March 5 my dad had been sleeved and two days post op found two pin hole leaks. He was eventually put on life support for 3 Weeks with kidney, lung, and liver failure and was septic. after being in the hospital for over a month he was sent home on a feeding tube with stents covering the pin holes they had turned to nickel size holes. He had his feeding tube in til June and was not allowed to eat or dink anything at all. He lost over 100 pounds in 2 months. now 4 months post op he is barely allowed to eat pureed and there is a pocket that formed where the holes were do Dr is scared to let him eat. My dad is miserable and regrets having the surgery done even tho he would have died soon without it. Anyone else experience leaks or near death experiences like this? I was sleeved by same surgeon June 25th and recovery has been quick and amazing.

I'm so glad to hear your dad is recovering from such a terrible ordeal. Bless his heart he really went through alot. I'm sure you are so relieved! Congrats on his weight loss,,but so sorry he had to go through what he did to shed that many pounds.

They did do a swallow test but the two leaks were up by his asophogus (sp) and they were pin hole from the stapler slipping. They did not know he had a leak until third day in hospital. He ran fever and had left shoulder pain since the first night....they really should have figured out it was a leak way sooner.

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This could be the lawyer in me talking, but stapler slipping sounds like either human error or equipment failure. After all your dad went through, have you spoken to a med-mal attorney about a possible claim? I'm sure your dad's life was turned upside-down - he's only 51 - and he should be compensated for this.

So, I'm curious with as much weight as he has lost, does he still need to lose anymore? I'm not sure if it's in this thread somewhere if you posted what his starting weight was.

I just stumbled upon this thread and I am amazed. I'm real glad your father is doing better and I hope it helps others not to give up hope if you have complications in the beginning. Having a good Doctor who will work hard for you is priceless as well. It's also commendable that you did not let your father's complications deter you from having the surgery. As you and others have stated, not having the surgery can have much greater risks. Sounds like your recovery is going flawlessly.

Keep us updated on your father's progress.

This could be the lawyer in me talking' date=' but stapler slipping sounds like either human error or equipment failure. After all your dad went through, have you spoken to a med-mal attorney about a possible claim? I'm sure your dad's life was turned upside-down - he's only 51 - and he should be compensated for this.[/quote']

My dad has thought about it but his surgeon has been amazing. How many surgeons call you 2-3 times a day to see how you are doing we have his cell and text him all the time with our silly questions. a group of amazing doctors came together for my dad they even flew pig cells in to help patch the holes from another country. he has developed a really strong relationship with his surgeon. If it were me I wouldn't care what type of relationship I had with him I would get compensated no matter what. I feel my dad should have gone to a more experienced surgeon. I was his 5th sleeve. He was doing the band and bypass up until October last year. But when I saw how he took care of my dad and how he genuinely cared I wouldn't have let anyone else do my sleeve

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So' date=' I'm curious with as much weight as he has lost, does he still need to lose anymore? I'm not sure if it's in this thread somewhere if you posted what his starting weight was.[/quote']

He started at 370 and is now 247 his goal weight is 200 so not that much farther

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I'm so glad to hear your dad is recovering from such a terrible ordeal. Bless his heart he really went through alot. I'm sure you are so relieved! Congrats on his weight loss' date=',but so sorry he had to go through what he did to shed that many pounds.[/quote']

Thank you. He is a very strong person and has come a long way

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I had issues after.

Sleeved may 15th and been hospital for 6 weeks and now have ulcerative. Colitis and it's not nice, but I would do it again.

I hope your dad has a good recovery.

I started at 130kg and now at 103.4 kg and had a month stall

You and your Dad sound awesome! Yes, your Dad took a risk but you know what? We all did! Perhaps he should have gone to a more experienced surgeon but your Dad for some reason trusted his surgeon. Looks like that was a good thing. Some surgeons act like a complication is not their fault and walk away but this surgeon did something about it!! Almost any surgeon doing sleeves is bound to eventually have a leak. I think you choosing this surgeon after what happened to your Dad was a strong show of faith. I guess seeing him take good care of your Dad was a testament. All surgeons have to be newbies just like we have to be forum newbies. Someone has to let them operate to learn. Someone had to be every doctor's first or tenth or twentieth patient. And I'm really glad those people were there! Otherwise we wouldn't have bariatric surgeons out there gaining experience and getting better! Having faith in your surgeon is important. I'm glad you had enough.

And I'm SOOOOO glad your Dad is ok!

Wow what a scary road for him...and for you too I'm sure!! I'm so glad to hear that both of you are doing well! Well wishes and prayers that his recovery continues to go well!

First off hope yr dad is better. And the doctors are close because of a thing called a law suit . My dr wouldn't listen after numerous complaints of vomiting and not feeling good come to find out after a trip to the ER my gallbladder was so infected and full of stones it actually was holding my liver up. Switched to my dr partner who is much better bed side manner

I'm sorry to hear about your dad and unfortunately he had to go through that experience. However it should be sad way early on to all smoker's and drinkers that you really dont know the unreparable damage that can be done internally to what you are doing to yourself. Being in the medical field I see this all the time- people saying they quit or not telling us they are a smoker and a minor procedure can turn into a major one real quick.

Hopefully you both have learned from this and perhaps can turn it around by going to support groups and encouraging EVERYONE you know to stop the pre op habits soon enough to minimize the risk- the risk will always be there but you can decrease it...

ps thanks for sharing such a personal story-

You and your Dad sound awesome! Yes' date=' your Dad took a risk but you know what? We all did! Perhaps he should have gone to a more experienced surgeon but your Dad for some reason trusted his surgeon. Looks like that was a good thing. Some surgeons act like a complication is not their fault and walk away but this surgeon did something about it!! Almost any surgeon doing sleeves is bound to eventually have a leak. I think you choosing this surgeon after what happened to your Dad was a strong show of faith. I guess seeing him take good care of your Dad was a testament. All surgeons have to be newbies just like we have to be forum newbies. Someone has to let them operate to learn. Someone had to be every doctor's first or tenth or twentieth patient. And I'm really glad those people were there! Otherwise we wouldn't have bariatric surgeons out there gaining experience and getting better! Having faith in your surgeon is important. I'm glad you had enough.

And I'm SOOOOO glad your Dad is ok![/quote']

Thank you so much and you are right I had a lot of faith in him and everything with me came out as planned.

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I'm sorry to hear about your dad and unfortunately he had to go through that experience. However it should be sad way early on to all smoker's and drinkers that you really dont know the unreparable damage that can be done internally to what you are doing to yourself. Being in the medical field I see this all the time- people saying they quit or not telling us they are a smoker and a minor procedure can turn into a major one real quick.

Hopefully you both have learned from this and perhaps can turn it around by going to support groups and encouraging EVERYONE you know to stop the pre op habits soon enough to minimize the risk- the risk will always be there but you can decrease it...

ps thanks for sharing such a personal story-

Yes smoking is something that people need to take seriously...its hard and even harder not being able to eat...first think a smoker does when they can't smoke is eat lol worst choice I ever made in life was smoking.

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My mom died less than 30 days after having this procedure. She developed constipation and abdominal pain. Wound up having a perforation of her colon and getting a massive infection which killed her intestines and ultimately killed her. So not worth her beautiful life. : (