Bariatric Surgery

[mm54943]

Has anyone ever had bariatric surgery done for weight loss? I'm strongly considering having it done this summer.

What was your experience? Did the weight stay off? Any improvement with medical issues e.g. Hypertension, diabetes, etc.)

 

[candcallen]

Which procedure, there are 3 or 4 now plus variations.

 

[mm54943]

Which procedure, there are 3 or 4 now plus variations.

I'm actually in the process of scheduling a consultation to find out which is best.

I'm looking into sleeve gastrectonomy and lapband

 

[innominate]

This area is definitely not my area of expertise. Don't all of these procedures require a diet regimen you are suppose to follow after surgery? IMO one should try to follow the post surgery diet requirements for a couple months before making a decision to have the surgery. You might find that simply following those requirements and starting an exercise program help you loose weight.

I know 3 people that have had the sleeve procedure. One has kept the weight off. They follow the diet and they actually run marathons. The other, I do not know their weight before the procedure, but they are heavy. The other just recently had the procedure so we will see. Simular results with people I know that have had the lap band.

I believe the results vary depending on your commitment to follow the diet and exercise post procedure. But if you're willing to do that after the procedure why not follow that lifestyle and not have surgery. I also understand this is a very difficult thing for many people. I wish you good results in your journey.

 

[Grumps21]

No personal experience, but I don’t think it’s a one and done thing. There’s some work after the fact, similar to quitting smoking I guess.
Guy at work was morbidly obese. He was shorter than me, so best guess 5’9”-5’11, had to be 400#. Had the procedure, and no kidding within a year he had to be down to 250# just before Covid. The way his clothes fit, they were holding in the loose skin. Skin tone was much better and by all appearances he looked much healthier. Really, a totally different person. Covid hit, and we worked from home for two years. We are back in the office now part time now, and I saw him for the first time again last week. He isn‘t as trim as he was the last time I saw him

 

[vmax]

Has anyone ever had bariatric surgery done for weight loss? I'm strongly considering having it done this summer.

What was your experience? Did the weight stay off? Any improvement with medical issues e.g. Hypertension, diabetes, etc.)

The surgery gives you a head start on fixing the problem of eating too much food...thats all it does.

A friend had the lap band done and kept throwing up at every meal because he kept trying to eat the same amount of food

They fix it so you can't eat too much to begin with. But I've seen people with some procedures end up overweight again in a few years because they never changed their eating habits.

I lost 90 lbs 5 years ago and kept it off without surgery so did @Hoji
It can be done with discipline and support

If you choose the surgical path don't go to one of those drive thru places for God's sake ..where they run you thru like cattle...

Talk to alot of people who have had it..
(Like you are here..good on you)

I wish you nothing but the very best in your journey

 

[ZX9RCAM]

They fix it so you can't eat too much to begin with. But I've seen people with some procedures end up overweight again in a few years because they never changed their eating habits.

Ditto.

 

[skfullgun]

Dr. Nowzaradan?

My g/f used to watch that reality show, 600# something... Funny thing is, she is borderline UNDERweight and has always had an eating disorder. She sees herself as fat.

 

[cajunautoxer]

The procedure will help you lose weight fast. The people that I know who have had the surgery all gained their weight back with in 2-3 yrs. You have to make the decision that you will change your eating habits. It's a life style change you have to keep. The exwife use to watch that show about overweight adults. I think the doctor in the show lives in Houston. IIRC the patients had to lose some weight and keep it off before he would do the procedure.

Last Feb I had my yearly checkup and a lot of my labwork came back indicating several issues. I decided to quit smoking and change my eating habits. My weight was 290lbs and it had dropped down to 235lbs now. I did not lose the weight from working out or cardio. Just slowly changing what I ate. For me my BP never went down so I am still on hypertension meds. My issue is heriditary. In my 20s I was working out 4 times a week and doing cardio the other days. I'd say walking 20 miles a week and I still had to stay on BP meds.

I actually have an appointment with my PCP to discuss increasing one of my hypertension meds.

I am glad that I changed my eating habits instead of relying on excersice. I was t-boned by a drunk driver and he SCREWED my back up. I now have 5 bulging and 3 herniated disc due to the other idiot.

