Complications after VSG -First Week Status

[VSG-Gal 16]

I am 6 days VSG post op with a small hernia repair.

On day 1 after surgery I was surprised I could finish 4 oz of their thinned cream of wheat the hospital served me per doctor recommended menu. I was heavily medicated through IV however so if I had any pain from it I didn’t feel it.

On day 2, I had lunch before they discharged me. A cup of thick blended beef stew. I was able to finish that with some tightening/cramping of my stomach at the opening, followed by gurgling noises like air bubbles coming up. I took a few sips at a time but food never tasted so good after two weeks of pre op liquid only diet. Even if food was blended, it was thick and savory.

Day 3 to Day 6 now is where this gets interesting! With hospital Pain meds wearing off, I started feeling pain on my left side if I tried to take a full breath, much like a person would feel if they suffered fractured ribs. I thought this was normal since I’m feeling soreness because our stomachs are on the left side of the body and it’s very likely my stomach is swollen and it may be impeding my lungs to hold air at full capacity. That is until I message my doctor on day 4 and told him and he said for me to go to the ER?! I had no nausea, chest pain or fever and didn’t feel like it was an emergency situation so I didn’t go. I have the same discomfort now at day 6, it’s Sunday, so I will call their office tmw but DID ANYONE EXPERIENCE THIS left side pain where they felt they couldn’t take in a full breath of air without pain/discomfort like a bruised/fractured rib feeling?

Day 4- I wanted to test the limits of my pouch and see if It can handle thinned out rice porridge yet. I just couldn’t handle another day of liquid only. I was able to drink in 20 ounces of this thick soup! I had some pain just at the entry point of my stomach followed by gurgling and bubbles to which my doctor said is normal for 1-2 weeks post op but other than that I’m shocked I could drink/eat that much on day 4! Have I stretched my stomach to failure?! Have any of you tried eating/drinking more, earlier than you should and what resulted? It seems at day 6 my pouch is at full capacity to handle a full size meal if it can take in 20 ounces within 15 minutes

[low bmi sleeve 22]

i dont think u have stretched out ur pouch but if your dr said to go the er i would go just to make sure there is no leak.. also my stats are almost the same as yours i have blue shield of calif and they are giving me a hard time with approval do you mind if i ask what insurance you have and do you have any other medical issues i have high blood pressure and i about to just give up and go to mexico im just worried about the after care i would get here if i did get a leak.

[VSG-Gal 16]

@low bmi sleeve I had to gain 10 pounds to meet the minimum BMI for my insurance to cover my VSG. Gaining 10 pounds is easy to do for any food addict. I qualified because I have been suffering for more than 6 years of not just high blood pressure but high Cholesterol, sleep apnea using a very unsexy cpap machine nightly, and diabetes. I was prescribed way too many prescriptions and I was sick of it and sick of being tired all the time. The one positive I’ve had since my surgery 6 days ago is that on day 2 before they discharged me from the hospital, my doctor took me off 3 previously prescribed meds and I was no longer diabetic! Voila! Just like that! I couldn’t believe it worked that fast. Now the challenging part is I have to keep that up by not overeating again.

Im afraid that if my new stomach can handle a full size meal now how will I lose weight??? If I’m lucky I might be able to maintain the measly 20 pounds I lost strictly from my liquid pre op diet and 3 days post op period. I haven’t lost one pound in last 3 days despite a very low calorie intake, around 800 calories.

[low bmi sleeve 22]

from everything iv been told and read you should still be on liquids and as much Protein as you can get in i would stay away from the rice and cream of wheat for now they not gonna help you in the long run. ok so i go see my dr tomorrow to get a letter for medical necessity because my surgeon office summited for approval without it so i got denied if the letter doesnt work my happy ass will be going to mexico my husband is not happy about that because he is in the medical filed and knows no one will want to treat me if i have a leak and had surgery in mexico

[Sosewsue61 3,185]

Liquids and cream of wheat etc are not dense food - highly processed predigested substances go right through. You need to concentrate on getting 64 oz of fluids and 60gr of Protein in daily. And next time your dr says go get checked - go get checked!!

[Creekimp13 5,838]

My doctor, and nurse and nutritionist all universally forbade us from putting more than 4 ounces of anything in our stomachs per one hour period...for the first two weeks after surgery.

Right down to counting liquid medications as part of the 4 ounces we were not to exceed in an hour.

If you're honestly putting 20 ounces of anything into a 4 day old surgically altered stomach in a 15 minute time frame...as you have stated, you're either trolling this board, or you have a death wish? Why on earth would you do that???

VSG, please ask your doctor what volume of food/liquid you should not exceed in an hour. This is important for your safety.

Also, if your doctor tells you to go to the ER...go to the ER. Even if you think it's overkill.

