If you start looking around at information on VSG failure/regain you will see very quickly that the community really beats up on the person that is not successfully keeping weight off. Its a pretty depressing situation, and actually, it kept me from seeking help a lot sooner as I did. I bought into the fact that it was me, my fault, my failure, my issues.
However, when I evaluate the situation, it wasn't really a failure, in my perspective.
I did fail to make it to a normal BMI.
I did fail to keep off all the weight I initially lost.
Based on those 2 things I am considered a medical failure, and I qualify for revision.
However, I don't see my journey as a failure and I don't see me as a failure. The VSG has already done amazing things for me and my life. I made massive changes to my eating habits, my portions, my choices. 100% good, no. Better than they were before, yes.
In 2012 I was on a slippery slope, 315lbs and gaining. With the VSG I managed to get down to 230, and then springboard back into the 240-250lbs. The surgery halted my upwards trajectory into the super-super morbid obesity and has made me a mostly normal looking, albeit hefty sized person.
The "failure" comes into play for me in that I am still not a normal BMI, and I'm at least 50lbs heavier than I would like to be (my preference would be to be in the 190-200 range), and 86lbs heavier than a normal BMI for someone my size.
Current BMI - 38, 250lbs
Normal BMI - 24.9, 164lbs
Hilariously, here I said that if I never lost another pound under 260lbs I would still be happy. LOL perspective. That was 2 months post surgery in 2012.
I never made it to my goal weight of 190. Perhaps that is because I was comfortable?
There are a lot of things that I am going to do differently this time as well. I've been making a list of them and will make another post. The main ones are that I ate too many carbs too soon, not enough water, and I didn't/don't exercise enough.
Regardless, there are also other things at play. My surgeon said that there are lots of people that VSG doesn't work for, those with metabolic concerns. My fundus (stomach) is dilated. My normal anatomy might let food pass more quickly through then normal.
I can also say that my mom put me on my first diet when I was 5 years old, and basically I've been chubby ever since. I have lots of food anxiety, stress, and secret eating. These are things that I have been working on. I did a great emotional eating class earlier this year that help solidify my position that I should seek to see if there is another surgery/re-sleeve option for me.
So, I'm positive feeling about the upcoming duodenal switch. I am so excited to think about being a normal sized person for the first time ever in my adult life.
For those that find their way here and are thinking about a revision for lack of weight loss, or regain, I'm with you.
Here is another great article on revisions to the VSG, a very easy to follow along power point from Duke University.
This is a long one, but if you are interested in this material, then you might find it worth reading. The conclusion is one that is not very comforting, but pretty realistic.
In summary, SG as a stand-alone operation is gaining popularity among both bariatric surgeons and patients. This enthusiasm, however, has to be balanced against a paucity of data in regards to potential long-term failure rates. Similar to other bariatric surgery procedures, SG failure is likely to be multifactorial and related to a combination of technical, physiological, and psychological parameters. When discussing SG, bariatric surgeons must review these unknowns with their patients to ensure they will make informed, long-term, surgical decisions based on all available information.
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