Question:
Has anyone had the vertical banding surgery and how do you like it?

I was wondering if anyone out ther has had the vertical banding surgery instead of the others? I am considering the surgery and have been to support meetings and saw women with serious side effects after the surgery with the rny and they have lost most or all of their hair and skin color and nutrition. Also baggy eyes. I was wondering if the vertical banding has the same effects as the other alternitive surgeries. I don't want to lose my long hair or pride. Any help would be appreciated.... Thanks    — Staci J. (posted on July 28, 2003)

July 28, 2003
Hi Staci...I had the VBG surgery 3/18/03. I have lost 75 lbs to date and am very happy with my choice. I have had no complications from the surgery. I did however eat dinner one night too fast and didnt chew well and a piece of food was stuck in the ring (the nurse seems to think anyway) for about an hour but it did pass and I was just fine. I did some reasearch on it and I seem to think I just ate too fast and too much and was frothing. I have had no other problems...no hair loss, no skin problems, and no nutrition problems. Any other questions feel free to ask me at [email protected]. Thanks and good luck :)
   — Michelle M.

July 28, 2003
Staci, For a comparison chart of different surgery types, go to http://www.gr-ds.com/forpatients/comparison.html I had DS 13 months ago and am VERY happy with it, and since it's not well known I like to let people know it exists. I urge you to look into it. We have a real stomach, no food restrictions beyond limiting carbs, and best of all do not regain the weight! For info go to http://www.duodenalswitch.com, and you might also like to join http://groups.yahoo.com/group/duodenalswitch/. And feel free to email me with any questions.
   — Chris T.

July 28, 2003
I had the VBG 9/16/02 and have lost 160 pounds. I'm very pleased with the results and only have 50 more to loose. I would look much better if I agreed to a tummy tuck, thigh lift, and etc. But if I have to wear shorts to my knees, and never a sleeveless shirt, so be it. I can walk,ride a bike, crosstrain and lift weights. Life is so much better. The main reason I choose the VBG was due to less complications, long term. I also get sick if I eat fast or don't chew my food well. However, I can handle most foods including the tender side of a T-bone. I work out three four to five times a week and try not to go over 1200 calories a day. The weekends are mine to eat as I wish. The best part is I'm very healthy. I am no longer a diabetic, no longer have high blood pressure and no longer have pain in my knees and back and no longer snore. I now have energy and can't sit still for a long amount of time. Before, I stayed in the bed most of the day during the weekends. I had zero enery and slept most of the day. Good luck
   — June S.

July 28, 2003
VBG has a lower risk of nutritional problems than the bypass surgeries (like DS and RNY) but it also has a higher risk of weight regain because sometimes the staples used to create the small stomach pouch come undone (called a staple line disruption) and allow you to eat more. Obviously, with the VBG you also need to be careful not to eat "liquid calories" like milk shakes or ice cream, that will slide right through the pouch and defeat the purpose of the operation. You might also want to investigate the Lap-Band. That was my choice, because I was also uncomfortable with the potential risks of the DS or RNY. I also liked that the band was easily reversible and adjustable to my needs. It is a fairly new procedure that is intended to be an improvement over the VBG. You can learn more about it by visiting the forum at http://www.lapbandtalk.com Good luck making your decision. :)
   — K M.

July 28, 2003
Staci, I can't speak to the banded surgeries but just want to clarify something. The RNY people you describe are FAR from the norm. Maybe that surgeon's post-op plan is not what it should be to keep them healthy. <p>The hair loss thing is VERY individual. I have had hardly any additional hair loss than normal and I am 1 weeks short of 6 months out. I noticed a slight increase a 4 months but that's it. My hair is still quite thick and normal looking. Even the people in our ggroup that have had more hair loss say that it is coming back. It's a small price to pay, especially since it's temporary. <p>The skin color and nutrition issues either relate to their surgeon's plan or how they are choosing to eat. I look so much healthier than I have in years. And no baggy eyes. No one in my support group of about 30 people look like what you describe. So don't totally base your decision on what you are seeing locally, unless you would go to the smae surgeon. Then I would consider choosing a different surgeon or at least discussing in detail what in the heck is going on. <p>With all that said, the bottom line is only you can determine the right surgery for you. Some people tell me I was nuts to get an RNY as a SMO and should have had a DS, but for me the DS was NOT the right procedure. For them it was! My only reaction to the VGB is that I would go with the adjustable band if I was getting a banded surgery so that there was room for adjustment. Just remember, high calorie/sugar liquids will kill the weight loss in a banded patient. You will have no malabsorption and no valve (dumping) to tell you when you royally screwed up. I can eat small amounts of sugar no problem so it's not like I will never have a cookie or bites of cake or pie. I've already eaten 1 cookie and lived to talk about it and did not dump. I actually got nausious off of sugar free ice cream, go figure. <p>Evaluate your habits and what you want to accomplish and where you are starting from and make the best possible choice for YOU regardless of what anyone else says. You are the one who has to live the results of this surgery - not your family, friend or doctor. Good Luck!!
   — zoedogcbr

July 28, 2003
Hi, I've had both. I started with VBG in 1995, lost 130 and then had a staple line disruption. That happened probably sometime between 2000-2001. I gained back 90 pounds between 2001-2002. I was revised to RNY in July 2002 and have lost the 90 pounds plus more (I never made it to goal with the VBG). <p> I have to agree with Chris D. The women you saw are suffering malnutrition, probably due to a lack of absorbable protein and/or the lack of vitamin supplements. Some people call them "gray ghosts". Unfortunately, some doctors give out bad nutritional advice or some people believe we can absord what we need from food. These are the ones that feel run down and have a gray cast to their skin and their hair is falling out. <p> You have to do your reseach and decide what is right for you. My honest opinion is that you can have a greater weight loss and good health with the RNY if you are willing to learn from the long term post-ops and follow a good plan. VBG is just asking for a second surgery somewhere down the line. <p> DISCLAIMER: this is my opinion, I am entitled to it because I have lived thru this exact situation. Please do not e-mail me with your great VBG story if you are less than two years out. IF you make at least 6 years post-VBG then we can talk.
   — Ali M