Complications after Sleeve Surgery

[*Lib* 5]

What the?? Why would she sue? complications are a fact of major abdominal surgery. If her surgeon hold told her to suck it up and move on, then yes then take it further, but her surgeon tried to help.:cursing:

[ana 1]

now whay do i have the impresion that u are a doctor??????????? you are sure talking like one!!!! honey any person out there in their right state of mind ould try to repair (help) if they made a mistake!!! OFCOURSE the doctor tryed to help her!!! ofcourse the doctor is proabably a nice wonderfull person but maybe he was in a hury or he had a hang over(god knowes what) and he did'nt stiched her right, were u there to really kow what happend? it did'nt happend to you and maybe that's whay youre so agresive in defending the poor doctor because HE went to so much truble and pain!

[*Lib* 5]

I'm not a doctor, when I had my surgery I was informed of the risks involved.

[ardita 0]

I had a leak which seems to be the least of my complications. My esophagus was destroyed and had to be rebuilt from muscle (I keep meaning to ask the doctor where the muscle came from). My left lung was severely infected. It collapsed. I had a team of 4 doctors doing surgery simultaneously to save my life.

I currently have a spit fistula and a feeding tube. Hopefully the fistula will come out in the next 10 days or so and the feeding tube in a few weeks.

I've been having daily episodes of vomiting due to the fistula. The nurse just called me to say it is because I am dehydrated. I am now supposed to get in 64 ounces of Water on top of the Liquid Protein that takes 14 hours to go through. Guess I'll be married to this recliner until the fistula and feeding tube come out!

Other than that I am wonderful:crying:

Hello Hayley-

Sorry to hear things got off to such a tough start for you. i have not read through so do not know how you are doing now, but I do have to tell you yours is the first story I've read of someone with really severe bad VSG experience. It makes me wonder if it was a surgical error/human error rather than a VSG procedure specific problem. Some others have mentioned things such as dehydration, anemia, but those could happen to anyone with any procedure not taking in enough. I hope you are doing better now.

[Bonnielass 0]

Hello Windyacres_2000,

Would you do it again even if you knew you would be going through all those complications? I'm considering having the surgery, but I'm very scared.

[Tiffykins 672]

Hello Windyacres_2000,

Would you do it again even if you knew you would be going through all those complications? I'm considering having the surgery, but I'm very scared.

I had extensive complications with my revision from the band to the sleeve. I would do it all again in a heartbeat, and without a second thought.

I've posted all my complications in threads and in my blog. I think most of them are posted in my blog on here. If you click at the top of the page where it says BLOG, you can find mine, and read back through my complications.

[Bonnielass 0]

Thank you so much for answering my question. I'm really worried about it. I read somewhere that the leaks are almost impossible to fix expecially at the esophegeal gastric junction. I'm knew to these kind of sites and don't really know how to use them. I found your blog but only read that you had drains and something TPN (don't know what that stands for). Don't know why you had drains or how long you suffered with your complications. Thanks for your help. I really appreciate it.

[windyacres_2000 1]

Hello Windyacres_2000,

Would you do it again even if you knew you would be going through all those complications? I'm considering having the surgery, but I'm very scared.

I'm a surgery wanna-be, but I have been reading this board for a long time, and while the complications scare me spitless, they are a remote possibility. The comorbidities I have because of my obesity are here and now, and I think they are even scarier. Definitely worth the small risk associated with the surgery in my opinion.

[Malaika 50]

Bonnie -

The majority of complications are experienced by those revising from the band to the sleeve - if you are a virgin sleever, the risk of complications is very minimal.

I do not know who is doing your surgery; however, Dr. Aceves has performed over 700 sleeves and has never had a leak - and I am sure many of those were revisions from band to sleeve - I personally know 2 of his patients who were revisions and they are doing fine and had no complications following surgery.

