DS Pioneer Gives Up On DS - For Lapband???

JJ W.
on 3/2/08 1:31 pm, edited 3/2/08 1:33 pm - The Bay Area, CA

Shannon is a liar, no surprise here.

Hit the road troll!

Duodenal Switch WLS- CLICK HERE for more info.

Julie R.
on 3/2/08 8:37 am - Ludington, MI

If this doctor got out of the DS business because of non-compliant patients, he is pretty darn justified in doing so. One cannot take this surgery lightly. My surgeon told me that this is the one surgery where if I don't follow up with my post-op testing, they will literally come and hunt me down! That takes a lot of commitment on the surgeon's office, really. If a patient is not going to bother being proactive about their DS maintenance, then they should not have it, and if a doctor is not going to be committed to following up, he shouldn't be doing it. That being said, I feel there is a big difference in the DS from 92, and the DS now. This is only my observation - but people are reaching goal and it stands to reason that MUCH more is known about the nutritional aftercare than in 92. I don't know what kind of "tweaking" of the surgery ha been done in the past 16 years. If anybody does know what kind of differences exist, I'd love to hear.

Julie R - Ludington, Michigan
Duodenal Switch 08/09/06 - Dr. Paul Kemmeter, Grand Rapids, Michigan
HW: 282 - 5'4"
SW: 268
GW: 135
CW: 125

goodkel
on 3/2/08 9:08 am

DS on 08/20/07

I don't know. Dr. Ungson will follow up on our labs if we fax them to him, but he has no real follow up program in place and STILL has a stellar track record and professional reputation with the DS. Perhaps patients who are willing to travel for the surgery are also more inclined to do the research and self-education required for successful aftercare. Perhaps, Dr. Simpson just wasn't skilled enough to perform the surgery successfully. One thing IS for sure, he's ignoring all scientific data in favor of lining his pockets.

Check out my profile: http://www.obesityhelp.com/member/goodkel/
Or click on my name
DS SW 265 CW 120 5'7"

Donna B.
on 3/2/08 11:29 am

DS on 01/14/08

I hate to be the harbinger of doom, but just because something is better and safer doesn't mean it always survives and suceeds. I want to point out one very famous "better but didn't suceed" the Tucker Automobile. It didn't suceed because the "big three" automakers and the oil companies didn't want it to suceed. It was too good, too safe, too reliable, and too fuel effecient. It threatened the existing status quo in the auto industry at that time. We know how much better the DS is than any other procedure. But as someone said, this forum probably represents the top 20% of the DS patients. My surgeon's office told me that me turns down 9 out of 10 people that come in that want the DS, because they either don't understand the DS; or can't/won't commit to the lifestyle change that comes with DS. He told me "If an RNY patient doesn't stay on the program and goes back to their old habits, they most probably will only put the weight back on. But if a DS patient doesn't stay on track and keep up with their suppliments, they can die of malnutrition!" That is the naked truth about the DS. As to the insurance companies, they have figured that on average that it will take them 5.5 years in decreased patient costs to recoup the cost of a DS procedure. The average for RNY is 2.9 (these are numbers I recieved 2nd hand, if anyone has any different numbers that are more accurate please correct me). But the problem is that on average people or their companies change insurance carriers every 4 years. That means in all likelyhood, any cost savings that a DS patient is to an insurance carrier won't be for the carrier that paid for the procedure, but the next carrier. It is also common knowledge that many carriers have negotiated with surgical groups and hospitals for reduced rates on RNY/Lapband for "semi guaranteed" or easy approval for the insured patients. It also comes down to a matter of dollars and cents. If the average LapBand is $10,000.00, RNY $20,000.00, and DS $30,000.00; an insurance company can for the same $1,000,000.00 provide service to 100 lapbanders, 50 RNY'ers, or 33 DS'ers; all of whom paid the basic same premium. I don't like it any more than any of you do, but insurance comapnies and for somewhat surgeons are in business to make money, and between the hassles of the insurance game and then need for profits, we may see the number of DS surgeons decrease, which will be a great loss. I'll get off my soapbox now. Just my two cents worth. Doug

Duodenal Switch= Definite SOLUTION for Morbid Obesity!

HW:340 /SW:297 /CW:232 /GW:190 http://forgodsolovedme.com/

LeaAnn
on 3/2/08 11:33 am - Huntsville, AL

DS on 11/28/05

Preach it, Brother Doug! I enjoyed the hell outta this sermon!! Praise the lard!! This is the GOSPEL TRUTH!!!

CLICK HERE to JOIN jayyes.gif picture by leaannjohnson

Frozen_Peach
on 3/2/08 1:28 pm

DS on 05/13/08

this depresses the hell outta me

I hope in the future should ANY of my family members to come ever need WLS intervention, the DS IS avaialable

damnit

I MY DS

Get the facts about Duodenal Switch at DS Facts <~~link
DS Recipes can be shared HERE <~~link

AttyDallas
on 3/2/08 5:55 pm, edited 3/2/08 5:59 pm - Garland, TX

DS on 08/12/06

Very insightful and informative, Doug .. ! I have often suspected something like that calculus was going on with the Texas High Risk Pool (issued by Blue Cross of Texas, but underwritten by the State, or something like that), of which I was a member .. I wondered if they raitionalized their decision to put a blanket WLS exclusion in their policies as being based on the assumption that, should an insured have WLS and, by virtue of same, shed themselves of all their co-morbids, they would then within a couple of years (if not sooner) leave the Pool to get cheaper, "normal" health insurance .. The Pool would then basically have very little in the way of recoupment of those costs through premiums ... Sad to believe they would think that way, but I sure wouldn't doubt it now, based on what you've pointed out .. &:-/)

~~Sami~~ *.
on 3/2/08 1:34 pm - Jacksonville, FL

Revision on 07/07/08

Geesh... you think he'd at least switch to the VSG. I can understand being frustrated with patients who don't take their follow-up seriously. It seems like pretty much 90% of the time somebody on the Yahoo DS group posts about problems, it turns out that they haven't really been that good with their vitamins or bloodwork. I have a feeling that Dr. Simpson is going to find himself equally frustrated with the number of failures he encounters with strictly Lap-Band patients.. .as well as long-term complications. (That is from my 6-1/2 years with a Band, plus two years of additional research prior to surgery!!)

