Question:
Does anyone know the post op life span?

This is somehting I found online. Does anyone have any infomation regarding the truthfulness of this?? This is very scary - to think that within 15 years after I have the operation I may die because of it. I am sorry if this sounds like a crude question but I really need to know. Thanks for your support! "Aside from the physical dangers with the surgery which include liver failure, kidney failure and a shortened lifespan (surgeons are very evasive about the lifespan after surgery and there are few patients around who are more than 15 years post op), it becomes evident that the wonderful, after surgery, quality of life promised by the surgeons, may not materialize at all."    — Brandy W. (posted on May 5, 2001)

May 5, 2001
Yeah the rny has only been around for about 15 years so we really dont know about the future. Then again I know what my future is like without surgery since I am diabetic.' Blindness, neuropothy, amputation,incontenience, kidney failure.... death in any case... I too want to see the entire article.
   — bob-haller

May 5, 2001
I know some people from the 70's! And they had the old JIB--"Kills 'em for sure" model! Many from the 80's and even more who are veterans of the various generations of surgeries. My doc's been doing 'em since 1963, which is where I get some of my wild and crazy nutritional ideas. What works, what doesn't. Since I keep meeting people from the 70 & 80's, I am even more firmly convinced that the good nutrition is what will make the difference long term. Frequent labs with YOUR OWN EYES ON THEM will help keep your levels as good as possible. If we are proactive in our stance, we will do far better in the long run. My doc has said on an average it ADDS 7 yrs, but of course, no one has a crystal ball. You will find that many sites out there will focus on the horror stories only, not the coupla hundred thousand of us per year who do NOT die of their diabetes (or lose eyes & feet), who do NOT die from their cholesterol (like my ex did at only 100# over), who do NOT actually have to buy that wheelchair or oxygen unit, who do NOT diein car accidents due to our sleep apnea, who do NOT die from that last asthma attack, and so on. I've already gotten my extra 7 yrs, personally. Not that I want to toss in the towel yet, but I have better labs and a better life than I EVER had pre-op. EVER. And this life is not perfection. I wanted normal. I got normal.
   — vitalady

May 5, 2001
My take on it isn't statistical- it is my real life. I would rather die in 15 years with the quality of life I now have (playing soccer, softball, refereeing soccer, rollerblading, etc.) than to live another 50 with the quality of life I had preop. At least I am giving my kids great memories of their mother playing with them, laughing, swimming, and smiling as opposed to always tired, sleeping on the couch, out of breath, and grumpy.
   — M B.

May 5, 2001
I have two family friends who had gastric bypass surgery in the late 70's. One is living to this day and is healthy. The second died a few years ago due to an illness totally unrelated to the surgery. For her the surgery helped for a while but she gained the weight back. IMHO, she more and likely died from complications related to obesity as opposed to the surgery itself.
   — Jan M.

May 6, 2001
I think that is definitely a Sue Widemark website. Go back and look for a way to verify her numbers, or contact her, you won't find it. I've noticed that many seemingly unrelated web sites reference this woman's articles. And yet, she is not an expert and does not submit her articles to close scrutiny or even give us a way to contact her for more info. Beware of numbers and statements that no one is standing behind. I'd really like to know who Sue W. is and why she's so anti-WLS.
   — kcanges

May 6, 2001

   — Jennifer P.