had my surgery with Dr. Pomp

Hi all,

I wanted to put out there exactly what happened to me under the care of Dr. Pomp.

I have (had) a BMI of 42, no co-morbids, and I already had a lap band. I saw Dr. Pomp for a revision. His office is great with the exception of one peron, and his nutrition team is really top notch.

Dr. Pomp assured me that unless there were exceptional cir****tances, I would get the full DS. He has a little reputation for liking the 2 part surgery too much. So I was quite surprised but not totally shocked to wake up with just a sleeve. I was told by him he weould have had to keep me under too long to do the whole thing.

Medically, I don't necessarily disagree. This was the conservative approach. Nonetheless, I do fee he badly mis-informed me of his intentions. At no time did he make it clear just how tight the time parameters were. If he had, most likely I would have gone elsewhere.

So now I am within 5 pounds of a 40 BMI- no doubt I will hit this possibly before my 1 month checkup. So insurance will not cover the additional surgery.

However, I can also already tell the sleeve won't get me that far. I would be surprised if I lost more than 50 lbs on the sleeve alone.

So now I am truly ******

Megan

 Megan,

That really sucks and I can tell you are very disappointed. I would be too! But don't give up hope just yet. Take a look at all of the wonderful success stories over on the VSG forum, there are lots of them! Just try to do the best with what you've got for now and maybe down the line you can save up for the second part of the switch.

Bigs hugs,
Jules

Hi
I think this is a new procedure, but my surgeon did tell me  my revision from RNY to DS would be in two parts. As of now I am going through the 6 month diet.
 

No, this is NOT a new procedure. And why on earth would you be getting an RNY to DS revision in two parts? I mean, your bowels have to be re-sected to just give you a VSG. What is the point of doing that, and then going back in AGAIN in order to do the lower half? The answer? None.

Seek a second opinion!

It is NOT a new procedure and it does NOT need to be done in two parts. Find another surgeon.

If your insurance approved you for the DS, you are approved I believe. Please check your insurance as mine specifically states that even if a surgery has to be done in two parts, it will be coded as ONE surgery.

I am sorry that this happened to you. I can understand your disappointment Big hugs!

 I just read a story in WLS mag about a gal who lost 130 pounds with just a sleeve.  You might be surprised.  I hope it works for you in the long run, I really do.  But, I do understand your  disappointment.  Did Dr. Pomp say you had scar tissue from the band?  Would that be the reason for being under too long?  What does he consider too long?

Well if the insurance company will treat this as one surgery, then I am overly unhappy for no good reason. I hope it is the case and I am glad to hear what you all have said. I had heard from a different source that the BMI is the determining factor, so I was very discouraged.

The DS has been done in 2 parts often where one surgery would be too much. I will say the recovery from just the sleeve has been much much easier than I would havbe expected from the full DS, although I am in better health going in than many are.

I don't believe the band removal was extrordinarily long, however Pomp follows I believe a 5 hour surgery limit. It could be 4 hours- it isn't very long and there is good reason to follow it, overall.  That girl who just had crush syndrome- that is exactly why. Crush syndrome and other terrible things can occur when a MO person is under too long. The longer yuou are under the worse the odds.

I am up and down about the sleeve working well. I think it will and I think
'yay! best of all outcomes'.   Then I find my calorie ciount creeping up, and I am still not on a full diet, and I think, 'no chance'. I never lost more than 22 pounds with the band, so I admit I hold little faith in restriction only surgeries now,

Thanks for your kind words.

I just went and looked at your profile after I'd posted that about the Lindstroms.   You're in a really different situation to what I was in - I was already well into middle age and I've been obsese for years and years.   I've dieted off over 100# more than one time in the past, and I'd worked my metabolism to the point where I was either holding steady or GAINING at 400 calories a day.    Of course, I was also sick and very very sedentary.

But my point is, you might do great with the sleeve!   I think that, if a restriction only surgery has a shot at working, you're the one it would have a shot with!   The sleeve really makes the restriction of calories much, much more comfortable!   I would be very careful with what I ate, which I know isn't something that's fun all the time.   But I'd look up whatever a  "serving" of what I was eating would be (I was a bit surprised as how few shrimp constituted 3 oz) and then I'd measure or weigh out that amount and eat it.   When it was gone, I was done.   I always knew exactly how many calories and how much fat, protein, carbs., etc I was getting.   That part of it didn't change.   But the feelings of being hungry and being unhappy with the way things were going were much less.

There are people on the sleeve board who have lost up to and including 200# and are keeping it off using the sleeve.   And the quality of life after the sleeve is unmatched.   You'll still need to supplement somewhat but not to the extent of the DSer.

And there are always the Lindstroms if you need 'em!

Dennie