OPEN WLS

wHAT IS AN OPEN BYPASS

Looked at your surgeon's name... OPEN is not likely to be part of Dr. E's active vocabulary... unless absolutely nec. Open means NOT Laparascopic... kind of. Open means a central longer incision. What Dr. E and most surgeons do are the laprascopic surgery. Usually with 5 or so small incisions using long fiber-optic instruments and cameras to view, what I call.. the work site. I am told this allows them to be more specific in what they do. Actually let's them see better. A brief explanation taken from another site: There are two ways to do the procedure. One is an "open" procedure where an incision is made in the upper abdomen. The other is a "laparoscopic" procedure that uses several smaller incisions in different locations over your abdomen, and a camera to let us see what is going on inside. Surgery is done with special instruments that go through the small incisions made. Hope this helps. If I have given incorrect info... anyone please feel free to correct it. Towanda

I had an open RNY 4 weeks ago tomorrow!! I have a 5" long vertical incision that starts about an imch above my belly button. My surgeon prefers to do the open procedure because he likes to physically hold the organs in his hands. In his experience, it causes less complications, healing time is no worse than laproscopic and he can be closer to 100% sure there will be no leaks or complications. 4 weeks later I am doing exceptionally well and the incision really looks no worse than a bad cat scratch...long and thin. Ask Dorota...she's seen it! Hope that helps a little!

Beth is right about her scar...doesnt even look like a scar......BUT, to be fair, I think she may be an exceptional case....lol.... However, my scar is not too bad...at 17 months out it has faded, it does not bother me.. I didn't have any major complications...All in all I agree with Beth....Our Doctor prefers to do open RNY and I am glad he did it that way......But I also know people who are thrilled to have had it done laproscopically (sp?) To each his (or her ) own..... Dorota