any OPEN Ds surgerys care to share their story
Hi I was just wondering if any of you would like to share your stories about your OPEN D'S surgeries , My Surgeon is amazing I really love everything about him , HE IS LISTED ON THE VETT SITE He has a great rep as for as I have researched, my family has had a very successful OPEN DS 6months ago and I know her story of course shes my sister, however shes a tough cookie~ lol~ and Dr Crookes does DS Open for what ever reason, I know I am in good hands but I wanted to see if you could tell me stuff like pain levels first day to now, any problems with healing or hernias you know the nuts and bolts... I have decided TO pursue the Ds fully and wholly and would like to start bracing my self for my journey:)
I just had my open DS surgery on 7/11/11--so I am a few weeks out.
The pain when I woke up after surgery was pretty bad and the morphine drip wasn't working, but when they got the IV fixed, I went to sleep. The morphine drip then controlled the pain to make the pain bearable. The thing that hurt the most was picking up my feet off the floor to get them into the bed after my walks.
I didn't have any complications in the hospital or since I've been home. My doctor let me move on to real food pretty fast and I haven't had big problems with food.
I did sometimes get my stomach sort of feeling like it is blown up with air the first 3 weeks, which was pretty uncomfortable. for the same time frame I always woke up to pretty urgent diarhea, which was a pain.
I wake up with gas quite often now and usually have to start with a long time on the toilet.
I went back to work half way through the 4th week after surgery and usually only work about 6 hours.
Sorry for TMI, I hope that was the stuff you wanted to know.
Overall, I would say I have had no problems and my recovery and weight loss is going well.
The pain when I woke up after surgery was pretty bad and the morphine drip wasn't working, but when they got the IV fixed, I went to sleep. The morphine drip then controlled the pain to make the pain bearable. The thing that hurt the most was picking up my feet off the floor to get them into the bed after my walks.
I didn't have any complications in the hospital or since I've been home. My doctor let me move on to real food pretty fast and I haven't had big problems with food.
I did sometimes get my stomach sort of feeling like it is blown up with air the first 3 weeks, which was pretty uncomfortable. for the same time frame I always woke up to pretty urgent diarhea, which was a pain.
I wake up with gas quite often now and usually have to start with a long time on the toilet.
I went back to work half way through the 4th week after surgery and usually only work about 6 hours.
Sorry for TMI, I hope that was the stuff you wanted to know.
Overall, I would say I have had no problems and my recovery and weight loss is going well.
wow yes this what I want to hear thank you congrats on you new jurney:) im so excited for you!! please add me and keep me posted on your success, how exciting I think I will be Fine once I get through the pain levels and scaredness, where you scared? i mean b4 you surgery? and are you still on pain meds at home? and how long after you go home do you go see your surgeon for check up?
I was scared, but I just kept myself distracted from thinking about it. I knew I had a gread surgeon and I was taking my vitamins and increased protein to make sure I was ready for surgery. I guess I am pretty good at avoiding thinking about things that scare me.
As far as pain goes, I stopped using the morphine drip on the 3rd day in the hospital and they gave me vicoden. I used the vicoden a couple times a day for a week and then at bed time for another two weeks and then stopped.
The great thing about going home was sitting and sleeping in a recliner chair. It hurt for several weeks to put my feet up into a bed.
As far as pain goes, I stopped using the morphine drip on the 3rd day in the hospital and they gave me vicoden. I used the vicoden a couple times a day for a week and then at bed time for another two weeks and then stopped.
The great thing about going home was sitting and sleeping in a recliner chair. It hurt for several weeks to put my feet up into a bed.
I had my original RNY done Open and my DS revision done Open as well. Both times there was a fair amount of pain but I am quite tolerant to pain. My morphine drip was enough to help before I had to do some walking in the hospital. You will be uncomfortable for sure but the pain goes away and you won't remember it...kinda like labor I would think.
