Question about long term follow up data

Has anyone came across or know where I can find some scholarly articles on long-term follow-up post RNY?

I can't seem to find anything on the subject and it is starting to annoy me. Can it be that no data has been published?

I know all about the immediate complications but what I am interested in is how people are doing 10 years after surgery.

I went to a support meeting not long ago and heard that most people have some issues they are dealing with (low sugar levels, low vitamin levels and all sorts of imbalances).... I am 35 and have no medical problems.... I am starting to worry that I am potentially causing more harm then good with this surgery....

Maybe I am thinking too much and God knows I have been waiting for this and talking about it for months if not years; but the closer I get to the actual surgery date the more I worry that I am not making an informed decision.

Any thoughts or words of wisdom? 

I haven't seen any documentation, but then again I haven't looked.  There are several Vets on here that are up there in years.  I think Karen M is around 7, and there was just a post for Tracy's surgiversary, and I think it was around 10 (bad memory today).  They would be a great start to ask questions you might have.

I was 36 when I started the process, I wouldn't say I had no medical problems, if I said that I wouldn't need surgery.  But I didn't have any co-morbidities.  My blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol etc were all normal.  So it was easier for me to be in denial about how bad my weight was and the consequences. I knew I was too heavy, but I couldn't find anything that would work to get me to the right weight until I had surgery.

There will be a period of adjustment where your body will wonder what you did with it, but it does settle down to a level where you learn to manage it.  But you still have to be conscious of your tool and keep using it properly to keep yourself healthy.  There are those who forget that part and have undesirable health issues as a result, either weight gain, or becoming malnourished.  It's not because of the tool, it's how the tool is used or not used.

We all had a choice, do we keep going with the life we are living, or do we do something to change the outcome?  I decided to change the outcome, and I have no regrets.  I like being able to chase my kids around in the yard or on the ice.  I'm even thinking about becoming an assistant coach on my son's hockey team next year (he'll be with the 5 year olds then).  Someone suggested I become a coach, and I laughed, but now I'm thinking I should.  My goal for 2013, get certified and start coaching hockey.

Good luck,

Cathy

Hey there,

Melting Mama posted this link on nov 24th

http://m.generalsurgerynews.com/Article.aspx?d=In+the+News&d_id=69&i=November+2012&i_id=908&a_id=22127

It is American, but it does suggest there is very limited information.

J

At the resent TWH meeting this subject came up. In the past most surgeries on Canadians was done in the states. They are just in the process of compiling stats for Ontario. In the US there is more funding for these studies so it will be a whilw before info is available in Canada.

Many of us had medical issues before the surgery. These issues did not magically disappear. They will reoccur as other issues after.

I don't think there's a lot of long term follow up data, especially not in canada. We'll have to keep asking for things like that. Also, we kind of owe it to those going after us, to keep up our follow up appointments, cuz that's where they're going to get this data.

Next, i wanted to speak to this statement that you made "I went to a support meeting not long ago and heard that most people have some issues they are dealing with (low sugar levels, low vitamin levels and all sorts of imbalances)...."

couple of issues with this

1. bad news travels faster than good. Not many people will go to support meetings to tell you everything is great.

2. the "most" that you're talking about here, is that most of the people in that group? or most people with wls?

I was referring to the group and not the general wls population.... I might be exaggerating... it might be because of all the "thinking" that I am starting to psych myself out...

I don't know.

I want to see I nice article saying that from the hundreds or thousands of participants, X got this, Y got that... basically have it all laid out on a silver platter but I know this is not likely to happen.

What I was also not considering is the fact that as people age there are things that come up anyway... I can't expect people in their early 40's and 50's  to be the picture of perfect health after being overweight for most of their lives... plus age also plays a factor and who can say what other things might come up as we age.... I am rambling....and I'll stop now....

i totally get it, all.

This is something we need to stay on top of forever. We will always be at risk for vitamin and iron deficiencies, and need to make sure that we're vigilant about our supplements, and our nutrition. And yeah, we likely have to pay some sort of price for being obese for however long, and then factor in getting older... sigh.

I would LOVE to see a lovely article, with everything laid out nicely. Maybe someday, but not likely.

hugs.

Often there are posts on the forum that people will say what the surgery has meant to them. Usually on an anniversary of their surgery. A lot of posts are people looking for help so it appears there is only problems. I have gone on other forums and read posts by people 5 10 years out. They are still glad for the life surgery gave them.

There are generally 10 year studies.  If you google them, they do come up.  This is a good read too:  http://longevity.about.com/od/researchandmedicine/a/gastric_bypass.htm.  The actual studies are located there too in the sources.

The problem with long term studies is also that they can be tricky.  Damage can be done before we have our surgery.  For instance, many of us have had cholesterol out of control so we have plaque. We could have heart attacks but chances are that they are from how we lived before (consequences that were in existence long ago).

It's going to be a tradeoff.  You may deficiencies and issues.  Any time you surgically alter your body, you have to expect that you'll have some work to do. Staying on top of labs is key. 

One really interesting chart can be found here about your risk factors with being morbidly obese and the types of cancers that you are far more at risk for:

http://www.mmcsurgery.com/bariatricsurgery/obesity/cancer.html

If you are morbidly obese - you have medical problems developing.  You just may not know yet. 

I'm 42 and when I had surgery, my only issue was my knees and my sort of high cholesterol (my good levels are high so I didn't have a cholesterol problem yet).

Now, I have reactive hypoglycemia, iron deficiencies (this seems to be a biggie in our post wls world for long timers),

vitamin d deficient, osteopenic. 

Despite this I would not trade or go back.  I have mobility back. I have quality of life back. I can shop at any store. I can

walk half marathons - have done Detroit four times now.  I have played floor hockey, swam, coach basketball.  I'm normal.  Can fit into most spaces easily. Never have to worry about a chair collapsing, fitting in someones car, needing a seatbelt

extender etc. 

If you can lose the weight without surgery then kudos to you. It's the best way obviously. If you can't and you've done a zillion different programs that got you nowhere and you want to fix what's broken before your car actually dies on the road, then surgery is a great tool. 

Dawn

As diminishing dawn stated, there are articles.   You need to google them with different subtitles IE "long term problems of rny pts" etc.  You will get a LOT of hits from that on google.

For instance:   http://wlsvitagarten.com/2010/04/26/anemia-common-post-rny-r eally-you-dont-say/

This article is excellent in terms of talking realistically bout the issues long term.

http://www.drchampion.com/procedures/rny/benefits-risks-rny/

Think very long and hard about this decision. Especially if it is any of them except the sleeve. The entire reason why the weight loss is "successful" is because it is balanced on malnutrition, and malabsorption. Consider that from a long term perspective. 

You won't always be 35