Am I making the right choice?

So I am still wtg to hear from MD/Insurance on approval for RNY revision from lapband. As I wait, I read all of the info on this site and I wonder if I made the right choice. Something inside me is saying I should look into DS. I had great success initially with LB but fell into the same problems most have had with reflux, unable to tolrate restriction and eventually I gained all of my weight back. I nnow weigh 335 lbs and a BMI of 51. I am so afraid of failing again and I wonder if the DS would be the best option. I am so worried about my pouch even before having the damn surgery. My doctor never even discussed DS and I truly did not know it existed until I came to OH.com. I plan to ask my doc about it but my other concern is the insurance and how difficult it might be to get DX approved after going through so much to get RNY approved. Sometimes I wish I could turn my brain off and quit second guessing everything I do but I know if I don't ask about it, I will always wonder what if...

It's very possible your surgeon doesn't do the DS - most surgeons don't. The folks on the DS board could help you find a surgeon near you who does. At 50+ BMI, your insurance might be willing to switch you.

I can't tell you the right choice for you, but I would strongly recommend you at least consult with a surgeon who does the DS before deciding.

You could get the DS, as long as your insurance covers it.  Please look at your policy.  There are LOTS of lap band to DS revisions on the DS board, you should do a post over there, just to honestly do you due dilligance, and RESEARCH!!!!

If you do a "shout-out" post over there (and you should!!!)  You should title it Lap Band to DS Questions, or something like that, so the lap band revisions to DS come and offer you great support, and answer your questions to aide you on your journey!!!!!

Also, check out:

http://www.dsfacts.com/



You will get directed over to that website to read.



GOOD LUCK!!!!  You owe it to yourself to find your closure!!!!!
-Jamie


 

I believe in the area you live you would have a choice of several DS surgeons.  You are lucky because in many areas of the country would have to do a lot of traveling.  You can give your insurance a call and find out if they cover the DS and what the process would be to get approval.  Find a surgeon that takes your insurance and make an appointment.  Many of them do all the 4 WLS and should be able to give you an objective opinion on which would be best for you and how to get insurance approval.
With your BMI you probably wouldn't be happy with the results from the RNY and with the DS you have a better lifestyle of eating that you may not have with the RNY as well as a better chance of losing your excess weight and keeping it off.  Just know that with the RNY and DS you have you have to be very diligent about vitamins and labs and with the DS, since it has more malabsorption and the malabsorption is permanent, there may be more supplements to take.
Even if you  have to wait a little longer to get the DS it would be worth it in the long run.  You will have to live the rest of your life with whatever surgery you choose and after having the lap band I am sure you realize the importance of choosing the best surgery for you.

Statistically speaking, the best surgery for getting the weight off AND keeping it off is the DS.

You can ask Diana Cox but I believe that if your insurance covers RNY they can be made to cover the DS. Diana is an insurance guru so if you encounter problems, I would PM her and ask her if she will help you. You will need the exact language on your policy.

The Doctor you have listed is not on the list of vetted DS surgeons but there are some awesome DS surgeons in NY.

Good luck!!

Michele

You should check out every single option available to you THOROUGHLY before you make any decisions. Don't make the same mistake twice! Head over to the DS board and read. Go to www.dsfacts.com and learn.

That way, you'll have ALL the information and you'll know your decision is truly the right one for you.

Ultimately only you are going to be able to answer your question because there is none of us out here who knows you and your needs better than you

I honestly think you could maybe speak with a surgeon who does DS revision surgery before you decide ultimately which way you would like to go.  It would at least give the complete information you will no doubt need to help you make the right decision for you.  Blow some cash and  time on a consultation that in the long run you may decide you didnt need so you dont end up asking yourself "what if" with regret later on. 

For some, the RNY is a good surgery and yields good results for them.  For others (like me), the RNY just wasnt the right tool for the job we needed help with.  And we end up at the place that you and I are at now...having to look at having our current surgery revised to something else because the one we did have didnt work for us. 

 What part of NY are you in?  In order to fully evaluate the DS, you really need to consult with a DS surgeon.  

My surgeon, Dr Roslin, does revisions.  He practices in NYC at Lenox Hill and also in Mt Kisco at Northern Westchester.

Dr Alfons Pomp in NYC is also another DS surgeon.

If you dont specifically go to a DS surgeon, you'll be talked out of it, I guarantee you.   Dont make up your mind until you specifically consult with a DS surgeon.

With a BMI that high I would really consider looking into the DS.  First I would check with your insurance to make sure they cover it and what the requirements are.  I also had the Lapband and eventually developed all of the issues you have.  I revised from lapband to DS about a month ago and im doing great.  The DS is the elite WLS right now and you need to do research on ALL WLS before you settle for RNY.  A lot of people are now revising from RNY to DS because of weight gain after 5+ years.  Got to dsfacts.com to research more on the DS.  Its not for everyone but you have to make the best choice for you.  Good Luck.

If something inside you is telling you to at least look into the DS, well, you should look into it. How will you ever know what the best choice is for you if you don't look into all your options?
     Every wls patient should walk into the OR certain of his or her decision, whatever that decision may be. This doesn't mean you wouldn't have the normal pre-op nervousness about surgery, just that you will be confident that you have made the best possible decision for yourself. If you examine all your options, including the DS, and still have RNY, hopefully you will do so feeling good about your decision, and not questioning whether or not another failure awaits you, as you are doing now.
     Statistically, the DS has the best results of any wls for percentage excess weight loss, maintaining that weight loss, and resolution of almost all comorbidities. IMHO it's also a lot easier to live with than RNY, with all its potential pouch issues, permanent low fat, low carb, low calorie diet, inability to take NSAIDs for the rest of your life, etc. Both operations require a lifetime committment to taking proper vitamins and minerals and eating protein first and having regular lab work. The vitamin needs are greater with the DS but the concept is the same.
     Learn all you can now. Come on over to the DS forum, read and ask questions. Read some more at dsfacts.com. Have a consult with a surgeon who actually does the DS on a regular basis - I've never heard of your surgeon, and in all liklihood he doesn't do the DS at all and isn't about to recommend it for anyone. If you do all that and decide you want RNY, so be it. But frankly, with your bmi where it as and one wls failure already, the DS is exactly where you should be looking.

Larra