[Tiffykins 672]

Thank you so much for answering my question. I'm really worried about it. I read somewhere that the leaks are almost impossible to fix expecially at the esophegeal gastric junction. I'm knew to these kind of sites and don't really know how to use them. I found your blog but only read that you had drains and something TPN (don't know what that stands for). Don't know why you had drains or how long you suffered with your complications. Thanks for your help. I really appreciate it.

I try to give you the footnote version of my complications.

I am a band to sleeve revision. On June 3rd, I had my revision surgery.

On June 5th, a leak was detected on my final leak test. I was rushed to surgery for the leak repair. It was successful, but I could not eat or drink anything until the 25th of June. I had a problem with recovery, and was in ICU for 4 days. The TPN was a liquid form of nutrients, 1800 calories a day fed to me via a central line in my left arm. I had drains due to the leak repair.

I recovered slowly, but have since recovered.

My leak was attributed to the extensive damage the band did to my stomach.

Complications with a virgin stomach are very minimal. Leak stats for any surgeon should be = or < 1%. Other complications can occur with any surgery like Shanda mentioned.

If you have done your research on your surgeon, and feel confident in his skill then be certain that you'll do fine.

We're all here to support you, and help you through this process. It's okay to be nervous. It's a life changing surgery, and you have to be confident in your surgeon choice. I knew that I would die an early death from co-morbidities. So, the fear of being fat outweighed the fear of surgery.

Even with my complications, I would still have the surgery in a heartbeat without a second thought.

Edited December 8, 2009 by Tiffykins

[Bonnielass 0]

Wow, thank you all for answering my questions. You are so supportive. I feel so encouraged. I never knew that this kind of discussion over the internet could be so helpful. What is this called what we're doing..."chatting?" Can anyone tell me if "pm" means private message? How do I learn how to use this site?

Thank you so much. I'm sorry that some of you have had complications. I'm glad you're recovered Tiffykins. VegasAngel, I read somewhere else on this site that you are still experiencing a lot of difficulty. I am so sorry and will keep you in my prayers.

Windyacres_2000, I agree that the comorbidities are here and now. Mine are under control with meds, but my family history has a record of people dying young mostly from heart disease complicated by obesity. I don't want to wait until I'm older and sicker before getting the surgery. I want to do it now while I'm still relatively young, 51 years old. My dad died at 55 and my uncle at 52. It's like gambling and rolling the dice am I safer getting the surgery or trying my luck without it? Scary decision no matter what choice I make. Thank you all very, very much.

[Tiffykins 672]

If you want to send anyone a PM (private message), click on their name, and their profile will pull up.

You will have the option from there to send them a private message or post something on their page in the form of a "visitor message". You can click on my name when I post something, and send a private message from the hyperlink that will pop down.

You can also start a blog by going to the top tool bar, click on Blogs, and on the left hand column, it will give you a link on where to start a blog.

As for posting picture, click on photo album, and you can create an album from there. You'll simply upload photos from your PC.

If you want to customize your profile, how you font appears in threads and so forth, go to the User CP (user control panel) on the top tool bar.

From there you can uplaod an avatar which is the picture that will display when you post a reply on the forum. A profile picture is what is seen when someone clicks on your user name is directed to your profile.

If you have any other specific questions, feel free to ask. I'll try to help you navigate through the forum as best as I can.

[Bonnielass 0]

Tiffykins, you're the best! Thanks so much for your help.

[Smelly Melly 0]

Hi I am in Melbourne and just wondered if you were sleeved and how you went?

Oh no! I forgot the name of the person and it was pages ago!! She was in Brisbane...

Edited March 1, 2010 by Smelly Melly
oops

[Bonnielass 0]

G'day Smelly Melly, I lived in North Sydney for 2 yrs. LOVED IT!! You Aussies are great:biggrin0:. No I haven't been sleeved yet. I've been through my classes that are mandatory by Kaiser (ins.) and that's taken nearly four months. The waiting list for the actual surgery is approx five to six months from now. Are you considering surgery or have you had it already?