Revision from RNY to DS - Information Wanted
I had RNY back in 2001 and have gained almost all the weight back. I had no complicaations and currently have no health issues, other than being overweight.
I am considering getting a revision to DS. I want to lose about 75lbs and have not been successful losing the weight on my own. I would be a self-pay and would really appreciate some advice.
I want some information from people who have already had this exact revision done.
Healing Time
Open or Lap
Cost
Best Dr.
Pros
Cons
Regrets
Complications
Food Intake
Etc.
I didn't have a revision so I can't address most of your questions, but I can help a little.
First, surgeons who do this complex surgery are few and far between, but you have the good fortune to be relatively near 2 of them: Dr. John Rabkin in San Francisco and Dr. Ara Keshishian in Glendale. Both are excellent and very experienced at these revisions, and both are nice people as well. As to costs, you would need to contact their offices to get specifics and make a comparison.
And since you're in San Jose, I'll take this opportunity to invite you to a DS support group meeting in San Jose next Wednesday, Oct. 19 from 6-8 pm in the Theater Building of Hoover Middle School at 1635 Park Ave. The group is sponsored by Dr. Rabkin's practice but is open to anyone. It's a small, informal and very friendly group, and you and your support person are welcome to join us.
The big group meets tonight, which I realize is very short notice for you, in the cafeteria of St. Mary's Hospital in San Francisco. It's more formal, and Dr. Rabkin usually gives an educational presentation for new people. Again, it's open to anyone, and you do not commit yourself to anything by attending either of these meetings.
I hope you'll make it to San Jose.
Larra
First, surgeons who do this complex surgery are few and far between, but you have the good fortune to be relatively near 2 of them: Dr. John Rabkin in San Francisco and Dr. Ara Keshishian in Glendale. Both are excellent and very experienced at these revisions, and both are nice people as well. As to costs, you would need to contact their offices to get specifics and make a comparison.
And since you're in San Jose, I'll take this opportunity to invite you to a DS support group meeting in San Jose next Wednesday, Oct. 19 from 6-8 pm in the Theater Building of Hoover Middle School at 1635 Park Ave. The group is sponsored by Dr. Rabkin's practice but is open to anyone. It's a small, informal and very friendly group, and you and your support person are welcome to join us.
The big group meets tonight, which I realize is very short notice for you, in the cafeteria of St. Mary's Hospital in San Francisco. It's more formal, and Dr. Rabkin usually gives an educational presentation for new people. Again, it's open to anyone, and you do not commit yourself to anything by attending either of these meetings.
I hope you'll make it to San Jose.
Larra
Welcome. I had a RNY to DS revision last year. This is very complicated surgery and there are only a few qualified surgeons in the country. I'll try to answer some of your questions.
1. I had mine open...that's what my surgeon does for revisions. I didn't feel strongly since my RNY was open.
2. In terns of healing, I went back to work at 5 weeks but it was rough. In fact the whole recovery pretty much sucked. I didn't start to feel normal until about 7 weeks. Everyone is different. You'll read about others who went back to work at 2-3 weeks.
3. The cost depends on whether you have insurance that will cover the DS or are self pay. I was self pay ...$28,500 plus travel and pre-op labs and testing.
4. You're in CA. Dr. Rabkin and Dr. Keshishian are probably the top DS revision surgeons in the country. Check out DSFacts.com for the list of vetted surgeons.
5: I no longer have diabetes and hypertension and no longer take all the prescription medications. I feel the best I've felt in years and have my life back. I have no regrets and would do it again.
6. Cons: The weight loss is much slower for people who have revisions. It's been pretty frustrating at times.
7. The key to eating is protein first, staying extremely well hydrated, limiting your carbs. Take a look at the Bites, Vites and Exercites thread to get some ideas. You have to be very diligent about taking all of your vitamins every day and staying on top of your lab work. Vets on this board will help you with your vitamins.
Read DSFacts.com and back messages on this board.
Good luck on your journey.
1. I had mine open...that's what my surgeon does for revisions. I didn't feel strongly since my RNY was open.
2. In terns of healing, I went back to work at 5 weeks but it was rough. In fact the whole recovery pretty much sucked. I didn't start to feel normal until about 7 weeks. Everyone is different. You'll read about others who went back to work at 2-3 weeks.
