Question:
Initials making me nuts

These initials you guys are using confuses me. Please educate. What on earth is VBG, RNY, etc. I thought it was just 2 things.....lap band and gastric bypass.    — Ruth M. (posted on January 25, 2009)

January 25, 2009
i search the web and got educated. i'm having the rny next month.
   — Ruth M.

January 25, 2009
VBG = vertical banded gastroplasty... a band & staples are used to create a small stomach pouch. RNY= Roux-en-Y... staples are used to form a pouch that is connected to the small intestine, bypassing a portion of the stomach & intestine. No band. LapBand... an adjustable gastric band is placed around a portion of stomach. There is no cutting or removing any part of the digestive system. I had RNY and would make the same choice if I had to do it again.
   — J C

January 25, 2009
http://www.obesityhelp.com/content/messageboardlingo.html Try this site to help you with the Abbrevistions. It really did help me. It also helps to use the abbrviations, as it does not use up as much space. But it does not mean you have to use them. But Try using them and before long they will be "old hat to you!" Hang in there- it does get easier.Also you will notice that some use many abbreviations not nec. related to WLS- just helps in typing. I hope this site helps you as much as it helped me out when i got started. Have a wonderful day! Cora
   — jnclshrum

January 25, 2009
http://www.obesityhelp.com/content/wls_glossary.html Forgot to add this one to the last post, sorry. This is not abbreviations, But it might help some as far as just specific "quick" informational answers about WLS. Cora
   — jnclshrum

January 26, 2009
VBG stands for the Vertical Banded Gastroplasty. The surgeon creates a small pouch and places a band at the bottom of it. It is one of the earliest surgical options for weight loss (akin to the classic "Stomach Stapling"). RNY stands for Roux-eN-Y. It is the French name for the Gastric Bypass. You know what that is. DS stands for the Duodenal Switch, which is similar to the RNY, except that instead of creating a pouch by cutting the stomach in half, they remove most of the stomach, creating a small tube. The surgeon then leaves the intestine attached to the BOTTOM of the stomach instead of attaching it to the side of the POUCH. The intestines are rerouted as they are in the gastric bypass, and the GALL BLADDAR is removed to avoid problems due to the RAPID WEIGHT LOSS that USUALLY results from this procedure. I am NOT a big fan of this procedure, but it IS the MOST EFFECTIVE weight loss procedure currently available. I have had the VSG, or the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy. This is a MODIFICATION of the Duodenal Switch. With the VSG, the stomach has had about 85% removed, leaving a "Sleeve." That is the FULL extent of the procedure. It has the RESTRICTIVE component of the LAP-BAND, but there are no foreign bodies that are introduced for the HUMAN body's immune system to react to. There is no object that causes friction that can lead to SCAR TISSUE that can become a problem as it is in some Lap-Band patients. The down-side is that it is NOT adjustable. The VSG is almost EXACTLY as effective as the Gastric Bypass for weight loss. Statistically, the difference is negligible, with the VSG being about 78 to 79 percent effective and the Gastric Bypass being about 80 to 81 percent effective according to the research that I have seen. Considering that the side effects are minuscule for the VSG when in comparison to the Gastric Bypass, I would consider the few points in "effectiveness" to be an equitable trade. If you want to find out MORE about the various Weight Loss Surgical options, check out my profile page at http://www.obesityhelp.com/member/hubarlow/. Look for my post titled "Surgical Comparisons." If you do not see it on the main profile page, search for it in the March 2008 archives. I hope that this helps. Hugh
   — hubarlow

January 26, 2009
I am not an expert by any means, but there is anther choice called a vertical sleeve gastroplasty. I opted for this surgery. The surgeon simply removed 80% of my stomach. So it is a restrictive surgery without a band and you also get the beneift of the grehlin that the stomach produces being drastically reduced, if not eliminated. Grehlin (sp?) is the hormone that says you are hungry or craving something.
   — Gordobl