Lap RNY harder to perform on Males? (Xpost men's forum)

??

My doc told me there is a higher chance of being converted to an open than a female would have...

Is this a muscle issue?  Or is it because we hold more of our weight in the stomach area?

He didn't give a reason but I was just wondering as I can't find much googling it!

Thank you for your time!

I went in for a Lap RNY and was converted to an open.  I think part of it is what you allude above to and, that I also had bleeding during the Lap portion that my surgeon wanted to stop.  In any case, instead of 2 hours or so on the table, I spent 7 hours.  I then spent 4 days in the hospital before going home.

I'm glad I had the surgery but it took me a good 4 weeks to recover (energy etc) from it and thankfully I didnt work during this time.

I think everyone should be prepared for the worse case, just in case.  I had provided my wife with a complete list of contact numbers, combinations, what to do in case of this and that, friends to contact to sell this and that (just in case) and all the life and disability policies on my home office desk.  It turned out to be good preparation given what happened to me. 

I wouldnt be alarmed but I be prepared.  Just my .02

This is purely anecdotal, but FWIW... of the 5 men I know "in real life" who have had RNYs (suing 3 different surgeons), one knew his surgery would be open going into it, one had lap, and the other 3 started lap and ended up open.  All but the one who had the lap surgery were very large men and carried most of their weight in their abdomen.

Lora 

Pre op diets tend to help reduce fatty liver deposits. That is the issue with RNY, the surgeon has to move the liver to do the LAP procedure.  Too many fatty liver deposits and the surgeon may not be able to do the LAP procedure. I was scheduled for the LAP, and had to sign a waiver consent form in the operating room---I acknowledged I was there for LAP RNY but i was authorizing the surgeon to do the OPEN procedure if warranted. Once you're under anesthetic in the operating room, conditions may be observed that make the LAP procedure unsafe for the patient. You're in the operating room, under anesthesia, nurses in attendance--everything is ready for surgery, and the surgery is just altered to the OPEN procedure.  Normally, my surgeon is able to tell a patient prior to surgery whether their surgery will be either lap or open procedure.  I've also read some data online that indicate higher BMI men may require OPEN procedures due to belly fat--the LAP instruments are too short to work.  BIG MEDICINE is a show about a facility set up for the morbidly obese pateints, and they have customized surgical instruments that allow the LAP on high BMI patients. DAVE

 Hubby started out with a BMI of 50 and managed to lose 65lbs prior to surgery. I don't recall our surgeon ever telling him most men have to have open surgeries. His was lap thank god. Good Luck I hope all goes well for you.