Re: Problems after Surgery

[Guest guest]

That should be your choice. But, Lap has fewer complications and a much reduced chance of wound infection.

Hmmm I've head the other way around...that lap has less pain but can have more complications due to it taking longer...but i think it comes down to what is important to you in your surgery and recovery. I am going open because I want my dr up close and personal with my organs...LOL He also doesn't think its that safe yet to do Lap on all patients so only does it on certain ones. I respect that decision. So you should do what you are comfortable with and what fits your needs!! LAP has been great for many people!

~~* AJ *~~

BMI 59

Surgery date 7/24/01

going self pay - Dr Baltasar Spain

Check out the

Bellingham Support for WLS

WWW.lookin2bthin.homestead.com

[Guest guest]

has anyone had to suffer with uncontrolled nausea that has made their life unbearable wishing they never did this in the first place..help

karen

[Guest guest]

has anyone had to suffer with uncontrolled nausea that has made their life unbearable wishing they never did this in the first place..help

....

You have really had it rough. I think though you're focusing on the wrong thing. Try to focus on getting your liquids and some food in. Give yourself a goal everyday towards feeling better. Your poor body after 2 surgeries so close together is really in shock...and you're just going to take longer to reap the benefits of it. I really hope you feel better soon...I know its

hard to think positive when you feel horrible all the time.

~~* AJ *~~

BMI 59

Surgery date 7/24/01

going self pay - Dr Baltasar Spain

Check out the

Bellingham Support for WLS

WWW.lookin2bthin.homestead.com

[Guest guest]

At 4:50 PM +0000 7/4/01, flnana2@... wrote:

>I am trying to find out which way is better lap or open. I need to

>know if it is true that when you have it lap that there is more

>instances of people having problems after surgery Like hernia,

>blockage and or infections?

Just the other way around.

>My surgery is scheduled for August 13th and Dr booth is doing it lap.

>But I really am leaning the other way now.

That should be your choice. But, Lap has fewer complications and a

much reduced chance of wound infection.

YMMV,

Steve

--

[Guest guest]

same here....there have been more complications with lap than open and the benefits of open are much better such as less time under anesthesia and a clear field of vision so they can really see what they are doing, etc. chances of infection inside are much greater with the lap.....

Judie

Re: Problems after Surgery

That should be your choice. But, Lap has fewer complications and a much reduced chance of wound infection. Hmmm I've head the other way around...that lap has less pain but can have more complications due to it taking longer...but i think it comes down to what is important to you in your surgery and recovery. I am going open because I want my dr up close and personal with my organs...LOL He also doesn't think its that safe yet to do Lap on all patients so only does it on certain ones. I respect that decision. So you should do what you are comfortable with and what fits your needs!! LAP has been great for many people! ~~* AJ *~~ BMI 59 Surgery date 7/24/01 going self pay - Dr Baltasar Spain Check out the Bellingham Support for WLS WWW.lookin2bthin.homestead.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------

[Guest guest]

Lynn, I don't have any research, but I felt more comfortable doing the open

procedure. There are many successes with both, and complications as well. In

my personal experience I have 2 close friends who had the lap surgery, and

one of them almost died, and now has permanent brain damage. The other one

had a leak and a really bad infection. She was in and out of the hospital off

and on for the first couple of weeks. She is doing great now. I have another

friend who just had lap RNY last Monday, and she is doing great. With my

size, I wouldn't have been comfortable with the lap procedure, but it works

well for many people. Good luck with your decision.

Kim

Dr. Anthone USC

DGB/DS open 4/18/01

-64lbs.

[Guest guest]

I believe that you both are correct in differnet ways. The chances of

leakage leading to infection may be greater in LAP than open if not

done properly. The chances of wound infection, hernia, etc. are much

greater with the open due to the huge incisions that must be very

carefully cared for and the muscle tissue that is cut. There are

risks with both. It is especially important to check out the record

of a surgeon and if he/she has had a history of complications. The

point about time under anesthesia is very true. This is why some

surgeons are doing the 2 part procedure in higher risk patients.

> same here....there have been more complications with lap than open

and the benefits of open are much better such as less time under

anesthesia and a clear field of vision so they can really see what

they are doing, etc. chances of infection inside are much greater

with the lap.....

[Guest guest]

You will find people praising either lap or open DS depending on their own choice. There are pros and cons to each. The complications from each are almost identical, just greater chance depending on the procedure.

You are under anesthesia shorter time with open ( mine was 1 1/2 hours), so there is more chance of complications from a long anesthesia time with lap.

