Question:
Does this surgery only work for 18 months?
I keep hearing people say this surgery only works for 18 months and then after that things go back to the way they once were. It doesn't seem worth it to go through all this just for 18 months of help. I thought it was supposed to be permanent. Confused..help? — Holly R. (posted on June 11, 2003)
June 10, 2003
Hello, fellow Alaskan! I live in Palmer, and had my surgery at Elmendorf.
Anyway, yes, this is permanent. Some say your "window of
opportunity" lasts about 18 months, but I've read of people losing
consistently for much longer. Your weight loss can slow down around 12-18
months out, because we are able to eat more normally. But, if you follow
the rules, you'll be able to lose consistently, and maintain. :) Hope that
helps.
— Diana L.
June 10, 2003
Holly, WLS is a tool that helps us change the way we eat. It helps us
change out lifestyles. Success depends on how well you honor this tool.
After this sugery for it to be successful you cannot return to the old
eating habits we had before WLS.
— Gene F.
June 10, 2003
I had my WLS 5yrs ago. I am still losing weight. It has slowed down,
because I eat normal. I have surpassed my WLS goal and am now working
toward the idea weight for my size.
— chubbygirl99
June 10, 2003
The greatest "window of opportunity" for rapid weight loss is in
the first year to 18 months. During that time we are supposed to use the
tool, the surgery, to develop better eating habits and to get a new lease
on life. Many people continue to lose after 18 months but it slows down
dramatically. The surgery isn't a miracle cure - it's a tool to let us get
control of our lives - then it's up to us to maintain control. I am 18
months post-op and haven't lost any in 6 months, with the exception of
about 15 or 20 pounds I lost after my tummy tuck and hernia repair. I am
not as small as I would have liked to be but I have gone beyond my
surgeon's goal - he thinks that at my age (56) that I don't need to lose
more. Even though I would love to lose another 20 or 25 pounds, I am a far
cry better now than I was at 346 when I started. I am now wearing size
12/14s and pre-wls I had to have dresses (tents, really) custom made. So,
was it worth it to me? You bet it was.
— Patty_Butler
June 10, 2003
I've thought about this question myself (I'm pre-op). If it only worked
for 18 months, then it wouldn't seem worth it. Especially if you're
someone who could actually lose down to goal without the tool. But I've
reached the conclusion in my life that I will never be able to lose to
anywhere close to my personal goal without the help of this tool. I know
in my heart that if I could ever even get down to 175 pounds (my lowest
adult weight-almost 30 years ago!) I will not abuse myself again and allow
myself to regain this weight. Thirty years of carrying this extra weight
around will make me conform and learn to use the tool properly. I'm so
looking forward to this chance to make things right!
— Carlita
June 10, 2003
Hi Holly...you're tool is good for life :o)...I'm 22 months post op, and
have maintained a 166lb loss up until 5 weeks ago when I had breast
reduction surgery. I was restricted from exercise and ordered to rest, so
I spent 3 weeks on medical leave at home doing nothing but eating and
watching TV, lol. I managed to gain about 4lbs. I will be cleared after
next Tuesday to start exercising again, so with the help of my tool and
alittle exersize, I'll be able to get the 4lbs off quickly. I haven't
really lost any weight in say the last 6-8 months, but it's very easy to
maintain at this point, which is what the surgery is designed to do. It
helps us get the weight off quickly, and then it makes it easier for us to
maintain, like we would normally do, had we never been MO...That's my take
on it anyway...Good luck to you! Denise 316/153
— lily1968
June 10, 2003
Holly, I'm just 7 months out, and losing very, very slowly.
I started out as a lightweight, so I knew I wouldn't lose a huge amount,
and I've been overweight since I was a child. I know I will never be
"tiny". However, my main reason for having surgery was to be
able to stick around longer and be in better health. To that end, I am off
B/P meds and off medicine for insulin resistance. I feel great, I did
great on my graded exercise test to get baseline heart function, and I have
a lot of endurance when walking. My doctor is very pleased to take me off
one medication, then another! That is success to me! I enjoy exercising
now - the day just doesn't seem right if I don't get out and walk for at
least an hour - and this from a person who used every excuse in the book
not to do any exercise in the past! I still have problems with food, and it
will always be a battle, just as it was in the past, but now I have a great
tool that I can use and I am happy that I had the surgery. I don't think I
will ever be as heavy as I was before surgery. I believe I will maintain
the good habits I have developed, for many years, not just until 18 months
are up.
— koogy
June 10, 2003
Hi Holly- I am still a pre-op. My thinking about this surgery is that the
18 months are (almost) a no-brainer for losing weight, if you do as your
surgeon says. Some people say that after the 18 or so months, they are
able to "pig out", but never in the quantities pre-op. I feel
the surgery almost gives us the same advantage that non-obese people
naturally have. Good Luck!
— Mea A.
June 11, 2003
I think what you might be hearing is that after the 18-24 month period,
that our bodies essentially go back to 'normal'...if there is such a
thing...which isn't totally true. My take on the whole thing is that after
surgery, your body starts trying to 'fix' itself, and after 18-24 months
the used portion of your intestines have made adjustments that allow them
to absorb more 'nutrition' to compensate for the bypassed amount. Now, no
one really knows how much malabsorption we have at that point, but it is
certainly not as much as at first. So, in the end, you do essentially
become 'normal'...kind of. Do you have any thin friends or family members?
Ever notice how they eat? Sometimes hardly a thing and other times a
plate full. They listen to their body and give it what it needs at the
time, which is what we need to learn to do. Well, if you go into this
surgery knowing that you will lose weight and that you will need to make
some (possibly major) lifestyle changes then, in the end you should find
that your shift in thinking/eating, smaller stomach (6-12 ounces in the
end), and your slight malabsorption should allow you to maintain your
weight loss and live a 'normal' life. Make sense? Yes, you can 'outwit'
your tool. Yes, you can gain weight back. This surgery is not a 'cure',
it's a tool to be used to help keep your weight in 'remission'...but
whether you use the tool, or how you use it, is really up to you in the
end.
— eaamc
June 11, 2003
Insurance companies would not approve you for WLS if you went back to the
way you were before it. Think about it this is very expensive surgery. What
you are hearing like the other posters have said is that the 18 months is
that window that the surgery does most of the work, then you have to put
some elbow grease into it also.
— ChristineB
June 12, 2003
Sorry but I beg to differ with the opinion that we are essentially
"normal" after 18 mos postop. If this were true, why would be
have to take extra vitamins and supplements for the rest of our life? I do
understand what you mean about the body wanting to "heal" itself
and forming more villi in the intestines, but do we really absorb a lot
more and does this happen to everyone? Does anyone have any more info on
this? Thanks!
— Mylou52
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