What are the concerns of Stomach Stapling

[Deester]

I am writing because my husband is overweight and he wants to get his stomach stapled.He has tried alot of different kinds of diets and they work for alittle while but he still puts the weight back on. I know stapling isn't a foolproof way to lose weight without working at the nutritional and physical fitness side of it. A friend of mine had her stomach stapled years ago to lose weight and she now has alot of medical problems.What are the major concerns about stomach stapling and  are there any life threatning side affects to this type of surgery? I want my husband to be happy with himself, but if its to dangerous I would rather him try another way.
Thank You, Deester

[karenk09]

A related discussion, stomach stapling and gerd was started.

[bridge]

have has two stomach stapling operations over 20 years ago was great now however in the last five years i have gained the weight back due to asmtha and other medical problems ie may body is not absorbing b12 and i ache everywhere also my asmtha is worse because of stomach reflux  - i want to know if anyone else has had health problems that can be tied to the operation

[RL1001]

I am 5'5" an had Gastric ByPass surgery in 1987.  I weighed 289 on the day of the operation and have consistently maintained my weight loss. My average weight is 138 pounds. This choice was good for me as I could not accept myself.  I blamed a lot of personal issues on my weight and I guess you could say I felt "safe" in hiding behind a wall of fat.

This operation should not be taken lightly.  It is definitely a life long commitment and you must change your eating habits or you will become ill.  I opted for the most drastic procedure available at the time...  "Roux-En-Y"  I checked surgeons across the country and found a physician in Little Rock, Arkansas that treated his patients with great care and concern.  He required psychologic counseling, behavior modification classes, and extensive medical testing prior to accepting a surgical patient.  I very clearly understood what this operation would involve, but it is not for everyone.  

It has been about 15 years since my operation and I am sick. My immune system is fragile and I have difficulty recovering from any illness.  I did not get sick until I had a life threatening injury in a car accident and lost 7 units of blood.  It took 3 years to "build" my own blood supply to an acceptable level. Since I could no longer "absorb" many of the required nutrients, I required 27 I.V. iron treatments and I continue to inject myself with B-12 every other week.  I get dehydrated easily and very often feel ill with no obvious reason.  My blood pressure is very low and I am pale.

I do not regret my decision to have the procedure and in my case, there are other circumstances that have made my journey unusual.  I would still have had this operation even if I had known how it would all turn out.  It changed my life.  I have self confidence and a wonderful career in a high level management position.  In general, I am a happy person.

My point is this...  You must consider that this operation is not a quick fix.  You must take care of yourself and you must eat properly.  Many people who find themselves more than 100 pounds overweight have many other issues that they must be dedicated to resolving in order to have a successful operation and ultimately, a better life!  If you find that you cannot control your eating habits prior to surgery, then you must decide if you are committed enough to do it after the surgery...  You can gain weight!

[dddinah]

I had my stomach stapled in 1978.  They now do a very different procedure that supposedly can be corrected in the Doctor's office if you start gaining weight again.  They cannot redo my procedure to the new one, but I've been told they can undo it period if there are other problems.  My sister also had the procedure done.  They stapled the 'ng' tube in the line of staples.  Mercifully they were able to get it out enscopically.  We both lost a ton of weight.  Over two hundred pounds each.  Then we both started gaining again.  I'm still down 100 of the 200 I lost, but my sister had gained it all back & then some.  Two other friends where we work had it done (old procedure).  One has gained it all back & one is still just fine.

[VictorianRose]

I've been considering getting my stomach stapled.  I don't know if my insurance pays for this or not.  I'm concerned about one thing in particular...since the weight is coming off pretty fast, what happens to your skin?  Do you have to have further surgeries to remove the loose skin?  Are there exercises I could do after the surgery so I don't have the loose skin all over?

Thanks for any help/advice in advance!

[figgmudbutt]

Can anyone tell me if stomach stapling is reversable and how much does it cost?

[luckiernsome]

