hoping some vbg's are still out there...

So in april i am going in for an open vbg. I have done a lot of research and seem to be coming up with a lot of old or irrelevant info as the more common rny, ds or sleeve have the most up to date info. Would be fantastic if anyone could share their experiences, what kind of food they ate after surgery to lose weight as and how much excersize they did to be successful with the vbg and so i can start incorporating these changes into my life now. 
I am determined to make this surgey work for me and any info on your personal stories would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks :)

I had the VBG over 5 1/2 years ago and have had nothing but great success!  I wouldn't have gone any other way!  You can read my journey on my profile here. It pretty much puts it all out there.  Don't be bullied by some who discourage the VBG.  I speak monthly for my surgeon and his groups of prospective patients, and every time I speak I tell people that no matter what surgery you choose, to remember that they all work.  How well they work and how long they work is the sole responsibility of the patient!  The surgery is a tool and if it is used correctly and daily, and for the rest of your life like it is supposed to be used, you'll have great success too!  Good luck!

thanks for your reply! I will read through your journey! I have been a litle discouraged thinking that maybe one of the other options would be better, but when you pointed out that they all work and it is up to the person, i changed my mind. You are right, this is the surgery i am getting and i am going to make it work for me! thank you :)

Hi!

I had a VBG in April 1984.  I have managed to keep off around 90 lbs. I have developed Barrett's Esophagus due to GERD and am waiting for insurance approval for RNY. This is not a revision to a weight loss surgery, but a procedure to deal with Barrett's Esophagus. B.E. is a precurser to esophageal cancer.

I am rather anxious because I have had such a limited diet with the VBG, and will have to learn to eat foods that have made me sick for the past 26.

I had a VBG in 1999.  There was very little nutritional information given to me prior to surgery and no information regarding support groups or anything.  To say the least it has been less than successful.  I did lose from 370 to about 300, but that was all the dr. expected me to lose.  I have yo-yo-ed with Weigh****chers for the past 4 years and lost 45 lbs, but put it back on within 6 months of stopping.

A friend of mine had a Gastric Bypass and the results were so much different, so I started looking in to a surgeon that specialized in bariatrics. I found Dr. Todd Wilson at the University of Texas-Minimally Invasive Surgeons of Texas (UT-MIST).  He and on other dr. specialize in revisions. He set me up with a nutritionist that I could really relate to and understand.  He also did a gastro-something, a camera down my throat to my stomach, and looked at my VGB.  He said it didn't look any different than expected and that a revision to gastric bypass was possible.  I went to a psychologist that specializes in bariatrics and revisions and learned a great deal from her. He also ordered a doppler of my legs when i mentioned them occasionally swelling, to make sure there were no clots. I also attended the Texas Assoc. of Bariatric Surgeons Weight Loss Summit in January and heard some great speakers on everything from nutrition to exercise to plastic surgery.  There were also some great vendors that I got invaluable information about  vitamin supplements especially for bariatric patients.

Anyway, since October 5, 2009 I have lost 25 lbs by just being more aware of what to eat and have registered for a Food Addiction Group that starts in April.  I was called on Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2010 and told my surgery was approved.  I have a surgery date of 3-8-2010 and I feel more prepared than i ever did before.  I know I will have after-care support and expectations from the dr. that I didn't have before. 

My suggestion is that you get the best information you can about what to do afterwards BEFORE you go in and set up after-care support though your dr. and from support groups.  I live 60 miles from my dr. and a city that has any of this, but I have made the committment and feel better educated this time around.  Dr. Wilson did tell me that a VGB was probably not the best choice for me at the weight I was because the statistics show that VGB patients lose about 35-45% of their extra weight compared to a bypass that shows about 65-75%.  I know that some do exceptionally well with a VGB, especially with lots of education and support. Please do this before your surgery.  You will be so much more successful if you do.

I wish you the best of luck.  You seem to have already made great strides in preparing.  Good luck and God bless.

I too had the VBG in 1998.  And like the above post I had minimal success.  I lost maybe 60 lbs over the first year. I was given very little information before the surgery and even less on how to make it work for me.  I am in the process of getting a revision to an RNY, that is the only one available for me through my provincial health care.  I have been looking at research articles about the success rate of all the surgeries and have found that VBG is the lowest.  They dont really do it that much because of that. 

