Wife and good Dr. friend of mine says DS is NUTS!

 How/why did you get it moved up?

Well, the RMAP office wants to get it in before the end of the year just in case my policy changes. So I don't have to go through all the hoops again or any additional hoops they might add on :) But it is a small time frame to go through approval with insurance, setting of a date, get dog & cat accomidations, set up family help, etc. So we will see if December will happen or not.... I can only pray my insurance gets this approved quickly. I am stressing for sure. I wish the best of luck with you. Let us know how your consult with Simper goes.

Shows how much they know how to research. Ignore them and keep doing your research. Show them real professional literature about the DS and about how the bands suck and should be made illegal. Oh wait, that part won't be in black and white lol.

 Lizzy,

Where do you like to go to get your research?  Of all the INITIAL places I have visited, my insurance company, Cigna, has been one of the more thorough.  They have several pages of studies and from the tone of their findings "appear" to be DS friendly.  www.cigna.com/assets/docs/health-care-professionals/coverage _positions/mm_0051_coveragepositioncriteria_bariatric_surger y.pdf  

I'm not EN ...

I use the advanced Google search. Making sure to specify "Duodenal Switch" and the set the reading level "Show only Advanced Results".

Google Scholar, PubMed, PsycInfo, and various professional organizations' websites like the ASMBS and SOARD.

Hi again, Hawkeye!
     Sound like you're doing a great job on the research, and my offer of articles still stands. You have my email address, or you can pm me with yours.
      Funny how so many people, including medical professionals, like the idea of the lap band being reversable. Morbid obesity is a chronic medical problem, not an acute condition like, let's say, appendicitis. What is the point of a treatment that doesn't last the rest of your life? And the adjustability thing? What it means to me is REQUIRES adjustment. Hang around here awhile, and see how many people need those bands removed because they never got to just the right level of fill, despite numerous attempts, or because the damn thing hurt, or because the only foods they could tolerate were unhealthy.
     And while the band often comes out easily (and how sad is it that we know this because so many people NEED to have them out) it still causes scarring and in some cases irreversable damage to the stomach or esophagus. An OB-GYN wouldn't know this. We do.

Larra
    

Well I started 20 years ago with the band, then had the sleeve 4 years ago . My Husband had RNY 10 years ago and all those surgerys failed. Now I have waisted 20 good years of my life playing around with the simple surgery's to avoid major, but I now realize if I want health and at this point in my life it is not vanity it is health, then I had to have the DS, It is my only solution. So wait your life away hoping you will find the simple solution but in the end and I think you are finding that out , this is the only long term way to go. Thanks Judy, My surgery was 10/17/2011, 9 days ago and I am feeling great.

Hawkeye - I'm almost 9 years post-op. For about 8 seconds I thought about the RNY but fortunately I quickly found the DS. You asked how many pills - I take about 38+ vitamins/supplements over the course of the day (morning, noon, evening). My labs are really good and checked every 6 months. I tweak what I take according to my lab results. I only take one prescription medication (prilosec).

Continuing doing your research and asking questions.

I would never have considered any other surgery except for the DS...

Please read the scientific articles located on this webpage... this sealed the deal for me...

http://www.dsfacts.com/articles.html