how much weight can you lose with the verticle sleeve gastrectomy ?

A lot. Personally, I lost about 124 lbs in less than a year.

I guess it depends on how much you have to lose, how closely and how long you follow the dietary plans, how much you exercise. I'm sure there's an "excess weight" percentage floating around on the internets somewhere, but I don't know what it is.

Hope that helps. At least a little.

Heather, Thank you so much for the info   and yes it helps VERY much !!!!    I need to lose about 175 to 185 pounds !!!    I have already lost 132 lbs on my own eating 1000 cals a day for the past year !!  So i think the VGS would be perfect !!    Can I ask you one more question ?   Was the surgery VERY painful  when you woke up ?  Have to get off here for now but if you get a chance sometime today, I would like to hear what you have to say about the severity of the surgery !!!!
  THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HELPING ME.  THIS IS ALL SO NEW TO ME.   I WAS GOING TO HAVE THE RNY BUT MY DOCTOR SUGGESTED THIS TODAY AND  I WAS AT TOTAL LOSS....HAVE A GREAT DAY.....WILL CHECK BACK ON HERE AROUND 7 TONIGHT....GOD BLESS YOU !!!

I meant,,, my doctor suggested this yesterday at visit !!!    lol

132 lbs on your own! Awesome! :)

When I woke up I did have a little pain from the gas (walking walking and walking some more helps get rid of that) and a little bit of a sore throat from the anesthesia. The incisions weren't particularly painful. Mainly I felt really stiff and beat up, but the pain was managable. One of the worst parts was having to sleep sitting up/propped up on a pillow. Laying down was just not an option for me but some people have no problems with it.

Take care!

"Roger, you're one of the lucky ones if your surgeon suggested the VSG over the RNY!"

Ditto this. BIG props to your surgeon!!!

Dear DeeDee,  THANK YOU  so much for yout imput on this !!!   It helps  SO MUCH !!!   You will never know !!!    God Bless you !!!

Post Date: 9/14/10 6:07 pm
Dear DeeDee,  THANK YOU  so much for yout imput on this !!!   It helps  SO MUCH !!!   You will never know !!!    God Bless you !!!   
Conrats on your success !!!    Very encouraging !!!   I need to lose 185 pounds to be at my goal weight and I think with weightloss surgery I can do it !!!     Was just having trouble deciding which surgery !!!    Im just worried about gaining the weight back with the  VSG....  At one time, I weighed 500lbs  and I  NEVER want to be that big again !!!!    I am now down to around 380 as of now but want to weigh 185......   I am proud I have lost this much weight on my own but I feel I need the surgery to help with the rest !!!!    God has been the one to get me this far and I know he will finish this journey with me  !!!!          Good luck to you my friend    and may I add how beautiful you are in your profile picture !!!

Well I'm glad my information could help you Roger.  Thank you for the compliment on my profile picture too! *Giggles*  Although, I'm not sure what you are referring to about my success as I haven't even had surgery yet either, I'm still fighting to get it done, a process that I've been in for over a year and a half actively.  I am hoping that by Christmas of this year I will be able to finally have my surgery.  I have one more appointment with the dietitian next week and if all goes well, she's give me her final okay and pass my file on to the surgeon.  Then I think I have one appointment with the surgeon and he'll give me my surgery date... again, that's if he agrees to do the VSG and not the RNY, otherwise, this is another dead end road for me and I'll have to start the whole process over again at another facility for the 4th time! 

Anyway, have a great day and good luck with your journey!  It sounds like you know what you want and your doing your research, which are two very important aspects to this journey as far as I'm concerned.  Along with many other aspects of course.

Sorry DeeDee, I was looking at your picture  but looking down below at  Jobsies weight loss thing where it shows she lost 195 lbs .   I was thinking you lost 195 lbs....sorry,, this is all new to me...  But I did mean what I said: Your profile picture is beautiful with the grad hat on !!   Im not being a perve either..  honest !!  lol                     Again,,,,,Thanks and good luck on the Vsg !! 
I hope you remember me and let me know how if you get it approved !!  Will remember you in prayer.

I believe we can lose as much as we want. While I have been playing with the sam 5-10 pounds for several months now, i have lost 8 inches in this summer. Not only this past Saturdsy I completed a 10 mile beach walk with my exercise group. Whole it took me 5.5 hours including resting, I did it and I can't wait for my half marathon walk next month.

Congrats on what you have accomplished so far and good luck with the rest of your journey!

Jobsie - Hello, I am new here and looking to have surgery in June.  I am considering the VSG at the suggestion of my doc Dr. Balsalma.  I am from Mullica Hill!  Do you go to the support group at the hospital?  I think I am going to the next one.

What did you think of Dr. Neff and the whole experience at Stratford?

Thanks,
kelly

I have lost 127 pounds....and I was considered a "lighweight" for this surgery, even though I was very heavy to my way of thinking...

Hi - I'm 90lbs down in 6 months.  Please feel free to read my blog if you want to know more.

Regards
Debbie

As the others said, you can lose all of your excess weight if you follow program.  Having lost SO much on your own (WAY TO GO!), you obviously are someone who can stick with the program.  I am not quite 7 months out and have lost 99 lbs.  Men generally lose more quickly, so you should see even better results. 

You won't be unhappy with your sleeve! 

I had minimal pain after surgery.  Was discharged the day after surgery and never took a pain med once released.  And while in the hospital, I would push the morphine button every hour or so because I was afraid I would have pain.  I wonder if I really needed it at all.  I was completely amazed at how well I did.  I expected a lot of pain. Had none.  There was some discomfort in the incision sites (with the tape kind of pulling around the sites), but nothing that I needed drugs for.  I also had minimal shoulder pain from the gas, but like someone else said, walking helps relieve that. 

I have begun to believe I must have a very high pain tolerance.  I had never had a surgery before VSG (and I'm 59), so I didn't know what to expect.  I worried more about the after-pain than the surgery itself. 

Good luck to  you!  Even if you experience some pain, you would have that pain with RNY too (which is a much more complicated surgery than VSG).  It will be worth it!

Dear Moparmemaw,   Thank you so much for the encouraging words !!!!   Hope I do as well as you have !!!  Conrats to you on your progress !!!   Your words inspire me and I really needed it at this time !!!    God Bless You !!!

@moparmamaw: I was laughing hysterically at the slinky comment.  I had to write that one down.  Thanks for sharing and extra thanks for putting a big smile on my face.  Song

There are people who hopefully will respond that are down 200+ lbs.  Do your research, but personally I think this is the best surgery out there.  Welcome to the board!  I work a desk job, had surgery Tuesday and went back the following Monday.  As with every surgery, you have to recover, but it was managable.

Also am considered a "lightweight" for this surgery. I have lost 65 lb, and am 5 lb from goal. I revised my goal once already, as I was clearly going to lose more, now wil probably need to revise my goal again, as I continue to lose even though I am no longer trying to.  I just try to remember that even though I cannot eat much, I really need to eat the healthiest choices possible. 
I do love this sleeve!!