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My doctor still doesn't do this procedure. he MAY start trials of it by the time we have surgery in December. My husband wants it and I am on the fence with it. With the regular lap band it's completely reversible. With this procedure you can take out the lap band but the plication is permanent. It is still being investigated so no sure what the outcomes are or complications.

Well it's over surgery was Tuesday. I am home a feeling good. My only complication was I am allergic to the steri strips and my belly has been one itchy mess but they are off and the hives are going away. Only 2 pain pills since I been home since yesterday, no regrets

YOu showed up at a good time, Monymo! We've had several members experience some problems and complications lately, so it is really great to hear from someone who is 4 years out! Thanks for joining! Cindy

I took two weeks but could've gone back after one. I had minimal pain, no complications, and a quick recovery. I'm a bank teller. I'm on my feet all day but it didn't bother me. I wasn't overly tired or anything. Everyone is different. Some people seem to have more pain than others, or are tired all the time, or are dealing w/nausea. Plan on taking whatever amount of time your doctor recommends. You can always go back sooner if you feel up to it and he clears you. I would just suggest one thing when do return to work. Don't introduce new foods while you're there. I made that mistake twice and spent several hours sick with the 'foamies'. The first time I missed two hours of training on our new computer system because of tuna. Embarrassing! The second time my coworkers were ordering Chinese and I didn't want to be left out. I thought egg-drop Soup would be a safe bet. I was wrong. :-p Plan your meals, drink your fluids, obey your doctors instructions, listen to your body, and you'll be fine. :-)

My last filling was in November and its pretty tight. I've been ok until the last 2 weeks where I've had to keep a cup of water on my bed side and sleep at a propped up angle because ill wake up coughing and choking on spit. What could it be? Also, because I paid out of pocket for the surgery, I'm worried if there is a complication that my insurance won't cover anything I might need to get done to fix it. Any suggestions?

I think the majority have a pretty easy time of it. I certainly did. But those who have slower recoveries really seem to suffer genuinely. And a few, bless their hearts, have complications and have a really harder time. Yet when you read the "surgiversary" stories almost everyone (everyone?) says they are so glad they had the surgery, even the ones who had a tougher time post-op. So happy yours is going so well. P.S. And no, I'm not waiting for "a shoe to drop." I'm expecting blue skies.

Audefacere I am right there with you. I was sleeved on 11/25 and have had slight complications. The major one was the gas but it was resolved with walking. I did hit a stall but have moved past it now. I think I did too much research pre surgery and expected the worst. I now know every body is different and results and complications vary. I am so grateful that my journey is exactly the way it is.

Everyone is different. Not all foods that bother one will bother another. I had the revision 7 months ago and I am able to tolerate every food I have tried under the sun. Dairy bothers me sometimes but only straight milk. The revision for me was fine, no complications. I lost weight at a faster rate but now I have stalled for quite some weeks. But I am also working out more and weight lifting.

Same story here! VSG June 14 with Bhatti GI & North Memorial in MN. Recovery has really been a breeze. I took 1 week off from my desk job for surgery recovery. At almost 8 weeks, 32.5 lbs down. Including a recent 10-day vacation, eating normal foods at restaurants, but small amounts. On vacation we walked 3-6 miles a day. Normally I barely exercise…yeah…I know I need to do better, but I do physical farm work too. No food intolerances, nausea, pain, hair loss, or dumping. I get my 65-90g protein, hydrate, and have my vitamins & probiotic. 900-1200 calories/day. Too often my carbs are too high (>75g). It’s hard to get fiber. The “hardest” part for me and the only deviation from the plan that I have committed (besides erratic levels of exercise) was clear liquids. I was prescribed 3 days CL before surgery (lost 4lbs) plus 2 weeks CL after surgery. 2w after was way too long. I got dizzy and weak because I couldn’t get enough protein. Switching to full liquids was like paradise. Did that a week early with no issues. North Memorial’s diet plan is very conservative. I also got Covid for the first time at 4w post-op. I only had a scratchy throat for 3 days and was tired for a week, but had no problems keeping to the dietary guidelines. Almost zero movement b/c I did strict quarantine for 10d to not spread it. I am surprised I’ve done so well given how crazy it all sounds in retrospect. Major abdominal surgery, FT work, life with 3 kids, Covid, harvest season on the farm, and lengthy travel all in 8 weeks. But it’s been great! I have tons of energy! Fear of complications and lack of insurance coverage kept me from doing this for probably 8+ years. It’s nice to hear positive stories collected in one place. I feel for those of us struggling. I still fear something will crop up. We are fortunate.