3. The cost depends on whether you have insurance that will cover the DS or are self pay. I was self pay ...$28,500 plus travel and pre-op labs and testing.
4. You're in CA. Dr. Rabkin and Dr. Keshishian are probably the top DS revision surgeons in the country. Check out DSFacts.com for the list of vetted surgeons.
5: I no longer have diabetes and hypertension and no longer take all the prescription medications. I feel the best I've felt in years and have my life back. I have no regrets and would do it again.
6. Cons: The weight loss is much slower for people who have revisions. It's been pretty frustrating at times.
7. The key to eating is protein first, staying extremely well hydrated, limiting your carbs. Take a look at the Bites, Vites and Exercites thread to get some ideas. You have to be very diligent about taking all of your vitamins every day and staying on top of your lab work. Vets on this board will help you with your vitamins.
Read DSFacts.com and back messages on this board.
Good luck on your journey.
-Gail-SW 257 CW 169 GW 165
HI there. I will do my best to answer your questions. Yesterday was exactly 6 months since I had my revision with Dr. Keshishian.
Healing time: everyone is different. typical is 4-6 weeks
open or lap: depends on surgeon. I believe most prefer open for rny to ds. Mine was open.
best dr: the 2 best rny to ds surgeons are Dr. Rabkin and Dr. Keshishian. If you are currently living in San Jose, then you are closest to Dr. Rabkin. Here is a link to his site www.paclap.com/
Keshishian is in so cal www.dssurgery.com/
cost: I don't know Rabkins cash price. Dr. Keshishian is $28,500
pros: normal diet. no dumping and puking like with my other surgery.
cons: I have to take 4 handfulls of vitamins a day. Boo hoo!
regrets: that I didn't have the ds as my 1st cut
complications: I had none, but rny to ds is very complicated and carries considerable risk.
food intake: initially you do liquids and soft foods just like any wls. Once you are healed you will progress to a normal diet. The DS diet is typically high protein and fat, moderate to low carb.
best of luck
.
Healing time: everyone is different. typical is 4-6 weeks
open or lap: depends on surgeon. I believe most prefer open for rny to ds. Mine was open.
best dr: the 2 best rny to ds surgeons are Dr. Rabkin and Dr. Keshishian. If you are currently living in San Jose, then you are closest to Dr. Rabkin. Here is a link to his site www.paclap.com/
Keshishian is in so cal www.dssurgery.com/
cost: I don't know Rabkins cash price. Dr. Keshishian is $28,500
pros: normal diet. no dumping and puking like with my other surgery.
cons: I have to take 4 handfulls of vitamins a day. Boo hoo!
regrets: that I didn't have the ds as my 1st cut
complications: I had none, but rny to ds is very complicated and carries considerable risk.
food intake: initially you do liquids and soft foods just like any wls. Once you are healed you will progress to a normal diet. The DS diet is typically high protein and fat, moderate to low carb.
best of luck
.
I am still currently in the battle with the insurance company to get my RNY to DS revision.
Here is a thread to check out on self-pay prices:
http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/DS/4458216/Self-Pay-prices -in-the-US/#36872690
Good LUCK!!!!!!
-Jamie in Alaska
RNY 2/26/2002 DS 12/29/2011
HW 317 SW 263 BMI 45.1
SW 298 CW 192 BMI 32.9~60% EWL
LW 151 in 2003
TT 4/9/2003
Normal BMI 24.8 is my GOAL!!!
GBP (RNY) 2/26/02 298 lbs, TT 4/9/03 151 lbs, DS 12/29/11
HW 317 SW 263 BMI 45.1/CW 192 BMI 32.9/GW 145 ~ Normal BMI 24.8
**Revision Journey started 3/2009 Approved 12/12/11**
Healing Time - In hospital for 5 days, was out of work a total of 6 weeks.
Open or Lap - Open, both RNY & DS.
Cost - Insurance covered it, so I can't say.
Best Dr. - There are very few and most were named.
