Question:
Is liver failure a common problem for wls patients?

I was looking around on the net and found that just as there are sooooo many sites that support wls there are just as many that don't. I found a site that was made of people that had wls some years ago and for one reason or another are unsatisfied with the results. Many of them are having liver problems, colon problems, alot of stomach cancer and many other serious health problems. I know that the co morbs from obesity are just as bad but is it worth trading off one set of problems for a whole new set? If anybody out there is really long term post op please let me know how you feel about this. I am waiting of isurance approval right now and at this point I am still going through with the surgery but I am curious as to what the long term complications can be some years down the road. Thank you for any info that you all can provide.    — Jennifer M. (posted on June 25, 2002)

June 25, 2002
I bet that site is on Yahoo. I too have been looking at that site and have been wondering if I made a mistake! I'm almost 14 months post op and have had alot of potassium problems and still feel like I've been run over by a truck. But for the most part I'm very happy with my WLS. But after looking over the negatives on Yahoo, I'm wondering if my health is going to go down hill in a few years.
   — Danmark

June 25, 2002
That sounds pretty scary to me. I am only 3 weeks post-op and 22, and fear for long-term complications all the time. but I also look at it as i can get liver problems and cancer from so other things unfortunately, so I might as well live my young life healthy and thinner now. And you also have to see, are those illnesses for sure related to their surgery? their is no guarantee... I hope some longer post-ops respond though, it's a good Q !
   — Lezlie Y.

June 25, 2002
Hi, I'm still pre-op too, but I was wondering the people that posted on that site with liver failure, etc. Did they take all their supplements religiously? Could be their problems were caused by not getting enough vits and nutrients. Just my opinion since I haven't even looked at that site and have no information to base it on. But that may be a possiblity.
   — Elva C.

June 25, 2002
One of the comorbities of MO is an enlarged, fatty liver. The surgery does not cause this problem, it begins presurgery. Most folks who have liver problems post op, most likely did not have their surgery soon enough to prevent liver damage. Many illnesses blamed on the surgery, i.e. cancer, would have happened anyway without surgery. The surgery does not change our brains, If we were unhappy before surgery, we will be unhappy after. Getting therapy and learning to understand your feelings and in some cases antidepressants, is the only way to deal with this. Blaming every little thing on the surgery is similar to us blaming every little thing on our obesity. If you read the profiles, you will see that not everyone was unhappy nor did they feel persecuted because of their weight. I can't swear that WLS does not cause these problems, but I can swear the morbid obesity does.
   — faybay

June 25, 2002
I'm only 8 yrs, some of my buddies ar a little further aloine. Some of us have elevated liver enzymes. Not HIGH, just a tad "up". Using milk thistle has brought these back down into normal ranges. There WILL be nutritional problems long term if you do not err on the side of caution and supplement properly. Although my life is not perfect now, I do those things that bring long term success and cuont myself lucky to be taking vitamins, and not the fistful of Rx drugs I was taking pre-op. I took the drugs, but I was not well. Taking a handful of portable vitamins that make me feel good does not compare to having to haul my CPAP machine around with me.
   — vitalady

June 26, 2002
I am still pre-op and found the same thing that you ave but after looking in to somethings on my own i discovered that many of theses long term post ops that are haveing theese problems are people that had a type of surgery that is not even done any more because if problems it cause. icant say that the new wls that they are doing doenst cause this but i can say that it doesnt seem to
   — Becky M.