Your binder will be a godsend! I wore mine til almost 3 months post op...I just felt like it kept everything pulled in together...if I didn't have it one I felt like my tummy would rip open and everything would spill on the floor - nice visual I know! :)
Personally I have no problem with doing either Open...to me it would be easier for the surgeon to get his hands in there and do what needs to be done. My revision scar is bigger than my original RNY (it was merely 3 inches long where my DS is about 7). I'll never wear a bikini so it doesn't bother me.
Good luck with your surgery!
Your binder will be a godsend! I wore mine til almost 3 months post op...I just felt like it kept everything pulled in together...if I didn't have it one I felt like my tummy would rip open and everything would spill on the floor - nice visual I know! :)
Personally I have no problem with doing either Open...to me it would be easier for the surgeon to get his hands in there and do what needs to be done. My revision scar is bigger than my original RNY (it was merely 3 inches long where my DS is about 7). I'll never wear a bikini so it doesn't bother me.
Good luck with your surgery!
Kerry J 
Stillhopefull (Terry) is my Angel!!!! 
Angel to Baylady35310 (Linda)
7/9/01 RNY - 354 HW down to 192 LW
12/6/10 DS Revision - GW 170
DS HW 353
DS SW 332
DS CW 184 (-148 since surgery / -169 total)
Plastics completed by Dr.Sauceda in MX 8/9/13 - LBL w anchor cut, long thigh lift, breast lift, butt augmentation and arm lift.
I had my DS open on 5/31/11, so I am just shy of 3 mos. out. My surgeon is awesome and only does it open. And he was only 20 minutes from my house.
I actually preferred it open like the other poster, I liked the idea of the surgeon being able to get his hands on everything. And typically it's a much faster procedure as well. I work in Surgery and know how difficult it can be to do surgery lap.
Anyway my post op pain was nothing the first day due to my epidural. Then the tubing got pulled out, so I was on morphine pump and got nauseated, so then I was on a diladid pump and totally fine. I was able to be up and moving around pretty well 3 days post op. I was sore, sure, but not really in "pain". (I just had a knee scope, and that one hurts!! I was/am in more pain after that than my DS!)
Complications....I've had none. I had a hernia before surgery and he kind of corrected it during the DS, but I will more than likely need to have a real repair after a year or so. Scar is healing well. No problems there either.
I went back to work at 7 weeks post op, but I also have a very physical job being a nurse. If I had a desk job, I could have gone back after a month.
Now I don't feel like I ever had abdominal surgery, unless I look at my scar.
Good luck!
Lisa
I actually preferred it open like the other poster, I liked the idea of the surgeon being able to get his hands on everything. And typically it's a much faster procedure as well. I work in Surgery and know how difficult it can be to do surgery lap.
Anyway my post op pain was nothing the first day due to my epidural. Then the tubing got pulled out, so I was on morphine pump and got nauseated, so then I was on a diladid pump and totally fine. I was able to be up and moving around pretty well 3 days post op. I was sore, sure, but not really in "pain". (I just had a knee scope, and that one hurts!! I was/am in more pain after that than my DS!)
Complications....I've had none. I had a hernia before surgery and he kind of corrected it during the DS, but I will more than likely need to have a real repair after a year or so. Scar is healing well. No problems there either.
I went back to work at 7 weeks post op, but I also have a very physical job being a nurse. If I had a desk job, I could have gone back after a month.
Now I don't feel like I ever had abdominal surgery, unless I look at my scar.
Good luck!
Lisa
HW/SW/CW/GW: 294/288/170.2/150 ht: 5'2" (06/03/2012)
I to feel OpEn is better so he can use his hands in stead of a chop stick lol,( not in any way saying that lap is bad, I jus****ched all the youtube lap on the RNYs and they were a lil bit rough, lol So my mind is at ease with that for now .... i would love to follow ur jurney as well, take care and thanks for ur time:) suzzan
Hello, I had my revision from lap band to DS open. I preferred it open as well, since I've had to previous lap surgeries that gave me a TON of gas pain in my neck! Pain meds wouldn't help gas pain.
I did wake up with some pain in the recovery room. It took 6 hours to get it under control.
