Pannus removal? Age 71. Being evaluated for WLS now.
(deactivated member)
on 5/10/12 2:09 pm, edited 5/10/12 2:11 pm - Canada
on 5/10/12 2:09 pm, edited 5/10/12 2:11 pm - Canada
I havent yet started the journey most of you guys have completed, but I'm in the early stages of being 'evaluated' for WLS. I'm 404 lbs, 5'9" and 71 years old. I had a meeting with a surgeon yesterday who without saying so gave me the idea I was a very risky patient because of my age, stating that most of his patients are in the 40 to 60 age range and have a lot of years ahead to enjoy weighing a lot less...but at 71 he wondered if risking an operation in the last phase of my life was worthwhile.
He said he would do the RNY on me and not the VSG if I'm approved by the internist, psychiatrist, dietitian, nursing staff, and him. I thought the VSG would be best for me, at least as a first stage, but he said the risk of 'leaking' is way too high with a VSG on me...and that could be fatal. Scared me.
I also have a very huge pannus that hangs to my knees and wonder if any of you had one too. I hear that losing a lot of weight might thin it out but it will probably get worse and hang lower until a plastics doctor takes it off...a year or two after surgery. I've had the pannus apron for about 3 years but since January it has really increased in size and now shows through my pants when i walk. I just hate it, but dieting doesnt seem to stop its growth. I am a couch potato as it's hard to exercise this way.
Do any of you have some thoughts for me. Im scared now, don't want to die on the table, and getting depressed...but now questioning if i should go ahead with it if approved for surgery.
He said he would do the RNY on me and not the VSG if I'm approved by the internist, psychiatrist, dietitian, nursing staff, and him. I thought the VSG would be best for me, at least as a first stage, but he said the risk of 'leaking' is way too high with a VSG on me...and that could be fatal. Scared me.
I also have a very huge pannus that hangs to my knees and wonder if any of you had one too. I hear that losing a lot of weight might thin it out but it will probably get worse and hang lower until a plastics doctor takes it off...a year or two after surgery. I've had the pannus apron for about 3 years but since January it has really increased in size and now shows through my pants when i walk. I just hate it, but dieting doesnt seem to stop its growth. I am a couch potato as it's hard to exercise this way.
Do any of you have some thoughts for me. Im scared now, don't want to die on the table, and getting depressed...but now questioning if i should go ahead with it if approved for surgery.
welcome brother.
There are so many issues in your post that could be addressed, but let me talk about two.
(first let me say that I am actually a newbie to the WLS world - still in my rookie year)
Probably the most important is the decision to have surgery or not.
That cannot be answered on the Internet, but the issues are probably obvious.
The whole point of weight loss surgery is to primarily decrease mortality (death). The secondary goal is to decrease morbidity (diseases that are caused by obesity), and third, and definitely last for insurers and surgeons is for cosmetics.
Most studies that prove decreased morbidity and mortality are done on patients of considerably fewer birthdays than you. The point being, for instance, is that stopping let's say diabetes doesn't help some one over 5 years. They don't live a single day longer. But stopping diabetes in a 45 year old can add 10 years to their life.
The surgery carries a certain amount of risk to it and the risk is justified if there can be significant benefits derived. The risk/benefit ratio will be the primary consideration of all the doctors that you meet. I can't believe that you won't be seeing a cardiologist for a nuclear stress test and a pulmonologist for pulmonary function testing. Good luck with all that stuff man. You are kinda at their mercy, because they all have to sign off on the risk.
With regard to the pannus..Well you can pay cash to have that taken down without a WLS.
Dude, in the end, WLS is about following a diet and getting our collective asses off the couch. Perhaps you might be better off with just a pannelectomy and a strict diet with a trainer and a big community of accountability built up around you.
WTF do I really know about you though?
Nothing!
I wish you the best and promise you that we will be here for you regardless of the decision. Hell man as long as you own a penis, you can hang with us if you are simply dieting to lose the weight. That's what we are doing too.
Good luck partner.
Doc
There are so many issues in your post that could be addressed, but let me talk about two.
(first let me say that I am actually a newbie to the WLS world - still in my rookie year)
Probably the most important is the decision to have surgery or not.
That cannot be answered on the Internet, but the issues are probably obvious.
The whole point of weight loss surgery is to primarily decrease mortality (death). The secondary goal is to decrease morbidity (diseases that are caused by obesity), and third, and definitely last for insurers and surgeons is for cosmetics.
Most studies that prove decreased morbidity and mortality are done on patients of considerably fewer birthdays than you. The point being, for instance, is that stopping let's say diabetes doesn't help some one over 5 years. They don't live a single day longer. But stopping diabetes in a 45 year old can add 10 years to their life.
The surgery carries a certain amount of risk to it and the risk is justified if there can be significant benefits derived. The risk/benefit ratio will be the primary consideration of all the doctors that you meet. I can't believe that you won't be seeing a cardiologist for a nuclear stress test and a pulmonologist for pulmonary function testing. Good luck with all that stuff man. You are kinda at their mercy, because they all have to sign off on the risk.
With regard to the pannus..Well you can pay cash to have that taken down without a WLS.
