Question:
Is lap RNY really worth waiting
6 months for, or going for open in about a month. I have been working with a wonderful surgeon locally that will only do the open RNY procedure on someone of my size, and I can get into surgery in about a month. However, I have recently been looking into having the surgery done lap due to the shortened healing time and such, but won't be able to get in to see that doctor (which is totally across the country) until late May. I am anxious to have this surgery done, but 6 months is not long I guess considering. What do ya'll think? Thanks for your thoughts! — [Deactivated Member] (posted on December 23, 2002)
December 22, 2002
Go for the open! I believe it is the safer procedure (I know I'm gonna get
blasted for saying that!LOL). I was only off work for 3 weeks with my
surgery.
— MARSHA D.
December 22, 2002
I like the way you spell your name! The choice is yours, really. Lets
compare your choices...The lap does have a shorter recovery period, is less
intrusive and less scaring. But you will have to wait 6 months or more.
With open, obviously a larger scar, a little longer recovery and a higher
chance of developing hernias. You say that you have a wonderful surgeon
locally that will only do open. Traveling across country to have surgery
cannot be easy, especially for follow up visits. And just because you can
get in to see him in late May does not mean that surgery will be scheduled
right away, have you checked the cross country docs surgery schedule? I
had mine lap, but presented with the choices you have-local and open, or 6
months or longer wait/cross country/lap, I think I would have chosen to
stay local.
— Cindy R.
December 22, 2002
I'm really suprised at the previous answers, I personally had lap and I'm
glad I did. I was up and feeling great the second day. I know waiting 6
months would be hard but I've had a c-section and I hear that open is just
about as hard to recover from. I was down for weeks with a c-section. Good
Luck in your decision.
— kelly M.
December 22, 2002
I can speak from both sides of this. My original surgery was done lap.
However, my surgeon made a mistake, attached my intestines to my new
stomach upside down, and I had to have an open surgery 2 months later to
get that fixed. I had minimal pain with both procedures, didn't have a
pain med pump at all and didn't need one. Everyone's experience is
different, but one of the other posts made a good point about staying
local, rather than waiting 6 months to see someone across the country and
then maybe having to wait even longer to get a surgery date. I was very
sick from the time of my original surgery in May until after the second
surgery. I then had to spend about 8 weeks in rehab to get my strength
back and re-learn to eat and drink. I very much needed the vast amount of
help my borther and sister gave me. If I had been a long distance away
from home, I would not have had their help.
— garw
December 22, 2002
A difficult decision!
I believe that you should first consider which surgeon you are most
comfortable with. Then take into consideration the difficutly of long
distance travel and follow up. Finally, each surgery has it's own risks,
which you must consider. One thing that I worry about is that many people
seem to think that Lap has no complications, which is not true at all. So
consider all the complications. Also open is a shorter surgery, which was
a big factor for me! Anyway, I'm throwing all these things at you to
consider.
My personal opinion (for what it's worth- not having all the facts) is that
is it not worth waiting for the lap procedure.
I had open RNY and was back to work in 2 weeks (desk job). No kidding. It
only took about 10 days for my incision to close completely. You'll have
to take it easy in the beginning, but you'll be well on your way before the
other surgeon could even see you.
Good luck to you!
— LMCLILLY
December 23, 2002
I believe I lost 102 pounds in the first six months. Would I wait 6 months
to get a LAP? Absolutely not! I had an Open and personally think it is
safer. Yes I know it is slower in healing and the possibility of a hernia
exists. But I want a surgeon to SEE and be able to MOVE my guts out of the
way and not to have a tiny little camera that maxnifies things bigger. To
each his own, but I still say an Open is safer. But we all can debate that
and there are both pros and cons to both the LAP and OPEN. Personally, I
would go for the 100 pounds or so loss you would "probally have"
during that 6 month wait! However it is all up to you. If you have your
heart set on LAP... then wait! It is all personal preference. ;)
— Danmark
December 23, 2002
Hi there, I had lap rny and am so happy I did. I was in the same
situation as you though at first. I didnt want to wait for the lap, so I
researched more doctors and found one that had relocated to my area
(therefore, he didnt have the waiting list everyone else had). I was
walking 2 hours out of recovery and you can barely see my incisions. The
huge scar was an issue for me. Now I am 4 weeks out and exercising,
working and living great! Good Luck with your choice.
— kandi S.
December 23, 2002
I'm pre-op but I when I have my wls I have 2 doctors to chose from. One
does lap, if you meet the requirements and I do, one does open. I have
decided to go with whoever gets me in sooner. I have had 3 c-sections and
the recovery time for me wasnt much. If this is the first time you have had
surgery you will want someone with you and a surgeon you can call or see
anytime you need to. I couldnt imagin flying cross country for after-care.
This surgery does require after care. And like the other person said, think
of all the weight you can lose in those 6 months. That right there would
decide it for me. lol
— TheresaC
December 23, 2002
As you can see from the previous posts, we are all a little partial to the
way we had our surgeries done. I think this is a very personal decision
for you and you have to weigh the pros and cons and then make the decision.
There are people who feel that the Lap is better for the healing time and
such. I had it done that way and was only off work for 2 1/2 weeks. I am
doing fine now 5 months later. You will hear the same thing from people
who had the open procedure. Just make sure that you get all the information
you can about both types of surgery. Good luck with your decision making
and God Bless.
— tulagirl
December 23, 2002
Lap with less pain, lesshospital time, faster overall recovery, no chance
of hernia either, and a likely smaller chance of infection. But support
post op is very important. Is there a support group you can attend? Even
if you arent a patient. Prepared to stay longer if you get a cmplication
out of state? Yours is a mixed bag of whatiffs. Is your PCP up to date on
WLS aftercare? Honestly ood aftercare is as important as opre op testing.