Edited January 28, 2018 by Creekimp13

[Once Upon a Sleeve 24]

IF the OP is not a troll, it’s plausible that she has caused a leak in her sleeve by over consuming and the contents are draining directly into her abdomen. In which case, she needs to get off this board and into ER asap like her surgeon advised two days ago.

[nomorefattypatty 329]

from everything iv been told and read you should still be on liquids and as much Protein as you can get in i would stay away from the rice and cream of wheat for now they not gonna help you in the long run. ok so i go see my dr tomorrow to get a letter for medical necessity because my surgeon office summited for approval without it so i got denied if the letter doesnt work my happy ass will be going to mexico my husband is not happy about that because he is in the medical filed and knows no one will want to treat me if i have a leak and had surgery in mexico

If you have the surgery in Mexico and have something go wrong after the surgery, an ER Dr, can't turn you away if something goes wrong. They have to help you.

Sent from my N9560 using BariatricPal mobile app

[Losebig 508]

If the dr said go to the ER you should. Not being able to take a full breath could be a sign of a blood clot. With that said I had something similar. I had a lot of pain breathing in right after surgery on my left lower chest. The pain went away, but taking a full breath was hard for a couple days. Due to another complication I landed back in the ER and they did a full work up. They found a small pleural effusion on the lower left lung, which I’m guessing caused the initial pain and breathing issue. They said it was common after surgery and they didn’t need to treat it (it also wasn’t related to the complication I had). You may have something similar, but should get it checked out!

[VSG-Gal 16]

I may not have made the best choice by eating more than I should but I was never told I shouldn’t eat more than a certain amount at a certain period.

It’s absolutely disgusting that fellow bariatric posters would think I’m faking this post or post negative comments to others!! Shame on you! We are here to support each other, not necessarily our choices but if you can’t answer my questions or provide insight without insult don’t bother posting.

On a Side note, I agree with @nomore fatty patty @low bmi sleevein regards to doctors treating you here regardless of where you got your initial surgery done. But I think you do need to do considerable research for an experienced doctor in Mexico to reduce your risk for complications. Read reviews and try to get a recommendation from someone who has had it done there already.

i already plan to call the doctors office first thing in the morning and had previously offered his nurse to take any test or see my doctor that day if necessary but neither was asked of me, so how can I take the ER suggestion seriously.

Edited January 29, 2018 by VSG-Gal

[Creekimp13 5,838]

VGS, I apologize if my post felt like a personal criticism. I'll admit I could have worded it more gently. I'm just absolutely dumbfounded that no one told you that putting 20 ounces into a 4 day old stomach...in 15 minutes....is incredibly dangerous.

I'm also at a loss as to why you would not go to the ER if your medical group advised you to. You've just had major surgery. Difficulty breathing or pain with breathing is a documented sign of a leak. Why not be safe instead of sorry?

I genuinely hope that you're ok and that the pain you are experiencing is minor and not a complication.

Best wishes to you.

Edited January 29, 2018 by Creekimp13

[low bmi sleeve 22]

18 hours ago, nomorefattypatty said:

If you have the surgery in Mexico and have something go wrong after the surgery, an ER Dr, can't turn you away if something goes wrong. They have to help you.

Sent from my N9560 using BariatricPal mobile app

i know that the ER would have to see me my husband works in a ER but if i needed surgery its very difficult to get a surgeon to take you on because of the liability.

[LittleLizzieLilliput 919]

I'm confused on why you've eaten so much and insist on testing your stomach and refusing to follow your doctor's orders. I am fearful for you and the choices you are making. Did you have any guidance or guidelines provided to you prior to surgery!!!!?????!?!?!?! I am quite concerned.

I say this will love and care, you need to stop testing your stomach, you need to start listening to your surgeon. I don't mean to scare you but you are playing with your own life here...

[Loder77 18]

I am 9 weeks post op. when I was on the liquids I was worried too cause I could drink 4 ounces and wait and drink 4 more ounces in an hour and i didnt feel full. but my doctor said not to worry and it will be different when you can eat more solid foods. He was right when I was allowed to eat scrambled eggs at 6 weeks I couldn't finish one egg. I would eat 1/2 of it and then eat the rest of it an hour or two later. now I can eat meat and veggies and its all I can do to get 4 ounces in. you will really see a difference when you start on solids. so much different than liquids. but I do agree that 20 ounces in 15 minutes is way too much. your doctor or nutritionist should have given you an outline of what and how much you should be drinking. good luck with your journey. I wish only the best for you.

[Sammy 10-30 57]

I am blown way you had thinned cream of wheat 1 day after surgery and your doctor said that was okay, I was on liquid only right after surgery and followed my post surgery diet to the letter and suggest the same. Now, I am barely eating anything 90 days after surgery. But to answer your question, no I did not experience that kind of pain, I was mowing my lawn just couple days after surgery. However, what you are describing almost sounds like gull stones. I would recommend not to wait until your post surgery appointment with your physician and get yourself back on the right track.

Edited January 30, 2018 by Sammy 10-30