Getting Started

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My first step in this journey was to decide where I wanted to have the surgery done. While Penn State Hershey Medical Center is our go-to for everything, I decided to contact UPMC Pinnacle's Center for Weight Loss because of the number of people I know personally who have had successful surgeries with the team at that facility. My first plan was to have a Lap-Band procedure done, but after reading many failure stories online, I'm just not comfortable with that and prefer to go right to Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy. Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy is a procedure where about 75% of your stomach is surgically removed, leaving you with a small pouch or "sleeve" that allows you to consume MUCH less food than you were previously able. Why VSG? The complication rate of VSG is much lower than other procedures. Like Lap-Band, it is also a laparoscopic surgery and there is a minimal hospital stay and a shorter recovery time than a Duodenal Switch or full Gastric Bypass surgery. The main complications are infection, bleeding, and a leak from the new pouch stomach. I think I can handle that. I used to be terrified of anesthesia and surgery, but after having my gallbladder removed in an emergency situation last November, I'm much more comfortable with it and not as scared. Weight loss surgery was never an option for me before because of this fear, but now I'm ready and can't wait to become healthy again!