Long term side effects?

HI,

So I have been debating some time over what surgery to have.  I have finally scheduled my endoscopy for thursday and am debating cancelling or rescheduling.  I cannot decide on a surgery!  I would really like to get the vsg, but I have blue shild of ca and do not think that they cover it.  I have done a lot of research on the lap band and rny.  I have seen that lap band tends to cause a lot of problems 3 - 5 years out with a high reopoeration rate. I see a lot of banders going to revisisons at that time.  I have also seen a lot of the rny patients with hyperglecimia and things like that.  I think because i am so young (26), I have to live 40+ years with this surgery.  I wonder what happens long term with rny, like 20 - 30 years out.  Do any of you know of anyone?  Have any of you had bad complications, regrets, great outcomes after long term.  Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!!

 The gastric bypass was first performed in the 1960's but the rny version has been the modification of that over several decades.   So all in all, the rny procedure is fairly newish and from personal experience I only know people who are 10-12 years out and only one of those people actually regrets their surgery.  

As far as complications go, it's all relative.  You may have a complication with your WLS but you may also develop diabetes or high blood pressure because you are obese or  have a knee or heart surgery because of the extra weight.  Anytime you have a surgery, there is a risk of a complication, regardless of the type.  I had an internal hernia with scar tissue and a twisted bowel that was pushing through the hernia just last month that required additional surgery.   I don't regret my surgery at all but I realized that there could be a risk going in.  

Like I said, complications are all relative.  Yes, there's always a risk but you have to ask yourself if the small chance of that out weighs the everyday struggles and long term complications of being obese.   For me, the benefits of WLS by far surpassed the risk.  

~Emily~

If you have selected a surgeon I would ask them what complications they see with their patients... also go to local support groups and see what people in the area have to say. Keep in mind each surgeon does surgery a little differently so its good to see what their experiences have been.

Personally I do not know anybody who had RNY that has become hypoglycemic. Remember when looking around people who are ok dont complain because they have nothing to complain about... I have had no side effects and my friends who had surgery have had no physical side effects (I have a friend who has a lot of mental side effects).

well i chose the RNY cuz all the success  stories I knew before my surgery were fromg gastric bypass.
your in ur 20, acording to the standards  the "vgs" would look like the best option for you. cuz its only restrictive, i wanted to go for a malabsortion, cuz i know i need that in order to lose the weight.

other good choise n if i were you i would do more reserch about it is DS. it sounds very interting. but dont let anybody decides for you. your gonna have to live with the surgery for the rest of your life, so only you can decide.

im 2 years out from a RNY and my labwork are great. so if you follow the rules u will be fine!


good luck!
n rember any surgery will work! cuz its you and only you who is gonna make your new tool work.

hugs.s

I had RNY when I was 22. I am now 25. If I could have got it at 17 I would have. I am an unapologetic advocate for weightloss surgery. I wont force it on anyone, I dont prosletyze, however, if someone ask me I will tell them my experience with the operation.The question is, how much do you weigh now? What is your BMI?

The lapband is a scam. I dont mean to disparage it, because many people have it, use it, lose weight, etc etc... but far to many people ahve lap band, and you see them a few years later, and it doesnt look like they had anything. Again, the very same statement can be said for gastric bypass or any surgery, but if you look at statistical percentages of EXCESS weightloss and people maintaing it for 5 years or more, gastric bypass is right up there.

I would also suggest you not have VSG. VSG is fine, but all its doing is making your stomach smaller. You will have no malabsorbtion and pretty much will be limited to what you eat. For some people that is fine and they can handle it... but your stomach will stretch.


With RNY, you have malabsorbtion.  That is what helps to maintain your weight loss.  You dont have that with VSG or lapband, only RNY or DS.

Just look at the guy from the biggest loser. That guy lost like 200lbs "on his own" which everyone in the media trys to portray as some noble value. That guy lost alot of weight, and gained it all back. When I saw the story of that guy... I felt so bad for him, I really did. My sympathies were with him, because I couldnt fathom how it must be psychologically. And that goes for anyone who goes through that, even people that have lap band or rny, and regain all their weight.


I have regained weight from my lowest. Part of that is bad habits, and part is because my knee problems. I gained about 20 from my absolute lowest, but over the last year have stabilized and fluctuate about 10lbs or so in the range around 240.  When I have my knee repaired, hopefully Ill be able to use the treadmill and exercise more often, and be able to get down to 220 or lower, like I was before my knee pain became too intense to exercise everyday.

To get back the story, yes there are many side affects, acute and long term, but you must make a pro and cons list of losing the weight vs. long term consequences of morbid obesity.