Question:
Does anyone know anyone who have had complications after surgery or even death?
I am hoping to get surgery. This is my second time going through all the insurance stuff except the first time which was about 3 years ago I got cold feet after completing every thing. I had a few people around me who had had surgery and began to be hospitalized for complications. One lady is still not well even after 3 years and she wasn't that obese when she had the surgery. I did talk with one lady today who had the surgery 3 years ago and she said she has had no problems at all and she is up in age. So I just wanted to get a general consensus of whether anyone knew of any personal cases of complications or death due to the bypass. My bmi is 59 and I am 38 years old. I have no health problems besides achy joints and lower/upper back pain. I believe this surgery is for me because I need the help and my doctor said if I don't do something I won't be able to move in a couple of years. I am too young for that. So if you guys could just answer my question I would appreciate it. And keep me in your prayers as I go on this journey to a better healthier life. — [Deactivated Member] (posted on March 9, 2009)
March 9, 2009
Hello. I went to a seminar this past Saturday to get some answers to my 4
years of research on Bypass surgery. I asked the same question you are
asking to the doctor that would be performing my surgery. Out of over
1,000 patients, he has had one die on the table. This was due to other
medical complications. I really liked this doctor because he is straight
forward and answers you directly.
I hope this helps a little.
Fawnice
— fawnice
March 9, 2009
Deana: I wish I could help you. You and I are on the same page. I was
approved in November, scheduled for surgery in December and got cold feet a
week before the surgery. I, too, cancelled. Fortunately, the approval is
good for 6 months. I have heard of many success stories; however, I have
also heard of many not-so-happy endings as well. That is why I am hesitant
as well. I want to proceed, but something keeps telling me not to. I'm
sure we are not alone.
— CMABELL
March 9, 2009
I have been told that you are more apt to die from complications from
morbid obesity. I chose to live and to live a healthy life. Of my friends
who have had the surgery and have had some minor complications, I ask them
if they regretted having the surgery. They told me they were happy with
their decision and would never even think of a revision. Good luck on your
decision. My Dr. told me that he would have recommended the gastric
bypass, but I was right on the borderline of losing 100lbs so I went with
the lap band which takes a lot longer to lose the weight. Which ever
procedure you choose, know that you are making it to live a healthy life
and be able to enjoy your husband and children. Good luck, Susan
— susangielda06
March 9, 2009
What about being scared from complications that could be brought on by the
extra weight that you're carrying around everyday ?? I'm 50 years old and
had "open" RNY on Nov. 4th, '08...I was a type II diabetic taking
Metformin 3 times a day, also lisinopril for high BP and lipitor for high
cholesterol. I left the hospital with NO Metformin, and NO BP medication.
One month later, I was also off the lipitor as well. I'm a little over 4
months out, down 53 lbs. and feel great !! I want to wish you all the very
best !! Take care and hope you'll keep us posted with all your progress...
— debz_58
March 9, 2009
Hi Deanna,
I had open RNY on 3/22/06. I have no regrets about having the surgery and
would do it again in a heartbeat. By the time I was discharged from the
hospital I was off of 2 of my 3 bp meds. Now I'm not on any BP meds. The
surgery did not, however, fix the 2 herniated discs I have in my low back
so I am on pain meds for that but the pain is not as bad as it was 162#
ago.
I also researched wls for 5 years prior to having it done. I had decided
to have it done, it just took a while to find a job with insurance
coverge.
Good luck - Barb
— babs71958
March 9, 2009
All I can tell you is that EVERYONE gets some degree of cold feet before
the surgery. It is a major surgery and they make certain you have thought
it all out before they will do it. If you're an adult, you should know
that anytime they do a major alteration to your body, whether it's a
transplant, open heart surgery, back surgery, by-pass surgery, etc. You
have a healing period and it doesn't give you a wonderful feeling of
elation during that period.
Will you be able to go back to what you were before? No. Even a revision
can't really do that, but they can repipe things to be similar. Yes there
are some major life changes, and that is lifeTIME changes. You will be
able to eat many, if not all of what you do now, just not as much of it
unless you force the pouch to stretch, in which case you shouldn't have the
surgery if you plan to do that.
