Question:
Would you please share your pros and cons for the type of procedure you had?
I have having a terrible time deciding which type of procedure is best for me. The thought of the drastic change in anatomy of the RNY scares me to death as does the lifestyle restrictions afterward. I'm not sure that I will be able to make the necessary changes. (My main concerns right now are of NO SWEETS and not drinking while eating. I drink at least two full glasses while I'm eating.) The VBG sounds much tamer and is therefore easier for me to think about, but here I'm afraid that the weight gain won't be permanent. Also, I'm under the impression that the weight loss may be slower with the VBG which could result in less loose skin/more toned body as I would be able to exercise more during the weight loss process. Any information would be helpful. Would you choose your procedure again? Would you prefer another? (I was looking into the duodenal switch, but the only doctor in Atlanta who performs it is not on my insurance.) Are there any other procedures I should consider? Thanks. — gracie30269 (posted on August 21, 2001)
August 21, 2001
13 months post-op...open rny. Yes. I'm happy with my surgery and would do
the same one again. Now that my eating has returned to "normal",
I don't feel that there are lifestyle restrictions....not nearly as many as
when I was ALWAYS on a diet. Then I felt deprived. I was a martyr to my
diet. Now, if I want something bad enough...like maybe french fries or a
piece of candy, I go ahead and have some...knowing how much I can eat
before I get sick. I don't have the guilt after eating a "forbidden
food" and I don't feel deprived. For the most part, I eat very
healthy and I enjoy it. If anything, my lifestyle has improved
tremendously. I am so busy now with activities I couldn't do before. I
love my yoga classes, evenings spent kayaking on the bay. Life is good.
I'd do it again.
— Anne G.
August 21, 2001
I have to agree with Anne. I am 3 months post with lap rny. I feel
like for the first time in my life I have a normal relationship with food,
I just eat less of it. I did have to relearn how to eat, I take smaller
bites and eat slower, chew better, but I think my skinny friends always eat
like this. We live just outside of NYC and last week ate at a great Italian
restaurant in Little Italy with friends. I felt completely normal, had a
little bit of everything, including dessert! I just don't eat a whole
serving of anything. No one notices, no one cares. What I don't do is binge
on desserts while driving in the car, or stop at McDonald's and get fries
on the way home or any of the other unhealthy things I used to do (the list
could go on and on). I take my supplements faithfully and so far no
troubles. I am only sorry that I didn't have this surgery sooner. Good
luck!
— blank first name B.
August 21, 2001
I am about 15 months post op from VBG. I would still pick the VBG if I had
to chose again. I won't say that I would never have another procedure if I
had a mechanical failure of my VBG, but at this point in time, the VBG was
what I was most comfortable with. I disagree with some that say the loss
with VBG is slower than RNY. An online friend of mine hear on AMOS had
distal RNY one day before I had my VBG. We stayed within 5 pounds of each
other month by month postop and are still neck and neck. I am "at
goal" as far as my surgeon thinks (5'10", 176, BMI=25) My
personal goal is around 165 or so. I started at 314 pounds. The weight
loss is not permanent for some people, regardless of surgery type. Some
studies show that you have a higher chance of maintaining your weight loss
with RNY than with VBG. But that doesn't mean that ALL VBG people are
destined to regain their weight. My aunt had surgery almost 20 years ago,
and has maintained her 150 pound weight loss all these years. If you are
interested in talking to more VBG people there is a wonderful list on
yahoogroups. It is "VBG". I'd recommend signing up for it and
talking to other people who have gone through the same process you are
going through now. Regardless of the procedure you chose, it is wonderful
that you are taking your life into your own hands and making informed
decisions about your health! I wish you the best.
— BethVBG
August 21, 2001
My daughter, cousin, husband, and I are all veterans of the lap RNY surgery
(Dr. Champion, Atlanta, GA). After 3 months of research, this was the
choice which best met our needs. Although the VBG and distal surgeries
could have allowed us to lose weight without making major changes in our
food choices, we chose the RNY for the very reason that it would
"force" a change and create a healthier eating lifestyle. It was
time for us to get off the merry-go-round of all-you-can eat buffet
restaurants, binging and dieting, deep-fat-frying, mile-high desserts, and
midnight snacks. It was past time for us to pay attention to cholesterol,
triglycerides, diabetes, hypertension, and joint problems. The RNY
"forces" us to follow some very basic rules...the very ones that
our skinny friends follow automatically...eat slowly, take small bites,
chew thoroughly, limit sugar and fats, and stop eating as soon as you feel
full. There is nothing magical there that we haven't heard all our lives.
An additional bonus of the RNY for us is that we are never hungry, and that
our food likes and dislikes have changed dramatically since the
surgery....the things that we often thought we couldn't live without, now
don't interest us at all, and vice-versa. In the past 17 months, I have
never felt deprived or frustrated regarding my food choices. I stay within
my surgeon's guidelines of limiting sugar and fats, as well as getting
adequate protein, but essentially eat whatever I like....just MUCH less of
it. I have lost 145 lbs. in 17 months...my cousin, 100 lbs. in 10
months...my daughter, 210 lbs. in 19 months...my husband, 110 lbs. in 6
months. We are happier, healthier, and more energized than we have been in
many, many years. My only regret is that the surgery was not available to
us decades ago. VBG can have up to an 80% failure rate over the long-term,
and distal surgeries rely on malabsorption of nutrients as the key
mechanism for weight loss. Although those procedures have proven to be
quite successful for many patients, they simply were not acceptable options
for our family. Do all the research that you can, and talk to more than
one surgeon if possible...then decide which procedure best fits
YOU...that's the only way you will ever be happy with your decision. Good
luck!
