questions about bypass complications

[susiewonga]

Hi can anyone answer a few questions I have.
Has anyone had a gastric bypass more than ten years ago?
I was looking into the facts and the statistics I think are quite scary. 1 in 100 people die in surgery, more die the next year and so on. There are complications listed including myeolpathy(apologies if spelt incorrectly).
Also a lot of complications occur due to malabsorption. This i presume is due to the decrease in intestine, hence the decrease in absorbtion.
I am just feeling very confused the doctor said the risk was minimal considering my age.
Hope someone can answer these questions. I have called Walsall hospital and asked if i can have information on their bypass procedures. Any idea of the date of the first one performed at Walsall, just wondering how their patients are faring up.
Thanks if anyone can help?

 

[thinkbethin]

Hi Susie and :welcome2:to minis. I'm sorry I can't answer your questions as I'm a bander but just wanted to say:welcome2:. Good luck on your weight loss journey.

 

[susiewonga]

hello and welcome

Thanks that was lovely. Been on the weight wagon a while, after babies weight just went on and on and did not come off. I think I am just being paranoid but I have to look at every option. Thats just me, I suppose having kids does thst to you. Thanks again and good luck on your journey too

 

[ladybird_gal]

Hi can anyone answer a few questions I have.
Has anyone had a gastric bypass more than ten years ago?
I was looking into the facts and the statistics I think are quite scary. 1 in 100 people die in surgery, more die the next year and so on. There are complications listed including myeolpathy(apologies if spelt incorrectly).
Also a lot of complications occur due to malabsorption. This i presume is due to the decrease in intestine, hence the decrease in absorbtion.
I am just feeling very confused the doctor said the risk was minimal considering my age.
Hope someone can answer these questions. I have called Walsall hospital and asked if i can have information on their bypass procedures. Any idea of the date of the first one performed at Walsall, just wondering how their patients are faring up.
Thanks if anyone can help?

Only just had mine nearly 3 months ago. I had minor complications (infection) associated with major surger - which this is.
All amjor surgery is risky. Having a general anasthetic is risky in itself. Most who have this surgery are very over weight with co-morbidities so complications can arise.
The hospital is obliged to point all this out to you before surgery.
They asked me until I was about to go into theatre whether I was sure.
I felt that in the long term my weight would continue to move upwards along with the risks that go with that.
Bypass/no bypass?

Bypass - No contest!

x x

 

[susiewonga]

Thanks I can see the benefits and not been able to do it myself, I just crossing my 't's and dotting my 'i' s . I think that is me all over. But thanks again,and good luck .
Just a question how much weight have you lost?
The doctor did make me smile he said there was a chance of being underweight. I nearly laughed my head off, me and underweight just not go together in the same sentence. I have added health risks too, so really do need to lose the weight.

 

[marky v]

i'm pre-op, it was a no brainer for me, continue down the path of gaining weight and basically becoming housebound and unable to do the most trivial of tasks, like showering or wiping my backside, my medical probs of high BP, probable chance of getting diabetes and all that comes with that, the risks of stoke, heart attack etc etc etc, the benefits of surgery far outweigh the risks of surgery, yes we all worry about the anaesthetic, we all worry about infection, but we are all on this forum for one reason, and that is to sort out our weight problems once and for all, and as we know the medical world is slowly but surely dragging itself towards the belief that surgery (at the moment, anyways) is the best long term strategy to combat obesity in the morbidly obese and above

 

[susiewonga]

Yes I think there are risks, but like you say we need to lose the weight and surgery is an option. I am on the waiting list, and could be 'thinner' in twelve months, that is also hard to digest too, thanks for your reply and good luck.

 

[shelbell]

Hi Susie,

If you look here http://www.minimins.com/surgical-weight-loss/68152-roll-call-post-ops-please-post.html we don't have any truly long term members here. This section hasn't been this busy for very long, when I started posting here over a year ago there were only a handful of regular members.

