Lap RNY complications?

Who had complications?  The surgeon I met with didn't necessarily "minimize" the chances of them, but appeared confident that one wouldn't happen either.  If anyone could offer their experiences I would appreciate it.  I'm getting more nervous as I'm moving from a "talking about it" stage to a "doing something about it" one.  Thanks. Sonny

The surgeon is Dr. Alan Brader of the Barix Clinic in Langhorne Pa.  He is spoken of very highly on the Pa. message board.  He does both lap band and lap RNY.  Jim G., who posts here frequently used him and also is a fan of his.  I'm beginning to lean towards RNY.  My wife is seemingly becoming more supportive as well, which is good. Sonny

I had some bleeding that required a minor procedure orally.  Spent days in CCU and was scared. Now 6 months out and down -124 pounds, I would do it again 5 times over.

Sonny, I myself had no complications, so far. However, I did a bunch of research on complications. Your mileage will vary, but for what it is worth here are my thoughts. When researching complications, I discovered some consistencies for those which did have complications. Surgeon's experience level. Surgeon's with 500+ LAP RNY's under their belt have a statistically significant lower complication rate than those with less than 100. Choose you surgeon carefully! Co-morbidities. The more co-morbidities you have going in, the greater the odds of a complication. Diabetes, high BP, very high BMI, can all play a part in complications. Age. the older you are, the more likely you are to have complications. There are several guys here on the board who had major, and I mean MAJOR, complications. I am sure their experience will be helpful for you. Also, the issues I bring up our just my own observations and not facts. Someone in the best of health my suffer major complications and a 70 year old, with an inexperienced doctor, with a list of co-morbidities a mile long may come through it clean. The trick is to push the odds into your favor as best you can by choosing your surgeon carefully and working your butt off prior to surgery. Do the pre-op diet! Exercise all you can in advance of the surgery. The better shape you are in going under the knife, the better odds for a quick complication free recovery. Do the research, make the best choice for you and then work your plan for success. That is the best you can do. In the end, it is still somewhat a roll of the dice. However, by doing your homework (and legwork) upfront you can increase you odds of rolling a 7 on the first toss! Take care. JP

