Divorce after WLS?

I've heard that divorce is often a "side effect" of WLS. I I feel that if your marriage isn't good before the surgery, it won't be good or could be even worse after.  I'm trying to see the reason for a seemably "good" marriage to go bad JUST because of WLS. I guess your self-esteem changes, or you just change in general. But my only problem with the self-esteem theory is that I see more people with low self-esteem cheat on their spouses because they are constantly looking to be validated. They seek "love" where ever they can find it.  I could be wrong, but I feel like your marriage could end up being stronger if you feel better about yourself. I guess I often see things from a different point of view.

Am I the only person who feels that way?

 NOPE...I agree 100%...wls wont make a bad marriage better in my opinion, if you have issue before they'll probably still be there...but as for making a good marriage stronger...its possible...I know mine is, Im not as self concious romantically anymore and my marraige couldnt be stronger. I can now enjoy going out and doing more activities with my husband among other things. To me its been positive but my marriage was good from the go.
I see you have Dr. Roe also....excellent doctor!!!! Good-Luck in your journey!

I totally agree with what you are saying. If your marriage was strong before your wls then 9 times out of 10 the relationship stays or even gets stronger. 
My marriage has gotten only stronger because i feel 100% better about myself physically and even mentally.

But my only problem with the self-esteem theory is that I see more people with low self-esteem cheat on their spouses because they are constantly looking to be validated. They seek "love" where ever they can find it.

Not only love but attention.
You have hit the nail on the head!

fwiw, i talked to my counselor at length about this topic because my sister's reason for not wanting me to get the surgery is because everyone she knows has gotten a divorce. 

my counselor basically agrees with you.  he provided two scenarios.

first, obese people are not typically healthy people psychologically.  as a result, we tend to get into relationships with others that are not psychologically healthy.  when one person makes a major lifestyle change and gets healthy, they often will leave behind the person that is unwilling to make changes in regards to their own problems.

the second scenario was that he believes, as you said, these relationships were in trouble to begin with and obese people tend to blame problems on themselves.  therefore, they believe that if they improve themselves, their problems will be solved.  however, they soon learn that the problems were not tied to their weight, even if weight was an issue.  so, the weight is now gone, but the problems remain.

my husband goes to most of my counseling sessions now and he has come to one of my support group meetings.  we have decided that the more involved in my "recovery" he is, the less likely this will occur with us.  i was upset with him following my surgery because of some things he failed to do during and immediately following my surgery.  however, once we discussed it in counseling, he was shocked to learn that i was upset.  he's making much greater effort to understand my post-surgical needs now.

Hmmm...maybe you could give me a couple of free-be pointers lol. DH is worried about my surgery because of all the bad stories he's heard. I keep reinforcing to him that he's the best husband that I could ever have and why would I leave the man that would fall in love with me at 230 lbs and still love and call me beautiful at 252 lbs. I am keepin him very involved with my process.

oh trust me, i understand.  when i met my husband 17 years ago, i worse a size 10.  when we married 7 years ago, i wore a size 22.  and he did not want me to have the surgery because he was afraid that i would no longer enjoy the things we like doing together... especially eating out.  just last night he said that he could see the weightloss in my back.  i said something like "i'd rather you see it in my backside."  he said, "oh no, that has to stay. " 

LMAO they are terrible. DH's second biggest fear is that I'll have no boobs. Right now I'm a 42DDD and he's a breast man lol.

I do have a girlfriend that had WLS and left her husband. She was like a 26 startin out. As she started gettin more attention from men she started acting diff towards her hubby, who actually wa a good husband. She eventually left him and her kids when she was a size 10. Haven't talked to her in years. Those are the stories that makes him scared. I already gave my gfs that will know about the surgery permission to slap me if I start talkin crazy!! LOL

you know what i worry about?  i have a lot of guy friends because i'm a sports fanatic.  two good things about being heavy is 1) their GFs/wives don't "fear" my friendship with them and 2) i can flirt my butt off with them and they don't take it seriously.  it will actually suck if either of these things change.  when i was younger and skinnier, flirting used to get me in so much trouble.  i would hate for it to be like that again.

Well I just went to see if you were a troll lol that would determine if you coud still get away with flirtin. Let me just say.......you will NOT!!! The face pic of you...gorgeous. Get ready for catty women LOL

wow... no one ever calls me gorgeous.  would you please post more often?  LOLOLOL 

about five years ago, a friend of ours wanted to see a picture of me from when i was younger.  i showed him a picture from when i was about 25.  he looks at it and says "man, you were hot."  he has never lived down that statement!!