Okay, I'm clueless, what is DS...I made need a revision and .....

I have no information at all about this surgery, what do you like about it, what made you prefer it over the other's?   How does it work?  

You can see I know nothing.....

I have a lapband that was put in place without repairing a hiatal hernia.  The little hernia is causing all sorts of problem with my lap band.  I'm totally unfilled at the moment, what a relief!  I was throwing up on most anything I ate, and constant reflux which is pretty common when the band it too tight.  For me, we don't know how much fill level I can handle now.....so my doctor is reviewing the films from the upper GI, if they are okay he will start to fill me again, if I can't tolerate enough fill to get to restriction, then the band will cease to be of any use to me.

That's when I will have a decision to make, repair the hernia to a newer band, or to what?  I'm terrified of RNY,  so no one needs to tell me about that one, but I am curious about DS, any info would be appreciated.

Thanks guys....

Carole

Hello. I am in the process of trying to get approved for DS. I was approved for RNY, but after learning about DS I know that it's right for me. I was told about this website. http://www.dsfacts.com/  It teaches you everything that you want to know and I am sure some of the pros will come in and give you some more info, but this website really helped me out.  Good Luck to you whatever you choose and I hope things get better for you.

Thanks, I'll check it out.

Carole

 http://www.johnhustedmd.com/switch.htm
http://www.duodenalswitch.com/

I am sure more people while chime in this weekend :)  welcome and good luck!

HELLO CAROLEM

I AM A DS NEWBIE AS WELL BUT I HAVE DONE TONS OF RESEARCH AND I TOO HAVE DECIDED THAT DS IS THE RIGHT SURGERY FOR ME. CONGRATZ ON BEING BRAVE ENOUGH TO REVIEW AND RESEARCH ALL YOUR OPTIONS. IT'S SO FUNNY ALL OF US NEWBIE ARE REPLYING TO YOUR THREAD. BECAUSE WE ALL FEEL THAT THIS IS A GREAT SURGERY. PLEASE KEEP RESEARCHING AND FIND THE BEST SURGERY FOR YOU AND YOUR LIFESTYLE.

HERE IS POST THAT ONE VETERAN DSER GAVE ME.


Excess Weight Loss: Mean Change

Band 47%*

RNY Gastric Bypass (includes long-limb) 62%*

Duodenal Switch 70% *



Diabetes - resolved

Band 47.9%

Gastric Bypass 83.8%

Duodenal Switch 97.9%



Hyperlipidemia

Band 58.9%

Gastric Bypass 93.6%

Duodenal Switch 99.5%



Hypertension

Band 43.2%

Gastric Bypass 75.4%

Duodenal Switcch 81.3%



Sleep Apnea

Band 95%

Gastric bypass 80%

Duodenal Switch 92%



Operative Mortality Rate:

Band 0.1%

Gastric Bypass 0.5%

Duodenal Switch 1.1%





Reservations on Duodenal Switch (DS) has been largely based on concerns of the long-term effect on malnutrition, as well as diarrhea, and is also likely influenced by the serious long-term consequences seen with the original malabsorptive procedure, the jujunoileal bypass. The SAGES Manual: A Practical Guide to Bariatric Surgery (2008) states that metabolic disturbances and the number of surgical revisions for malnutrition or diarrhea are considerably less using 100cm as the common channel length. The manual also states that the DS short-and long-term weight loss exceed that of any other bariatric operation. It does NOT state that DS should be reserved for super or super-super obese individuals, apparently due to the lack of evidence of high risk in malnutrition and diarrhea with the 100cm common channel, especially among those who adhere to physician advice for nutrition, vitamin supplementation, and regular lab work. It specifies that the BMI guidelines are the same for all types of bariatric surgeries, including the DS.



*Note that the study by Buchwald, et al. (2004) looked at averages across many studies where the patients were measured at different time lengths from their surgery (eg, one year, two years, or 5 years post-op). Other research that is 10 years post-op (lap-band not available in US patients for last 10 years, only last 7 years), shows that 20% of those with an RNY bypass regain more than 50% of their excess weight loss with comorbidities often coming back. Less than 5% of those with duodenal switch regain more than 50% of their excess weight. Fact. Know your choices & then decide what's best for you.I hope I have helped!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

IZZY

Buchwald et al

That's my guy.  He does a 75 cm Common Channel Standard, and I have constipation.  Go figure.  :)

Hi Carole,

I'm a new post-op, so I'm fairly new too.  But I chose DS because I was afraid of dumping.  Then I learned that you couldn't drink alcohol at all, and I didn't want to give up wine totally.  But honestly, the thing that drew me to DS was that a friend of mine IRL had it and I saw her at a cookout about a year post-op and I watched her eat anything she wanted.  Seriously, she had some veggies and dip, a grilled bratwurst in a bun, and then some cake!  And she had lost half of herself!  I was hooked!  I wanted that kind of freedom!  But then, when I started researching, I found the statistics for regain with RNY and it scared me to death.  Here's the hooker for me.  We have a fully functioning stomach, pyloric valve and all!  It's just smaller.  I had a real problem with the blind stomach and not being able to be scoped in case of issues.

I am about 3 1/2 weeks post-op, and I can tell you that although some have issues, I have not.  It was a smooth recovery from the beginning and I tolerate anything that goes down.  Look up the websites already mentioned.  It will put it ALL into perspective for you - I promise!!

So, welcome.  And stick around!  We're glad you're here!

