Complications of Gastric Bypass Surgery
Some people may think surgery is a "quick fix" for weight loss but it may cause longterm complications.
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For those of you who are not familiar with Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery it is a procedure in which your stomach is cut at the end of the esophagus to form a small pouch. Then part of you small intestine is bypassed and by cutting it and reattaching it to the pouch. This limits the food intake and the amount of time food stays in your small intestine for the body to absorb fat.
When I decided to have gastric bypass surgery almost nine years ago, I thought I was fully prepared. It seemed as though my doctor had told me everything I needed to know concerning the procedure. Little did I know that he was just “sugar-coating” what I was really in for.
The doctor explained that just because I lost weight didn’t mean I was going to feel better about myself. I had to undergo a psychological evaluation to determine if I was prepared for the changes to come. I didn’t expect to nor did I want to look like a supermodel, I just wanted to be able to play with my children and live a normal life, to be able to do things that a person who weighs over 300 pounds cannot do.
On the day of my surgery my doctor had been called out on an emergency so another doctor performed my operation. Right before the anesthetic he asked if I was aware that I would have a significant scar down the center of my abdomen. I told him I was and that I wasn’t concerned with scarring. He never said anything about all of the excess skin I would be left with that would never tighten back to its original size, not that it would have deterred my decision.
Two days after I came home from the hospital my incision re-opened about three inches and when I tried to contact the hospital I didn’t get a response. I tried to close the opening with butterfly tape but it wouldn’t hold and I was left with a very nasty, infected incision.
I had read through all of the information that they had given me regarding the operation and I knew I would have to take a children’s chewable vitamin for six weeks afterwards to help me get the nutrients that my body needed. They didn’t tell me that I would need to take several supplements for the rest of my life.
They never told me that I had to be very careful when it came to sugar intake. I found that out the hard way when I was driving home from shopping one day and took a sip of my son’s lemonade. I immediately started to feel as though I was going to pass out and I had to pull over and buy some water to dilute the sugar I had ingested.
In the beginning I was losing weight too quickly because I was unable to eat. Every time I tried, I would vomit. My hair started to fall out due to not getting enough protein into my system. I was so fatigued that I could barely function.
I had to have surgery to repair a hernia due to my bowels ripping through my weakened stomach muscles.
After a few years I started to feel better, once my stomach pouch stretched out a little and I could eat more. I am now able to eat what would be considered a normal low-fat diet. I have to take a multi-vitamin, iron to ward off anemia, calcium to avoid osteoporosis, a B-complex and fiber tablet to counter-act the constipation from the iron supplement. After taking all of these medications for the last eight and a half years it has taken a toll on my liver and I am now having complications with that.
Now I am left to wonder if it was actually worth all of the problems. Sure I am thinner and more active now, but for how long?
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deep blue | Aug 11, 2009 | Reply
I’m glad you wrote this for indeed it will be a testament to take into consideration before taking the instant twist to becoming sexy. That’s the problem with doctors when they work like token driven machines incapable of explaining the disadvantages of a surgery. The medical community may indeed be entitled to its hypocratic oath to save lives not considering where one should suffer a lifetime about its false practices.
George W Whitehead | Aug 11, 2009 | Reply
I think I’ll stay overweight!
agriculi | Aug 11, 2009 | Reply
It sounds terrible, the doctors could have been more honest with you. This is a saver solution; http://healthmad.com/weight-loss/how-to-lose-weight-without-a-diet/
Leonardo davinci Evans | Aug 11, 2009 | Reply
How brave and kind you are to share your experiences with others. I hope you live long and prosper.
raman13 | Aug 11, 2009 | Reply
Good stuff. Thanks
rjyuggy | Aug 11, 2009 | Reply
Also, after the surgery, the stomach of the patient will look like a curtains with ruffles.
ceegirl | Aug 11, 2009 | Reply
man i wouldn’t go through this no way. i try 2 watch what i eat.
Payge | Aug 11, 2009 | Reply
I need to lose weight I will admit,this is why I got a job at a fitness center. And has never considered going that far but your story convinced me to lose it as I have been doing for awhile now.But can identify with you some,I had surgery once and the doctors wasn’t so honest with me neither.I think a quick fix as they call isn’t all its cracked up to be from reading this.Great article and well written.
gail | Sep 9, 2009 | Reply
I had the gold standard of bypass in may 2004….first three months were horrible, but I was lossing weight. It got easier afteer the pouch stretched. I discoveered I could eat most anything..bread seem to cause the most problems. I quit craving sweets and craved high protien foods…steaks, chicken, cheese, bacon ect. I didn’t have too much problems if i occassionally ate sweets. I started out at 253 at 5foot two inches and had some major back problems that prompted me to have surgery. I felt I was welll informed and ready. I did weel leveled at 140 pounds. Had alot of loose skin on my abdoomen but learned to tuck in in my pants like a shirt and in order to have to have a sense of humor, I lwearned to fold my loose skin on my stomach and could make it look like a fat cornish hen. Ha ha. I felt a ummy tuck would eventually save me from this. I then had car wreck and fracture my right shoulder…loss ten mor pounds…begginning to look a little anorexic. Back was reinjured and six months later another back surgery and another 5 pounds loss. Then disaster struck…had a 10 cm abcess on my right ovary that began to leak. Got very sick and disorienbted but no fever. My dr. thought I was strung out on pills…sent for to detox only to discover I had strep infection leaking into my pelvis. 11 days and 6 different antibiotics I fianally came home….six weeks later developed internal hernia and another surgery…almost losss 50 percent of intestines…two hours to spare saved me. This all occured aroud 4 years post op from the gastric bypass.. I now weigh 110 pounds and can wear a little girls size 12 1/2 plus size of jeans. I feel ulgy and deformed and no matteer how hard I try can’t seem to gain weight back. Taking vitamins, calcium and b12. My potassium seems to teeter on the edge of being low and blood sugar stays low as well as my blood pressure. The tiredness and fatique is awful, but I can’t believe I would feel any better if I weighed 253 again and I know would make my back worst. I felt good at 140 pounds still had curves and confidence for the first time in my life, now i am just skin and bones and feel awful most days….anybody with similiar problems or any advice all comments welcomed. I want my life back.
Paul | Oct 13, 2009 | Reply
My wife had this surgery by a Dr Macura In Staten island surgery in brooklyn about 9 years ago. WORST THING SHE DID ! had several operations and complications , first it was goldbladder operation they took it out ! then it was her intestines getting twisted up or something and she had another operation and almost DIED from that problem, then the vitamin defencey even though she takes her vitamins , she also has exploretory surgery at one point and couldnt find a problem, and TODAY she has lood in her stool and we are heading back in for god KNOWS WHAT! , DONT DO THIS TO YOURSELF YOU WILL BE KILLING YOURSELF SLOWLY ANYWAY I know other people with major complications , this is not a miracle its signing onto a slow DEATH! Please just find a way to have the courage to stay on or diet or stay as you are you will be better off OBESE ! and what they call unhealthy. LUV YOURSELF and good luck.
Cindy | Nov 11, 2009 | Reply
HI , my sister is , I am writing to to let you know my story is very similar to yours. my sister had this surgery and had the same problems your wife had. Is your wife well now?