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I'm absolutely ready for the change & know it's just a tool. The complication and regret part are what scare me. Other than that I've researched & prepped like crazy. My surgery is next Thursday

I haven't been here in a little bit but I have read through the comments to the original post. Nice to see everyone responding to the original post with personal experiences and advice. Of course it is always the best ideal to follow that of your qualified medical professionals who will come up with an agreed upon course of action bases upon your particular health issues and concerns. Each person should do what is in their best interest. I experienced some unfavorable results as a result of my gastric bypass surgery as did a few of my friends and family members. Not that it was anyones fault but as previously discussed here each person is an individual and results may vary. As I said, my diabetes isn't resolved but it is much improved I might be one of those people who won't see a resolution to my diabetes for a few years or not at all. If this is the case for you jesse, don't let people make you feel bad or imply that you aren't doing what you are supposed to as had been the case for me during my weight loss surgery journey. My A1C levels are very good since I have switched from using insulin in a needle to using the pump. Which has dramatically changed my life and my diabetes. Everyone is different. I eat very well and exercise regularly. I always did but diabetes is genetic in my family and after I had 4 children my weight and blood sugar levels just kept going up with each pregnancy. So, after 2 years of prequalifying medical screening for weightloss surgery and a bettery of doctors monitoring me, we went with RNY as the best option. My advice previously given here was based on my experience. I am in no way a medical professional and having had RNY surgery does not make me a qualified to giveany medical advice in this area. But, just be advised that there can be complications with ANY surgery. I just want to put out there that there can be some unpleasant results with RNY that you may not have with lapband. Then again you might have them anyway. Ultimately despite whatever advice you may receive from others your own feelings and the advice of your medical team should be primary in your decision as to which surgery you finally decide to have. In the end, my doctor said if he had anyway of knowing that I would have had these issues after surgery he would have recommended the gastric sleeve for me, but hindsight is always 20/20. LOL! Good luck and best wishes!!!

No one can answer that question for you. Only you can decide whether you're up for a permanent change in your relationship with food. But we can share our experiences. Like many people, I had a tough first week after surgery, but by week 3, I was much better. I had no major complications and I lost all my excess weight. I have no regrets or complaints of any kind. There are lots of people on here just like me. The thing is, people are more likely to post about unusual or negative experiences, so you won't see a lot of folks logging on to post "Everything is still fine." So reading the posts can kind of skew your impression of how the surgery goes for most people. Complications happen, but it's more common to come through the surgery just fine, with no major problems. I wish you all the best in making your decision!

Thanks guys... Dickson - nope no complications everything went really well. Just normal post op stuff Christi - I plan on taking pics but I was afraid I wouldn't notice enough of a distance and get discouraged.

I tried lettuce at like 6 weeks and couldn't do it. I'm 8 now and I have no issues but I was healed in the inside at 5 weeks and I know this cause I needed emergency surgery at 5 weeks for a very rare complication so he checked his work.

Jules, anesthesia issues happen. And you should mention that to your surgeon. Before surgery you should get a chance to talk further with the anesthesiologist. One good thing is that this is a very short surgery (less than an hour for most of us).Your surgeon may want to get the file from the surgeon who did the gallbladder removal so that he can review the notes regarding that surgery and specifically, the anesthesia drug used and the details of the complications. You might want to ask for your files now so that you will have them. Just to pave the way...and to relieve your mind.

Hi! I FINALLY have it all together and am going to Dr. Aceves!!!! Flying down on Thursday, Aug. 4th and having surgery the 5th! Anyone else out there going the same time? Close to it? Would love to meet up and talk down there!!!! SOOOOOOO excited even though the hubby isn't quite as on-board as I would have hoped--same ol' worries as every other loved one--what if you die? What if you have horrible complications? What if..? What if..? I have to admit that they are the same questions I pose, but I HOPE AND PRAY that they stay "What ifs" and don't turn into reality!!!

