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Sooo.. Steri Strips or Staples



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I'm wondering what determines if your incisions are closed with Steri Strips or Staples. My surgeon I believe is going to use steri strips, but i was wondering what factors determine strips over staples. Thanks

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Probably the surgeon's preference determines which s/he uses. Mine uses internal stitches and steri strips on the outside. I can still find all of my scars, but they won't be noticable for long, I'm sure.

Don't worry about the small stuff, like what closure they will use. Just concentrate on the big stuff, getting in your liquids, Protein and following your diet. If you're like me, you'll just fill your head up with noise and lose sight of what you're trying to accomplish. When I pulled my eye off the big goal of health and losing weight is when the doubts started creeping into my head. It took a lot of mental acrobatics to get my brain back in line; I don't like to see other people having to do that, although I realize it's normal. :)

Good luck!! :)

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My surgeon does the VSG laprascopically (sp?) with only one small incision through the belly button. How many of you were done via lap, versus an abdominal incision. I'm just curious...

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Hi Michelle,

My surgeon did the surgery laproscopically (sorry for the spelling). I had 5 incisions with one just above my belly button that had a JD drain inserted for 10 days. So I really think so much depends on the doctor. He also used the "black" staples for the first time on me and removed my "excess stomach" from the right side - not sure why, and had to put an extra stitch in my muscles which seem to be causing a little more discomfort.

Hang in there and good luck wish you well. Ask questions of your surgeon :)

Sandy

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My surgeon says most people get the dermabond and steristrips. (thats what I had) You can hardly see the 5 tiny little scars!!! :-)

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I also have small 5 incisions, the larger one about 2-3 inches above my belly button & is where they removed the stomach! All are healing great. I had NO drains & was very happy about that! And I didn't have to give myself the Lovenox injections at home either! Had the surgery on a Wednesday & was home on Friday!. Still on a full liquid diet until the 14th then it's on to pureed foods! Yay!!! I would like to add, that I am 52 & a grandmother of 1 that I want to be able to run with!!!! Some day real soon that will happen!

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I was done laproscopically (sp?) and I have six small scars. One just under my left breast, then 5 running across at just about my waistline. The one farthest left on my waist had the drain tube in it for 8 days after surgery, and that's the only one that I'm concerned about seeing at all. I think it will look like the smallpox vaccination they used to give. The others are about an inch long and each had at least one stitch pop up that I had to pull. My doc says that is normal.

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Doreykn, Where you the one asking about lovenox and coumadin before surgery? I'm glad you didn't have to take the injections! It sounds like you are doing GREAT!! :)

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I had my surgery laproscopically (clueless on spelling that). I have six small scars. Five are less than a half inch in length and one of those is right by my belly button, so it is almost hidden. The last one is where they took out my stomach and left the drain for a week. It is about an inch and a half long.

My doc used steri strips without stitches or staples. I'm healing well, and I don't think the scars look too bad.

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      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
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      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
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      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

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        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

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        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

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