Contra-indications

Hi All,

I have been reading up on the posts in the group and am nearing surgery in Feb once i've seen the dietician this Friday (17th). There are a lot of positive comments on here following the surgery which is absolutely fantastic but wondering if anyone has had ill effects from the surgery or problems with the surgery itself.
I want to prepare myself a little more and would be great to hear from anyone who has experienced this to see how they dealt with any issues that occurred.

Thanks xx

Replies

  • dward59
    dward59 Posts: 731 Member
    First, if your surgeon hasn't told you this already, mine told me there is always a 2% chance of dying. If you were like me and killing myself with food, this was still a no-brainer. The surgeon said that if there was a problem with leakage it would have shown up while we were still in hospital. We worried about that for some time after surgery, until our first meeting with him about a month out.

    Other issues for me were really minor. I am a 5%er when it comes to problems with the stitches. My body didn't break them down and they had to be manually removed. Small skin pain, but no big deal.

    My stomach swelled more than my wifes did, so I had more trouble drinking. I just took plenty of time off work and sipped more. I eventually came to kind of enjoy picturing the coriolis effect as the liquid swirled from my esophagus into my stomach.

    There are folks out there who really do have issues, so I hope you do get some answers. For the vast majority of those I've heard from, it is a very positive life-bettering procedure.

    Best of luck to you.
  • bikrchk
    bikrchk Posts: 516 Member
    I had zero issues with the surgery. They released me from the hospital within 24 hours, (a day earlier than planned) and I was back at work the next week. Getting food\water in that first week was a challenge. It's hard when the tummy is still swollen. I'm three months out this week and can honestly say I have no problems eating whatever I choose, including bread, pasta, fruit skins, etc., as long as I do it slowly and maintain tiny portions. That said, I stick to mainly protein. The few times I've had ANY difficulty have been when I eat too fast, (which typically includes too much). It WILL come up if you do that. Not pleasant.
  • JuzDuIt
    JuzDuIt Posts: 222 Member
    Not one problem! Really - the worst part for me was throat pain from the stupid anesthesia. I don't know what they shove down your throat, but that bothered me the most!
  • pawoodhull
    pawoodhull Posts: 1,759 Member
    No problem with the surgery. They kept me an extra day because I couldn't stomach the Unjury they had me drinking and they were concerned about me not getting enough nutrition. I am more of a savory person and the unjury was way too sweet and thick for me. It tasted like melted ice cream and was making me nauseous. I finally convinced them I would drink the high protein beef and chicken broth from my surgeon's office once I got home, so they let me go and I was fine.

    I have had a few food items I can't tolerate anymore like plain coffee (must have a little bit of cream in it) and red sauce (spagetti or mexican if it's tomato based the heartburn is awful!). Other than that I eat what I want within my calorie and protein goals.

    I really haven't heard of anyone having major issues with this surgery. Some of the others? Oh yeah. But not the sleeve.
  • pattycakes726
    pattycakes726 Posts: 348 Member
    Sleeved last July and surgery was a breeze. No complications, very little pain or nausea. I was a little tired for a week or so after surgery. I went back to work after two weeks.
    Good luck!
  • shirleygirl910
    shirleygirl910 Posts: 503 Member
    Had problem with my lap band. Dr. tightened it down too tight and ended up with esophogeal herniation. Couldn't swallow, everything came back up. Had emergency surgery and they converted it to the sleeve. So much happier!!

    It's not magic, I'm still learning after 3 years. Have 30 more lbs to lose to get to BMI, but it's a lot better than 314 lbs.
  • jennielou75
    jennielou75 Posts: 197 Member
    I personally had no problems at all except for an infection in a stitch which meant I had to take foul liquid antibiotics. I belong to a foeum called weight loss surgey info based here in the uk and there are a couple of people on there who did have problems which they have shared.
  • DJRonnieLINY
    DJRonnieLINY Posts: 475 Member
    One of my Laproscopic poke holes opened twice after discharge. Bother were superficial and I was reglued each time. No other issues.
  • caccicoo
    caccicoo Posts: 59 Member
    Absolutely no problems here (except constipation & hemorrhoids) but one woman in my town ended up with peritonitis and was in ICU for a month. However, she is the only person I know of who has had complications.
  • Wannabslim2014
    Wannabslim2014 Posts: 21 Member
    Wow thanks everyone, I hadn't expected so many replies so quickly !!
    Your comments have really helped :-) I am reading a book I bought from Amazon called "the big book on the gastric sleeve" which is quite informative but I find its better being able to talk/email you on here getting your real life experiences! Roll on the dieticians appointment on Friday. I'm really quite excited ! xx
  • Hi...I just had a bout of nausea...but my surgeon gave me meds and 4 weeks later I was off them and eating my food mildly spicy with no problems. Have to say eating and drinking schedules is very hard to maintain. But I'm getting there. This web site makes me stay on task. Good luck with your surgery.
  • jenRRT
    jenRRT Posts: 12 Member
    The only problem I had that is an actual problem that I hope goes away is I am now lactose intolerant. I can eat cheese and yogurt but to just drink a glass of milk makes me very bloated and gassy. They told me to wait a few months and try it again and that sometimes it resolves itself. If it doesn't then it will be a permanent thing and that sucks. I LOVED drinking milk. I had it with just about every meal. There are other options but it's not the same.
  • Mangopickle
    Mangopickle Posts: 1,509 Member
    My problems were all do to allergies to pain meds. I told them to just give me Tylenol- I am great with pain but not nausea. I have done bone surgery on regular Tylenol. So they ignored me and made me sick for 3 days until they gave up and gave me Tylenol. Abdominal surgery is just not a pleasant recovery. The more you walk after surgery the better. As I nurse I have a terror of blood clots. I dragged myself up and down that corridor gagging all the way. I felt much better once I was home. Since I have a non lifting job I went right back to work 5 days later. This helped me be distracted and time to pass quicker.
  • I had no major problems. Post surgery I had nausea, heartburn, and gas, which are all expected and completely normal. Your stitches will hurt, which is also expected. :) feel free to PM me if you have questions.
  • candacet36
    candacet36 Posts: 353 Member
    :bigsmile: Sleeved on September 12, 2013.

    The worst thing that happened was after surgery I would become nauseous to the point of vomiting when they gave me the anti-nausea drug. It was a sharp nurse that noticed this. We skipped a dose to see what happened and no more issues.

    That being said, I am SO happy with my results so far....61 pounds gone.

    Best of luck to you!!!!