Bariatric Surgery Outcomes

nicole81

Tue, Jun 05 2018, 7:12 am

jjudithc wrote:

That is just horrible. Sorry to be naive, but by bypass, is that the staples one? The stomach staple?

I'm seriously getting "sick to my stomach" reading some of these outcomes. You hear of "possible complications," but........

Both the bypass and the standard sleeve involve stapling of the stomach.

nicole81

Tue, Jun 05 2018, 7:19 am

jjudithc wrote:

Oh no! What percentage?

I believe I've read that the post 5-year outcome is an average of 50% of the excess weight loss. It's important to understand what excess weight means though. If a healthy range for a given BMI is anywhere from 122-140 (for example) then the excess weight is anything over 140. If someone weight 300 lbs and has the surgery, on average, they will have maintained a loss of 80 lbs after five years. They're still 220 lbs which is way healthier than 300, and may have reduced other weight related complications, but they're still not a healthy weight according to BMI charts.

Then of course there are people who defy the average in both directions for various reasons.

I agree with naturalmom, don't have the surgery to be thin, which may or may not happen.

amother

Smokey

Tue, Jun 05 2018, 8:26 am

My husband had weight loss surgery about 13 years ago.
He is very happy that he did it and always encourages people to do it if they need to loose a lot of weight. He was then a single buchar and he was only being suggested girls with problems because he was so overweight. He is currently about 15 pounds over his personal ideal weight Which I think is better than the average man.
In the past 13 years he only got sick once from it. It was because he was low in iron. When he had the surgery done they told him that he will need to take iron pills the rest of his life but he does not want to take iron pills so he did not take the iron pills. Since that one time that he got sick from being low iron, he goes to medical facility once in 2 months getting iron through I.V.
He is very happy that he did the surgery.

jjudithc

Tue, Jun 05 2018, 9:44 am

nicole81 wrote:

Thanks, Nicole81! And also about the stapling part. I need to stop picturing staples from a stationery store as well. Rolling Laughter

ladYdI

Tue, Jun 05 2018, 12:54 pm

I had the band done 10 years Ago. Down 100 pounds. Look and feel amazing. I do still have some times when I can’t eat but still say it’s the best thing ever. I see most ppl regaining weight from bypass and sleeve after 5 years and some bodies that look distorted. Band is the only one thAt can be adjusted easily. For some reason the insurance companies and drs r not recommending the band as much anymore but I hear it’s a financial reason.

amother

Burlywood

Tue, Jun 05 2018, 4:34 pm

amother wrote:

Well if I eat more than half a sandwich on dense bread it can be an issue. I can’t eat more than 1 slice of pizza. My weight is very stable and I’m very happy with my band.

I heard that with gastric bypass etc. you lose weight faster but then regain. Also much of that weight loss is lean tissue, but the regain is fat. With the band it takes a few years but you get the same weight loss and don’t regain. That said, I know someone who had the band and lost nothing. She eats tons of chocolates and ice cream, which go down fine. I eat those too but not enough to regain.

I know several people who’d had lap band, and they gained everything back and more, and others who lost some weight but vomit constantly after eating even slowly and the right foods....yuch.

shiaeisen

Tue, Jun 05 2018, 4:37 pm

ladYdI wrote:

No it’s brcause it has a very low percentage of weight loss and keeping weight off....plus having to adjust band, and vomiting are the disadvantages. I’ve seen too many people a year or two after that surgery have gained it all back!

shiaeisen

Tue, Jun 05 2018, 4:39 pm

amother wrote:

I had bypass. It was a complete failure after a couple of months. I can eat everything I ate before with no volume limits. It was incredibly painful and left me with permanent side effects. They offered to fix it for me. No thank you.

What side effects?

shiaeisen

Tue, Jun 05 2018, 4:40 pm

amother wrote:

I did the band about 7 years ago. Lost about 90 lbs in 6 months which I maintained until I had another child after about 4 years with the band. I gained about 20 lbs then which I've been trying to lose ever since, but still 70 lbs down after 7+ years is a success in my book...

Something I noticed with women I know who had the lap band....their legs (calves) remain very very heavy and look so out of proportion to their thinner bodies.

amother

Burlywood

Tue, Jun 05 2018, 4:42 pm

amother wrote:

AIUI, the sleeve actually diminishes hunger, while the lapband does not. One prominent doctor tells patients that "if you're an A+ person on Weight Watchers, the lapband will work for you. Otherwise, its not likely to." If I were an A+ person on Weight Watchers, why would I need to consider the lapband?

