So I just read yet another post about someone advancing their diet on their own too soon. This one from someone 4 days post op advancing to broccoli soup. Probably won't kill them but it could. Then of course we get the irresponsible follow up poster saying that they too advanced their diet on their own way early and explored all kinds of foods and as long as their stomach tolerates it they see no problem with it.

Now I'm getting super frustrated, I had to put my two cents in. And perhaps I was harsh. But I watched someone die 4 years ago from doing just this.

My x mother in law had gastric sleeve surgery. At less than two weeks post op she started eating tidbits of foods she was not supposed to have, turkey, stuffing, ham, chicken in very small bites and yes chewed very well. All that didn't matter. She was fine at first. In fact showed no symptoms for days. Then she became extremely ill, with pain and fever. She had a leak which had to be repaired by surgery. After surgery she developed a serious infection and a fistula which led to the outside of her stomach. Everything she tried to drink seeped outside her stomach onto a large padded napkin that she held up to the opening of that fistula. They could not get the infection under control. They fought it for three months with the best antibiotics they had. Eventually she became septic, her organs began to fail and she passed away.

I am only 4 weeks post op VSG, you better believe I thought long and hard about having the same surgery that she had. But I can also say that I have followed my an to the T, with the exception of drinking coffee which I discussed with my surgeon beforehand.

When are people going to realize that following their diet is serious. And more so when are these idiots going to stop coming on and saying things like it's ok to explore foods early as long as you tolerate them!!!! My mother in law tolerated those foods just fine for damn near a week before she finally showed the signs of a serious leak.

Your prescribed diet plan after major stomach surgery is not just a guideline that they want you to follow so you can lose weight. It's a prescription that really can mean life or death, I've seen it with my own eyes.

Ugggggh sooooooo frustrated!!!!!!!

What's funny is I didn't get on here and ask for advice. I was pointing out that there seems to be no rhyme or reason to the requirements before and after surgery.

And aggiemae I have no idea what your talking about? My surgery center is a hospital. And they kept saying they were a surgery center of excellence. But hey I'm happy with my surgeon and the hospital. The surgery was smooth and my recovery has been way easier than I thought it would be.

But hey if I'm doing it wrong I'm down 35 pounds in 4 weeks. My coworker has lost 163 since May.

YOU ladies are the ones who said I wasn't following my plan, or doing what the doctors told me to do. I have been following my plan

What's funny is I didn't get on here and ask for advice. I was pointing out that there seems to be no rhyme or reason to the requirements before and after surgery.

And aggiemae I have no idea what your talking about? My surgery center is a hospital. And they kept saying they were a surgery center of excellence. But hey I'm happy with my surgeon and the hospital. The surgery was smooth and my recovery has been way easier than I thought it would be.

But hey if I'm doing it wrong I'm down 35 pounds in 4 weeks. My coworker has lost 163 since May.

YOU ladies are the ones who said I wasn't following my plan, or doing what the doctors told me to do. I have been following my plan

Completely agree. I think it's a bit ridiculous that she called your surgery center to ask about their post-op plan. You would know best, not some random internet stranger.

What's funny is I didn't get on here and ask for advice. I was pointing out that there seems to be no rhyme or reason to the requirements before and after surgery.

And aggiemae I have no idea what your talking about? My surgery center is a hospital. And they kept saying they were a surgery center of excellence.

YOU ladies are the ones who said I wasn't following my plan,

Since you don't know what I'm talking about, I will explain.

"Centers of excellence" adhere to a specific set of guidelines including a fairly specific post op diet. I think that Babbs posted it.

Interestingly, when I looked up "bariatric center of excellence KC, I noticed that many WLS doctors and clinics SEEM to squeeze the word "excellence" into the first line of their websites, I did find ONE that claimed to be accredited. However, on further investigation, there aren't any actual ACCREDITED hospitals in Kansas City, KA or MO.

http://www.surgicalreview.org/locate/ice/locate-bariatric-center-of-excellence/?list=ice

In my opinion, based on your stated "food plan", you received substandard care. You are satisfied with that care so that is not really my issue.

