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Honest opinions on weight loss surgery
Replies
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I shy away from any type of surgery due to cost, time, concerns of complications, etc... so it's not something I ever considered even when I was at my heaviest. If I had severe medical problems due to weight and a reputable, trusted doctor was strongly encouraging me to do it, I am sure I probably would have gone down that path. I don't see myself as being "better" than WLS patients for losing 130 lb via diet and exercise without surgery. I agree with others here saying that's like saying vaginal birth moms are "better" than c-section moms...it's not the same thing, but a pretty decent comparison in my opinion.
However. I think in the past decade or so, a lot of people (and by people I mean everything from large hospital networks to individuals themselves) have made WLS seem like a super easy peasy solution to all your weight loss problems, a quickie procedure that is more like a vanity decision for anyone with unwanted excess weight. That doesn't sit well with me personally due to the complications I've heard about from simple WLS and the people I've known who were not happy with their results (whether actually becoming disabled from botched surgery or chronic horrible symptoms, losing too much or not enough weight, and other issues). So I'll be honest, it bugs me when I see billboards for various WLS with a photo of a lady who looks to be roughly size fourteen in the before shot and a tanned, aerobicized size six in the after pic. I think it's irresponsible advertising when it's shown as something quick, easy, and almost "fun"...I think it should be presented by physicians to patients privately and on a case by case basis, with their actual health and needs in mind.7 -
Al Roker is getting big again
Christy never seemed to lose any weight at his surgery. Results so bad that the surgeon probably denied doing it.1 -
Some people qualify for insurance to pay only if they have medical conditions, are a certain bmi. It can be life saving.
I dont think i would be a good candidate.
Not sure what the importance is of doing it the "harder" way. You still have to make lifestyle changes.1 -
My honest opinion on the surgery is that the thought of me having it strikes terror in me. I would/could never do it. What other people choose to do is their business, but for me, I’d rather put the effort in without the risk. Both ways require effort.1
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I was about to ask a question similar to the OP but I found this thread. So I'm going to air my WLS grievances lol
1. Weight loss surgery has so many risks and brings on so many health problems, including the possibility of death. I know being overweight also comes with those risks, but if you loose the weight a natural way, those risks go away, with surgery.....you're always going to have those risks/health problems.
2. People who compare WLS vs natural weight loss to the C-section/Vaginal birth debate. I see where they think of surgery vs natural, as great comparison. But no, C-section are done almost always due to a problem with either mom or baby, C-sections are done to prevent horrible complications and health problems for mom and/or baby. Yes, it has normal risks that accompany any surgery but it's typically not a voluntary option people choose and there's not a list of problems you have to live with for having a C-section......So not the same thing.
3. I know lots of people who've had WLS and they have so many problems now. One had lap band and the band wore a hole in her stomach spilling everything out and she became septic...she spent months in the hospital, almost died. One had the gastric bypass, had problems for years, eventually died from health related problems that came with the bypass. Many had the sleeve, they mostly suffer from vitamin deficiency, GERD, hair loss, etc. etc.
4. People say WLS isn't the easy way out, but if you want my honest opinion, I think it's probably a heck of a lot easier to say no to plate a cheese fries when you'll end up in the ER if you don't. I don't see myself as "better" than people who have WLS, but I do think It's harder for me because I could eat those cheese fries if I wanted to.19 -
I was about to ask a question similar to the OP but I found this thread. So I'm going to air my WLS grievances lol
1. Weight loss surgery has so many risks and brings on so many health problems, including the possibility of death. I know being overweight also comes with those risks, but if you loose the weight a natural way, those risks go away, with surgery.....you're always going to have those risks/health problems.
2. People who compare WLS vs natural weight loss to the C-section/Vaginal birth debate. I see where they think of surgery vs natural, as great comparison. But no, C-section are done almost always due to a problem with either mom or baby, C-sections are done to prevent horrible complications and health problems for mom and/or baby. Yes, it has normal risks that accompany any surgery but it's typically not a voluntary option people choose and there's not a list of problems you have to live with for having a C-section......So not the same thing.
3. I know lots of people who've had WLS and they have so many problems now. One had lap band and the band wore a hole in her stomach spilling everything out and she became septic...she spent months in the hospital, almost died. One had the gastric bypass, had problems for years, eventually died from health related problems that came with the bypass. Many had the sleeve, they mostly suffer from vitamin deficiency, GERD, hair loss, etc. etc.