Sonny, Complication rates are fairly low, and getting better all the time. I did have complications, and very odd one that almost never happens...(*see Profile) As to general/possible complications- Here's what I had on my hard drive- Complications: Any major surgery involves the potential for complications — adverse events whi*****rease risk, hospital stay, and mortality. Some complications are common to all abdominal operations, while some are specific to bariatric surgery. A person who chooses to undergo bariatric surgery should know about these risks. Complications of abdominal surgery Infection: Infection of the incisions, or of the inside of the abdomen (peritonitis, abscess) may occur, due to release of bacteria from the bowel during the operation. Nosocomial infection, such as pneumonia, bladder or kidney infections, and sepsis (bloodborne infection) are also possible. Effective short-term use of antibiotics, diligent respiratory therapy, and encouragement of activity within a few hours after surgery, can reduce the risks of infections. Hemorrhage: Many blood vessels must be cut, to divide the stomach and to move the bowel. Any of these may later begin bleeding, either into the abdomen (intra-abdominal hemorrhage), or into the bowel itself (gastrointestinal hemorrhage). Transfusions may be needed, and re-operation is sometimes necessary. Use of blood thinners, to prevent venous thromboembolic disease, may actually increase the risk of hemorrhage slightly. Hernia: A hernia is an abnormal opening, either within the abdomen, or through the abdominal wall muscles. An internal hernia may result from surgery, and re-arrangement of the bowel, and is mainly significant as a cause of bowel obstruction. An incisional hernia occurs when a surgical incision does not heal well; the muscles of the abdomen separate and allow protrusion of a sac-like membrane, which may contain bowel or other abdominal contents, and which can be painful and unsightly. The risk of abdominal wall hernia is markedly decreased in laparoscopic surgery. Bowel Obstruction: Abdominal surgery always results in some scarring of the bowel, called adhesions. A hernia, either internal or through the abdominal wall, may also result. When bowel becomes trapped by adhesions or a hernia, it may become kinked and obstructed, sometimes many years after the original procedure. Usually an operation is necessary, to correct this problem. Venous thromboembolism: Any injury, such as a surgical operation, causes the body to increase the coagulation of the blood. Simultaneously, activity may be reduced. There is an increased probability of formation of clots in the veins of the legs, or sometimes the pelvis, particularly in the morbidly obese patient. A clot which breaks free and floats to the lungs is called a pulmonary embolus, a very dangerous occurrence. Commonly, blood thinners are administered before surgery, to reduce the probability of this type of complication. Complications of gastric bypass: Anastamotic Leakage: An anastamosis is a surgical connection, between the stomach and bowel, or between two parts of the bowel. The surgeon attempts to create a water-tight connection, by connecting the two organs with either staples or sutures, either of which actually makes a hole in the bowel wall. The surgeon will rely on the healing power of the body, and its ability to create a seal like a self-sealing tire, to succeed with the surgery. If that seal fails to form, for any reason, fluid from within the gastrointestinal tract can leak into the sterile abdominal cavity, and give rise to infection and abscess formation. Leakage of an anastamosis can occur in about 2% of gastric bypass procedures, usually at the stomach-bowel connection. Sometimes leakage can be treated with antibiotics, and sometimes it will require immediate re-operation. It is usually safer to re-operate, if an infection cannot be definitely controlled immediately. Anastamotic stricture: As the anastamosis heals, it forms scar tissue, which naturally tends to shrink ("contract") over time, making the opening smaller. This is called a "stricture". Usually, the passage of food through an anastamosis will keep it stretched open, but if the inflammation and healing process outpaces the stretching process, scarring may make the opening so small that even liquids can no longer pass through it. The solution is a procedure called gastroendoscopy, and stretching of the connection by inflating a balloon inside it. Sometimes this manipulation may have to be performed more than once, to achieve lasting correction. Hope it helps..... Best Wishes- Dx

No complications here.  Down 85 lbs in 3 months.  Would do it again in a heartbeat, Sonny. Do you know the complications rate of your surgeon.  I did a lot of research and had those stats.  The site I went to Centennial here in Nashville had complication rates 1/10th the national average.

Sonny, It is good to see that you are doing your research.  When I had my consultation with Dr. Brader, I grilled him on his statistics.  He provided them freely.  I remember back in July he had performed over 3,000 surgerys with no deaths at all.  I don't remember the statistics on the other types of complications, but I remember comparing them to national statistics.  They were about half of the national numbers at the time. Of course your mileage may vary.  We are all different and each of us has our own risk factors that we bring to the table.  JP's advice about preparing yourself as much as possible in advance is well advised.  Lose weight, shrink your liver.  Walk.  You get the picture. When we look into the great unknown, it creates fear and anxiety in us.  However, the more information that we have, the lower our anxiety seems to be.  You are educating your wife as your gather data.  That is why she is probably more supportive. When I was first considering surgery, I bought every book about WLS that I could get my hands on.  I might have read them all.  I asked a lot of questions.  Then I made my choice. Good luck with your research and your decision.

My complications weren't due to the Lap RNY surgery I had, but rather to the Anesthesiologist putting me under before trying to intubate me.  I had severe obstructive sleep apnea and he couldn't get the tube in.  They forced it in 30 seconds ahead of an emergency tracheotemy.  My second try, they intubated me while I was awake.  Not a fun experience, believe me, but at least I had the surgery.

Sonny, Here is a link to the website at Duke University's WLS program where I had my surgery last April. This web page has a table which list the complications they have experinced and it also includes the industy norms. It is the only place I have seen where a WLS program list all their complication info. I hope it helps you out. I have not had any issue and I have lost 216lbs in the past 14 months. http://secure.visualzen.com/duke/wlsc/proceduresweoffer/defa ult.aspx