That said, I know people who have been very successful with the lapband. But at a cost. Its not that they have to stop after 1/2 a sandwich, its that eating enough challah for motzei is a struggle, and one simply cannot. It means that one person regularly has to excuse herself after appetizers lest she vomit -- and she's not always successful in keeping herself from doing so.

Lapband is no longer state of the art, and isn't even recommended in most cases anymore.

Lap band is more recommended for people who have less weight to lose and the sleeve is for more obese....

amother

Cerulean

Tue, Jun 05 2018, 5:31 pm

ladYdI wrote:

The bypass and the sleeve both stretch and loose efficiency over time. They are also the most invasive and non reversible.

The insurances prefer them to the band (which in long term some doctors feel is more effective) because they don't require as many follow up appointments. (the band does).

All of these procedures are tools to help you loose and keep the weight off. However they do not loose the weight for you and they are not magic. But if you work with them they do the trick.

I along with several members of my family have the band and have had it for several years 7+. It takes time to get to the right place but once you do there are very few problems. Of course if you eat too fast or too much, you will feel sick. There are some foods that are better than others consistency wise but even those you can eat once in awhile if you eat slowly.

You can also eat around the band, ice cream, potato chips, cookies etc and not loose weight, but thats not the bands fault.

It will only work if you change your eating habits and relationship towards food.

amother

Tangerine

Tue, Jun 05 2018, 5:44 pm

amother wrote:

I'm glad it worked for you.

But as I said, I know people with very different experiences. People who cannot eat so much as an ounce of bread without it getting "stuck."

Not everyone has these issues. But its wrong to suggest that "everyone" has the positive outcome you have.

amother

Cerulean

Tue, Jun 05 2018, 6:39 pm

amother wrote:

I am sorry if I made it seem that it is easy and for everyone. It was hard work and it took a lot of work and changing of habits.

amother

Tangerine

Tue, Jun 05 2018, 6:46 pm

amother wrote:

I am sorry if I made it seem that it is easy and for everyone. It was hard work and it took a lot of work and changing of habits.

That's not what I mean.

Of course its difficult to change eating hablts.

But people have severe complications. There are people who experience regular nausea and vomiting, even following the instructions perfectly.

And there are other complications.

Your rosy picture was that if you follow the instructions that won't happen. But that's not true for a significant number of people.

nylon

Wed, Jun 06 2018, 2:19 am

The band is the easiest to sabotage, the least invasive, and is declining in popularity. It also results in the least weight loss.

The sleeve gastrectomy is growing in popularity because unlike RNY bypass, it is not malabsorptive and only changes the stomach, but produces greater weight loss than lap band. It also produces good results with type 2 diabetes (lap band does not), indicating that the stomach restriction has a positive effect on T2DM as well as the malabsorptive component. RNY still has better success rates, but the cons are the potential for dumping and the diet must be more strictly controlled. Because it's malabsorptive, you also need vitamin supplements.

The fourth surgery you may hear of is BPD/DS aka duodenal switch, which is the most complex surgery with more potential complications. I know two people who had this with great results (and it has the highest rate of weight loss and reversal of T2DM and hypertension) but few surgeons do it.

amother

Brown

Wed, Jun 06 2018, 8:12 am

amother wrote:

The bypass is the most effective over time except for the switch. The bypass eliminates many stomach enzymes. These enzymes trigger hunger. They also shorten your intestines. I have no idea why the poster thinks the bypass is not reversible. I was specifically told it was.

The switch is more effective but more dangerous. You can't eat meat again and you must be grossly overweight. This is for the patients who are like 700lbs.

jjudithc

Wed, Jun 06 2018, 3:45 pm

amother wrote:

You can also eat around the band, ice cream, potato chips, cookies etc and not loose weight, but thats not the bands fault.

amother wrote:

The switch is more effective but more dangerous. You can't eat meat again and you must be grossly overweight. This is for the patients who are like 700lbs.

Okay, so I'm hearing a theme of certain types of food are not okay after the various surgeries. This is good to know! I don't know what my relatives specific preferences are or if there are trigger/comfort foods that she would have to give up forever lest it kill her. I'm all for moderation, but I have no idea how difficult it is to be morbidly obese! It just seems a little scary: it's one thing to say "don't cheat on a diet," another to add, "it could kill you."

Specific question for you all: DH had a co-worker years ago who had very bad digestive problems. I think it was something Crohn's-related? NOMB and didn't ask. She had to have a few surgeries and was told by docs, under no circumstances can you eat vegetables/fruits/anything fibrous. I remember her being so sad. Sad

Do any of these surgeries put restrictions on veg/fruit intake?

I'm grateful for all these responses. The more details the better. I promised I wouldn't share my family member's situation, so I can't give you her specifics, but I appreciate everyone who's willing to IY''H help another frum lady with her struggles.