Revision after VBG?

I had a VBG back in 1982. Athough it was fine for a while, I have since gained all my weight back and then some. Has anyone had a revision after a VBG and was it successful? I've seen my surgeon and he has agreed to do the surgery if the commitee in the hospital agree to it Just wondering what to expect. Annie M

yep i am one of the successful revisions. my vbg was in 1988. funny, i lived in sacramento and went clear to santa ana to get the surgery. no support groups then or even internet help. of course i failed, my staples gave out in a big way, on my endoscophy they said they could have put 4 cameras into the rupture. lucky i didnt get septic problems from that. i had surgery oct 26, 05 and now have lost 97 pounds and going great. at 57 years old that is something i am proud of. i would add that if you have a higher bmi that rny would be worth looking into. remember even with a committee you are the one who decides and makes the surgery succeed. rny is much more of a permanent solution than vbg ever was. i was told vbg had about a 80% failure rate. rny is just about the opposite- big success rate 5 years out. well, hope all this helps. ps say hi to the sun we have been raniny for months. i just moved here 1 year ago from tracy. best dave

Hi Annie, I too had the revision from a VBG that was done in 1997. I was one of the unfortunate ones that developed major complications postop(read my profile for all the details). I have lost almost 100 lbs and now I am down to a size 3-5 juniors(can fit into a size 16 girls). I am healthy now....and don't have any ongoing health issues and I am rid of ALL my comorbidities! I get asked ALOT whether or not I feel the surgery was worth all the medical complications that I had to deal with and now I can say, yes most definitely! I am rid of ALL medications and have the energy levels of a teenager again! I would check to see if your surgeon has done many revisions of VBG patients because if he hasn't then I would seek out a surgeon that has! The surgery is a little more complicated being a revision and being in the best possible surgeon's hands is cricitical! Also, see if he/she will share their complication rates with you and also morbidity rates after surgery. I would also ask about the morbidities rate and how they associate in regards to your weight range(because there is a higher complication and morbidity rate with higher BMI patients). If you would like any more information or have any other questions please feel free to contact me! I wish you the best of luck! Dawn

Hi Annie, I just had a revision on Jan 27 from a VBG done in 1987. My revision was done laparscopically by Dr. Higa in Fresno. So far, three weeks out, I've lost almost 30 pounds, but what's more important is that I am eating healthier than I ever have in my life. I used to throw up every day. And the only food I could keep down was junk. Now I'm eating fish, chicken, fruits and vegetables--in small quantities, but enough so that I am feeling content with what I've eaten and a sense that I am nourishing my body. I plan on updating my profile once a month so if you are interested you can keep track of my progress there. Best of luck to you.

Hi! I also had my revision surgery with Dr. Higa (he's the best) in May 05. I had VBG in 1999 and had lost about 140lbs and then became preg w/twins in 01. I think they jumbled up my insides (lol) anyways I started gaining after they were born. When I had my surgery to RNY I weight 312 lbs. I have now lost 95 lbs and I feel great. With my VBG I threw up alot and bathroom problems, but with the new surgery I have never thrown up once and can eat a little of almost anything. I am so glad I had the surgery done. I had no problems getting my insurance to approve the surgery, but I had a lot more testing to do before, than with my first surgery. Good Luck to you.