Part of the problem is members come for support, and as they get further out and reach goal/a happy level they don't need that support as much, and as confidence levels increase people develop more of a social life and so don't use internet forums as much.

I'm a year out and have only had health benefits, no adverse affects. I can maintain decent iron levels without medication and my blood results are excellent. I'm in the middle of a healthy pregnancy and 2 years ago that wouldn't have been possible.

If you look on the American forums and places like you tube you will find post-oppers further out, with mixed results. It's what you make of it at the end of the day.

 

[susiewonga]

Thanks.
First of all congratulations!
Any idea of the sex, we kept both ours unknown, kept me going during labour! my friends would laugh at that both mine were caesarian and we say I was too posh to push!! that too is a joke!
I have two lovel boys and need to lose weight to keep my kidneys in good working order. If i lose weight my bp goes down protects my kidneys, pushes dialysis further from me and kidney transplant even further, so i really do need to lose weight. I think I just wanted to talk to others going through what I am feeling. I have quite a lot of surgery so that is not what frightens me it is the unknown. Frightens us all i presume, but thanks for your reply. You have done absolutly amazing and your blood levels are great too. I should be at anaethesist in about four months, and op (bypass) in january. Any earlier they will let me know. I read some people have problems due to funding, mine ok as illness, and quite shocked at short length of time. I think if earlier could not dwell so much and later, well do not want to think about. Get plenty of sleep you will need it!! good luck and thanks for post
from Susie

 

[shelbell]

Hi Susie,

I have Lupus Nephritus and Interstitial Nephritus, so i can understand the kidneys! Pre-op, my kidneys functioned around 70-80% of normal, so not too bad most of the time, but had flares of problems. My creatinine levels were always raised and I always excreted protein and urine. I had to follow a low protein low salt diet, and thanks to other health problems was always exhausted and in constant pain. You can see in my pre-op photo I'm in a mobility scooter, as my illnesses disabled me, these days I rarely use it! My creatinine levels are completely normal, I no longer pass protein or blood, my energy levels are much higher, and my pain levels are minimal.

Pregnancy has temporarily reversed some of that, the tiredness and joint pain, but my previous pregnancy was a nightmare cos of my kidneys etc. This time round it's so much easier!

I was scared because of my extra health problems, I knew I was a higher risk, but the way I've always looked at it is that it is better that I have known health probs, as any potential problems can be predicted and dealt with before they arise, which is far safer than an unknown problem! I had a good surgery and an easy recovery. My joint problems caused increased pain immediately post op as my back seized with being on the op table for so long, but that was dealt with efficiently and I was soon up and about.

Have a look here WLS Meetings & Support Groups - MiniMins.com - Weight Loss Support Forum we have meet ups in Manchester, Preston & Birmingham quite often and it's a great chance to talk to people at all stages.

 

[Bonita]

Hello Susie.

There are a lot of patients here that have had surgery at Walsall (check the Walsall Massive thread) but I don't think there are many here that have had their surgery done that long ago.

Walsall do an average of about fifteen patients a week and are considered the centre of excellence for bariatric surgery in the UK. Certainly compared to other hospitals their aftercare seems to be a lot lot better.

I don't blame you for checking out everything about it, thats very wise and something that all pre-op patients should do. Make sure you have compiled a full list of questions on paper and ask the consultant as much as you can pre-op because they do tend to push patients through on a bit of a conveyer system there and you might not get another chance. Another thing at Walsall, although the surgeons are superb as are the nursing staff. The appointment system and office staff leave a lot to be desired, so don't be frightened to chase appointments up.

I'm ten weeks post op, have had some problems but am on the winning side now and have lost over five stones in that short time too.

