Do you have experience?
September 30, 2014 4:44 PM Subscribe
Thinking about having bariatric surgery. Have you done it? What was it like for you? Do you regret it or love it? What's life like now?
My rheumatologist just wrote me a referral to the bariatric surgery center at UH (Cleveland). If I were to get it done, it would be down at Case on the main campus. I watched their informational video (yay for them putting it online) and while I'm scared to death, I'm interested as well.
I've tried all the medical ways (diet/exercise) and it does nothing. My thyroid has been checked and is fine and I've finally gotten a CPAP for apnea.
Feel free to MeMail or email at the email in my profile.
Thanks in advance.
My rheumatologist just wrote me a referral to the bariatric surgery center at UH (Cleveland). If I were to get it done, it would be down at Case on the main campus. I watched their informational video (yay for them putting it online) and while I'm scared to death, I'm interested as well.
I've tried all the medical ways (diet/exercise) and it does nothing. My thyroid has been checked and is fine and I've finally gotten a CPAP for apnea.
Feel free to MeMail or email at the email in my profile.
Thanks in advance.
I have two friends do this (they are brother and sister, so, similar genetics).
Both of them have had very, very positive results. The woman elected to have skin fold surgery afterward, also positive.
They experienced all of the normal, expected side effects (e.g. dumping syndrome) but all of it was entirely manageable.
Both of them would do it all again in a heartbeat, and in fact, they'd wonder why they didn't do it sooner.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 5:03 PM on September 30, 2014
Both of them have had very, very positive results. The woman elected to have skin fold surgery afterward, also positive.
They experienced all of the normal, expected side effects (e.g. dumping syndrome) but all of it was entirely manageable.
Both of them would do it all again in a heartbeat, and in fact, they'd wonder why they didn't do it sooner.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 5:03 PM on September 30, 2014
My dad was overweight for decades. He tried everything and finally decided to go the bariatric surgery route after several close calls in the ER.
He researched his fastidiously and landed on the duodenal switch (DS) procedure. It's quite different than roux-en-y, which is more common generally, I believe. He didn't want stapling or lapband either, all of which have higher incidences of regression.
Duodenal switch essentially gives your body a disease, in the form of malnutrition. It removes a large portion of your intestinal tract and a significant chunk of your stomach. The stomach eventually stretches back out a fair amount, to the point where my dad is able to eat full meals of all types. But that took 2-3 years. The first few months, he could only eat a tablespoon or so worth of food for a meal. It's a complete psychological shift and very difficult to deal with initially.
Many people fail and just overeat and then throw up. Roux-en-y has other issues like dumping and bigger problems with people regressing. DS is by comparison less at risk for that.
He joined a support group, which his surgeon demanded. It was incredibly important, because the issues you'll have are very different once you have them.
He weighed 425 at his highest, and just over 400 when he had the surgery. He was 6'4, but still insanely obese. He now weighs close to 180 and looks like the crypt keeper. Part of that is the malnutrition aspect: your body doesn't absorb fats anymore, and has other issues with how it takes in nutrients. So he has to take bariatric vitamins to make sure he's not going to get osteoporosis or other deficiencies.
In the end, the surgery saved his life. It's incredible. He was borderline type-II diabetic, had hypertension, and a host of other problems, and they've all vanished. The weight has stayed off, he's able to eat normal meals now, and normal quantities (though he has to pace himself), but again, it was life-changing.
A surgery like DS is life-changing and permanent. Lapband or stapling aren't in the same way, but they're considerably less effective over long terms (though I've heard decent things about lapband).
I hope this helps. It's a hard decision and it's complicated. And you'll probably want to consider plastic surgery, as your skin won't bounce back. (My dad hasn't bothered, but it'd be an improvement for him.)
posted by disillusioned at 5:09 PM on September 30, 2014 [3 favorites]
He researched his fastidiously and landed on the duodenal switch (DS) procedure. It's quite different than roux-en-y, which is more common generally, I believe. He didn't want stapling or lapband either, all of which have higher incidences of regression.
Duodenal switch essentially gives your body a disease, in the form of malnutrition. It removes a large portion of your intestinal tract and a significant chunk of your stomach. The stomach eventually stretches back out a fair amount, to the point where my dad is able to eat full meals of all types. But that took 2-3 years. The first few months, he could only eat a tablespoon or so worth of food for a meal. It's a complete psychological shift and very difficult to deal with initially.
