Gastric Bypass - Taboo?

Personally I have not had it done...But my mother had it done a couple of years ago, and yes she has lost an extreme amount of weight she went from 280 to 110...But how healthy is she I dont' know b/c she constantly complains about everything and eating, well she doesn't do much of that...I think she should have had some more counseling post op b/c she really doesn't eat more than 800 calories a day, To me she looks much older now. And doesn't seem as happy. Though she pushes the surgery on me (even though I have no clue how she thinks I could afford it). Holidays and birthday aren't that fun anymore with my mom b/c she complains about the cake, I'm sorry you can't eat it but please I like my cake so if I want a piece leave me alone you know? Hers is probably more mental. Though the psychical sides her doctor has told her she is malnourished and she needs to try to eat more. I would only do it as a last resort, if I couldn't lose the weight on my own and the drs told me that I was going to die soon something like that. But if I was able to lose weight on my own no I wouldn't go through surgery

If you can do it without the surgery then do it without.
Wishing you the best whichever way you go.

I would do as much research (not just online), talk to people who have had it and listen to both signs- pro and con. Eventually you need to decide what is best for YOU.

One fact I did find in my research is that the band is only going to account for about 1/2 of the weight you need to lose. So if you need to lose 100lbs, don't expect the band is going to lose the 100lbs for you. It will only take off about 50 lbs. The rest is hard work---diet, exercise and portion control.

Best of luck!

I can only tell you about the experiences that people I know have had:

My mother-in-law had it done about 6 years ago. She lost about 100 pounds, she ended up in an infection and two hernias. She has been fighting C diff ever since. She had to have two more surgeries to take care of the hernias. She has regained approximately 60 lbs of her weight loss back and continues to have health problems.

Friend of the family had gastric bypass done about 4 years ago. She too, ended up with an infection. She has lost over 100 lbs and it continues to stay off to this day. However, she has been in and out of the hospital because of that surgery since she's had it done. She says that it is not something she would recommend to others.

Friend of the family and my nurse when I had my baby. I don't know how much weight she lost, but she had gastric bypass done and has kept the weight off. I know of no problems with her. But that could be because she's a nurse and knows it's a serious surgery and what had to be done.

Co-worker had gastric bypass about 10 years ago. He lost about 160 lbs. and has kept it off. He's had no issues that I'm aware of.

Friend from high school had lap band done. She lost 40 lbs and gained it back plus extra. Other than that, I know of no problems.

Friend of family (mother-in-law's room mate) recently had lap band done. She's lost about 40 lbs, within about a month and no problems so far.

So, all this being said, basically you are just forcing yourself to eat smaller amounts of food. With some forms of bypass surgery, part of the intestines is removed, therefore you can become malnourished. If you were to just eat smaller amounts of food on your own then you would get the same results.

It is not a fix all. People who get these surgeries tend to have impulse control issues. These tendencies don't just go away because you have a smaller stomach. If you go back to your old eating habits, your stomach can and will stretch back out.

I would think long and hard before getting such a surgery. As with any surgery, there are plenty of people that die on the surgery table, but there are plenty of others that die some times months after the surgery. Personally, I would rather see someone spend that money on a nutritionist and personal trainer.

Hi,

I had a laproscopic RNY gastric bypass 12/15/09 and believe it is one of the best things I have ever done for myself. It is not the easy way out and it's a lot of work but it's worth it! It took me about 4 years to decide to have the surgery, I was scared of the actual surgery but also scared of not being able to eat the foods I loved anymore...and to be honest...food was like my best friend...except it was going to kill me eventually. I had high blood pressure and was on medication which I am now off of and I have a normal on the low end blood pressure; my resting heart rate is normal as well. I still have sleep apnea but the pressure on my CPAP machine has continuously been lowered over this year. I'm going to be having another sleep study in the future to make sure the pressure is correct for me now.

My suggestion to you is to research the procedure you're thinking of having done and be sure you are ready for the changes. It's true after the surgery eventually some people can eat some of the same foods they ate prior to surgery, you have to watch sugar intake and make sure you get enough protein everyday. Everyone reacts differently to food, I know people who can eat anything and not have any reactions and others who can't eat over a certain amount of sugar at one setting.

Just so you know, my life has not turned into happily ever after, I still have some of the same problems I had before surgery but I'm learning to deal with things differently instead of eating. I exercise just about everyday. I go to the gym at least 5 days a week and work out with a personal trainer once a week. You have to be willing to make exercise a part of your daily life. And my taste buds changed...I now like a lot of food I would never have even tried prior to surgery.

I've lost 120 pounds since my surgery, and I lost 30 before surgery doing the steps I needed to do to be approved for surgery. While I agree people can lose weight by diet and exercise alone, without surgery. I found throughout my life I could lose weight, but I could never keep it off. For me surgery is the tool I need to be successful.

I wish you all the best!!

I was just starting to jump through the hoops 14 months ago. The procedure I wanted was called the mini gastric bypass, patented and done by one guy in Nevada if I remember right. Anyway I had to loose 7 lbs before I was technically able to have the procedure done. How stupid is that, I was to fat to get weight loss surgery :-p. Anyway I started to change mostly portion size. I figured I could live with the hunger for a bit and see how bad it really was. I tried to eat smaller portions at first. And the first 7 lbs went in a week.

