WLS - how many laproscopic?

I have another question...

I have been told that you can have WLS either a full surgery where you are completely cut open or laproscopic?

I'm wondering why the difference and who has which one?  Just trying to figure out the difference.  It seem laproscopic would be easier post op.

deb

August 17 ~ Informational Seminar, Temple Hospital, Philadelphia

 Unless there are complications that arise during surgery or you have some other physical reason, your surgery will be done laparoscopically.  This is true of more and more surgeries, from appendectomy, gallbladder removal, to hysterectomy....it is becoming the standard.

It's very rare to have an open WLS. Lap is better for the smaller incisions which means faster healing. DS might be done open more but I'm not even sure about that.

 It may also depend on how may (if any) previous abdominal surgeries you've had. There have also  been cases where they go in laproscopic and then have to switch to open cause they can't get to what they need. 

Laproscopic is so much better. The hospital stay is shorter, healing time is quicker, less scarring. I had my surgery Monday 6/11/12 and I've felt fine since I got home!

To me, it was six of one, half dozen of the other. 
1)  Open yields a big ol nasty scar, but I can testify that even without the scar, my stomach and its loose skin is nothing I'd be showing to the public without a scar.  
2)  I think with such a larger wound, it's at higher risk of infection, too.  Proper sanitary procedures can prevent much of that.   
3)I'm sure I had more soreness with my open surgery as it healed, but I had no stitches or sutures.  Everything was glued all the way down, so it was impressively cool. 
4)  With a DS and as drastic as it is, I was happy to let the doc get both hands inside and see things first hand. 


Lap has the tiny incisions, so without that soreness stretching the entire stomach, I think the lap patients are up a week ahead of time with movement...maybe a little more. 
1) Docs usually require a liver shrinking diet so the tools can work around the liver (I had no pre-op diet at all with my open DS)
2) Lap procedures are usually 30-60 min longer under anestesia, raising those risks
3) You're blown up like a balloon with gas so the tools can work around, so the first several days can be very uncomfortable over and above recover, just trying to work the gas out of your body.

Most surgeons are doing all the different bariatric surgeries lap these days, though there are still some who prefer open. It depends partly on your surgeon and partly on whether or not you have adhesions (internal scarring) from prior surgery, more so than on what operation you have.
     While open surgery is probably more painful and obviously leaves a bigger scar, the only real increase in risk is for an incisional hernia.

Larra

The larger the incision, the greater the chance of an incisional hernia. Recovery time is also greater.

The vast majority of WLS are done laproscopically. Even with the DS, most  surgeons these days do it mostly laproscopically with just one larger incision. But personally I'd want a surgeon who was skilled enough to do the entire thing lap and who only opened people up if it was absolutely necessary.

I've had a verticfal C-section 12 years ago and laproscopic surgery for cysts on my ovaries over 30 years ago.  Do you think that would make it more likely to be an open surgery?

 That is a question your doctor can answer...a good thing to do is to write down all yor questions and take the list with you to your consult.