Question:
VBG oppose to other surgeries...Am I making a good decision.
On August 27th, 2001. I will undergo VBG at the hands of Dr. Harberg in Houston Texas. My insurance company will only approve the VBG. I have read many sucess stories about the other types of surgery (gastric bypass, etc...) and have also read of VBG's to RNY's (surgery revisions). Should I not have the VBG? Am I going to be any less successful than the anyone who has had any other tye of surgery a opposed to the VBG? I need a little encouragement :+) Most importantly I need to hear from all you long term post-op VBGers who are doing well and got the results they hoped for! — Jennifer H. (posted on May 31, 2001)
May 31, 2001
I am pre-op as well. I thought that I wanted to have the banded surgery
but when I had my initial consult with the surgeon, we talked about the
pros and the cons of each. We talked about these based on HIS PRACTICE
ONLY - HIS PATIENTS. The banded people did well to begin with but were
more apt to regain some of the weight. The RNY people were more likely to
reach their goals and maintain. He is not exactly sure why (could be the
dumping, could be the malabsorption, could be both or something else
entirely!) He felt strongly that if I was going to go thru the surgery, I
might as well do the one that he felt was the best long term. Of course,
he left that decision up to me ultimately but I did come around to his way
of thinking rather quickly. I have been reading some profiles where people
had their banded surgeries revised to RNY but I've never found any RNY
people wishing they would've done something different! I'm placing my bet
on the RNY. I've also read where some insurance companies will only pay
for the band and not for the RNY. If that was my only choice, I would
definitely do it! Good luck with your surgery, whichever you may choose.
— [Anonymous]
May 31, 2001
My vote is for not having the VBG...this is a tool no matter what surgery
you have...but would you buy a plastic hammer to build a house?...I am not
putting my name because I don't want to be attacked...I am an RYN post op
and even with that it is definatly a tool, not a cure....If you're like me
you only want to do this once...I researched my surgery for over a year and
watched this site all that time there were A LOT of VBG'S that were having
trouble with maintenance of their weight loss. Please just make sure that
is what you want so that there is no regrets later.
— Debora H.
May 31, 2001
Opps....OK...it was me!
— Debora H.
May 31, 2001
I am 6 weeks post VGB and have lost 38 pounds. I too hope it was the right
decision. My doctor does both VGB and by-pass but recommends VBG because of
the drastically less complication rate. It really depends on your type of
overeating. If you eat a lot of sweets or fats, then by-pass is the way to
go. I didn't have a problem with that, but volume was more my problem. The
success rate for VGB is about 85% and success for by-pass is about 88%. It
really depends on each doctor. About 1/3 only do VGB and think it's not
worth the complications and risks to do by-pass, 1/3 think that by-pass is
the only long term success and 1/3 will do both depending on the
individual. If your insurance will only pay for VGB, go for it. I'm feeling
great and hopefully will use this tool successfully.
— Lesley K.
May 31, 2001
Jennifer,
I'm also a patience of Dr Harberg and My surgery was April 9th.
I'm very happy with my choice. I've learned not to over eat. I can eat
anything I want. I just do not eat all of it. I've lost 35lbs. This is
your choice.
— jmasks
May 31, 2001
jennifer, I had a stomach stapling in 1984. I lost approx. 80 lbs. in
about 1 year. ( I needed to lose about 10 lbs.). after the first year, I
began to slowly regain my weight. I have struggled with my weight on and
off of diets for the past 16 years. I have regained 60 of those pounds. i
have just gotten an appt. for a revision to an rny. until I found this
website, I didn't even know I could have it redone. I am very excited
about the possiblity of having surgery . I feel that if you have a very
high metabolism and your only trouble is eating too much, the vbg should
work great. as for me, I still eat relatively small meals but continue to
gain. I hope the rny with some bypass with it will correct my problem. I
wish you the best. If that is all your ins. will do, I say go with it. I
don't regret what I had done 17 years ago. It was all I had to work with
at the time. Maybe you will never have to have a revision. I am sure they
have improved that procedure.
— peppermintp
May 31, 2001
I had a VBG in Aug of 1997, and I would not recommend the procedure to
anyone. Intially I did lose weight 110lbs in about 6 months, slowly I was
able to eat more food, and I have re-gained all my weight plus more!!! I
have felt very guilty about this for years, but I finally discovered
through a scope that my surgery failed me...my band has disappeared in my
body!!! This was not a side effect my Dr warned me about!!! Now I am
getting a revision to an RNY in December this year. My Dr. claims that one
of the problems with the VBG is that the band is foreign material in our
bodies. My advice is don't go through with the VBG...check out a revisions
list for yourself and see how many people are having VBG's revised, you'd
be amazed.
— michelle P.
May 31, 2001
Dr. Harberg did my VBG in 97. I lost well with it for about 6 months and
then started slowly regaining. In 1999 the regain picked up the pace and
so I had testing done to see what was up. Like Michelle, I had lost my
ring, rendering my VBG useless. I was revised to a proximal RNY
w/transection last year by Dr. Ferrari and I do not regret it for a second.
My only wish is that I would have had the RNY to begin with so I would not
have to have two surgeries. If the VBG is the ONLY one that insurance will
pay for, then go for it. It is certainly better than no surgery at all.
Just realize that it is only a tool and you will have to work with that
tool for your success (of course that is true with any surgery). Best of
luck to you.
— Kellye C.
June 1, 2001
Hi. I had an Open VBG with Dr Harberg in Houston on April 30. It has been
almost 5 weeks and I have lost a little over 25 lbs. Not exactly sure how
much now cause the scale I had been using at Kroger was removed last week.
Even though I am short term, I do not regret my choice for 1 second. I have
2 friends that had surgery with Dr Harberg and they are both doing great at
a year and a half and a year and 3 months. I dont mean to ruffle any
feathers but most of the deaths and complications I have read about
involved the more drastic types of surgeries. Dr Harberg explained in great
detail all the risks associated with this surgery and the life changes you
will have to make. If you are like me it took a lifetime to get to this
point so I know it will not get better overnight. It is going to take work
on my part, but anything worth having is worth working for. I struggle with
not getting frustrated by reading the fast weight loss of people with RNY.
But I do notice more problems. I'm not saying that I think this is fail
proof. Just that if you want to succeed, you will have to work at it. I
checked into Dr Harberg medically and found he has never lsot a patient and
he has done about 2000 of these surgeries in last 8 years. This is the only
thing he does. And I believe he does it well. Before he did only Bariatric
surgery he was a Cardio-Thoracic surgeon, so I feel he is qualified. Hope
this research helps you make a better decision based on what is right for
you. Good Luck on whatever you choose. God Bless, Leah
— leah D.
June 4, 2001
I hevent had surgery yet, but I am going with the vbg surgery becouse there
are less problems afterwards, I am not a big sweet eater so this surgery is
best for me, but like my dr. says its not the surgery you have its the way
you use it, its only as sucessful as you make it, I wish you luck, and hope
you make the decision from what you believe and not what others say,
becouse vbgers do not get much support on this site, this is my personal
opinion, but to each his or her own. I will be thinking of you.
— Tricia B.
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