone's got nothing better to do :-)

Thank you all Is being a week and a half Now since my surgery and I being able to sleep on my bed now and no pain or any complication actually is being really fast recovery.

You look great. Had my surgery on 9/27 also. SW 201 CW 170. I had reversal from band. Had a few complications and just been released to do full exercise 2 weeks ago. Had been at 172.4 for 3 weeks. Hope to do as good as you in coming months. Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

Reducing your restriction to go on vacation is not a decision based on sound judgement, IMO. Reflux at night and coughing indicate you may be putting yourself at risk to develop aspiration pneumonia. It is also a sign as others have posted that your band may be too tight. Definitely consult with your medical team to determine what is happening. These potential complications should never be ignored. It reads to me that there is still some inaccurate thinking going on with you and your relationship with food. We still need to make healthy choices when it comes to meals regardless how much we enjoy eating.

Thanks everyone for all you advise. I too have about 140lbs to lose so it's great to hear from someone in. Similar position. Once I had the band removed the reflux stopped immediately and I've not suffered at all since. I am due to have an endoscope in May to check for a hernia and for my surgeon to check my insides after having previous lap band surgery. I am swaying more and more each day to have the sleeve as I believe that the only complication am likely to have is the reflux reoccurring. However with the bypass I have a huge list of complications that may arise in the short and long term plus the malabsorption. I'm sure I will be filling you all in on my decision soon enough.

I am so sorry for the loss of your friend... All I can say is that I knew someone that died of the same complications and I still went thru with my band. Today is exactly one week since my surgery and I feel great. The Dr. said no lifting for 30 days... but I have been holding my 20 pound baby and doing just fine. I would not tell anybody about it if you are worried about them saying stuff. Only my husband, mom and mother in law know about me and that is only because I needed a little help with the baby. Well, I take it back... some folks at work know about it, but they have had it done. If you want to be healthy and YOU are ready for surgery I think you should do it. That is great that your husband is supportive. Gastric bypass is a completely different story from banding, just as you said. Good Luck and let us know. By the way from what I have read all Dr.'s are different with diets. I was on a low carb (that I didn't follow) before surgery. After surgery I had 48 hours of liquids and now I am on mushies for 4 weeks. No PROBLEM. I am doing EXACTLY as my Dr. says. I have already lost 17 pounds!!! (yep, in 1 week)

On July 21st it will make a whole year since I had my band put in. Lately, I have second guessed my choice to have this band. I have had some many episodes of feeling that stuck feeling and throwing up a slimly substance because things are not going down properly. I have spoke with my doctor about these issues and several different reasons have been given for my episodes. No- I don't eat large bites of food at any given time, and I always take my time while eating. No- this is not happening all of the time, but yes- it's happening more than I would like for it to be happening. I feel like "my" band has a mind of its own. There are certain days I feel super tight and other days things feel just right. My doctor has explained that my band should always feel the same unless it's swollen and irritated by something I have done wrong. Honestly, this band has so many rules and does & don'ts! I do thank God for my weight lost, but it has truly come with a price. I could have never understood this before actually going through a lot of different trials. Having this band is not an easy fix with losing weight. It really takes a lot of discipline and complying with a lot of different rules. On the flip side, my niece has the sleeve and she has none of these issues to deal with. She can only eat a smaller portion of food, but there are not all of the other restrictions Iike band patience do. I can deal with the smaller portions, but sometimes I feel just miserable and wishing my choices was different. I do understand that with any weight lost procedure anything can go wrong, but sometimes I just want to feel normal during meal times. I really don't eat out with my family any more due to the awful things I experience while attempting to eat. (having to leave the table to spite up food that will not go down or have this crazy look on my face because I fee this awful pain in my upper chest area) Then I have days that I have no problems at all. I want to emphasize once more that small portions are not a problem, but to always worry about my meals and if I am going to be able to swallow what I am eat is. It’s the most difficult with my 6 year old son when these things are going on, because he now tell me “Mommie you should have never got that band”! I feel like I've come too far to have every single thing taken out of my band, and honestly I only have 4cc in a 10cc band. My doctor wants to take everything out and for me to start all over again with my fills. I am almost at my 12 month mark and my fills will be no longer covered per my contract. My band is not even half full and in less than 17 days I will be a year banded. There are some things that I have found that really help me not to experience that stuck feeling in my throat/upper chest area. If I drink warm drinks throughout my day things have an easier time going down vs. me not drinking warm drink. I know breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but if I try to eat real food my day is shot from then on. Therefore, skipping breakfast or having a protein shake works a whole lot better for me. I just want people to be aware that there maybe complications with this band and there is definitely no easy fix for losing weight. Each person has to figure out what works best for them and their band and continue to apply the principles of having a band. (Don’t mix food and drink- eat very, very slowly to prevent things from getting stuck- don't over eat to the point of throw food back up- don't over do the protein because it's bad on the kidneys "I learned that one the hard way"- exercise is your best friend if you want quick weight lost- learn to research things you have questions about or seek information from reliable sources) Following these steps have really helped me to get to the point where I am now with my weight lost. I do realize this is a daily effort to keeping my weight off, but having these tools handy will really make things a lot easier to accomplish your goals.

