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Any weight loss surgery will require careful planning, long discussions with your physician and surgeon, consideration of possible side effects and expected outcomes, a review of all available medical information on the procedure being considered, and, above all, the ability to understand that it is not a cure-all but merely another tool in the weight loss arsenal to be supported by proper diet and exercise.
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Vertical Banded Gastroplasty (Surgery) - One Woman's Story
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On 8 October 2004, we received the following story from B.J. of Fitchburg, MA,:
"In 1988, I was 27 years old, and I weighed 320 lbs. I was desperate. I tried every diet...everything, and was able to lose here and there only to gain it back. I was an obese child and spent most of my teen years starving myself to lose weight. After careful consideration, I decided to look into WLS.
I contacted a reputable program in Boston and had a complete physical and psychological workup. According to their program, I needed to lose 25 pounds, to show that I was motivated, and to make the surgery easier for the surgeon and myself. I lost the 25 pounds, and proudly announced this to the doctor. They were happy with that, so I went through some more tests, oxygen level, ekg, upper gi. Everything was great and we scheduled the surgery in June, 1988.
The surgeon gave me a choice about which procedure I wanted. He presented the Vertical Banded Gastroplasty, which is a creation of a pouch by stomach stapling to create a very small pouch (1tsp of food could fit at first), and the wrapping of the remaining stomach to fashion a way for food (very little) to slowly empty for digestion.
His second suggestion was the gastric bypass surgery. In 1988, they frowned on the gastric bypass because of the problems with iron and vitamin absorption. They also said it was more complicated.
He put it to me this way: if you are typically a sweet eater, the gastric bypass was for you. If you were a "meat and potatoes" type of eater, the VBG was the way to go. He explained the gastric bypass will not allow you to eat sweets without horrible consequences (gas, diarrhea, dumping), and the VBG will restrict the volume of food (meat and potatoes) that you eat.
I was definitely a "meat and potatoes eater", and chose the VBG. He said that statistically I would not lose as much weight, but it was much safer.
Back in the early days of this surgery, they were very careful. I went in for surgery, and woke up in the ICU with a respirator. I panicked, but was assured by a nurse to relax and let the tube breathe for me. I was in and out of a morphine cloud. I also had boots that inflated to ensure proper blood flow. I spent 2 weeks in the hospital.
My recovery was excellent. For about five months I survived on Carnation Instant Breakfast, then graduated to pureed meats and other foods. The weight dropped quickly and I was psyched. I was starting a new semester at college, and had lost 80 lbs from June to August. I made sure I made all of my follow up appointments, and everything looked great.
I started working out, slow then very aggressive. Within 15 months I lost 190 lbs. I hadn't been in the 120's since I was a child. I was ecstatic, but other things were happening to me that led to the ultimate demise of my success. The truth was, I couldn't eat anything healthful. I longed for a small piece of meat with a vegetable. I threw up everyday. I tried to stay on a healthy diet with very small portions but my stomach wasn't having it. Remember what I said when the surgeon asked if I was a sweet eater? I wasn't then, but now I was. The only thing I could eat was jelly beans and licorice. I did this for at least three years. I also could drink alcohol with no problems. I still vomited everyday, but I didn't care. I was thin and beautiful. I think at that time I bordered on an eating disorder.
Being a single mother, I thought this was it, a huge weight loss was the answer to all my problems. But being thin didn't pay my bills (my credit cards were maxed because I lost a size every two weeks and had to constantly buy clothes), or solve any of the other problems a young woman with two pre-teen girls.
I needed something to soothe me and the licorice and jelly beans weren't doing it anymore. So I slowly graduated to chocolate, cookies, and cake. Toward the end, I was eating full birthday cakes every day. With the VBG, it all just slithered down the pipeline.
So, needless to say, by 1996 I weighed 260 lbs. I tried all the other things I did in the past, Jenny Craig, phentermine, anything to get this under control. By 1997, I was so depressed and humiliated that I went out on a work disability. I continued to gain weight, and finally reached 298. I wanted to die.
This is my story. It is far from over, but I did want to answer those who wanted to know my experience with VBG. I was told that it is seldom done anymore because of the high weight gain back.
In 1998, I decided to investigate the possibility of modifying my surgery to a gastric bypass. I can outline that story sometime, but not here.
My advice is if you want to throw up everyday, not be able to eat healthful, satisfying meals, and finally gain all your weight gain then get the VBG. I don't know who's doing it out there, but please, statistics suggest a high rate of weight gain, too high to suggest this as an option.
Stay tuned and I will tell you about my equally horrid experience with the gastric bypass."
Thank you B.J. for sharing your story, your observations, and your recommendations to those seeking to have this procedure performed. We hope that our readers take your story into account before they follow the path to weight loss surgery.
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