You will spend the rest of your life in aftercare.
— Sam J.
December 23, 2002
You are at exactly where I was 1 month ago. I was insisting on LAP since I
had my galbladder out that way and knew it was a quick recovery. However,
I really did not want to go out of state to find a doctor who would do a
LAP on a person with a 64 BMI and 432 lbs. There are surgeons out there
and quite good but a long ways away.<p>However, 20 minutes from my
house is a surgeon with a great bariatric surgery track record and
recommended by my internist. I went to him and gave him my pitch for LAP
but he would not budge. His reasoning is what everyone has already said,
he can clearly see what he is doing and more improtantly can get me in and
out of surgery a lot faster, which is safer. He does LAP but so far not
over 50 BMI. If he was going to do it over 50 I probably would be his
ideal candidate since I do not carry tons of fat on my chest and upper
ribcage so it would be easier than some my size. He said my hospital stay
would only be one day longer with an open. I have accepted the open as I
want it done now and I want it done close to home for all the various kinds
of support I will need throughout this process from my family, friends and
doctors. If I met his qualifications for LAP you can be sure I would have
gone that route but I did not feel it was worth waiting a long time for a
CHANCE at LAP. Going in LAP is no guarantee you won't come out open!
— zoedogcbr
December 23, 2002
I had lap and I was very happy that I did. I was back to work in just two
weeks and the recovery was very easy. also my scars are barely noticable.
Keep in mind though that about 1 in 10 lap procedures get switched to open
during the procedure. And although the recovery time is much less, the
actual operating time is more, making it a little more risky. I am only 31
and was a "lightweight" with a BMI of 40. I was also in pretty
good health. So I felt pretty comfortable with the longer time in the OR.
— Linda A.
December 23, 2002
Bottom line: If you feel exactly the same about these two docs except for
the open or lap thing ... then also consider the aftercare problem and the
6 month wait and you really have your answer. Have your surgery while
you're well enough to have it. Anything can happen later on. You could,
for instance, be heavier and in poor health or you could be 100 lbs lighter
and living your new life.
— thumpiez
December 23, 2002
I would go for the open. You might not be up to travelling across the
country so soon after major surgery to get back home again. I had lap RNY
10/15/2002 and was in lots of pain. Also, if you have complications, your
doctor will be local. Hopefully, the local surgeon also has a support group
you can attend, which you won't be able to for the lap doctor. Best wishes!
— Yolanda J.
December 23, 2002
I had open and went to work after 10 days and felt great. I weighed 336.
You can have a good healing even with Open. And you know what, I don't
mind the scar, in fact I want to show it to everyone. Sick, huh!? LOL
— Kristy J.
December 23, 2002
I had open and went to work after 10 days and felt great. I weighed 336.
You can have a good healing even with Open. And you know what, I don't
mind the scar, in fact I want to show it to everyone. Sick, huh!? LOL
— Kristy J.
December 23, 2002
First off, thank you all sooooo much for your insightful replies! I am
thinking after today, my husband and I will go open with the doctor located
locally. My husband went to the doctor this morning and found out he has
type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, protein and his urine and so on. I
agree that waiting 6 mos for a POSSIBLE lap procedure is ridiculous,
especially considering the fact that he could potentially lose 100+ pounds
within that period. Our local doctor does have a wonderful aftercare
program. We also have a good repoire with him and have been seeing him off
and on for about 3 years. Thank you again for your help! ~Danyel
— [Deactivated Member]
December 23, 2002
Dr Oh is my doc also. The two surgeries are not identical, either. Given
what I know now, I would choose the procedure I have over others I've seen
AND still choose Dr Oh (& Dr Fox) as my surgeons. And since you're not
far away, there are support groups in PO and here in Puyallup that you are
welcome to attend!
— vitalady
December 23, 2002
I would suggest that you go open, my Dr. had told me that on certain
patients with many comorbidities, the open is the way to go. I had an open
RNY ( I did not have may health issues, other than asthma), I was 440lbs
and I saw what the lap instruments looked like, they where very large, and
I just could not see that stuff poking in me. I also wanted to make sure
that my bowel did not get pierced, so I told him to do an open RNY, so that
he could see everything. Gods Blessings to you and your husband, and I
hope you all make the correct decision. I will say a prayer for you all.
Happy Holidays!!!! P.S., I have lost over 65lbs since October 22, 2002.
This will happen to you!!!!
— Leslie W.
December 23, 2002
I would suggest that you go open, my Dr. had told me that on certain
patients with many comorbidities, the open is the way to go. I had an open
RNY ( I did not have may health issues, other than asthma), I was 440lbs
and I saw what the lap instruments looked like, they where very large, and
I just could not see that stuff poking in me. I also wanted to make sure
that my bowel did not get pierced, so I told him to do an open RNY, so that
he could see everything. Gods Blessings to you and your husband, and I
hope you all make the correct decision. I will say a prayer for you all.
Happy Holidays!!!! P.S., I have lost over 65lbs since October 22, 2002.
This will happen to you!!!!
— Leslie W.
December 24, 2002
My opinion~~mind you, my surgery was open~~The healing time is shortened by
2 weeks. Thats the incisional healing only. The insides are going through
the same thing. And yes, you will probably have less chance for a hernia.
The long run~~It's not going to matter how long it took for you to recover.
After 2 months you are going to forget anyhow. If you are getting lap
because the scar will not be a apparent. I love this one....my scar is the
best looking part of my tummy right now. lol This is a decision you will
have to make, dont feel you have to do it open because you get get it
sooner, and dont feel you have to get it lap because of the heal time.
None of this will make any difference a year from now.
— RebeccaP
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