Am I the only one with a horror story?

Hey all, just wondering if anybody else had any major complications with their surgery. I had a Lap RNY done on April 15th 2008 at a weight of 319lbs, so I'm about 4 1/2 months post op.

After my initial surgery I made it home three days later for only about 11 hours before I was taken to the ER with shortness of breath, a temp of 102 and severe abdominal pain. After less than an hour in the ER I went to the OR for a second time in 4 days for an emergency exploratory Laparotomy (which by the way left an impressive 8 inch scar down the front of me).

A hole was found in my pouch that allowed everything I was drinking to pass freely into my abdominal cavity. I was in septic shock and almost died once in the OR and twice in ICU in the subsequent days. I spent 3 weeks in ICU and one week in a step down unit before I returned home again.

I thank God, my family and my friends because it was them that made me fight to live.

As of today I am down 99lbs and even after everything that went wrong I can still say with a clear conscience I would do it all over again.

Hey Galen, alot of us boys here can share a few horror stories about post-op WLS complications.  I had my RNY performed on 4/10/06, and less then a month later ended up back in the ER with severe abdominal pains and throwing up anything I ate or drank.  I had an bowel obstruction and ended having emergency surgery at 3AM.  They cut me back open where I had been cut for my RNY and removed a foot of my small intestine.  I ended up spending a week in the hospital, and it took forever for the damn incision to heal up due to infection.

But here I am, 2.5 years later, down +/- 250 pounds, and I can honestly say that I would do it all over again, even with the complications.

I had hernia surgery last week with my WLS surgery, and it couldnt have gone better.  I feel like it never happened.  Funny how we can handle things like this so much easier when all the excess weight is off.

Anywho, good luck to you and stay the course.  A happy, healthy life is in store for you.  Enjoy.

John

No, unfortunately there are others who have had complications. Really sorry that you had problems.  Hopefully, everything will settle down now and you will be good from here on out. I'm sure being one of the few who have complications is a sobering experience, but just remember why you, and all of us, took the chances and risked having the surgery - to improve our quality of life.  Try to stay focused on your ultimate goal of weight loss , getting healthier, and having a new and better life!

99 lbs. in 4 1/2 months is awesome and I'm sure you will continue to drop more. Congrats on the loss, sorry for the complications, and hope it is smoothe sailing for you from now on!  Good luck to ya brother!

Hey Galen -

There are others who have had complications.   I think it's good that those stories get shared on here as well as those who've not had complications.  No one should go into WLS surgery without being aware that there are possible difficulties involved.

I'm one of the guys who have been lucky to have had an extrordinarily smooth experience with no complications -  VSG, in and out of the hospital in 24 hrs, nearly 2 years post-op, and am down 100 lbs at goal for a year now. 

DxE is one of the guys who contribute enormously to this forum who also had some major complications he's shared a lot about.  You might search his posts - he shared a lot of good info in them.

JP

Reading your post I am thinking of some of the guys biggest complaint about WLS...The gas afterwards!!  The reason we have so much gas is because the surgeons will spray air for quite a while, just to test for leaks in the pouch...hence the trapped gas.  Too bad your surgeon didn't test your pouch more.  Many years ago before the straying of air, RNY patients would have to get an upper GI before release from the hospital.  I don't think it is necessary, but that trapped gas is a good sign of the surgery being done right.  Brian

I had to do a Barium swallow before they would release me from the hospital.  They checked for leaks everywhere they did work.

Lou

 geez, who was your surgeon?  

  (and do you need legal respresentation?   )  

Thanks for the replys guys!

JP I couldn't agree with you more... I know my Dr gave me all the stats on the complications and the morbidity factors but I think alot of people put blinders on before going into the surgery. I know I did, I was just so happy looking forward to the surgery after months and months of fighting with my insurance company to get approval, then the battery of tests I had to endure and the meetings with nutritionists and psychologists. I also found myself in the group of people that say "Oh that can't happen to me...". Well I'm here to say that it defiantly can happen to you!

Don't get me wrong like I said in my first post even after everything I'd still have it done again. However I would have done more homework, talked to more than one Dr, and would have liked to have found this website pre-op.

As far as my Dr and legal rep.. I have to plead the 5th LOL....

Glad to hear you are on the mend.  "Batwingsman" has stolen your post and labeled it "And now a "bad" example of RNY".  He has posted it on the DS forum.  What a jerk.

Galen,
You join a small number of us who had serious problems,
And still came through it and reached success.
I had Very similar experience as you.

I actually think it made my loss easier in the long term.
I'm over 5 years post-op now,
And so pleased with the outcome,
Even if I knew I'd have the same problems,
I'd do it again.

My profile here recounts my experience,
But I mostly hangout on another Men's Board at QuixoticWLS, at-
http://quixoticwls.org/forums/index.php
Hollar if there's any experience I can share.
There are a number there who had severe complications
But moved on to living happily at goal.