I'm almost one week post ope and so terrified of a leak!! I strained my stomach a little earlier this morning-pushing. I've read left shoulder pain. I now have a little burning in my left shoulder. Yikes, I'm scared!!

I haven't had my surgery and you guys are scaring me to death about a leak...lol I want this surgery so badly and I just wish we could be sure that after so long we wouldn't have to worry about leaks. I was reading a post on someone who had a leak 4 months after surgery but not sure who it was. I hate the thought of being on a feeding tube.... ugghhhhhhh! I keep going back and forth about having the surgery. I think... well... maybe I can do this without it... when in reality I know I can't! I went on another site and read about gastric bypass and I KNOW I don't want to do that.

How big is your stomach after the surgery? I read where they can make it 2 oz or 6oz. Seems if they make it a little larger, leaks may not happen so easily.

Leaks are not that common. I know several people personally that have had the surgery and have talked with many more on this site who have had surgery and have not had a leak. It is a possibility but it is not that common. After your surgery just make sure that you stick to your diet plan given by your surgeon. When you feel like you stomach says that you are full stop eating. At first you will be eating and drinking very little at a time. If they made your stomach larger then you could in fact eat more but then you would not see the weight loss as fast and it is possible to stretch out your stomach. So if they made it larger and you overate all the time soon you would not be seeing much if any benefit from having the surgery. This surgery is a life changing event and your eating habits will change. I am 3 months post op and I can now eat between 3/4 to 1 cup of food at at meal. This also depends greatly on what I am eating as some things seem to fill me up much faster.

Everyone has fears about the surgery....leaks included but have faith in your doctor and yourself and you can do this. I know that I thought many times...if I would just cut back how much I was eating I could lose the weight. Well after being overweight most of my life I guess that was not in the cards for me. The WLS has been a life saving and changing event for me and all for the good.

Hang in there and you will be glad that you made this decision.

Leaks are not that common. I know several people personally that have had the surgery and have talked with many more on this site who have had surgery and have not had a leak. It is a possibility but it is not that common. After your surgery just make sure that you stick to your diet plan given by your surgeon. When you feel like you stomach says that you are full stop eating. At first you will be eating and drinking very little at a time. If they made your stomach larger then you could in fact eat more but then you would not see the weight loss as fast and it is possible to stretch out your stomach. So if they made it larger and you overate all the time soon you would not be seeing much if any benefit from having the surgery. This surgery is a life changing event and your eating habits will change. I am 3 months post op and I can now eat between 3/4 to 1 cup of food at at meal. This also depends greatly on what I am eating as some things seem to fill me up much faster. Everyone has fears about the surgery....leaks included but have faith in your doctor and yourself and you can do this. I know that I thought many times...if I would just cut back how much I was eating I could lose the weight. Well after being overweight most of my life I guess that was not in the cards for me. The WLS has been a life saving and changing event for me and all for the good. Hang in there and you will be glad that you made this decision.

Thanks so much. I do plan to do exactly what the Dr tells me to do. I really need to do this. I was scheduled to do surgery in 2008 and at the last minute my thyroid test came back Hyperthyroid. I had been having issues with my heart rate and BP going up but not much weight loss. The Drs couldn't believe I had Hyper thyroidism (Graves Disease) and not hypo since I was a big girl. I had to have it ablated with radiation and now I'm on meds the rest of my life for HYPO thyroidism. After having it ablated, I gained another 50 pounds. I'm devastated by the weight gain and I just can't lose on my own. This really is my last option. I keep praying for GOD's guidance and I have to have faith that whatever happens God is in control.

Thank you for your comments. It helps alot.

I was told that after fourteen days the stomach should be fully healed as well. I had a massive leak about a week after my surgery and still have a leak 13 weeks later. I did not have shoulder pain but had pain in my chest that I thought at the time was heartburn. I was getting weaker and weaker each day and could not hold anything down.

Oh my gosh I'm so sorry! I hope your doing better.

Typically' date=' if complications arise, it's between weeks 4 and 6, so at 6 weeks if there are no problems, you get the go ahead to resume physical activity. ( this is according to MY surgeon's office. Others may be different.) Ask MeMeMEEE (above) about late leaks. She can tell you her story.

I have lost 44 lbs. so far. [/quote']

I'm going to my surgeons office in Tuesday-I will make sure I ask. That's great you lost 40lbs, congrats!!

I seem to remember some doctor or nurse telling me that if you do have a leak it is usually caught the day of surgery during your first swallow test. The rarity is after you go home (I guess I am rare) and the leak occurred.

The only good thing to come out having the leak and being Nothing by mouth for so long is that I broke all my food addictions. Since I have gone so long with no food being around food doesn't bother me. I cook dinner every night and watch my family eat their dinner with no problems.

Sounds like there is alot of different info out there about leaks. My understanding is that they THINK all leaks happen in the first several weeks, before 4-6 weeks. I was told that they think leaks found after that were there earlier, but were small enough or otherwise were not detectable.

I have also heard that they can't always detect them with those leak tests immediately post op because there is so much swelling post op that it can mask the existance of a leak.

I would be interested to find out more about leaks that are created after the first couple of months.

I attended a WL seminar in Chicago after I had my surgery. The doctor that was giving the presentation to those looking at WLS told us that you can develop a lead 6 months out. He said that is was not common that far out that it was possible. He said a lot of it depends on how closely you follow your eating plan and how well you stomach heals. He said that each and every patient is different so there are great variations. I know that we all have a tendency to cheat on occassion and I, too, fall into that category. The trick is to get back on track as soon as possible. I know that I am only 3 month post op and there are things that I would really like to have but it says that some are out as far as 6 months post op. Oh and I know that every doctor does not use the same diet plan so there are great differences. I guess I follow pretty close and if I eat something on my plan that dones not agree with me I wait another couple of weeks and try again. I have had once episode of vomiting since my surgery and I do not want to have another.

Best to all.

Wow thanks everyone! Lots to think about. Ill make sure I discuss it with my surgeon on Tuesday.