whoops....such a noob!

[von]

When I queried it with my surgeon, he told me that it is pointless having it, due to the weight regain straight after removal and therefore he won't consider using it anymore.

Also as it's a foreign body in the stomach. he said a lot of patients can't tolerate it and as the body tries to reject it, the patient becomes very sick.

Sorry for the doom and gloom but this was info from an eminant bariatric surgeon.

 

[hsmel]

Agree totally with what Von has just said - that is what was said to me in no uncertain terms. I was initially looking for a 'temporary' way to lose weight then keep it off myself . . but why I really am not sure as I have lost and gained more lbs over the years than I care to remember!! I then wanted the band (again because in my head it could be removed if there was an issue!) but ended up a bypasser.

I am so pleased I went down this route - I do not feel hunger but I eat well to live, but I no longer live to eat. RESULT!! Good luck whatever you choose but I went privately and eventually was convinced by both my consultant and a good friend on here that there was no way I would manage without the more permanent solution of a bypass. I am pleased financially and health wise that I made this decision.

 

[magicbeans]

When I queried it with my surgeon, he told me that it is pointless having it, due to the weight regain straight after removal and therefore he won't consider using it anymore.

Also as it's a foreign body in the stomach. he said a lot of patients can't tolerate it and as the body tries to reject it, the patient becomes very sick.

Sorry for the doom and gloom but this was info from an eminant bariatric surgeon.

hmmm will talk about this with Dr. Ashton next week. thanks

Agree totally with what Von has just said - that is what was said to me in no uncertain terms. I was initially looking for a 'temporary' way to lose weight then keep it off myself . . but why I really am not sure as I have lost and gained more lbs over the years than I care to remember!! I then wanted the band (again because in my head it could be removed if there was an issue!) but ended up a bypasser.

I am so pleased I went down this route - I do not feel hunger but I eat well to live, but I no longer live to eat. RESULT!! Good luck whatever you choose but I went privately and eventually was convinced by both my consultant and a good friend on here that there was no way I would manage without the more permanent solution of a bypass. I am pleased financially and health wise that I made this decision.

but dont u need to make that effort urself one yr down the line anyways.... someone on here said that no matter what u get done u have to be the one who gets off ur backside and make effort to lose/keep weight off.....ultimately isnt that what im doing here.... after a yr making sure i keep it off?

not being argumentitve...just confuzzled!!

 

[Grace]

hmmm will talk about this with Dr. Ashton next week. thanks



but dont u need to make that effort urself one yr down the line anyways.... someone on here said that no matter what u get done u have to be the one who gets off ur backside and make effort to lose/keep weight off.....ultimately isnt that what im doing here.... after a yr making sure i keep it off?

not being argumentitve...just confuzzled!!

Yes you have to get off your backside and make the effort....but the bypass/sleeve (in my opinion) is the right tool to help you do it. And its there as a permanent tool. There's making the effort.......and then there's going it alone!
Without the right tool....back to square 1....but £s rather than pounds lighter..............
..........Because you've lost your tool and are back to just will-power. If you could lose your excess weight on will-power alone...why have anything done?

 

[magicbeans]

I do see what u guys are saying and thank you for ur concerns....but i dont think im ready for the bypass..tbh the lady i spoke to said i was borderline to have it..ie needed to be heavier...also im a big fat scaredy cat! this balloon seems like a big step to me....

so thanks guys..i will ask some of the questions and concerns raised in this thread to Dr. AShton on thursday but i do feel the Spatz is for me.....and i will try keep a diary on here so that i stay focused...this place does help u do that!

thanks

 

[von]

As you are really not happy about the bypass or sleeve, and your BMI is below 40, have you considered the POSE procedure? Admittedly it's fairly new in this country but has been done successfully in the States for a while now.

The important thing is that it is non invasive, is reversible but unlike the balloon can stay in for ever (as far as we can tell at the moment).

I found out about it from the Nuffield Leeds and read up as much as I could and have decided it's right for me. I shall have the procedure done beginning of April.

It might be worth you having a look as an alternative? and there are plenty of details on the internet.

 

[dawny]

magic beans, when you have a bypass, yes, the optimum time for weightloss is the first year or two, but, it dosnt just stop working, its there for life, things just slw down thats all, so in order to speed things up again, you do more exercise etc. i would look into the POSE procedure as von suggested, there are a few ppl who have had it now, just google it, or look on the BOSPA site.

 

[weeble]

The reason I chose the band over the bypass was the exact opposite of what everyone is saying here. I believe it is more permanent as you have the option of continuing to adjust it as the years go on. Additionally, although not as invasive as a bypass, it's still major surgery and not to be undertaken lightly. And there is the issue of stretching with both the bypass and the sleeve. I did a lot of research and, if you work your tool, weight loss from the band and the bypass are quite similar after 2-3 years. There is also the risk of regain with any form of weight loss surgery.

I was also very concerned about the lack of long terms studies on the impact of such malabsorption. The bypass as we know it now is still relatively new and there are no studies that show how the malabsorption will affect us in 20 years.

I think you have to make the choice that you feel is right for you - and there is not a right or a wrong choice.

Whatever your choice we are all in this together and can support each other through the battle without making each other feel we have made the wrong choice of surgery.

magicbeans - you have to do what you feel is right. I will just tell you that two of my friends had the balloon at the same time as I did.

One had to have it removed after six weeks - six weeks where she nearly died from malnutrion and dehydration - as she couldn't keep anything down at all. Now to be fair we had a very poor service from our provider and they didn't take her seriously until she was rushed to intensive care by an ambulance.