Any changes to your diet phase you should definitely get guidance from your doctor/weight loss team. The phases are there to help your new stomach adjust slowly and to minimize the risk of potential complications. Having difficulties in any diet phase can be stressful to deal with. You're only a couple of weeks out from surgery. I felt lethargic and weak 2 weeks out from my surgery too and that was without having issues with liquids. Your body is still healing and it takes time. Please make sure you speak to your doctor before making any changes to your diet phase!

I do still have my gall bladder. Planning on contacting them when they are in the office. Just curious if anyone ever heard of complications this long after surgery.

Wow, thanks for all the replies and to all who read my story. It's been so long and as I started writing, it just all flowed out with ease. I needed to get it off my chest, I've never told my story to anyone except my husband, who has lived it with me. I guess it looks worse on paper than I thought!! I'm really ok, I made it through each time hoping that this would be the last surgery, and this last time was the most disappointing I think, waking up with the doctor saying "sorry". But, we must just dust ourselves off and move forward, what else can we do? On days that I feel great, I forget about all the medical junk and just enjoy the bliss. Deedee-thank your for saying that I have a positive attitude, it doesn't feel that way sometimes. I have total faith in my doctor, she has seen my insides 3 times now and knows her way around! (I left my first doctor, he told me my port wasn't infected and I ran around with an open tunneling wound in my abdomen for 7 months before finding another doctor who knew what they were doing!) Donna- it's so good to hear how happy you are with the sleeve, it gives me hope. I really appreciate your empathy. It touches my heart to know that people really care.:drool5: Tiffykins, I only wish I would have gotten my band out sooner, 7 years was WAY to long to suffer. I just kept wanting to make it work. I know almost for certain that I will have some complication with the operation for the sleeve, I am a poor healer, but I know it will all be worth it! Thinasiwant- thank you for your comments, I look forward to better times, that is for sure! Carolyn-I can't wait to "love my life" as you do! Actually, I do (except for the obesity part). I have 2 great kids and a husband who loves me- poor thing, he's had to endure all of this with me! He's a keeper! :cursing: I also cannot wait to have more energy! I was recently diagnosed with Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and have started taking thyroid replacement, so that should help with the energy thing too. Lee-I always had faith that the band would eventually work right, so my only frustration now is the time that I wasted trying to make it work. Hopefully, in a few short months, I will have a new tool that will actually work, the sleeve, and the end of my saga will come and my new life will finally start! I cannot wait to participate in activities with my family instead of sitting in a chair on the sidelines. Thank you so much again, I look forward to growing my new friendships and being of support to others! Kathy :seeya:

I went back to school exactly one week after. It was hard, I was very tired and sitting was uncomfortable. I am currently 1.5 weeks out and feel pretty good, I am back to my daily activities. It depends on your pain tolerance and any complications that occurred. I could have done well with 2 full weeks off and been fine. I was clawing the walls during the one week but was still pretty tired after normal tasks like going to the bathroom. My side stitch is still tight so I have to be careful because it can get pretty sore with too much movement.

I'm on the fence. I think on the one hand that you shouldn't be on a cruise that soon post op in case of complications... but on the other hand, doing something like the cruise with so many great, not day-to-day "normal" things to do to take your mind of of your head hunger might be a good thing. I suggest asking your surgeon for his opinion :-) Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using the BariatricPal App

I'll take a contrary position. From my experience, you will probably feel pretty good 8 weeks out, but will have extreme dietary restrictions which could be very difficult to deal with in a captive environment. In addition, there is a very slight chance you could have complications emerge at around that time (e.g. - stricture) and medical care could be dicey depending on where you are. While I am extremely happy with my RNY and would do it again in a heartbeat, in your situation, I would consider postponing the surgery. If you can move it to July from April, what's 3 more months really? Then you can focus on you and your recovery. I took my first extended trip out of the country to an all inclusive about 10 months post-op, and frankly I'm glad I waited that long. Any trip I was taking 8 weeks post-op (frankly even up to about 5-6 months post-op) I was bringing a LOT of my own supplies - Protein drinks, cottage cheese, etc. Now that I'm a year post-op I can usually make so with whatever is available. I may throw some Protein Bars in my bag for emergency use, but other than that I can pretty much roll with it.

