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Anyone else regret having surgery.

amimpannell

amimpannell

Member
I have had constant pain for over a year. I developed a stenosis and had it dilated twice. Gallbladder removal surgery and now the stenosis is back. Now a 3rd dialation is need. I regret this decision its been nothing but pain and suffering the whole time.
 
I am so sorry you are going through this. The reality is that sometimes there are problems. I was one of them and wound up having 3 surgeries back to back within 2 weeks time. I was not happy with bariatric surgery at that time, so I can totally relate to how you are feeling. Things worked out for me in the end though and I no longer have regrets. I hope and pray for you that you will make a full recovery and can then appreciate the benefits from bariatric surgery.
 
Nice to see you, ami.

Judy, AMI and others with post-op consequences:

This is something I'd like to learn more about.

If you had WLS and then had more procedures you attribute to WLS, could you explain in detail?

What HAPPENED? What single thing sent you back to the OR?

Was your surgery botched?

Was there a physical condition that went unnoticed that would have contraindicated surgery?

is there some other reason you shouldn't have had WLS?

Was there some kind of physical injury or condition after surgery that should have been prevented or avoided?

If you get the general drift of my questions, can you add to the pre-op information database for readers who might benefit?

WLS has an enormous rate of success, but several people here over the years have had horror stories. So I'm looking for links and rarerities to tell the whole story.

My story, in brief, is I told a surgeon I wanted WLS, he scheduled me for a week or to from then, Did RYGB & sent me home after several appointments with a nutritionist and a bunch of rules & opiates, and after a few rocky days, I went out for my first social gathering. I lost 35 lbs the first month, 25 the second, 15 the third, and another 75 over the next 11 months.

Here's BEFORE and after pics:
3482

3481


3480


No complications. Developed colitis 2 years ago. I'll be 70 in July. Still maintaining my weight. Still so grateful I got a second chance.
 
I don't know whats truly going on. I have had experienced pain from day 1. In and out of the hospital with dehydration. My insurance changed and needed a new surgeon. I was sent to get an endoscope study done the doctor performing the study stated that it was a rare complication and wrote in the report that dilations and stenting won't work and i needed revision surgery.The Surgeon im seeing dose not know this doctor so dosen't trust the report. So I was sent to get dilations 2 times in October and was told I would be better. After each dilations I started to have seizures like episodes. that stopped with in 2 days and only happened after stretching. I don't have a history of seizures and they where saying its stress.I still had pain and was told they don't know why. Then my Gallbladder acted up in October. Was put on antibiotics and sent home. in December I had emergency Gallbladder surgery. After the removal I could not drink or take any medication without sever pain. I was not treated for this complication. They sent in the students and they did not want to run any test because they said it was to expensive and they didn't want me to be in more pain. I have been calling telling the doctors Nurse practioner I'm in bad pain then they sent me for a new swallowing study. I'm being told that they can't really help me because of COVID-19 right now. They have other patients who have complete blocking stenosis and they are basically on a feeding tube and waiting to get treatment. So I'm very discouraged on the receiving help from this teem.
 
AMI, do you have any other medical groups who can see you? I dont think you're getting proper care, and perhaps there's another underlying condition not being treated. I would first speak with the hospital ombudsman (as I did when a hospital was letting my brother die by their poor treatment of him), and would also call a personal injury lawyer. You are being jerked around and there is a medical intervention that will step in if they fear malpractice. My brother would have died if I hadn't raised holy hell. He did eventually die, but his bitchy sister made the hospital so miserable, there was suddenly a team of doctor's on his case, several life-extending procedures and RESPECT he was being denied because they didn't see the point of trying harder to extend his life. He lived 8 more years and I promise you, my constant oversight of their care terrified them into working harder to give him those years.

You deserve to be 100 percent well, like the 99.9% of us do after WLS.
 
amimpannell said:
Thank you. I have been advocating for my self but with Covid-19 and being in Los Angeles most appointments are phone xall even if I'm asking to be seen in person.
Click to expand...
I am also in SoCal, AMI... I don't know what your situation may be related to transportation and such, but here in Riverside, you CAN still get into live appts with docs of all types. I highly recommend Dr. Perez at Riverside Medical Clinic if you have the opportunity to get this way.
 
dianeseattle said:
Nice to see you, ami.

Judy, AMI and others with post-op consequences:

This is something I'd like to learn more about.