I get stuck on  almost everything I eat and have to throw it up.  there is blood in the vomit and it is very painful.  I have broken blood vessels in my eyes.  I have tried to make this surgery work, but there is a limit one can do with a surgery that is inferrior. 

Make sure you research all your options and choose the one that is the best.  If I knew then what I know now, I would not of had this surgery.  I am still fat and I have many complications. 

best of luck.
sandi

 I had a VBG in 2001.  Ended up with "MASSIVE" GERD and for health reasons made the decision to revise to RNY.  As it turned out, once in, the surgeon found the band had erodes into my stomach and the other 1/2 of my stomach was attached to my pancreas.   As a result 2/3 of my stomach had to be removed and not just separated as a normal RNY.  

I am telling you this, not to sway you to the RNY or any other surgery, but to inform you of what is out there.  The tool worked for me for a long time.  I did develop problems about 2-3 years ago and because of that my eating changed resulting in the weight gain.

Whatever, you and your surgeon decide is best for you, it is a tool and you and only you can work to make sure the tool is successful for you. Your question as to what kind of food/exercise, here is what I remember:

I ate according to the plan I was given at my pre-op appt (day before my surgery).  Mostly, chicken/fish and veggies.  Eggs were in there too.  Very little carbs. Exercise.....I remember walking a lot. Eventually I did move to aerobic/jazzersize. 


For the record, even though my surgery went bad, I don't regret doing it.  I will share whatever I remember, please feel free to e-mail if you want.

Hi:  I am a newbie on this site and I had to write to you to find out some information.  I too had a VBG done in 2001 and was able to keep off about 100 lbs up to 2 years ago when my marriage fell apart.  Since then I have gained over 45 pounds and I know that it has a lot to do with drinking too much alcohol as my food intake has not increased.  I have since day one vomited most days and been in pain.  My question to you is what is GERD?  Also, since I am in Ontario, Canada, do you know if the revision if I am even considered for it, would be covered under OHIP?
Any information is greatly appreciated.
Tracey

I would like to share my story with anyone considering VBG. I had the VBG surgery in Nov of 1993. After 16 years of hell (vomiting everyday), my stomach gave out. I had an emergency visit with an endoscopy and upper GI. I was immediately sent to a bariatric surgeon in Reno. Dr. Sasse saved my life. After having surgery a week after seeing him, he found that when he opened me up, that the top portion of my stomach was being strangled by scar tissue and the muscles had gone flaccid, my vagus nerves were completely destroyed by the scar tissue.  I had lost 21 lbs in 3 weeks, because I couldnt eat and I was violently throughing up foam and asperating in my sleep.  He had to remove the upper portion of my stomach and reconstruct the health part into a "normal as possible stomach". I was in the hospital for 5 days, it was a terrifying and painful experience. I now am almost 4 weeks post op and struggling with my stomach healing. I wish I NEVER would have destroyed my body with WLS. After alot of research and talking with my surgeon, the long term effects of VBG are VERY serious. Now that people have have had the procedure 15, 20 years later, we are now seeing the long term effects of this surgery. My surgeon told me he is seeing more and more complications long term. PLEASE consider very carefully messing with your body. The long term effects can be tragic!!! I have learned its not about how much you eat, its about what you put in your mouth.

Hi,

I myself had VBG in May of 2001.  Went great, I lost approx 100 pounds the first year, that is all I lost, I actually gained back 50 of that and have been yo-yoing with that through WW.   I have also discovered I am having more health issues, including bad reflux, which I never had before the surgery.  So I finally in January went to see a dr about a revision, and mentioned something to him that was told me four years ago, about my staple line being compromised.  So he did an endoscope, found I have a paratial blockage at the ring, and then an upper GI, and they found yes my staple line is coming undone and the barium was leaking into the staple line.  So now I am waiting to find out what Insurance will say to the revision, but he is making more necessary to fix the problems.  He also said that my reflux is caused by my VBG. If approved they will be doing the Bypass on me this time around.  Just make sure you are fully preparred for this and I know here in my area as far as I know it is not widely used as it once was.