Worried about a friend with a "gastric sleeve" surgery

My friend had a bipass and they cut out her stomach until it was the size of a shot glass. She's lost weight but not as much as she should have. She still has a lot of health problems, just not diabetes. Personally if lowering what she ate got rid of it then I beleive that she and her WHOLE family are literally eating themselves to death. They aren't supposed to graze because it stretches their stomach out faster but if I'm not mistaken my friend is supposed to eat 5-6 small meals a day. I'm personally not impressed with the gastric surgeries in my close friends and it seems that they just lead to more surgeries down the road i.e. tummy tucks, skin removal, etc It's nothing I'd do but to each their own.

I know it's an option but maybe the Bariatric clinics should spend a little more time screening there potential clients instead of handing gastric bipasses out like candy.

I am a lapband patient, but I go to support group meetings on a regular basis and was given a great deal of information on all of the weight loss options prior to my surgery on 10/1/10. Let me address some of your concerns:

1. Hair Loss... YES, many people will lose hair during the first year with the sleeve and bypass. It is usually because they are not taking in enough protein. Even non surgery dieters not taking in adequate protein can experience hair loss. But, because weight loss surgery patients lose weight rapidly and make drastic changes in their eating, it more often happens to them.

2. Surgery is supposed to be performed on people with a BMI of 40 or greater. I don't know the numbers of your friend, but hopefully, she was in that range. Yes, it is drastic, but for many people, it is a necessary tool and the potential co-morbidities are much riskier in people with a 40 plus BMI than the risks associated with the surgery.

3. Until you have gone through the educational seminars, it is very difficult for you to judge a weight loss surgery patient. I have a staff of nutritionists available to me for the rest of my life at no charge. I saw them for three months prior to my surgery and I had to demonstrate my ability and willingness to make difficult changes before my surgeon would schedule my surgery date. This is the same with gastric bypass and sleeve patients. We also have to have a psychiatric evaluation, pulmonary evaluation, cardiac evaluation, endoscopy, colonoscopy if age dictates it, sleep studies......attend a certain number of support group meetings where we learn about what we should expect including extra skin, "dumping syndrome", band slippage, and a myriad of other things. We make an educated and informed choice before we have the surgery.

Each procedure has its own set of eating guidelines. The Gastric Bypass, Gastric Sleeve (which is similar to the Bypass) and the Lap Band all have differences, but they are all tools and are designed to help people loose the weight and keep it off. There is no promise in that, you STILL have to work hard and exercise and watch your food intake. But, SHE IS HAPPY! PLEASE SUPPORT HER!!!! Perhaps the best thing you could do, as her friend, is to attend an informational seminar on the procedure so you understand a lot more about it and can feel more comfortable supporting her.

I wish her the best of luck; it sounds like she is doing a fantastic job!!!

As for tummy tucks, etc. ANYONE who loses over 100 pounds, as most weight lost surgery patients do, whether it is from surgery or not, will be subject to skin removal surgeries because most people just don't have that much elasticity in their skin, so the future surgeries are not unique to these weight loss procedures, except more huge weight losses are accomplished by those people who are able to have the surgery.

As for tummy tucks, etc. ANYONE who loses over 100 pounds, as most weight lost surgery patients do, whether it is from surgery or not, will be subject to skin removal surgeries because most people just don't have that much elasticity in their skin, so the future surgeries are not unique to these weight loss procedures, except more huge weight losses are accomplished by those people who are able to have the surgery.

That's not strictly true. There's a lot of variation in the human body - variations in age, skin elasticity, levels of activity, etc. Also there's a lot of variation in terms of what people regard as acceptable post weight loss. Most people who lose weight in a gradual way, who stay hydrated, who moisturise and who are active don't need surgery. Rapid weight loss tends to produce a need for this kind of surgery.

I don't disagree with the rest of your post - I know people who've done really well from this kind of surgery. However, I don't think it's helpful to trade one kind of absolutism (gastric surgery is always bad) for another form of absolutism (everyone this size *will* have surgery anyway).

Okay I'm happy that gastric surgery worked for you. You are not most people I see getting them done. Also, I know you have to be screened but sure as the day is long there are people that will LIE and cheat their way through the screening process, just as they do with other areas of their lives. What's sad is that in this particular region a lot of women pop out kids left and right, then party and don't take care of themselves, then Medicaid steps in to "fix" their weight issues when they are being lazy. Now like I said before YOU are not THEM. Just wanting to not offend you as I must have in the previous reply. You also probably aren't sitting watching a household of 4 from 60's, to 30's, to a 9 year old eating themselves to death. I have done everything I personally can to help that family and it's truly heartbreaking to watch people do that to themselves.