Type 2 Diabetes is pretty much cured by the surgery, and the
"100" pound requirement is now being rethought and a law is
before congress to remove the requirement for bad diabetics. I am a
juvenile onset diabetic and diabetes caused me to gain 226 pounds of
weight, mostly fluids, in 6 months. I spent 6 years unable to walk more
than a few feet, stand over a minute, and unable to tend to my most basic
needs.
I tried to have the surgery in New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina wiped out
the hospital. I tried to have it at Duke University and they just wanted
$1000 cash OVER the insurance I had (Medicaid). After a year and a half
and not one single step being done, I ditched my loser doctor and Duke and
moved to Greenville, NC where I had seen Dr. Chapman perform the Roux-en-Y
surgery on the internet.It took just under a year to do all that they
required of me, but I had the surgery July 2nd of 2008. I also got a
severe urethra injury due to an incompetent urologist, which required me to
wear a Foley catheter for a month. I couldn't really exercise much during
that time, but I did walk some. Once that was out, nothing much happened,
except a 30 pound loss until October. From the 6th of October to February,
I lost over 20 inches off my waist, and from a high of 426 down to 275
pounds.
Problems? Complications? Yeppers. I never have been able to eat peanut
butter, sausage, wieners,greasy foods,much starches except corn, peas and
beans. bread and pasta hurt, but thanks to Dreamfields I can eat some. The
White Wheat bread is a life saver too.
Your taste can change. I like things I despised, and hate things I thought
I loved which are just nasty. Water is God's gift from Heaven, Tea is
divine, milk is a laxative that punches you in the gut, V8 is a necessity
to take pills, carbonated soft drinks are their own punishment for a while,
then I learned to pour them into a glass and let them sit until the fizz
settles some. I have no trouble with hot peppers, strong coffee, sugar
(but I don't abuse it), salad vegetables, tomatoes help meat go down, I
love crunchy things if I chew them thoroughly and slowly. Same with meat,
anything goes slowly and thoroughly, but if you rebel, so does your pouch.
Don't blame the surgery when this happens, it's you. I keep telling myself
this. I have never, ever been able to not sip a drink with meals, due to
a constricted esophagus. If I do, it simply stops on the way down and
hurts for a looonnnnngggg time. I often have to force it back up and try
another bite when I am dumb enough to "graze" or try to carry on
enthusiastic conversations while eating. Watching TV, driving, and
studying can also be inserted here.
Let's see, 700 units of insulin to 53 per day? 20 prescriptions to 3?
Jobba the Hut to getting attention from the opposite sex wherever I go?
Able to keep my private needs private and not be a heavy burden on those I
love? A tiny food cost and able to fill up on appetizers instead of $50.00
meals in even a chain restaurant? A saucer can hold my meals instead of
wishing for a platter?...Yea, it takes some adjustment. Like shopping for
clothes off the rack in a Wal-Mart or a department store instead of
"Ye Olde Fat Peoples Clothing store and Parachute/Sails/Circus Tent
Distributors." Yeah, it's a tough decision. Do I die slowly every
day, and watch the faces of my loved ones slowly lose faith in my survival,
knowing that soon they'll be paying for my funeral; Or, do I have a surgery
performed a gadzillion times per day safely (much safer than something like
heart surgery), determine to change my habits and lifestyle to one that
will enable me to live and that is, LIVE! Watch the face of people who
spent hours of time at my bedside the year before when they have no clue as
to who I am. Walking (Yes walking) around in public and no one notices me,
kids don't laugh and point fingers at me, but then, I am noticed by the
same members of the opposite sex that were repulsed at my appearance a year
before. Sitting in a semi-compact or a back seat and being comfortable,
being surprised at the actual shape of my face, and Darn! I do still have
ribs and hip bones! Oh yes, it's a hard decision, and I do have
regrets...namely every second I waited to have this surgery. I wish to God
I could have had it 7 years ago.
You can always find people who whine about this and whine about that...they
did it before the surgery too, you can bet money on that. They'll wind up
helping to kill you with your co-morbidities if you let them. Some of
them are afraid you'll have a life and reject them, some will never have
the initiative to take such an obvious step for their own best interests.
Many will die...they do...every day, from strokes, heart attacks,
respiratory distress, diabetic complications, kidney and liver disease, and
the like. Try being bed bound, huge, and blind from diabetes. Now that's
the good life, isn't it.
