VG Band Testimonials

[tombourn]

I figured I would start a thread that would let those of us with the VG Band give our testimonials and frustrations that may not relate to those with the smaller bands. I'll be back shortly when I have more time to leave my story.

Tom

4/26/07 Currently 33.4 BMI 246 lbs

[nita57]

Good idea Tom. My experience with the VG band...sighs...frustration, frustration, and more frustration. I have 3 kinds of days. 1)can't eat without PB 2)perfect restriction and 3)eat all you want of whatever you want. How do I determine if I need a fill? I don't know. My weight is stable. No matter how much or little I eat it stays the same. I feel like if I could have the #2 days all of the time, I would have NO problem losing weight. But I don't, and I don't understand it. Everytime I decide to go for a fill, the band tightens up and I think...okay..I can do this..(sighs again)Right now I am planning to try for a June fill. I will NOT give up but boy if I had known I would get a VG I think I might have backed out. I just don't know. Anyway, I'm open for suggestions, encouragement, words of wisdom...whatever...Luck all. Nita

[tombourn]

Nita

Hey there... I too have those days although I can never eat fast or breads....But unlimited Butterfingers..yes...My last fill kick started a 20 pound drop so that might be your answer. I think when you are only half way there... you do not get the proper signals so you end up pbing since you thought you weren't filling up when you are... so being super tight( sweet spot) you don't even try to eat the full bowl of cereal or even the full size bite... whereas like you are now and I'm getting back to, you eat then get caught be surprise... I never forgot to drink slow when even coffee was going down slow and no more than say 10 oz...so that might be it.. or again, I might just be rambling.

Tom

4/27/07 Currently 33.4 BMI 246 lbs

[Teri]

Nita

Hey there... I too have those days although I can never eat fast or breads....But unlimited Butterfingers..yes...My last fill kick started a 20 pound drop so that might be your answer. I think when you are only half way there... you do not get the proper signals so you end up pbing since you thought you weren't filling up when you are... so being super tight( sweet spot) you don't even try to eat the full bowl of cereal or even the full size bite... whereas like you are now and I'm getting back to, you eat then get caught be surprise... I never forgot to drink slow when even coffee was going down slow and no more than say 10 oz...so that might be it.. or again, I might just be rambling.

Tom

4/27/07 Currently 33.4 BMI 246 lbs

Hey I'm with ya Nita. Good topic, Tom. Just wish I could reach that just right level........and I have the smaller band. The frustration is the same. Sometimes I think I have it "pegged" for a week out from a fill, then........................poof the restriction is gone. Or it's the opposite, to tight, and water doesnt go down. Up and down, and up and down. Still believing though.

Teri

[kym828]

i love my vg band. i am at 6cc's and i think i have good restriction now... but i agree with the others here - some days are perfect, other days i cant eat at all and have trouble with water. on those days i just wait patiently until i can eat again - there is no explanation at all. it took 3 fills to get here but i think this one is going to last awhile. i really love my vg band even though it can be very troublesome in the beginning.

kim

[NoWorry]

I have 3 kinds of days. 1)can't eat without PB 2)perfect restriction and 3)eat all you want of whatever you want. How do I determine if I need a fill? I don't know. Nita

This sounds so scary and unfulfilling. I'm scheduled for surgery next week, and I had the impression that banding was a solid, medical science. But this sounds highly imperfect, and subject to a huge amount of luck and guesswork. I think I'm getting convinced that this is not a good solution for weight loss.

Sanjay

[Teri]

This sounds so scary and unfulfilling. I'm scheduled for surgery next week, and I had the impression that banding was a solid, medical science. But this sounds highly imperfect, and subject to a huge amount of luck and guesswork. I think I'm getting convinced that this is not a good solution for weight loss.

Sanjay

All I can say is, everybody is different. I had no idea how I would react to the fills. No one does. If you are a "lucky" one with fills, your experience will be great. If you are not so lucky, you will have ups and downs. And getting there can be a task.

Teri

[CalKev]

This sounds so scary and unfulfilling. I'm scheduled for surgery next week, and I had the impression that banding was a solid, medical science. But this sounds highly imperfect, and subject to a huge amount of luck and guesswork. I think I'm getting convinced that this is not a good solution for weight loss.

Sanjay

Sanjay,

The VG band is specifically used for those of us that have accumulation fat around the portion of the digestive tract where the band is to be placed. As we lose weight these cells also decrease in size and decrease pressure on the effected area so to continue having good restriction additional fills of solution are needed. The amount of the fill should be determined by the physician. Medications a person takes can have an effect on how much restriction is in place and should be discussed with your doctor each time you go in for a fill as prescriptions change.

This is not to convince you to have or not have surgery. You need to be well informed before surgery. Remember most on the board are "in process" of obtaining their weight goals. The many who have completed the process may not get involved in discussion here as they feel their interests are no longer germane to discussion.

[NoWorry]

The VG band is specifically used for those of us that have accumulation fat around the portion of the digestive tract where the band is to be placed. As we lose weight these cells also decrease in size and decrease pressure on the effected area so to continue having good restriction additional fills of solution are needed.

