Hello Sara, I had the VG on July 5th and I am doing great. I am at about 16 weeks out and have lots 53lbs. and tons and tons of inches. I went from a size 24 pants to a 14 and I still have another 55lbs to go! I did go to Laproscopic Associates of San Francisco and they are truly awesome. My incisions have almost disappeared and I am feeling great! I also followed all my doctors instructions to the letter. This has helped me tremendously. The after care at LAPSF is awesome too! If you have any questions, feel free to email me. Thanks. Shawnalynn 7/5/05, VG, Dr. Cirangle 240.5/188/130

Hi Maria, I had the VBG 13 months ago. I am down 125 pounds so far. The VBG is quite different from other surgeries and can be somewhat accurately desribed as stomach stapling. It is restrictive in nature only. There is no malabsorption because the intestines are not rerouted in any way. It is also somehwat similar to the Lap band in some ways except we have staples and a silastic ring that cannot be adjusted. The pouch that is created during surgery is the same size as the RNY pouch in most cases. I do take daily multivitamins, but I do not have to worry about B12 deficiencies. Anemia can be a concern but with a balanced diet it is easier to avoid than it is for RNYers or DSers. I do have to get bloodwork every 3 months to check all my levels as a precaution since obviously the restrictive component of surgery can cause deficiencies. My surgeon explained that with the VBG the weightloss during the first 12 months is very similar to that of his RNY patients, but over time we do have to be more careful with our diet and exercise. In esence our success or failure is more in our hands over the long term. I have found exercise is the key. When i work out I continue to lose and when i don't its stops. Another difference is that we can eat sugar without the dumping syndrome that can affect RNY patients. This is a problem for me because I have a sweet tooth, but the RNY was not an option for me because I have a short small intestine making the RNY dangerous for me due to the increased risk of a life threatening leak after surgery. Some VBG patients have trouble in the long run because of the ability to eat sugar without consequence and the fact that dense proteins like beef and chicken and for me even fish are very difficult to eat. I find that sometimes I revert to eating something less than nutritious because it goes down easier. Diet and calorie intake are key to success in the long term and like i said before...exercise! There are many VBG patients who have long term success, but unfortunately the percentages are lower than some of the other WLS options. So that is my personal take on the VBG. Please feel free to email me directly if you have any specific questions: [email protected] And thank you for including the VBG information on your site! Hugs, Sara

Does anyone know if achol effects VBG the same as RNY? If you have had achol, what do you reccomend? When is to soon? Thanks!

Have you been sitting too much?? I found that post op, If I didn't move enough I would "cramp" up. Try moving around, try to avoid sitting at a desk, I know you're probably feeling tired and simpy wiped out, but the more you move the better you'll feel....REALLY!!!!