Gastric Sleeve Surgery in Bangkok

[TotallyOz]

I had a gastric sleeve done at Bumrungrad in December 2017. I thought others might like to hear my experience.

First, I spent a lot of time researching and talking to my doctor. He recommended a surgeon for me and I met with him. I liked him and we set a date for the preoperative procedures which included sending a camera down my throat and heart exam, etc.  The throat exam was done under anesthesia and thus I remember nothing. But, all the doctors I met with signed off on the procedure so it was a go. The cost for the surgery was estimated at 650,000-700,000 Thai-Baht which included 4 nights in the hospital.

The procedure itself took 2 hours.  I was in the post op room for 2 more hours and then in my room.  The doctors and nurses took great care of me in the room.  The first night was very uncomfortable but not a great deal of pain.  They did have me on pain killers. It was hard to sleep though although I felt I got more sleep in those 4 days than ever in my life. 

I had two doctors that checked in on me daily.  The nurses were never more than one minute away if I pressed the button. They were professional and the room was great.  I opted for  a single room and it had a table and chairs and a sofa. It allowed me to move from my bed to different places in the room during the day to sit and read email, etc.

The hospital Internet was great and never went down. The food was very bland as I was on an all liquid diet but that was expected.

When the doctor released me, I felt fine and no pain.  I had to go back to the doctor two times the first week to have the stitches removed and get checked.  All was good and after those two visits, I was told to come back in one month.  They put me on an all liquid diet and it has been fine.   After 2 weeks of surgery I  lost 25 pounds. Last week was the 4 month mark and I have lost 100 pounds since December.

It has been an easy transition and much easier than I expected. I had little pain and little discomfort after a week or two.  I have adjusted to real food but smaller portions.  I am now swimming one hour per day and it has been healthy for me.  I walk much better and am so much more active.  My sex drive is up and I decided to start PrEP as there are just too many sexy Thai guys that need my assistance.

My pants sizes are down and I feel better than I have in many years.  It was a very good gamble for me to get the surgery.  I am quite happy with the results.

I can't express how much I recommend Bumrungrad.  If others are interested in the doctor's name, PM me and I'll be happy to share. He not only did a great job but he made it easier than expected and I have had 3 friends use him and all had excellent experiences.

[Lucky]

Congratulations, Oz. You must look great after a 100 pound weight loss. Is that the desired weight, or do you expect to lose any more?

I also appreciate the info about the procedure. I have been thinking of it myself, but am probably not eligible ...yet!

[TotallyOz]

Thanks.  I feel much better but it is not my goal weight. I have about 60 - 70 more pounds to loose and it will go much slower now.  But, truly there was no inconvenience after the surgery except for the liquid diet the first month which I had a Vitamix and blended my food.

[RA1]

It seems that you have not suffered the many and varied effects of this surgery.  Good.  I have had friends who suffered diarrhea and many other effects.  These diminished after time but did not disappear altogether.  I hope  that yours did not occur or, if they did, disappeared completely and soon.

Best regards,

RA1

[TotallyOz]

RA, honestly, it all depends on the doctor you get and how much of the stomach they take away. My doc I researched and he took enough to loose weight but not enough to have major side effects afterwards.  That said, during the month of juices, I had a hard time taking a dump. But, it was every few days and not daily like I'm use to.  Now, it is all back to normal now that I'm on a regular food menu. I have had zero acid re-flux and never any throwing up.  I talked to multiple patients of this doctor and they all said the same. But, each person will be different of course.  I do follow the doctor's directions to a t.  Except, I have brown sugar with my cafe latte each morning. He hates sugar in all forms.

[TotallyOz]

Also, some weeks are good and some are just OK.  I have lost every week. But, this week was a 6 pound week.  Last week was one pound.  I find the key for me is the small portions that now fill me up as my stomach is smaller.

[Latbear4blk]

Congrats for the weight loss, @TotallyOz!

