I need info on Gastric By Pass surgery---anyone know anyone that has had it?

[missyc]

Originally posted by aprilgail2
My friend and I both had Adjustable Gastric Banding done this year and we are both doing fine. She had hers done in Jan and is down 50 pounds so far and I had mine done March 9th and am down 31 so far. There are very few deaths from gastric banding. From Gastric Bypass 1 in 200 never leave the hospital. I also have 2 friends who had the gastric bypass done and both are doing great, down from 300 pounds to 120's....but that surgery was not what I was interested in. I went with the "safer" of the two. I will loose the weight much slower but that is ok, I didn't put it on overnight and it won't come off overnight.

I was wondering about this option. I had never heard of it before last month. What are the risks with this procedure?


I have a cousin having gastric bypass done in about 2 weeks.
Really worries me. She is a single mom. She's not even that big. She is, and always has been, big. Like everyone else in the family. But not THAT big. Especially not to justify the risk of leaving her daughter without her only parent.

Is there a reason someone wouldn't have the banding done instead? Other than it's faster?

 

[PRINCESS VIJA]

I have nothing really to add, except that the stories of death are so sad. Not worth the risk IMO.

 

[LuvN~Travel]

I had it done two years ago, and lost about 95lbs. I still have some to lose, but now will have to do it with some sort of diet. (Just haven't gotten the will power up to do it, too many other issues right now)
I feel great, so much better than I did before, I can get around, do anything I could do that I did before I got married 17 years ago, and feel so much better about myself.
You do need to consider it as a last option, though, and that is the premise of most of the doctors I've run across. It is surgery after all. Though, I believe certainly no more risky than ****jobs, tummy tucks, etc.
I had a great track record of surgeries, did exceptionally well with all previous, types, C-section (2), appendectomy, gall bladder. My history showed me as a good surgical patient. Some people may not be good patients.
The doctor that did mine, had done about 200 before mine, and had only had one problem patient, who had some sort of intestinal blockage which they had to fix later. Some doctors are also apparently better at this surgery than others, though, from what I hear.
Good luck on you decision, I know it's a hard one.
BTW, I still haven't gained much more than five lbs back, and that fluctuates according to my activity level.
Kim

 

[stemikger]

Hey,

I didn't read what the other folks had to say, but I will tell you about two people I know that had this. My neighbor had it and basically she can't eat anything bigger than an egg. If she does she throws it up. Yes she lost a lot of weight. My cousin had it and lost well over 200 lbs, but the surgery had damaging effects on her body and now has to go to a specialist in Ohio who has to perform a radical surgery or she has a chance of dying (she is not getting enough food for her body). The doctor who performed the original surgery did someting wrong. I'm not sure what. I'm certainly no expert, but my advice to you is (try to lose the weight yourself). If that is not an option, make sure the doctor is highly recommended and does not screw it up like the doctor who performed this on my cousin.

Good Luck

 

[Robinrs]

I know several people who had the surgery also, only one is still alive.

As Beauty said, I am very opinionated about this surgery. My sister and cousin went to a seminar about it last week and I was THRILLED that the two of them were not considered overweight enough to get the surgery. Losing weight for vanity, not health, is not worth the risk.

I know how difficult it is to lose weight, I've struggled with it ALL of my life. I have found ways to do it, and none of them are fun but they work and they make you healthiER.

 

[JESW]

My SIL had this surgery back in March. She was very obese - between 500-600 lbs. so she needed to do something drastic for health reasons. The risks were there that she could die from the surgery, but the risks were there that she could die from her weight. (She had to go to counseling before she had the procedure - mandatory)

I saw her a month after the surgery and she had dropped 100 lbs. Most of it was from her stomach - she could now see her feet. I haven't seen her lately so I don't know how she looks but I have heard she is doing well. Unfortunately, her insurance did NOT cover the procedure (said it was a pre-existing condition even tho her dr. said it was nec.) and she and my brother lost her paycheck for 2 months. (they may fight it) She will also need cosmetic surgery once she drops more weight since the skin will just hang. Insurance will NOT cover that.

My SIL is a determined person and I believe she will make this work for her - but it is NOT easy. Our lives revolve around food and at every family gathering we have it and talk about it. She now has to eat small aounts of food and can't eat LOTS of things. Not sure when all that will change. It is not just about the surgery, but how it changes your ENTIRE life. You also have to wonder WHY some people gained all the weight in the first place. Having the surgery won't make pre-existing problems go away. If it was something emotional then it will still be there.