Yea! I was now able to get the surgery, but you know what, that week wasn't too bad. Eating smaller meals and staying away from all the stuff I knew i was supposed to stay away from would make me more used to my new eating habits after the surgery, so I kept on. After a few months I kinda stopped the hoop jumping process, and a few months after that it was off the table all together.

It can be done with out surgery. Take the time till the surgery to see how bad it really is. See if this is something you can do on your own. Don't be afraid of the occasional slip up, everybody has bad days. Maybe as the day gets closer you'll realize that you can't do this without significant help. Maybe you'll realize that you can. Give this your full commitment for the month you have left. Work as hard at it as you're going to have to work after the surgery. Then the day before it's scheduled call the hospital and either ask what time you're supposed to be there for the pre-op, or tell em you've changed your mind.

Personally I've known 2 people that had RNY bypasses and one that had a lapband. 1 of the 2 RNY friend lost weight and kept it off. The other lost 50 of the 200 pounds he needed to loose and is slowly putting it back on after 3 years. The lap band friend lost a little over half of what she needed and is down 100 lbs 2 years later, but has been stalled for the last year almost with 100 still to go.

Me, I've lost 132 lbs in 14 almost 15 months and continue to loose, by tracking my food and doing what every doctor on the planet will tell you is the safest healthiest way to loose weight. It's not that easy, but it's not that hard.

Maybe you need some help, and there's no shame or fault or anything like that in it, but maybe you don't. Take some time and find out.

GL to you and feel free to add me as a friend if you'd like. :-)

Hello!

I had my lap band surgery in January of 2008. It was the best decision of my life and I do not regret it. Sure, there are a lot of things I've had to give up and change but it's been worth it. I was overweight/obese my entire life and tried everything under the sun (gyms, at home dvds, low carb; low fat, herbalife, slim fast, etc). I would have some success and then get off track and gain it all back and then some. I was sick and tired of being sick and tired.

My mom and sister both had gastric bypass surgery in 2007 and they have both been pretty successful. My sister was 317 lbs and lost 100 lbs by 7 months! She has kept off that amount and then some. She still struggles at times with her eating habits and isn't that much into exercise now (getting to 100 lbs lost was her big goal) but like I said, she has KEPT OFF the weight.

My mom has also been very successful. She too has lost over 100 lbs and KEPT it OFF. She has totally changed her eating habits and adheres to the "sugar free" rule. She exercises at least 5 times a week for about an hour.

The thing you HAVE to remember is that this is a TOOL to ASSIST you in your weight loss journey. A LOT of people on this site are strongly against ANY type of weight loss surgery (WLS) because they see/are exposed to the "failures"...the ones they call the "lazy" people that get WLS and DON'T adhere to the food guidelines or exercise. They DON'T change their eating habits (they just eat smaller portions of the dame "crap" that got them there in the first place. WLS is not the end all, be all. YOU have to do YOUR part. You HAVE to be willing to follow the guidelines and KNOW that you ARE changing your lifestyle. There are quite a few of us on here who do what we are supposed to do and therefore have been and will continue to be successful.

It's very important to have a good support system. There are a lot of wonderfully supporting and encouraging people on this site. Build a strong network of friends and you WILL succeed.

By the way, I started at 265 lbs, lost 100 lbs by my year anniversary of my WLS, and then had a year's worth of plateaus and yo-yoig of 15-20. I've have my band unfilled completely twice --once was my darn fault -- took too big of a bite of some meat and didn't chew long enough --LESSON LEARNED! -- and the other time I had surgery to remove several uterine fibroids so I had to have my band unfilled until after my recovery. I got back on track in February and am now less than 20 lbs away from my goal.

Good luck to you!

My aunt and uncle BOTH had the lap band surgery. It's odd though, my aunt has had a great success, losing about 75 lbs and her blood pressure and cholesterol have drastically reduced. My uncle on the other hand has barely lost any weight. He's gone in and tightened/adjusted and it still hasn't been much help. He was very discouraged as he was doing everything he was suppose to and the doctor said "Sometimes it just doesn't work well on people."

Also, they both have difficulties with breads and heavy starches and often vomit if they eat excitedly and 'fill up' too fast.

Just do your research and talk to as many doctors as you can. Prayers that you do what's best and get the outcome you hope for :flowerforyou:

I honestly don't believe in it. I've also never been in the position where I would need it.

My two cents: it's elective surgery and a lot can go wrong. I think it's the lazy way out of putting in the hard work and effort. The surgery is not going to teach you portion control, healthy eating or how to exercise. Wouldn't you rather do it your way (even if it takes much longer) and know that you put in all the blood, sweat and tears into losing all the weight? It sure sounds better to me than having 1/2 your weight loss handed to you. Frankly, I'd be embarrassed to say I had weight loss surgery, but maybe that's just me.

Again, my 2 cents...they may be harsh, but a bit of food for thought.