 

[Nezzy]

Hi I had my bypass done at Walsall about 6 weeks ago and have lost 44lb so far, I didn't have any problems (so far) so good luck with your wls

Take care

Anez xxxx

 

[fairyringuk]

I read an article in the Daily Mail about three weeks ago about Bariatric surgery and Dr Ahmed, a highly respected surgeon who works at Charring Cross Bariatric Centre and worked in America doing the surgery too said in the article that Laprascopic By pass now had a low mortality rate, which gave me some reassurance as like you I thought the 1 in 100 was very high
However remember that alot of the patients who undertake this surgery are very very large and with their co morbidities are at much higher risk, also these ratios are countrywide and not per area, so you have to keep an open mind.
I watched Fat Hospital, and FAt surgery on the Hospital health channel last night and the chap who had his op in England, by Shaw Sommers, who is another highly regarded surgeon, was told he had a 1 in 10 chance of dying, but that with0ut the surgery, he could be dead within a year, He was 26 stone, and very very large around the abdominal area.
He underwent his surgery and is doing really well, they filmed him 5 months post op.
I think we can all get caught up in figures it is scary and it does need considering.
I am 17stone but only 4'11'' and I have tried everything the last 6 years since I put on a large amount of weight before being diagnosed with thyroid problems, and I know I will be unable to lose the weight on my own due to decrease in mobility caused by arthritis in all joints.
I have worried and fretted over it, but Luton where I am being done, is a centre of excellence and the bariatric team very experienced so you have to balance the information and go from there
Good luck with your decisions

Jay xx

 

[zetacatty]

Hi Susie. My doctor referred me to Mr Khan at Walsall because he has been doing bypasses for over 20 years and is one of the foremost bariatric surgeons in the country. His standards, and those of his team, are very high. I think longterm you have to look at your likely problems if you stayed obese and weigh these against possible complications of surgery. I have diabetes - so does my friend and he's nearly blind now. Then there's asthma, lung conditions, heart conditions, fatty liver, joint pain and arthritis, osteoporosis, ...the list goes on and on and I really don't want that to be my fate. Deficiencies are easily checked with regular blood tests and, if necessary, vitamin B injections and extra iron. I know it's a concern at first - that's why research is so important - and you want to go into this with your eyes wide open but I think, on balance, this surgery is a gift! Best of luck, Mxx

 

[elffie01]

i have to say the complications are scarey for sure but the outcome of the surgery certainly, for me, outweighs (lmao silly comment) the complications.
Kind of rung home today when I was laying some laminte flooring, what should have taken me a day took 2 and Im stiff as a board, I ache like mad, all because I cant kneel as it hurts to the point of crying so took a heck of a lot longer. Bending over hurts my back and it hurts my stomach muscles to stand up then. So for me its a no brainer

 

[susiewonga]

Can I thank all of your lovely, and honest replies, they have helped me so much. I have looked at lots of facts and after spending the day with my kids tryin to keep up has put the nail on the head or hit it. I am going to go ahead as like so many of you say the problems that go with obesity far outwqeigh the op.
My anaethesist appointment is in four months and op january I have been advised so will keep a check on the dates so heres to getting smaller!

Thanks again and when get time will post my details and once I have figured out how to do that!!
me and technology do not go well

from Susie

 

[gaelic girl]

Hi Susie
I'm having a bypass next week, like you i was initially fearful of complications risks etc but what it came down to for me was that i am going to suffer serious health problems if i carry on putting on weight and i'm not getting any younger. Just wanted to say welcome to minis so many good people on here wishing you good luck with your journey and i'm sure you will make the right decision soon xx

 

[wannaloose18stone]

It's all about the after care !!!! Malabsorbtion is without doubt your biggest problem, you need to be ready to take long term care of yourself. Regular blood tests for the rest of your life are a must and a good balanced diet is also a must.
You simply have to weigh up which is your best option, continue as you are or go for it and live life the best you can enjoying each day you get. Remember that there's nothing stopping any of us getting hit by a bus or having a car accident or, or ...........
One thing is for sure, if you can't loose weight by dieting, and if your cosidering surgery then you can't and your health is suffering because of your weight then it is going to kill you, so surgery is almost certainly your better option, well I felt that it was for me anyway !!