Many people fail and just overeat and then throw up. Roux-en-y has other issues like dumping and bigger problems with people regressing. DS is by comparison less at risk for that.
He joined a support group, which his surgeon demanded. It was incredibly important, because the issues you'll have are very different once you have them.
He weighed 425 at his highest, and just over 400 when he had the surgery. He was 6'4, but still insanely obese. He now weighs close to 180 and looks like the crypt keeper. Part of that is the malnutrition aspect: your body doesn't absorb fats anymore, and has other issues with how it takes in nutrients. So he has to take bariatric vitamins to make sure he's not going to get osteoporosis or other deficiencies.
In the end, the surgery saved his life. It's incredible. He was borderline type-II diabetic, had hypertension, and a host of other problems, and they've all vanished. The weight has stayed off, he's able to eat normal meals now, and normal quantities (though he has to pace himself), but again, it was life-changing.
A surgery like DS is life-changing and permanent. Lapband or stapling aren't in the same way, but they're considerably less effective over long terms (though I've heard decent things about lapband).
I hope this helps. It's a hard decision and it's complicated. And you'll probably want to consider plastic surgery, as your skin won't bounce back. (My dad hasn't bothered, but it'd be an improvement for him.)
posted by disillusioned at 5:09 PM on September 30, 2014 [3 favorites]
I had vertical sleeve surgery last year and have lost over 130 pounds with very little complication. While I still have around 30 pounds to lose, I have my life back. It has definitely been a godsend for me. I am happy to share my experience and have MeFi Mailed the original poster.
posted by elmay at 6:03 PM on September 30, 2014
posted by elmay at 6:03 PM on September 30, 2014
I've seen many patients be hugely successful and happy with bariatric surgery. I've rarely had a patient complain about it to me, but I also not uncommonly have seen patients who, as disillusioned put it above, "regress", which is always very sad to me. I think it is very important that surgeons choose patients wisely and try to ensure that patients have a commitment to changing their lives.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 11:59 AM on October 1, 2014
posted by treehorn+bunny at 11:59 AM on October 1, 2014
I had RNY in 2010 and have never regretted it.
Yes, there are downsides, and they need to be carefully considered before having major surgery. I think when you hear about the people who have gained the weight back, it is often because they didn't really think about the complete transformation that is required. It's not just modification of your innards that is permanent: the way you interact with food has to be permanently changed as well.
But for me, the pros far outweigh any cons.
Feel free to message me if you want to talk more about it.
posted by BeBoth at 1:32 PM on October 1, 2014
Yes, there are downsides, and they need to be carefully considered before having major surgery. I think when you hear about the people who have gained the weight back, it is often because they didn't really think about the complete transformation that is required. It's not just modification of your innards that is permanent: the way you interact with food has to be permanently changed as well.
But for me, the pros far outweigh any cons.
Feel free to message me if you want to talk more about it.
posted by BeBoth at 1:32 PM on October 1, 2014
Lap banding is NOT less effective over the long-term. I haven't looked at the literature recently because my band is five years old, so decision made, obviously. But when I was researching which procedure to have, several studies had suggested that the success rates at the 5-year mark were *just* slightly better for the lap band than the more drastic forms of surgery. However, it was a matter of degrees as the success rate overall is only 50 to 60%, I believe. Would have to do some internet sleuthing to get you precise numbers, as well as how success is defined.
I chose gastric banding because it's adjustable, reversible, and has virtually no side effects. There are no forbidden foods, there is no malnutrition. You just eat less. And when you've lost some weight, and the band loosens as a result, you adjust it, and you keep going. I've had my band for five years, as I say, and have lost 105 lbs. give or take. While there was an initial loss of about 40 lbs the first year (less than most people hope for after bariatric surgery), the remainder has come off steadily over the ensuing years.
Aside from concerns about major abdominal surgery, recovery times, and complications, I was also concerned that the more drastic forms of surgery permanently remove parts of the body - and that seemed extreme to me. We know a lot about how the body works, but not everything - which is illustrated by the fact that only after years of using the Duodenal Switch surgery did anybody notice that it had the effect of reversing diabetes almost instantly, within days of surgery. (Which *is* one of the positive arguments for DS if you are insulin dependent.)
