Hi everyone. New to the group just starting my WLS journey.

The journey started with a visit to an ortho surgeon for very bad knees. Recommended knee replacements and obviously weight loss. Being only 50yrs old I am going to focus on the weight loss and hope the knees improve greatly with weight loss. I believe with me wanting to lose over 50% of my body weight that bypass makes the most sense. I just had my consultation yesterday.

My question is how much less pain, especially in the knees and feet, have you successful WLS patients experienced after 100 or more lbs lost?

I have had a right knee replacement and the left might eventually be replaced. I had to stop taking NSAIDS right after my knee replacement because they were giving me duodenal ulcers. I have had a revision from a lap band to a RNY, and have only lost 34 pounds, and can already tell a MAJOR difference in both of my knees.

If you have severe enough osteoarthritis, you may still need a knee replacement. But you will likely buy yourself several years before you might need one by losing weight.

Good luck!

Thanks for the reply. That is my guess as well, kinda common sense, but I was looking for confirmation. I still have a choice between VSG and bypass. The Nsaid is really the only issue with bypass which i prefer.

Thanks again!

My knees have been pretty good, but my ankles were my problem. I couldn't stand for more than 15 minutes before they woul start hurting. I took ibuprofen four pills at a time almost daily. Probably at least 5 days a week. When I got to my heaviest most days I would take it right before bed because my hip, leg and back hurt and I needed it to sleep. Some days I took three or four doses of four pills. I still wonder why I never developed an ulcer. I am two weeks post op and over 100 lbs lighter than my heaviest weight and I have zero joint pain. I feel better than I have in years. I wish I would have done this sooner. Even losing 20 lbs you will feel a difference in you knees. Stick with it, it will pay off.

Thanks for the reply. I knew there was another one out there. I'll take the chance and do the bypass. Thanks again.

2 hours ago, Tom Greeley said:

Hi everyone. New to the group just starting my WLS journey.

The journey started with a visit to an ortho surgeon for very bad knees. Recommended knee replacements and obviously weight loss. Being only 50yrs old I am going to focus on the weight loss and hope the knees improve greatly with weight loss. I believe with me wanting to lose over 50% of my body weight that bypass makes the most sense. I just had my consultation yesterday.

My question is how much less pain, especially in the knees and feet, have you successful WLS patients experienced after 100 or more lbs lost?

I already had one knee replacement in my 50's and the next one was soon to come. My mobility was greatly restricted because of pain. I was using Aleve twice a day. Since surgery, I have not used an NSAID. My pain is GONE. Even the joint space in my bad knee has expanded and I have no pain at all. I had low back pain 24/7. No back pain now at all. It's quite amazing and feels like a miracle. Since surgery,I have completed a 52 mile bike race, am working toward my 2nd triathlon, and training for a rim-to-rim (24 miles in one day) Grand Canyon hike later in the year.

I was 59 when I had bypass surgery. Prior that I had moderate to severe pain in my right knee, particularly when walking up stairs. After losing 110 pounds it has essentially disappeared.

Wow everybody.. thanks for the replies. You all have confirmed what I had hoped. I will go forward with bypass and lose the weight. I expect my pain will be very little to none afterwards. Thanks again!

I used to get cortisone shots regularly and was looking at an eventual hip replacement. I was in constant pain. I'm almost never in pain anymore, and the few times I am, it's very tolerable. As in I don't even take anything for it.

NSAIDs aren't recommended after a sleeve or bypass by most doctors. I have a bad back and I take Tramadol when I have to. Losing 87 pounds has helped a lot, but it was not a cure-all for my back pain.