[RA1]

I have an old friend who had his stomach stapled and some intestines removed a few years ago.  He did lose a lot of weight very soon and continued to lose some subsequently.  However, he did suffer digestive problems resulting in trips to the bathroom and various other complications.  He also began popping Beano in large quantities.  At this point he is thinking he has become allergic to various things he was not previously allergic to,  such as coffee.  Some of these symptoms can likely be attributed to age.  Regardless, he has lost a significant amount of weight, kept it off and is happy so far as I can tell.

Best wishes for you to do at least as well.

Best regards,

RA1 

[TotallyOz]

I have heard of others with complications.  I have had none yet.  Well, I am now addicted to oatmeal for breakfast so not sure that is a bad thing.

My taste buds have not changed but I had a sleeve and not a bypass and there was a big difference and thus why I opted for the sleeve.

[Guest leakyleaks]

I am an older guy and have had a weight problem most of my adult life. I am 5 foot 8 inches tall. My highest weight was 248 pounds at the start of 2015. At that time I was not really watching my weight and didn't really put any effort into controlling the weight.

 

I had some health problems in early 2015 and my doctor told me to lose weight. I have been putting in alot of effort - cardio, dieting, etc and got the weight down to 225 by the end of 2015 and about 210 now.

 

There are several tricks that are helpful for me:

 

1. Avoid restaurants, especially buffets. You can''t tell from the menu how much food you are going to get.  I will generally eat whatever is put in front of me, even if it is an oversize meal and will not have the willpower to stop. Cooking at home I can measure out the calories.

 

2. Split your meals into smaller meals with fewer calories. Instead of the traditional 3 meals a day I eat a small breakfast, a small snack at 10AM a small lunch, a small snack at 3PM and a small dinner at 7PM. This works for me.

 

3. medications - In the USA they all require a doctors prescription. I talked with my doctor about this, but the meds all tend to be stimulants, and I would rather not deal with the side effects, so I have lost weight the natural way.

 

Since 2015 my pants size gone from size 42 down to size 38 and my shirt size has gone from XXL down to L. I am good at 210 pounds and not having the same medical problems as at 248, so I am happy where I'm at.

 

Sincerely,

Leakyleaks

[TotallyOz]

Congrats on that movement! That is excellent. Keep it up.

[TotallyOz]

So far, 7 months in and now 133 pounds lost. Still, a long way to go but happy to be headed in the right direction.  Not much of a change in lifestyle other than more exercise and less food per meal.  However, I just go over Dengue Fever and that took me out for over a week. 

[TotallyOz]

At the 12 month anniversary of my surgery, I have lost 175 pounds. I feel healthier than ever and now have more energy and power. I took a trip to the ancient city last week and felt it was the best I have made ever. Spending time with family at Xmas I have also found that I have more energy and can do more with them.  The one-year milestone was a big one for me. I hope I can continue to sustain this for another few years. 

 

[Lucky]

Congratulations, Oz. It was well worth it for you to do this, and I hope that your health continues to agree. 175 pounds! I just lost 15, and that seems awfully minor now!

[Lucky]

Those Thai scales! No wonder Oz could lose weight like that. I weighed myself at my first hotel and was down to 10o! To double check, I weighed myself again at the second hotel and was still only 102!

 Trust me, at home I am a lot more.

[caeron]

 

Congratulations. 

I have lost about 110 the old fashioned way. I went from size 46 pants to size 34. 

Lots of exercise and watching my diet. Work out 5 or 6 days a week. I'm in better shape than I've been my entire life.

It is hard to keep the focus but the results are worth it to me. 

[AdamSmith]

1 hour ago, caeron said:

 

Congratulations. 

I have lost about 110 the old fashioned way. I went from size 46 pants to size 34. 

Lots of exercise and watching my diet. Work out 5 or 6 days a week. I'm in better shape than I've been my entire life.

It is hard to keep the focus but the results are worth it to me. 

Ditto. Age 59, inserting 5 miles/day of very pleasant outdoor walking into the routine has taken me (5’11”) from 185 lb to 165 in slightly under a year.

And reduced the appetite in the process.

Keep walking!

[boiworship]

Since doing cross-fit, I’ve gained 10 pounds of muscle and dropped waist size from 34 to 32, even 31 with some jeans. I, too, am 5’11.