 

[Kayt00]

No personal experience but my wife had it done in 2001, before we met. Does it work, absolutely, but in her case it's not been problem free. Since she and I have been together, 10 years, she's had two abdominal surgeries, one where her gut flipped that almost killed her and the other to have a revision done because the initial surgery left a fistula that was causing her to throw up everything.

Since her surgery, according to her, her gag reflex has increased dramatically and food texture will make her throw up regardless of how it tastes. Basically, she can tear up a fillet but a rib eye will make her blow chunks because of the fat content.

She had roux-en-y gastric bypass done and my indirect experience with it is not positive.

 

[TheDan]

I had a coworker that's had it done. He's also one of the fattest people I know. He doesn't really like to talk about it, but from what he's told me he lost some weight, but then gained it back. He still eats terrible food, but can't handle eating very much of it. You don't want to be anywhere near the bathroom for a significant amount of time when he takes a shit. It's horrific...

 

[tsugsr]

I have many coworkers who have had various forms of weighloss surgery. As said above, those that stick to the lifestyle/diet change keep the weight off and have the fewest issues. Had one that kept trying to eat too much and of the wrong foods and was always miserable.

Have you tried other options first? And seriously so? I lost 30 pounds strictly following keto for three months, gained some back because I lost the discipline. As previously suggested, try the diet plans for a few of the surgery’s and see which you can actually stick with.

 

[Geezer]

My wife had the RNY Gastric Bypass but not for weight loss. It's the same surgery as weight loss but, her's was because part of her stomach stopped working.

She followed the Dr's orders and has done great. She can only eat so much at a time and if she goes over the line, she gets sick and throws up. It took her a little while to find that line and now she knows when enough is enough.

Like anything else, it requires self discipline.

 

[Mowingmaniac 24/7]

One male cigar smoking acquaintance was out of control obese - had the full bariatric surgery done. (don't know the precise title, but it wasn't a lapband type)

He died a month after the surgery. He was only in his late 30's early 40's.

A woman I know had the lapband surgery. She hasn't lost any weight as she continues to consume in mass quantities.

As mentioned, the procedures alone won't make you lose weight.

You have to cut way back on eating to see any progress.

 

[deemus]

My cousin had it done. She lost 110 lbs. Can't eat meat, so protein has to come from other sources. She mostly drinks her protein. Protein2.0 which is available from Amazon. She had some problems but I don't know specifics. Drastic diet changes.

 

[Brains]

Don't have first hand experience, but my observation of others I know who did echos the comments here. Long story short, if you can't perform the forkendectomy and spoondectomy procedures on yourself, it won't ever work. Probably make things worse. If you can change your diet and behavior permanently, bariatric surgery will help you hit your goals faster but perhaps not better.

Long story short, nothing is free. There's no shortcut to being healthy.

 

[Katydid1984]

I don't have any personal experience, I know people who have had it done though. Every person I know that has had it done ended up gaining the weight back after a few years. I've had several family members and friends have it done.

 

[scgstuff]

As posted above (and I know everyone's situation is different so YMMV) I just changed my intake and exercise. Started with cutting out sugar in drinks (only water...lots of water and 1 gatorade in the morning) and sweet snacks. Then reduced my sugar intake until it was minimal and added salads for lunch pretty regularly. Started walking, then doing 5Ks, then 10Ks.....added some jogging in while walking. Lost 60 lbs. Started back on softdrinks a couple days a week....sweet snacks occasionally and it was too cold for me to walk (not really, but made for a great excuse) and I have gained 30 back. I really need to get back to it.

 

[bbbass]

My wife had the RNY Gastric Bypass but not for weight loss. It's the same surgery as weight loss but, her's was because part of her stomach stopped working.

She followed the Dr's orders and has done great. She can only eat so much at a time and if she goes over the line, she gets sick and throws up. It took her a little while to find that line and now she knows when enough is enough.

Like anything else, it requires self discipline.

One of my best friends lost 2/3 of his stomach due to a parasite ingested from eating raw fish with lime (on the boat) during a fishing trip near Cabo.

His post op experience the same as your wife... can't eat much at all and can't eat certain things. Still likes his sushi tho. His poor wife had a kidney transplant and no more sushi for her due to some restriction by her transplant docs.

 

[ZX9RCAM]

I loved ceviche in Cozumel.