Question:
How does the pain of WLS compare with the pain of general surgery?

Has anyonehad surgery before they had WLS, and if so, how does general surgery pain compare to the WLS pain? Worse, better, or about the same?    — [Anonymous] (posted on July 31, 2000)

July 31, 2000
I had a tubal and hysterectomy before wls. I actually had less paid with the wls than the hysterectomy. I think that was due to the fact that my surgeon managed the pain better. The soreness was worse with the wls and I took longer to heal. That was due, I think, to the incision being vertical versus horizontal with the hysterectomy.
   — Tina H.

July 31, 2000
An "open" procedure will be considerably more uncomfortable than a laparascopic procedure and involve a longer period of recovery. WLS procedures above the waist generally are more uncomfortable than lower abdominal surgeries because of the proximity to the diaphragm...the actions of the muscles involved with breathing make these surgeries more uncomfortable initially, and performing the required deep breathing exercises is critical during the immediate post-op period. The good news is, that despite the type of procedure that you choose, good pain management by the surgeon can get you through this process with manageable discomfort and you will be back on your feet before you know it. In a few days, the discomfort will only be a distant memory as you become more focused on the exciting life ahead of you. Best of luck!
   — Diana T.

July 31, 2000
It hurts like hell to be honest, I had open rny ,I also have had 3 c-sections , 1 back surgery, and had gall bladder out and was not expecting it to hurt like it did.at first I was like what did i do to my self but the pain goes away and is worth it ,I have lost 71 lbs. in 3almost 4 months.I think the differance is with my other surgery's I was in alot of pain, and the surgery to correct the problem was a differant pain that i had felt prior, so when I went for my rny i did not have any chronis pain and it seemed worse, after 1 week you feel lots better. with love michelle
   — michelle P.

July 31, 2000
I also was surprised by how much it hurt. (Had an open RNY on 4/25/00.) In fact, I had a terrible time as I had little help and a 2 year old. I thought I had done a horrible thing to myself and made a major mistake. BUT ... it gets better. Slowly, and you have to do everything you're told to do, but it gets better. Now, 3 months later, I would definitely do it all over again. I had had my gallbladder out 2 years prior and expected a similar pain, but it was much worse, but nothing I couldn't handle.
   — Beth B.

August 1, 2000
I had a Lap RNY on July 10, 2000. I really had very minimal pain. I vaugely remember waking up in the recovery room and being in discomfort. I remember waking up every 15 to 30 minutes and pushing my PCA button (whether I needed it or not). I had been told that the less pain I felt, the better and faster I would heal, so I pressed that button often. I truly am able to say that on a scale of 0 to 10, I never got above a three and the doctors like you to be below a 5 to heal the best. I have had much worse pain from oral surgery than I experienced with my RNY.
   — Sharyle L.

August 1, 2000
Hi There, The pain of the gastric-by-pass surgery is just about the same, as regular surgery, with one exception this time, I took real good care of myself, and did exactly what I was told to do. Linda
   — Linda H.