Question:
Trying to find any reliable studies/ statistics on post op RNY's 5-10yrs?
If you can offer any info on web sites or if you are a Post-OP patient of 5-10 years of Open RNY, I would like to hear from you. Donna LaPan — Donna L. (posted on November 15, 2002)
November 14, 2002
Well 30% of OPENS will have had one or more hernia repair surgeries. In
opens the muscle wall is cut. Compared with LAP where near zero will end up
with a hernia and follow up surgery. Long term some regain weight. I look
at it this way. In ten years the drug companies should have a safe and
effective weight loss drug. I needed help for weight NOW, and will deal
with long term when it arrives. I wouldnt oif been around long term WITHOUT
surgery.
— bob-haller
November 15, 2002
There was a woman at our last support group meeting who was 9 years post-op
open RNY. She didn't tell us how much weight she had lost and kept off or
anything but she was thin. She did say that she had been struggling with
low iron for quite a while. I know my surgeons always tell us that the
best long term data that they have seen has come from people that have had
most of their stomach removed for one reason or another. They essentially
have had the RNY but not necessarily for weight loss purposes. Other than
that, I haven't heard much about long term statistics.
— Tanya B.
November 15, 2002
I don't know whether there are any studies that go as long as five or ten
years out. NIH did a study that went three years out, back around 1991,
when they signaled their approval of the RNY procedure based on success in
keeping most of the excess weight off (though NIH noted that some weight
was creeping back on many of the study participants). There are a few
post-ops kicking around here who are more than five years out, but very
few.<P>From my reading, which included the part of the vitalady.com
website that discusses specific nutritional deficiencies we must always
watch out for and take protein and vitamin supplements to avoid, I'm not
aware of any information out there to suggest that the RNY (open or lap) is
unhealthy long-term, UNLESS you blow off the need to take proper
supplements and keep your lab results monitored for the rest of your life.
It's not enough to get good lab results for the first year or two and think
you've got your vitamin supplement routine all figured out. This surgery
requires a lifetime of tracking your lab values and adjusting your
supplements accordingly(which is how some longer-term post-ops learned the
hard way that Tums and Viactiv are inadequate calcium supplements for them
in the long run -- proudly announcing your good lab values at six months or
a year out means diddly when it comes to actual calcium absorption in your
bones). Problem also is, a lot of WLS surgeons don't track their patients
for much longer than a year or so, so this leaves the supplement issue in
the hands of patients who are told different things by different docs
(hence the debate on what type of calcium to take). Unfortunately, we're
really kind of "out to sea" here without adequate studies in the
area of what vitamin supplements are best to take, and how much of a
problem protein malabsorption really is for us. The important point is,
though, that with proper supplementation, all those potential questions and
problems CAN be addressed while you're still healthy, and you CAN keep
yourself that way.<P>If you're rightly concerned about the long run,
I'd focus my reading on the best ways to make up for the specific
nutritional deficiencies that occur with WLS. And I *wouldn't* just take
one doc's word, or one nutritionist's word, on what to take by way of
supplements. Very few of them actually know, but they *all* think they do.
I also wouldn't go by what any post-op less than two years out has to say,
as some of these deficiencies take years to appear in lab work or overall
health. You have to educate yourself about those issues and be vigilant in
tracking your own health. Research the lab tests that you should be
requesting (don't take your bariatric doc's word alone), and educate your
primary care physicians over the course of your lifetime about what's
needed (and to repeat, don't walk away from your bariatric surgeon after a
year or two figuring you've got it all down).<P>I recommend you go to
yahoo.com and search their OSSG groups (which are obesity surgery
discussion groups), and join the protein group and the vitamins/supplements
group. Those groups really opened my eyes to the long-term issues. You'll
learn tons by lurking and reading there! :)
— Suzy C.
November 15, 2002
A nurse at Presby is 20+ years ouit RNY. She had one of the first RNYs
around here. She looks good, DEFINETELY not MO although a bit chunky. Her
Labs are fine and she is happy. Lost 150 pounds. Although her desk sits
directly across from th vending machines. She says they call to her o she
carries her lunch and carries no money at work. I suggestewd they get some
real long termers to speak at our support group meeting.
— bob-haller
November 16, 2002
Here are some stats comparing RNY, VBG, and DS.
http://gr-ds.com/Comparison_Table.htm The reasons I'm so in favor of DS is
because of long-term maintenance and quality of life. I hope you will look
into it! :)
— Chris T.
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