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I'm not talking mortality.
I'm talking overall morbidity.
Unless that one skinny chick is dead, I have not actually seen anyone die from the procedure.
But I have taken care of a lot of people who have had complications.
High complication rate relative to other surgeries. Given that it's elective, that's somewhat unacceptable..
Unfortunately - no. Statistically about 2% of the people that undergo the surgery experience "one or more severe reactions to the surgery". A couple of people have reached out here on C-D that are more than 5 years out and have described similar reactions. They are both now over the hump (so to speak) and now maintaining a healthy weight without side effects. So there is hope. I wasn't one of those people that sit around eating Cheetos and fast food all day. Yes - I was fat and over 100 lbs over my ideal weight when I started the application process. I was NOT in a wheel chair or inactive. I did NOT have a handicapped sticker on my car and I most certainly was not/am not lazy. I was what was considered the "ideal candidate": motivated and understanding that the surgery was a TOOL to lose the weight and not a solution. Its unknown why my body reacted the way it did. I wish I knew.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CSD610
We have had more than one in our family die from this procedure and a couple of the other weight loss procedures.
It is unfortunate that the entire process cannot be reversed however, at this point I wonder if it would get you even back to minimal health.
There is no way to reverse it and I'm honestly not keen on anymore invasive procedures being performed. Hindsight is always 20/20 they say. I do wish I could go back or undo this but that's impossible. I just wanted to put a warning out for anyone that is contemplating having this type of surgical procedure done. There can be serious ramifications and people need to know about them going it. Its not just a statistic. It happens to real people. I'm hoping if some one Googles these procedures, this thread will pop up in the search engine.
I am very worried about where I'm headed but I haven't given up hope. My surgeon has told me if I lose another 3 lbs he will have to readmit me so he can get nutrients in me via IV. However, some of the posts I've seen on here, as well as the PMs I've received have given me hope that this could just be a temporary setback and that better days are ahead. Thank you all that provided intelligent, kind and informed information.
I'm not talking mortality.
I'm talking overall morbidity.
Unless that one skinny chick is dead, I have not actually seen anyone die from the procedure.
But I have taken care of a lot of people who have had complications.
High complication rate relative to other surgeries. Given that it's elective, that's somewhat unacceptable..
There's lots of info available from PubMed with long term morbidity statistics . Pretty much all related to RNY as VSG is much newer with less long term info available. IMO, those statistics related to RNY are pretty impressive- for example Type 2 diabetics have 85% resolution rate post-RNY. (Myself amongst that group.)
As an aside, not all of my previous post that quoted you was directly in response to you.
Ms. Va-Cat, first of all, thank you for sharing your personal journey, you are a brave soul ma lady :-). I am sending positive healing thoughts your way, keep fighting it WILL get better! You wanted to help others by sharing, mission accomplished, you helped me. As far as the IDIOTS who want to bash and be ignorant, guess their parental figure must have forgotten to teach them the lesson called "compassion". Continue to be an example, that person in need is really listening and watching.
So...I was way overweight with a bad back, bad knees and had tried a whole lot of different ways to lose weight. A friend had a Lap-Band procedure performed and lost a fair amount of weight from it. That got me thinking...why not? So I started to look into weight loss surgery. I was approved by my insurance and had a Gastric Sleeve procedure performed in September of last year.
Let me tell you in detail why I strongly urge anyone looking into this option to really do your research before going forward. Its true that most people do not experience serious side effects. What they don't tell you is what happens to those that are in that small percentage. A year ago, at the age of 53, I was over 100 lbs overweight but did not have high blood pressure or high cholesterol or any other disease that could contribute to my death. I was just fat. Other than taking an occasional Advil I took no medications. I still exercised but also loved to eat. Now at 54, I am in a constant battle to try and get enough nutrition in me to keep myself alive. In February, I had to have another surgery, an emergency surgery, to convert the Gastric Sleeve to a Gastric Bypass because of severe acid reflux and bleeding esophageal ulcers. I've been hospitalized 9 times in the last 10 months for dehydration and much more serious issues. Twice for magnesium levels so low the doctors were afraid that my heart would be affected. I am constantly nauseated and have to force myself to eat and drink to stay alive.