I don't know anyone personally who has done this, but I have run across this website:

http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/

It's pretty interesting in that it discusses daily life after the surgery, and it was interesting to see
how much your day-to-day routines are affected. She also includes lots of recipes and discussions
of how to eat properly post-op.

http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2007/01/junkfood-science-weekend-special.html


You'll have no problem finding people to tell you that the procedure is great and successful. This is a series of articles that present the negative side and, in my opinion, if even a portion of it is true, it is alarming enough that I would avoid bariatric bypass unless I was in imminent danger of dying. Here's just one paragraph......

The Mayo Clinic reported in 2000 that 20% to 25% of gastric bypass patients develop life-threatening complications, but the recent Lap-Band U.S. clinical trials done to earn FDA approval reported 89% of patients had at least one adverse event, one-third of them severe. Complications from lap bands are more likely to require surgery to correct and the bands result in so much more vomiting, they are known as “surgical-induced” bulimia among medical professionals. While many consumers believe the newer, less invasive laparoscopic bypasses and lap-band procedures (which tighten a constrictive band around the stomach to make it smaller) are safer, they merely have their own “unique set of complications,” according to surgeons Shanu N. Kothari, M.D., and Harvey J. Sugerman, M.D. writing in Healthy Weight Journal. Ulcerations and the bands eroding into the stomach can happen and usually are why the bands are not reversible or removable. A September 2003 and an August 2005 Blue Cross-Blue Shield TEC Assessment scientific review of the evidence on the newer procedures concluded they had also “not demonstrated improved net health outcomes

A recent study by researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University found that 56% of bariatric patients had 62 different gastrointestinal complications and abnormalities by CT scans. The complications and failures of bariatric surgeries are so significant, according to bariatric surgeons with Tampa General Hospital in Florida, that revisional (second) surgeries are required in up to 23% of gastric bypasses and 5 - 36% of vertical banded gastrophy cases. Their paper in the January 2007 issue of Bariatric Times said revisional surgeries now account for nearly 15% of the bariatric procedures being done in experienced bariatric centers. They noted: “This is of vital importance, since reoperations after bariatric procedures are technically difficult and may result in relatively higher morbidity and mortality compared to primary operations.”

Actually, the risk of dying from these secondary operations is 3 to 6 times higher than for the initial surgery, according to the American Society of Bariatric Surgeons and Erik Wilson, M.D., assistant professor of surgery at the University of Texas Medical School in Houston.

Of greatest concern are the effects of long-term nutritional deficiencies, which are rarely discussed realistically. The neurological decline and aging seen after bariatric surgeries is especially rapid and results from multiple vitamin and mineral deficiencies, said Dr. Ernsberger. Both the stomach and small intestines are critical for absorbing many nutrients, including B-vitamins, calcium, iron, vitamin D and protein. Even taking supplements in multiple times the recommended amounts doesn’t help because the surgeries eliminate the proper function of the stomach and gastrointestinal system, he said. Hence, malnutrition problems are not uncommon, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and include anemias, osteoporosis, loss of teeth, blindness and, in a reported 16% of cases, even neurological and brain damage. We are seeing the return of nutritional deficiency diseases of starvation in formerly healthy fat people that had become rare in Western societies and are typically only seen in underdeveloped regions of the world.

Most bariatric patients are subjected to a lifetime of severely calorie-restricted diets and are unable to eat a full variety of foods, with average calorie intakes under 1,000 calories the first year and after three years the average is still 1,386 calories. The unhealthfulness of long-term starvation-level diets (even uncomplicated by malabsorption) and protein shortages have been well proven to significantly shorten people’s lives. Vomiting after gastric bypass procedures occurs in up to 68.8% of cases and can become chronic, resulting in severe malnutrition, according to Brazilian surgeons in a 2005 study published in Obesity Surgery. Their study found weight loss was 10% higher among patients who become chronic vomiters.

Precise figures on weight loss are difficult to pin down as claims vary wildly, each measuring “success” differently. Many studies claim success when patients maintain any weight loss, according to the Weight Loss Surgery Information Center. No matter, unlike those glowing before-and-after pictures, even 3-15 years after their surgery most patients are still clinically “obese.”

In fact, the complication rates are so high and the complications so severe that even Dr.Edward Eaton Mason M.D., Professor Emeritus of General Surgery at University of Iowa Hospital and inventor of gastric bypass, cautioned: “For the vast majority of patients today, there is no operation...without introducing risks and side effects that over a lifetime may raise questions about its use for surgical treatment of obesity.”

I love my RNY. I am 15 months post op and have reached my goal. I am healthier. I have more energy. I have not had a single complication. There are RULES to follow. But it is a small price to pay for feeling so much better and living a better life. BTW, I am 59 yrs young. Anyone who wants support, I would be happy to assist.

I LOVE MY gastric bypass! I gotta say the work with this turned out to be harder than if I had done it myself! Thankfully I had an awesome bariatric team of nutritionists and exercise therapists and counselors to walk me thru it. I was taught portion control, how and when to exercise and well.....I"m healthier now than ever! 320 lbs to 150 lbs in 18 months and maintaining nicely!