4. People say WLS isn't the easy way out, but if you want my honest opinion, I think it's probably a heck of a lot easier to say no to plate a cheese fries when you'll end up in the ER if you don't. I don't see myself as "better" than people who have WLS, but I do think It's harder for me because I could eat those cheese fries if I wanted to.
While a c-section is often done to due to issues with either mother or child, elective c-sections aren't that rare.7 -
janejellyroll wrote: »I was about to ask a question similar to the OP but I found this thread. So I'm going to air my WLS grievances lol
1. Weight loss surgery has so many risks and brings on so many health problems, including the possibility of death. I know being overweight also comes with those risks, but if you loose the weight a natural way, those risks go away, with surgery.....you're always going to have those risks/health problems.
2. People who compare WLS vs natural weight loss to the C-section/Vaginal birth debate. I see where they think of surgery vs natural, as great comparison. But no, C-section are done almost always due to a problem with either mom or baby, C-sections are done to prevent horrible complications and health problems for mom and/or baby. Yes, it has normal risks that accompany any surgery but it's typically not a voluntary option people choose and there's not a list of problems you have to live with for having a C-section......So not the same thing.
3. I know lots of people who've had WLS and they have so many problems now. One had lap band and the band wore a hole in her stomach spilling everything out and she became septic...she spent months in the hospital, almost died. One had the gastric bypass, had problems for years, eventually died from health related problems that came with the bypass. Many had the sleeve, they mostly suffer from vitamin deficiency, GERD, hair loss, etc. etc.
4. People say WLS isn't the easy way out, but if you want my honest opinion, I think it's probably a heck of a lot easier to say no to plate a cheese fries when you'll end up in the ER if you don't. I don't see myself as "better" than people who have WLS, but I do think It's harder for me because I could eat those cheese fries if I wanted to.
While a c-section is often done to due to issues with either mother or child, elective c-sections aren't that rare.
My first c-section was expedient due to my condition (baby was fine but I was not). For my second child, I could have chosen to attempt a VBAC (which carries a slightly higher risk than a vaginal birth with no prior sections for uterine rupture, but minimal in most cases) but didn't. I guess that makes it elective.1 -
janejellyroll wrote: »I was about to ask a question similar to the OP but I found this thread. So I'm going to air my WLS grievances lol
1. Weight loss surgery has so many risks and brings on so many health problems, including the possibility of death. I know being overweight also comes with those risks, but if you loose the weight a natural way, those risks go away, with surgery.....you're always going to have those risks/health problems.
2. People who compare WLS vs natural weight loss to the C-section/Vaginal birth debate. I see where they think of surgery vs natural, as great comparison. But no, C-section are done almost always due to a problem with either mom or baby, C-sections are done to prevent horrible complications and health problems for mom and/or baby. Yes, it has normal risks that accompany any surgery but it's typically not a voluntary option people choose and there's not a list of problems you have to live with for having a C-section......So not the same thing.
3. I know lots of people who've had WLS and they have so many problems now. One had lap band and the band wore a hole in her stomach spilling everything out and she became septic...she spent months in the hospital, almost died. One had the gastric bypass, had problems for years, eventually died from health related problems that came with the bypass. Many had the sleeve, they mostly suffer from vitamin deficiency, GERD, hair loss, etc. etc.
4. People say WLS isn't the easy way out, but if you want my honest opinion, I think it's probably a heck of a lot easier to say no to plate a cheese fries when you'll end up in the ER if you don't. I don't see myself as "better" than people who have WLS, but I do think It's harder for me because I could eat those cheese fries if I wanted to.
While a c-section is often done to due to issues with either mother or child, elective c-sections aren't that rare.
My first c-section was expedient due to my condition (baby was fine but I was not). For my second child, I could have chosen to attempt a VBAC (which carries a slightly higher risk than a vaginal birth with no prior sections for uterine rupture, but minimal in most cases) but didn't. I guess that makes it elective.
Medicine is an outgrowth of engineering and largely based on risk management as opposed to scientific fact. Cesarean section is utilized when risk to the mother/child is less than that of vaginal birth...or in theory should be. There's always going to be a change involved when humans are involved and a competent surgeon can greatly minimize this risk.
