Has anyone had a VBG revision?

Hi,
I would love to talk to someone who had a VBG and then a revision or anyone who has had problems after VBG.

Feel like the only person in the world who has had this done and had problems.

I have had a revision, 7 weeks ago from VBG to RNY.  Come to find out from my VBG, I had severe acid reflux, partial obstruction, and my staple line on the voided stomach was coming undone.

My VBG was done in 2001, and did not have any problems until a few years down the line.  I have read somewhere, quite a few have had the problems like me.  Only reason I had it done back then was well, RNY was still so unstable, that VBG seemed to be the safest one for me.

I was a thin person until my 1st pregnancy in 1970. Gradually continued to get bigger. Had a VBG in 1999 at a weight of 277 lbs. I lost about 75 of it over a eighteen month period and gradually gained it back. I am now at 280 lbs. I have a BMI of 45.2. 

I have terrible problems with stricture. Just taking pills or capsules that are not cut or crushed will get stuck. It can sometimes take 8-12 hours for them to go through. I eat a lot of foods that are not good for me, especially carbs. They go down so easy. I can not eat fruit or vegetables raw. They do not pass through at all and all meats are put in a food processor and vegetables are cooked until there mush. I have been scoped and dilated four or five times. I have been to emergency rooms at least 10 times. Usually all they can do is give me raglan,(settle stomach), pain meds (because it hurts so much), and ativan to help me relax (because it drives me crazy). I am tired of throwing up my food so I take the easy way and eat the carbs. Throwing up is a part of life and I am afraid it is doing damage to my esophagus and stomach. I have really had these problems since the surgery. The doctor who did the surgery said the opening to my stomach was the size of a straw.

I am now trying to get a take down done but, would like to also get it revised to a DS. Insurance will be a problem with the revision because policy state one bariatric surgery per lifetime no matter who the insurance carrier at time surgery, unless medically/clinically necessary to correct or reverse complications from a previous bariatric procedure. 
 
I am in this until I have exhausted every appeal I can. I am just like everyone else here and fight depression constantly because of my weight. Feelings of worthlessness, repulsion over the way I look, sadness for how I feel, constant exhaustion, joint pain (especially legs), back pain, breathless when I try to exercise or walk, and sick and tired of doctors telling me to diet and exercise!!!! I mean they have no clue how hard it is to even walk when you are carrying all this weight and how the hell can you diet when you can't eat fruit, vegetables, salad or any of the things you should be eating when you diet.

My health problems are high blood pressure (controlled with one med), high cholesterol, fibromyalga and arthritis.  Barb

Your story sounds just like my experience.....I had the VBG in 1997 and for 8 years couldn't keep most meat down and pills were a challenge, so I ended up regaining my weight due to eating carbs and "slider" foods. I was revised in 2005...and my insurance company approved with in 2 weeks due to all the complications from the VBG. Please be careful selecting a surgeon because revision surgery is a little "trickier", and the complication risks are higher. If you can get revised I would recommend the DS.
I think you have proven your case for a revision.....Good luck!
Dawn

Which surgery where you revised to? I am pretty sure I will be going to Dr.Anthone in Nebraska. He has an excellent reputation for the DS surgery and has done revisions for years.

 I also had VBG in 2001. Started at @ 250lbs and lost to @ 165. Got pregnant after 17 years of marriage at age 38! Kept extra 15lbs after losing baby weight.  Pregnant again at age 41 and kept another 15lbs. So I was holding at 195.  Have always vomited since I had the surgery, especially with healthy foods.  Meats and veggies just do not go through. But the carbs and junk foods are no problem.  I have had to be dilated twice since my second child and have reflux so severe I feel like I am going to aspirate in my sleep and die!  thus I am now scheduled to have the band revised to rny and I am so terrified.  I had no problem getting it approved by insurance but had to go thru the full 6 month visits and psych eval, etc. again.  I am curious, Dawn, how you have done since your revision? Do you feel better? Have you lost weight and kept it off?
Buffy

I had VBG in 2001 and had only a few issues.  I couldn't eat chinese food anymore, but most things were just fine if I chewed really well.  When I didn't chew my food well things would get stuck and it was really excrutiating!  I only lost 50 pounds but I kept it off for over 5 years, then slowly gained it back. 

I have just started the process to get a revision.  I had hoped to get it revised to DS, but there are no Dr. where I live that do them.  I had a consult for a revision to an RNY, and I'm going through all the steps.  So I've seen the phsycologist and had the upper GI test and a resting metabolism test.  I have appointments over the next six weeks to see the dietician, endocrinologist, and pulmonologist, The next step is three months of physical therapy per my insurance company requirement.  Then the sleep study.  It seems like for every appointment I successfully complete, they tell me to schedule two more just to extend the whole ordeal.

There is a great surgeon in Seattle WA that does revision to DS check out dsfacts.com.
There are to many people out there getting revised from rny to ds for me to even consider the rny. Go to the ds forum and just ask how many rny to ds patients there are.
Just a suggestion.     Myur Srikanth, M.D. or Ki Hyun Oh M.D

Barb