HELP considering VBG to RNY revision!!

I had a VBG done 5/03 and am having some complications . I am having nausea, vomiting and have intolerances to many meats(with severe stomach pain) I am considering having a revision to RNY. I wish i had just had the RNY in the first place because most doctors don't even recommend the vbg due to complications like this and the low success rate. I thought i knew it all and here i am not even happy like i thought i would be after WLS.. Please help and info would much be appreciated. carey

Hi Carey: I'm not sure what can of info you need. But I too am in the same boat. I did my homework to the fullest extent, was well aware I would not lose all my excess weight, but I was at least ready to lose more than 20%. By 6 months, the weight loss slowed and then halted. I was well prepared to exercise and started a mini routine with Richard Simmons and Taebo(what I could do, anyway) and couldn't figure out why it wasn't coming off still and why I never felt full. Needless to say, the staple line was disrupted. Just like you, the nausea I've experienced is horrible. I am now in the process of a conversion to an RNY. I don't regret the decision to have the VBG necessarily, I only regret that it stopped working so soon. I knew there was a chance of the staple line opening, but just thought that it would be much further down the line, if at all. Anyway, I personally would not do it again givien the choice. Be well and all the best in your decision making process. -Michelle

Carey- I recently had the revision from VGB (done 1999) to RNY on June 1, 2004. With the VBG, I went from 350 lbs. to 250 lbs. but it came with a lot of complications. I have had over two dozen endoscopies over the last five years due to food getting lodged in the esophagus (where the band was). At 250 lbs, I was no where near where I wanted to be weight wise. I researched and found that there are a lot of us out there. I decided to "get healthy" and stop the madness with these "obstructions". I'm twelve days post op and I'm doing ok. It's never easy, but I would do it again. Good luck and know that you are not alone. There are a lot of us out there. Tammy S. San Antonio, TX

Hi How are you doing now with the weight loss. I also am looking into doing a revision. I had the vbg on Dec 31st and have lost 93 pounds. I am appreciative of the weight loss, but I have to loose from 270 to 190 to be able to have a kidney transplant. Any suggestions will be appreciated. Thank You Deanna Mocahbee