We were going to attempt a VBAC for our second child until speaking with a colleague at a party - one of my favorite people and experienced dual boarded surgeon/anesthesiologist. He recommended against it simply because of the vasculature within the uterine wall. If you cause an unintended bleed it is extremely challenging to stop. One of those things - if things go well they go well....if things go wrong...they go wrong fast.4 -
The biggest misconception most folks have about WLS, is that you can continue to eat the way you did before the surgery. WLS is NOT a magic bullet. It has extreme implications to your health, and if you do not have the strength to eat correctly before the surgery, you will not do well after. You will loose weight initially, for sure. However, over time, it is possible to overstretch the pouch and begin to overeat and gain the weight back. Just look at Al Roker and Carnie Wilson. You still have to put in the work and eat healthy and exercise.3
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This is a judgment free zone when it come to WLS. The appetite control center is located in the brain and not the stomach. Removing the stomach and creating a pouch does not take the appetite away.
"People who struggle with obesity simply do not have the same ability as normal weight people to "listen to their hunger cues". First, the obesity has messed up their hormones. Many are resistant to insulin making them eat more AND leptin making them unable to stop eating when they are full. So, telling obese people to listen to their hunger signals is simply impossible."
If you struggle with this all of the days of your life, surgery may not fix all of this a year down the road when the healing is done. It initially gives insulin resistance and T2 a knockout punch but a few years down the road it can come back.1 -
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM200504073521421
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3096273/
I finished some research about the post op long term care of the pouch from day 1 of surgery to 10 years out. Someone who'd actually worked with WLS patients mentioned earlier that it was their task to prepare patients. In the beginning, they eat 2 oz of food and about 6-8 weeks out it bumps up to 8 oz of food. The long term care of the pouch.
If you're a potential WLS patient, why not seek out someone like this who can lead you through the steps. As they said, some had so much success they chose to keep going without surgery. We are born with a stomach. If you can learn to manage a pouch you can learn to manage a stomach without all of the post op complications and retweaking that is often done over the long haul.
Pain is the precursor to change. Do you need the pain of surgery and the the pain of recovery to make a change. Do you need the pain that may or may not last for the rest of your life to make a change. There are only choices and consequences. You choose.
If you have the true grit to make this dramatic change because it is not easy could you treat your stomach like a pouch and practice, practice, practice. Could you do it for 6 months. If you sat down with someone who could look you directly in the eye, face-to-face and they gave it to you straight, maybe even scaring the literal hail right outta you, could you do it. I know I could and I would do this first before I made a permanent decision to remove 75% of my stomach.
If the surgeon told you that at the 5 year mark you may start rebounding back with weight gain and eating it back, would you still go through with it. Choices and consequences. I could treat my stomach like a pouch and I would practice. I would track my data points and I would contemplate the big picture every day. Choices and consequences. I would do this first and I'd fight for my life, scaring the literal hail right out of myself if I had to.4 -
I was about to ask a question similar to the OP but I found this thread. So I'm going to air my WLS grievances lol
1. Weight loss surgery has so many risks and brings on so many health problems, including the possibility of death. I know being overweight also comes with those risks, but if you loose the weight a natural way, those risks go away, with surgery.....you're always going to have those risks/health problems.
2. People who compare WLS vs natural weight loss to the C-section/Vaginal birth debate. I see where they think of surgery vs natural, as great comparison. But no, C-section are done almost always due to a problem with either mom or baby, C-sections are done to prevent horrible complications and health problems for mom and/or baby. Yes, it has normal risks that accompany any surgery but it's typically not a voluntary option people choose and there's not a list of problems you have to live with for having a C-section......So not the same thing.
3. I know lots of people who've had WLS and they have so many problems now. One had lap band and the band wore a hole in her stomach spilling everything out and she became septic...she spent months in the hospital, almost died. One had the gastric bypass, had problems for years, eventually died from health related problems that came with the bypass. Many had the sleeve, they mostly suffer from vitamin deficiency, GERD, hair loss, etc. etc.
4. People say WLS isn't the easy way out, but if you want my honest opinion, I think it's probably a heck of a lot easier to say no to plate a cheese fries when you'll end up in the ER if you don't. I don't see myself as "better" than people who have WLS, but I do think It's harder for me because I could eat those cheese fries if I wanted to.
I wanted to touch on this. Dumping syndrome is an INTENDED BENEFIT, not a medical complication, of the procedure.
It's like a reverse Pavlovian response in the same way people snap their wrists with rubber bands when they swear or want to smoke. A painful or unpleasant response to a stimulus will, eventually, make a person psychologically not want that stimulus anymore. It's amazing thing humans learn.
