Mini Gastric Bypass (MGB)

memtester

Hi all

I've decided over the past couple of months to go for weight loss surgery. Having considered what I thought were all of the options I finally settled on the VSG. I visited my surgeon a few days ago and although he didn't dismiss the sleeve, his opinion was that a bypass would be a better choice for me.

To me, bypass meant RNY. However, the bypass he suggested was a Mini Gastric Bypass - I'd never heard of it until then. He suggested I give it serious consideration before rushing into surgery. I've since looked it up on the Internet and it does seem to give great results - but it's largely from people via the founding surgeon's site/channels so could be biased.

I'm coming around to the idea and just wondered if anyone on here has any experience of this type surgery that they could share - good or bad.

Thanks for reading!

csmccord

Got me interested, I've never heard of it before. I'm wondering how it's different from a traditional gastric bypass (RNY). I had the RNY and feel great. I have not really had an issue with dumping, and don't mind taking vitamins.

Where did you find info on the MGP?

grim_traveller

I have heard of a lot more long term complications from the MGB. Most people that have it done seem to be self pay, because it is cheaper than the other surgeries. Instead of a pouch, there is a sleeve, and only one new connection on the intestine, instead of two. The problem is the one connection. Many people get horrible reflux because of the way this is done, and lots of other issues ss well.

If your insurance is covering this, choose another surgery. If it was me, I would think about another surgeon.

Keep looking for others with MGB. Try Obesity Help. Not many of these surgeries are done, and most are done by a handful of surgeons who advertise heavily, and hope to attract those who can't afford the sleeve and RNY.

adiggs2777

When I chose my surgeon, I researched the sleeve and the R&Y. I wanted the sleeve because I wanted to maintain normal digestion. It's your body. You know its quirks and issues. If this guy feels like he is pushing an agenda on you to do something you don't want, research another surgeon or hospital in network.

Also, if you are using insurance, call them before you even pick a surgery. Ask them specifically what they do and do not cover, ask them what you need to do before hand. You might need six months of nutritional classes or a co-morbidity such as sleep apnea or diabetes or high blood pressure to get it even covered.

memtester

Hi all, thanks for posting.

csmccord, there are lots of videos on youtube about it, mostly from the surgeon who I think pioneered the surgery - Dr Rutledge.

grim_travelle, thanks for the info, i'll do some more research.

For info, I'm in UK and am self-paying. The surgeon wasn't pushy - sorry to have given that impression. I did a lot of research before the appointment and had pretty much settled on the gastric sleeve. At close to 400 pounds, he suggested bypass was a better option - which having done some more research does seem to be sound advice. I had assumed he meant RNY at that point, but he asked me to go away and research this alternative MGB which he felt was best for me. Pricing at the hospital I went to is the same for MGB and RNY - £11,500 whilst the sleeve is £9,000.

It seems the MGB gets similar results but the procedure is simper and less time in the theatre so I guess at my weight that makes it less risky.

I was hoping to talk to someone who'd had the procedure. Youtube is full of success stories, but I'm always a little skeptical that the failures are hidden away.

I'll keep looking. Congrats to all you successful big losers on here - it really is inspiring.

Out of interest, has having the bypass forced you to change your eating habits? I'm concerned. I currently eat huge portions - i continue to eat after i'm satisfied - pretty much until i'm stuffed. I'm worried that even after surgery, i'll still do that. I realise that the surgery stops this ghrelin and you don't feel hungry, but I eat now when I don't feel hungry. Were you like that prior to surgery? Have you changed?

I'd be gutted if I spend this money on surgery and I'm the one person it doesn't work for!

thanks again all
cheers

ruqayyahsmum

i had a bypass ( am in uk)

over eating just one mouthful is horrible. i get pain, lots and lots of saliva and then that extra mouthful comes back out

its a learning curve and i make sure to stop now when my bodys had enough. only time it happens now is if im eating in a rush so i take the time to eat slowly

grim_traveller

RNY loses a little quicker at first, but at five years out the statistics on RNY and VSG are pretty much identical. If I were in your position and was paying for this myself, I would absolutely save the money and get the sleeve.

