Question:
What (if any) post-op lab work should someone that had RNY have?

I had open RNY on 2/8/02 and will be going in for my two month checkup in about a week and I would like to ask my doctor about any post-op lab work that should be done on a regular basis. Does any one else have any lab work run periodically? Examples: iron levels, calcuim levels, etc. If so, what ones? Should there be any certain ones I should insist on? How long post-op should they be done?    — D. Lynn B. (posted on April 6, 2002)

April 6, 2002
I am 6.5 months post-op and my doctor said not to wory about my labs till i am a year out.
   — nkoehler88

April 6, 2002
This must vary from Dr to Dr. My surgeon ran all blood levels on me for the first 2 months and then my PCP took over and ran the hormone levels and thyroid levels along with the Iron and vitamin and mineral levels. He did and continues to do the tests every 2-3 months. I also get a B-12 shot monthly. Now I had hormone and thyroid problems pre op so adjustments had to be made as I lost weight with my meds. So Maybe my doctor was being overly cautious , but I feel good knowing he dose this.
   — Rose A.

April 6, 2002
My Md does labs at every post op visit. At 6 months I had a complete blood count with differential, liver profile, folate, iron, iron binding capacity and iron saturation, total protein, albumin and prealbumin. I know I had these at three months also.
   — Kim M.

April 6, 2002
Some of this depends on what was going on with you pre-op. If you have diabetes and have been able to get off the meds for it, your doctor should do an HA1C test every 6 months. If you were taking thyroid meds, they may have to adjusted. I plan to have a bone density done pre-op and then have that repeated to make sure I'm getting enough calcium. I think maybe a year out to test things like iron and B12 might be a little too long. I know I've seen other posters who found they had low levels of those before they were one year out and were feeling tired and weak because of that.
   — garw

April 6, 2002
We get them quarterly. If you email me privately, I'll send you a list that will get you started, then customize to your own circumstance, of course.
   — vitalady

April 6, 2002
Please forgive me if this sounds rude but, any doctor who waits a year to do postop bloodwork is fooling themselves and their patients. Please listen to Michelle and have this done every 3-4 months or "at least" every 6 months. I started having problems right away with anemia (okay the docs didn't treat it right and now I am in more trouble) but, with the right doctor and the right nutrition and advice, you can do well but..if you wait a year first, it might be very hard then to get those levels up. Good luck to you.
   — Barbara H.