WLS and Crohn's

I have Crohn's disease and hope to have the sleeve done this summer.  I'm just starting the process and have my first appointment in April.  Does anyone else have either Crohn's or Colitis and if so, how did that affect their surgery?

Hi, I'm not going to be of any assistance here other than I have it too and I am also looking to find out. My doctor seems to think there's no problem at all though we haven't sat down and talked person-to-person about it. Luck to you hopefully we get some answers here XOXO

Both my GI and my PCP have given their blessing.  When I talked to the suregon after the seminar, he also said it shouldn't be a problem.  Have you had surgery yet?

I have Crohn's as well and have just started the wls process. I am meeting with surgeon on Wednesday (yippee) and hope to have surgery soon. The only procedure they will do is the sleeve is because there is no rerouting of the intestine's so that way if you ever need to have portions removed because your crohns is worse then they wont have any issues. When I went to my seminar I was surprised they directly talked about WLS with crohns.  Seems like we will be on the journey at the same time. Lets keep in touch :)

Good luck to you!!!  Please feel free to follow my blog and comment as often as you wish!

I was diagnosed with Crohn's at the end of 2008. I have been receiving Remicade every 8 weeks since the beginning of 2009. I had my sleeve surgery done this past April and have had no issues. The only thing that needed to be coordinated was the timing of my Remicade treatment before and after surgery.

Good luck!

Melissa

I was on Remicade for several years, but then switched to Humira due to insurane reasons (and that my veins SUCK).  After being on Prednisone off and on for 18 months (and gaining 50 pounds), I'm now off of the Pred and taking Azathiroprine along with the Humira.  I've been off the Pred since October.  So far so good.  

I just posted this in another post above, but just in case you do not see it...

I was diagnosed with Crohn's at age 17, now 40 and healthier than I have ever been.  The sleeve helped me regarding the Crohn's, less volume of food, less issues.  I also went gluten free 2 months before sugery, to reduce inflammation. (That was 2 years ago now)  Best thing I ever did was to go gluten free.  I had toyed with it in years past, but I promised myself that if I was able to have the sleeve surgery, I would go gluten free and stay gluten free.  Boy, it is a whole new world for me.  I feel incredible.  I still am doing a Remicade IV treatment every 8 weeks for the Crohn's, but actually thinking about stopping that, since my last scopes came back with no active Crohn's.  Now my doctor says no to that, because he says it is the med that has me in remission.  Well, I disagree a bit, since the med only kept things "under control" for me and I still had active Crohn's prior to surgery and going gluten free.  So I think the combo of less volume and no gluten has healed my insides.  Modern medicine will always say that it is the meds that keep things under control.  But as the years progress, it is much more about diet for me than anything else.  Also, Celiac Disease is very similar and wheat causes that inflammation.  Also, wheat/gluten is an inflammatory, to even those that are not sensitive to it.  Inflammation causes swelling, blockages, etc...  Really think about going gluten free or doing an illimination diet to find out what you are sentitive to.  Dairy is a big one too.

Anyway, the sleeve has been great for me and I have been blessed without any complications.  Crohn's can go from your mouth to your bottom, so they need to be very sure that by doing surgery on your stomach that the Crohn's will not be touched or aggravated.  Mine was far enough away from my tummy that the doctor was okay with it.  But he also said I would be on the Prilosec (for acid) the rest of my life.  I can live with that.

Let me know if you have any questions.  Happy to let you know my experience.