Woke up with Sleeve and no DS! Help!

[Ellie Mae]

I've been doing all the research on the DS and then my doctor stopped after removing my lapband and doing the sleeve. I was in so much intense cry out loud general anesthesia nausea and back pain that I couldn't hear anything he was saying. He'll come by at point today, but not sure when. I WILL get the second half, but I do recall him saying he usually waits a year in between when doing it in stages. But that wasn't the plan!!

Anyway, right now I'm just trying I learn more about the sleeve, something I never even considered. First I wanted bypass until I learned about DS. So I'm looking for info on recovery time, what a sleeve diet should look like (I know it's clear for now and then liquid then soft) long-term, most common complications or just most significant lifestyle change.

Right now, in hospital one day post-op, I can drink almost as much as I want. Heartburn and chest gurgling has been the only issue.

Lots of info would be greatly appreciated. I just didn't see this coming and have months of research that was done only in DS, to catch up on about Sleeve!! Thanks in advance!

 

[JackieOnLine]

I'm so sorry, if your surgeon doesn't have a good reason for the change in plans then it's time to be angry.

"I can drink as much as I want" seems very odd - for the first week after my surgery I had to really work at getting in fluids - one sip and I was FULL.

hope to get an update from you soon. are you on anything for the heartburn?

 

[Munchkin]

You need to find out why! Unless there was a darn good reason you should be angry. If your doc was not skilled enough to do the whole surgery, he should have told you right up front so you could get a competent one. Now you are going to have to go through this whole thing all over again and pay twice for what should have been 1 surgery.

Find out how big your stomach is too. Most people could only drink a sip or two immediately postop. Very unusual to be able to drink more than that.

I am very sorry!

The sleeve is just another diet with a smaller stomach. Low cal, low fat, low carb.

 

[southernlady]

I am sorry for what you went thru. I agree as to finding out WHY.

 

[CaitlynR]

That stinks

Be careful drinking too much. The first several days I felt way less restriction than after. It can be the nerves in your stomach not working yet until healed. You may be overextending yourself and not know it. Keep it to a ounce or two at a time.

 

[DianaCox]

Who was your surgeon?

 

[BigGeekGirl]

Wow.

I would be pissed.

I could see him going in and finding out he couldn't sleeve your stomach because of band damage and doing just the DS part... But I can't think of a legit medical reason if he had agreed on the DS before that would change when he went in.

Did you say who your doctor is?

Calmly find out if he has a reason other than 'that's how I prefer it' and plan on filing complaints with the medical board.

 

[southernlady]

@Ellie Mae I know you are hesitant to post who you finally saw but knowing that will help us help you. It can also serve as a word of warning to others who may be seeing the same surgeon.

If it was with a Military Facility (I remember you had Tricare), you may be SOL but that is also info that helps us help you and others.

 

[writegirl]

If you're able to drink all you want, are you sure you even got the sleeve? Is it possible that all you got was the lapband removed? I am sorry you were baited and not switched. You're not the first case we've seen posted here about that, but please do consider what @southernlady has said above. Sharing who your surgeon is can help the veterans here help you and it can also prevent another unsuspecting patient from suffering your same disappointment. I hope you get to the bottom of what's happened in your case.

 

[Whit]

Not one member of this group will ridicule you for your choice of Dr. Please let us know or PM Diana, Liz and Laura. They need to know so they can help if possible. It will also hep those considering surgery with this Surgeon in the future.

Sorry for your troubles.
Whit

 

[Duckman]

I've read on other forums of doctors explicitly doing this as a two step, due to adhesion or scarring or whatever, with the decision made once surgery starts. Did they do the first stage of a two surgery process, perhaps?

 

[southernlady]

I've read on other forums of doctors explicitly doing this as a two step, due to adhesion or scarring or whatever, with the decision made once surgery starts. Did they do the first stage of a two surgery process, perhaps?

IF they decide to do that, the patient REQUIRES full upfront disclosure that that is a possibility. Not getting blindsided after the fact.

 

[Susan in Tennessee]

Her statement "can drink as much as I want" I took to mean she had permission to drink what she wanted to drink. If she was able to drink a tablespoonful drink that, if she could drink half a cup comfortably drink it, but as my standard disclaimer I very well might have understood incorrectly!

 

[Duckman]

IF they decide to do that, the patient REQUIRES full upfront disclosure that that is a possibility. Not getting blindsided after the fact.

My permission form approved lap and open versions of DS, gall bladder removal, and VSG. He told me the number of times he had to do that for non-revision surgeries was something like two dozen out of the 3500+ he had done.

The other surgery I approved was hernia repair, which didn't happen.

I don't know what was on OP's consent form. I agree that, if a possibility of VSG wasn't consented to, it's a big problem.

 

[southernlady]

I don't know what was on OP's consent form. I agree that, if a possibility of VSG wasn't consented to, it's a big problem.

I don't either. However for @Ellie Mae's sake she needs to get a copy of what she signed and then decide how to move forward.