Long Term Results of Sleeve Gastrectomy

[Kindle 8,667]

We can argue stats and studies all day long, but in the end it doesn't matter for my success or failure. Whether 200 people in Italy or 20,000 people in the US lost weight and kept it off or gained it all back has nothing to do with ME. I control what I eat and whether or not I maintain my loss. With a few exceptions of certain medical conditions and/or medications that may affect weight gain, every individual controls their own success/failure when it comes to the numbers on the scale.

IN general, Regain comes with poor food choices and bad eating habits. There is a big gap between the surgeons responsibility for a successful surgery and the patients responsibility for lifestyle changes. That gap needs to be filled with nutritional education and psychological support. Having a VSG and then eating Oreos or drinking alcohol in excess 5 years out is no different than getting a lung transplant and smoking cigarettes. Who's fault is it when that patient dies of emphysema/cancer/COPD?

As a measure of success, of course they are going to look at weight as the main criteria rather than the comorbidities. After all it's called Weight Loss Surgery, not Diabetes Cure Surgery or Blood Pressure Reduction Surgery.

[2goldengirl 2,076]

What I'd really like to see is something like the Framingham Nurses Study - a group of people get followed long term over a variety of data. The reason I'd like to see reliable, long-term data that includes more than just the folks who stay in touch with their surgeons is that for the surgery, and those of us to choose it, to be taken seriously as a medical treatment for obesity, it's the kind of data we need. That benefits everyone.

[OutsideMatchInside 10,166]

Why?

There are too many variables. This is just a tool, a tool a lot of people misuse. I am more concerned about mortality rates that long term weight loss stats. The long term weight loss is completely up to the patient. Surgery can't fix bad genetics, if you have heart disease in your family losing weight is great but heart disease is written in your genetic code, being slim won't save you.

An accurate study would have to take into account genetics and eating disorders (addicts relapse a lot). It would be a massive undertaking that needs a lot of funding.


People are just looking for excuses and validation for their own failures.

Edited March 7, 2016 by OutsideMatchInside

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

Actually, I think those results are very very good. Pre WLS I had zero percent chance of maintaining weight loss (I know, I tried for decades) and so even "average" looks good.

I have maintained close to 100percent WLS (the target weight for the calcs is too low for me to maintain in a healthy way). I don't post fresh photos because the novelty has worn off...but 4 years down the road and I am still a healthy/attractive weight.

Forums are a very biased source of "research" -heavily weighted toward crisis and the honeymoon period.

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[CowgirlJane 14,259]

What I'd really like to see is something like the Framingham Nurses Study - a group of people get followed long term over a variety of data. The reason I'd like to see reliable, long-term data that includes more than just the folks who stay in touch with their surgeons is that for the surgery, and those of us to choose it, to be taken seriously as a medical treatment for obesity, it's the kind of data we need. That benefits everyone.

I agree! I'd also like to know life expectancy people with WLS vs not and I think something like the framington study is the way to draw these conclusions.

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[OutsideMatchInside 10,166]

Forums are a very biased source of "research" -heavily weighted toward crisis and the honeymoon period.

Basically. The majority of long term people that come back to forums, come back because they have regained. The people that haven't regained and are enjoy their life, we never hear from them. Every now and then someone will pop up and post, but that is rare. I have been reading forums for years and most of the really successful people get to a point where their life has moved on to other things, they are more active and enjoying life. The successful people that are long term that still post the majority of time are trying to sell something, their blog, whatever. They are into self promotion.

Life expectancy is far more important than weight loss for a research topic in my opinion.

[Kindle 8,667]

. The successful people that are long term that still post the majority of time are trying to sell something, their blog, whatever. They are into self promotion.

Hey I resent that! Some of us are still here because we have transferred our food and alcohol addictions to WLS forum addictions. As dysfunctional as they are and as silly and idiotic some threads are, it's like a horrible car crash that I just can't help but stare at.

Hello my user name is Kindle and I am addicted to online forums. LOL

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

. The successful people that are long term that still post the majority of time are trying to sell something, their blog, whatever. They are into self promotion.

Hey I resent that! Some of us are still here because we have transferred our food and alcohol addictions to WLS forum addictions. As dysfunctional as they are and as silly and idiotic some threads are, it's like a horrible car crash that I just can't help but stare at.

Hello my user name is Kindle and I am addicted to online forums. LOL

You and me both. I reckon this obsession keeps me fairly focused on my own situation. ..