Sue: My experience is as follows: I had surgery on April 6, 2004 at Rosarito, Mexico. The facility I went to is called Sanoviv Medical Institute. The facility is a health conscious resort spa atmosphere that also treats end stage disease patients. It also does extensive testing to see just how healthy you really are. There is a detoxification prior to any procedure if you elect to go that route. I did. I was there for a week but only because I elected to stay that long. I could have had the surgery and then left the next day to go home. Lots of blood work, ultrasound of the abdomen to give the surgeon a few of my insides in case of something out of the ordinary or to catch something that would prevent the surgery from happening, urinalysis, stool samples, EKG, Spirometry (lung capacity testing), etc. Day of surgery I was excited and ready to go. I was supposed to have it done at 1p but there was a delay and it was then started at 3p. No big deal just wanted it done. Surgery was a breeze. No complications and I was only on the table for about an hour. I was woke up in the OR and transferred to the bed and then wheeled to the recovery bed. I was in some pain but shots took care of that real quick. I rested that whole night in bed. I think that is what made the next day so rough for me. Someone should have gotten me up that night and let me set up. But no one did and I was too out of it to worry about it. I slept off and on that night. I was in minor pain that was quickly relieved with pain meds. I was not on a pump but had shots for the pain. By the way everyone spoke and understood English. The next day I was very sore but not IN PAIN. You know what I mean? I just took it easy and walked with a pillow bracing my abdomen. I still took some pain meds that day and into that night. The next day was much better and I even was able to shower while seated in a chair and washed my hair. That made me feel loads better. By the 4th day I was walking upright without a pillow. This facility has salt Water pools for therapy. I was able to put on a bathing suit and dip in the pools for about 30 min. IT was heaven. It gets progressively better as the days pass. My advice is to get a pillow for your abdomen, start your deep breathing as soon as you are lucid, walk as soon as you are clear headed, shower with a chair the first time, talk small baby steps walking, sit up in a chair as much as you can stand, get Protein in you as soon as they will allow it, and of course follow all your surgeons instructions. COngrats on your new life soon to start.

I just had my sleeve done on Friday the 29th by Dr, Aceves. I am doing very well and I had some complication coming into surgery that were handled well. I have just been driven to San Diego by Ernesto to wait until my flight out tomorrow morning. My whole trip was nine days,- the last three in the home of a local, private family that treated me like a baby ; cooking broths - fresh, making Jello, mixing Protein drinks; fawning over me, TV, internet. I even got a haircut gratis by the mother, Carmen. And a good one too. Half the price of staying in a hotel - only 50$ includes everything. If you are interested e-mail me and I will put you in touch with them. They only have one room to let, so it's first come, first serve. I feel sad now having to leave such new friends. Helped me to a dentist for for some crown work. Ernesto knows where it is so he will pick you up there when you have to return to San Diego.

Kara that was an excellent post. The more we know the more we can ask our Dr.s when "something" is wrong. I wish there was a site on here that was/is permanent that would have all the "complications" and "results" postings reguardless of when it happened. It is really hard to go thru all the different threads to get the info. I think it would really help newbies alot. Knowing about possible complications helps us to get thoes problems solved. Just a thought, Vegas can you do this?

I didn't experience this, but wanted to let you know I'll keep you in my prayers. I'm glad that the VSG had no complications.

Carolyn - there is a forum entitled VSG Complications Support Group - which is where I would logically put a thread if I had experienced complications from surgery; unfortunately, we can't control where members post, we can only hope that they will view all the various options forums, and select the most appropriate one. It would be difficult to go back and move everyone's posts regarding complications to one specific post. Sorry I can't be more help.

Yikes...well let me tell you....I was not at all indicating that she would stretch her pouch, if you had read the entire post I had indicated that I had experienced gain at one point in the last 4 years simply due to choice. We have "satisfied" our appetites for the last years and in my simple opinion....and that is all it is...an opinion, we need to teach ourselves quality not quantity. I didn't have a fill for 4 months and did not eat simply due to the desire to loose the weight. I am not saying anyone is wrong or right. I am not say that there will be stretched pouches, remained obesity, complications or a party in your monkeys cage next week at 6, I am only saying GOOD CHOICES....thats all. We aren't going on if you don't want an honest opinion then that should be stated in the post titling....LIE TO ME PLEASE! I am not going to....I have faught this fight and it is not an easy one! 4 years....let me know when you have been banded 4 years....one of the first 1000 in this province...I have the inside scoop....again.....JUST MY 2 cents.....POPT

I have just started taking the first few steps in organizing my lap band surgery. I must admit that so many things are running through my brain, will this work!! Will I have complications, how can I avoid those complications, will I still have a life, have I picked a good doctor to perform the surgery and how fast am I going to loose the weight. I have struggled with my weight in the last 10 years; I have tried diet pills and number of diets like the Cohen’s diet, I am up and down with exercising (to be honest I don’t have time anyway) nothing seems to keep it off. My current BMI is 42 and that’s the highest it’s ever been. I am looking forward to receiving advice from the people who have already gone through/experienced this. I would love to hear from people that live in my home town as well.

Mine was Da Vinci robot by Dr. Allison, Viera Florida. No complications.

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!