Did you know that you were a candidate for VG in advance of your surgery, or is this decision made by the surgeon after he has started the surgery?

Remember most on the board are "in process" of obtaining their weight goals. The many who have completed the process may not get involved in discussion here as they feel their interests are no longer germane to discussion.

I am definitely beginning to see the truth of this. I guess it's the nature of the beast that only those who are having problems or suffering setbacks are the ones posting here. The ones who have succeeded or are happily continuing to lose weight 'normally' have no need for this forum.

I notice that LoriBecky has started a new thread asking for testimonials and it has received absolutely no response.

I've subscribed to LapBandTalk.com and there are far more positive posts there. If not for them, I think I would have changed my mind about this surgery. Thanks for your feedback.

[JCGrove]

Good idea Tom. My experience with the VG band...sighs...frustration, frustration, and more frustration. I have 3 kinds of days. 1)can't eat without PB 2)perfect restriction and 3)eat all you want of whatever you want. How do I determine if I need a fill? I don't know. My weight is stable. No matter how much or little I eat it stays the same. I feel like if I could have the #2 days all of the time, I would have NO problem losing weight. But I don't, and I don't understand it. Everytime I decide to go for a fill, the band tightens up and I think...okay..I can do this..(sighs again)Right now I am planning to try for a June fill. I will NOT give up but boy if I had known I would get a VG I think I might have backed out. I just don't know. Anyway, I'm open for suggestions, encouragement, words of wisdom...whatever...Luck all. Nita

Nita I have a lot of the same issues, however I have been able to work through some of these issues.

First I had to come to grips with the fact that the only reason I have a VG band is that I required it; that's life, my stomach is not only large in diameter but has a large accumulation of fat around it and the other band would not even fit. I had to except it and move on, although the large diameter might explain why I do not have supposed (will power), a term I detest.

I could very well be wrong but this is what I have come to believe happens with the VG Band.

1. Fat is more plyable than stomach tissue the VG being wrapped around a large amount of fat and stomach tissue gives the ability to force food passed restriction.

2. Fat molecules keep alot of water around them in order to survive. I take this to mean dehydration = less restriction. find a way to keep yourself consistantly

hydrated.

3. Fat loss happens at different rates in different parts of the body. I.E. This week lost a small amount of fat around the band and a large amount from leg my and

restriction is still good . Next week who knows maybe all the fat loss is around the band area causing less restriction and time for another fill.

4. My biggest weight losses have come after I got over 6 cc of fill. I found that after approx 15lbs of lost weight it is time to schedule my next fill.

5. Make a list of which foods go down easy, get stuck, and give you that boy I am already Full ?!? Feeling. Try to stick with boy I am already full?!?

These things have helped me I hope they can do the same for You.

JC

[tombourn]

JC :

Tend to agree with most of what you said. The 15-20 pound refill is proving to be a fact with me too. Just this week, I am eating more and more and that means all the things I couldn't eat before, I am eating now. Unfortunately, I am heading to Hawaii for probably a once in a life time trip there( too many other places to see in the world, plus heli-snowboarding in Alaska next year), so I don't want to get a fill now, the frst three weeks are a bear, but its the 10-15 weight loss that makes it worth it.

Tom

[JCGrove]

JC :

Tend to agree with most of what you said. The 15-20 pound refill is proving to be a fact with me too. Just this week, I am eating more and more and that means all the things I couldn't eat before, I am eating now. Unfortunately, I am heading to Hawaii for probably a once in a life time trip there( too many other places to see in the world, plus heli-snowboarding in Alaska next year), so I don't want to get a fill now, the frst three weeks are a bear, but its the 10-15 weight loss that makes it worth it.

Tom

Amen!

I always tend to panic when it's fill time. But the imediate results from the fill calm me right down!

[Jennifer C]

Hi,

I just got my VG band after having a slip and subsequent removal of the smaller band. One thing I'm happy about having the VG band is that Dr. martinez said that it won't close up. The inside edges of the "inner tube" are in a flower petal pattern. So, that's very good news for me and i think that although the weight loss may be a little slower, it's better than a slip!

Jennifer C.

[Teri]

Hi,

I just got my VG band after having a slip and subsequent removal of the smaller band. One thing I'm happy about having the VG band is that Dr. martinez said that it won't close up. The inside edges of the "inner tube" are in a flower petal pattern. So, that's very good news for me and i think that although the weight loss may be a little slower, it's better than a slip!

Jennifer C.

Jennifer,

Can I asked you what your history on fills/slip was with the band?? My band close's up too, and it's hard to believe because just looking at the innertube while in the office, you have to wonder why it happens, there seems to be plenty of an opening, even when it is filled to max. Just curious, and glad everything has worked out for you. Teri

[GregNE]

Did you know that you were a candidate for VG in advance of your surgery, or is this decision made by the surgeon after he has started the surgery?

