Did Anything Go Wrong For You?

[Snowcrystal]

Hi All

After reading Bonita's harrowing account of what happened to her, I just wondered if any of you 'Bypassers' or 'Banders' had anything go wrong?

I'm sure most of us who are starting our journey will be told of the possibilities of what can go wrong at our consultations and group meetings, but it would be great if you guys could tell us...I think it helps.

If so, was it

Major?......or........Minor?

 

[babyflower]

I had problems with my band almost from day one. Surgery was ok, but I overheated (very rare) and had to stay in for 3 days. I was in theatre for almost 3 hours - but no one would ever tell me why.

I won't go into too much detail about my band other than to say it was placed very high and so i did not have a pouch, just lots of pain. I didn't get much help or support from my hospital, and was left to go it alone for much of the time. I changed hospitals in the end which was a huge blessing (thank God for Shaw Somers!).

I would say to any pre-opper to thoroughly check out your surgeon, his experience, the hospital, the aftercare and speak to at least a few other patients at the hospital who have been there and done it. It can so easily go pear shaped with a band, as the aftercare is probably more important that anything else.

I can't speak about bypasses, although through my support group I know a lot of people who have had them and lived to tell the tale. A few have had some minor problems, but on the whole they have all come through unscathed.

 

[j.u.s.t.l.i.z.]

after my 1st band my pouch totally closed with the swelling and a fill that was put in during the op, i became severley dehydrated, and i had to be re admited for an emergency de fill and to go on a drip to rehydrate me.
i was rebanded after 3.5 years as the band naturally broke down, my 2nd band has been great so far.

 

[BlondeMoment]

My first attempt at having a bypass failed as after the surgeon did my keyholes for the op he said my liver was dripping fat and said it was too much of a risk to proceed as he couldnt access the top of my stomach,so i was stapled up and no bypass......my gastric balloon went ok tho,

In may this year i had the gastric sleeve and i haemorrhage I needed a blood transfusion of 4 pints of blood over a period of 3 days,also i had a ultrasound scan which shown i had a mass of fluid on my right side and i had to have a drainage bag,after i was released from hospital i was re-admitted 2 days later because i was jaundice apparently my liver couldnt cope with the about of fluid in my body,they werent sure about releasing me from hospital 4 days later as they said they werent sure if it was safe due to the amount of fluid inside me,but luckily i was allowed home.
Now 6 weeks post op,i am loosing weight and havent looked back.

 

[ditsy_dame]

My first surgery was stopped last May when I was on the table and under anesthetic. My surgeon knew I had liver disease, but the ultrasound scan didn't look too bad. But when he started the surgery in May last year, he saw cirrhosis which he wasn't expecting. So when i woke up in recovery I was told it didn't go ahead. They took a liver biopsy and that was it. I was so heartbroken I can't begin to tell you. I was distraught and completely miserable and wanted to just hide away.
Because I was scheduled to go to ICU post op, that's where they sent me even though I didn't need to be there. I was crying so much and so hard I set off all the alarms on the monitors because I was sobbing hyperventilating and my oxygen and heart levels were all over the place. Then, last summer I developed sudden onset T2 diabetes which was severe and I needed to go into hospital A&E with it and put on insulin. Then my surgeon reviewed my case together with my liver consultant and endocrinologist (for the diabetes) and my surgeon, bless him decided he would do the sleeve if I still wanted it as long as I accepted that it would be a lot higher risk for me. I said hell yeah. The time after the first surgery went wrong was horrible, I was so depressed and just going through the motions for my family. I was crying inside every day. But the second time it went well. The surgeons knew what they were dealing with and it took twice as long to do it. I was in theatre 4 hours and there had to be 2 bariatric surgeons there because of my level of risk. But I will forever be grateful to my surgeon for taking that risk. It wasn't just a risk for me, he didn't want to lose a patient on the table. I am so thankful to Mr Fiennes, he is a wonderful compassionate man as well as a gifted surgeon, and he had to convince the hospital admins to do it because cirrhosis usually rules out WLS. I will remember him in my prayers always for being such a good, caring man and a brilliant surgeon.

 

[Janeywanttoloosealot]

My bypass surgery went very well and i had no problems with healing. The only problem i had was when i started to go onto more lumpy food then i started being sick permantly could not keep even liquid down had to go back to the hospital and it seems i healed a little to well and the new outlet to my stomach had narrowed while healing. They gave me a laparoscomy which stretched the opening and i am okay now.

 

[Sambucca]

Janey, just had to say hun... your ticker is looking amazing. your 1/3 to your goal already and have lost an enormous amount in such a short time! Well done xx

 

[Janeywanttoloosealot]

Janey, just had to say hun... your ticker is looking amazing. your 1/3 to your goal already and have lost an enormous amount in such a short time! Well done xx

Thanks sam although i have lost it quickly because i have such alot of wheight to loose. I just hope i can feel as positive as i do now when i come to that enevertable stall we all go through. janey

 

[phatgirl]

I was lucky enough to have zero complications and to be honest that is what scared me most, complications. I never really felt like I might die, it never really seemed like a real threat. But the thought of being the 1 in 1000 or more to develop a serious complication was in my head. I have personally meet/know/spoken to many, many post-ops now and I can say confidently that complications are very rare. But they do happen and it becomes personal when they are a part of the family like our peeps here on minimins. I do think we are adequately warned about the possible dangers of the surgery but actually talking to someone that had that happen to them is rather dramatic. It is a surgery afterall and we are all high risk due to our size, many of us have multiple co-morbidities that make the surgery risk even higher. Scary stuff but it is the reality of the choice we make in having wls, for me the risks were heavily out-weighed by the benefits. But everyone needs to balance their own internal scales and make sure that is true.

 

[tesmaralda]

I did have an unexplained bleed and a slight problem with my spleen - although this didn't impact on my bypass it meant that my gall bladder wasn't removed and I may have to have it removed at a later date or it may never play up and stay as it is.

 

[thinkbethin]

I had a bleed from my port wound and had to go back to theatre but nothing major.