With lap they need to do a leak test, not so with open. They can check for leaks before closing. If you develop a leak, it could cause further operations.

Lap is usually a shorter recovery time because you don't have an incision to heal but, we all have the same insides that need to heal.

As for shorter hospital stays, mine was only 4 days including the operation. I don't know what the standard lap stay is.

The amount of pain depends on the person. I have a high tolerance and experienced very little pain. I've heard people on this list who had lap describe unbearable pain.

If not having a scar is very important to you, you may want the lap. You only have a couple dimple like scars after they heal.

As for hernia, there is more chance with open, but you can get they with lap too. The nurses showed me early in my stay to either hold a pillow on my stomach when I coughed, or to simply grab across my incision. The point is not to strain the healing muscles, this is what causes the hernia.

There must be other reasons, what you should do is make a list of what is important to you and then decide.

Rita Black10/17/2000 First Consult. Dr.MacuraOpen BPD/DS 4/23/20014/23/01 - 400lbs. BMI 635/1/01 - 391lbs. BMI 615/22/01 - 368lbs. BMI 586/21/01 - 360lbs. BMI 5550 lbs. gone

[Guest guest]

Hi Judie

Wow....I'm getting confused now...seems it just depends on each person's experience because some of you say yes to more complications with lap and some say more with open....I thank all of you for your comments but I guess this is gonna be a close call....I honestly want this surgery...my health demands I try to do this, but I don't think I could deal with a large incision...Heck, when my kids get a cut I almost faint...and this is from a woman who's mother wanted her to be a nurse LOL....Anyway, I understand about a better view during open and not being under as long is a definite plus...but after reading the emails and researching more...I'm gonna try for the lap...I'm 5'6" and about 310 so hopefully it should not be an issue because of my weight.

thanks

Cindy S

[Guest guest]

Hi AJ

Silly but I realize what a chicken I am. I don't think I could deal with an incision.

Cindy S

[Guest guest]

Silly but I realize what a chicken I am. I don't think I could deal with an incision.

Dont' look at it that way...we all have things we can and can't deal with...I'm finding that I'm stressing about the little things more than the big things. My worry is getting out of the enema before surgery because I find it degrading...not the incision...LOL We all have the little wierdo things that are a problem. You are the one that knows what is the best for you and your sense of well being. So don't apologize....be true to yourself so when all is said and done, you're happy and healthy...because that truly is all that matters.

Take care

~~* AJ *~~

BMI 59

Surgery date 7/24/01

going self pay - Dr Baltasar Spain

Check out the

Bellingham Support for WLS

WWW.lookin2bthin.homestead.com

[Guest guest]

> My worry is getting out of the enema before surgery

> because I find it degrading...not the incision...LOL

ENEMA?!

OH YUCK!

I think I'd rather be cut in half and sewn back together with twine.

But as you say, we all have our little " issues. "

(;

Tom

Panniculectomy, Dr. Anthone, 11/10/2000

Open DS, Dr. Anthone, 03/30/2001

11/10/2000 . . . 386

03/30/2001 . . . 360

04/19/2001 . . . 338

04/22/2001 . . . 334.5

05/03/2001 . . . 328

05/14/2001 . . . 319

05/18/2001 . . . 316

06/03/2001 . . . 301

06/15/2001 . . . 299

06/25/2001 . . . 293

07/03/2001 . . . 286

100 Ugly Pounds, GONE FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

USC DS Support Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ds_usc>

[Guest guest]

According to the information presented at the recent Bariatric Surgeons

conference, there is a " learning curve " for lap WL procedures. After a

surgeon has done about 70 of them the post op complication rate is lower

than that of the open.

Choosing an experienced lap surgeon is very important.

in Seattle

----- Original Message -----

> I am trying to find out which way is better lap or open. I need to

> know if it is true that when you have it lap that there is more

> instances of people having problems after surgery Like hernia,

> blockage and or infections?

> My surgery is scheduled for August 13th and Dr booth is doing it lap.

> But I really am leaning the other way now.

>

> Anyone with any research out there on this?

>

> Thanks

> Lynn

>

[Guest guest]

lynn,

i was planning on having lap surgery; however, after

reading all the posts, i think i've changed my mind.

i'm not too concerned about having a bikini figure so

i don't really care about the scar. my biggest

concern is the anesthesia - i don't want to be under

any longer than necessary. i don't mind spending a

couple of extra days in the hospital!!

--- flnana2@... wrote:

> I am trying to find out which way is better lap or

> open. I need to

> know if it is true that when you have it lap that

> there is more

> instances of people having problems after surgery

> Like hernia,

> blockage and or infections?

