Contemplating Gastric Bypass - Scared of the risks

I have had 2 close frineds that have had Gastric Bypass and I've never thought it would be an option for me, I've always wanted to lose weight the healthies way- exercise and diet. However, after several years of failed attempts I am not considering the surgery but have heard so many mixed reviews. My primary care physician has referred me to a Bariatric surgeon for a consultation - I don't have to make up my mind just yet but I want to get some feedback from people who have already had the surgery or are also contemplating it.
My primary doctor says that the people who are most at risk for death after the procedure are much older than me and not as healthy as I am not. If you looked at my medical chart you would think I'm as healthy as a horse until you see my weight.. then you start to wonder if I am a horse! haha (Just little light humor amidst all this serious surgery talk.)
I am currently 23 years old and I know that I need to make a decision about my health and fast! I've been overweight most of my life and I'm tired of feelling like my body is a prison I'm stuck in forever.
So-- Does anyone have any feedback - Pros of Cons - on the surgery? If you've already had it, do the pros outweight the risks?

Thanks for any and all feedback! :)

I had RNY about 3.5 years ago.  I guess the biggest pro is that it allowed me to lose all my excess weight, something I had been unable to do by diet and exercise, AND statistically it works much, much better than diets for keeping the weight off.  More than 90% of folks that lose a large amount of weight by dieting gain it back, according to numerous studies.

Yeah, I think the pros outweigh the risks.  It's also important to consider the risks of being morbidly obese, of course.  I thought it was riskier for me to stay fat than to have WLS.  My surgeon agreed.

The cons for me are not being able to take NSAIDS, developing reactive hypoglycemia, and the issues of nutritional deficiencies and having to take many vitamins a day.  But those are all managable.  More managable than the weight was, for sure.

Make sure you consider other weight loss surgeries in addition to gastric bypass, including VSG and DS.

 First of all, there is more to weight loss surgery than gastric bypass, so take a moment to think for yourself.  We are obese for different reasons, and wls is not one-size-fits-all.  I saw a few colleagues losing like crazy after gastric bypass, which was extremely inspiring.  I started learning all I could about wls, and discovered a procedure that seemed tailor-fit just for me.  I took the plunge and couldn't be happier, despite how different it was from theirs.

So, what I'm saying is to take that inspiration and learn all you can about the options out there:

gastric bypass
duodenal switch
Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy
LapBand (its an option, but not highly recommended anymore so much)

Compare what you learn to yourself, your weight history and personal tendencies.  Make the most informed decision you can and your anxiety will lessen.

Thank you so much for that unbiased response, exactly what I needed! 

Ditto what Kelly says.  My only regret is I waited so long to have WLS - I was age 60 day of surgery. 

To identify with someone closer to your age, my daughter was 28 when she had surgery 6 years ago, and she will tell you it was the best decision ever.  She lost 150 lbs.

She had a baby 3 years ago and gained about 75 lbs. during the pregnancy.  Within a year, she was down 10 lbs. lower than her pre-pregnancy weight. 

It was tough giving up diet Dr. Pepper, but I have adapted an eating plan that works.  Sadly, that doesn't include Dr. Pepper!  I lost 100 lbs. in a little under 9 months.  Even at my age, surgery and recovery was virtually complication free.

And, yes, yes, yes, the pros outweigh the risks.  However, that is easy for me to say, since I had no complications. 

Talk to your PCP, the surgeon, go to the support meetings, talk to other post-ops and get all the information you can to make your decision.

The thing about diet and exercise is that for most morbidly obese people, they don't work---at least no long-term. People who do manage to lose 100 pounds have a 96% chance of regaining it ALL within five years. Looked at in that light, 'diet and exercise' doesn't sound very healthy, does it?

There are four forms of bariatric surgery---LapBand, VSG/Sleeve, RNY/gastric bypass, and DS/duodenal switch. The first two are restiction-only surgeries---in other words, they work by restricting how much you can eat at one setting. The second two have restriction plus an intestinal bypass to cause you to not absorb all of the food you eat. For the RNY/gastric bypass, the inttestinal bypass is small and the malabsorption of calories is temporary---by about 18-24 months after surgery, your body learns to compensate for the bypassed intestine and you're pretty much back to diet and exercise. With the DS, most of the small intestine is bypassed, and the malabsorption of calories is pretty much permanent. This is why the DS has the very best long-term, maintained weight-loss stats.

You need to research ALL FOUR of these surgeries in order to decide which, if any, is right for you. No form of WLS will keep you from grazing or from making bad food choices, but it's very important to choose a surgery that has a post-op lifestyle that you can live happily with FOREVER.

Check out the Revision board as well. This will give you some insight into the things that can go wrong when someone makes the wrong choice.

I chose the DS, 8.5 years ago. I have no regrets, but then, I've had no complications either. In my case, the risks of having surgery were minimal compared to the risks of remaining super-morbidly obese, and the potential rewards---well, let's just say that pre-op, I wasn't living, merely exsisting. Now I'm living my life on MY terms!

I am much older than you, 59 and just had my surgery on May 7th. I have health problems that are being resolved though RNY and would do it again in a New York minute! So age is not a factor, but your health problems will only get worse. What happened to me about 3 years ago I developed polymyalsia rhuematica, a form of arthritis and even though I had to say good-bye to NSAIDS, I have pain meds to help control it. Make sure you research all of the different WLS procedures, especially if you have an extremly high BMI. Good Luck! Jane

The younger you are when you have the WLS (any one) the longer you will be able to enjoy your health and the fun of being a beautiful person!

Go for it!

Take some time to figure out which one is for you. Research all the avenues. Weight the pros and cons. Think about what your behaviors are when it comes to sliding off the wagon at anything in life. Are you easily distracted, do you stress eat, etc.. This will all be changes you will have to overcome. I know for myself I needed something that would kick me in the arse if I went off track. I chose the RNY because even tho it was maybe more invasive, it as the ticket for me. Also insurance coverage can be an issue too, you can fight for other types not covered but know it won't always go your way.

Risks- You will hear all kinds of crazy/scarey stories- they are out there and I could add a couple to them. You also run the risk of dying from obesity, getting hit by a bus,falling off high heels- life is full of risks.

Pros- Before surgery I was walking with a cane, had an RX to purchase a wheelchair. Not all directly related to the over weight but, some due to an work injury, the weight wasn't helping my back issues.
I now have no chair,no cane, walk/run 5K,10K and half marathons. I bike miles and miles, I walk on stilts, hula hoop, jump rope and play on trampolines. Life is wonderful to have the mobility I do! Oh, and shopping for clothes. You no longer have to settle for what is on the rack, the choices are wonderful.

Cons- Taking vitamins daily vs lots of pain meds etc.. Not eating some foods- that I truely don't even miss. Some days having to push my self to exercise when I don't want too.

Would I do it again? Hell yes!

Study and get ready for what changes you could have in life
Kelly/tink

RNY has worked very well for me, got rid of my diabetes and I have a normal bmi, started at 283.5 and currently weigh 140 @5'5.  My surgery was done open back in 2005, it is a lifetime committment to eating right, it is a diet that works but eventually you will be able to eat more again and regain is possible.  To avoid that you need to be dilligent and pro-active and live like every other normal, weight conscious womyn on earth.

Pictures speak volumes, heres my 1 month post op compared to one taken 7 years later after 2 rounds of plastics, my stomach and my arms.