Question:
Scheduled for two types of surgery. Which one do I choose?

HELP! I am scheduled for a VBG in 2 weeks and an RNY in December. I need to be very seriously considering this. I need a sure thing! I am a volume eater, binger, etc.... No matter what I eat, I eat too much. ALL FOODS are a problem for me. Any VBGers out there willing to tell me NOT to have a VBG? How about you RNY's? Quick! Time is running out. I can only do this once!    — [Anonymous] (posted on September 7, 2001)

September 6, 2001
My surgeon offers RNY, VBG, and lap banding, and presented each option to me objectively. We then discussed my eating history and lifestyle and determined that I was certainly a "binger and a grazer". I not only went for volume, but "grazed" lightly all through the day. He told me that the VBG could have a "failure" rate as high as 80% with those patients who gradually return to old habits and learn to "eat their way around the surgery". I needed a surgery that would force me to always limit portions, as well as sugar and fat content. I wanted a surgery that would curb my appetite and cravings. I wanted a surgery that would last the remainder of my lifetime...not one that I would be wanting to revise in a year or two. The RNY gave me all those gifts and more. I am 18 months post-op, have lost 145 lbs. (15 lbs. from goal), have never experienced one day when I felt hungry, eat 3 meals a day/no snacking/no grazing/small portions/healthy foods, and feel better than I have in over 15 years. Think about your options carefully, then make the decision that best meets YOUR needs...no one else's. Best wishes!
   — Diana T.

September 7, 2001
I certainly hope you plan to spend the next two weeks researching these procedures so that you can be confident that the surgery you choose is the right one for you. What does it matter what we think you should have? The surgery I chose was the right one for me. I spent many hours on the internet reading everyones journals and going to all the doctors sites and reviewing their procedures. I also went to the Surgeon's Orientations to compare their procedures and methods. Yes...it's a lot of work...but it's a big decision. You need to be sure you are well informed. Don't let others sway you. Make the decision yourself.
   — Anne G.