Long Term Success?

Just wondering how many years out the vets are on the Ontario board. I was just researching Gastric Bypass 20 years out to see how the success rate was and didn't come up with much, just one lady's blog warning about all the long term adverse effects of surgery.

Anyone's opinions are welcome. Thanks!   

Your surgery date is the 15th of July  - what did your surgeon tell you? 

My surgeon (Dr. Laz Klein) told me that they (bariatric surgeons) do not know about the procedure's risks after about 20 years out... However, while in the waiting room at one of my pre-op appointments, I ended up chatting with a gal who had the surgery 21 years ago... she had kept all of the weight off (she looked fabulous!), but was having some major reflux issues (that is why she was there to see my surgeon).

Not really sure to be honest... It's a risk I was willing to take. :)

Oh did you find Sue Widmark's site? She's a bit on the anti-surgery bandwagon.

http://www.mayoclinicproceedings.com/content/81/10_Suppl/S46.full

http://colleencook.com/PDF/SuccessHabitsOriginalArticle.pdf

Dawn

Thanks Dawn for the articles, I'm just reading now.

I'm not sure if it's Sue Widmark's site but the one I found was:

http://arkansasunshine.tripod.com/testimony/testimony.html

Basically, I read this woman had great success, went down a bad road and was in poor health until she found Atkins. Then she described every single thing she attributes to WLS (somethings I had never read before then). I know it's on a site for Atkins but somethings I just don't understand, like increased risk of Stomach Cancer, I've read that surgery can help obese people decrease there risk of cancer?!?
 

Having surgery 20 years ago is a differen procedure than today. She said on her site that she realized that after surgery good nutrition was important. Makes you wonder if she did not eat properly nor take vitamins because most of us realize the importance of that and getting regular bloodwork to prevent nutritional complications. As well take her site with a grain of salt as it is obvious that the page was set up to sell something. Probably nutritional type shakes.

Thanks for your help! I do realize that the site was targeting for a product but I find the closer I get to surgery, the more my mind wanders and thinks on surgery. I read those articles you posted and they seem promising about long term success, which helped me understand a bit better. Thanks again for your help!   

Like Dawn says, far more support for the wls patient now than 20 years ago.  Far more.  I can't imagine what it was like for them.  I've had a few talks with people over the years.  One lady would tell me she would eat an oatmeal cookie in Ottawa and it'd be through her before she got to Brockville.  One lady told me she was told to drin**** cream.  I can't imagine.

Bonnie

 Oh wow! I guess things are changing. Thanks for the perspective.  

as indicated above Gastric by-pass did not exist the way we now know it was called stomach stapling before and was done differently

I believe 7/8 years ago is when they began doing the procedure differently
 
if you read the blogs of people who are 5-7 years post -op, many have had good results, some have regained 20-50% of their weight, but they also note that it is due to being laxidasical on not staying on course..


....the (tool) is fantastic, how people choose to use it or NOT...determines IMO the result.

I am only 2 years and a bit post-op..I only weight myself eveyr other week..sure I take a few allowances here and there..but when I do..I know that I am taking them and make a mental note of how much.

Susan Maria Leach is I believe 5 years + post op and she is an author and an entrepeneaur, and discusses frankly her highs and lows throughout the entire journey