Will it ever level out? No one can tell me. I have done more research and what I have found really scares me. What can happen when you are in that small percentage? You can die. Very easily, this procedure could be fatal for me. This is NOT what I signed up for. Its part of that fine print that the doctor will tell you not to worry about because its only a small percentage of people that it refers to. When you ARE part of that small percentage its very relevant. I can't go back and undo what I have done. My digestive system is now forever altered. What I can do is reach out and tell others what happens when you experience complications. You won't just experience just one complication. When it goes wrong, it goes wrong in a major way. Please, please learn from my mistake. Unless you are going to die from being overweight do NOT consider this surgery.
I appreciate your sharing your own experiences with weight loss surgery, as a cautionary warning to those who might think that weight loss surgery will be a panacea to all their troubles. Too often weight loss surgery is presented as such, in a society where the thinner a person is, the more desirable he is perceived as an individual. The same society that condemns overweight and obese people as lazy, unhealthy, ugly and a drain on the rest of the population.
I had no idea about the details of complications from such surgery, and I honestly don't know the difference between gastric sleeve, vs. gastric band, vs lap band surgery or any of the other options for weight loss surgery- will have to look it up. But your sharing the details of your own bad experiences with this surgery is an eye opener, and I will pass it along to some folks I know who might be considering this surgery.
I'm so sorry that your surgery left you in such dire straits, and I hope that something can be done to improve your health as it stands now. I wish you well.
Thats a great post, OP, im sorry you had to experience all those awful things, and its great of you to advice others
I can vouch for what you say cause a relative of a realtive of mine did this surgery a couple of years ago and almost DIED, she was in intensive care for weeks and on christmas we were all praying for her not to die cause she was still in IC. Thankfully she didnt die, but hear health has been awful ever since (she was young when she had the procedure, in her 30s) and shes been hospitalized many times. You cant undo it.
I always advice people to think it twice, or more, before doing it. Actually, it should be a matter of life and death, and not so easily taken.
Sorry to hear about your struggles OP. A couple of my friends have had this surgery and I'm aware of several complications. Scary stuff but sometimes weight loss surgery is the only option left.
Of course not. The ONLY time its a good idea is when its medically necessary and doctor recommended to save someone's life. Like in the case of man of those unfortunate people on the "My 600 Pound Life" tv show.
Voluntary weight loss surgery is just stupid. Sure, there may be a few cases here and there where it works, but for the most part the side effects and long term negative life changing things leave a horribly bad taste in people's mouths. Exercise and proper nutrition is always always always the preferred route to take. Unfortunately, too many people are incapable or unwilling to do this because it takes hard work, dedication, commitment and willpower which they usually don't have.
Unless a physician comes to you and says "you need this surgery or you will die" weight loss surgery should be avoided. Even then, you should get a second opinion before committing to that path.
Exercise and proper nutrition is always always always the preferred route to take. Unfortunately, too many people are incapable or unwilling to do this because it takes hard work, dedication, commitment and willpower which they usually don't have.
You are forgetting a huge portion of people that are overweight. When you are over 100 lbs overweight and have joints that make exercise impossible because of the pain, it goes beyond "willpower" to lose weight. Its for these people that weight loss surgery IS an option. Please remember (as I stated in my original post) I'm one of only very small percentage that has experienced extreme side effects from the surgery. Most people experience ones that are not life threatening and are short term. Also, I didn't explain that weight loss surgery is NOT like plastic surgery. You can't just go in and request it on a whim. You have to meet a certain criteria to be considered. In most cases it is: a BMI greater than 40, a medically documented 5 year history of trying to lose weight without success, you must go through a psychological evaluation to confirm you are mentally competent and to be sure that you understand that the surgery is NOT a quick fix but a long term tool. Finally, just prior to surgery, you also have to lose a specific amount of weight ( for me it was 40 lbs) through diet. If any of these conditions are not met, you are rejected as a candidate for the surgery.
I'm happy to say that I have now finally stabilized. I will however have to be careful and vigilant for the rest of my life to keep myself healthy and out of the hospital. Would I do it over again? The surgery?......No... personally, I wouldn't. I almost died and that's a fact that scares me daily. I also won't go so far as to say that NO ONE except a 600 lb person should consider it. It should be an option to be considered for anyone suffering from gross morbid obesity (BMI of 40+) and that meets the other criteria. In those cases, it could save a life. Just be sure if you DO consider it, that you understand and accept that it could create serious complications for the rest of your life. Its not an option to consider lightly. Don't get me wrong. I'm happy that I weigh over 120 lbs less than I did last year. I'm also very frightened that I almost died to obtain it. I also have no muscle mass left in my body and for the first time in my life, I'm weak and frail. Please, please make sure you KNOW all you are getting into if you decide to have this surgery!
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