Question:
CAN ANYONE SUGGEST A WEBSITE WITH RESEARCH DATA ON LONG TERM WLS PATIENTS

I HAVE BEEN WONDERING THE SAME THINGS....IF THESE SURGERIES ARE SO NEW....HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT THE RESULTS/EFFECTS ARE 10-20-30 YEARS OUT? HOPEFULLY SOMEONE SOMEWHERE IS FOLLOWING/TRACKING BOTH WLS PATIENT'S WEIGHT AND HEALTH ISSUES. HAVE YOU SEEN ANY WEBSITES OR DATA THAT MIGHT MAKE SOME OF US FEEL MORE AT EASE? I GUESS I'M BEING OVERLY CAUTIOUS, BUT I DIDN'T JUMP ON THE PHEN-PHEN BANDWAGON BECAUSE IT JUST SEEMED "TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE"...THANK GOD I DIDN'T GO FOR THAT RIDE. I FEEL NOW LIKE I'M RIDING A PENDULUM...ONE DAY I'M GUNG HO, THE NEXT I'M WONDERING IF I SHOULD DO THIS....    — DELINDA T. (posted on September 9, 2002)

September 9, 2002
Delinda, I read a technical article that was published by the Mayo Clinic in 2000. It seemed favorable toward WLS. There are many long-term post-ops that post on this site, I have read the posts. You have to remember the surgery has changed in the last 20 years. Here is the website for the article (you have to have an Adobe reader): www.mayo.edu/proceedings/2000/jul/7507al.pdf. I hope this address works for you. If it doesn't you can use the yahoo search engine and type in gastric bypass surgery. A yahoo list comes up first and I clicked on that to expand it. Good luck!
   — Patty.W

September 9, 2002
Well myself and my wife wouldnt of lived another 10 years without WLS. This is common. Surgery saved our lives!
   — bob-haller

September 9, 2002
You will find a lot of useful information at www.asbs.org (American Society of Bariatric Surgeons), including the rationale for this surgery (http://www.asbs.org/html/rationale/rationale.html), a history of baratric surgery (http://www.asbs.org/html/story/chapter1.html), as well as a search function to find a surgeon in your area who is certified as a bariatric surgeon. You may also wish to check out information at the following: http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health/nutrit/pubs/gastric/gastricsurgery.htm; site hosted by the National Institutes Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease. Good luck. WLS was around long before phen-fen and continues to improve over time.
   — rebalspirit

September 9, 2002
I'm one of those "20 years out" patients and, yes, we're still alive and kickin like a pack-o-ninjas. I had a VBG in 1983 and my mom had the same surgery with a different surgeon a month later. Neither of them worked long term. I only lost 35 and eventually gained it back along with another 120. My mom lost about 65 but eventually gained it back with about 40 more. Back then the surgeries were far from perfect - in fact very few of them were successful. To answer your question, I have had very few ill effects from the surgery. The only thing long term problem I've had from the surgery was that I vomited every day at least once for the past 19 years. My mother has had the same problem. I had a revision to RNY in May of this year and have already lost 54 pounds and tons of inches. I feel better than I have in many many years and, best of all, I've thrown up only 3 times since the revision, and those times were caused by allowing myself to get too hungry and eating too fast. I figured I would just let you know in person about at least two past posties. Good luck on your info gathering.
   — Vicki H.

September 9, 2002
One more site I found useful is http://weightlosssurgeryinfo.com/. They even offer a free booklet on WLS. Blessings in your search for answers. Robin
   — rebalspirit

September 10, 2002
In answer to your question, I have done some research on the long term affects. If you go to http://www.wlscenter.com/ Barbara Thompson has some great answers to your question.
   — Leslie W.