Lap-Band June 14, 2001. Dr. Rumbaut, Monterrey, Mexico.
Lap-Band removed after 7 years and converted to Sleeve Gastrectomy on July 7, 2008 by Dr. Roslin. I've had three happy healthy Lap-Band babies.... and one VSG baby. 5 years out from revision to VSG. Gained 55 pounds in past 5 months, now considering DS. :(

terrysimpson
on 3/3/08 2:13 am - Scottsdale, CA

Thank you for your comments. First, we have done a number of revisions of band over DS and have had great success with them. When the DS stops working well it is the stomach that has enlarged (something DS surgeons have known about for a while). We use to respond to this by removing more stomach -- but now we palce a band over, and this works quite nicely. Second, I still follow up all of my patients who have had the DS, and would love it if more of them would come back and see me -- or at least email us and let us know they are ok and get the labs done. We always follow our patients -- and will until the last coronary artery clogs. Further, some DS patients continue to come to the support groups -- although their numbers are small. I am not certain who your friend is -- but the only patients we do not see in our office are those who have gone out of the country for their DS. One of the casualties of modern healthcare is that malpractice insurers forbid us from seeing those patients -- we can continue to see the patients who we have seen and established, but cannot take new out-of-country patients. So, if your friend needs a revision to a band-- we would have to see her in consultation and discuss it. Not something we take lightly -- but something we do. But - to be clear -- I want to hear from my patients -- and want to keep in touch -- and we email and attempt to get a hold of them often -- but of the 300 plus we did in 2003 I only saw two in the office in 2007. Did hear from two by email. So-- if any of my patients are out there -- please get your labs done and please email us at least to let us know how you are doing. our office email is: [email protected] Terry Simpson MD FACS

(deactivated member)
on 3/3/08 5:02 am - San Jose, CA

DS on 08/05/03

Just WHAT do you mean by "We always follow our patients -- and will until the last coronary artery clogs."? Are you implying that DSers are actually absorbing all or most the fat we eat and it is getting into our coronary arteries? SHOW ME THE EVIDENCE OF THAT!! Marceau's recent paper (Obesity Surgery, 17,1421-1430 (2007)), providing the results of 15 years of study of DS patients, demonstrated in Table 1 the metabolic improvements, summarized in the text as follows:

Metabolic Improvement To evaluate the effect of the procedure on metabolic syndrome, each patient's pre-surgery and most recent postoperative clinical biochemistry profile were compared. There was a significant decrease in blood glucose, total cholesterol, low-density cholesterol and triglyceride. High-density cholesterol was not significantly changed but tended to increase with time. The cardiac risk index had decreased by 34% (Table I). There was a decrease in the prevalence of hyperglycemia by 85%, hypertriglyceridemia by 65%, and high cardiac risk index by 86%. (Note that HDLs increasing over time is a GOOD thing.) Dr. Simpson: What is the SCIENTIFIC basis for your comment about our coronary arteries clogging? I have seen anecdotal evidence of the DS CLEARING formerly blocked coronoary arteries! From the December 2007 PacLap meeting notes: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/DS_PacificLaparoscopy/m essage/59234 "Jan shared her cholesterol level success. She had her first cardiac event in 1999; she had an 80% blockage and had stents put in. In June 2004, she had 70% blockages on the back side of her heart. She then had her DS in October 2004. A few months ago, she started having chest and jaw pains and was terrified that she was having signs of another cardiac event and could require open-heart surgery. She had an angiogram and found that her 80% blockage is gone, and the 70% is now 30%. Here heart is better than a 40-year-old who was never a smoker. Her cholesterol levels are also very good. She would make an interesting case study for a publication because the statistics are available." DSers: Post your responses here to these questions, for Dr. Simpson's edification: How far are you post-op? What were your approximate pre-op levels for the following cardiac risk factors? -- Triglycerides: -- Total cholesterol: -- HDL: -- LDL:: -- Fasting blood sugar: -- C-reactive protein: What are your most recent levels for these cardiac risk factors? -- Triglycerides: -- Total cholesterol: -- HDL: -- LDL: -- Fasting blood sugar: -- C-reactive protein: I'll go first: How far are you post-op? 4.5 years What were your approximate pre-op levels for the following cardiac risk factors? -- Triglycerides: as high as 158 -- Total cholesterol: as high as 215 -- HDL: as low as 36 -- LDL: as high as 149 -- Fasting blood sugar: 91 -- C-reactive protein: 2.98 What are your most recent levels for these cardiac risk factors? (6 months ago) -- Triglycerides: 95 -- Total cholesterol: 167 -- HDL: 53 -- LDL: 95 -- Fasting blood sugar: 83 -- C-reactive protein: 0.8

DS Pioneer Gives Up On DS - For Lapband???

Our Mission

Follow us

Links

Select Photos

DS Pioneer Gives Up On DS - For Lapband???