The second one had no restriction at all after four weeks and lost just two stone over six months (and she was 27 stone at the start).

I personally had no restriction after 6 weeks - but was in the dieting zone. I was also very very ill for a week as I had a reaction to the balloon - something like severe sea sickness. I had to lie in a darkened room for five days - couldn't read or talk or watch tv - and was vomiting constantly.

It did wear off but it was truly awful.

I wouldn't want anyone to go through what we did which is why I am sharing the stories with you.

Hopefully, someone will come along who has had a good experience with the balloon and share it with you to balance this out.

 

[Deets]

When i started researching weigth loss surgery, i initially was looking at the band, as that was all i had heard of.

after much research (was over 6 months) i decided the sleeve was right for me. It felt like the middle of the road for me. The band felt to fussy, and the bypass seemed too extreme, so sleeve it was.

I am loving life with my sleeve! I can pretty much eat as i wish, just little amounts.

I would advise that you do as much research as possible and are completely honest with yourself and your eating habbits.

good luck Beany x

 

[weeble]

I think that's it Deets. You have to do your own research and do what is right for you. I had never heard of the sleeve until after I had had my op. I might well have considered it.

 

[Deets]

are you getting on ok with the band Weeble?

x

 

[lucyh]

There's such a lot of sense talked here. Personally I know my eating issues would be cured with a balloon - they're much more deep seated. It had to be a major fix!

 

[lucyh]

Sorry meant to say Wouldn't be cured with a balloon

 

[magicbeans]

thanks von....had a google of POSE and read ur WLS thread about it.... u r looking at a 3stone loss roughly...pretty awesome. good luck with ur surgery...not far at all!

weeble im so glad u posted as well....very supportitve Everyone is saying im doing the wrong thing and the stories do sound awful.... but i'm not doing the obrera ballon...this is the SPATZ..its new and fully adjustable so if u become resistant to it u go back and they fill it up more to increase resistance.

the sickness thing i hope i dont get it too bad but they estimate u will lose 5.5stones in a year on this...which is very appealing.

guess these are my reasons for doing it...POSE would defo be second choice, dont think the company i chose do it.... but will look a little more into this.

 

[magicbeans]

Sorry meant to say Wouldn't be cured with a balloon

lol.... ikwym.... i was 11and half stones had number 1 went to 14st 4lbs, lost about 8lbs doing WW, had number 2...got to 16 stones....lost 2 stones with Paul Mckenna, then had number 3 and been around 15stones 7 and 16 stones ever since (she is 14months old)

Sounds stupid but i have maintained at not going over 16stones.... i sort of stop being ann idiot and if weight goes over 15stones 10lb im all focused for like a week! haha....

I'm hoping i can get to a healthy weight and post balloon when i start creeping up bottle down again and maintain....

 

[zarafa]

I was also very concerned about the lack of long terms studies on the impact of such malabsorption. The bypass as we know it now is still relatively new and there are no studies that show how the malabsorption will affect us in 20 years.

Sorry, just a correction to something Weeble said - the Gastric bypass is NOT new, it's one of the oldest weight loss surgeries there is. It was first performed in 1954, and there is LOTS of research on the effects of it long-term.

It is precisely because doctors have seen the after effects of it long term, that they take so many precautions with patients now and make sure to follow up their progress. They've also significantly reformed the way that the procedure is carried out, to make it less dangerous and to avoid some of the issues with the earlier procedures.

 

[magicbeans]

Sorry, just a correction to something Weeble said - the Gastric bypass is NOT new, it's one of the oldest weight loss surgeries there is. It was first performed in 1954, and there is LOTS of research on the effects of it long-term.

It is precisely because doctors have seen the after effects of it long term, that they take so many precautions with patients now and make sure to follow up their progress. They've also significantly reformed the way that the procedure is carried out, to make it less dangerous and to avoid some of the issues with the
earlier procedures.

WOW! really had no clue about that...what were these previous effects that they are now getting around...?have googled long term effect of gastric bypass with little success

 

[zarafa]

The findings of research are generally in medical journals, not in websites. I just used google scholar (which searches academic journals) and put in "Gastric bypass long term" - I got over 37,000 results.

The earlier procedures had a higher rate of mortality due to higher malabsorption rates. One thing that has been changed is the amount of intestine to bypass - the longer the amount, the faster you lose weight, but also the higher the rate of malabsorption. These days, surgeons have figured out that the safe amount is between 1-1.5m. There are other developments too, that was just one example

 

[magicbeans]

The findings of research are generally in medical journals, not in websites. I just used google scholar (which searches academic journals) and put in "Gastric bypass long term" - I got over 37,000 results.

The earlier procedures had a higher rate of mortality due to higher malabsorption rates. One thing that has been changed is the amount of intestine to bypass - the longer the amount, the faster you lose weight, but also the higher the rate of malabsorption. These days, surgeons have figured out that the safe amount is between 1-1.5m. There are other developments too, that was just one example

wow u thorughly researched it hey! scholar looks way too full of terminology but if u r gonna make such a big decision then u might as well do it properly.

I dont qualify for the bypass....but could gain a stone (SO EASY!) and then get it done...but i'll see how i get on with this new balloon. thanks though...will research more about spatz using google scholar.

 

[zarafa]

It wasn't all me - I had an awesome surgeon, who answered a lot of questions at my surgeon consultation prior to my op. The hospital I had my surgery at is also the only hospital which has been awarded centre of excellence for Bariatric surgery - they do tend to do things the whole way

Good luck with whatever you choose, I hope it works for you