Question:
Is there a difference in weight loss for banded vs. stapling?

I want to know if the weight loss for banded patients is slower than the weight loss for those patients who have had the vertical stapling procedure?    — Nanci K. (posted on May 27, 2000)

July 5, 2000
Hi Nancy, I saw your question posted. I'm a surgeon in Northeastern Pennsylvania and I have done a lot of Roux-en-Y bypasses as well as vertical banded gastroplasties. The published weight loss statistics for RNY are better than for VBG, (About 10-12% average greater weight loss), but many of my VBG's have lost huge amounts of weight. Some of them have achieved ideal body weight in less than a year. It depends on how likely you think you are to cheat. If you think you will cheat, for example by taking in large amounts of high calorie liquids, then the bypass is more probably for you. On the other hand, if you are confident that you will not cheat, and you prefer an operation that does not change your physiology, then VBG is not a bad option. There is no guarantee with iether operation, but there is a very high probablility that you will loose a very large amount of weight with either procedure. Best of luck. Dr. Wm. Peters
   — William P.