Dude, in the end, WLS is about following a diet and getting our collective asses off the couch. Perhaps you might be better off with just a pannelectomy and a strict diet with a trainer and a big community of accountability built up around you.
WTF do I really know about you though?
Nothing!
I wish you the best and promise you that we will be here for you regardless of the decision. Hell man as long as you own a penis, you can hang with us if you are simply dieting to lose the weight. That's what we are doing too.
Good luck partner.
Doc
"Future's so bright, I gotta wear shades!"
highest weight : 428 Banded 11/3/2011 surgery weight : 386
highest weight : 428 Banded 11/3/2011 surgery weight : 386
(deactivated member)
on 5/13/12 3:14 pm - Canada
on 5/13/12 3:14 pm - Canada
On May 11, 2012 at 8:15 AM Pacific Time, docd wrote:
welcome brother.There are so many issues in your post that could be addressed, but let me talk about two.
(first let me say that I am actually a newbie to the WLS world - still in my rookie year)
Probably the most important is the decision to have surgery or not.
That cannot be answered on the Internet, but the issues are probably obvious.
The whole point of weight loss surgery is to primarily decrease mortality (death). The secondary goal is to decrease morbidity (diseases that are caused by obesity), and third, and definitely last for insurers and surgeons is for cosmetics.
Most studies that prove decreased morbidity and mortality are done on patients of considerably fewer birthdays than you. The point being, for instance, is that stopping let's say diabetes doesn't help some one over 5 years. They don't live a single day longer. But stopping diabetes in a 45 year old can add 10 years to their life.
The surgery carries a certain amount of risk to it and the risk is justified if there can be significant benefits derived. The risk/benefit ratio will be the primary consideration of all the doctors that you meet. I can't believe that you won't be seeing a cardiologist for a nuclear stress test and a pulmonologist for pulmonary function testing. Good luck with all that stuff man. You are kinda at their mercy, because they all have to sign off on the risk.
With regard to the pannus..Well you can pay cash to have that taken down without a WLS.
Dude, in the end, WLS is about following a diet and getting our collective asses off the couch. Perhaps you might be better off with just a pannelectomy and a strict diet with a trainer and a big community of accountability built up around you.
WTF do I really know about you though?
Nothing!
I wish you the best and promise you that we will be here for you regardless of the decision. Hell man as long as you own a penis, you can hang with us if you are simply dieting to lose the weight. That's what we are doing too.
Good luck partner.
Doc
I think, if I get approval for surgery that it will be RNY...but I seem to get the idea from other threads on this board that VSG might be better for my age, weight, etc. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Should I try to convince them to do VSG?
Regarding the pannus, that's how I got to his stage as the plastics doc said it was too risky for me without serious weight loss and referred me to a WLS doc in his hospital. He said WLS is much safer than a pannus operation at my weight and age, and after weight loss the pannus would be easy to do. His concern was stitch failure while carrying the excess weight.
btw, doc, I do have a penis but it's a little harder to find these days with the pannus.
Thanks for being there.
Hi,
Listen to the good Doc. WLS is just a tool to assist you in your diet. In order to control your weight you still have to take all the same measures with or without the surgery. Get off the couch, if you are depressed please address that right away with a professional. Look at increasing your exercise even if by small increments. A large part of the screening process is to make sure you have a chance at success after the surgery.
Best of luck, Brian
Listen to the good Doc. WLS is just a tool to assist you in your diet. In order to control your weight you still have to take all the same measures with or without the surgery. Get off the couch, if you are depressed please address that right away with a professional. Look at increasing your exercise even if by small increments. A large part of the screening process is to make sure you have a chance at success after the surgery.
Best of luck, Brian
Hug your kids every day, let them know they are loved, keep them safe the best you can.
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This is going to be a very personal decision for you as it was for all of us. I know that even at 55, some felt that I was too risky. However, with the comorbidities, surgery was the right decision for me.
You will need to weigh the opinions of those you can trust, like the doctor, surgeon and family, but the final decision is yours. I don't know how much research you've done yet, but understand that WLS is not an easy way out. There are short-term and long-term changes and complications for everyone who has surgery...as well as for their families. If you do not have the support system in place and the desire to make major changes in your behavior, this is not for you.
But if you are truly ready to make the change, WLS can be a real life changer, regardless of your age.
You will need to weigh the opinions of those you can trust, like the doctor, surgeon and family, but the final decision is yours. I don't know how much research you've done yet, but understand that WLS is not an easy way out. There are short-term and long-term changes and complications for everyone who has surgery...as well as for their families. If you do not have the support system in place and the desire to make major changes in your behavior, this is not for you.
But if you are truly ready to make the change, WLS can be a real life changer, regardless of your age.
KenHud
RNY 5/17/10 highest: 407 lb - maintaining a loss of 200+ pounds and enjoying life
RNY 5/17/10 highest: 407 lb - maintaining a loss of 200+ pounds and enjoying life
Had mine removed 16 years ago after losing 200 lbs. Re gained 100 and it did not come back. Now that I had RNY and am losing again, no sign of it. I had to pay for the surgery and even then it was about 5K but worth it to me.
Visit my Blog at http://www.lwassmann.blogspot.com/ 
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