Well Hello Group,

I have been lurking and learning since finding this site. I just got my surgery date of 18 Feb. A little about me. I was recommend to have the VSG by my Heart Failure doc who will eventually do my heart transplant. They will not put you on the list for a new heart unless you have a BMI of 35% or less. Ideally they want you around "30ish"at time of transplant to be a good candidate for a new heart. Well the thing is with Congestive Heart Failure I can not walk to my bedroom or bathroom without getting extremely short of breath and fatigued. So I am unable to exercise and would basically need a diet of sawdust and ice water to get to 30% BMI. Currently I am 5'9" and weigh around 277 with a BMI around 45%.

At Integris Baptist in Oklahoma City, the Heart failure people (the ones who do the heart transplants and LVAD pumps) work very closely with the Bariatric Surgery Department specifically Dr. Hamilton Le who is my Bariatric Surgeon. Even though my VSG surgery will be Feb 18, the cardiac team will bring me in three days early to "tune up" my heart and get me prepared for the surgery from a Cardiac perspective. Then after the VSG i am told I will stay another three days to make sure my heart has recovered along with my new Stomach. I have worked in medicine and to me this is very forward thinking. Most Heart Failure patients and patients with heart pumps struggle with their weight. They Oklahoma City Integris Baptist Hospital are celebrating one of their first success stories in a man who already had a heart pump in place (The kind Vice President Cheney had), had the VSG, lost his weight, was placed on the transplant list, got a new heart and is now four or five months post op from his transplant and I hear he is doing well.

This is a one way street for me. It is my only option if I want a shot at a new heart. Having spent 21 years in the Navy. I just know I have to report when they tell me and do what they tell me. Nothing more, nothing less. Yes it is hight risk surgery for me but it might be my only chance at livening another decade versus only two years with my current worn out heart.

So, asking for prayers and positive thoughts and we as would say as Navy Corpsman, cover me, I am going in.

Mark

Best of luck... sounds like the best plan for you!

Best of luck!! Sending prayers your way!! I hope everything works out for you!

Very interesting I was wondering if they do this for CHF patients. I will have to tell my friend about your case.

She finally lost enough weigh on her own to have knee surgery so that she is more mobile to hopefully continue lower her wait. She dropped like 60 . Well definitely keep you in prayers for great surgery outcome . I have had a few road blocks but look forward to hopefully getting apprloved by my rheumatologist in feb so I can have surgery in March. My pcp has cleared me from his standpoint. Best wishes

lol weight

I'm not sure if you're still on here or not, but I was just sleeved on 2/10/17. I went into CHF due to pregnancy in 2013. I was implanted in 2014 with a defibrillator & then an LVAD in 2015. I too had to lose weight in order to be listed for transplant, but my cardiologist seems to believe that my heart may repair itself if I drop the weight. Can you tell me how things have gone for you post VSG?