Survey question: Complications with WLS?

Hello again everyone!
I've just completed my 4th month of "Medically Supervised Diet" and am down around 35 lbs so far!  My biggest help is my gym membership!  I've never exercised in my life, but now go faithfully three times a week!  It feels great!

Here's the reason for the post...
At my last meeting/weigh-in, I met a man that had the bypass a year ago.  He's lost over 200 lbs and looks great!  He explained, though, that he's had many, many complications and has had several additional hospital stays/operations as a result of the bypass.  He said himself (and the nurse agreed) that his experience is NOT TYPICAL!  Well, I thought I'd put the question to you!  If you could respond with which surgery you had & a little about complications you've had (or not had), I'd greatly appreciate it.

I know I'm not alone in feeling this way, but it's so frightening.  Aside from all this extra weight I'm packing, I'm pretty healthy.  No diabetes, heart trouble, asthma, arthritis, etc.  I know that I have a family history of heart disease...so it's a distinct possibility...especially if I stay heavy.  I know that, in the long run, I'd be glad that I had the surgery - to feel and look better.   I just hate the thought of opening Pandora's Box...if you know what I mean.

Ok, thanks for listening and I thank you for sharing your experiences with this nervous newbie!
Thanks!
Pat

Hi i had RNY on 10-03-06 and I have had no complications.
Some bouts with constipation but no real complications.
I would say that I am pretty compliant with most of the rules
but particularly with my vitamins

Hi There!! I had laproscopic RNY on 1-30-07 )2+ years ago)

at about 1 year out I had ulcers, I have always had a sensitive stomach and the Dr thinks that I may have had them pre-op but was never tested.

late summer last year (2008) I had trouble with my gall-bladder, my issue however they don't think was entirely WLS related - THe gallbladder muscle wasn't contracting properly and was pushing the bile back towards my liver and causing pain. I had the pesky thing removed and feel so much better! and I lost 16 pounds! lol

I was 327 the day of my surgery and I didn't really have any co-moribities either, but there is a history of diabetes in my family and I was all set up to be there myself. I am now hovering around 190 with a goal of 170.

I follow the rules about 98% of the time - they operate on our stomachs not our heads. My biggest issue is carbs - I love bread and crackers! I am faithful about my vitamins but did battle a bit with B12 levels - they have corrected themselves with changing up the brand and dose of my vitamins.

Hope this helps! Sorry for the rambling!

Liz

PS - there are always going to be a person in a crowd who will have had a complication - does that mean that it is going to happen regularly - no way! This surgery is as individual as we are!

Hello, I had RNY on 9-2-04.

I have have no complications as a result of WLS.

I have a genetic blood disease that I was born with. Having RNY has made it magnify a little more but it was there before surgery and will be there always. It's managed by my hematologist and always has been.

I will say I am 75% compliant with the rules. I do eat some tings I am not supposed to. For the most part, I comply with the guidelines. But I lost 110 pounds. (I am currently preggo so I have gained some of course) It's been over 4 and a half years.

I had laproscopic RNY on 12/26/08. I did not have any medical complications nor do I have any now. Similar to you Pat, I do not have any other health issues other than my extra weight.

Hi Pat,

   I am just shy of 11 months out and like you had no co-morbidies but was headed down that path with family history ..I had kidney stones at 9 months out which they said was more then likey from the rapid weight loss. They were painful but I'll take two weeks of pain to be 136 pounds less then time last year...

I foloow the rules 95% of the time but I try not to beat myself up that 5% of the time I just start each day fresh! 

Good luck....

Hi there,
I had Open RNY over two years ago.  I did have ulcers the following Spring, but I had ulcers prior to my surgery.  I also developed an incisional hernia and needed surgery for that, but that often happens with OPEN surgery.  The only real glitch has been I have B12 anemia, because of malabsorption.  I get B12 shots regularly, but I was already getting allergy shots, so that is no big deal to me.  

Good luck with your research. 

Trish

I"m 16 mos out lap rny and have lost 110 plbs there about have been at goal weight since September and have lowered by blood pressure, heart rate, blood sugar levels.