> My surgery is scheduled for August 13th and Dr booth

> is doing it lap.

> But I really am leaning the other way now.

>

> Anyone with any research out there on this?

>

> Thanks

> Lynn

>

>

>

----------------------------------------------------------------------

>

[Guest guest]

At 7:29 AM -0700 7/5/01, jo ann young wrote:

>lynn,

>

>i was planning on having lap surgery; however, after

>reading all the posts, i think i've changed my mind.

>i'm not too concerned about having a bikini figure so

>i don't really care about the scar. my biggest

>concern is the anesthesia - i don't want to be under

>any longer than necessary. i don't mind spending a

>couple of extra days in the hospital!!

Of course, if your incision gets infected, you'll spend even more

time in hospital. But, I am sure that you weighed that factor into

your decision, also. So, good luck and best wishes for an

uneventful surgery and a quick recovery.

--Steve

--

[Guest guest]

> i was planning on having lap surgery; however, after

> reading all the posts, i think i've changed my mind.

> i'm not too concerned about having a bikini figure so

> i don't really care about the scar. my biggest

> concern is the anesthesia - i don't want to be under

> any longer than necessary. i don't mind spending a

> couple of extra days in the hospital!!

My Lap DS was one of the first performed by Drs. Rabkin and Jossart, in

October 1999. I knew that it was likely that my time under anesthesia

would be substantially longer than in Rabkin's standard open DS

procedure. When I asked Delphine about the risks of longer anesthesia,

she told me that it really didn't become significant unless operative

time approached 8 hours, which as we know if highly unlikely. My Lap DS

took somewhere between 4 and 5 hours. I don't know if it's the long

anesthesia, but I breathed and tasted these awful vaporous fumes coming

out of me for about 24 hours after my surgery. I think the nausea that I

experienced during that first day was in large part due to that. After

the fumes were out of me, and I was off the dreadful morphine (one of my

first conscious requests: " Get me off this morphine! " ), the nausea

abated and I started to feel human again. I can deal with pain, quite a

bit of pain, but take away that nausea! Ugh. By day 2, I was off the PCA

pump entirely and using oral Darvocet only.

Anyway, that long story was meant to say that unless there's any reason

to expect a SUPER LONG drawn out Lap surgery, the risk level really

isn't that much higher. The lap also has a lower risk of infection,

since your " raw " tissues are not open to the room for several hours as

they are in the open procedure.

The bottom line is that there are trade-off for either option. I was

fully prepared and willing to undergo the open DS, and though I would be

having it done that way. As luck would have it though, Dr.

Rabkin/Jossart adopted the Lap DS while I was waiting for my surgery

date to arrive, so I jumped at the chance to have it done lap. The fact

that Dr. Rabkin is a lap expert with many years of experience, and

Jossart was a fellow of Dr. Gagner, made it easy for me to opt for their

Lap DS in spite of the fact that I was one of their first.

M.

---

in Valrico, FL, age 38

Starting weight 299, now 156

Starting BMI 49.7, now 26.0

Lap DGB/DS by Dr. Rabkin 10-19-99

http://www.duodenalswitch.com

Direct replies: mailto:melanie@...

_________________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

i had the ds in two parts and i had mine done lap i

was out of the hospital in one day and up and about

without any problems but in moderation the second day

after my surgery i was back to work in two weeks and i

haven't stopped since and you can barely see where he

went in i had two c sections and i have a permanent

scar so if i had to choose i would prefer lap you heal

faster

--- lookn2bthin@... wrote:

> In a message dated 7/4/01 10:52:13 AM Pacific

> Daylight Time,

> steve-goldstein@... writes:

>

>

> > That should be your choice. But, Lap has fewer

> complications and a

> > much reduced chance of wound infection.

> >

>

> Hmmm I've head the other way around...that lap has

> less pain but can have

> more complications due to it taking longer...but i

> think it comes down to

> what is important to you in your surgery and

> recovery. I am going open

> because I want my dr up close and personal with my

> organs...LOL He also

> doesn't think its that safe yet to do Lap on all

> patients so only does it on

> certain ones. I respect that decision. So you

> should do what you are

> comfortable with and what fits your needs!! LAP has

> been great for many

> people!

>

> ~~* AJ *~~

> BMI 59

> Surgery date 7/24/01

> going self pay - Dr Baltasar Spain

> Check out the

> Bellingham Support for WLS

> WWW.lookin2bthin.homestead.com

>

=====

Churie

__________________________________________________