Angela

Hi there, Carolem and welcome to the DS boards!

I'm a newbie too and I was originally looking into having the lap-band for my WLS. I've changed my mind since then, after doing extensive research of my own.

This is an excellent place to get advice, support, and directions on where to find more information. Just ask. ;)

I wish you the best of luck in your journey, wherever it may take you! :)

Hi, Carole.

Hang out on this board for a while and you will hear lots of good stuff about the DS. www.dsfacts.com is a great resource, too.

As to why I chose the DS, I met with a few docs in the Chicago area and none recommended the Lap-Band for me, as I had a lot to lose and they told me I would never get to goal and not be able to keep the weight off. Now that I know what I know about this "easily reversible" option, I am grateful to these docs. It is NOT easily reversible and can cause a lot of harm to your body since your body has started to accommodate this foreign body by growing over it, etc.

Plus, I did not want to diet ever again. The LapBand seemed like a diet to me and I was good at cheating on diets. In fact, I cheated my way up to 344 pounds! And the one IRL person I know with the Lap-band is a major sugary milkshake drinker and has not lost weight after the initial first pounds as she recovered and had the newbie enthusiasm. She is miserable and fights for every ounce. 

The RNY lifestyle did not appeal to me. I have herniated discs in my back and arthritis in my knee, so I wanted to be able to take NSAIDs for pain. I also was afraid of the possibility of dumping and ulcers, which do not happen as a result of the altered anatomy of the DS. Dumping scared me a lot. Plus, the one person I knew IRL who had the RNY dumped all the time on the craziest things, even a piece of fruit, and she never got even close to goal weight. She is now considering a DS revision.

PLUS, the doc at Northwestern who does the RNY said I probably would get to goal but gain half of it back and when I expressed my diasppointment, he chidingly said that 50% regain is what the bariatric world calls "success." He also said my diabetes could come back!!!! Aaargh!

I knew there had to be something else. The therapist I was seeing at the time for my eating issues suggested the DS to me. I had never heard of it!!

The studies out at the time I made my decision two years ago showed that the DS had better weight loss and regain rates. Even more studies have come out since then saying the same thing. The DS has a 98% "cure" rate for diabetes vs. 80% for RNY. The post-op lifestyle sounded like me, too. Drinking with meals, eating regular food with sugar and fat, yahoo!

I'm not winning any competitive eating contests at Coney Island, but I do eat like a normal person would, well, one who doesn't have to watch their fat intake. LOL I basically eat what I want, as long as I get protein first.

Hope that gave you a snapshot into my thinking. I did not intend to anger anyone about their choice of surgery. I was asked my opinion and reasoning as to MY choice.

I do not have all the answers. I took a leap of faith and here I am so far, incredibly happy with my choice.   As to why I chose the DS, I met with a few docs in the Chicago area and none recommended the Lap-Band for me, as I had a lot to lose and they told me I would never get to goal and not be able to keep the weight off. Now that I know what I know about this "easily reversible" option, I am grateful to these docs.

Plus, I did not want to diet ever again. The LapBand seemed like a diet to me and I was good at cheating on diets. In fact, I cheated my way up to 344 pounds! And the one IRL person I know with the Lap-band is a major sugary milkshake drinker and has not lost weight after the initial first pounds as she recovered and had the newbie enthusiasm. She is miserable and fights for every ounce. 

The RNY lifestyle did not appeal to me. I have herniated discs in my back and arthritis in my knee, so I wanted to be able to take NSAIDs for pain. I also was afraid of the possibility of dumping and ulcers, which do not happen as a result of the altered anatomy of the DS. Dumping scared me a lot. Plus, the one person I knew IRL who had the RNY dumped all the time on the craziest things and she never got even close to goal weight. She is now considering a DS revision.

PLUS, the doc at Northwestern who does the RNY said I probably would get to goal but gain half of it back and when I expressed my diasppointment, he chidingly said that 50% regain is what the bariatric world calls "success." He also said my diabetes could come back!!!! Aaargh!

I knew there had to be something else. The therapist I was seeing at the time for my eating issues suggested the DS to me. I had never heard of it!!

The studies out at the time I made my decision two years ago showed that the DS had better weight loss and regain rates. Even more studies have come out since then saying the same thing. The DS has a 98% "cure" rate for diabetes vs. 80% for RNY. The post-op lifestyle sounded like me, too. Drinking with meals, eating regular food with sugar and fat, yahoo!

As to what I eat, I cannot eat a full meal at a restaurant in one regular sitting. I do have restriction and those portions are WAY out of control!  The other night, I had dinner with a friend at Applebees. I got the steak fajitas and ate half of them with the tortillas, cheese and sour cream. I also ate one of their mini-desserts, an ice cream sundae. I took a doggie bag. When I got home later, I ate some of the steak and went to bed.

I'm not winning any competitive eating contests at Coney Island, but I do eat like a normal person would, well, one who doesn't have to watch their fat intake. LOL I basically eat what I want, as long as I get protein first.

Hope that gave you a snapshot into my thinking. I do not have all the answers. I took a leap of faith and here I am so far, incredibly happy with my choice, 180+ pounds gone in 12 months.

Best of luck to you in your decision.

Nicolle

Hi Nicolle, thank you for stating that that one doc told you that 50% would gain weight back. When I told someone that a while ago, I was really booed and dissed, saying how wrong I was. You just reaffirmed what I already  knew, but  was second guessing myself.  Here's to you.