Pros - For me: no more puking, no more reactive hypoglycemia, no more dumping, lost weight, I can eat like a normal person and I don't have to run to the bathroom to toss my cookies after every meal. The malabsorption doesn't go away like it does with RNY, so there's much less chance of regain unless you eat yourself silly with carbs.
Cons - I caught c. diff in the hospital, that sucked, but it's not directly DS related. The recovery was hard because of the amount of work I had to have done. I'm not crazy about the gas and it took awhile to adjust to food, but I can control it by not eating carbs.
Regrets - My only regret is that I didn't get the DS the first time around!
Complications - nope. One member here, Renfairewench, did go through hell and had massive complications. I had none. We had the same doc.
Food Intake - I just got back from New Orleans where I was eating almost as much as my companions. I can eat a lot more than I could with RNY, which sometimes scares me, but then I get on the scale and everything is the same. Had a filet mignon on Friday night, had 2 poached eggs over trout on Sunday morning along with strawberries in double cream and we finished the meal with dessert, so yeah, I can eat, lol.
Etc. - I'm so happy I did it. I didn't do it because of regain, although I regained from 175 to 221 ( I had started at 328) but losing weight has been great on top of the remediation of my post-rny symptoms. I had a permanent ring around my stoma, it's sort of like a combination vbg and RNY, and it was hell. Getting that ring out was my primary concern.
Open or Lap - Open, both RNY & DS.
Cost - Insurance covered it, so I can't say.
Best Dr. - There are very few and most were named.
Pros - For me: no more puking, no more reactive hypoglycemia, no more dumping, lost weight, I can eat like a normal person and I don't have to run to the bathroom to toss my cookies after every meal. The malabsorption doesn't go away like it does with RNY, so there's much less chance of regain unless you eat yourself silly with carbs.
Cons - I caught c. diff in the hospital, that sucked, but it's not directly DS related. The recovery was hard because of the amount of work I had to have done. I'm not crazy about the gas and it took awhile to adjust to food, but I can control it by not eating carbs.
Regrets - My only regret is that I didn't get the DS the first time around!
Complications - nope. One member here, Renfairewench, did go through hell and had massive complications. I had none. We had the same doc.
Food Intake - I just got back from New Orleans where I was eating almost as much as my companions. I can eat a lot more than I could with RNY, which sometimes scares me, but then I get on the scale and everything is the same. Had a filet mignon on Friday night, had 2 poached eggs over trout on Sunday morning along with strawberries in double cream and we finished the meal with dessert, so yeah, I can eat, lol.
Etc. - I'm so happy I did it. I didn't do it because of regain, although I regained from 175 to 221 ( I had started at 328) but losing weight has been great on top of the remediation of my post-rny symptoms. I had a permanent ring around my stoma, it's sort of like a combination vbg and RNY, and it was hell. Getting that ring out was my primary concern.
You are one lucky lady to be located by two good revision surgeons, Rabkin and Keshishian.
Dr. Rabkin has a good revision info section on his site:
http://www.paclap.com/weight-loss-surgery/revisions.cfm
Check it out.
Nicolle
Dr. Rabkin has a good revision info section on his site:
http://www.paclap.com/weight-loss-surgery/revisions.cfm
Check it out.
Nicolle
I had the kick-butt duodenal switch (DS)!
HW: 344 lbs CW: 150 lbs
Type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea GONE!
Thank you all for your advice and support, it's greatly appreciated.
Due to me being a self-pay I don't have that kind of money to pay close to $30K.
What do you all think about having it done in Mexico with Dr. Ungson?
I've done some research and people have nice things to say about him and his practice. They were satisified and would do it again. ?????
Due to me being a self-pay I don't have that kind of money to pay close to $30K.
What do you all think about having it done in Mexico with Dr. Ungson?
I've done some research and people have nice things to say about him and his practice. They were satisified and would do it again. ?????
Dr. Ungson is very well regarded, but does not do RNY to DS revisions. And there is absolutely NO other surgeon in Mexico that would have the experience to do this operation (there is another surgeon with a good reputation who is starting to do the DS with Dr. Ungson assisting him, but only just starting, not someone ready for a RNY to DS revision).
sorry!
Larra
sorry!
Larra
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