Risks of Death, Dying, Passing away from the Sleeve - Hearing of deaths from Gastric Bypass
I heard news of a local man (that I knew yrs ago), that passed away last week from complications after a Gastric Bypass. One of my supervisors told me this week that she had the Gastric bypass 4 yrs ago, and 'almost died', was in a coma, etc.. Another aquaintance said that she had a major bleed after her Bypass, too... All of these things are reasons I have always said that I would NEVERRRR have Gastric bypass surgery.
Fast forward to me hearing about/learning about the Sleeve in late January of this year. Immediately, it was as if Angels sang. Wow, that sounds 'do-able' to me. Less invasive, less risky.. And, not even 2 months later, I have done all the pre-things (all but one last day-long session to prepare us for surgery and after) and have a date to be Sleeved!
Should I be scared??? I've not let all of this scare me, but... It is something I wanted to ask your opinion or thoughts on. Does anyone, or has anyone, died from having the sleeve surgery?
I think I read that there is like a 98% success rate with the sleeve, as far as no complications??
Thanks!
Re: Risks of Death, Dying, Passing away from the Sleeve - Hearing of deaths from Gastric Bypass
I wouldnt be scare of dying but I wish I never considered this, for me its been a total nightmare. I looked on here and never saw any bad things said so I
thought it was ok. Boy was I wrong.
I am 3 mo post op and I cant keep any food down still as I vomit everytime I eat as if I was anerexic. Sure Ive lost weight but who wouldnt. Im often
hospitalized for poor nutrition and dehydration and have had every nasty test they could do to me and guess what -they say there is nothing wrong with my
sleeve that sometimes this happens. So sucks for me as I have to go and get a pic line inserted every month or so to get my nutrition until it works itself out.
Not what I was signing up for. I wish I would have just stuck with the pre-op diet as that was working.
Re: Risks of Death, Dying, Passing away from the Sleeve - Hearing of deaths from Gastric Bypass
There are risks with any surgery.
And with WLS, patients are many times even higher risk because of weight, heart problems, high blood pressure, diabetes, among other things.
These are all things to keep in mind when considering sleeve or any other surgeries.
Re: Risks of Death, Dying, Passing away from the Sleeve - Hearing of deaths from Gastric Bypass
I wasnt scared til right before.... but everyone is different. I havent had any issues. i came out of it, was in a lot of pain ( some people dont have a lot of pain but i did) and i was out of work for 1 month ( i had already planned that though bc my job is pretty active) and with time i was fine. I have never feared really that I was gonna die, except for being scared right before surgery. I remember coming to and being like am I ok?? to the nurse! LOL she was like yes youre fine haha. Any surgery is scary. and there is ALWAYS the risk of something happening.. but thats the decision you have to make. You either want to stay the way you are, and either try to just lose weight without surgery, or get the surgery and be OVERJOYED LOL... i know everyones wasnt as great as mine and i really feel for the people, but you'll never know unless you have the surgery! it's been 4 months and i'm down 75 lbs as of today. i have went from a size 26 jeans to a 20. ... and the 20's are already loose. I think I was MORE excited to go into Old Navy and be able to try on a pair of jeans and them fit than ANYTHING else... its like I cant even explain it. I cant say its not tough, because I thought the commercials on tv of food alone would kill me the first 2 weeks LOL, but 4 months out, i LOVE it... I only have issues if I eat too much of something I will DEF throw it up... but i really dont TRY to eat too much lol, sometimes it just happens. I really hope if you feel its right for you that you go through with it and i'd tell the same to anyone else... only regret that it wasnt sooner! :)
Re: Risks of Death, Dying, Passing away from the Sleeve - Hearing of deaths from Gastric Bypass
I have had no problems. Cold liquids made me pretty nauseous at first. But thats better. I did learn to measure my food. They said 3/4 a cup for a meal. That's too much for me. I can only do 1/2 a cup. If I ONLY eat that half, i feel fine. Full and no pain. Im so glad I did it.
Re: Risks of Death, Dying, Passing away from the Sleeve - Hearing of deaths from Gastric Bypass
Buffy, I'm sooo sorry that you are having so much trouble - more than trouble! - with your sleeve! I really hope that with time, it will get better for you. I, too, don't see too much 'bad stuff' with the sleeve. As I said, I heard angels singing when I heard about it. I've gone full steam ahead with everything and feel like this is right for me.
No one goes into it thinking anything bad will happen, but, we know some do have complications, etc.. I just put it in God's hands. I ask Him to guide the surgeon's hands, and for me to have the strength and knowledge to use my "tool" in a way that will help my life and body to be healthier.
Thanks guys!
Re: Risks of Death, Dying, Passing away from the Sleeve - Hearing of deaths from Gastric Bypass
Diane I completely understand where you are at right now. I too decided against Bypass due to the risks and complications. Weather it was dumping syndrome, malnutrition, surgical complications ... you name it ... none of it sounded like risks or realities that I wanted to take on. When I first heard about VSG from my primary doc, I thought there had to be a catch. I did tons of research, decided it was for me, and with the exception of a couple months delay getting started because my insurance company initially did not cover them, It's been incredibly smooth sailing.
It is good for you to gather as much info as you can up front. Make sure it's balanced. There are groups out there rabidly opposed to any kind of WLS. Go to their sites and you'll read some awful stories, along with conjecture on why no one should ever consider any kind of WLS including VSG. Go to other sites and all you'll ever hear is how great the procedure is, how its virtually complication free, and you'll lose every singe extra pound you ever gained.
The fact is, as you have already seen in the first 4 or 5 responses of your question, the truth is somewhere in between, and you will have to decide for yourself.
Buffy is having a tough time ... its very real, and it happens. My heart goes out to her, and I pray she moves past this stage she is at now and finds success and good health soon. We have people who have had similar struggles post op in the support group I attend. They have been very sick for weeks or months following the procedure for one reason or another, that in the end, were acts of nature. Some are getting better, some are still struggling.
I will tell you that I have had the exact opposite experience as Buffy and those others I spoke of in my support group. I was walking within hours ... out of the hospital with little pain beyond gas 24 hours after leaving surgery ... and attending high school basketbal games within 4 days. I have lost 92 pounds, 13 BMI points, elminated my march towards Diabetes, cholesteral problems, drastically reduced by sleep apnea issues, and eliminated all back and knee pain. I had no food tolerance issues, and the only real complication I had which most get, was pretty bad acid reflux that is completely controlled by medication. It is the single best decision I ever made in my 43 years of life, next marrying my wife.
You are not gauranteed any outcome. As such gather as much information as you can so you can see what the range of possible outcomes may be ... don't ignore the bad experiences ... or the successes ... because they don't fit into your template of what you want or expect. Process them both. Get as much info as you can, and talk to your doctor, maybe a therapist, and as many other patients as you can, to help you come to the right decision for you. If there are support groups offered through your surgeon, or in your area, for bariatric patients I strongly recommend going. The worst thing I think anyone can do is make a hasty decision. It's a huge life change for sure, no matter whether you have complications or not. For me, everyone of them has been worth it ... but they may not be for you.
Best of luck in your decision making ... whichever way you go, I hope you find great health and happiness soon!
Re: Risks of Death, Dying, Passing away from the Sleeve - Hearing of deaths from Gastric Bypass
Thank you everyone! And, thank you, David, for your very detailed response. :)