Help from VSG, DSers, and Bandsters

"Actually, many people think that the weight regain might be more with the VSG, "

Eh, only if "many people" means "a couple of very vocal DSers on OH who couldn't say anything nice about the VSG if their lives depended on it". LOL

Seriously, this surgery has been done as a stand-alone WLS for 10 years now and the surgeons who make the sleeve small enough aren't seeing any big regain problems. If people don't regain in large numbers by 5 years out, then it's not going to happen at 10 years out. 

In my surgeon's practice, he sees RnYers regaining at around 25 pounds and everyone else at around 10 pounds. (This is on average, of course.) When they used the 48f, regain was higher and final results were more like the band, but they've been making sleeves with a 32g boughie for at least 5 years now.

Funny, that people with the first part of a VSG would say negative things about it. :)

I think you are right. I found the same information in the literature, when I was researching the VSG. Someone at one of the support groups that I attend made that comment, but I don't really believe that it is true. I really believe that weight regain is mostly related, but not always, to not making permanent lifestyle changes. ANY of the surgeries can be eaten around, so it does come down to making the right choices and making permanent lifestyle changes for long term success.

I love sweets too. But fruit and veggies are sweet. My protein shake is sweet. My protein bars are too. I get plenty of sweet foods and don't feel the need to binge on sweet junk food just because I could if I wanted to.

I was thinking about the whole dumping thing today because I ate supper at the boardwalk. I was thinking that, if I had RnY, I wouldn't have been able to order the yogurt parfait that I had because I couldn't tell by looking at it if it was made with plain yogurt or with vanilla yogurt. With plain yogurt, there probably wouldn't be dumping, but with vanilla yogurt, there'd be added sugars and there probably would have been.

So, for me, the whole dumping issues is one that made RnY a deal-breaker. I never want to do be out in public and not be sure what to eat for fear of getting sick. But, for other people, dumping (or the fear of it, anyway) is what keeps them in line and they deliberately chose RnY in order to get it.

This is why I think that which WLS type you get is a very personal decision and you can't make sweeping generalizations about which type of person should get which type. That's just too tidy and people aren't tidy.

Thanks Mac.....I sure miss you on the boards!!!!!!!  You were always so full of info and encouragement when someone needed it. 

You are right about worrying about dumping out in public.  I have to think every single time I order something like BBQ sauce or dressings.  I completely stay away from anything questionable.  I basically pick what I feel is safe.

Since I've learned to deal with the RNY and dumping I don't honestly know how I would have handled  sweets and sugar.

I went looking through my literature and all I found on long term for the DS is daily vitamins and a minimum of 70-100 grams of protein a day. (May need to use protein shakes daily to meet requirements.) I remember from the information session that the surgeon said "low carb for life".  We had basically the same "rules" as everyone else for the first month.  

DSrs with a 100cm common channel malabsorb something like 50% of the protein they eat, 80% of the fat, 40% of complex carbs and zero sugar...we get all the sugar just like everyone else. So, we can "beat" the DS with sugary foods and drinks too. What I learned from my angel, who is 4 years further out than me, is that we start absorbing carbs more easily the further out we get. So, the surgeon was pretty spot on, "low carb for life". 

--gina
       

My program has four post-op guides, one for each surgery type. However about 90% of the material is the same. They are talking about redoing them and maybe combining them back into one guide. Personally, I kind of hope they don't do that as I think it will be confusing when it comes to the 10% that is different.

The only differences I've heard are:

-Bandsters are required to stay on liquids for 3 weeks so they can start forming scar tissue around the band and lock into place to avoid slips later. All others are on liquids for 2-3 weeks.

-Vitamin schedules vary quite a bit between the 4 types

-RnYers aren't supposed to take NSAIDs

Everything else they say at support group meetings is the same. There may be other subtle differences in the guides, but I only have the VSG guide.

I really appreciate everyones help!!!   I guess there isn't any major differences in the Basic rules of WLS.  At least nothing I could share that might be disastrous to any of my LW friends.

I think that most of the basic rules are the same, with the exception of the sugary bits. The diet guide I see linked the most is Dr. Cirangle's, which you can find here:

http://www.sleeveguide.com/uploads/1/7/9/4/1794785/dietguidevged42006feb.pdf

It covers vitamins, diet progression, stuff like that. I'm not linking as a patient of Dr. Cirangle, but I know a lot of VSGers reference this as a guideline.

As for personal experience, I'm loving my VSG. Weight loss for me has been a little slow, but I'm a LW, so I learned to expect that. I'm down 50 pounds today (including my pre-op diet), so that's pretty exciting!

Thanks for the site!  I'm finding out that you are right about them being very similiar.

50 pounds....Awesome!!!

slow weight loss?  50 lbs since just before your surgery in April?  
Wow..... I think that's fast!
tracey