I was in the hospital for 7 days. I did feel bloated for the first 2 weeks. I'm almost 3 weeks out right now and I can tell the bloating has gone down the last 3 days.
I will go back to work in a few weeks, I got a total of 5 weeks off.
I got a binder too, but it made my old c-section hernia pop out at the bottom, so I never wore it. I did okay with out it. I think my recovery is going very well. My old hernia made everything feel worse early out for my recovery because it got really inflamed.
Good luck with everything!!
I did wake up with some pain in the recovery room. It took 6 hours to get it under control.
I was in the hospital for 7 days. I did feel bloated for the first 2 weeks. I'm almost 3 weeks out right now and I can tell the bloating has gone down the last 3 days.
I will go back to work in a few weeks, I got a total of 5 weeks off.
I got a binder too, but it made my old c-section hernia pop out at the bottom, so I never wore it. I did okay with out it. I think my recovery is going very well. My old hernia made everything feel worse early out for my recovery because it got really inflamed.
Good luck with everything!!
Lap band 4 years ago. Revised to DS 8-2-11
Hello! :) I am about 2 years 5 months' out from my open DS with Dr. Gary Anthone in Omaha, NE. While initially I would have preferred a lap DS, my open DS went beautifully. It was a very fast surgery. I think I was in and out of the operating room in less than 2 hours!
My pain was nonexistent (practically) because he puts you on an epidural pain pump. I was up and walking around within a couple of days. Had my first BM before leaving the hospital....not that you asked...lol. I figured, "Hey! This is a piece of cake! What were all those babies complaining about??" LOL...that is until he removed the pain pump the day before it was time to leave the hospital (I think it was postop day 4...I'd have to re-read my surgery story on my profile). THEN I felt like a bus had hit me. Just very sore all over. But it was nothing that pain medicine didn't make better. I think I was only using Tylenol during the day and Vicodin at night for about a week and then only Tylenol for another week...and then nothing.
My scar runs from just below my breast bone to my belly button...pretty big. About half of it healed really nicely, the other half not as well. But I'll take the scar any day over being MO.
My surgeon said I have a little hernia and offered to repair it for me, but I haven't done so yet. I am working on saving up for plastic surgery and will probably just do it then if my surgeon thinks it's necessary after opening me up.
Don't be scared away by having to have an open surgery. It's really no big deal.
Take care,
Felicia
My pain was nonexistent (practically) because he puts you on an epidural pain pump. I was up and walking around within a couple of days. Had my first BM before leaving the hospital....not that you asked...lol. I figured, "Hey! This is a piece of cake! What were all those babies complaining about??" LOL...that is until he removed the pain pump the day before it was time to leave the hospital (I think it was postop day 4...I'd have to re-read my surgery story on my profile). THEN I felt like a bus had hit me. Just very sore all over. But it was nothing that pain medicine didn't make better. I think I was only using Tylenol during the day and Vicodin at night for about a week and then only Tylenol for another week...and then nothing.
My scar runs from just below my breast bone to my belly button...pretty big. About half of it healed really nicely, the other half not as well. But I'll take the scar any day over being MO.
My surgeon said I have a little hernia and offered to repair it for me, but I haven't done so yet. I am working on saving up for plastic surgery and will probably just do it then if my surgeon thinks it's necessary after opening me up.
Don't be scared away by having to have an open surgery. It's really no big deal.
Take care,
Felicia
HW 264 SW 248 CW 140.8 GW 140
My surgeon is Dr. Maguire and he only does open DS. Sooo I'll be in the same boat soon enough! I'm not worry really, I've had a c-section, and had my left ovary removed (was supposed to be done lap, but had a complication and made a six in*****ision to remove it) I don't know how different a DS will be, but I'm ok with it however. Nothing can be as painful as living the way I live atm with the consant back and joint pain. I'm sure a morphine drip will do me just fine =)
Gook luck on your journey!
Gook luck on your journey!
SW - 373 / CW - 179 / GW - 160
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