Historically, Vertical Banded Gastroplasty (VGB) has been the most common restrictive operation for weight control. Both a band and staples are used to create a small stomach pouch.
A common risk of restrictive operations is vomiting, which is caused when the small stomach is overly stretched by food particles that have not been chewed well. Risks of VBG include wearing away of the band and breakdown of the staple line. In a small number of cases, stomach juices may leak into the abdomen, requiring an emergency operation. In less than 1 percent of all cases, infection or death from complications may occur.
VBG Advantages
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Technically less difficult that Roux-en-Y gastric bypass |
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Less malabsorption problems than Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (i.e. no dumping syndrome) |
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Shorter operation time than Roux-en-Y gastric bypass |
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VGB Disadvantages
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May not provide the necessary feeling of having had "enough" to eat |
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Pouch stretching or restricting, band breaking or dislodging |
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Approximately 40% of VBG patients lose less than half of their excess body weight |
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Readmission to a hospital may be required for fluid replacement or nutritional support if there is excessive vomiting and adequate food intake cannot be maintained |
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Sources
www.gastricbypass.org/procedures.asp
American Society for Bariatric Surgery. Surgery for Morbid Obesity: What Patients Should Know. Toronto: FD - Communications Inc. 2000
American Society for Bariatric Surgery. Rationale for the Surgical Treatment of Morbid Obesity [Online] 8 April 1998. www.asbs.org/html/ration.html
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| Photo used with permission from Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. |
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| "Obesity is the second leading cause of preventable death in the United States, second only to smoking cigarettes." |
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| "Every day, more than 1,000 people in this country will die from obesity and its related health conditions." |
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