I don't know you, but I believe in you, because you are asking these
questions. You need to pray, we need to pray for you, and God gives us the
ability to do, but He leaves the decision up to us. He is a gentleman and
will not force you. God's will? I think your body and the prophet he sent
with a medical degree speaks loudly about that. He wants us to live and be
the most effective we can be. God never got the glory from a person (like
my mother, sister, and several friends) who smoked themselves to death, or
drank themselves to death, or from whatever reason, died of morbid obesity
and it's results. Sickliness does NOT equal godliness. You deserve to
live the rest of your life. I'm pretty sure you don't want to die early
and be remembered in sadness and it be thought a pity because it never had
to happen, and someone worried you out of the best chance to live.
You can lose without it? Power to you, I hope you can; but, when and if
you don't, thank your surgeon for giving you a chance to live. You just
might find yourself wishing you hadn't waited, and wondering what you could
have been thinking to have turned it down before.
Ultimately, the choice is yours, and you'll get no condemnation from me. I
will indeed pray for you to have God's wisdom for YOU. I haven't meant to
offend anyone here, and just, from the heart wish the best for you and
anyone else contemplating this procedure. Yes, at times you'll regret,
wonder why you ever had it done, but then you'll look into the mirror and
smile. Is it worth it? It's not even worth answering, but be SURE you know
your doctor and the surgical team. Check them out, no matter how nice they
seem. Put them in God's hands, pray He'll guide them and put YOURSELF in
His hand's...if you're not there, I'd hate to have someone put a bandaid on
a scrape for me. :)
Whatever you do, I wish all the best for you and would be happy to be a
friend if you need one. Dusty @};-
— Dusty Ray Vaughn
March 9, 2009
Deana, I had surgery 0n 2/09/09 and everything has been great. But if I had
the money or an insurance company that was other than Medicare I would have
used Dr.Rutledge in Las Vegas,(The Mini Gastric Bypass) His surgery takes
about 30 minutes,you get out of the hospital the same day, and most people
go back to work 2 days after surgery. He has performed over 8000 MGPs with
very few complications. He tells you almost exactly how much weight you'll
lose each month and about how much weight overall. Go to the internet and
put in Mini Gastric Bypass and look at hundreds of videos .It will even
show the surgery and answer all your questions. It will give you his phone
number and beleive it when you call it he answers, not some secretary.His
total cost of hospital,surgery and everything is $17,000. But he has some
specials you need to check on. I hope this helps. What ever you decide God
Bless,2Lazy2Mike
— 2lazy2Mike
March 9, 2009
I'm almost 2 years post op, 62 years of age, have lost 140 pounds and have
no complications. No one I work with who had the surgery had complications
either. The only death I heard of was of a woman who came home from the
hospital after surgery and ate a whole Chinese dinner (3 days after
surgery!!). That death was of her own doing so just follow doctor's orders
and you will be fine. As someone above said, you have more to worry about
with your obesity than you do the surgery.
— Muggs
March 9, 2009
I am 4 weeks post op, back to work and doing very well. I think the most
important thing besides being personally prepared for the life style
changes is to make sure you have an excellent surgeon. 95% of my doctors
practice is Bariatric Surgery, and he has performed approx. 4,500 of them
in 9 years. He was recommended by my family doctor who I trust. My surgeon
told me that the majority of complications arise when patients don't follow
the doctors directions. I work with a girl whose neice died after surgery,
however it was because she ate as if she never had surgery in quantity and
the type of food she was choosing. If she had followed her doctors
directions she would still be here today. It's normal to have cold feet, I
did, big time. But I ultimately felt that the dangers of not doing anything
were far greater than the risks of surgery and went through with it. I've
already lost 40 lbs. This is a personal decision that you need to feel
comfortable with, but I think everyone has 2nd (3rd, 4th...) thoughts. Good
luck on your journey!
— jeannefitz
March 10, 2009
My friend, Ginger Brewster, died due to complications after having open RNY
in March 2002. Her story is on the Memorial page of this website. Please
make sure all your co-morbids are well known to all the hospital personnel
that will care for you.
— Hackett
March 10, 2009
Deana, as with ANY major surgery, WLS has it's risks. The questions
becomes, am I at a higher risk for dying of obesity than surgery. Most
likely the answer is yes. Unfortunately, we hear about the surgeries that
have had bad outcomes and focus on them, instead of the thousands of cases
that turn out great.
