VBLOC Therapy?
from the ad on this page:
http://www.empowerstudy.com/vbloc_obesity_weight_loss.html
Wouldn't it be great if it worked?
Well, most doctors would say that it is not something that will last long. The patients that did lose weight at first gained it back after a few months. Their body got used to the stimulation. They think the same thing would happen if someone was only 20 # overweight. It just wouldn't work. The body gets used to it. Now, maybe they can find a way to modify the device, maybe it will. But the body very easily gets used to things. Take phenteramine (an appetite suppressant), the body gets used to it after a while. I talkd with a few doctors about it. They have people go on it for 3-4 weeks, then take off 2 weeks, then back on 3-4 weeks, and off... etc. That is to prevent the body from growing accustomed to it for too long. For me, the 2 week off, when the hunger comes back, I would be uncontrollable. Something like that would have never worked for me.
Oh well. There is so much to do in terms of obesity research. It's not just poor food choices and lack of activity (as many can testify for).
Hi there! I'm new here and was looking in to what others thought of about the VBloc therapy. I have extensively looked in to the medical reports of findings (the study has been on going for 3 years now, not only in the US but also in England and Australia). What has been misrepresented here, I believe, is the excess weight loss numbers. The initial excess weight loss has been an average of 29.3% in the FIRST SIX months, post op. They have found in the past 3 years of the study that the VBloc therapy is a good 'middle ground' surgery for those not wanting such invasive procedures as R-N-Y, etc. It also has thus far proven to have a faster pacing of weight loss than the lapband system. Although the first generation belt was rather cumbersome, the second generation is much smaller and the company is working on eventually working it to where there would be a self regulating (as for the study they're trying to figure out which rythms/ time pacings would be most ideal for maximum weight loss.) I figure I've been lugging around my gut for years, the least I can do to help lose it is wear the belt! The way it works is they attatch a little pacemaker type device inside and wrap the coils around either side of your abdominal vagal nerve. What then happens is it sends signals to your brain making you feel fuller sooner, when to eat, etc. HOWEVER, unlike what some people have said 'it's only for people who overeat', it also slows the rate of food absorbtion, breaks it down differently, etc. so your body isn't taking on every calorie. The best part, IMHO, is it's only a 45 minute same day surgery, you don't have to keep going back and forth for resets/ fills, and if you so choose to, you can have the implant easily removed. Thus far there have been NO adverse events reported, and the only 'side effects' are being a bit more gassy with some foods, less ability to handle sugary/ fatty stuff, and the typical post surg stuff you deal with after laproscopic surgery. If, when the trial ends and they get the full FDA approval, it goes on the market they are expecting it to cost roughly $20000 or so... I'm a HUGE research and info nut, so I hope it helps clear up any misinformation!
"and now stepping off her humble soapbox, ME!"
don't confuse this with gastric stimulation which kinda fell to the side when the larger studies didn't show losses.
this is stimulation of the vagal nerves at the top of the stomach.
the study is less than 6 mth old and even the peopel who were implanted at the earliest point possible are only 3-4 mth since implantation.
I'm about 3 wks out from implantation
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