Does anyone regret having had Gastric Bypass?

gabesnana

The malabsorption goes away and Many people like myself have the surgery for other health reasons.. Its the only known way to put your diabetes into remission.. So I will take a little malabsorption over Diabetes any day... My father passed away from Complications do to being diabetic at 57 years old.. I did not want to fallow in those footsteps... The 92 lbs lost was a plus too..

suzksell

The malabsorption goes away

Not sure about this one. As I said, I am 10 years out from my surgery, and my doc and I still have to monitor my levels constantly. In 2008, I discovered that my body wasn't absorbing iron very well at all, and I had to have an emergency hysterectomy. Now I have found out that I have kidney stones caused by my body's inability to absorb the calcium I have been taking in supplement form. Remember that the malabsorption is caused by the removal of a length of your intestine--something that doesn't grow back. For the same reason that the shorter length of intestine allows your body to absorb fewer calories before you excrete your digested foods, it also prevents your body from absorbing all the nutrients in the foods and supplements you take in.

gabesnana

I am going by what I was told by Dr's office and research I have done... That is why we have to be careful because we can gain our weight back do to the fact that after a year we start absorbing more.. It just frustrates me that people that haven't had the surgery think they know more then we do and a constantly bad mouthing the surgery and trying to make people feel bad about considering having the surgery I believe its a life saver and would do it again in a heart beat..

htimpaired

I have not have the bypass, but I actually do the psychiatric evaluations for the hospital I work for for those who are in the bariatric process. What we are trained to talk to bariatric candidates about it the risk for depression following the surgery. The NP who supervises us has told me that they don't know why people sometimes experience depression afterwards, but she speculates it has something to do with a combo of lifestyle change and physiological changes happening as your body adjusts.
I would suggest talking to your doctor. Also, do they have you connected with any post-surgery support groups? Hang in there, if you follow your post-op instructions, it should be worth it!

Health_Gal

Personally, I think that WAY too many weight loss surgeries are done in the United States. That type of surgery used to be reserved for the extremely obese, and now it is being advertised on radio and TV, just like all the fad diets.

Even though the WLS doctors say the risk of serious long term complications are low, that doesn't do much good for the people that suffer them. And from the number of people I know that have experienced significant long term complications from the various WLS, I would say the actual complication rate is much higher than what WLS doctors claim.

ALL the weight loss surgeries have major risks of complications. I would NEVER recommend anyone I know take that route unless they weighed 400 pounds or more and had tried every other approach under the sun to lose weight.

suzksell

And from the number of people I know that have experienced significant long term complications from the various WLS, I would say the actual complication rate is much higher than what WLS doctors claim.

ALL the weight loss surgeries have major risks of complications. I would NEVER recommend anyone I know take that route unless they weighed 400 pounds or more and had tried every other approach under the sun to lose weight.

I would respond by asking if the complications from the surgery are worse than the complications from the obesity that preceded the surgery. While there was a time when insurance companies were approving WLS left and right, that has really slowed down. There are many post-WLS patients who, though our lives have changed drastically from the surgery (and we have experienced a range of complications), would not go back and undo it if we could.

jsuemiranda

I have answered this question a lot. For me, I was prediabetic, high cholesterol, my blood pressure was creeping up, etc. I knew how to eat right, I'd lost weight on WW or Dr ordered programs, but was unable to keep it off. Exercise had become an impossibility due to back and joint pain. I am a food addict. I still go to counseling to help me deal with my food issues, but I needed the physical restriction to alter my behavior. Sometimes, I wish that I had tried harder to do it the "normal" way (by the way....what is the "normal" way and who gets to decide). But, I come from a family of addicts. If my brother could have a surgery that would help him overcome his addiction to drugs and alcohol, I would never say, "Oh, well, you should do it the "normal" way that you've been trying for 30 plus years without success." I would support his decision for surgery. Thankfully, my friends and family all support me. And yes, I do still have to diet and exercise. Gastric bypass was a tool. Not a cure. It is a personal choice though. It's not for everyone, and education is the key to success.

Health_Gal

I would respond by asking if the complications from the surgery are worse than the complications from the obesity that preceded the surgery. While there was a time when insurance companies were approving WLS left and right, that has really slowed down. There are many post-WLS patients who, though our lives have changed drastically from the surgery (and we have experienced a range of complications), would not go back and undo it if we could.