I was the same way I lost a lot the first two weeks and yes I was able to drink freely and without any pain or to much restriction! I also thought that maybe my sleeve might be to big! but NO I feel the restiction now on soft foods after a couple of bites and yes my wieght stalled for a week and now it is coming off fast again I love the way I feel I have been so luck to not have complications!! I also felt the need for solids when on liquids but now I have to stop and make my self eat. My energy level is great and I have droped almost 3 pant sizes!! Keep up the good work!!!!

I had a slipped band and my symptoms were EXTREME acid reflux...especially at night, and trouble keeping most things down...including water. Trust me, I KNEW there was a problem! A regular abdomonal x-ray showed my band had slipped and I was admitted to the hospital 2 hours later. Most of the time, they can "fix" or reposition the band, but in my case they had to replace it. I advise anyone having ANY sort of problems to get to your doc asap. Not every complication requires another surgery...but don't waste time trying to self diagnose...just got see your doc!!

Well, you're definitely odd... No, I wouldn't count you in the "complication" group -- I think you have something else going on with your body. Is the thyroid medication helping at all yet? I haven't read all the posts around here lately, sorry if that's already answered somewhere...

Just want to interject - "I have only lost 50 some pounds." There's no such thing as ONLY losing 50 lbs, especially when you've fought your way through each and every one of them. I've not had a slip (knocl on wood) but a good friend of mine did. She was part of the original FDA trials and has had additional complications since her slip, but she slipped so severely that she was PBing on her own saliva, just from swallowing. Since she went from a tight size 36 to a loose size 0, and lost any resemblance to healthy, her surgeon urged (and is still urging) her to have the band removed. She refuses, because she's afraid the weight will come back if the band is not there. Unfortunately her case is one where healthy weightloss transgressed into eating disorder and irratitional thinking. :confused: What is happening during your surgery - are they repositioning? Replacing? Removing?

i too am able to eat what i want. I had the RNY and I haven't experienced any complications. I had a friend who got sleeved two weeks behind me, and she is having trouble drinking anything. She says it hurts. I feel blessed to be able to eat whatever, but it does take me choosing to change my diet for optimal success. I know people who have had the gastric bypass and eat what ever they want. They lost weight, but probably not to the extent they could have. I want a different life, so I will have to make changes, but I do take it as a blessing. I don't want to experience the pain I see my friend going through. Counting my blessings...

Reaching out here because I'm at my wits end with stomach pain. To make a very long story short, I am having extreme pain in my left side of my abdomen and back every night starting at 5pm and ending in the morning around 6am. This has landed me in urgent care and two ERs and a hospital stay in the past week. I've seen doctor after doctor and no one knows what's wrong. Waiting to see a GI specialist. I was discharged with narcotic pain meds to control it and those don't even work. Totally fine during the day. No problems eating or any other classic lap band complications but my surgeon is not ruling out lap band issues.... Has anyone had this? It's like clock work and I dread every evening. I met with my surgeon today and unfortunately his solution involved going to an ER and hospital that are not on my insurance. Any advice appreciated. The pain is constant, intense and travels throughout my left side. Ruled out OB issues, kidney stones, gallbladder, etc with a CT scan. All bloodwork normal.

Whatever you decide, PLEASE make sure your insurance company does NOT have a 1 weight loss surgery procedure per LIFETIME, or policy period exclusion. With the recent study out in 2010 showing 1 in 3 band patients need another surgery and it's typically a revision, you'll be stuck with a band. I have appeal letters, and there are SOOOOOOOOOOO many people on obesityhelp.com that had the same rule with their insurance, they appealed it and WON for the sleeve. I had the band because VSG was not available when I had to choose. So, believe me, I do understand in choosing the band, BUT VSG was NOT even offered in my area, along with government ran insurance through the military, I had to tackle 2 hurdles to get VSG. I say do NOT give up, do not settle for the complications that come with the band lifestyle.

