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Pros and Cons on Sleeve Surgery...

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thepegasus
thepegasus Posts: 54 Member
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howdy all,

I went to my pain specialist yesterday and he has suggested to me to get a sleeve done to help with my weight which in turn will help with my pain management long term

he is going to refer me to a surgeon he knows and trusts to get the surgery done, and honestly ive been thinking about having something like this done for a while now coz ive been battling weight issues my whole life and im sick of it!!! (who isnt right??)

but i would like to hear from people who have had it done and hear honest views... pros and cons on getting the surgery done.... has it helped you, how much weight have you lost and how long it took... and also do you regret the surgery or think its the best thing you have done.....

thankyou :) xxx

Replies

  • pattycakes726
    pattycakes726 Posts: 348 Member
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    Welcome! You're the only one who can decide if surgery is right for you, but here's my perspective. I was sleeved 13 months ago. The surgery itself was fine. No complications and I recovered quickly. It was easier than I expected.

    I really can't think of any cons. The sleeve is a fantastic tool. I would do it again tomorrow. You still do have to work, though. I log every bite and exercise every day. You really need to commit to this lifestyle or you will regain the weight. The first thing my doc told me is that you can out eat any surgery.

    I've lost 120 lbs since surgery. I started at 275 and weigh 155 now. I wore sz 24 and now I'm in a sz 8. I had high blood pressure prior to surgery and was on meds for them. BP is now normal. I stopped taking meds two months after surgery. My knees used to ache all the time. They don't hurt anymore and I walk 4 miles a day. I have more energy than I've had in years.

    Best of luck to you!
  • Mangopickle
    Mangopickle Posts: 1,509 Member
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    There is one huge consideration you must face prior to deciding on surgery. Are you prepared to completely alter your relationship with food?
    As obese people we tend to medicate with food. When we are bored,sad,tired,happy,angry,grieving,broke,hired,fired,excited we eat. It is our default activity. In my opinion there are 2 rules to long term wt loss #1- you must love yourself 100% exactly as you are right now as a fat person. Or you will never have the strength to follow rule #2. Which is be bored,happy,sad,angry,tired,broke,fired,celebrating or grieving. Just be. Feel the emotions. Don't run to food pleasure to suppress or improve your feelings. If you do, an amazing thing happens....they pass. You felt it, you dealt with it, you did not eat and you moved on.
    The surgery will give you 20-30 lbs of wt loss but anything after that is you sticking to the 70% protein,25% veg-no potato,5% whole grain lifestyle and maintaining a calorie deficit. You will only be eating around 800-900 calories a day until you achieve maintenance. This requires measuring/ weighing and logging your food. When you reach maintenance you will have to watch your intake forever or you will regain. My maintenance calories are only 1350 a day. That is a far cry from the 4000-6000 I used to eat. Desserts, bread,rice,pasta and potato are not really on our dietary lifestyle. A couple of tsp only-seriously!
    The sleeve will stop physical hunger for 6 months to a year but it will have no effect on food addiction. You can completely eat around the surgery if you choose to do so. That is why you have to honestly examine your relationship with food. 50% of surgery patients refuse to change their lifestyle and gain all the wt back. Your local WLS support group is a wonderful resource. Attend a few meetings to see if this is an option for you.
  • juliebccs
    juliebccs Posts: 233
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    No regrets. Best weight loss decision of my life. Took some adjusting and I am still learning. Have to make good decisions of course but much easier to do with the sleeve by my side.
    I believe that daily logging, measuring EVERYTHING and talking to the good people on here who have also gone through the sleeve experience, are paramount to success for me. I don't get everything right but I work hard to get most of it right for me.
    I wish the best for you.
  • bikrchk
    bikrchk Posts: 516 Member
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    No regrets whatsoever. My surgery went well, easier than I expected and I was back at work the next week. But others who have said it are so right... You have to be ready to change your relationship with food and commit to a changed lifestyle. I had lunch out with my extended family yesterday and got to sit there and stare at my full plate after filling up on 1/2 a chicken enchilada. I Still want to eat both of them, I just can't do it now. Then I got to explain (again) that I'm satisified after 1/2 an enchilada or a single egg now. Some still don't get it. Horrified, "one egg", that's it? And yes, I'm in maintenance now and don't plan to lose any more, thank you for your concern, again. I'm still in the upper half of the "healthy" BMI chart and have no plans to pass south of the mid-point! LOL