Hello, Over the course of October I will meet with three different medical professionals to choose a weight-loss option. First I will meet with a coach from The Fasting Method. She specializes in Fasting regimens and Behavioural Therapy. The cost is around $1000 for 4 online coaching sessions and an online support group. Most of the fasting I will do myself and will need a lot of determination to stick to the 36-hour fasting protocol they recommend. Next, I have a consultation with a surgeon at a private clinic. The cost will be 14,000 for a gastric sleeve and the surgery would be completed before the end of the year. They provide all of the medical services for surgery plus 3 months of nutrition counseling and medical follow-up at 1 month, 3.5 months, and 1-year post-op. They also have an online facebook support group. Finally, I have an appointment with a new General Practitioner who could provide me with a referral to a bariatric clinic within a hospital. This process would be covered by the province if I were accepted into the program. However, the process could take several years (1-4 years) before I received the surgery. Yet they would provide the most support both before and after surgery in order to be successful. I am really unsure of which option is best for me and I wonder if other people might have insight into what could work for them knowing what they know now. The first option, fasting, I have tried on my own and was successful for 8-12 months but gained all the weight back and then some. The second is the quickest way to put in place a permanent tool that I will have to use on my own to lose weight. It is also the most expensive. The third option would provide me with a lot of support and I think I probably do need some type of talk therapy. I'm expecting this surgery and the dramatic weight loss to be like an emotional rollercoaster for me. However, I do not have many obesity-related complications just yet (such as diabetes, hypertension, etc.) although my BMI is around 40. How much support did you need? Which option would you choose knowing what you know now?

Thanks for all of the information on this. I got the same answer as Tiffykins when I recently called - that it's not going to be covered in 2010. I have Tricare Prime Overseas and it's definitely not covered here. I think part of the confusion is also that just because a MTF does a procedure does not mean Tricare covers that procedure. Surgeons at MTFs do all sorts of surgeries on a wait list basis for things that are not covered under Tricare. For instance, my husband had a free vasectomy reversal (TMI, I know) and my friend had breast augmentation done. It depends on where you go and who the surgeon is, not to mention how busy they are and what surgeries they want to do. Also, from what I hear it's much easier to get a revision done, or to get a surgery performed when you have some sort of complication to go with it that requires a surgery anyway. I was also told that they will likely do repayments but not to count on that if I choose to self-pay. So don't count on reimbursement - though once Tricare does start covering this anyone that self-paid should try to get reimbursed. It can't hurt to try. I'll just keep waiting and trying to lose this weight the old fashioned way in the meantime. They'll only do bands here, and I'm not even messing around with that nonsense. ~C

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 after to agree with one of the other posters. Lap Band is something to take very seriously. You have to be commited in everyway to be successful. On that note, being diagnosed with pcos myself, I can understand your struggle. Metformin also did nothing for me. None of the pills and diets worked. With so much stacked against you its hard to lose weight. Trust me, I totally understand. Then trying to throw getting pregnant in the mix.... forget it. My Dr at one point told me that we would not help me get pregnant until I lost X amount of weight because the risk of sever complications was high. I did have to agree with him but it was horrible the first time he mentioned weight loss surgery. I was 271lbs at that point. I too have never had a regular cycle and had little hope after 17 years of getting pregnant. After more depression and more failures in dieting, I finally got the band. #1 to be healthy. I had given up having children especially since I was pushing 34. Each time I went to the Dr, something else was wrong. High blood pressure, high blood sugar, sore knees, bad skin.... the list goes on and on. I had surgery 10/2009 at 291 lbs and do not regret one single moment!! It has been the best decision I have ever made. Within 4 months I stopped all 7 of the medications I was taking. I never actually had cysts in my ovaries and was cleared of pcos. Fact: most people diagnosed with pcos do not actually have cysts or they can clear up. So I went on birth control because I was still having irregular periods. I stopped taking my BC on Nov 24, 2011 and found out on 12/26 I was expecting my first. I understand that each situation is different, but after 17 years of heartbreak and tears, I can finally say "I'm gonna be a mommy"!! If you are prepared to work hard nothing is impossible!!! Good luck and keep us posted on our decisions!!

I hate to keep this thread going, you can definitely beat a subject to death, but there are a couple of observations that seemed to have gotten lost in the discussion. First, the title of this support group is to address people with complications, Dana was obviously frustrated with her condition and expressed it, we can either respond in a positive way or a negative way, that's the risk one takes when writing on open forums. So, people will no doubt be pationate on both sides of the argument. As to her assertion the lap band can cause serious complications, I think we're all aware that any WLS has a risk factor. But my question to Dana is, while you had the band, did it work for you? I doubt she would have kept it for 20 years if it was causing her problems, and the beauty of the band is that since it has caused problems, it can be removed. Can't say that about most other WLS, if complications arise. So Dana, did you have about 20 years of a healthy and active life? All that being said, my thanks to her for offering another way to look at the possibilities we could face and that we need to factor into our decision.

WOW, imagine my surprise when I spoke to this person and found out it's NOT this Ms Maui that you all speak of But that's okay being right isn't a Fact it's a curse And to QUOTE Melissa300: I believe everyone's story should be heard whether the band was successful for you or you had complications and people should be supportive to people with both success and complications. Good luck to all

From what I gather, for most insurance companies, it just needs to be complications from the first surgery. I'm not even in the obese category. Sent from my Z6201V using BariatricPal mobile app