VBG HAS BEEN A 21 YEAR NIGHTMARE

My name is Rita and I'm a 42 year old that had a VBG done in November of 1987 at the University of Iowa hosp. and clinics it was one of the originals performed by the late Dr. James Mason when it was new and there weren't many answers to aftercare or what might happen in the future except for my hopes of being thin and well. I went through the surgery well and my hospital stay but on my way back home the vomiting began.In 21 Years I have not gone a single day without getting "stuck" or vomiting.It is a way of life for me.I was 299 the day of my surgery and lost down to 160 the first few months.Then I became pregnant and gained everything back.For the last 20 years I have bounced between 260 and am currently at 290.My hair thinned out,I have had h-pylori 8 times in the last 10 years.I have had duodenal ulcers and clinical depression and severe anxiety issues.I have high blood pressure and have treated for high cholesterol for years.It is impossible for me to digest meat and many fresh vegetables.I am a grandmother now and dont want to die young.My mother was 53 and had a massive heart attack.I have State medical insurance in the State of Wisconsin and need some feedback on where would be a good place to look into revisional surgery in my state would be. I can not go back to Iowa because they do not accept out of state insurance and basically my follow up back in the day was non existent. I hope someone out there can help me Im not a complainer by nature but am so happy to find a forum of people that might just understand what I have been through and know what it is like to be where I want to be in the future. Thank you.
 Rita

my vbg nightmare lasted for 12 years. i feel your pain. that surgery was the worst thing i ever did to myself. i too could never eat anything withut vomiting. i did have recision to the rny and i never get sick and have lost all my weight and i am no longer on any medications the best thing ever. good luck to u.krista

Thank You Krista and I am so glad to hear that Im not the only one that has gone through this yet I wouldnt wi**** on anyone.Be well and thank you for your encouraging words.
           Rita

just saw your post on the VBG and I am somewhat in the same boat & looking for a revision to DS and just wanted to say to make sure & check that out too as it has some definite pluses over RNY.

Krista , I had my surgery 7 years ago and agree with you. I don't have to tell you what it's been like. Just recently looked into revision. I'm serious about it. However I just stared taking meds to get rid of the H pylori in my small intestine. Then I will be making a decision with my new bariatric dr about the best way to go. I'm interested in what you had. I gained back 50 pounds and feel like the first surgery was a waste of time and all the bad things that go with it is a big what for. My dr suggested the Stomacphax. What do you think. Rusty

I had my VBG in 1983 and lost 240 lbs.  I always had problems eating beef (except hamburger) and grapes.  I stopped exercising a few years after the weight loss and eventually gained all my weight back.  I developed reflux and couldn't eat for 2 or 3 hours before going to bed and also couldn't eat spicy foods in the evening.  Eventually I decided to have a revision to RNY and I'm happy that I did.  My reflux has disappeared.  I lost 33 lbs. before surgery and 132 lbs. since surgery.  I've still got about 45 lbs. to lose and hope to get to my goal by my second surgiversary.
I know that I've got to keep exercising and watching my diet the rest of my life and am determined not to gain my weight back again.  I'm feeling so much better now that I've lost half of me.

I also had my surgery done several years ago, at the University of Iowa.  My surgeon retired a few years ago.  While I did lose a small amount of weight initially, I never really lost nearly what I had hoped to, and was still a good 150 pounds over my ideal weight.  Over the next few years, I gained back what little I lost.  The problem is, I still eat extremely little.  It takes me a great deal of time to eat a small amount of food, and most of what I should eat to lose weight my stomach can't digest. 

Just yesterday, my doctor upset me greatly by giving me a hard time about my weight.  I'm so tired of people, doctors included, telling me that I just need to try harder or try a different diet, or exercise more, and everything will be fine.  I wouldn't have had the surgery if that would have worked, and even now that I've had the surgery it doesn't work. 

I wish I could have the surgery un-done, but right now that's just not possible.  If ever.

DustyLady

I'm so sorry to hear about this, DustyLady.  What kind of surgery did you have?

I am in the State of Wisconsin and in 2000 I had the same procedure.  No help after surgery and because of the vomitting -- paying $5,000 a year for 6 years repairing my teeth.  I have now gained back 50 of the 80 pound lost.  Turns out I have a hiatal hernia causing pain and some staples have been compromised.  With my STUPID HUMANA insurance that I have now, they won't do a revision together with hiatal hernia repair.   Have to do TWO surgeries (twice the risk to me) and will only do a lapband and only if I go thru 6 months physician sponsored with documention weight management and then I need a higher BMI because I don't  have other complications (the ones I prevented by having the surgery in 2000-so mad!).  Anyways, not much in the Milwaukee area and the 2 programs I have consulted with AURORA SINA  HOSPITAL and ELMBROOK HOSPITAL have had the worse patient assistance in helping me solve this problem. Just horrible.  I wish you luck and can only state that FROEDTERT MEMORIAL has been my next best option.   ANYONE out there who knows how I can get repaired and continue to maintain the weight loss that a few years ago made my life so much more enjoyable!!!  Thank you. 

I had VBG surgery i***** by Dr. Joseph Cullen who was a physician in Dr. Mason's clinic.  I had ok results at first but over the years it has deteriorated.  I have serious issues with foods, one day I will eat something that digests fine, and the next I will eat the same thing and be sick as a dog.  I am finding more and more things undigested (such as spinach in bowel material).  I also have thrown up regularly and have serious erosion of my teeth. 

I had absolutely NO followup after about 6 months out and even after contacting Dr. Cullen about two years ago, was told that the VBG is no longer done there and if I wanted any followup it would need to be at another hospital. 

Needless to say, I feel that many of my issues with malnutrition and digestive problems (including having my gallbladder out and then a further stay in the hospital with more gallstones and acute pancreatitis) have caused other severe health problems like exacerbation of arthritis and Fibromyalgia.  I am also now having issues with Thrombocytopenia and Fatty Liver.  

I think it is very insentitive for web sites to say that one of the complications is related to us eating high calorie foods such as ice cream when sometimes those are the only things we can digest without throwing up. 

I do not feel I have had adequate care or followup for this procedure and that it has caused serious problems to my body.  I am hoping to get some resolution soon.  I am being seen in the same digestive disease clinic at UIHC in July and I am going to be persistant that some type of post operative evaluation or testing be done since I am over 15 years post op and things have gotten worse to the point where I am unable to work and am permanently disabled.

It is nice to know that another person has had similar problems with the same surgery from the same hospital and set of doctors, including the one who originally came up with VBG surgery but went on to be quoted as saying "Bariatric surgery still does not have sufficient data from enough patients with any procedure to say which operation is best. I am concerned about the goals of surgeons and patients and their level of interest in what really goes on inside the body after alterations of the anatomy. I am concerned about the focus on the superficial and results from the first year with a lack of concern about how life will be affected when patients are 10 and 20 years older." from http://obesitysurgery-info.com/masonpromvgb.htm