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Re: VGB vs. RNY

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Pam,

The long term failure rate for DS is about 2%. That is, about 2% of

the patients fail to loose and keep off more than 50% of their excess

weight. No patient has every been reported to have lost no weight or

to have gained weight (in contrast, some patients with the RNY

actually weigh more 10-15 years after surgery then they did before

surgery).

Hull

>

> << The VGB has

> a 60% failure rate and of the 40% who have success with it the

excess

> weight loss is around 50%. For example; if you are 100 pounds

over

> weight you with the VGB you have a 40% chance of losing and

maintaining

> a 50 pound weight loss long term. >>

>

> The success rate and loss is much better with the DS, I know. Has

anyone

> heard of anyone who did not have a success with the DS? And if so,

why

> wasn't it a success? ie didn't lose enough weight, didn't keep it

off, etc.

> I read about some people thinking their surgery isn't successful,

when after

> 3-6 months they " only " lost 40-60 lbs. and where on a plateau. I

would not

> consider that a failure. Especially after such a short amount of

time!

> Pam in PA

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Judie,

I don't know if most RNY surgeons are even aware of the long term

consequences. Most RNY surgeons have not been doing it for 10+

years. The most recent report by shows that 3 out of 100

patients weiged more than at the time of surgery (in one case 13.6 kg

or about 30 lbs more). Most RNY surgeons blame failure on patients

compliance regarding proper eating choices. RNY surgeons will

emphisise the surgery as a " tool " rather than a cure. On the other

hand the DS is a far better tool and comes as close to a cure as we

have at the current time. The short term success (2-4 years) of the

RNY can blind surgeons into thinking that this thing really works

well. I could only find a few studies that looked at results for more

than 5 years. These studies consistantly showed the long-term excess

weight loss of the RNY is about 50% compared with about 70% for the

DS. Short term the RNY patient will loose about 60-70% of excess

weight, but the regain is so common and consitant that it cannot be

blamed on technical failings of any one surgeon.

The best results I was able to find on the RNY were from Wittgrove

and (ironically) Rabkin. Both of these reports were preliminary (2-4

years). Since Rabkin has basically abandoned the RNY in favor of the

DS, it really is incumbent upon Wittgrove to show that he can get

good long term results.

The big problem for RNY surgeons is that they don't like follow-up.

It is more lucrative to funnel new suckers (I mean patients) in then

to worry about how old patients are doing. Therefore, the studies of

RNY often have poor follow-up rate. On the other hand the DS surgeon

understands the requirement of keeping up with all his patients, and

thus has better response rates when they do long term follow-ups. As

a result, I was able to find as much good data on DS and on RNY

depite the latter procedure being older and more prevalent.

For very long term (>10 year) weight loss results we currently have

to depend on the results of BPD, as BPD/DS is only a little more than

10 years old. This will change in the next few years.

Hull

> some patients with the RNY

> actually weigh more 10-15 years after surgery then they did before

> surgery). >>>>>>>

>

> really, Chris? Why dont the RNY docs tell their patients that? Or

are they

> indivudually taking patients in their own practice and hoping it

wont happen

> that way?

> Not sure Im clear on my question lol

>

> Judie

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Mel,

Thanks for the info, that sure explains it. So Wittgrove is the only

one with unusally good RNY results (albeit shorter term). I have

found 3 papers on very-long term RNY resutls and they quote something

like 47% EWL, 48%, and 49% (all about the same). I did find one

abstract claiming 62% EWL for RNY after 10 years, though the full

length paper does not appear to be published yet (the abstract was

presented in 1999 ASBS conference).

Marceau published a couple of abstracts at the 2001 ASBS conference

including one on bone density (quite positive) and one that

summerizes the results of his first 1000 patients! I think these two

papers should really put to rest any long term concerns about the DS.

Dr. K is going to publish on his first 100 cases soon, and I hope Dr.

Anthone will publish sometime next year, though he wants to have more

data before publishing.

Dr. Sugerman is conducting clinical trials comparing the RNY and DS

with 20 patients in each group - randomly selected the morning of the

surgery. I have qualms about the small size of this group, yet I am

also concerned about 20 patients winding up with a procedure that may

have not been their first choice. I suspect in the end that the DS

will be more effective, but without a wide enough variance to " prove "

statistical signifigance with such a small group. Still, it is a

step in the right directon. I understand that Dr. Marceau is going

to work with Dr. Sugerman.

Hull

> there's a reason that Dr. Rabkin's " RGB " results were as

good as

> they were. It's not readily apparent without a careful reading, but

if

> you look at his published article, it's there. He reports on BPD,

RGB,

> and DS, and explains that the RGB series actually received a

modified

> BPD.

>

> I learned this myself because I specifically asked Dr. Rabkin how he

> achieved such good results with his " RNY " . It was then that he

explained

> to me that after his initial 32 BPDs, he just wasn't comfortable

with

> the removal of the stomach/pylorus, which left no " fallback " for

> reversal in case of problem. He subsequently went to a modified

> Scopinaro (that he termed " distal RGB " ) which was essentially the

same

> as a BPD except that it left the bypassed stomach inside. (I don't

> recall offhand if these patients were stapled or transected, but it

may

> say in his report).

>

> Ultimately, Rabkin found that in order to see good long-term

results, he

> had to progress to a smaller stomach pouch than he was comfortable

with,

> so he abandoned his RGB in 1994ish, in favor of the Duodenal

Switch. In

> addition, the RGB folks, despite good overall results, saw too many

> ulcerations and other ongoing " pouch " -related side effects for

Rabkin's

> comfort.

>

> If you compare Rabkin's " RGB " numbers to Scopinaro's BPD stats,

they are

> very similar, and we know that the DS gets similar stats too, so

that is

> why Rabkin's numbers are so similar from his three compared

procedures.

>

> Hope this illuminates a bit.

>

> M.

>

> ---

> in Valrico, FL, age 39

> Lap DGB/DS by Dr. Rabkin 10/19/99

> Starting weight 299, now 155

> Starting BMI 49.7, now 25.8

> Starting size 26/28, now 10/12

> http://www.duodenalswitch.com/Patients/_M_/melanie_m_.html

>

> Direct replies: mailto:melanie@t...

>

>

> _________________________________________________________

>

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