Questions for 4+ years long-term post-oppers

[sundown]

Hi there

I'm hoping to scare up a few long-term post-op people here!

So, my reasons for looking into weight loss surgery (goals wise) are 100% health and 0% aesthetics. I don't give a tuppeny happeth if I can go from a Size 22 to a Size 10 or if I go from 'invisible to the opposite sex' to 'catching looks' - that side of life is wasted on me as I live in wellies, have never worn make-up and couldn't give a damn if every last man and woman on the face of this earth thinks I look like Shrek All that matters to me is that I can do the things I love (hiking for instance) into my later years and have as much time in my life being fit and independent rather than being a drain on resources and other people. That last part is particularly important as I have no kids, not much family and I'm pretty sure my other half is bloody minded enough to dare to die before me - so I'm banking on being a crotchety old lady living on her own with 101 dogs

With that in mind, the information that it seems to me is lacking from a lot of the info on the various WLS options is the long, long term effects of doing these things to our bodies. For instance, I'm reading that there's a disturbingly high percentage of problems with bands over the long-term that seem to be showing up in data now that we have people who've had them long term. I read a worrying report that there may be a fairly big increase risk of Esophagael cancer very long term from both band and sleeve due to increased acid reflux. Then there's the bypass - what are the very long-term effects of that, especially the malabsorption element and the need for the constant nutrient regime?

So I'd love to hear from some people who are a long time out from surgery - say 4 years plus - about whether their operation has caused any issues since and whether they think the trade-off with losing the excess weight was worth it and they'd do it all again if they could roll back time.

It's not the immediate post-op complications I'm worried about - all ops carry a big list of 'things that can go wrong' - but more specifically how the surgery has held up over a long period of time. I don't want to do something that helps me for 2-5 years and then all goes to hell in a hand-basket with the need for follow-up ops to fix bits and bobs as my guts slowly implode into a heap of punctured, sliced, stitched sorriness (sorry if that was too vivid an image...I'm not one for sugar coating).

 

[tranquil_butterfly]

There is a thread on here started for long termers and you may get more response if you post on there. I had a band for 4 years and revised to a sleeve. It is early days and I have a number of health issues that have arisen from both surgeries. I do not regret either op despite the problems because the reality is I would probably be dead now if I had not had either op. You have to decide what is best for you. It is a huge decision. It is so easy to not appreciate the impact of surgery even with all the research. I thought I had covered it all having gone through surgery once and then fighting for the second surgery, yet 7 months out and I still feel totally overwhelmed by what has happened. I know other major things have happened too but I completely underestimated the impact of the surgery on all aspects of my life.

I wish you well.

TBx

 

[Caroline jess]

I had a band for eight years and recently revised to bypass, my band failed to to slippage and acid reflux. Bypass has the most long term data because it has been in use the longest. If you want to go for the drs gold standard look at bypass, sleeve and band do not have the long term data to back them up. However I believe I caused my band to fail because the advice was not the same then as it is now. Sleeve has high success rates. BUT if you need to revise from a band you can have a sleeve and If you need to revise again you just end up having a bypass anyway, there is more info on this on the American forums. On my bypass not as much of the intestines were bypassed as my bmi was on the lower side. Good luck with your research its a minefield!

 

[Caroline jess]

But I do not regret either surgery, I would never have achieved half the things I have without them!

 

[LeahMellyMoo]

Hi sundown. I'm not sure I can give you all your answers. I am a long termer though. I had my gastric bypass RNY 12 years ago. I have had no complications that you speak of and also had a baby last year. Initially I had severe b12 problems but I wasn't eating correctly and been clear of that for years. I have no malabsorption issues. Yes I take a multi vit, iron and calcium everyday for life but that's it. It's important to get as much information as you can on the surgeries.

It's amazing the results you can have but its very hard work all the same. You can never eat or think of food in the same way again and that's what I miss the most. You have to eat carefully and listen to your body more than your mind. WLS will only never be a tool you can use rather than a long term solution.

Good Luck on your journey.

 

[sundown]

Thanks for your experiences everyone!

The B12 injections side of the bypass does worry me a little as I'm a previous sufferer of ME and had a year of needing monthly Magnesium and B12 injections as my body simply wasn't retaining either and my red blood cell Magnesium levels especially kept dipping really low (causing lots of nasty symptoms). I know that's a very particular thing I should probably raise with a surgeon if I consider the bypass.

Caroline - you're very right in that the long term data only really exists for the bypass. This is the problem is with many new procedures I guess; if they're less than 10-20 years old then you're essentially a guinea pig because you really don't know what effects on health there'll be a few decades down the road and it's whether that risk outweighs the risk of other health problems that may arise in the same timeframe due to carrying the extra weight.

 

[Mazza]

Hi long term bander here, six years out.

You've done your research and what you've found out can and does happen.

I myself am suffering with reflux, which if left untreated means I am at a greater risk of developing cancer. Unrelated to the band I also have a large epigastric hernia and the hospital I'm under are taking plenty of time deciding what to do with me (deep joy).

I am friends with a lot of long termers to include bypassers, whose issues are mainly weight gain. A fair few of them have regained around a third of their loss. Some have regained all. Some have developed reactive hypoglycemia, others are severely malnourished and considering a reversal. Then, as you mentioned there's the potential to be deficiant.

Of the sleevers I know, some have converted to a bypass (originally the sleeve was the first stage of a two stage process to a bypass, for the very, very over weight). Some are suffering with reflux and rarely but it can happen (we had a lady on here) leaks.

To sum it up, surgery is risky but so is being obese. If you have the chance to change your health for the better and live longer, for me it was a no brainer.

I'd still do it again.

Good luck on your journey xx