Open Gastric Bypass
I would love any feedback from people that had to have and open gastric bypass. I will be having open vs. laparoscopic due to mesh from a hernia previously. I have completed all testing and will be meeting with my doctor on April 20th to discuss the surgery and then they will submit to my insurance company. I am blessed to have excellent insurance, my husband is retired from ST of CT and we have Anthem. Doctors office told me they usually get an approval in a couple days! I am really looking forward to beginning this journey but am nervous about having open surgery.
Thanks in advance! Sue
I had open RNY in 2007 (and knew it would be open going into it). Open surgery hurts more than lap, of course, and takes much longer to heal, but once you get healed it isn't any different. Some people actually prefer one longer incision than 5 or 6 scattered all across the abdomen (especially if there is already a midline incision that they can re-use).
There is a greater chance of an incisional hernia (and you are probably at even a somehwat higher risk because of the existing hernia), but the size of your liver matters much less because with open surgery they can more easily hold it out of the way.
Lora
14 years out; 190 pounds lost, 165 pound loss maintained
You don't drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there.
Who is your doctor in Connecticut? I had Dr Aranow at Middlesex and had open ten years ago, the plus side is you don't have that excruciating gas pains that can accompany lap surgery. I have had two abdominal lap surgeries in addition to the open rny and my gallbladder surgery was lap and very painful with the gas, my lap bile duct surgery was not nearly as bad. Open really isn't so bad, I had no problems and the scar is nearly gone since I had my tummy tuck.