My doctor told me this is a permanent surgery unless there are complications. I guess you can have it removed one day but why would you if it helps you to control your weight. Helen

First be ready to wait!!!!! He is a super busy doctor with the office and all the tv appearances he will have you waiting forever no matter what time your appointment is, if you are looking for a doctor to be super sweet and hold your hands well he is definately not the one he just gets to the point and before you know it he is outta the room lol but he will answer any questions you have you just have to hold him down Everytime I would go to I would say to my partner "I don't like him" and she would say he is a great doctor you are just use to shappy doctors lol (she is a nurse so I took her advice and stayed). Performance wise he did my surgery good he did check on me a few times while I was in the hospital I haven't had any complications so you are in good hands, being away from NYC made me realize how much I missed that long wait office lol.

Dear All, I am a newbie to this website. I have previously had lap band surgery in 2008 which resulted in extreme pain and discomfort from acid reflex. Eventually my band slipped due to the constant vomiting and was removed in March 2011. Since then I have not suffered at all with acid reflux however all my weight and more has returned. I am now considering further bariatric surgery and I went to see a specialist in Dubai on Monday. I was swaying towards Gastric Bypass as I am 33 years old with no medical issues at all and I wanted the 'Gold Service'. I don't take any medication but weigh in at 147.9kgs (very lucky my weight does not affect my health). My doctor wants me to have the Gastric Sleeve as it is less invasive, less complications down the way and I don't have any illnesses that need to be resolved. I, on the other hand am very worried about the acid reflux (that I experienced with the lap band) returning and eventually having RNY surgery. I want this to (hopefully) be my last bariatric surgery. What would you recommend???

So I know I'm pretty lucky to have had no real complications after my surgery on the 19th but this morning I developed a sharp pain in my upper left abdomen. It's really only if I take a deep breath in but when I do that too deep the pain doubles me over but then goes away. There is no incision there and it is only just barely tender when pushed on. Did anyone else have this or something like it? I thought I maybe drank my Protein shakes too fast but it has persisted through the day. Sent from my SM-G920V using the BariatricPal App

While my BMI was a bit lower than yours before my surgery, my diabetes was so out of control my surgeon was really worried about complications. I prepared myself for every complication, convinced that I would have them all. But I had absolutely NO COMPLICATIONS! I didn't even have any pain. I laugh when I tell my surgeon that if I didn't have 5 funny little scars on my tummy, and the inability to eat very much food, I might think the surgery never happened. 'Course the proof is in the 58 lbs lost and diabetes and other co morbidities resolved. My point is that most people have absolutely no complications. The greater risk statistically to your health is actually in the drive to the hospital. You wouldn't let the drive to the hospital deter you from surgery, would you? Then, don't let the small risk of complications deter you either. Good luck on your journey. It's going to be amazing!

I would be more concerned about dying myself...lol They asked me what the worst thing that could happen to me with this surgery and I had to reply dying..They felt better knowing I knew there was a slight risk of that happening... I am one of those people who everything did go wrong...And to top it off I almost died....You have to look at this differently...Are you ready for a change in yourself and your health? Do you want to really live and enjoy the time you have left? Write down the things you can't do and see if you think it is worth the possibility of complications? Five months I was in the hospital and 5 months I had nurses attending me at home...Do I regret it? NO!!! I was just existing before my surgery and was unable to stand for 10 minutes without my back giving out...I can put my grand daughter on my knee very close to me and enjoy that time with her..I can cross my legs now and I walk for hours....I am a person who now finds it hard to sit down for too long..I want to live, live and live..... If you are like me and you tried it all..And this is what is left..Don't wait! chose well and go forward....I have!

No, this is not normal. As someone above mentioned, go to the "strictures, anyone" thread under complications and you will see what some of us have experienced. Be careful that you don't let this go on too long and become dehydrated or malnourished. My husband was back in the hospital 2 times for 6 days each during the first 3 weeks b/c he couldn't get any nutrition or fluids to stay down. He was in there so he could be re-hydrated and got nutrition through IV. The rest of the story is on the other thread. Good luck and like I said, don't wait too long.

My doc recommends a 3-month check-up post-op, which includes an upper GI (fluoroscopy) to make sure there are no tiny leaks, strictures, or other structural complications, and blood work. The blood work is pretty basic, he said the only ones that are required would be a CBC (complete blood count) and B12 - just to make sure you are not anemic. My primary care doc added liver enzymes, as rapid weightloss can sometimes result in gallstones. They all came back fine! I asked Dr. Aceves for long-term follow-up advice and he suggested bloodwork once every 6 months - no more fluoros as long as you don't have any symptoms. I think I'm just gonna do it once a year as long as I don't notice any anemia symptoms.

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!