Any long term sucess

Does anyone know of long term (2-3 years) sucsess for the VBG? I am 2 months post op and am getting very nervous because I hear SOOOO many failure stories. Please  help!

Dont give up. I had my surgery April 15, 1998 I lost about 80lbs really fast then slowed down. I got to a size 14/16 and didnt worry about it anymore. It is the same size I was in high school yet now at 45 not nearly as toned. I kept the weight off with little effort untill I had a car accident in Sept 05 that has left me a little too sedentary. I still eat the same but am not as active as I use to be. Now I am pretty much wearing sz 16. Cant place the blame on the surgery only on ability to move. This was a great thing I did for me and my kids and even though I now appear to be gaining again I wouldnt change the last 9 years for anything. Just keep on keepin on, I listened to my body, when it said full I quit eating. Keep at it and dont stretch your pouch, keep active and you will do fine. Feel free to contact me if I can answer any specific questions.

Hello I had my VBG on 8/18/03 that is lets see.. 4 years out..  I have lost 105lbs and have managed to keep it off..  am I considered a long term success.. I dunno.. however  I am a success!!!   I heard all the failure stories.. I have a friend who had the bypass done around the same time I did..  she gained the weight back and is still struggling to start losing again..  point is you can fail at any of these surgeries.. if you allow yourself to eat the wrong things.. so don't worry about it.. it works.. i'm proof.. :)

I had my surgery in January 1996 and lost 105 pounds.  I went from a size 22/24 to a size 10.  I maintained my weight loss until 2004, when I got pregnant with my first child.  I lost all the weight initally after his birth, but it started creeping back on.  I've gained approximately 40 pounds back and am working to lose that again.  I'm 10 pounds down and 30 left to go.  Do I wish I were as small as I had gotten to?  Of course, but I'm still happy where I am today because I am not 105 pounds over weight and will not go back to where I was. Good luck!

Don't worry so much.  ANY surgery can fail if YOU let it.  I am 6 years post-op VBG.  I was told the same thing you were and heard all the stories that VBG never works.  I can tell you IT DOES WORK IF YOU LET IT WORK.  I have lost and maintained over 125 pounds.  For over 4 years I stayed about the same weight. I lost and gained the same 10 pounds.  My surgeon told me that a small regain is normal but to quickly get back on track and not let it get out of hand. Suddenly I have found myself losing weight again. Your surgery is a tool.  Treat it as such and it will be there with you.   VBG is the way to go IN MY OPINION.  Good luck to you. Gwen E Photo Team Leader

Glad you are doing well, that is awesome.  I was told by a few surgeons that the staple line disruption that a lot of us experienced was not the result of us stretching the pouch but that they started to separate on their own due to the way the stomach was stapled.  Maybe the surgery has been altered in where and how the staples are put and if so great.

I had VBG in Nov. 2001 and I have maintained within 12 lbs of my goal weight.  I am at 159 lbs right now. Maybe a little over my  "ideal" weight but I consider myself a success. I am a loose size 12 completely within "normal"  for a 44 year old mother of 4.  I regained some weight when I started working at night and my activity level plummeted. Now that I'm back to working days, I'm hoping to drop a few pounds, but if I don't it won't make me feel like a failure. I eat right most of the time. I do allow myself a treat now and then, mostly milk shakes or ice cream from the ice cream parlor. But the key here is moderation. I would never ever eat these things on a daily basis.  I think the most important rule I have followed is that I do not consume liquid calories. If I'm drinking it, it is calorie free (well, except for my occassional milk shake treat). People do not realize how many calories they consume by drinking soft drinks, sweet tea, flavored coffee,  beer, wine etc.   I use my surgery as the tool that it is meant to be. My goal was to be healthy and  to feel good about me and I have succeeded. I don't miss being able to eat fast food hamburgers and I'm glad they get stuck in my band and make me sick......keeps me from eating them!  The only food that I miss is a nice juicy steak....just can't keep those down. I've tried probably 20 times over the last 6 years and have been unable to eat even a bite or two without having to vomit. So, I avoid steak and instead have grilled salmon which agrees with me nicely.  Don't let the naysayers get you down. IMO, most of those are people who had no intention of using their surgery as a tool, and simply found a way around it. Any surgeon worth is price will tell potential patients before hand that this surgery is a tool that can be destroyed by the poor mindset of the patient.  If you know you cannot stay away from sugar and junk food, then restrictive surgery is probably not for you. If, however, you just eat too much when you eat, but basically follow a fairly decent diet, then you should succeed with VBG.

I had VBG July 2003. Start wgt 243.  As of today Nov 2013 wgt 132 size 3

Lisa, you said it beautifully.  I can eat very small amounts of  medium rare steak before it begins to clog my pouch.  Thankfully Bob likes his cooked that way and I can eat a few bites of his.  I can eat about 1/2 of a small stripped down hamburger.  I leave off the top bun and nibble until I get full which is pretty quickly.  I learned that there is NO WAY I can eat a hot dog.  I don't miss them one little bit after that first time of thinking I was having a heart attack.  Was only a clog I am approaching 6 1/2 years out and as of this morning I am STILL slowly losing weight.  Like you (I am 49) I am not at goal but I am happy with myself. I am within 20 pounds of standard goal and 10 pounds of  my surgeons goal. If I do not lose another pound I will shout to the world that I am a successful VBG'er