If you had WLS and then had more procedures you attribute to WLS, could you explain in detail?

What HAPPENED? What single thing sent you back to the OR?

Was your surgery botched?

Was there a physical condition that went unnoticed that would have contraindicated surgery?

is there some other reason you shouldn't have had WLS?

Was there some kind of physical injury or condition after surgery that should have been prevented or avoided?

If you get the general drift of my questions, can you add to the pre-op information database for readers who might benefit?

WLS has an enormous rate of success, but several people here over the years have had horror stories. So I'm looking for links and rarerities to tell the whole story.

My story, in brief, is I told a surgeon I wanted WLS, he scheduled me for a week or to from then, Did RYGB & sent me home after several appointments with a nutritionist and a bunch of rules & opiates, and after a few rocky days, I went out for my first social gathering. I lost 35 lbs the first month, 25 the second, 15 the third, and another 75 over the next 11 months.

Here's BEFORE and after pics:
View attachment 3482
View attachment 3481

View attachment 3480

No complications. Developed colitis 2 years ago. I'll be 70 in July. Still maintaining my weight. Still so grateful I got a second chance.
Click to expand...

Okay as Diane requested, I'll try to condense this and then I will also post it to the pre-op section....

I hesitate to tell my story because there are so many people that can benefit from this surgery and won't have a single post surgery problem. And I would hate for what I have to say stop someone from having this surgery because of what happened to me. But as they say no surgery comes without risks and I suppose it is better to know in advance what could happen, even if it is a rare one, like mine. If hearing about such things makes you too nervous then I suggest you don't read the following. Just know that in the end, as of the writing, I know I did what I needed to do so that I, at age 66, can live the rest of my life healthier and happier.

I had VSG June 25, 2020. All went well with the surgery, I had an old Lapband removed and a hernia fixed at the same time. Went home as planned the next day. I don't remember being in too much pain, Tylenol was all I needed for about 3 or 4 days. On the 5th day I noticed one of my incisions looked infected. It started to bleed, there was pus and it smelled. Called my surgeon and he had me go right in to his office. He tried to squeeze the infection out, bandaged it up and said to come back in 2 days which was my normal 1 week check-up. (Note: looking back I am curious why he didn't start me on antibiotics immediately).

Day 8, July 3rd. Woke up feeling like I was going to pass out. I knew something was very wrong and I couldn't wait until my afternoon doctor appointment. Woke my husband up and suddenly my breathing was labored so 9-1-1 was called. Blood pressure was very low. Testing done in the ER showed I had Sepsis. I was sent into surgery to clean the wound out and put into ICU I think for about a day and then moved to a regular room. Was kept in the hospital until July 11th.

July 11-12 (sometime around midnight), got up to go to the bathroom and collapsed on the floor. It took a while for my husband to hear me yell for him as he was still up watching TV. I was far worse than I was the last time 9-1-1 was called. Blood pressure extremely low. At this point I remember going into the ambulance but nothing past that point. I had internal bleeding which they did emergency surgery for. I was intubated which I have no recollection of and was apparently out for some time (days?) while in recovery or ICU. I just know at some point I was in a regular hospital room extremely out of it. My husband said they almost lost me. Remember this is all during Covid, so no visitors in the hospital. Aside from some phone calls which I was terribly groggy for, I had no other contact with him or other family members. I know the team of doctors faithfully came every morning at 6:30 am but I had such a hard time comprehending. The first time I was asked to sign something, I couldn't even figure out how to write. My brain was messed up. So were my kidney levels and who knows what else.

July17, time to be discharged, but from all the surgeries and from constantly being on an IV I had 40 extra pounds of weight since my surgery on June 25th! Who has WLS and gains 40lbs the 3 weeks following? And I couldn't be put on diuretics because my kidney function was off. I literally had no mobility. With help, I could use a walker and get myself to the bathroom but I could not lift my water logged legs into bed. I had no strength to do that. So I needed to go into a rehab center.

Rehab Center: What a joke! If it hadn't been for Covid, maybe it wouldn't have been so bad but I was quarantined to my room. You all know how walking is so important post op. How was I to get my walking in? I was now able to use a walker ok, by myself but couldn't leave my little room! There were no accommodations for me to keep my legs up to help with the swelling. After 6 days of rehab it was time to go home and get some REAL rehabilitation. We were having a visiting nurse and PT/OT come to the house. I was finally able to be prescribed a diuretic and lost 1-2 lbs daily but it took weeks to get back to normal.