Some of what you mentioned is someone who had longer term issues still
going on 3 years out. If that is a concern, you should check out the
Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy on this web site. It does not tend to have as
many long term issues as the bypass, but is also showing itself to be just
as successful. It may also be a little easier to live with once you reach
goal. I had it 11 months ago and have lost 122 lbs. I only want to lose
another 10, so it has been very successful for me.
I believe there is a place for every type of surgery performed, so I am not
trying to sway you. I just believe in doing as much research as possible to
educate ourselves.
I wish you the very best as you go through this process.
— corky1057
March 10, 2009
Dear Deana... I had my lap RNY a week ago Monday, and wouldn't change a
thing. I've had no nausea, no vomiting, no complications except a pulled
muscle in my abdomen that made it a little hard to take a deep breath. I
have a friend who had his about 6 weeks ago and has been in and out of the
ER several times. Personally, I think it is because he is not following
his doctor's instructions as to what foods to be eating, and how much. The
first couple of times I'd heard what he'd done, I just had to shake my
head. I think the most important thing to consider is that your doctor
knows what works, and you should commit yourself to following his/her
instructions if you want success.
— Erica Alikchihoo
March 10, 2009
Ok so I am one of the ones that had complications from the surgery....
My surgery date was Dec 8th (lap RNY) - my Dr told me when I came out of
anesthesia that the staple gun misfired during the surgery so he was going
to watch me for a few days. Well I didn't progress well so they had to go
back in and see what was going on. I ended up having open RNY on Dec 12th.
I ended up spending 2 nights in ICU, needless to say I don't have proof but
I feel the hospital did not take good care of my incision while I was in
ICU and ended up with a post op infection. I have just barely healed from
all of the infection issues in the last 2 weeks. I have lost over 60 pounds
in 3 months but at this point even with the weight loss I can't say I would
do this again. You really have to make sure that you are ready for the
lifestyle change.
I can safely say now that I have lost one of my best friends (food) I miss
being able to enjoy a meal. Food is no longer a social event, I eat
because I have to and I don't enjoy it when I do.
— Marcie H.
March 10, 2009
There are a common glitches for many...but not the majority...I had nothing
major or even minor that I can really complain about...Stuck food 2-3
times...Once REALLY bad that I thought I was gonna have to go to the ER.
That was a little scary, but it resolved itself... I gained 8 lbs back at
year 2 and never lost any of it ever again! No big deal to me...I toned up
at that point and so did my skin so it was a good trade off! I am quite
happy to have kept off 150 lbs even with the gain (158 total)...I had some
vitamin deficiencies and anemia at year 4 with a 10 lb weight gain while
things were off with my labs...Lost the 10 lbs and got my vitamins back in
order in 6 months! Been fine now at 5 years and maintaining my weight and
vitamin levels since! Death is rare...but it happens...My surgeon has done
4000 surgeries to date (yes, 4 thousand!) and the last time I asked him if
he had any deaths he only had ONE and it was a complication with the
anesthesia if I remember correctly...(It's been a while (4 years) since I
saw my surgeon) I was your age when I had mine done and about the same
BMI...(over 50) I was already walking with a cane and had crippling
arthritis in my knees...I was in constant pain...had diabetes, High
cholesterol, acid reflux disease, hypothyroidism, a hiatal hernia...All of
it gone within days of the surgery...(knees took longer and as the weight
came off the pain left) I am so healthy and strong now that I took a
construction job and built decks (13) for an entire summer...Built a log
cabin from a kit with my husband...And at 44 years old I now renovate old
houses and garden...Couldn't do that much work at 30! I am about to be a
grandma and I feel more like I am going to be an aunt than a grandma!
Darlin', I am a totally different, healthy, confident, sexy woman since
surgery...and even if I only had 5 years, I wouldn't trade them for my old
body back...NOT a chance! I'm over 5 years po and Heaven can wait because,
Right here...right now...I'm in heaven on earth! Good luck...I hope your
decisions makes you feel like I do!
— .Anita R.
March 11, 2009
Hi, I had surgery on 2/16 and 2 weeks later had to go have one of my
incisions opened up because of an infection that was very painfully! I
still have a large sore spot. I think it may have to be opened again. Now
I am 22 days after surgery and I have had my days when I wonder if I did
the right thing.
MSLTS297
— mslts297
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