[TotallyOz]

Nice.  I remember being a 34.    Congrats on the 10 pounds. Cross-fit is great.  I have sex with crossdressers.  Is that about the same workout?

[Deadlift]

I need to lose 45lbs and my gp keeps pushing the surgery on me.  Sometimes  I think they get a kickback for the recommendation.  My insurance will cover it.  Do u think there is a minimum amount of weight to lose in order to have the surgery?

[RA1]

From my limited experience with friends and acquaintances who have had gastric bypass surgery performed the "honest" surgeons suggest every  thing else before surgery.  Most insist on psychological counseling as well as intensive reading about the surgery before the surgery is performed.  There is no free lunch.  Your body will try to reject the imposition of the surgery with upset bowels and other traumas to your systems and schedule.  You will need to eat multiple very small meals.  The surgery can be overcome by your body and your lack of procedure.  That will be painful and cause regaining some, if not all of the weight loss.  

You personally will need to decide if all this is worth the weight loss.

Personally I "talked" my ophthalmologist into "early' cataract surgery because I wanted better vision and did not wish to wait until they were "mature".  After a brief struggle he agreed.  I am now very happy with my current vision.

Best regards,

RA1   

[Lucky]

Oz, how is it looking at the two year mark? My 15 pound weight loss turned out to be 40, so I hope to keep it off as blood pressure, heart rate, etc. are all down.

[Lucky]

On 10/6/2019 at 9:16 AM, RA1 said:

From my limited experience with friends and acquaintances who have had gastric bypass surgery performed the "honest" surgeons suggest every  thing else before surgery.  Most insist on psychological counseling as well as intensive reading about the surgery before the surgery is performed.  There is no free lunch.  Your body will try to reject the imposition of the surgery with upset bowels and other traumas to your systems and schedule.  You will need to eat multiple very small meals.  The surgery can be overcome by your body and your lack of procedure.  That will be painful and cause regaining some, if not all of the weight loss.  

You personally will need to decide if all this is worth the weight loss.

Personally I "talked" my ophthalmologist into "early' cataract surgery because I wanted better vision and did not wish to wait until they were "mature".  After a brief struggle he agreed.  I am now very happy with my current vision.

Best regards,

RA1   

I am the opposite. My developing cataracts have pushed my lenses back to normal so I haven't had to wear glasses for several years now!

[Europeanman]

I know I will be unpopular. Just stop gorging down.

[RockHardNYC]

3 hours ago, Europeanman said:

Just stop gorging down.

Thank you Nancy Reagan.

The psychology behind overeating is a subject worth researching. For anyone who suffers from obesity, I highly recommend therapy as part of treatment. The brain plays a significant role in the gratifying feelings that food/eating conjures. Without therapy, it can be very difficult to change brain behavior, and a serious change in behavior is what is needed to succeed at weight loss.

Portion control is a challenge for many. It can be like asking a size queen to give up big cock and learn to love small. There is tremendous value in deliberately switching to smaller plates and bowls for everyday use, especially when eating specific foods.

The speed of your eating matters. Attempting to slow down the eating process is a beneficial exercise. Learn to savor eat bite and chew more slowly, as opposed to participating in a contest. It's especially important to do this when we think we are excessively hungry. Mind over matter. Slower eaters tend to eat less and they feel fuller for longer periods of time without risking over indulging.

A high fiber and high protein diet also helps to create a longer lasting feeling of full. When you study the effects of sugar on the human body, and then you learn that the body digests most carbs as sugar, you quickly realize how "you are what you eat" becomes relevant.

I applaud anyone who figures out a healthy way to lose excess, unwanted weight. As we get older, carrying extra weight can become a serious burden to our bodies and good, decent health. The heavier we are, the less active we will want to be. Overweight people tend to feel less motivated to raise their heart rate. If you say no to cardio, you run the risk of inviting all kinds of problems.

No one is going to live forever, but if you surrender to depression and eat to counter those feelings, you're more likely to create an unpleasant hole that may grow too deep to fix.

Our bodies need fuel. Learn what fuels are best and acquire the drive to eat for good health. Learn how to love yourself. When you love yourself, caring for your health becomes easier and more enjoyable.