Please compare C-section to gastric sleeve

[AugustW]

I'm looking specifically to hear from folks who had a c-section and how they would consider the recovery compared to the gastric sleeve surgery recovery.

In 2010 I had an emergency c-section (from in labor and pushing to in the OR and baby out was about 6 minutes). My scar was extremely well done and well placed, and even though it was an emergency, I would consider my recovery to be pretty great. I was up and in the shower within 12 hours and out of the hospital in less than 40. Once home, I was off pain killers in another 2 days. I did wear a stomach binder though, which really seemed to curb any residual pain.

So, overal I would consider my recover from c-section to be pretty easy, especially considering I had a tiny person to take care of at the same time. (single mom)

I'm hopeful that recovery from sleeving will be similarly decent, now that my tiny person is an awesome 4 year old.

My mother has offered to watch my kiddo for the 2 days I'm expected to be in the hospital, but timing-wise it looks like she will be going out of town about 4 days after that.

[greenmomma]

With the disclaimer that everyone is different, sleeve recovery was way easier than c-section in my opinion. Good luck.

[AugustW]

Oh yeah, everybody is definitely different. But thank you, I appreciate hearing from you. That c-section was really the only "major" surgery I have had, so it's all I have to compare to.

[StacyD]

Heres my personal take on this whole thing..... gastric is a walk in the park... This is coming from someone who had 2 C Sections

[Joe Poppa]

They are similar in the sense they are taking something out of you because of what you put in you.

[Jmichelle]

That's a good question. I have had two c-sections and gallbladder removal surgery. I recovered well with little pain after either of the surgeries, so I'm hopeful that the same will be true after sleeve surgery.

[Charmaina]

I had 2 c-section and gallbladder surgery and they were easy recovery. My sleeve surgery was December 19 and it was a hard recovery. But everyone different..

[clairep]

I was just talking to a friend yesterday about that very comparison! I recovered well from my 2 CS so I'm hoping that I will have a similar recovery from GS. I will find out on March 3rd!

[AugustW]

I can imagine that the sleeve recovery can be harder because you are also eating drastically less, basically nothing compared to what you were eating prior, where with the c-section I had Thanksgiving dinner with family 2 days after kiddo was born.

My real curiosity lays in how long it will take me to be able to get back to work. I told my manager I'm taking 2 weeks off, hoping it won't be longer than that. I work in a critical care clinic but I don't do any heavy lifting of patients are anything like that. If need be, they would gladly put me to work processing referrals until I felt like I could be up and about at my regular speed. (God is that job ever boring, but it might be just perfect post-sleeve work)

[lapopreston]

I had 2 C sections and this surgery is no comparison. It is an easy recovery. I had surgery Monday, home tuesday, off pain meds thursday. The best thing I found was to walk, walk, walk. Keep the gas off.

[Sonya75]

There is no comparison. C-sections hurt, I've had 2. The sleeve did not hurt like that at all. I just remembered being tired...they give you lots of pain killers but compared to the c-section I was over medicated for the sleeve but under medicated for the sleeve. They will not be cutting your muscles with the sleeve, just tiny cuts.

[mario]

Sorry for being a guy here, but I would think a c-section is tougher because of the size of the incision (assuming laparoscopic sleeve surgery). Though even with that, I had one incision that hurt like a mofo for the first couple of days when I coughed or had to get up out of bed.

[AugustW]

I welcome thoughts from guys too! Even if you haven't had the surgery, obviously haha. My incision was remarkably small considering it was not a planned c-section. But that's a good point comparing the cutting of the muscle and tissue compared to laproscopic.

Speaking of, off topic but I HAVE TO KNOW...where do they take the excess stomach out?

[KarenJean]

I had four tiny incisions (an inch?) and one larger one near my belly button (maybe three inches). They took my stomach out through the larger one.

I had incision healing complications because I'm immunosuppressed, and even with infected incisions, I had very little pain. I was up and walking the day of surgery. My only real surgery pain was a crippling migraine that lasted about 48 hours. I think just reaction to anesthesia.

[LGF0623]

I'd say comparable. Although the one big difference IMO was the first time getting up to walk with WLS was much easier than C-section. I remember with my C-section, when I got up, my abs were loose from where the baby was no longer there. My stomach sagged with gravity and pulled at the incisions. It was very painful! With WLS, I didn't experience major pain getting up. I was able to walk longer distances quicker.