HELLO, SCCC, I READ YOUR COMMENTS CONCERNING STOMACH STAPLING, I HAVE JUST NOW BEGUN MY QUEST FOR INFORMATION, ON THIS SUBJECT. I HAVE A FRIEND IN OKLAHOMA, USA.  SHE IS 5'6, AND WEIGHS ESTIMATED 350-400 POUNDS, SHE IS NOT EMPLOYED, THERE FOR SHE HAS NO INSURACE, CAN'T GET A JOB, BECAUSE OF THE WEIGHT, SHE IS A PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER, AMOUNG OTHER TALANTS. WE HAVE BEEN FRIENDS FOR OVER 25 YRS( SCHOOL FRIENDS). I KNOW HER WELL ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT THE WEIGHT PROBLEM DEFEATS HAVE TAKEN A DRAMATIC TOLL ON HER EMOTIONAL WELL BEING RECENTLY, I HAVE GREAT CONCERNS, IN THAT AREA, LIKE I SAID, HAVE KNOWN HER ALONG TIME, AND I SENSE THE DESPERATION,EXCESSIVE DEPRESSION,BIG CHANGE.I HAVE NO IDEA THE COST OF SUCH SURGERY, HOWEVER A CONTRIBUTION, AND FUND RAISING CAMPAIGN FOR THIS CAUSE, IS SOON TO BE UNDERWAY. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY INFORMATION, OR DIRECTION TO INFORMATION YOU MIGHT PROVIDE. IN ADDITION, I WOULD ASK THAT YOU SPEAK TO YOUR SURGEON, AND PROMPT HIM TO GIVE ME DIRECTION IN THE AREA, OF LIASON DR. FOR THE OKLAHOMA U.S.A. AREA, FLORIDA CAN ALSO BE CONSIDERED IF NECESSARY.AND IF NECESSARY AND VIABLE, OTHER LOCATIONS COULD BE CONSIDERED. IM SURE HE WOULD HAVE ACCESS, OR KNOWLEDGE OF DRS, IN THIS PARTICULAR FIELD THAT I WOULD NOT, I WOULD APPRECIATE ALL EFFORTS IN THIS AREA. IM INCLUDING MY E'MAIL ADDRESS, IN HOPES THAT GENERAL INFORMATION YOU HAVE, MIGHT BE FORWARDED, GENERAL OVERVIEW OF SURGERY, ESTIMATED COST, RECOOPERATION TIME, SPONSORSHIPS, ETC. I WILL BE GREATLY INDEBTED TO YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND EFFORTS, IN HELPING ME, HELP MY FRIEND, I WOULD LIKE TO GET INFORMATION, AND A "HOPE" GOING FOR HER , SOON. IM WORRIED ABOUT HER GIVEING UP THE FIGHT.ALSO IM OPEN TO OTHER E'MAILS FROM OTHERS FROM YOUR SUPPORT GROUP, OR THOSE WHO MAY JUST BE VISITING THIS SITE, AND READING THIS LETTER ,WHO, ARE WILLING TO TAKE THE TIME, IN FORWARDING INFORMATION, ON THIS SUBJECT. I FEEL ITS VERY IMPORTANT TO MOVE QUICKLY ON THIS ENCOUNTER,WE (FRIEND AND I ) HAVE DISCUSSED THIS 'STOMACH STAPLING' BEFORE, WITH HER HAVING NO CHANCE AT PERSUEING IT, BECAUSE OF FINANCIAL SITUATION. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE INFORMATION ( COST WILL BE A BIG FACTOR FOR ME, IN THE ASPECT OF HOW TO HANDLE THE 'HOPE CHANCE' TO HER.
I WOULD ATLEAST LIKE TO HAVE SOME IDEA OF WHAT IM DEALING WITH, COST WISE,WITH HOPES THAT IT IS A POSSIBLITLY, BEFORE MENTIONING IT TO HER AS 'CONCRETE', INCASE I JUST CAN'T SWING IT. IT WOULD BE EXTREMELY DETREMENTAL  TO HER AT THIS TIME, TO WAVE THE GOODS HER WAY, THEN HAVE TO SHATTER THE DREAM. THANKS AGAIN,
ALL INFORMATION APPRECIATED, THANKS    ***@****

[sccc]

I had my stomach stapled in March 1999.  For me it was the only solution.  I am a 6ft tall female, age 34 and I weighed 312 lbs.  In the 9 months after the Op, I lost 150 lbs.  I had tried everything, but every diet had just lost the weight, then I put it all back on (and some more).

I belong to a support group, run by my Surgeon here in Melbourne Australia.  Every month, 10-20 stapling patients gather to chat about our experiences.  Overwhelmingly, regardless of whether the person has lost all the weight or not, EVERYONE swares it is the best thing they EVER did.  

My surgeon has done some 3500 of these operations, and I trust him when he says that there are very few 'horror stories'.

Don't dismiss Stomach Stapling as an option.  Investigate it.  Find a surgeon who has done MANY of these operations, and get to know everything you can.

[Baseball_Mom]

I would use the stomach stapling option as a last resort.  A very overweight woman in my community thought that was the "right" thing for her to do.  One of the staples got loose and cut her intestines up.  She almost died and was in intensive care for several MONTHS.  I'm not telling you this to scare you or your husband, but if it were me, I would certainly make sure there were no other options available for him.  Take care and best of luck to you and your husband.