I did have what appeared to be a small bowel obstruction in July - approximately 9 mos out of surgery.  It resolved "on its own" meaning I did not require any further surgery.  I did spend 24 hours in a hospital setting (first I went to a local one by me and then had them transfer me back to BArix where I could have Dr. P look at me)

I've had other small issues such as some constipation (OTC stool softeners helped that right along) and when I am stupid and eat to fast or on the rare occassion I do not follow the rules I've gotten sick.  That is NOT complications of the surgery.  That is complications of me and my thick stubborn head.

Do it again in a heart beat.  If my surgeon told me the only way this would work is every year for the rest of my life I would have to have another surgery - I would sign up regardless.

Pam

Hi Pat - your concerns are well warranted - this is a very serious surgery and you want as much info as you can get going into it, so its a good question to ask.

I am just over one year post-op - I had lap RNY at Barix. I also had to follow a supervised diet and fitness program (for insurance purposes) prior to getting approval for surgery. I lost 33 lbs with that and another 17 with the 10 day liquid diet pre-surgery that my surgeon required, so I started my journey at 388 and went into surgery at 338.

I am down a total of 160 lbs and I feel wonderful - I had NO complications from surgery. As a matter of fact the only way I even knew I had the surgery after a couple of weeks was the fact that I wasn't hungry and couldn't eat - otherwise I wouldn't have known because I felt that good.

Thru-out the year I've had some issues like everyone else - eating too fast - finding things that I can't eat anymore, etc. I went into surgery with high blood pressure, asthma, high cholesterol and I'm pretty sure I wasn't too far away from becoming diabetic. I am off all my meds now with the exception of a very minimal dose of BP meds (2.5 mg of Norvasc). I take my vitamins and calcium supplements every day - I take a colase (stool softener) every day to stay regular - my blood work at 9 months and 12 months was phenomenal!! I have no issues with low B12 or iron. And like everyone else I'm good 95% of the time - nobody is perfect.

I would love to lose another 30 lbs but my weight has been holding the same for quite some time now - I'm older and have been heavy my entire life. I know if I really bump up my exercise I should be able to shake a few more pounds off, and am hoping with spring approaching I'll get the motivation I've been missing.

I would do this surgery again in a heartbeat - fear of dying young or having a heart attack or stroke and the EMTs not being able to get my fat body onto a stretcher frightened me more than the surgery.

Wish you all the best with your decision - if you have a great surgeon you feel comfortable and a good support system you will come through this just fine.

Kathy

Hi Pat,

It's good that you are giving this lots of thought.  It's a very big step and you need to be sure.

I had my gastric bypass in 10/06.  Only tiny complication I had was one of the incision became infected.  I caught it, saw my surgeon, he checked it out, gave me antibiotics, I was fine.  Worst part of it was the smell...uuugghhhhh!

Prior to wls, at 300 lbs/5-foot-nothing, I had T2 diabetes, lots of problems with my asthma, frequent crippling sciatic attacks, and my knees and ankles were suffering.  My cholesterol and heart and blood pressure were fine, but I knew it was just a matter of time before they became sick too.  It was inevitable.  I'd been dieting since I was about three years old, had tried absolutely everything...it had not worked.

The diabetes disappeared immediately.  They gave me insulin the day of surgery and the morning after.  I have not had a diabetic symptom since.  Now, at half my body weight, I have no diabetes.  I still have asthma, of course, but from regular attacks and problems, I now just have to watch my triggers; I normally don't have problems.  From frequent sciatica that lasted weeks and kept me from doing anything, I now get occasional twinges and aches that last a few hours.  My blood pressure is perfect. 

Pre wls, I was on 2 kinds of insulin, diabetes pills, 2 inhalers, asthma pills, 2 kinds of pain meds, including percoset, which I needed more than I would like to have taken.  After, I ended up with only an emergency inhaler just in case and the percosets are on hand just in case, but taken very rarely.

I took swimming lessons a few months after surgery.  Got back on a bike for the first time since childhood.  Did a charity walk of 10 miles and 1000 stairs. 

I started out in a size 26/28 pants and skirts and worried I was about to outgrow my size 32 tops.  I'm now in size 10 pants/skirts and 14/16 tops (yeah, I've always been bigger on top and that hasn't changed).

It's not been an easy road.  Anyone who says it's easy doesn't have a clue.  But I would have taken ten times more complications to reach the results.  It was the best decision I ever made.

All the best to you.

Lisa