I have a child and I am currently 1 week post RNY. Like you I wanted a sleeve but my reflux was too bad and I wanted to avoid another possible surgery in the future to correct it or convert it since it's not just that easy as oh just get a revision. My husband and I are not planning to have more kids per say, but if after my waiting period something happens then we would be thrilled!! We had to endure trying, expensive, and frustrating fertility treatments in order to have our child and while I wouldn't change it for the world, if I had to do it over I would have had surgery first. I'm reading some misinformation on here in regards to malabsorption and by no means am I an expert and truthfully that is the exact reason I was afraid to have RNY, but truth is your body may not receive as many calories or nutrients from foods that aren't the greatest for you. That is the benefits to malabsorption. Your stomach doesn't just dump everything the second you ingest it unless in most people it's pretty unhealthy and in that case you're not receiving nutrition from something like that anyway even if you didn't have the surgery. My very good friend had RNY almost 6 years ago and while she still had issues getting pregnant she is currently pregnant with her second child in less than a year lol! Actually her children will be 1 year and 9 days apart if baby 2 stays in there that long ha ha! She had zero complications as it relates to her surgery and was substantially healthier and more readily able to carry a child because of it. The only thing that's common in terms of a normal pregnancy and RNY is having your glucose testing done differently and finding a dr that had treated and delivered babies to mothers that have had RNY just in case. Back to the malabsorption, as long. As you are eating correctly and being religious about taking your vitamins as directed by your bariatric program/surgeon you shouldn't ever be malnourished. This requires follow up blood work and specified intervals forever and reporting to your doctor if you feel off. Also eating for 2 is not healthy and it's not a thing, you literally only need 100 more calories a day when you are pregnant and that essentially an extra, healthy protein filled snack. I would not be concerned about malabsorption since there is a big difference between malabsorption and malnutrition and as long as you stick to the plan and take your supplements and get in your protein you would be fine. I know a lot of people do research into the things they want to do and their surgeries but I kind of go over board on it before doing anything and for me this was the right choice! All of the research I read about pregnancy after WLS showed significant higher numbers of healthy babies and healthy mothers with a drastic reduction in pregnancy/higher weight related complication such as GD, PreE, bed rest, etc.. I was lucky I had a healthy pregnancy and a healthy daughter and while I wasn't as big as I am now I only gained 20lbs my entire pregnancy, ate healthy, and kept active. I however was always worried and I actually switched doctors about 12ish weeks in because my weight was an issue for them and I would leave every appointment crying. You need to make the choice that's right for your life, but word of advice I don't think I will ever go back to regular vitamins you swallow even though they say 6-8 weeks after you can take pills like normal. I think it's better to have the nutrients available almost immediately for absorption by allowing them to dissolve or using chewable.

You might. I did have an account, but I left when I had just had enough from people who are emotionally unhealthy. I see that there are still people who like to unload on others here, so I won't frequent this site. I just wanted to share my experience in case someone really needs help. I really needed help, and Dr. Illan and his team really saved me from the complications of a rather severe lap band slip. I am so lucky I found them.

Hello, I would like us to get to know each other, so here's my story... I am 47 yrs old, Married to my wonderful husband Richard for 27 yrs now. I have two awesome sons, Jason 26 and Josh 23. My son Joshua was married last July and they are about to have his first child. The decision to have this surgery was not an easy one for me. I have diabetes, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, acid reflux, sleep apnea and side effects from the diabetes. I have seen people get diabetes complications and have their toes, feet, legs removed. Blindness is also a real possibility. I have nerve damage starting in my feet, and sighs of damage in my eyes. I want to be able to play with my grandchild and enjoy my life as I get older. So...... this is why I made the decision to have the surgery. I was on 3 different meds for my diabetes, including insulin. My surgery was 8 days ago and I am off all the diabetic meds, sleep apnea is gone, blood pressure is better. For now I still take the blood pressure med and the med for cholesterol, but am told I will be off them soon. Each day I feel better and better. I have lost 22 pounds since I saw my surgeon in May. 11 since my surgery on 6/19. I am very pleased with the improvment of my health and am told it will get better in the coming months. I would really like to hear from you. Thanks for reading my story. RanayB