— Diana T.
August 21, 2001
Many people travel to get the Duodenal Switch. The thing to keep in mind is
that this is a LIFELONG decision. Jumping through the hoops to get the
procedure that fits you best will be worth it in the long run. I chose the
DS and haven't regretted for a nanosecond! I eat whatever, whenever I want.
My weight is staying off effortlessly. Best thing I ever did. See my
profile page for links to lots of DS info. Good luck to you in whatever you
do.
— mmagruder
August 21, 2001
I have extremely distal RNY. Far end toward radical. Love it. I do
supplement largely, and my surgery keeps my volume down (which helps my
head feel good 'n safe) and I do dump, which keeps me from falling off the
wagon. I feel as if I have the best of all worlds. But then, all of us do!
I was done in 1994, so my staple line failed in 99. I was revised, but we
changed nothing about my surgery, except I requested MORE distal & an
even smaller pouch. My doc humored me and gave me the smaller pouch, but
never touched the distal end. Otehr than wanting more margin for error (all
in my head), I really did not change anything. If I was in some terrible
accident and guts were all misarranged? This IS the procedure I would do
again. No question. I work with lots of people with all types of
surgeries. Some could never supplement at my level, but then *I* could not
diet at theirs. You're wise to ask around, because those who live with 'em
know 'em. I'm not good at dieting, but I am good at following directions.
So, this one works for me.
— vitalady
August 21, 2001
I had the Open RNY May of 2000. I would not change a thing . Yes I had to
make drastic changes in my hideous and unhealthy lifestyle. Any every one
of those changes brought me to where I am today , slender , healthy and
happy. No I can't drink when I eat , but I can cross my legs and walk
gracefully and not worry about fitting into a booth in a restaurant. No I
don't eat candy or things with sugar but I can buy my clothes in any store
, run after a bus ( without fearing a heart attack) get intimate with my
hubby and feel good about how I look , paint my toe nails with ease have
people who didn't know me before ask how do I stay so slim?I wouldn't trade
one minute of how I feel or my size 8's for a glass of anything with my
meals or the sugar that robbed me of my life in the first place. I'm 51 yrs
old and NOW I'm LIVING!
— Rose A.
August 21, 2001
I had the Duodenal Switch almost 2 years ago and would do it again in a NY
minute! For me, the question wasn't which procedure loses weight the
fastest, but which one keeps the weight off. For me, it was the DS. Good
luck in researching the procedure that's right for you! Feel free to ask
questions at --->http://www.mywls.com/discus..
— [Deactivated Member]
August 21, 2001
After researching WLS for over 2 years, slowly and carefully weighing all
the options available, I have requested insurance approval for the DS/BPD.
I feel this is the best chance I have at losing excess weight and keeping
it off. I have firsthand experience of RNY surgery because my mother and
younger sister had that procedure. Several years later, my mother has
regained almost all the weight she lost. My sister's fairly new procedure
has allowed her to lose weight but she is not at all well, and looks
terrible.
I want to lose weight, but I want to have it remain off. I want my life
back.
--stella
— Stella S.
August 21, 2001
I had my VBG on June 4th of this year and so far i've lost 61 pounds. I
chose the vbg because it's less invasive. I had no complications and very
little pain. I came home in 3 days and have been back at work for 3 weeks.
I believe this will work for me. My aunt had it almost 30 years ago and is
still small. She still gets full off of one or two chicken nuggets. Good
luck with which ever surgery you choose. There's a great support group:
[email protected] Best wishes....Markita
— Markita S.
August 21, 2001
I had the Duodenal Switch 3 months ago, & I wouldn't change my mind if
I suddenly had the chance to do this all over.. I eat what I want.. when I
want.. I'm losing at a decent rate.. I have no dumping, no vomiting, no
worried about a blocked stoma or a marginal ulcer. I can eat sweets if I
want to, but I rarely do.. and when I do, I eat a few bites and I'm done..
without causing dumping. Another poster said that the RnY was forcing her
to eat like skinny people.. but I disagree. I know of NO skinny people who
eat healthy all the time, chew thoroughly, take small bites, and never eat
sweets. I always thought it was unfair that the skinny girls could eat
junk food all day long, be couch potatos, eat like horses.. but I was the
fat one. This surgery is forever.. I want to be healthy more than I want
to be a size 5. Being healthy does not mean having a bigger food obsession
than I did preop- and that is exactly what all those RnY/VBG/Lap band
eating rules seem like to me.. an obsession. My biggest obsession is
getting in 80 grams of protein, in any form, even if its not well-chewed,
and taking my vitamins and minerals. Life is too short as it is.. I want to
enjoy it to the best of my ability. As Auntie Mame said...
LIVE! LIVE! LIVE!
— Liane F.
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