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U.K. potential sleevers! Stay in the U.K



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I went to Europe to have my surgery as I could not afford to have it done in the UK. I can honestly say that you get what you pay for. Deals which seem too good to be true often are. I researched my company and the surgeon for months, the company has an excellent reputation and I spoke to lots of his previous patients who all had wonderful experiences. I have serious complications, which a surgeon in the UK thinks is down to cheap equipment and an inferior surgical technique. My desire to have surgery overrode everything so much so I chose to have it done outside the UK even though my family begged me not to go. Please stay in the UK for surgery, do not consider going abroad! If you stay in the UK you will get proper aftercare. I wish I'd waited a few more years, saved the money and had it done here. I'm not saying everyone who goes abroad ends up having complications, as I shared a room with a lady who had the same op as me and she is doing amazingly well. But please consider, even companies and surgeons with excellent reputations can make mistakes.

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So sorry to hear of your experience. I had surgery in the UK a week ago and I have been surprised at how well I felt since - no pain, not even much discomfort. Of course it was very expensive - I'm a lot older than you so I've had more time to save up! I hope your recovery goes well from now on xx

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Thank you for your kind words. Congratulations on your surgery. I think the first few weeks are the worst. But it does get better. Get plenty of rest as you will find you are exceptionally exhausted in the next coming weeks :)


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Sorry for the issues you had to get through. Do you mind sharing what your complications were?

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Sorry for the issues you had to get through. Do you mind sharing what your complications were?


Yes sure. First I have a hernia which they didn't spot and did not fix during my surgery. (My understanding is that this is a standard, simple procedure before a sleeve) secondly, the surgeon has cut the stomach too close and therefore it is too small. The food can't get through. Because he stitched over the staple line which in turn narrowed the sleeve even further. So I can only tolerate liquids.


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Just now, Bishbosh said:


Yes sure. First I have a hernia which they didn't spot and did not fix during my surgery. (My understanding is that this is a standard, simple procedure before a sleeve) secondly, the surgeon has cut the stomach too close and therefore it is too small. The food can't get through. Because he stitched over the staple line which in turn narrowed the sleeve even further. So I can only tolerate liquids.

Man. So sorry. Did they not do an upper endoscopy first?

What is the fix for the too narrow sleeve? Conversion to a bypass? Will it allow for food after it fully heals and swelling goes down?

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I did have an endoscopy but it wasn't spotted?!! I have to have revision to bypass I think. I'm 15 weeks post op so it's all settled and healed now. Everything was ok in the beginning but I've had terrible reflux. The reflux was getting worse, so I came to the hospital and that's when they found all these problems.


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Just now, Bishbosh said:

I did have an endoscopy but it wasn't spotted?!! I have to have revision to bypass I think. I'm 15 weeks post op so it's all settled and healed now. Everything was ok in the beginning but I've had terrible reflux. The reflux was getting worse, so I came to the hospital and that's when they found all these problems.

I'm so sorry. Good luck, I can't imagine having to have 2 surgeries so close together.

Will this revision be covered under NHS, without a major wait?

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2 minutes ago, Bishbosh said:

Fortunately. As I cannot tolerate fluids it's classed as urgent.

Good, at least that is some good news. Sorry you had to go though all of this.

Edited by JT2002TJ

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Good, at lease that is some good news. Sorry you had to go though all of this.


Yes. The NHS is amazing. Endoscopy first to try and stretch the narrowing and then revision to bypass in the next couple of weeks. This is what happens when you try to cut costs [emoji853]


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Are you going to say were you had it so others are Aware? I got loan and 0% for 2 years credit card to pay for mine in uk 6 weeks ago. Good luck

Sent from my Swift 2 using BariatricPal mobile app

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Are you going to say were you had it so others are Aware? I got loan and 0% for 2 years credit card to pay for mine in uk 6 weeks ago. Good luck

Sent from my Swift 2 using BariatricPal mobile app




I used a company called nordbariatric in Lithuania. They seemed quite reputable and seemed to have many happy customers. Surgeon has excellent reputation, I guess I was just unlucky.


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I'm awfully sorry to hear what's happened to you. I had mine done in Belgium and I can't speak highly enough of my surgeon, so it's not necc. because they are European. But that doesn't make it any easier for you of course.

Sent from my SM-G930F using BariatricPal mobile app

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    • LeighaTR

      I am new here today... and only two weeks out from my sleeve surgery on the 23rd. I am amazed I have kept my calories down to 467 today so far... that leaves me almost 750 left for dinner and maybe a snack. This is going to be tough for two weeks... but I have to believe I can do it!
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • Doughgurl

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      1. Selina333

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    • Alisa_S

      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.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      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.
      · 1 reply
      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.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        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.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

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

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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