For those who do have long term complications from weight loss surgery, then yes the risk of complications from surgery is worse that the problems caused by being obese. And many people that experience long term complications would indeed love to go back in time and say NO to weight loss surgery.

puttingmyselfoutthere

I am in the process of having gastric bypass within the next few months. I am not scared to die because I may stop breathing in my sleep one of these nights. I am not worried about complications because I am in pain most of the time anyway. I am not going to leave anyone behind because I cannot have children because of the PCOS. I may be able to start a family if I get my weight down. I HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE.. I want a family and I cannot wait.. I will risk my life to get it

I work out constantly.. I eat healthy.. but I cannot seem to lose this weight. I have been researching this surgery for over 2 years, take classes, have a support network, and I know what I am in for.... I won't regret it.

Health_Gal

I really hope you can find a way to get your weight down that works for you before you have to go through surgery, because the long term complications for a gastric bypass can be horrible.

Have you tried working with a nutritionists that has a more holistic / alternative approach?

CherylRaymer

I just read your post and wanted to respond since I just had the RNY Gastric Bypass 4 1/2 weeks ago. Like you, I was having an extremely difficult time trying to loose weight. I am almost 47 and can attest to the fact that weight loss gets even harder once you pass 42 yrs of age as a woman. I too suffer from PCOS and I also had/have diabetes (having been diagnosed during my pregnancy 15 yrs ago). In the last 2 years, I also developed metabolic syndrome and the diabetes became harder to manage. A few of my doctors felt that this surgery was my best hope for overcoming many of these issues. So far so good, in my first month I have dropped 26 pounds. I found the surgery was not that difficult at all and the recovery has been exactly what my doctor and the staff at Duke informed me that it would be. Surgery is never easy, but this surgery in particular has many years of proven success. I would be more than happy to discuss the process with you if you would like. It is not an easy cure, but if you are already trying to loose weight and are hitting plateaus, etc., you are already 80% of the way to understanding what is involved and expected of you after gastric surgery You are already trying to make those changes. The surgery just helps the process along, but YOU still have to do the work.

kettlewitch

I was offered a gastric bypass in December 2010 and memories of major surgery for ovarian cancer 11 years before came flooding back and I decided to give it one last push to do it without surgery. And for some reason, it all clicked into place. For the first time ever I started to enjoy the gym to the point that I was nipping off work early to get there and I was working so hard that I didn't want to ruin it by eating badly. I lost 70lb by the may and had never been so fit. I have 4 friends who have all had surgery in the last year, 2 regret it and 2 don't and it's the two older ones that have the regrets so maybe it's an age thing. As it turns out, I would never have got the surgery as I was diagnosed with advanced colon cancer in June so I ended up having to recover from an entirely different surgery and chemotherapy has looked after the weightloss since. I often wonder though if subconsciously I knew something was coming as the weightloss and fitness has made the physical trauma so much easier to cope with. I suffer a bit with weakness in my legs and my mobility is not great but I dread to think what state I'd be in if I hadn't lost weight. In a wheelchair probably. Surgery is a personal choice and I admire anyone who has the nerve to do it. I certainy do nit believe it's the easy option.

Health_Gal

I just read your post and wanted to respond since I just had the RNY Gastric Bypass 4 1/2 weeks ago. Like you, I was having an extremely difficult time trying to loose weight. I am almost 47 and can attest to the fact that weight loss gets even harder once you pass 42 yrs of age as a woman. I too suffer from PCOS and I also had/have diabetes (having been diagnosed during my pregnancy 15 yrs ago). In the last 2 years, I also developed metabolic syndrome and the diabetes became harder to manage. A few of my doctors felt that this surgery was my best hope for overcoming many of these issues. So far so good, in my first month I have dropped 26 pounds. I found the surgery was not that difficult at all and the recovery has been exactly what my doctor and the staff at Duke informed me that it would be. Surgery is never easy, but this surgery in particular has many years of proven success. I would be more than happy to discuss the process with you if you would like. It is not an easy cure, but if you are already trying to loose weight and are hitting plateaus, etc., you are already 80% of the way to understanding what is involved and expected of you after gastric surgery You are already trying to make those changes. The surgery just helps the process along, but YOU still have to do the work.

I am glad your recovery is going so well. But many people have multiple long term complications from gastric bypass, as well as other weight loss surgeries. Weight loss surgery is a multi-million dollar industry. And they keep the money rolling in by convincing potential clients that it's a much less risky procedure than it actually is.

