Wusang

Thanks for all the replies. I am an optomist at heart but the posts about complications was concerning to me. Doesn't matter anyways because I have already had my surgery and so far not a complication to speak of whatsoever therefore HAPPY. Guess I should of read some more positive ones first. I am looking to attending some of the support meetings in my area soon.

akagdis

I have posted this in November 2009 Staplers so my apologies if I am breaking protocol.
I first started reading TT forums and saw many stories of people who have had great success, but they were mostly between 1-3 years out. I started wondering about people's successes after that time frame.

My surgery is 11/30/09 and I guess what is freaking me out at the moment is reading some people's long term complications stories. I realize that there are probably statistically few who do have these (certain vitamin deficiencies, gall bladder probs, kidney stones) but you don't get the sense of that when you visit the fourms. I am talking about way into the future 5, 7, 10+ years out. That scares me, makes me think 'what I am I doing to myself'.

I am aware that all surgeries have complications but basically I am a worry-wart. I can't help worrying about the possibility of problems happening vs. not knowing the probability of them happening. I am an analytical person so does anybody know the statistics of some of these long term complications?

I am glad that some of you longtimers posted, so it is true that many that have had long term success don't necessarily visit TT anymore?

-Alex

poet_kelly

I think about 30% of people who have RNY develop gall stones, but that usually occurs within the first year, when you are losing a lot of weight rapidly. It upsets the balance of cholesterol to bile salts or something like that. However, there is a medication called Actigal that greatly reduces your risk of developing gall stones. Ask your doc about it.

I read some study that said something like 30% of people who have RNY have at least one nutritional deficiency by three months post op and something like 98% of people have at least deficiency by two years post op. If I remember correctly the people in this study were taking regular multivitamins, not bariatric vitamins. The point of the study was that regular vitamins are not sufficient for RNY patients.

However, I know that people who take bariatric vitamins can still develop deficiencies but I do not know what the percentages are. For instance, I use bariatric vitamins and take extra B12, but my B12 is still on the low side right now. Not dangerously low, but low. And my vitamin D is quite low, and that is with taking an additional vitamin D supplement. To be honest, I find the nutritional deficiencies to be pretty scary.

Those are all the statistics I have. You might want to ask your doctor for some additional stats. Although I wonder if collecting stats on long term problems might be somewhat difficult, because it seems like many long termers stop going to the doctor for regular follow up care. Like, I see posts sometimes by people who are five or seven or nine years out and haven't had labs done in several years for whatever reason. So who knows if they have problems or not?

I think the reason may long termers don't post on WLS boards anymore is because they are doing fine. Mostly people post here in the beginning because they have lots of questions and are going through lots of changes and want support. But as life goes on and people get used to living with their RNY and figure things out, they don't have as many questions or feel as great a need for support. So they start spending more time living life and less time hanging out on the boards.

Now, if they have problems, people get online to look for answers. So you see more people with complications posting.

Kelly

__________________
RNY 11/4/08

surgery/current/goal
270/147/130

cali4ialuv

Six years out from Lap RNY. No complications! Healthy and happy! It does get complicated at times being this dam sexy. I can't stand myself! I'm joking, life is good!

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__________________
Tina
June 30, 2003
LAP/RNY Dr. Callery
Surgery Date 294
Tummy tuck January 30, 2009
Current 152

Wusang

Couldn't agree more with poet kelly, people who are chugging along complication free are less inclined to be on the board seeking answers as to why they are so happy.

Throw a complication into the mix and people get scared and look for answers on sites they know may have them and tah dahhhh this site is on their list and they post away seeking the answers they need to what might be their problem. Sometimes that is all they need other times it is going to need a medical intervention, just depends on a lot of things


That is why I originally posted in the first place, same concerns as you have, I had. Hang in there.

Jeanie

LOL I love it!

__________________

Lap Dr. Callery
July 7, 2004
Savanna Annmarie was born on 10/14/2008

Corrine

I've had the gallbladder thing and some adhesion issues (a risk with any surgery), iron defiency (had that prior to WLS) and a few ups and downs with vitamin D levels but nothing that hasn't been sorted out.

The bigger picture for me is that as of this moment in time - I'm alive and kicking and not in pain and I look gooood! lol

I dread to think of where I'd have been without WLS. My future without it was pretty grim.

__________________
.....

~~~~~~~~24 Sept. 2007 - Lap. RNY & umbilical hernia repair
27 Oct. 2008 - Emergency Surgery - omental mass,
gallbladder, adhesions & appendix

..260 / 224.7/ 111
highest/surg./now
BMI 18.5...5'5"

watfam4

It's a pretty sobering thought, particularly for us long-term post-ops. If I did not have WLS 4+ years ago. How much would I have gained?? How many more health problems would I have?? Would I even be here??...scary

__________________
Jim

RNY Surgery date - 06/08/05
Highest/Pre-Op Goal/Current/Post-op Goal
470/265/235/??

akagdis

I posted yesterday about me freaking out about the complications of GBP surgery. Thanks to all that have responded, it made me feel a lot better with the decision I have made to go thru with it. I sympathize and my heart goes out to all that have had complications, both minor and major. I ask about if anybody had any statistics about the different complications and guess what? I found what I was looking for, right on the TT website! Here is the link if anybody is interested:

Gastric Bypass Complications | Gastric Bypass | Weight Loss Surgery

If anybody else thinks that this would be helpful info, please pass it on (or i will if it is alright)

-Alex