The lap band surgery is a one-night stay in the hospital, max. I had the surgery on Friday, and was back at work on Wednesday. So, the lap band wins for initial downtime. HOWEVER, the band has to be actively managed, so you have to keep seeing your doctor for as long as you are trying to actively manage your weight. So, there is considerable time invested in follow-up - moreso, I think than the other surgeries. I see my doctor, on average, every two months, and have limited upper GI fluoroscopy about once a year (so they can see how everything is moving through the band, and make sure it's still in place, and functioning as it should.) The process of getting the band adjusted is a doddle (unless you're needle-phobic). Unless I'm being fluoroscoped, I'm in and out of an adjustment appointment in 20 minutes.
I eat whatever I want, I just eat a lot less of it. I don't snack as much because I don't get hungry as often. Because I can't eat a lot of volume and know that I won't be able to eat again for hours, I choose to eat much healthier foods than I did pre-band, not because they are healthy per se, but because I choose to eat well-prepared, *good* food, as opposed to making a meal of cheese doodles. (Pre-band, I would have eaten the cheese doodles, and still had dinner an hour later. Now, the cheese doodles would end up being my only meal for hours, and that's just not satisfying.)
54, F, live alone - I think those details might matter in comparing to your own situation.
Oh, the final thing that made me choose lap-banding is this: given that there is a relapse rate of up to 40% or more for all bariatric surgeries, how do you follow up roux-en-y or DS or gastric sleeve, if you DO relapse? There is no fallback position from those surgeries. With the lap band, achieving adjusting and readjusting is the built in fallback. If, ten years from now, I've regained some of the weight, I can start actively managing the band for weight loss again.
Feel free to PM me any time.
posted by ereshkigal45 at 2:07 PM on October 1, 2014 [1 favorite]
I chose gastric banding because it's adjustable, reversible, and has virtually no side effects. There are no forbidden foods, there is no malnutrition. You just eat less. And when you've lost some weight, and the band loosens as a result, you adjust it, and you keep going. I've had my band for five years, as I say, and have lost 105 lbs. give or take. While there was an initial loss of about 40 lbs the first year (less than most people hope for after bariatric surgery), the remainder has come off steadily over the ensuing years.
Aside from concerns about major abdominal surgery, recovery times, and complications, I was also concerned that the more drastic forms of surgery permanently remove parts of the body - and that seemed extreme to me. We know a lot about how the body works, but not everything - which is illustrated by the fact that only after years of using the Duodenal Switch surgery did anybody notice that it had the effect of reversing diabetes almost instantly, within days of surgery. (Which *is* one of the positive arguments for DS if you are insulin dependent.)
The lap band surgery is a one-night stay in the hospital, max. I had the surgery on Friday, and was back at work on Wednesday. So, the lap band wins for initial downtime. HOWEVER, the band has to be actively managed, so you have to keep seeing your doctor for as long as you are trying to actively manage your weight. So, there is considerable time invested in follow-up - moreso, I think than the other surgeries. I see my doctor, on average, every two months, and have limited upper GI fluoroscopy about once a year (so they can see how everything is moving through the band, and make sure it's still in place, and functioning as it should.) The process of getting the band adjusted is a doddle (unless you're needle-phobic). Unless I'm being fluoroscoped, I'm in and out of an adjustment appointment in 20 minutes.
I eat whatever I want, I just eat a lot less of it. I don't snack as much because I don't get hungry as often. Because I can't eat a lot of volume and know that I won't be able to eat again for hours, I choose to eat much healthier foods than I did pre-band, not because they are healthy per se, but because I choose to eat well-prepared, *good* food, as opposed to making a meal of cheese doodles. (Pre-band, I would have eaten the cheese doodles, and still had dinner an hour later. Now, the cheese doodles would end up being my only meal for hours, and that's just not satisfying.)
54, F, live alone - I think those details might matter in comparing to your own situation.
Oh, the final thing that made me choose lap-banding is this: given that there is a relapse rate of up to 40% or more for all bariatric surgeries, how do you follow up roux-en-y or DS or gastric sleeve, if you DO relapse? There is no fallback position from those surgeries. With the lap band, achieving adjusting and readjusting is the built in fallback. If, ten years from now, I've regained some of the weight, I can start actively managing the band for weight loss again.
Feel free to PM me any time.
posted by ereshkigal45 at 2:07 PM on October 1, 2014 [1 favorite]
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After the surgery, he was able to lose quite a bit of weight, but not nearly as much as he expected, I think. (He doesn't exercise as much as he should, and never did.) He was on CPAP for apnea as well, and actually still is. The main complaint he has is the feeling when he's eaten too much by accident. It took him a long time to get used to how much would be allowed down before it uh, came back up. It's' not very much.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 4:51 PM on September 30, 2014