I thought the vsg stomach was the same as a DS stomach

My mother is finishing up on medical tests getting ready to have the vsg. She went to a seminar last night and was talking about not getting it done due to all of the food restrictions. Is this done because there is no malabsorption? I thought the stomach was basically the same except maybe a little smaller.

I would like to see her travel to get the DS but she says she does not want to travel. Dr. Smith is only about 3-4 hrs away. I wish she would do that. She doesn't want the RNY due to the possibility of dumping. I just think she will be disappointed with the slower wt loss and possibly not losing enough. She has seen me eat like I do and I think she feels like she could live like that. I didn't do any research on the vsg but just assumed it would be the same as far as not having the food restrictions. I do understand that not having the malabsorption would cause them to be more careful on the fats.

If any of you have had a vsg to DS surgery and can give some advice or how different your diet is now compared to when you had just the vsg I would appreciate it.

Thanks,
Ronnie

You might want to post this question on the Lightweight board where there are several VSG folks that are used to seeing what DSrs eat by reading our Menus & Miles post. They may be able to tell you what they do differently from us. I think I've seen them post about staying low fat but that may be coming straight from their NUTs. If they low carb, they should be able to have some healthy fats too. I've also seen them say they don't drink with meals but again that may be coming from the NUTs not what their sleeves might allow once they are further out.

--gina

I did do some reading over there yesterday and most of what they were saying was what they had told my mom...Not drinking with meals, low fat, things like. I'll ask them about it too.

Thank you!

Those things are rny rules. Unfortunately, many plans just use their rny plans for sleeves too instead of developing a plan for VSG.

Holly, if you could develop a specific plan for VSG what would it be?  My surgeon does a lot of VSG w/permanent mesh band. Most seem to do pretty well but the folks that select it sort of fit the model for success with restriction only. Typically that's very active folks that normally eat 1 big meal a day and don't snack that much.

You have loads of experience and I think it would be great if you could post your thoughts. Thanks.

--gina

Since VSG works purely via restriction (and lower ghrelin to reduce hunger, at least for awhile), someone with a VSG needs to eat a restricted diet to lose weight and keep it off. Most people seem to do well at least at first, when the sleeve is very small and they really can't eat very much. But longterm, the sleeve will stretch somewhat no matter how narrow it starts, so patients need to follow a low calorie, low fat, low carb diet for life.

Your mother will not be able to eat the say you do with a sleeve. She needs to understand this. If she still refuses to travel, she will need to commit to the low calorie, low carb, low fat diet for life in order to be successful. There will certainly be some people who are successful and happy with the sleeve, but we are also seeing people who just don't achieve the weight loss they want, even with considerable dietary and exercise effort. If your mother won't travel, so be it, but she needs to understand the realities of the operation she is having.

Larra

Thanks Larra. I thought that was probably the reason for all the food restrictions. That is what I was telling her.

I'm going to take a day just to sit and talk eveything over with her just so she understands everything.

Ronnie

My friends who had the VSG now 4 yrs ago with great success.  Eat a high protein Paleo type diet.  The difference is, they cannot eat a whole egg and gluten free piece of toast in the Am.  They eat about half, take the other half to work and eat it as a snack.  They always eat protein first then anything else.  They went to Barker in Dallas (before he had a bad reputation).  They eat whatever they want, just a little bit and always something to take home, they split their meals into two, then use the other half as a snack later on.  They use liquid vitamins and B12 shots and Calcium.

 

I think she could do that. I really don't understand why the vitamins would have to be liquid though but that's what she was told too. Not a big deal I just don't see why.
Thank you for your reply. This is very helpful.

The stomachs are pretty much both the same.  She'll have to watch her calories and personally as a 2 step DSer the sleeve alone wasn't enough for me.  The DS malabsorption really helped me lose and get to the healthy range.  My eating didn't change too much between my 2 surgeries - there's just more freedom foodwise and volumewise with the DS (I added in oil, cheese, butter and heavy cream when I got switched).  It's definitely the better/more effective of the two surgeries for weight loss IMO.

I'd say there's more restriction with the sleeve on its own if weight loss is what she's after.