Question:
What percentage of people having RNY surgery regain the weight back?

I like to know for how long can I spect to keep the weight off after the surgery. Do some people gain all the weight back? some weight?. Do most keep it off for ever? I'm considering RNY surgery but want to be sure it will work.    — [Anonymous] (posted on September 25, 2001)


September 25, 2001
I have heard of this happening, but when I asked my surgeon about this possibility, he assured me that there is an 85% chance that most people will lose to within 30% of their goal weight, and keep it off. Those that do begin to regain weight will most likely never be there former size again and the process does take much longer than previous weight gain would. My doctor says the guaranteed method of regaining weight is to intake high calorie beverages. B/C post op you can soon drink about as much as you want, taking in large amounts of sugary calories will cause rapid weight gain. But as far as food, your body doesn't allow large amounts or high fat/sugar foods so it would take a lot of "grazing" to ragain 100 or more pounds.
   — SUNDAY G.

September 25, 2001
I hope that is true.. I worry that I will regain my weight back after a year or so. I seems that everyone know someone that had stomach stapling done and regained the wt.. It is my biggest worry...
   — Bev L.

September 25, 2001
This surgery is not a miracle cure. It's up to each individual to adhere to the diet and exercise routine set by your doctor and nutritionist. If you do so, you will not regain the weight. <br> <br> However, if you sit around, and take empty calories [high fatty foods, sugery drinks etc], you are destined to fail this opportunity and most definitely regain weight. <br> <br> Don't waste the opportunity! Sure, indulge from time to time, or you will feel totally deprived, but please don't over do it. Good Luck!
   — Kee D.

September 25, 2001
HI, my doctor told me that the RNY procedure is the best long term,if you were to regain same weight he said will be within the 10 lbs,and never to what you used to weight pre op.
   — Monica J.

September 25, 2001
According to barb thompsons book regain may occur after the fifth year and becomes more of a problem by year 7. This is if you make bad food choices. Now I needed a solution NOW! and hope that by the time regain becomes a issue a safe effective pill will be on the market. Drug companies are spending millions for a weight loss drug, because 90% of americans will happily pay to get thin. Theres too much of a demand for them not to come thru. My surgeon says within 10 years a drug will be out. My weight and diabetes demanded action TODAY,and I am now off all my prescription drugs and my cholestrol dropped from 250 to 143 and blood pressure is normal. I would not have survived for a drug treatment to be available.....
   — bob-haller

September 26, 2001
I noticed that most of these answers don't give firm numbers. I suggest you talk directly to the surgeon about this. I was told that 40% of people regain "every pound" by the person who did my psych. eval. Then my surgeon told me that was wrong, but didn't give me an actual number. I have also heard that 85% maintain most of the weight loss. However, I haven't heard any statistics on how many people stay at goal or within a healthy bmi. I must say that even the most pessimistic statistics are WAY better than the stats for diets or commercial weight loss programs.
   — kcanges

September 26, 2001
If you want to be do all you can do to keep from regaining, make sure your pouch and stomach are transected; i.e., separated from each by cutting apart. Lots of people start to regain and they think "well, this surgery doesn't work". And the reason they have gained is fixable. It is staple line disruption. It is the way the rny used to be done- by simply stapling the two apart without cutting. Again it is a mechanical problem and can be fixed according to my surgeon. I would like to hear from those who have had the revision and then been successful keeping the weight off.
   — Marilyn C.

September 8, 2003
I saw this post and answers shortly after I was post op 2 years ago and I found it encouraging. After a year post op I started gaining weight, and I assure you I wasn't sitting around drinking high calorie drinks all day long and not exercising. I did cheat, but less so than a lot of my post op friends who weren't gaining weight. I would still like to know if there are any statistics about regain, or at least further information? I believe a lot of post ops don't report regain because of the shame of yet again failing another "diet," and this "diet" was the one that was supposed to work unless you really were bad and didn't follow the pouch rules. I do think it's probably a bit easier to lose the weight I regained after surgery, than it was preop. But we are still talking having to diet and greatly increase exercise, and I just didn't think that was going to be necessary. Wish me luck at getting the rest back off. Thanks, S
   — sherry hedgecock

September 8, 2003
Well, the way I figure it...this surgery at least gives me a fighting chance, without having to rely soley on "willpower", y'know? I am still in the loosing mode (17 months post op) and am determined to get down to a size six..will I stay there FOREVER, or is a 10 more than likely where my body wants to be? The future will tell...Who knows, but I am sure gonna try! (and I KNOW I will at least NEVER have another "W" behind whatever clothing size I end up in : )
   — rebeccamayhew




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