VSG % weight loss

[nextchapter]

I have decided on the VSG waiting for insurances final approval. The doctor’s office said I will not lose all the weight only a percentage with the VSG. I am wondering what others have experience.

[Deleted]

First - please include your surgeon's name in your siggie line - it helps us provide information on him/her.

Second - please understand the difference between STATISTICS and individual results. What your surgeon said is that statistically, VSGers don't lose 100% of their excess weight. Of course that's true for ALL surgery types - the question is both what is the AVERAGE % EWL, and how is that likely going to work for YOU?

Almost NONE of us who have WLS lose or maintain 100% EWL. Some do, some even lose too much. Do you understand and accept that you are almost certainly NOT going to lose 100% of your excess weight? Do you understand and accept that with the VSG, by 5 years out, you are likely to have only maintained a loss of 50% of your excess weight? Do you understand and accept that there are other procedures - like the DS - that will likely result in a significantly higher %EWL after 5 years, 10 years and beyond?

Informed consent requires that you understand all of this before you decide which surgery to have, or to even have surgery at all.

[minimevsg]

my surgeon gave me her stats of 70-80 percent excess weight loss.. I was a light weight starting at 222 the day of surgery i have lost well beyond her stats and for now at 2.5 yrs have remained below those stats.. I did have a regain of about 26 lbs earlier this year but have taken those off again.. so i lost i have presently lost 100 percent excess but bounce up and down 2-3 lbs ..

[Deleted]

First- depending on the surgeon, his particular sleeve (some made larger, some leave more slack on the pyloric end..) the stats will be different from one practice to another - and that's if he's giving you his practice's numbers, or pulling from the limited amount of studies out there on the VSG.

There's not enough long-term data out there yet for this surgery, and many surgeons are now starting to perform it, to the better or worse of the numbers. Personally, I would believe your surgeon IF he is basing his EWL on his patients.. what percentage did he give you? If it is unacceptably low, look for a different Dr. Again the name of your surgeon would help.. How many has he done, how long has he been doing them and tracking his patients, are his numbers from his practice or pulled from studies, what's his complication rate?.. etc.. all basic minimum info you need..

Diana is very realistic and correct with her stats.. Please realize that the VSG is about on par/possibly slightly better in long term EWL/or slightly worse than the RNY stats wise, depending on the study... So 55-70% average (long term, many lose lower to start, regain happens for many, starting BMI is a big indicator as well, higher BMI generally = less EWL kept off long term).. again, this is averages ONLY. Some lose all and maintain, some lose a "successful" amount- success is pinned at 50 or 55%EWL, and occasionally some realize due to metabolic or emotional issues, that they will never get to 50% with the VSG, no guarantee they would with the DS either, but a statistically higher chance. This is aside from maintaining, which no doubt IS easier with the DS.

Frankly it's up to you to choose what surgery fits your lifestyle, and not try to fit your post-op lifestyle to your surgery, that fails too often. IMO, the best are DS & VSG. Chose wrong, and you may find yourself regaining in a few years time once the fast loss and diet-mentality fades.

The VSG, it's mostly up to you.. be dead-honest with yourself.. now's not the time to look at yourself with the rose-colored glasses. The VSG is a great helping hand, is that all you need?
The DS, you have a lot more support from your surgery to help you lose & maintain.

Either way, no one can predict how much YOU will lose, they can only give you the best average numbers that current research indicates..

[Avonlea]

I've been researching this endlessly because I had to make a decision between VSG and DS. I am getting the VSG in January.

With a good surgeon who tracks his or her own numbers, I would estimate a 5-year average of 55% EWL. How this plays out in individuals is up to your individual composition, of course.

I chose the VSG over the DS because I've got specific medical conditions that make long-term malabsorption problematic. Also, I'm in a category that, anecdotally speaking, seems to have better luck with the VSG (younger, athletic, not super morbidly obese, white). However, Diana is correct that the DS has the best overall statistics.

[roseselene]

My guess is that your surgeon is quoting statistics whether it be national or his/her own patients stats. You will fall somewhere in there --- but its really tough to know. For me, so far, the sleeve has been fabulous. I realize that I'm early out ( 6 months) but I'm doing better than I thought I would and I'm only about 10 pounds from goal. I think it also depends on how much you have to lose. If a person is SMO, then the liklihood of acheiving goal may not be as good -- although not impossible.
I would inquire with him/her what his patients stats are, what size sleeve he uses, what technique, etc.... And how many sleeves he has done. This is all really important information when choosing a surgeon.
Good luck!
Amy

[clkrn10]

I don't have a clue about percentages, but my stats are as follows:
VSG 5/9/11
Surgery weight--289
Weight today--209
80 pounds gone

[Deleted]

I lost 100% no problem - I can tell you

1. I was a light weight - only 100 pounds to lose

2. my surgeon oversews the staple line - I had very tight restriction for the first year - this made it easy to lose

3. my metabolism wasn't "broken" by years and year of yo-yo diet/gain cycles. back in my 20s after reading Geneen Roth I basically gave up dieting and instead worked on my binge eating disorder. you know, the Head Stuff.