Unfortunately, our brains are capable of very advanced justification. Even in the face of extremely negative consequences, we will choose a stimulus. That's why this dumping syndrome doesn't stop everyone who has WLS from ever over-eating or eating high fat, high sugar foods ever again.
Is it easier to say no to a plate of fries after WLS because of the discomfort and complications? Probably. BUT because our brains are sophisticated enough to justify (just a bite, just a serving, just one plate this one time, and on and on and on) a person who has had WLS still has to do the mental work to say no.
People have to do the mental work no matter what. If your choice is a plate of fries or hospital, sure it's "easier" to make the decision than if the consequence is "just" not meeting your goals, but it's still a choice that has to be made and the fact that people DO end up in the hospital because of the food choices they make shows that it's not really as easy as it might seem from the outside.
I personally go back and forth on whether I'd like to pursue WLS. I am a good candidate. I have a great support system, I have access to the tools I'd need to stick to it, my health is just enough at risk to get the surgery, but I'm not so unhealthy that I'd have a more difficult recovery, etc. I even have insurance that would pay for it, if I jump through the necessary hoops and am given the go ahead. But it's a huge commitment. and I'm scared of that.4 -
This is a deeply felt subject and so touchy. So very touchy and I feel like I'm walking on eggshells when responding. Ten years out, post op. Research it.
If one has all of the tools to stick with it post op, why not utilize said tools and use them pre-op. I have half dozen relatives who've been through this. None of them are fixed and most rebounded back with weight gain. One died.
If we want our health to be a priority for the rest of our lives, it's all a huge commitment. We all have to contemplate the big picture because temporary diets are just a bandaid. I can tell you that the novelty of a pouch wears off. Yes, I had relatives who were very excited that their new pouch could only handle 2 ounces of food at a time. They carried around a Rx cup from the pharmacy for their meals. They did have fun with that in the beginning but it's extreme. So extreme and the hanging skin from dropping it so fast was another surgery.
I watch some of those reality shows. I watched someone go through all of the brutally painful surgeries and they're currently in the process of eating it all back. From what I can tell the pain didn't make a dent in their relationship with food.
Pain is the precursor to change. The pain of feet, joints, knees, back, shoulders is usually what it takes to face the music and make real changes. When the pain wears off we can fall back into the old habits when we allow our brain to operate on autopilot in the unconscious mode. This can easily happen with or without the surgery. The appetite control center does not go away.
I'm thinking it would be easier to operate on the brain than do all of the rest of these surgeries. If you are able to right your ship through surgery, no judgment. If you can lasso yourself to those who've been through the process and hard work, still committed to long term success, try that first.
Newbies often want someone in the same boat for their accountability partner. I suggest zeroing in on those who can teach you the most. Those who are still standing after years of working through their past struggles with weight. We all have our own limitations to work with. So much of this is mental and brain health, too. We are more than just our numbers on the scale. Brain Training will get you much further down the road than a diet ever will.13 -
This was always floated as an option to me, but I never took the bait. The reason? For me, personally, 99% of my issues are mental. Stress, binge eating disorder, compulsive overeating, depression, anxiety and self-hatred will not be cured by gastric bypass. It would likely exacerbate my issue. I think if you have a sound mind go for it...but realize that most people who are fat enough to require the surgery are in more mental trouble than physical.11
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Someone commented “it’s a very personal thing” — Not when the rest of us have to pay for it with our medical premiums.
I know many people who had it and regained all the weight. Waste of money and it didn’t help the person who went through it.13 -
I'm just over 2 months post-op gastric sleeve. Last year I had a mini-stroke that woke me up in the middle of the night. At my heaviest weight, 360 lbs, I was dealing with sleep apnea, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and then had the mini-stroke. I was 38 years old. My doctor suggested WLS while I was still young and could recover quickly. I had been yoyo dieting my whole life..well, since Jr. High anyway. I'd lose 20 lbs and gain back 30 - 40. Do that 15 times or so...and you get to where I was. By the time of my surgery (6/13/18), I was down to 336lbs. I've lost another 52 lbs since the surgery. I just started adding exercise back into my routine...started this morning actually. I walked 3 miles this morning, which I never could have done at 360lbs. I was slowly eating myself to death. There was no emotion, or mental anguish behind my eating. I just enjoyed eating...too much. Don't kid yourself, WLS is not "the easy way". Its still a struggle every day. I can eat anything I want...I can't eat much of it, but it's still possible to make bad choices. I've done very well at making sure I'm not falling back into bad habits, and I hope I'll be able to stick to that for the rest of my life. Just read some of the threads here, WLS is not a magic cure, its a tool, and if you don't use the tool the way its designed, it will not work for you.8
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Im over a year and a half out of wls, and my only regret was not having done it sooner. It was not easy, I had some complications with dehydration and being able to take the right amount of nutrients. My mom had the same surgery, and gained all her weight back. Its not an easy fix, more of a tool. I went from about 220, to 115, and now fluctuate between 115/120. I stay on top of my diet now, weigh once a week, and make sure to between that window. My quality of life has changed for the better.
