Question:
Why are so many wanting to have their WLS revised to Lap RNY, Open RNY
or DS (Duodenal Switch)? Kinda curious...I have observed some posts (both pre-ops and post ops) that have had VBG's or Lap Bands, SVBGs that are now wanting to "convert or revise" to one of the other WLS's: Lap RNY, Open RNY or DS. Seems like during the research stage, this information would have been provided by the surgeon and you can definiely find the answers on this website to work with. Oftentimes I realize that some of us could have been persuaded by others and their *successes* and not either ask the surgeon or make the decision ourselves~which in the long run could prove to be quite costly and one of the other surgeries should have been done initially. (Please don't send me hate mail for asking a perfectly honest-hearted question), I really would like to know why the Lap Band or any other banding SVGB WLS is chosen and some of *us* later happen to not be satisfied with it...I just want to understand...Thanks for listening.. — yourdivaness (posted on December 3, 2002)
December 3, 2002
I was revised from a stomach stapling to a lap RNY. When I had my stomach
stapling I don't think anyone had even heard of RNY. It was in 1984. It
was the best they knew back then. As medical technology progresses, things
improve. I know for me it has been a GODSEND. I am very pleased w/this
surgery, and am able to eat more normally, and have reached my goal weight.
Patti Meadows rny revision 9/01.
— peppermintp
December 3, 2002
The reason majority of people get a revision is because they did not loose
as much weight as they had hoped. So they revise to a more restrictive wls
and they end up loosing to there goal. Hope this helps. Because I was
looking in to the Adjustable gastric banding(lapband) and a surgeon I went
to first told me there was an average 35% excess weight loss with a lapband
and really did not recommend it for a person over a bmi of 50. And my bmi
is 64.8 and so I decided to look in to the rny and I now have a date of dec
23rd wish me luck and good luck on your wls journey and research.
— Starla W.
December 3, 2002
Well i've been researching WLS for over a year now and i must admit that
the Lapband was an option that looked good to me. when I got to my surgeon,
He persuaded me to opt for the RNY because of the low % of Excess weight
loss reported by past experience of the Lapband. He stated the EWL% as
aroung 40-50%. But that it gets lower with time. In terms of safety and
technicality of procedure the band sways people its way because there are
less complications. However the band will only work for you if you have
what it takes to make it work, discipline, control over food cravings, and
can abstain from soft or pureed, high fat/sugar foods. I have never been a
successful dieter and decided I need the malabsorbtion component, the
dumping and the restriction to help me do what i wanted to do....lose
weight. I chose not to lose sight of why Im getting surgery..... to lose
weight! And from all anicdotal and research evidence the RNY has better
EWL% than the band. Some people find this out a bit late...........after
they have had the LAP.
— Annette K.
December 3, 2002
You've hit on something here -- YOU HAVE to make the decision for yourself.
Do not be swayed by people who tout their own surgery -- even me. For me,
the RNY was the ONLY option -- I have been overweight all of my life, with
huge swings of 60+,75+ and 90+ pounds. Every time I lost weight, I gained
more. At 33, and 125 pounds overweight, I finally had to realize that I
needed more structure, and couldn't do it on my own. I needed something
that would keep me away from the sugar and high fat/high carb meals. I
also figured that this was my last chance -- and that I wasn't going to go
through the trauma of surgery to lose less than 50% of my excess weight.
If I was going to do this, then I was going to do it -- scary statistics be
damned. I knew that I was relatively healthy, and that my surgeon was
phenomenal. SO....DO YOUR RESEARCH, evaluate all your options, and decide
what is right for you. Do not base your decision on the surgeon you like;
base your search for a surgeon on the surgery you think is right for you.
Find the best. Good luck! Tamara, lap RNY 10/21/02 (-31).
— Tamara K.
December 3, 2002
When I had my VBG back in 1995, I didn't own a computer, didn't have access
to the internet and even if I did, I doubt that the same amount of info was
available back then. My surgeon did the VBG so that's what I got. I vaguely
remember hearing about "byass" surgeries in the years afterward,
but the story was always that those types of surgeries were
"drastic" and only for super MO people. Not saying that that's
true, just that is what I remember hearing about them back then. I had a
mechanical failure, a staple line disruption. I did lose all of the weight
with the VBG, I just gained most of it back in the last two years. I didn't
even know I could have a revision to RNY. I have a friend that had the RNY
done last Feb. and when I started looking into it (to research if it was
safe) I came across an article on WLS and one woman had had a revision. I
started researching for myself then, and found this site. These days, with
all the info available to us, I would hope that people would do the
research first and pick the type of surgery and a surgeon that is right for
them the first time around. I just didn't have that option 7.5 years ago. I
had my revision in July 02, and have lost 55 pounds so far. Only 50 to go.
