Recent Posts

Freewheeler
on 1/30/23 12:45 pm, edited 1/30/23 12:50 pm
Topic: Upcoming Gastric Sleeve Surgery And I Am Dreading It

Greetings All,

I am am having gastric sleeve surgery soon and I wish I could be excited about it like many people are about their surgeries, but I am kind of dreading it for numerous reasons.

I completely acknowledge that I need the surgery, so that isn't the issue - but I do have anxiety about some things that may or may not be an actual problem. I am diagnosed with anxiety in general and I have ADD, so I hyper focus on things that worry me.

I don't like my surgeon. He is perfectly qualified and and all that, but he has horrible bedside manner and is very transactional. I am just another obese person in his revolving door of obese patients. I am just a number to him and he didn't really care about my concerns. It's a business to him.

I have to admit the death rate is still pretty high in my mind and scary. Recent info that I saw is that 1 person dies per 1000 surgeries. If someone wants to correct me in case that info is wrong, please do - but a 1000 people is not a lot. I would feel somewhat better if it was 100,000+ people.

I am worried about all the new problems I am going to have when I do lose the weight with the hanging skin - that is already hanging pretty low. I will have to move the skin aside to use the bathroom. I know OHIP covers panniculectomy surgery and there are specific requirements to qualify, but I am sure I will have other loose skin issues that are not covered and quite frankly I cannot afford, so will have to live with the hanging skin.

Those 3 reasons are pretty much the main thing outside of some smaller worries like hair loss. Has anyone here had the sleeve surgery and had hair loss and did it come back after a certain period?

I would greatly appreciate any feedback from people - especially from people who have had the sleeve surgery and even skin surgery removal to maybe put my mind at ease. I am happy to answer any further questions as well. I start the Optifast next month.

Thank you.

FW

Partlypollyanna
on 1/30/23 4:34 am
RNY on 02/14/18
Topic: RE: Strictures after Roux-en-y

Ahh, I understand now. I can see that you have tried every option; usually teaching hospitals might be willing to try to figure it out but clearly not there. The only other thing I could think is see if you can find another bariatric surgeon who might be more familiar with types of complications and see if they can see anything and maybe share with one of the other medical teams? Good luck, I can't imagine the frustration.

HW: 306 SW: 282 GW: 145 (reached 2/6/19) CW:150

Jen

FinallyBecomingMe
on 1/28/23 5:29 am
Topic: RE: Strictures after Roux-en-y

Youll gain weight. If you're 190 lbs whats your issue? Sounds like a very healthy normal weight.

Trackwelder
on 1/26/23 10:11 am
Topic: RE: Strictures after Roux-en-y

Supposedly normal anatomy I am trying to get confirmation from the doctor exactly how this can take care of an esophageal stricture

hollykim
on 1/26/23 7:34 am - Nashville, TN
Revision on 03/18/15
Topic: RE: Strictures after Roux-en-y
On January 25, 2023 at 5:15 PM Pacific Time, Trackwelder wrote:
  1. I had a Roux-en-y surgery about 13 years ago and had what I consider to be great success. I went from a high of 388 lbs to a consistent 200 in about a year and maintained it until I started losing again down to a low of 121 lbs. I was found to have a stricture in my Esophagus and could not get enough calories down. I finally was sent to a transplant team and they decided that a reversal of the Roux-en-y was the only fix either that or remain on TPN I am having trouble understanding how a reversal of a Roux-en-y could affect the esophagus stricture and honestly am nervous about weight gain I have struggled with my weight most of my life and hate to lose it since the Roux-en-y has been so successful on TPN I am back up to 190

what would they reverse it to?

 


          

 

Trackwelder
on 1/25/23 3:59 pm
Topic: RE: Strictures after Roux-en-y

I have the bad luck to have the Bariatric Surgeon retire, every GI doctor in Sioux Falls tell me I was too complicated for them, The GI doctors at Omaha VA say I was too complicated, and the GI doctors at university of Nebraska say I was Too complicated. I was referred to the transplant team not necessarily for a transplant but because they were supposed to be more experienced the surgeon had views of everything downstream of the RNY but was not interested in the esophagus feeling he could just reverse the procedure. Maybe that is what is bothering me but I don't know where to go next for an opinion what are peoples feelings I know I have to make the decision but throwing this out there helps me think through everything. I am still happy that I had the RNY procedure and I am not convinced that the stricture was caused by it.

Partlypollyanna
on 1/25/23 3:43 pm
RNY on 02/14/18
Topic: RE: Strictures after Roux-en-y

If you are that uncomfortable with the recommendation, can you go for a second opinion? Maybe a different type of surgeon (I'm not sure what a transplant team would do with a stricture but I don't know anything about medicine or specialties). Could your bariatric practice provide any insight?

HW: 306 SW: 282 GW: 145 (reached 2/6/19) CW:150

Jen

Trackwelder
on 1/25/23 9:15 am
Topic: Strictures after Roux-en-y
  1. I had a Roux-en-y surgery about 13 years ago and had what I consider to be great success. I went from a high of 388 lbs to a consistent 200 in about a year and maintained it until I started losing again down to a low of 121 lbs. I was found to have a stricture in my Esophagus and could not get enough calories down. I finally was sent to a transplant team and they decided that a reversal of the Roux-en-y was the only fix either that or remain on TPN I am having trouble understanding how a reversal of a Roux-en-y could affect the esophagus stricture and honestly am nervous about weight gain I have struggled with my weight most of my life and hate to lose it since the Roux-en-y has been so successful on TPN I am back up to 190
califsleevin
on 1/25/23 8:06 am - CA
Topic: RE: Sleeve revision to bypass??

The RNY is usually better for reflux, although that in part depends upon what is causing the reflux. If it's a hiatal hernia causing it, then that can usually be repaired surgically along with the revision, and a DS is a reasonable alternative, and will generally provide better results as it is stronger metabolically than the RNY, which is similar to the VSG in that respect (why regain revision results are often disappointing with that revision.****asionally we see someone come through here with fantastic results on their regain problem, and they seem mostly to be those who took the "I'm not gonna let that happen again" attitude towards it, really knuckled down and did everything right, and more. You almost have to consider that you are getting the RNY to treat your GERD, and you are on your own to fight the regain - don't consider it to be the magic bullet that will do it for you. The DS option will make that job easier, if it is still an option depending on the cause of the GERD, but it's doable with the bypass - just harder.

Good luck on this....

1st support group/seminar - 8/03 (has it been that long?)  

Wife's DS - 5/05 w Dr. Robert Rabkin   VSG on 5/9/11 by Dr. John Rabkin

 

Cautiously_Hopeful
on 1/24/23 8:36 am
WLS on 07/15/22
Topic: RE: Sleeve revision to bypass??

Ah, that makes sense now! RNY, from what I hear, is much better for GERD, especially since a DS revision more often leaves your existing sleeve intact unless there are medical issues with it.

HW 282, LW 123.4 (8/29/23), CW 144.4

Pre-op-33, M1-12, M2-17, M3-14, M4-11, M5-14, M6-5, M7-6, M8-5, M9-22, M10-6, M11-5, M12-2, M13-2, M14-5

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