Biliopancreatic Diversion Scopinaro

Please don't jump into anything without at the very least getting a second opinion from a true DS surgeon who is experienced in revision surgery. I am also sending you a pm.

Larra

Joyce, you've gotten lots of good advice.  Now it's time to give back so that others don't make this same mistake.  Who did the so called "revision to a sleeve," and who suggested the Scopinaro?  Is there then another surgeon to whom you sent your x-rays?  I am so sorry you are having to go through this.

KC...

In looking at your xrays i'm not exactly sure what that is. I've never seen anything like it.

Would you object to my sending the links to your xrays to a couple of US surgeons and a couple of MX surgeons? All revision surgeons, not just anyone. Just for some free opinions.

MidweterGirl,

You are welcome to send my xrays.

Thanks for your concern.

Wow, I am overwhelmed with these wealth of information!!! Thank you, thank you and thank each and everyone of you from the bottom of my heart.

You all are true big brothers and big sisters of this forum. Thank you. O.K. here goes, yes, it was Dr. Almanza that botched my VSG revision. The new surgeon that I am corresponding with now is Dr. Ungson. Now, Wait, wait, he does have he's reason for suggesting  Scorpinaro. It's because of the shape that my stomach is in currently. He says:

The junction between the esophagus and the stomach has a name: angel of his. I had a band in that place. When I had the VSG Dr. Almanza did not reach that angle which is a part of the surgery. If my angle of his is accessible and has good blood supply and the diameter of the stomach in the lower part is enough then he can do or complete a true sleeve.

But, if that angle is too scary or the blood supply is not the best, he does not must not touch that area, because the risk of a leak is too high and to resolve a leak there is really tough and may take months and many surgeries. In this situation only one procedure available is Scopinaro.

He said he does it with longer lengths of the alimentary tract and common channel, the malabsorption is not possible.

He said if he can he will do a sleeve but he wont know til he's in there and he doesn't want to do anything that will be risky for me.

I do believe him and trust him. As you all know he is very reputable and has long standing experience in bariatrics.  I wish I didn't have to go through all this. I wish I picked him for my revision. I can't believe this... I really hope that he will be able to sleeve me.

Thanks for reading.
Joyce

Joyce,

Yes Dr. Ungson is a good DS surgeon and he does do some revisions, but he's not the best at revisions. I went to him about my revision and he was afraid to try it on me and said I could only be revised to RNY and since I didn't want more RNY I kept looking.

I spoke to a number of vetted DS surgeons, but only two of them would even try to revise me and of the two, only one had done revisions like mine before and was comfortable committing to giving me a full DS, no half measures and that was Dr. Rabkin in San Francisco.

I urge you to talk to either Dr. Rabkin, Dr. Keshishian or Dr. Gagner; all of them are capable of doing revisions other DS surgeons will not or can not attempt; they are the best of the best.

We're talking about how you're going to live the rest of your life here, do not settle for some half assed surgery because "your" surgeon doesn't have the skill to do what you really want.

Here's the contact information for those surgeons:

Ara Keshishian, MD, FASMBS, FACS *
Email: [email protected]
Karim Zahriya, MD, FACS *
Email: [email protected]

Central Valley Bariatrics
Phone: 818-812-7222
Fax: 661-725-8051

 

Primary Office:
1808 Verdugo Blvd., Suite 413
Glendale, CA 91208

Satellite Office:
Delano Regional Medical Arts Building
1205 Garces Highway, Suite 303
Delano, CA 93215

 

 

John M. Rabkin, MD, FACS *

Pacific Laparoscopy
2250 Hayes Street, 3rd Floor
San Francisco, CA 94117
Phone: 415-668-3200 or 1-888-848-8446 toll free
Fax: 415-668-2010
Email: [email protected]

 

Michel Gagner, MD, FRCSC, FACS *

Email: [email protected]

Good luck and do not give up!

Kerry

Hi Kerry,

Over the past several months that I have been lurking in this forum I have read many of your posts & replies to so many newbies questions. I really think very highly of you and value your sincere and candid answers.

Thank you for sharing your experience with Dr. Ungson. I am going to contact Dr.Rabkin and Dr.Keshishian on Monday but, honestly I may not be able to afford U.S doctors at this juncture. As I am self pay and self employed like you and my business also have been hit pretty harshly since 2008. It is getting a lot better this year tho...

I know I shouldn't pick a surgeon for the low cost (look at the mess I'm in now) but, I also know what I can and can't afford as well. I don't want to have to wait a year or more til I can afford the U.S doctors and are afraid how much weight I would have regained by then...

Worst case scenario: let's say Dr.Unson finds that he can't do the DS once he gets in there and I end up with some what of a modified scopinaro, if I'm super diligent with my vites and follow the eating plan to the hilt wouldn't it be o.k? I guess I'm trying to justify my whole situation.

BTW: I remember your post about Brudah Iz while back, would you like a copy of his CD? I'll be happy to send you one. You can pm me your addy if you'd like.

Thanks for helping so many people like me.

Joyce

Editing to let you know that I just emailed Dr.Rabkis office.

Thank you for the nice compliment Joyce; I don't know exactly why I stick around here so much and spend so much time here, but I think it has to do with the very long time I lived with that old RNY and how grateful i am to finally be living the life I've always dreamed of living. I think maybe I feel the need to try and help people see past their present situation to what the possibility can be, if they make the right choices now because the choices they and you make now are going to have a huge impact on the rest of your life. And while I do understand the difficulty the extra cost would be right now, the fact is, that the difficulty will fade quickly as your new life takes shape. If you choose to "settle" for something less and save some money, the comfort of the savings will also fade quickly as you have to deal with the day to day difficulties of a less than ideal WLS and how it effects you every day for the rest of your life.

My best counsel and advise to you is to find out what the possibilities really are for you and what the real extra cost would be to have your best option. I would also encourage you to get in contact with Dr. Gagner as I have heard his self pay pricing is quite a bit less than either Dr. Rabkin or Dr. Keshisian. Dr. Gagner is in Montreal and indicates the costs there are much less than that are here in the States.

Lets just suppose for a moment OK. Suppose you discovered that you could get a complete DS, but that the cost difference would be an extra $10,000.00. Would you be willing to pay the extra $10K? I know I would, but I'm not you. If you would pay the extra $10K, what about $15, or $20? I'm sure by now you get what I'm saying, What I'm saying of course is; how much is your life really worth right now? How much is it worth to have a stomach and to know what you have inside so you can take care of yourself correctly? 

I know the money thing is tough, but I also know it's very temporary, the WLS choices you make are for the rest of your life.

I wish you well and yes I will PM you my address; thanks. I'm a huge Iz fan.

Kerry

Hi Kerry,

Thank you for everything I will certainly consider all your great advise. Thank you also for caring enough to reply to all of us that needs counsel and advise. I really appreciate you sharing all your expertise in this forum and please don't ever leave.

I will keep you posted.

Joyce H

Iz' full name is Israel Kamakawiwo'ole and is fondly called "brudah IZ ". Like you I alway wonder why he did'nt conseder WLS. So sad.....He was sooo talented.

I forwarded the photos of your xrays to 4 docs. Ungson said he already spoke with you, Aceves said he does not see any reason why you cannot be sleeved properly, and I haven't heard from the other two (US) docs yet.