4. been reading and talking to WLS peeps for years now - hundreds of VSGers - and there is enormous variation in results.

[duodenalswitcharoo]

It seems to me that the most successful with the VSG are the lightweights.

I am a heavyweight. I'm 15 months out of VSG. I got down to 470, down from 640, then bounced back at about a year out to 497 and today I am 484. It is a daily struggle to not go back up to 500. Had I only had 100lbs to lose I am sure it would have been enough, but I've only lost like 30% of EWL and that's all she wrote. However, will be getting the full shibang soon enough

I feel very happy for those of you that the VSG worked for, I wish this option has been available to me when I was 14 and 275!!!

[shellyac]

Also keep in mind that VSG as procedure doesn't have long term results yet at best there is a study with results from 8-9 years post surgery. It will most likely be at least another 5 to 10 years before large scale long term results will be available. The main limitation is that VSG was only recommended as a primary WLS in October of this year by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Before then it was only recommended for patients with a BMI of 50 or higher. Now that the ASMBS has updated their position insurance companies should start covering the procedure (I'm assuming for the standard BMI 35 or higher). Once it becomes a more common procedure you will have more people to follow and more accurate results. I suggest that you read the position paper, it's located at www.asmbs.org about half way down the page. There are results of both long term results of the VSG as well as comparing the VSG to other procedures

[wanttolose]

The asmbs article is very interesting reading.

[califsleevin]

As others have noted, much of it depends upon your surgeon and your individual character, both physical and mental. Getting to the 100% EWL area is quite possible and reasonable for us relative lightweights (I was a low 40s BMI to start) and many who start higher also attain that level with some added work and dedication. How well they maintain that loss is still somewhat uncertain given the lack of long term data. My basic numbers are:

Surgery weight: 292
Current weight: 192
Goal weight: 190ish

Most docs use a BMI of 24 as their 100% excess weight loss point, which may or may not be appropriate for you. That would be 168 for me, which would be excessively skinny with my build and would require substantial loss of lean muscle mass to attain (not a good thing.) My current "overweight" BMI of 27ish is about right for me with a mid/upper teens body fat % (middle of the "normal" range for men) so for me, this is 100%EWL, even if BMI charts don't agree. I may drop a little more as I let things settle and move into maintenance mode, but that's all that's really needed in my case. Statistically, I'm at a bit over 80%EWL, but that wouldn't change had I opted for a DS or other procedure since I am now at a healthy weight for me.

[Buckeye Girl]

I think the others have made some excellent points for you to consider. I just wanted to chime in with my results thus far for whatever it is worth in your consideration. I'm almost 13 months out.

SW: 304 BMI 42.3
CW: 176 BMI 24.6

If a BMI of 24 is the 100% EWL marker, I'm about 3 lbs away and currently sitting at about 98% EWL.

I still lose weight about 1 week out of the month, so I'm sure I'll get there and then the work to maintain will begin.

Best,
Lindsey

[theshrinkingmimi]

Sometimes they are being super conservative. Sometimes the push toward the surgery that they feel most comfortable and experienced with (hope it is not this one).

My surgeon said that 120 in a year would be good. I'm at 119 at 6.5 months. I started at 368. I think he was being super conservative to manage my expectations.

His nurse said that I was losing weight like a bypass patient. I said that with most of my stomach gone, me eating right, and with me exercising 4-6 days per week, of course I am losing a lot of weight.

I say go into surgery knowing that it is possible to lose ALL of the weight. Just be prepared to actively participate in the process.

[caitlyncat]

Nine months out:
starting weight 223
current weight 125
BMI 20.8

I exercise 6-7x weekly, have really been good with the protein-first, no-liquids-when-eating diet plan. The best part is that the diet is entirely doable for the long-term.

[Phyll H]

I am just checking in to the new boards.

[Carolyn H.]

I am 44, 5'3", and I hit 100% EWL (140lbs) at 10 1/2 months post-op achieving a 'normal' BMI (<24.9) . My starting BMI was 51 (291lbs). I lost 32lbs on my surgeon's pre-op diet and 122lbs since that time. I have gone from a size 30 to my current size 4-6 during that time.

I actually would like to lose another 12-13lbs or so to get down to a BMI of about 22 because I have serious autoimmune and metabolic issues that have resulted in the elphantistic form of a rare skin condition in my legs and significant lymphadema. The smaller I get the better my legs are, so I am going to go as low as I can and remain within a 'healthy' range.

"Statistics" on VSG can be a little misleading. Many of them include data from when the VSG was done as the first stage of a 2 stage DS rather than as a standalone procedure. More modern sleeves are smaller and leave less of the fundus intact. Dr. Criangle is set to publish a study following his long-term patients with the smaller sleeves they started doing around 2005, I believe. That should provide some good insight into the 5-year prospects for 'modern' sleeves.