A friend of mine had the lapband surgery about 9 years ago. She initially lost around 120lbs but over time keeps eating more and more and stretches it back out again. Then every couple of years she has it tightened again and goes through the liquid diet etc all over again. She is currently almost the same size she was before she had the surgery! And she paid for it privately.

OP, I have no idea if this was the right choice for your friend. But if she is happy with the results, then perhaps it was. Here is a good article on the pros and cons of the different weight loss surgeries.

http://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/search-for-guides-reviews-and-reports/?pageaction=displayproduct&productID=1693

It's geared toward diabetics, but it has good information on the the risks and benefits.

Her hair is probably falling out because she isn't getting certain vitamins or enough fat.

I'm not sure, though, what you think you can do for her since she physically cannot eat more and the surgery is done.

I think, based on what I've seen of others who had WL surgery, that her stomach will probably eventually stretch out a bit and she will be able to eat more. Hopefully she has learned to eat properly, though, because if not, she'll probably regain most of that lost weight, anyway. That's very common in WL surgery patients.

If she and her doctors aren't concerned, while I understand worrying about a friend, you should probably leave her be.

I had the Gastric bypass in 2010. Very scarry thing as it was to save my life but almost ended it. Long story!! I had it due to a liver disorder and it was best to get the weight off. I am 5'2 and highest weight was 275. I was 230 at the time of surgery had to go on 3 week shake thing before surgery. I got down to 155 was great!! Did not last easy easy easily came back within the past yr. Got back up to 202. I since have changed my eating habits and added exercise which I was not doing much of. I have lost almost 10lbs in the past 2 weeks. I have always been on the larger side so would be happy at 160. Hair loss common I cried cried I loved my hair!!! Yes its a quick fix and works but has to be a change of life or its coming right back on. So many stories I have heard. My dr recommended 5 sm meals a day. I also have since had low calcium which has caused teeth issues also. I was not the ideal after surgery person but trying now.

I had vertical sleeve gastrectomy December 2012. At my heaviest weight I was 375 lbs. My one year surgiversary is coming up and I currently weigh 255 (80 lbs to go!). Its the BEST things I could have ever done and despite the few strands of hair I lost, I've GAINED so much confidence and the ability to live an active life.

One thing I must say to those who question why people have the surgery... I know how to lose weight, as I have lost and gained hundreds of pounds over the years. This is the FIRST time I've been able to get weight off and sustain it longer than 5 or 6 months... learning how to utilize this tool in MY personal journey towards fitness and health has been a blessing to me... as I am sure it is to your friend (OP).

Embrace her choices and support her. She'll love you for it.

I was rather shocked when I learned the consequences of the surgery.

I know someone who has had this particular type of surgery, and while there have been some minor consequences, it helped her lose a lot of weight, and is a tool that works for her.

They actually cut the larger portion of the stomach away and it is GONE. In return she MUST eat largely protein as in meat and chicken, limit her veggies and fruit because they are not calorie dense enough, and take vitamins by the handfuls, and supplement with nutritional protein shakes.

The point of the surgery is to make the stomach smaller (about like a banana) so you can't eat as much in a sitting. The other things you mention, like having to eat largely protein, limiting veggies and fruit, and using vitamins and supplements are not actually requirements. They may be doctors orders in your friend's case at least for the time being. There is no reason why you can't get enough calories and nutrition after this surgery. It may mean more frequent, but smaller meals.

Now she says that her hair is falling out which is more of a nuisance to her than a vanity issue. She said that is to be expected for the first year.....as with any major medical surgery. That just doesn't sound right for a major medical surgery to me. I know stress on your body can have that effect, but for a year?

This isn't directly due to the surgery. This is likely caused by the resulting calorie deficit or possibly a nutrition thing. The person I know who lost some hair after a gastric sleeve eventually started growing it back after maintaining weight for a while.

Have any of you undergone this or know of someone who has had it done? I am fearful because it is a very new surgery it sounds like.

I think it is one of the new(er) varieties of weight loss surgery. Obviously there could be risks involved, but from what I know about it, it sounds like a better alternative than a "bypass." It's good you are somewhat concerned about your friend, but I feel some of your concerns are unfounded.

IMO...unless you are just morbidly obese the cons outweight the pros. One of my co-workers had the gastric sleeve done about a year ago. She is still overweight and she is always sick because she eats things she isn't suppose to. Her hair fell out and she just doesn't look healthy at all. She is no longer a diabetic but the old fashion hard work way of getting the weight off would have done the same thing. I know it is hard but, I would have taken the hard road instead of dealing with all those other issues that come with the surgery.