Weight Loss Surgery

TheMinxy

I hav had an RNY gastric bypass in October 2006 and by far it was the best thing I ever did for myself. I have lost 11 stone in weight and am now considered to be in the healthy range. I am happy to give information about this surgery if anyone is interested.

homealone_2

vix2000 wrote: »

basically after loosing 5.5 stones after gastric banding I started developing sores and infections under my 'apron' of skin on my tummy. This was partially due to my psoriasis. My gp was requested to send in photos, which we did, and my plastic surgeon and dermatologist sent letters recommending the surgery for medical reasons. They rejected my application on the basis that surgery was not a valid reason for surgery (but the infections were, according to my pct guidelines.) I thought it was a no go so forgot about it until I had to go to my plastic surgeon regarding some surgery to my breasts after my reconstruction following mastectomy. He asked how my application was going and I told him it had been rejected. He told me to appeal and I said is it worth it? He replied that he strongly advised me to appeal. After my surgery at the plastics dressings clinic I was discussing it with the staff nurse who told me to put all my psychological problems down, as the pct are more interested in these than medical reasons. So I appealed on the grounds that I hated looking at myself in the mirror, never go out as my clothes dont fit properly due to buying 3 sizes too big to accommodate my excess skin and as for letting a member of the opposite sex near me!!!!!!! All true may I add. I got a letter approving my application. Now, to me, thats ludicrous. Surely medical grounds should be as valid, but obviously not.

A normal tummy tuck is when they cut along the pubic line under the flap, then take a slice, as in melon, above the navel and make a new navel hole and rejoin the skin as below:-


the fleur de lys is performed in people who, like me, have a thick midrift and the above would not give a very satisfactory outcome, so they take a triangular slice as in the picture below (black lines) from the breastbone and this pulls in the waist and tightens skin higher up. (see below).



I also have a lot of scars in this mid section, so this will remove all these and I will have a vertical scar, but I'm not intending sunbathing topless at my age, or glamour modelling, so I'm not that bothered.

Hope this helps, feel free to ask if you have any more questions.

hi ya me again, i am so glad they allowed the operation in the end. how long did you have to wait for the gastric op after your gp wrote to them? my gp wrote about 2 weeks ago so i am watching out for the postman every day even though i know in the back of my mind it could be weeks yet and even then the date for a consult could be months off. i had a tummy tuck anout 12 years ago long before they became popular. i too was granted it due to psychological reasons. i had 3 children but 6 pregnancies and my tummy was a mess with loads of loose skin and really wide nad deep stretch marks. no one saw me even dressed for 4 years. i went for consult quite soon after the initial letter but 2 years later i was still waiting then one day received a letter saying the government had issued an initiative ordering all ops outstanding for 2 years or more were to be done privately. so off i went for my tummy tuck to the private part of the hospital. i unfortunately did not leave or even end up with the flat stomach i had been promised but it did get rid of a lot of the stretch marks. i then ended up with what they call dog ears on both hips where bits still overhung so on my 6 month check up it was arranged for me to come in and have these tidied up, unfortunately not privately this time and god was there a difference in everyway. so back to story am hoping that having had tuck before it may in some way stop me ending up with loads of loose flesh but i know deep down i am probably kidding myself. last time i looked i had gained 8 stone so far and am hoping this will not increase to much. it is so hard though as the medication i am on for my back makes you gain weight. another developement last week was after suffering with awful knee pain i finally went to hospital and discovered i have osteoarthritis in my left knee which is obviously not being helped with all this extra weight it has to carry around. anyway i wont bore any of you any longer and wondered if it would be ok to pm you in future so i am not taking up so much space on this forum. am desperate to hear anymore news you have so keep me postedand i shall do the same to you. thanks for being so supportive

vix2000

Hi, I saw my doctor in April, had my first consultation in June and had my op at the beginning of September. I had my op in the local private hospital, possibly for the same reason as your tummy tuck.

ellieo

just wondered if anyone out there has tried to lose weight by hypnosis, im thinking of giving it a go

lauranurse

Hi everyone!