Up until this point, I was regretting WLS big time. What had I done to myself? What had I done to my family? I did almost die. I even had one of those dreams like you see on TV or in the movies when someone is "just on the edge". It was horrible. But then.... finally.... my health had gotten better. I was blessed with a second chance. I knew that while this almost cost me my life, the actual stomach surgery did not have any problems like leaking. My tool was working now and doing a good job. I was starting to get energy back that I haven't had in years and years. Before I knew it I had lost 118 lbs. I still have more to lose to get to my goal but I am thankful every day. I am glad I had the surgery because I could have died without it. No more regrets.
 
amimpannell said:
I have had constant pain for over a year. I developed a stenosis and had it dilated twice. Gallbladder removal surgery and now the stenosis is back. Now a 3rd dialation is need. I regret this decision its been nothing but pain and suffering the whole time.
Click to expand...
That is sad to hear that you are going thru so much pain. My only regret with the surgery is that I did not do it sooner. If I had serious underlying medical conditions I am sure that I would not have had a positive experience.
 
Before the surgery i had diabetes, sleep apnea,and arthritis. No serious underlying medical condition. I had lost 62 pounds before the surgery and 52 pounds after. Since day one i have had issues drinking anything from warm tea to protein shakes. I was lucky to drink 1 16 oz bottle of water and 1 4oz of protein shake down a day. most of the time i throw it back up. When I drank anything it would hurts once it gets to the stomach. Water burned the stomach for 8 months. Then after a endoscope was told I had a stunosis. The doctors dilated it to 20 cm. My stomach still hurt. The dr said they didn't know why mabey it was Chondoritis. then a month later had the gallbladder removed. Couldn't drink eat or take medicine for 4 days because the pain was so bad. Been asking to talk to my dr because of the pain for over a month. every appointment has been canceled because of the high numbers of Covid-19 in Los Angeles. Now I can bearly eat or drink any thing. I'm dehydrated and want to go to the er but scared of getting covid. When I drink or eat anything it has me folding over in pain and I'm trying hard not to throw it up. was in the er 3 times in the first month for dehydration. been vomiting at least twice a week or more for 55 weeks. Since October I have been to the er 3 times the first time the pain was so bad and I couldn't eat or drink anything with out vomiting it up. They did swallow studys and a dialation of the stomach. I had seizing like episodes for 2 days after the procedure. They tried to tell me that stress was the issue. but hears the issue. When I had bad stomach pains again 2 weeks later they gave me antibiotics for my gallbladder and did another stretching of the stomach. and again I had the 2 days of seizing. and was told it was due to stress. But before this I have never had seizing episodes in my life. I know what they are. My sister has epilepsy. I have only had them twice and it has always been with in 24hours of having my stomach stretched. The 3rd hospital visit last month I had my Gallbladder removed. I couldn't drink or take medicine afterwords. I was on the tramas service instead of the Beriatric team. I had to beg the doctor for iv fluids. The nurse had to bed too. I was bearly producing urine. They wouldn't give me the iv fluids for 24 hr after the surgery because it wasn't procedure. I was so dehydrated tat I could bearly lift my head. They finally gave the fluids. They asked for Beriatric to consult but never came to help me. They can't tell me whats wrong. and didn't want to run and tests. Because it was going to be expensive and cause me pain. for a month every time I eat or drink it hurts. This truly sucks to be in pain and have no help to relive the pain.
 
So I whent to the er on Thursday. Got a endoscope study and another dialation on Friday. Now I'm seizing again. They don't know why. Have to wait until Monday for a swallow study. and now being told I have a kink in the middle of my stomach and the stenosis is right above it. anyone know what that is
 
So now I'm home. My new beriatric dr sat down and explained alot to me before discharge. She explained that I still have a stunosis in the stomach. They did a very aggressive dialation so now fluids pass down easily. The curvature is something they can't fix at this point. She compared it to a curved penis and that it still will function like its spose to even with the curve . She wants my stomach to heal. I most likely will need revision surgery of some sort but not now. She straight up told me that there would be a high rate of mortality and definitely more serious complications if I had the surgery anytime soon. She dosen't know of many surgeons who would be comfortable to work on a recently dilated stomach let a lone one that has had 3 less than 4 months. I just want this nightmere to be over.. I'm very tired of not feeling well.
 
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