How common are leaks?

Thanks for that. I saw the surgeon once when it was found that my BMI went above 35 (with Co morbidiries). At that time I have to say I has not done as much research as I did since. So I don't recall whether he volunteered his stats about leaks or even if I asked. At the time he actually suggested I do a gastric bypass but since I decided on the sleeve when I did further reading. There are three doctors in the practice but again I don't know what their stats are. I will ask next time I go (which would be the pre-op visit when I get the insurance clearance). However since this is a respected University hospital (George Washington University Hospital in Washington, DC) I am confident that they are all good. I don't know what is their technique but will see if I can ask their nutritionist whom I see in a month.

I would be curious if any fellow sleeves had his/her procedure in that center and what was their experience. Cheers

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I didn't have my surgery at the GW center, but I did have mine at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. If you're considering another location, I HIGHLY recommend Hopkins. I started at another center and switched to Hopkins. I had great care there! My surgery was in April of this year.

Many thanks for that. I had my weight taken and registered above 35 at George Washington and all the paperwork is being processed there for the insurance. I am not sure if the insurance clears my procedure whether I can switch bariatric center without restarting the whole (lengthy) process. I may check with the insurance about this but I don't want to mess with the process for now until it is all clear. Cheers.

It sounds to me like you're going to do really well!

I wish you all the best. I'm glad I did it.

A lady from our center is a school principal. About a month after her surgery, she was at the school Christmas party. She ate at the buffet. Then she went to her office on the second floor to use her personal restroom.

When she did not return someone went to check on her. She was passed out on the bathroom floor and bleeding from the rectum. At the hospital they called her family to her bedside to say a final good-bye. Then they did surgery to repair the leak. They did not know if she would survive.

She pulled through and is fine now and slim and healthy. But she learned a lesson about eating the wrong things after surgery. She will talk at group meetings and warn new patients of the danger.

Oh my! This is scary. Was her surgery a sleeve as well or a bypass? I am getting chills reading your account or what happened to her...

It was in 2007 and RNY. Another patient had a burger & fries on day 1 and also leaked. They fixed his leak. Follow the rules and you will be fine.

Having many acquaintances who work in the ER, let me tell you they don't tell the boring stories for a reason, heh. I mean, I only tell my exciting crisis stories, myself!

At any rate, leaks are very rare. I've only seen one in the past two years. Most of the surgeons in the area (Chicago) are highly skilled though. I had several issues the first week post-op, but apparently Harvey is just a stupendously sensitive sleeve, and anything other than liquids was causing irritation for some time. I also immediately had developed a hiatal hernia, so everything was feeling.... unpleasant. Of course, in typical Donna fashion where everything in my life goes backwards, I could not eat chicken for months, and could only tolerate beef when I switched to purees.

Thanks, Harvey, for being a jerk of a stomach.

Tangent aside, if you do not have any health risk factors for leaks (alcohol, over eating, smoking, malnutrition, poor surgical technique), be very assiduous with what you eat. It's easy to be nonchalant about eating for many of us, and even some surgeons progress people through stages faster, but the reality is even though just 1-2% of us get leaks, it really, really, really sucks to be in that 1-2%.

I was the 1% who got belly-button eating MRSA after a routine outpatient procedure done at the best hospital in the area that wound up being a one month "vacation" in a very expensive hotel (back at the hospital). The lesson: stuff happens. Surgery is an educated risk as it is. Sometimes people will make fun of me for being too overly cautious.

Your chances of getting hit by a car on the way to the hospital to have surgery are higher than getting a leak, so may as well engage in low-risk behavior to keep it minimal.

Thanks Donna. I love it that you named your sleeve :-)

Well, in my case I have done four (failed) back surgeries in the best medical center in Texas and one of the best in Washington, DC. So if the past is any indication, I am afraid of my odds! Cheers.

Ugh, I am sorry about that... at least the sleeve is far less complex. Back surgeries are far more delicate for many reasons. The weight loss may help drastically with it too. I have degenerative disk disease and it's helped tremendously even though I only lost 150ish since surgery.

I had to name my sleeve. I need someone to yell at when he misbehaves. :P