Question:
What is VGB surgery--is it safe?

   — Toby2 (posted on April 29, 2008)

April 29, 2008
Do you mean VGB? The Vertical Banded Gastroplasty? It is basically the old fashioned "Stomach Stapling" from what I have been TOLD. It is an outdated form of weight loss surgery. It is better than NOTHING but there are some drawbacks to the procedure. ONE of them is that the segments of the stomach that have been separated often try to grow back together after the surgery. There are some of the same issues with THIS surgery as there are with the Lap-Band surgery with the slipping of the band and the possibility of the band abrading the stomach lining and the patient needing to have it removed and needing a revision to some OTHER type of weight loss surgery. My wife, who is a nurse practitioner, tells me that this happens to less than 1% of the banded patients but if you ARE one of those patients it can be a terrifying experience, not to mention costly if your insurance or the doctor does not cover it. Check this out on the blog on my profile page: http://www.obesityhelp.com/member/hubarlow/uzone,blog/action,comments/blog_id,143782/blog_post_id,146413/ . It SHOULD be a post on my blog named Surgical Comparisons. It will be in my archives in the March 2008 section. This is a fairly comprehensive comparison of the various surgeries available today. Use this as a STARTING POINT for your OWN research into weight loss surgery. PLEASE research your options for yourself. I have had the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy and am VERY satisfied with the results I have had so far. I would HIGHLY recommend this option for MOST people but NOT for ALL. I suggest that you research your options YOURSELF and with your DOCTOR and your SURGEON and YOUR OWN RESEARCH, decide for YOURSELF what is best FOR YOU! Do NOT let some people on the boards fool you into thinking that they are "EXPERTS" in weight loss surgery. MOST of the people you will find on the boards that are giving advice are people like ME. We are PATIENTS! WE have NO MEDICAL EXPERIENCE other than what has been DONE to OUR OWN BODY! SOME have done a little more research than OTHERS but they are NO MORE "EXPERTS" in weight loss surgery than YOU ARE! There are some HIGHLY VOCAL people on the boards that give out some BAD advice regarding weight loss surgery and the way that people should EAT to lose weight. There are SOME folks who ADVOCATE eating in a way so that you "DUMP" or have diarrhea and thus lose weight because you do not absorb the calories that you consume. To do this is akin to BULIMIA. If you FOLLOW this practice LONG enough and OFTEN enough you could end up MALNOURISHED! Let's not forget that there are a number of OTHER health issues that could come with that scenario such as becoming dehydrated and anemic among OTHERS. PLEASE take the advice of people on the boards CAREFULLY. Do your OWN research and consult your physician and/or surgeon for the best option for YOU. Remember, your INSURANCE may play a role in what type of surgery that you decide to get. You may NOT be able to get the BEST option through your insurance company. If you feel STRONGLY enough about your choice, you may have to go self pay. SOME surgeons may cut a break for a cash pay patient so shop around if you end up going this route. I hope this helps, Hugh
   — hubarlow

April 30, 2008
I had it done about 10 years ago. I lost about 50 pounds and gained all of that back. It was never really effective for me. Actually it was a waste of my money and made me only feel like more of a failure. Last summer I had RNY done and have lost 100 pounds. I just have about 20 more to go to be at goal. Best wishes, Neisha
   — neisha =.

April 30, 2008
Given that you've posted two questions recently about different types of weight loss surgery, I'd suggest you take a look at the asbs.org website (the organization for surgeons who perform these types of surgeries) and then visit the NIH.gov website which also has lots of information (and statistics) about complications and risks. No weight loss surgery is perfect-- and each method is constantly being improved with new tools, more research and the collective experience of surgeons who share their successes and failures. What you want to do is figure out what lead you to need weight loss surgery and then see which method best addresses those issues-- at that point, you can evaluate what after-care and lifestyle issues you can tolerate. Although many of us on this site try to give fair and balanced information, we all tend to be a tad biased toward our surgeons and our procedure of choice-- and, we don't always provide the most accurate and up-to-date information.
   — SteveColarossi