My issue was that you claimed you got this substandard care at a "bariatric center of excellence". Over the past five years I have spent a considerable amount of time and energy establishing the framework for the "center of excellence" designation, which is why I was concerned.

And since I now know that you did not get your diet instructions from a "center of excellence" as you previously claimed my interest in this has ended.

However, pre op patients need to be aware that any surgery center can claim to be a "center of excellence" so do your homework and choose your surgeon and hospital carefully.

I left a link.

What's funny is I didn't get on here and ask for advice. I was pointing out that there seems to be no rhyme or reason to the requirements before and after surgery.

And aggiemae I have no idea what your talking about? My surgery center is a hospital. And they kept saying they were a surgery center of excellence. But hey I'm happy with my surgeon and the hospital. The surgery was smooth and my recovery has been way easier than I thought it would be.

But hey if I'm doing it wrong I'm down 35 pounds in 4 weeks. My coworker has lost 163 since May.

YOU ladies are the ones who said I wasn't following my plan, or doing what the doctors told me to do. I have been following my plan

Completely agree. I think it's a bit ridiculous that she called your surgery center to ask about their post-op plan. You would know best, not some random internet stranger.

Funny.

I didn't claim to get substandard care. It just really blows my mind how all over the place all this is.

Like I had to do a 6 month suprivised weight loss with a NUT and see a phycologist. And hey I found out why I was fat from all that

Ins approval, I had mine in 24 hours after I met all the requirements. Some people take weeks or months

Pre op diet, I was 2 weeks on liquid only(really wasn't that bad lost 26 pounds) some on here do a week, 3 days, can eat I meal a day etc

Post op mine said I could eat scrambled eggs on day 7, some people don't get mushy stuff till week 4

See what I was getting at? It's just like no set guide lines.

It is weird how there is no set plan that goes across the board. I didn't have any 6month supervised diet for my lapband or my upcoming sleeve....btw Dr Milton Owens in Orange CA is terrible and you will learn more on this site than from his awful team.......I have had a ton of classes and different doctor appointments with my new team pre-op. It is all over the place. I would like it if there was a standard operating procedure, but everyone's different.

Sent from my SM-J700P using the BariatricPal App

I had Bariatric Advantage broccoli soup right after surgery, actually when I was still in the hospital I was given strained clam chowder and sugar free chocolate pudding. My first 2 weeks I ate so much of the Bariatric Protein Soups that the thought of them makes me gag.

Every patient leaves the hospital with a list of what they can and cannot eat, we are mostly all adults, we all know the risks and have heard the horror stories. If someone wants to die like Mama Cass by chocking on a ham sandwich then it is their own fault that they became a casualty. I'm not trying to sound cold but some peeps need to just grow up.

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Wait, whuuuuuut? Who has time to call another's surgery center to discuss their post op plans?

:faint:

I don't even have time to take a proper poo most days.

Wait, whuuuuuut? Who has time to call another's surgery center to discuss their post op plans?

:faint:

I don't even have time to take a proper poo most days.

Hahaha this made me laugh, my dog is looking at me right now like Wtf is up with you

My diet was different (easy- full liqs 1 wk, purée 1 wk, semi solids- 1 wk, 4th wk PO whatever I tolerated),

my surgeon is excellent (aka I'm still alive- no complications what so ever not even constipated! Yay!!)

the hospital is not a center for excellence.

If anyone wants to call them please let me know I'll give you the phone number lol

What's funny is I didn't get on here and ask for advice. I was pointing out that there seems to be no rhyme or reason to the requirements before and after surgery.

And aggiemae I have no idea what your talking about? My surgery center is a hospital. And they kept saying they were a surgery center of excellence.

YOU ladies are the ones who said I wasn't following my plan,

Since you don't know what I'm talking about, I will explain.

"Centers of excellence" adhere to a specific set of guidelines including a fairly specific post op diet. I think that Babbs posted it.

Interestingly, when I looked up "bariatric center of excellence KC, I noticed that many WLS doctors and clinics SEEM to squeeze the word "excellence" into the first line of their websites, I did find ONE that claimed to be accredited. However, on further investigation, there aren't any actual ACCREDITED hospitals in Kansas City, KA or MO.

http://www.surgicalreview.org/locate/ice/locate-bariatric-center-of-excellence/?list=ice

In my opinion, based on your stated "food plan", you received substandard care. You are satisfied with that care so that is not really my issue.