    In addition to logging everything I eat, I exercise 5x per week. 1 year ago I was on 10 different perscriptions for BP, cholesterol, asthma, anxiety and pain. Today, I take only the PPI prescribed after surgery to deal with the excess acid and enjoy normal BP and labs. I can sit outside and listen to a band in the summer without completely melting. I can climb stairs. I get to buy cute jeans (that still look like they belong to a teenager to me when I fold the laundry), and have an active social life. Life. Is. Good. Wouldn't change it for the world!
  • pawoodhull
    pawoodhull Posts: 1,759 Member
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    Ah Mongopickle! You hit the nail right on the head! This surgery is an awesome tool but only if you are prepared to change your relationship with food and make life long, lifestyle changes. Like I said, this is an awesome tool, but that's all it is, a tool. Use the tool and lose the weight. Keep using the tool and keep the weight off. If we go back to old eating habits and no exercise, we will regain. The same is true for any of the weight loss surgeries.

    I have spinal arthritis along with arthritis in my hips, knees, ankles and feet. At my largest, 386 pounds, I was in constant pain and my mobility was almost gone. I had my sleeve done 3 years ago and I can honestly tell you that I am pain free 95% of the time now and my mobility is greatly improved. Having the sleeve gave me my life back. I no longer need to sit on the sidelines and watch I can walk up stairs, dance with the grandkids, go for walks on something other than flat ground and fit in places I never could before. For instance, a little over a week ago my eldest grandson was baptized in Lake Michigan and asked me to go in the water with him. Prior to surgery I would not have been able to do this because of the 27 stairs down to the beach, the walk in the loose beach sand out to the water and then those 27 satirs back up. I would have had to disapoint him or found a different path down all by myself so as not to be humiliated infront of several hundred people. Because of the surgery and a 162 pound loss (so far, not done yet) I was able to go down the stair, through the sand into the water and then back up those steps without a problem.

    You asked for pros and cons, frankly, I haven't found a con to this. All the sleeve has done is improve my life.
  • l2dee2
    l2dee2 Posts: 1
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    I am almost 6 weeks post op and absolutely have no regrets. I have more energy and I'm beginning to love exercise. I hate to miss a day. I know am still early in the process but I think i made the right choie for me.
  • juliebccs
    juliebccs Posts: 233
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    Ah Mongopickle! You hit the nail right on the head! This surgery is an awesome tool but only if you are prepared to change your relationship with food and make life long, lifestyle changes. Like I said, this is an awesome tool, but that's all it is, a tool. Use the tool and lose the weight. Keep using the tool and keep the weight off. If we go back to old eating habits and no exercise, we will regain. The same is true for any of the weight loss surgeries.

    I have spinal arthritis along with arthritis in my hips, knees, ankles and feet. At my largest, 386 pounds, I was in constant pain and my mobility was almost gone. I had my sleeve done 3 years ago and I can honestly tell you that I am pain free 95% of the time now and my mobility is greatly improved. Having the sleeve gave me my life back. I no longer need to sit on the sidelines and watch I can walk up stairs, dance with the grandkids, go for walks on something other than flat ground and fit in places I never could before. For instance, a little over a week ago my eldest grandson was baptized in Lake Michigan and asked me to go in the water with him. Prior to surgery I would not have been able to do this because of the 27 stairs down to the beach, the walk in the loose beach sand out to the water and then those 27 satirs back up. I would have had to disapoint him or found a different path down all by myself so as not to be humiliated infront of several hundred people. Because of the surgery and a 162 pound loss (so far, not done yet) I was able to go down the stair, through the sand into the water and then back up those steps without a problem.

    You asked for pros and cons, frankly, I haven't found a con to this. All the sleeve has done is improve my life.
    Just loved reading this Pawoodhull. It is stories like this that just remind us it is not all about the scale movement.
  • claresta23
    claresta23 Posts: 64 Member
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    I am 8 weeks post op. I don't have any CONS. This was the best decision I have made for my health EVER! Do I miss a Whopper and Chili Fries....surprisingly I don't. Can I eat that if I wanted to....YES! But WHY? The reward of improved health is greater than the risk of continued obesity!
  • JxAAA
    JxAAA Posts: 87 Member
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    As mentioned above first and foremost you really have to be prepared to address your relationship with food. Having surgery won't solve emotional eating. I highly recommend therapy as part of your weight loss process.

    I had surgery a little over 5 months ago, have lost 73lbs and don't have any regrets about surgery. Best decision I have ever made, I'm much more healthier, happier and active. I also had some issues with pain pre surgery and having the surgery didn't fix everything, I still get aches and pains that are different than what I felt before surgery. Good luck!

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