Beware Gastric Bypass with stapeling!

suzanne4, RN · Jan 10, 2004

I have worked in the OR for many years in room doing bariatric surgery. I much prefer the open belly over the laparoscopic method. I have family members that have had this done and they have their life back. Yes, some people no matter how much they attempt to diet or exercise are not successful at it. Sometimes you just need to grab the bull by the horns and do something about it. All of the surgeons that I have worked with doing this procedure do not accept any person that just walks into their office thinking that this will be a quick fix. There are alot of sacrifices to be made. If you are considering having this procedure done, do your homework first. Do not just pick the first doctor who you notice in th eyellow pages. Talk to his/her previous patients. And do a web search. They can be quite handy. And this information you can give to any of your firends or family that is considering the procedure.

Good luck to all of you.

bestblondRN · Jan 10, 2004

The arguments pro and con for WLS are all valid. It is truly an individual decision that needs to be made with full knowledge of the lifestyle changes required and the potential for complications, including death.

I have fought my weight all my life. I have had sustained periods of normal weight which required severe calorie restriction and heaps of exercise to maintain. It all went to hell when I went on steroids in 1995 for disc/compression problems in my thoracic and lumbar spine. I am now in my mid-40s and have mild to severe degenerative changes throughout my spine, including cord compression and severe lumbar stenosis which makes it difficult to walk. Standing stationary for a minute or two produces bilateral leg numbness. It ain't pretty, that's for sure.......which leads to my argument for WLS. I am at a point where cardio exercise, except water exercise, produces more injury and pain. I've gained about 50 pounds over the past 3 years, and am hypertensive on meds. I am 280# on a 5'9" SMALL frame--literally DOUBLE what I should be. I realize there are no guarantees, but I think reducing my body weight to a reasonable range would alleviate a lot of my spine pain and compression. I am also hoping to experience the other physiological and psychological benefits. It's like I am trapped in car that is functioning poorly and on it's way to the mechanic to be fixed.....just hoping I'm gonna' make it that far!

I remember being a thin person. I remember walking into a room and having heads turn. I remember being able to go out and run a 10K marathon and swim a mile. I remember being able to go out and shop for size 8 instead of size 22. I am not a lazy fat slob who sits on the couch all the time eating cheeseburgers and bonbons. I work full time, deal with my pain as best I can, do my back exercises, and eat a balanced diet. I feel that the WLS tool is what will help me able to acheive some sense of physical wellbeing again. Do I expect miracles? No......I realize it will be a long road post-op. Still, I feel that it is my best option at this point. I don't think this is a surgery that should be done without meeting the criteria established by the ASBS--it has way too much potential for complications. 'Nuff said.......I'm getting off my soapbox now.........

sweet thing · Jan 23, 2004

Hi! New to this site and was browsing the messages. Bariatric surgery is a high risk operation. Did these patients do research on their surgeons and the hospital? A good surgeon has support meetings before a patient makes the first appt. to see him/her. He or she should explain the surgery benefits, as well as, the possible complications. He or she should also be honest enough to say if he has had any complications or deaths. Sometimes the complications can be caused from co-morbidities. The bariatric surgeon should also be up-to-date on his or her training. The patient should also talk to other post gastric patients. They should also investigate the hospital and who are the primary nursing caregivers who usually cares for the bariatric pts. Ask the surgeon if he has is own surgery team, if not, how often are the surgery staff are rotated through their room and if they are on the job trained or has went through special training.

I know a bariatric surgeon and his staff. I would not hesitate to recommend him at all. He is an excellent surgeon and a wonderful family man.

FranEMTnurse, CNA, LPN, EMT-I · Jan 23, 2004

I have fought my weight all my life. I have had sustained periods of normal weight which required severe calorie restriction and heaps of exercise to maintain. It all went to hell when I went on steroids in 1995 for disc/compression problems in my thoracic and lumbar spine. Originally posted by bestblondRN

I know exactly what you mean. I went on the steroids in 1997, and now I have to live on them due to COPD. My body weight has more than doubled, and I too used to be lean and healthy. Unfortunately, I'm not a good candidate for GBPS. The risks are too high. So now I just do the next best thing. Enjoy quality of life as well as I can.

Humor definitely helps:D