My issue was that you claimed you got this substandard care at a "bariatric center of excellence". Over the past five years I have spent a considerable amount of time and energy establishing the framework for the "center of excellence" designation, which is why I was concerned.

And since I now know that you did not get your diet instructions from a "center of excellence" as you previously claimed my interest in this has ended.

However, pre op patients need to be aware that any surgery center can claim to be a "center of excellence" so do your homework and choose your surgeon and hospital carefully.

I left a link.

Oh wow. That was a scary thought. I guess I was pretty naive to just trust my surgical center's claim of being a Center of Excellence. But I checked the link you posted and mine really is on there. So that's a relief! Wonder how many patients *think* they are having their surgery at a Center of Excellence but really aren't!

What's funny is I didn't get on here and ask for advice. I was pointing out that there seems to be no rhyme or reason to the requirements before and after surgery.

And aggiemae I have no idea what your talking about? My surgery center is a hospital. And they kept saying they were a surgery center of excellence.

YOU ladies are the ones who said I wasn't following my plan,

Since you don't know what I'm talking about, I will explain.

"Centers of excellence" adhere to a specific set of guidelines including a fairly specific post op diet. I think that Babbs posted it.

Interestingly, when I looked up "bariatric center of excellence KC, I noticed that many WLS doctors and clinics SEEM to squeeze the word "excellence" into the first line of their websites, I did find ONE that claimed to be accredited. However, on further investigation, there aren't any actual ACCREDITED hospitals in Kansas City, KA or MO.

http://www.surgicalreview.org/locate/ice/locate-bariatric-center-of-excellence/?list=ice

In my opinion, based on your stated "food plan", you received substandard care. You are satisfied with that care so that is not really my issue.

My issue was that you claimed you got this substandard care at a "bariatric center of excellence". Over the past five years I have spent a considerable amount of time and energy establishing the framework for the "center of excellence" designation, which is why I was concerned.

And since I now know that you did not get your diet instructions from a "center of excellence" as you previously claimed my interest in this has ended.

However, pre op patients need to be aware that any surgery center can claim to be a "center of excellence" so do your homework and choose your surgeon and hospital carefully.

I left a link.

What governing body gives the "Center of Excellence" designation? The ASMBS recently joined with ACS to create a single national accreditation standard for bariatric surgery programs, and there are 15 accredited programs in Missouri alone.

And, personally, I think it's a bit creepy and stalk-y to call another person's hospital and ask for their program's details in order to prove some point on an internet message board. You might want to slow your roll a bit on this one.

My post op diet was 2 weeks in each phase, but advancing a day or two early is allowed upon checking in with the doctor and or the nutritionist. Everyone has different plans, but following them is super important!

Insurance does take the center of excellence designation seriously.... So it must mean something. If I had one locally I would have had to use it per my insurance. I didn't have a Bariatric Center of Excellence locally and I am still alive. I had excellent care at my little rural regional hospital and was so happy I didn't have to travel. They are in the process of getting it and the practice in the next town does have it now. My point is this just means someone has verified they give good care.

Here is what I find funny. When I had my surgery my insurance company gave me a list of accredited bariatric centers of excellence that I could use.

They would not cover if I went to someone not on their list.

This was Medica - United Health Care which actually was an excellent insurance and very very strict on their full page of requirments needed to have bariatric surgery.

The number 1 center on their list was Park Nicollet Bariatric Center of Excellence located in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. Part of the Park Nicollent care system. They are still there today and still my bariatric team.

In fact, an entire floor of the hospital had suites for bariatric patients. These people knew their stuff. I was assigned to a Bariatric nurse (who herself had bypass 14 years ago), a Bariatric doctor that followed my case the whole way, a nutritionist, a physcologist and finally a surgeon.

When I looked them up on the link provided they did not show up. So.....not so convinced That this link is the end all be all.

It seems like a lot of work to go through to disprove a poster.

Just saying.....