While there are times when weight loss surgery is the appropriate course of action, it makes my angry when surgical weight loss centers advertise it on the media as if weight loss surgery was just like going in for a minor procedure when that is clearly not the case. One in 50 people that have a gastric bypass die within the first month from complications. I know people that decided to have weight loss surgery on account of that sort of advertising, and would give anything if they could turn back the clock and have it undone.

I would advise anyone that's considering gastric bypass to check out these websites and find out how bad the complications really can be, and not just rely on what the doctors that get rich from it say.

http://gastricbypasstruth.com/before-gastric-bypass-surgery/possible-complications-of-gastric-bypass-surgery/

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/01/21/earlyshow/contributors/melindamurphy/main668323.shtml

http://mcdreamy.hubpages.com/hub/GastricBypassComplications

http://www.caloriesperhour.com/forums/forum54/10150.html

hbuffy717

I dont regrat my bypass, lost over 200 lbs from my 2001 surgery i have gained some back so now i am counting my calorie and joining the gym tomorrow.

CorinthiaB

I did not have a gastric bypass, but know enough people that were miserable for years after the surgery that I would not recommend it to anyone.

How could you recommend something you haven't exeperience? You are going on hearsay. It is not your body or your life so let it be! Do you and let others do them!

Health_Gal

I did not have a gastric bypass, but know enough people that were miserable for years after the surgery that I would not recommend it to anyone.

How could you recommend something you haven't exeperience? You are going on hearsay. It is not your body or your life so let it be! Do you and let others do them!

One does not have experience everything they have an opinion on. For example, I have never jumped off a 3 story building, but I know that would not be a healthy thing to do. And cutting up someone's digestive system, as they do with a gastric bypass, is not something I would recommend anyone pursue unless they were extremely large and had tried every safe weight loss approach on Earth. Some of the links I posted earlier ARE people that had gastric bypass surgery taking about their experience and the terrible ordeal some of them are still having to endure every day because they decided to have weight loss surgery.

The website at link is about real-life complications of people that had a gastric bypass.

http://gastricbypasstruth.com/131/gastric-bypass-surgery-complications-my-week-of-horror/

dckim

there are several posts on g-b/lap band, but here's one i started, check it out - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/332328-have-you-ever-considered-gaining-weight-to-get-g-b-surgery?

EmbraceTheJourney2012

I had 3 friends have this done, one friend almost died (needed blood transfusions and everything) another friend can't get enough Iron so needs fusions on a monthly basis and another friend gained her weight back. I'm supportive of them, and respect their weight loss (they all continues to struggle daily with the connection with food and brain). With that said, I use to get annoyed, and say "this is a cop-out for them to lose weight, why don't they just DO IT and not put their bodies through this?" and I use to have questions all the time...until I saw a documentary of a guy who weighed over 700 pounds. He could not move but restrict his diet. It's really sad to think people would make fun of him in this documentary but they did, and it's those people that have NO CLUE what it all comes down to:

FOOD IS AN ADDICTION.

Simple and as complicated as that.

Food is something that you are addicted to, the brain wants it and craves it, and when you have it you get that "high" feeling. If you are a true food addict like I am you know what I'm talking about.

With that said, I support and embrace those that did have this surgery, it's something you have to live with (whether you like it or not) the rest of your life, and I Found out by watching friends gain weight back from it that it's NOT a fix like I originally thought, they still have to work at it daily....it's temporary fix for the time being, but then like someone who did not have the surgery (like me) it's also a "work in progress' for them as well.

And I've seen people get JUDGED when told "I had gastric bypass" and have gained weight...clear example, my one friend gained ALL her weight back and some and when she said to a coworker: "I had gastric bypass" this coworker said right to her "you should be skinny then" rude as that....NOPE, non-surgeries and those who had the surgery WE ALL have to work just as hard to convince the brain that food isn't "our high" but it's something we need to give the body to fuel it....

CallmeSbo

bump

Shariet0630

I had surgery 5 years ago and regret nothing. I have lost 100 lbs and have kept it off. The struggle now is to maintain and loose the last 20 or so. It is a challenge to keep it off but one I do because of the way I feel from loosing it all. I have had little to no side affects, feet cramping if I do not keep up on the vitamins but other than that. It's been the best thing I could have done for myself.

Health_Gal

Personally, I think a lot of people that have weight loss surgery would do better if they spent the money on counseling to help them with their emotional eating issues.

Having weight loss surgery does not eliminate the issues behind emotional eating, and that's why many people become so angry and depressed after they have the surgery and are no longer able to eat as they once did.