Altho a lot of people have had it and have been successful, I still think it's scary. Not just the operation but the aftermath.

Good luck to you with whatever you choose!

Jill

 

[aprilgail2]

Originally posted by missyc
I was wondering about this option. I had never heard of it before last month. What are the risks with this procedure?


Is there a reason someone wouldn't have the banding done instead? Other than it's faster?

I love mine, I can eat everything I ate before, just less of it! I can eat out in restaurants but now I just bring half the food home for another day. I never feel hungry nor do I have to take a bunch of pills like the bypass people do, I take one multi-vit a day (which I did before anyway) but I loose slower which is ok too since it will give my skin a chance to shrink back more than the bypass people. I don't know anyone with the bypass that vomits every day (I go to support groups on Saturdays and there are about 50 bypass patients there)...sometimes when you don't chew well you might PB ( produtive burp) but you only bring back up what you didn't chew well and the next time you should chew your food better...if you keep on PB'ing you are not chewing your food well and you would think you would learn after the first few times! It is not an easy fix, its one of the hardest things people could ever do to loose weght but after 20 years of dieting this one seems to be working. The band is totally reversible if you need to get it out your stomach will be back to the way it was. This is basically what banding is:

Adjustable Gastric Banding (AGB)

In this procedure, commonly known as the LapBand®, a silicone elastomer band is placed around the upper part of the stomach to create a small stomach pouch which can hold only a small amount of food. The lower, larger part of the stomach is below the band. These two parts are connected by a small outlet created by the band. Food will pass through the outlet (“stoma” in medical terms) from the upper stomach pouch to the lower part more slowly, and one will feel full longer. The diameter of the band outlet is adjustable to meet individual needs, which can change as one loses weight.

On the inner lining of the band there is a longitudinal balloon (like a bicycle tire). The band is left empty at time of surgery but is thereafter gradually filled with fluid by injection through the subcutaneous(just under the skin) port. It is thus possible to vary the opening in the stomach after surgery. This can be done in the surgeon's office.


ADVANTAGES

Simple and relatively safe
Short recovery period
Major complication rate is low
No opening or removal of any part of the stomach or intestines
No altering of the natural anatomy
Very short recovery periods

DISADVANTAGES

About 5% failure rate because of:

Balloon leakage
band erosion/migration
deep infection
Identifying patients who will not "eat through" the operation is difficult

 

[aprilgail2]

Originally posted by JESW

I Unfortunately, her insurance did NOT cover the procedure (said it was a pre-existing condition even tho her dr. said it was nec.) and she and my brother lost her paycheck for 2 months. (they may fight it) She will also need cosmetic surgery once she drops more weight since the skin will just hang. Insurance will NOT cover that.


Jill

Wow, my insurance covered everything except 25.00 co-payment for the hospital and it will also cover the tummy tuck with the "right coniditions" since you have al that skin hanging it will give you a rash, get enough rashes and the insurance will cover the tuck for medical reasons.

 

[arminnie]

My 46 year old cousin just died two weeks ago not quite two years after her surgery. She was unable to process her meds orally and literally dropped dead on her balcony.

Another friend had had terrible problems with processing food etc and has to go to the hospital and get transfusions a lot.

That being said I also know of people who are 100 times more healthy than they were prior to surgery. A reputable surgeon will have you go through psychological testing and will do follow up. The surgeon who did my reflux surgery performes this surgery and turned down more patients than he took.

It really should be the choice of last resort.

 

[missyc]

OT, but how could I not comment on the picture?! President Bush is practically part of our family!! LOL My mom would be jealous!

 

[sha_lyn]

I love mine, I can eat everything I ate before, just less of it!

Every amount of info I've read or been told by people who have had this done say just the oppisite. What I have been told is that because paitents can only eat a small amount of food it must be nutrient dense. The standard procedure at the center in Atlanta is to but the person on a low car high protein diet several (3 I believe)months before the surgery and they are to continue on it after the surgery.