I am definitely beginning to see the truth of this. I guess it's the nature of the beast that only those who are having problems or suffering setbacks are the ones posting here. The ones who have succeeded or are happily continuing to lose weight 'normally' have no need for this forum.

I notice that LoriBecky has started a new thread asking for testimonials and it has received absolutely no response.

I've subscribed to LapBandTalk.com and there are far more positive posts there. If not for them, I think I would have changed my mind about this surgery. Thanks for your feedback.

I knew I was most likely going to get the VG Band prior to going to TJ for surgery.

The most convincing testimonials are those you get when you are in the OCC office, and see and talk to patients that have lost their weight. I have seen women with great bodies (yes, I look a lot) that are very happy with Dr. Ortiz work. They are often there for a slight unfill. I would estimate only 5% of OCC's patients post here, and yes, we are almost all 'in process' of losing our weight.

I have been to lapbandtalk, and yes, there are many positive testimonials there, as well as many negative ones. Just by sheer strength of numbers, there seem to be many posters there with both bands that have reached their goal, but continue to hang around.

Finally, the band is an effective tool for weight loss. It is how you use this tool, and your ability to use it properly, that determines the outcome of your experience.

[Jennifer C]

Jennifer,

Can I asked you what your history on fills/slip was with the band?? My band close's up too, and it's hard to believe because just looking at the innertube while in the office, you have to wonder why it happens, there seems to be plenty of an opening, even when it is filled to max. Just curious, and glad everything has worked out for you. Teri

Hi Teri,

I had a slip after losing 38 lbs in 3 months with the smaller band. It slipped in November. I now think that I probably got the band too full on my first fill. Of course, I went all the way from DC to Mexico and I wanted it "good and tight" so that I'd get my moneys worth!!! OK, that's a big mistake. I should have taken the fils slower and I just went straight to 1.6CCs. Also, I had vomitted several times. The thing is that I wasn't really sure because I would have good days and bad. One interesting thing though is that the very day that I went into the emergency room because my band had completely closed off, I started my monthly cycle (Of course that's a possible reason that will work for girls only . - Jen

[NoWorry]

Finally, the band is an effective tool for weight loss. It is how you use this tool, and your ability to use it properly, that determines the outcome of your experience.

I'm not sure that Teri will agree with you about that.

I was banded on May 16 and also got the VG band. From reading Dr. Ortiz's book, I get the distinct impression that this bigger band is much more favored than the smaller one, and the subtext seems to indicate that he will be using it more frequently.

I'm still on my liquid stage of course, so there's no question of any restriction at all. I hit solid foods in another two weeks and then I'll know how much restriction I have with just the band.

However, with a capacity of 10 cc vs the 4cc for the 9 cm and 10 cm bands, there's a lot more room for fine tuning... or error, depending on your point of view.

[LoriBecky]

Not true

The VG band is reserved for those patients that have the BMI or anatomy that requires it. The standard band is still just that... standard and most frequently used.

[luv2dive]

Not true

The VG band is reserved for those patients that have the BMI or anatomy that requires it. The standard band is still just that... standard and most frequently used.

If I was told I got the larger band would that be the VG Band?

[tombourn]

More than likely ...YES. Especially if alot of your excess weight is in the belly region

[Teri]

I'm not sure that Teri will agree with you about that.

I was banded on May 16 and also got the VG band. From reading Dr. Ortiz's book, I get the distinct impression that this bigger band is much more favored than the smaller one, and the subtext seems to indicate that he will be using it more frequently.

I'm still on my liquid stage of course, so there's no question of any restriction at all. I hit solid foods in another two weeks and then I'll know how much restriction I have with just the band.

However, with a capacity of 10 cc vs the 4cc for the 9 cm and 10 cm bands, there's a lot more room for fine tuning... or error, depending on your point of view.

Your right, I agree with part of the statement. It is an effective tool, WHEN IT IS WORKING PROPERLY!!!!!!!!!!! You have to GET TO THAT POINT FIRST!!!!!!!!!! Sorry, had a long day, and I'm just not in the right frame of mind. TEri

[LoriBecky]

The most frequently used bands are the 10 cm (4cc) the "standard band", and the larger VG (Vanguard) band is which is 14cm long (10cc's). The VG band is generally used on patients with a higher BMI with more belly fat, but strangely enough some of the higher BMI patients have rather small stomachs or not much fat accumlated right next to their stomach, and a few lower BMI patients that from the outside would appear to need a standard band have a lot of fat accumulated on their stomach hence they need the VG band. That's why the doctor can't make a final determination until he's "in there"

I hope that helps.

[NoWorry]

From "LAP-BAND for Life" by Dr. Ariel Ortiz Lagardere, page 199:

Q. Do you place the VG band during surgery now?

A. Certain centers have no access to the VG, and others are either using it selectively for larger patients or routinely on all patients.

[LoriBecky]

I just answer questions about OCC and our practices - I have no idea how often other centers, or which centers, use the VG band. You may be able to find that out through some internet searches or on other forums There are actually other sized gastric bands out there besides the VG and standard band.