JulieinMaine

I had gastric bypass almost exactly 2 months ago. I've had a couple of problems, minor ones, like figuring out how much is the right amount to eat at a meal and at first I wasnt' eating enough calories to lose any weight. However, I do not regret it at all so far, it's so worth it and I love that the weight is coming off, my diabetes is so much better than it was, my blood work is all much better than it was and it's only going to get better. I've lost 60 pounds so far and have about 65 left to go and I'm looking forward to being a normal weight for the first time in my life! Good luck.

CorinthiaB

I did not have a gastric bypass, but know enough people that were miserable for years after the surgery that I would not recommend it to anyone.

How could you recommend something you haven't exeperience? You are going on hearsay. It is not your body or your life so let it be! Do you and let others do them!

One does not have experience everything they have an opinion on. For example, I have never jumped off a 3 story building, but I know that would not be a healthy thing to do. And cutting up someone's digestive system, as they do with a gastric bypass, is not something I would recommend anyone pursue unless they were extremely large and had tried every safe weight loss approach on Earth. Some of the links I posted earlier ARE people that had gastric bypass surgery taking about their experience and the terrible ordeal some of them are still having to endure every day because they decided to have weight loss surgery.

The website at link is about real-life complications of people that had a gastric bypass.

http://gastricbypasstruth.com/131/gastric-bypass-surgery-complications-my-week-of-horror/

Your opinion is just that your opinin. Obivously, your opinion has very little merit because the people you know didn't listen and had the surgery. People make decisions for what is best for them. Stop trying to be Captain Weight Loss Save A Victim! It is not your decision nor is it your life.

sarahwls100609

The first few months are awful. I regretted it everyday for six months because I was so limited in what I could eat and everything made me sick. For two months all I had was vomitting and or diarrhea since my gall bladder was removed at the same time. I have had a hell of a time from developing severe gastral esophageal reflux disease, massive adhessions blocking my small intestine which required another
surgery to remove them, my esophagus had to be stretched and I will be on Nexium, pepcid, tums, maalox and zofran for nausea
indefinately. Now, after i have adjusted to my new lifetyle change and have dropped 114 lbs, gone from a sz 28-30 to a sz 14 and
my severe type 2 diabetes has completely reversed within 5 mo after as I was taking 5 insulin shots and 2,000 mg of metformin. Also, my liver was so enlarged I was facing kidney dialysis. I was in a severe car accident in which an 82 yr old man talking on his cell ran a red light and hit me broadside. It fractured my spine. I am two years post op from my GB but, it was medically neccessary
for me to lose weight in order to have spinal surgery which is scheduled for 16 Jan. Without GB I would have died within 5 years from type 2 diabetes complications so, despite the complications I have had from weight loss surgery I would indeed recommend
it to someone like myself whose quality of life was suffering and they just could not lose weight. I was on high blood pressure, choloesterol and depression meds so, my life is truly blessed and I am thankful for a new lease on life which my GB provided me. Best wishes to you. :flowerforyou:

nalfavi

I was thinking about creating a new topic for this question, but I figure maybe I'll ask my question here instead.

To those of you who have had, or have thought about having, the gastric bypass surgery, or even lap band, or anything alike... why? I'm not criticizing or anything, I'm just wondering.... why'd you do it? Or why do you WANT to do it? It's a TON of money, a LOT of pain, and you STILL have to diet - extremely, at that - and exercise after healing. Like I said, I'm not criticizing... I've thought about doing one of these surgeries myself at one point, then I researched and researched and found that the first few months (even a year or two!) you have to go on a pretty extreme diet, and ease your way into eating new foods.... if you could do that POST-op, why not just do it all by yourself anyway? How much do the surgeries REALLY help? And for those who have to lose some weight in order to even get the surgeries done... why not just continue to do it yourself instead of putting yourself through all that?

Love and Alohas,
Ihilani Kapuniai

I'm planning on having it done in a few months, and one of those that have to lose weight to have it done safely. EVERYONE has to lose weight before getting it done though, because most insurance companies require you to lose a percentage of your body weight before they okay it. Also, it decreases your fatty liver, which makes it easier and safer to move out of the way for the operation without rupturing.

I have always been the morbidly obese person, even in childhood. My highest weight was 536lbs. I have to be 450lbs to get surgery, and am currently 496lbs. I went in for it twice before in the last 6 years, but ended up choosing not to go through with it at those times as I felt I wasn't emotionally and mentally ready for that lifestyle change yet. Now, I feel I am, and can not be more excited.

Why?

Because it's my life on the line with all this weight. It's my future, my health, my future children's lives.