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It was the best thing I ever did for myself. I had gastric bypass in 2011, lost 130lbs. Not really working on my relationship with food, plus working 70 - 80 hours a week contributed to a 45lb regain in 2015. I buckled down, reevaluated what I was eating and why, listed reasons to exercise other than weight loss, and cut back to 60 hours at work. I lost 50lbs in 6 months and have kept it all off, including being able to get skin removal this year. WLS is an excellent tool but it's just that - a tool. If you don't use it properly, it's not going to work and you risk getting yourself sick in the process. I am so glad I did it and would highly recommend it. I have never been healthier or happier. I had zero complications and continue to thrive. When people DO have complications, I've learned to take that with a grain of salt. A lot of them are caused by not following the doctor's orders after surgery. No, you can't eat a slice of pizza fresh out the box. No, you can't have soda or wine or alcohol. So many no's that people ignore, get sick, and then blame the surgeon/surgery for. Some people consider it elective but for me, it was necessary. And yes, my insurance covered it 100%. They've never had to pay for anything else after; no blood pressure medication, no diabetic supplies, etc etc. I recently went in for labs and my doctor declared that I am the healthiest patient in his practice (and he's not the one who gave me the bypass or who was my PCP at the time of it). And interestingly enough, I also know a lot of people who has WLS, several because of me, and NONE of them have had any complications. As far as the lap band, they've stopped performing that procedure due to the issues with it. But the sleeve and the bypass are still common. I think the people who say they've seen people with issues see them because when recovery is going well, nobody has anything to complain about so you generally don't hear about it.4
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"A person needs to be healthy too loose weight". I read this in Unconventional Medicine. A severally overweight person will probably have many dietary/nutritional deficiencies, address those deficiencies and a body should start to restore its functions naturally and weight will be lost. Not every significantly over weight person necessarily over eats, there are many contributory factors which impact on a person. Medication, can cause more issues than they relieve. Antibiotics, female contraception, steroids and many more commonly used pharmaceuticals have common dietary side effects. Even the most successful medications may require greater or lesser dosages to achieve a beneficial effect in the individual person than the available information may indicate. There should not be a one size fits all dogma around weight. Not everyone who has a significant weight issue is ignorant of the facts of what they eat some may be.
It was discovered in some UK hospital, where some procedure had been performed and an area of the stomach wall had been stimulated in some way, subsequently the patient actually lost weight without more surgical interventons. (I can't remember the terminology for that procedure, my listening was out of interest not to replicat procedures in practice.)
General medicine here holds to the historic attitude to and treatments of obesity. With our primary free to air broadcasting companies being required to provide up to date scientifically backed informaiton to the general public we are blessed with some opened minded doctors who provide us with methods of helping us help our bodies work in the best ways we can. Many on here (mfp) scoff at the idea of digestive microbes, the lack or imbalance of/in impactacting on anything from mental health and digestive intolerances and even allergies as well as systemic conditions. Diabeties is not seen in cultures which live as their ancestors did. It is in societies who have moved so very far from the foods eaten in the west even 100 years ago where the obesity chrisis is hitting hardest. Now as cultures achieve their aspirations to have what we have in the west they are loosing their natural defences from our cultural maladies. Even our environment can be toxic to many because a persons system fails to clear down the build up to toxins, chemicals a person encounters in day to day life, many chemicals were never tested before use. In the last week or ten days, one of these reporters who work along side our openminded doctors was interviewed on one of the main early evening news programmes saying most weight problems are due to insulin resistance. Again this will be disparaged by many mfp members.
I believe a person should be able to make an informed choice. I also believe everything should be done to ascertain the underlying causes of any individual's obesity before surgury is performed.13 -
I think losing the weight on your own is more difficult but promotes a healthier lifestyle in the end. If you go to surgery because it is easier, you are taking the lazy way out and are likely to revert back eventually. Surgery for reasons you cannot control is another story.9
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