— Ali M
December 3, 2002
Darn typos! That should be "bypass" of course. Hopefully everyone
knew what I meant!
— Ali M
December 8, 2002
Interesting. My mother has an RNY and wants to change to a LAP BAND.
She's gained back some of her weight and sees the sense that the lap band
makes. However, it wasn't available when she had her surgery.
The main reason docs in the FDA trials revised people to the RNY from the
lap band is because the patients were not losing weight fast enough
according to their standards. Plus, the surgeons weren't interested in the
aftercare required of the band. Most bandsters lose about 80-100 pounds in
a year. A much more natural rate of weight loss.
The weight loss is slower with the lap band but the amount of weight kept
off stabilizes over two years and because of the band's adjustability, the
band can be tweaked for years and years if necessary to keep the weight
off. After the window of opportunity with the RNY is gone, not much can be
done about regain.
Another thing, before you think that TONS of people are getting lap bands
(AGBs) revised to RNYs, remember that the lap band has only been approved
here in the U.S. a little over a year. If they are already getting
revisions, it doesn't seem that they are giving it much of a chance.
Many, many longer term lap band success stories can be found among those of
us Americans who went to foreign countries to have our lap bands installed.
That success will be seen here in America soon.
— M. B.
December 10, 2002
Hi! I can tell you why I want a revision to RNY, I had a VBG in April of
2001. Everything went well, and yes, some of the complications were
explained to me, but I was told the chances were very little. 16 months
and 100 pounds later I developed a tear in my staple line. This was caused
by excessive vomiting. And the vomiting was caused by an imflamation in
and around my ring. As a result....I have gained back 25 pounds. I really
did research my surgery well before having it, but now I am hearing that
VBG is less succesful, and not good for the long term. This is simply my
situation.......I hope this helps you to understand.
— Dina P.
March 30, 2003
I had a VBG in 1985 and I think that was cutting edge at that time! My
problem was that I figured out pretty quickly that I could only eat very
soft foods and sugars and fats went down real well. Even so, I lost weight
for about a year and then stabilized for quite some time before starting to
go back up. Now I'm 100 pounds over my starting weight from 1985 ! I'm
scheduled for RNY in just over a week. I think not being able to eat
sugars and fats will be a major component of this revision for me.
— Janis C.
May 20, 2003
7 years ago i chose to have a vertical banded gastroplasty because it was
the safest route... and ive gained all but 25 lbs of it back, and im going
in for a revision (hopefully if approved) to a Gastric Bypass. If i would
have known then that the little pouch at the top leaking food slowly into
your stomach would make you RAVINOUSLY hungry... i would have never had
that one. I have been told that the Gastric bypass helps to reduce the
amount of a chemical that makes you hungy.. and also, since your STOMACH
actually is full.. and there isn't anything below SCREAMING hunger..it is
more sucessful. Also, a person has to take the malabsorption factor in..
it helps also. I would never have another VBG EVER. The Gastric Bypass has
almost the same risks and is just plain better.
— Dawn P.
July 12, 2005
I had Open VGB in 1997,at that time the only people that I knew that had
WLS had the bypass and had BAD experiences. They ended up having them
reversed. I spent over 6 months researching WLS and the VGB seemed (and
was) less invasive. It seemed to have fewer side effects and seemed more
successful, so I went for it. Now here I am 8 years post-op, having
initially lost 185 lbs, I have regained (in the last 2 years) 92 lbs. I
have since learned that VGB is, on the average, only successful for about 5
years. I have to agree that the easiest foods to get down (and keep down)
were soft and high in sugar. Being unable to eat sweets would definitely be
a plus for me. I am also unable to eat dense foods (carrots, celery, green
peppers,etc)and even have a hard time, sometimes, with meats.
I am going for a revision to RNY, although the dr tells me that revisions
have a lower rate of success (65% compared to 85%) I am sure that it is up
to me to be sure that I am successful this time.
I don't think I was dissatisfied with the VGB at least not until 2 years
ago, the surgeon feels I may have a staple line disruption. He says it is
common, altho' I did ask an ER dr if that was feasible about 3 years ago,
when I was spending more time in the ER than at work. The ER dr assured me
that it had been long enough and that the staple line was well healed. I go
for my endoscopy this Fri 7/15 to check out the staple line and the band. I
know that I still have some reduction, no matter how much I can eat now, it
is still far less than what I could eat pre-op, just need it to be even
less I guess. I also need a drop in weight to make it feasible for me to
take long strolls again.
Thanks and good luck, keep us informed.
Ciao for now
Berta
— Roberta Murray
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