Can I do it on my own? Yes, I can. But I'm at the point where if I don't lose this weight quickly, I'm going to have diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, the list goes on and on. I've been extremely lucky where the only medical problems I've had are anemia (due to morbidly heavy periods), depression, anxiety
, and the normal back pains, legs pains, hip pains, feet pains, ankle pains, etc etc. I need to get this weight off before I get anything worse, or more life threatening than being at this weight already is.

I need to lose this weight quickly so I can enjoy being young while I still am. I have never been to a party, never been to a club, never been to college, I haven't even finished high school due to my weight and depression and anxiety disorders that came with it.

I need to lose this weight quickly so I can help financially support my family instead of them supporting me. I want to fit behind the wheel of a car so I can finally get my diver's license, which I have yet to get because the seat belt wouldn't fit, or the wheel would be stuck on my stomach.

We all have different reasons for the surgery, but in the end it's because we want to be who we are inside, under this weight. We want to be healthy and active and buy clothes from normal stores. We want to be able to go to out and not be pointed at or stared at because of our weight.

The surgery is not a spur of the moment decision that we regret getting in the morning, like a bad tattoo. There is months of medical clearances, doctors visits, psychological screening, health screenings, classes, seminars, nutritionists. Doctors make sure you are emotionally and physically ready for this before they even operate on you, and follow up with you for years afterwards. As for the cost, I'm one of the lucky ones where my insurance pays for it in full, but most (good) insurances pays 70-90% of the cost these days, because they know it's cheaper to pay for the surgery than continue to pay for the medical costs related with obesity.

In the end though, it's a decision that we personally have to make, and be sure it fits our lifestyles. For me, it does. It's something that I feel is going to save my life, and I'm willing to do anything for that.

raindancer

My co-worker had gastric bypass and has done wonderfully. We have not! he has the worse gas...Not only all the time but very nasty!! If you are riding with him it will make you want to jump out of the moving car. LOL

Health_Gal

I don't think that anyone is arguing that weight loss surgery doesn't cause people to lose weight.

But it can have severe complications, and many people that have weight loss surgery are never able to eat even a small meal without having to worry about the painful after effects.

perlgrrl

I had a gastric bypass and I don't regret it all. My surgeon that did my surgery was also awarded the center of excellence award from the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery. You should always research any surgery your going to have and ask lots of questions before you let anyone go inside and rearrange you. There are also risks with any type of surgery you may have. I wasn't limited to what I could eat for 6 months. The first 6 weeks yes I was on a special diet as my new stomach healed and readjusted itself. I eat normal food just smaller amounts than I used too eat and I take all my vitamins like i'm supposed too. My doctor has us a see a counselor the first year and a nutritionist. I feel like a teenager again since i had mine. I've lost 166lbs and never felt better. I can go to the gym, and i'm spending quality time with my daughter and having fun, not sitting on the sidelines anymore. I wish I had done this for myself way sooner!

Health_Gal

I hope anyone considering a Gastric Bypass check out some of the Gastric Bypass Complications forums on the internet to learn about how truly awful some of the long term complications are. Yes, some people get through it without having to suffer as much as others, but there is a LOT of risk to having your digestive system surgically re-routed.

Sure, it's good to have an option like Gastric Bypass if someone weighs 400 pounds or more and can't lose any other way, but this type of surgery is being done WAY too often. Why? Because convincing people that having a gastric bypass is a good idea is a great way for WSL surgery doctors to rake in money! If they tell people they really should keep dieting and exercising instead of surgery, there's no profit in it for them. In the USA, weight loss surgery is a big business.

And that is a very sad situation.

bflysmile

The whole weight loss industry is a big business, not just GBS or other WLS/procedures. Every time you join a gym or Weight Watchers, etc you are lining someone's pockets.

I am a month out and have had no complications and can eat practically anything I want, just in smaller quantities. Having said that, I researched this for 2 years. I prepared myself in every way and made sure I found a good surgeon that has psych counseling and nutritional coaching included in the practice.

I hear every day horror stories and the majority of them stem from people NOT doing their homework or following the plan. Just like everything else, it will not be successful if you don't do the work.

So to say that we are somehow not doing this ourselves is, frankly, really disrespectful! It's a tool just like a treadmill... only it's permanent.

This isn't for someone who wants to lose 20 pounds to look better - it's for people who are suffering from diseases related to excess weight. I would hope no one enters this lightly.

If we want to talk about tragic cases, let's talk about how diabetes can kill you if you do nothing!