The only caveat would be if you have reflux. Gerd can be much worse with the sleeve, and much worse with MGB. RNY almost always makes reflux go away.

annwyatt69

I have heard of a lot more long term complications from the MGB. Most people that have it done seem to be self pay, because it is cheaper than the other surgeries. Instead of a pouch, there is a sleeve, and only one new connection on the intestine, instead of two. The problem is the one connection. Many people get horrible reflux because of the way this is done, and lots of other issues ss well.

If your insurance is covering this, choose another surgery. If it was me, I would think about another surgeon.

Keep looking for others with MGB. Try Obesity Help. Not many of these surgeries are done, and most are done by a handful of surgeons who advertise heavily, and hope to attract those who can't afford the sleeve and RNY.

^^^This^^^ I honestly would consult another surgeon. I read about this prior to my decision to have RNY and was very skeptical. Please do a lot more research before deciding on something like this.

ruqayyahsmum

theres a weight loss surgery site which is uk based, folks on there can help with surgeons for each area and the types of surgery common to the uk

im sure theres a section for the mini gastric bypass too

try googling or pm me and ill give you the web address

dward59

Interesting that your surgeon says the bypass is better for your weight. Mine wouldn't consider anything but the sleeve for me at over 400 lbs. He said if the sleeve didn't give me the results I wanted in the long run, then I could consider doing the RNY after I had lost weight to make it safe to do.

He said the sleeve was originally developed as such a stepping device, but the long term losses were so similar to RNY it became a suggested procedure in it's own right.

The choice is of course yours, but considering the sleeve is two thousand pounds less expensive, well, I'd be considering that strongly when paying out of pocket.

I've only started hearing of the MGB in the last few months. I have to assume it is still a fairly new procedure, so your caution and research are well planned.

Good luck, however you decide to go.

csmccord

I actually emailed my surgeon's office about this procedure, which they don't do. They said that they were aware of it, and that it's not that new. They don't recommend it as they found the addition risk of long term acid reflux combined with the unproven advantages over a traditional bypass offputting. If it were me, the reduced surgery time wouldn't outweigh the risk of severe reflux. Most patients I know that followed the recovery instructions had no issues whatsoever.

Might want to check out this website on it: http://obesitycoverage.com/mini-gastric-bypass-the-good-bad-and-ugly/

pawoodhull

Although it's true you can out eat any of the procedures and regain your lost weight, from watching 3 of my 4 family members who had gastric bypass regain all and sometimes more of their weight back by retretching their stomach, I opted for the sleeve. My sugeon took all the stretchy part of my stomach away and told me I can out eat my sleeve by grazing on high calorie/fat/unhealthy junk, but I cannot restretch my stomach. So if you are worried about eventually being able to eat huge amounts again, you might want to consider the sleeve. Just make sure your surgeon takes all the strtchy part off. Some don't.

PS - my family members who regained did that several years after their surgery. By then all the issues they had with eating and malabsorbtion had gone away making it much easier to restretch that small stretchy part.

grim_traveller

The sleeve certainly does stretch. It ends up with about three times the post surgical volume. Both sleeve and RNY have about the same capacity after two years. Overly large pouches or sleeves is not the reason people regain.

The restrictive component of weight loss surgery is much less important than most people think. If it were, the band would be far more successful. It's the fundamental metabolic and endocrine changes from the surgery that make it work.

pawoodhull

The sleeve certainly does stretch. It ends up with about three times the post surgical volume. Both sleeve and RNY have about the same capacity after two years. Overly large pouches or sleeves is not the reason people regain.

The restrictive component of weight loss surgery is much less important than most people think. If it were, the band would be far more successful. It's the fundamental metabolic and endocrine changes from the surgery that make it work.

To clarify - My point was more about why I chose sleeve vs gstric bypass. I stated what I did because my surgeon told me he removed all the stretchy part and I would not be able to restretch my stomach. I realize that I can eat more now than I could the first year after, so logically something is bigger. But again, as I said at the beginning of my reply, you can out eat any of the procedures and regain. We all have been told, the surgery, no matter which one, is only a tool. If we don't use that tool, we won't lose all our weight and we will regain. What makes it work is how well we use the WLS tool.

Thank you for your input and knowledge. I appreciate it.