Just wanted to say that I had a gastric bypass in this country in Sept 06, and have lost about 8 stone which is not as much as some lose but I am very happy with it! If anyone wants to know more about weight loss surgery, PM me and I will gove you all the gory details!

x

homealone_2

i saw my doc last week to confirm i now have osteoarthritis, great news!!, but while there she said she had posted off letter last friday so hopefully we would hear soon. well i was not expecting to hear for weeks when i got a letter yesterday from a local hospital that has only just had a major facelift asking me to come to a diet session on 17 july at 10 am. well seeing as it said diet session and was at hospital not used often as it used to be known as the local butchers. so i rang them to ask what the hell was a diet session and it turns out it is held in a lecture hall of the hospital and you sit and listen to all the ins and outs of all the various surgeries available. so i said well i guess i need to wait weeks then after that and she daid no they had to work under a directorate where from start to finish they had 16 weeks from the first app, was too scared to ask if the 16 weeks was date of op or doing the op. too excited i guess. i did say though so do you think the op would be carried out this year and she said oh yeah still 6 months of the year left. works out 5 but hey, cant wait. did anyone else have this lecture thing first???

Pennylane

Homealone - you need to research this thoroughly before making your mind up. The gastric bypass is permanent AND major surgery & in the last few weeks there have been several cases in the media where women have died either during or just after this op.

This is a sensitive subject but I would like to say (and this is not directed at anybody personally) that in many areas people are desperate for life-saving drugs and they are not getting them. I therefore feel that it's only fair that people awaiting this type of surgery (which they are CHOOSING to have AND getting it on the NHS (about £12,000) should expect to wait a while. They need this time to do their homework and the hospital needs it to assess and monitor them.

Before the op, a special diet has to be followed (to make surgery easier) and most people DO lose considerable weight.

I haven't had surgery by the way, but I am "involved" shall we say.

homealone_2

Pennylane wrote: »

Homealone - you need to research this thoroughly before making your mind up. The gastric bypass is permanent AND major surgery & in the last few weeks there have been several cases in the media where women have died either during or just after this op.

This is a sensitive subject but I would like to say (and this is not directed at anybody personally) that in many areas people are desperate for life-saving drugs and they are not getting them. I therefore feel that it's only fair that people awaiting this type of surgery (which they are CHOOSING to have AND getting it on the NHS (about £12,000) should expect to wait a while. They need this time to do their homework and the hospital needs it to assess and monitor them.

Before the op, a special diet has to be followed (to make surgery easier) and most people DO lose considerable weight.

I haven't had surgery by the way, but I am "involved" shall we say.

i am sure you are not the only one out there who feels that perhaps this kind of surgery is not always justified and is seen as a cosmetic thing costing alot of money to the nhs. i for one need this surgery and was offered it to me as my health is dramatically suffering due to this extra weight i am carrying through no fault of my own, i damaged my back 5 years ago while on honeymoon and even after surgery spend alot of time in a wheelchair in alot of pain. the medication i need to take to stop me crawling up the walls 24/7 and reduces the pain which is only pure hell now only 20 hours out of every 24, has resulted in me gaining so far 9 stone. this is not from attacking the biscuit tin but through taking necessary medication. since taken this medication i have gone into early menopause, have lost 4 teeth, had 3 crowns and 6 fillings i have liver damage, borderline diabetise and it has sent my cholesterol off the chart. in trying to get about and not be in a wheelchair i have damaged both my knees carrying this excess weight and now have been told have got osteoarthritis. yes there maybe one or two people out there reading this and many other threads and may think it a good scam to get rid of some excess baby flab but please spare a thought to those who without this necessary surgery will almost certainly die from heart disease

Pennylane

If anyone is considering weight loss surgery they really should read the article which was in The Times on Saturday. (12/07/08)

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article4312000

very disturbing reading.

Pennylane

That link doesn't work . Sorry! However if you go to The Times and search gastric bypass it will come up. The article is by John Naish.

If anybody can do the link I'd be very pleased. Cheers!