This kind of scared me

I went for my 2 yr post op visit on Thursday.  I was 2 yrs out on 6-7.  I have been in maintenance since Sept.  So he was pleased with my progress.  I asked questions more about my sleeve and how to utilize to my advantage for life long weight loss.  He really didn't answer directly, but said he really thinks that it is what people bring to the surgery that will make them succeed or not.  He went on to say that he can do the exact same surrey on 10 people and all have different results.  Therefore, the variable is the individual.  He said some nice things about my commitment etc.  Here is the scary part.  He said at this point it is 15% surgery and 85% me in terms of success.  I don't know why I was so surprised by this.  I was thinking at least 50/50.  I guess it just puts a lot more responsibility on me.  So what do you think.  Any vets want to comment about anything different their surgeon has said to them the further out you are post op.  

I've read that the failure rate (I guess the regain rate) is 10-20%. So you have an 80-90% chance of being successful! You can do it!

I believe the 5 year success rate, which is not really even long term, is more like 50% for the VSG, and may be lower now. It also depends on what they use as a benchmark of success.. for most studies it is usually losing and maintaining a more than a 50% loss of excess weight. That for many doesn't even get them out of obese or overweight. Not trying to be a downer, just those stats really got my attention.. 

edit. Ok was curious and googled a bit to see what the current stats are, and due to the age of the data for this table (2009) it may not be up to date, as I thought I've read lower %, but it does lay it out pretty concisely.

http://www.thinnertimes.com/weight-loss-surgery/wls-basics/w eight-loss-surgery-comparison.html

I think he's about spot on with that percentage, if not even a tad high in favor of the VSG. The surgery is a huge helping hand to get the weight all OFF, and get that reset button pressed. What we do afterwards, after that initial healing & losing stage/relaxing intake stage.. that determines what happens long term. Anywhere even approaching 50-50 would be more like a DS, where you have real significant & permanent malabsorption. Even with that, you can regain/stop losing if you continue eating/drinking too many carbs as they aren't malabsorbed to nearly the same degree as fats and protein. 

Keep on with the same behaviours and eating habits/nutrition and you will soon find yourself slowly regaining. The helping hand lessens, and it becomes mostly you. The only extra I see is it gives you the benefit of a bit more time.. time in that, engaging in over-eating disorders require a more concerted conscious effort as restriction gives you pause.. this is not something surgery fixes, but it is something that got many of us here in the first place, hence head-work. Regain can happen slower with the aid of restriction, which gives you the benefit of seeing the future and making adjustments sooner. 

My surgeon did not talk to me much about this, save that he was giving me the stomach of a small child, and I needed to honor that, and make sure I eat well and healthy and take care of what he was doing for me. He made it clear it was totally on me to change my habits, that he was only making my capacity much smaller. He was not fixing anything else with me that might have been broken, that was my responsibility.

Makes total sense to me. As I tell people, I can always eat a pint of ice cream a day and never lose a single pound. 15% might even be high.

My observations are becoming much more varied as time goes on and more people are having this procedure.

The surgeon I went to firmly believes in aftercare/education, that's why he runs his own support groups and makes himself available.

We spend many hours in discussion group about various issues and solutions. He listens to us and learns from us as well as gives us suggestions both practical and science based on experience and data. We get to draw on 15 years of VSG data of his own and others he has studied.

My point is that education and practice "may" be the key along with an effective surgery.

This is my "Pie" chart that shows thirds in equal parts. If your short in one area you must make it up in another.

The education can come from any number of places, mine just happens to come mostly from my program.

It's obvious people like INgirl are very well studied on many levels about WLS and lifestyle and she didn't get it from her surgeon. 

Bottom line.... your right... it's all us from here on out !!!!

frisco

Thanks for all the responses.  I do believe I had an excellent surgeon, the aftercare and eduction I received  was mostly from my research and wonderful support groups like  this one.  Commitment and compliance will be ongoing. Interesting Ingirl I guess I didn't look far enough into the future.  I want to be the statistic that makes it which will require me to do my part even more as time goes on.  I think just hearing it freaked me out a bit.  I am so grateful to have been given this opportunity.  I want to believe I will never take that for granted.