I also know someone who was told to not eat bread at all on the diet. She ignorred the advise and ate a large yeast roll. It put her in the hospital for days because it became inpacted. She had it doen about 4 yrs ago in her late 20's. she lost 140 lbs (of the about 220 she needed to) and has gained most of it back.
Her insurance paid for it and a yr later paid for plastic surgery to remove the excess stomache skin. she almost died from that surgery.

 

[Mskanga]

I know three people that had it done, two are dead and the third one is having major complications, she can't hold anything down.

 

[missyc]

Originally posted by sha_lyn
Every amount of info I've read or been told by people who have had this done say just the oppisite. What I have been told is that because paitents can only eat a small amount of food it must be nutrient dense. The standard procedure at the center in Atlanta is to but the person on a low car high protein diet several (3 I believe)months before the surgery and they are to continue on it after the surgery.

I also know someone who was told to not eat bread at all on the diet. She ignorred the advise and ate a large yeast roll. It put her in the hospital for days because it became inpacted. She had it doen about 4 yrs ago in her late 20's. she lost 140 lbs (of the about 220 she needed to) and has gained most of it back.
Her insurance paid for it and a yr later paid for plastic surgery to remove the excess stomache skin. she almost died from that surgery.

I believe she is referring to the lap-band..not bypass

 

[ScarlettO]

Originally posted by sha_lyn
She ignorred the advise and ate a large yeast roll.

Lately , on the DIS, I keep seeing-over, and over, and over- the words "Advise" and "advice" used incorrectly.

Advise is the verb...... Advice is the noun.

 

[Doug123]

Originally posted by ScarlettO
Lately , on the DIS, I keep seeing-over, and over, and over- the words "Advise" and "advice" used incorrectly.

Advise is the verb...... Advice is the noun.

Our spelling "Tip For Today!"

 

[Doug123]

Amount of Food Afterwards (1): This may be true at the start, but it's my understand that for most their stomachs get bigger. This allows people to eat more than a few bites (though everyone is different). The danger, of course, is in expanding the stomach to the point that it negates the benefits of the surgery.

Amount of Food Afterwards (2): People throw up their food, after surgery, before they learn how and what they can eat with their "new stomachs."

Insurance: The two cases I know of paid for the majority of the procedure.

Doctor Expertise: The doctor's experience with the surgery is VERY important. Follow up surgeries for such things as removing the excess skin, however, is not generally covered.

 

[missyc]

Originally posted by Doug123
Our spelling "Tip For Today!"

LOL
We could all use more of these sometimes! Or there should be a way to do a spellcheck before posting!

On the other hand we can all just "sound it out" and figure out what each of us is trying to say and not worry about it!

 

[Blondie]

Of the 5 people I know who had the Gastric Bypass surgery, 3 are now dead. One of them died 6 weeks post up, I don't remember the exact details, but she was placed on life support, and her children (all adults in their early 20's) had to make the decicion to have her live on life support for who knows how long, or remove it. They removed it, and now she's gone.

One person had to actually gain weight to be considered a candidate for the surgery. She is 2 years post op now and looks fabulous, however, she needed a tummy tuck, breast implants, breast lift, and several facial cosmetic procedures from the excessive stretching her skin did as she gained the weight over a 20 year period. She wasn't always heavy.

From what I can tell, it doesn't just end with the GB. If you want to really look great, cosmetic/plastic surgery will follow.

 

[dizneenut]

My MIL had the surgery a little over a year ago. She is doing great. She's lost a little over a 100 lbs. She will be having a tummy tuck and breast lift in July.

 

[tkd lisa]

I used to work with a guy who had an extremely overweight wife, and two teen daughters who were also extremely overweight. I think the wife was around 300 pounds (and about 5'2") and the daughter who was taller (probably 5'6 or so) weighed about the same. Both of them had the surgery. His wife nearly died. Some sort of problem with a different organ getting caught up in the bypass? I'm not sure of the exact details, but it was touch and go for a long time. She dropped down to probably 110 pounds, and did have the surgery for the loose skin. She says she feels great (she does look so much happier and healthier), and is glad she did it, even with the risk. The teenage daughter ended up eating the same way she had always done (not sure exactly how she did this, but it was so), and she gained back all of the weight within about a year.

I wish you the best of luck with any decision you make. It is a very dramatic thing to do, and comes with risks that have been stated clearly here. The WISH board here on DIS is a very nice place to visit, and even if you choose the surgery, a healthy lifestyle will be important, and WISH can help with that.