Question:
I AM STARTING TO WORRY

I AM HAVING VBG PER SURGEON SUGGESTION BUT I HAVEN'T SEEN TOO MANY PEOPLE HAVING THIS TYPE OF SURGERY. DOES THIS ONE NOT OFFER THE SUCCESS OF THE RNY ANY FEEDBACK APPRECIATED THANKS    — BOBBIEJO C. (posted on December 18, 2002)

December 17, 2002
Sadly my surgeon says the VBG failure rate is about 80% by 5 years. VBGers have a tough time eating good food while junk food goes down easy. Our support group is filled with folks who have got revisions to the RNY. Given all this some VBG patients do very well. It requires work. Sounds like your surgeon is selling what he does.
   — bob-haller

December 18, 2002
I asked all those questions at my consult with my surgeon. She said the rny is considered the "gold standard" of weight loss surgery with an 80% loss of excess weight. She said they don't even do the banding anymore in their office because of the potential problems with weight regain later down the road and that the success rate of banding is 50-60% of excess weight loss. I guess the banding is just less successful than the other because it restricts the amount you can eat, with the rny you have the restriction and on top of that you have the malabsorption added. However, you can be as successful as you want to be with either. Good luck!
   — Dee ,.

December 18, 2002
Your surgeon suggests you have that procedure done over RNY because thats all he does. Remember its a business for him too. If you see a doctor that routinely does RNY on his patients, he'll have another suggestion for you. Ultimately, you must decide which YOU want. Do your homework and research each one. Pick the procedure that you feel will work best for you and then go find a surgeon that agrees and will do it for you. The one in charge of your health the most is you. Good luck.
   — thumpiez

December 18, 2002
I am one of those who was revised FROM a VBG I had in september of 2000 to an RNY I had 10-31-02. I work with eight, count em, EIGHT other people who had the same surgery, three of us on the same day. Doctor would only do VBG, strongly was "against" RNY...we are all still fat, all surgeries have failed, except ONE, who is less than a year out. Sad. I strongly advocate RNY over VBG. I did not research well enough, though I thought I was, it was all from the doctor's perspective; therefore I made a very bad choice.
   — Lindi R.

December 18, 2002
Does your surgeon have a support group of patients that have had the VBG? If so, get in contact with them, especially the long term ones and see how they are doing. Whenever I have seen/heard of revisions it is usually from a VBG to an RNY, but there may be many successful VBG'ers out there. I had RNY because I wanted what would give me the best chance for success.
   — Cindy R.