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[OutsideMatchInside 10,166]

Hey I love forums too. Since I work from home, it is my Water cooler action for the work day

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

It recently occurred to me (duh!) that WLS online forums (I participate in this one and one other) are my form of "Obesity Anonymous."

It's clear to me that by considering others' posts and posting here that I'm engaging in positive self-talk, mindfulness and accountability. Since I'm 18 months post-op and coming up on a year of maintenance (which means it's still a very evolving phase for me) I'm interested in sticking close to BP to learn from others who are going through maintenance or are further out than me.

But I don't think that hanging out on WLS forums for two years or longer is a typical behavior of WLS patients at all.

[Kindle 8,667]

Thanks @@VSGAnn2014 and @@OutsideMatchInside for your perspectives.

As for the Water cooler thing, I'm in the same boat. I only have 1 coworker (my business partner) and we run with the same circle of friends, so the gossip fest runs dry pretty quick. So in fact, WLS forums add a whole other level of social drama to my otherwise boring life.

And since I don't attend support group meetings or see a therapist or counselor, the online forums do serve as a touchstone to the WLS world for me. It's a place to commune with other "fatties" where I feel comfortable talking about all the WLS stuff my real world friends just don't get. (They do get the part about me not being PC, though )

Gee, I already feel so much better about my addiction. It's fun to rationalize!

[swimbikerun 1,038]

Some of us are still here wanting to get others to learn from their bad experiences and never see it happen to any one else. Paying it forward.

Surgeons who say they'll mark up your records to interfere with your doctors' caring for you and blocking care should never ever happen. It did in my case. I investigated and found a lot of covering up both in administration and in doctors and the govt.

That's why i stay around. No one deserves this - and the only way to stop it to post things like the tape where the doctor talked about me to someone off the street. When you see docs like that, that is why you need to ask questions. Get someone who doesn't do that sort of thing. Help others out of that situation.

. The successful people that are long term that still post the majority of time are trying to sell something, their blog, whatever. They are into self promotion.

Hey I resent that! Some of us are still here because we have transferred our food and alcohol addictions to WLS forum addictions. As dysfunctional as they are and as silly and idiotic some threads are, it's like a horrible car crash that I just can't help but stare at.

Hello my user name is Kindle and I am addicted to online forums. LOL

. The successful people that are long term that still post the majority of time are trying to sell something, their blog, whatever. They are into self promotion.

Hey I resent that! Some of us are still here because we have transferred our food and alcohol addictions to WLS forum addictions. As dysfunctional as they are and as silly and idiotic some threads are, it's like a horrible car crash that I just can't help but stare at.

Hello my user name is Kindle and I am addicted to online forums. LOL

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

The problem with data, it is often wrong. I don't know how to fix that. Examples are cause of death on death certs - I was shocked to see my mother's because yes her heart and lungs failed and so she died of pulomonary disease (don't recall exactly how it was worded) but that was not the underlying condition.

I have no way of knowing if average EWL of 60, 70 percent at 5 years is accurate, but my gut tells me it's in the ballpark based on people I know.

You are right that those numbers will include people with bad side effects. It took me a long time to figure out why lap band results were so much better than the circle of people I knew for 10 years, all banded in a few years..then the explanation hit me. One, i think newer bands may have better results but more importantly, it you are measuring excess weight loss, it doesn't matter if that band was removed. The most successful banded person I knew in real life (maintained at goal for a long time) revised to sleeve after complication developed but before regain. My band surgeon followed results via annual survey which included removal.

Anyway, the stats aren't the whole story, and you do have to be careful about assuming that just because a particular procedure is 70percent that you personally will lose 70percent of excess weight. It just doesn't work that way - but it's the best info we have.

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[swimbikerun 1,038]

If data was often wrong, we wouldn't have studies showing how well WLS works. Antibiotics wouldn't be proven to work, nor many drugs.

It may not tell the whole story. The purpose is to look carefully at studies and see how well they fit your particular "group".

In cases of us with GP, bariatric surgeries work for most but not all of us. It doesn't mean we shouldn't take the chance.

[rebecca wills 190]

For many comprehensive bariatric programs running the past 5 years, it really is data based so far on that. But some are doing a good job in follow up as part of the report data. I am in a good program, with an ongoing 5 year follow up. It provides nutrition classes, exercise classes, support groups, as well as meeting with surgeon yearly. So it's there if you look for it. Success is there for the taking, you just have to make the steps to make it work for you. I myself looked for support, it's a struggle I've had all my life and I know it. Wish everyone success!

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