If I was diabetic, I would have gone for DS.

[sam1am]

I got to a bmi of just over24 in 10 months. I'm hoping to see that with the new trend of smaller sleeves that we will see a higher percentage staying off at 5 years plus.

Best wishes!

Sandy

[kellic]

Hit my 100% of excess weight (normal BMI) lost at one year. The jury is still out on regain but doing ok so far. :-)

[Happy966]

I <3 my pyloric valve, so I wouldn't do anything that removed it.

DS has better statistics. From my understanding, VSG requires more diligence eating wise.

My mental sanity depends on diligent attention to my eating behaviors, so it was fine for me.

I care less about losing 100% of my excess weight than a long-term sane relationship with food. If I'm eating properly (say, 1200 to 1800 calories a day, long term), then I am willing to accept whatever that means weight-wise.

[laurak]

I am sitting at a BMI of 20.8 now at 3 years out. I do watch what I eat and faithfully exercise though.

[Joanne]

Statistics are just that, for any surgery. There is always going to be a group of people that do better, and a group that do worse. Educate yourself about what makes someone successful, or not, for each surgery type. As a rule, people who do best with the VSG are those with a lower starting BMI (say low 40's), younger, healthier, and able to exercise. Those that dont do as well are those that are super morbidly obese and/or unable to exercise.

Keep in mind that to your body, losing weight with a restrictive only procedure like the VSG is the same as crash dieting. Your metabolism tanks, and you need a low calorie diet just to maintain. Of course the sleeve helps with that, but it also requires you to be honest with yourself and determine if you can maintain that lifestyle for the rest of your life.

[loulou7]

I was a lightweight, I suppose. My surgeon set what I thought was a very low goal, of 121 pounds, meaning I had to lose 109 # to get to 100%. I lost easily and steadily for 9 months, then suddenly stopped losing. I've maintained within 4 pounds for the past year or so, just by sticking to the plan.

Surgery weight: 238
Goal weight: 212 (set by surgeon)
Current: 141 - 144, depending on if I ate salt yesterday.

My goal for this year is to get into the 130's, but I'm not going to kill myself to do it. If I continue to stick to the plan and nothing happens, I guess I'm where I'm supposed to be. I've discovered my body is going to do it's own thing, regardless of the goal I set for it.

I should say that even though I didn't hit 100% EWL, I'm very happy. My goal was to be diabetes free, hypertension free, plantar fasciitis free, and feeling better. I met all of those goals.

[briarrose]

I am one year out of a VSG -- I lost 34 pre-op and 87 post op. Total weight loss of 121 pounds, so far. I am at 75% if you calculate my starting weight before surgery; and 70% if you start at surgery weight.

Frankly, I like counting what I took off BEFORE surgery - cuz that was as difficult or more so than after !!!

My goal is to lose another 10 to 15 pounds in this coming year. That will have me statistically "overweight" but at 55 years old, I'm not wanting/trying to be a model, or to be thin....just healthy.

My surgeon is thrilled with my weight loss, and my new lifestyle. I am too.

Most weight loss surgeries promise 50 to 65 percent of needed weight loss after 2 years.

[muffinsmom]

So if a BMI of 24 is considered the benchmark, I hit it at 13 mos. For me, that was 153 lbs at 5'7", down from a start weight of 246, the weight I was when I filled out my surgeon's online application. However, I continued to lose weight, and now weigh 133, or a BMI of 21, at which point my weight loss just naturally stopped. (Not coincidentally, my calorie intake sort-of naturally increased right about that point also.)

[sniffles]

I've lost 100% of my excess weight and kept it off for 9 months now... I had surgery 22 months ago.

[Deleted]

I'd like to point to a paper I posted in the Data section above: weightlosssurgery.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=vsgdata&thread=1057&page=1#15994

[Lee]

I had surgery 23 months ago. 40f bougie, not oversewn because I was one of the first at my facility. They make them smaller now.

HW -249
SW-229
CW - 140 - BMI 24.0

Broken metabolism. Female, 61 years old. Surgeon said I would be a statistical success at 175. That wasn't good enough for me.

[mizdel]

Jan 25, 2012 19:43:37 GMT -5 Lee said:

I had surgery 23 months ago. 40f bougie, not oversewn because I was one of the first at my facility. They make them smaller now.

HW -249
SW-229
CW - 140 - BMI 24.0

Broken metabolism. Female, 61 years old. Surgeon said I would be a statistical success at 175. That wasn't good enough for me.

You are doing fabulous. Would you mind detailing your diet and exercise plan?

[paige]

I started at 288...I am 4.5 months out and down to 215. My surgeon said he would consider me a success when I reach 175 which is a BMI of 28, which is still considered overweight. I am not sure about percentages, but to be perfectly honest...I would be super happy at 175, overweight and all...still a far cry from 288 and a BMI of 44.