weight loss surgery

[Diamondcat]

hi all, I am booked in for weight loss surgery in London this month and am.l now starting to worry. I had an ablation in 2020 at Bart’s and the surgeon said that being overweight is a factor in AF.. The ablation has really helped my afib but I was also diagnosed with an overactive thyroid last year which I have been on Carbimazole for. Levels for over a year have been good but last month for some reason I went thyrotoxic and this has brought on a few episodes of my AF. I’m now worrying about my surgery and have stupidly Googled what can go wrong. Has anyone else had weight loss surgery? I need to talk it through and make sure I’m doing the right thing. It looks like the risks are alot higher and I’m now in 2 minds 😔

[southkorea]

its a difficult operation. Just make sure the surgeons are good

[LordGabriel]

I’ve had 2 weight loss surgeries. Gastric sleeve that was later converted to Gastric Bypass.

The bypass I had done after I was diagnosed with AF. You just stop your anti coagulation a day before and after the op they inject you with some. Then I took crushed drugs for about 2 weeks before going back to normal.

1st op I had a month off work

2nd op I had 5 weeks off

I had mine done at St George’s Tooting.

George Greek surname, I can’t remember!

What do you want to know?

[Diamondcat in reply to LordGabriel]

Hi thanks for this.,I’ve stupidly googled things and it says that risks of strokes or death!! are much higher. I guess I’m just worried that my thyroid problem has caused a knock on effect to my afib and that I’m going to have problems x I’m waiting to speak to the cardiologist and endocrinologist but wanted to know if others have had the surgery, as it is recommended to help with afib.

[LordGabriel]

I lost 12 stone with my sleeve. That shows you how good it can be!

They are experts these bariatric surgeons… I was nervous but do not regret it for a second. Eventually the weight creeps back on because you stretch the sleeve and the hunger returns but never have I returned to my old huge self. I had the bypass because in the end I got a hiatus hernia. The bypass sorted that out.

I was down in surgery for less time than my ablation a few years ago.

Go for it, what if you don’t? What risks are there if you don’t?

I don’t regret mine at all. It changed my life. In fact it gave me back my life.

Good Luck

[mjames1]

Above my pay grade, but I just recently read that some of the drugs developed for diabetes are now starting to replace surgery for weight loss. Certainly worth an ask and maybe a second opinion.

Jim

[MissParkin]

I had my gastric bypass in 2009 and lost around 14st. I’ve managed to keep around 90% of that off.

Losing the weight was the easy part, after that it’s been quite eventful for me. I’ve had 3 bleeding stomach ulcers around the joint line in the stomach, developed a hiatus hernia and experienced and developed intussusception in 2017 that was life or death, thankfully I lived.

I’m not scare mongering at all because I’d have the operation again in a heartbeat! My advice FWIW:

* Take the supplements they tell you, especially the PPI’s they can save your life!

* Watch your B12 levels and don’t let your GP fob you off, although I now self inject B12 as I can’t get it regularly enough on the NHS;

* Look after your mental health. My overeating had emotional and psychological elements to it. After the initial post op buzz and watching the weight drop off, I was left without my normal coping strategy. Cross addiction is common post bariatric surgery. If you can, seek counselling/ talking therapy because everything changes once the weight goes.

I would absolutely still have the surgery again, but wish I knew then what I know now.

Good luck!