Have Sleeve, Wanting DS...Any Advice?

Am scheduling appointment with Dr. D. Stewart in Denton, Texas. My current surgeon is Dr. Kim, wo performed the Gastric Sleeve. I have had very little weight loss with the sleeve. Dr. Kim won't do the DS on me. So, I am going to see Dr. Stewart.

I heard that the DS can result in terrible "bowel" issues. Is that accurate? Do y'all experience that? How have you dealt with it?

Appreciate any advice. Thanks!

Donna

"Terrible bowel issues" is one of the lies that surgeons who can't do the DS tell patients in order to get them to get a surgery that they CAN do.

But many DS patients do have issues with some foods post-op.  Lactose intolerance, gluten intolerance, and problems with too many carbs and sugar alcohols are common.  By and large these intolerances are able to be managed by dietary changes.  I no longer drink milk (but I can do cheese and heavy cream) and I no longer eat very much wheat gluten.  When I eat too many carbs I will get peel the paint off the wall gas so I tend not to eat too many carbs.  

Probiotics also help.  And you won't know what types of intolerances YOU will have until you get there.

The other thing you should know is that your weight loss with a two step DS will NOT be the same as for those of us who were fortunate enough to have a one step DS.   But with patience and diligence you can have good results.

Dr Stewart is fantastic so you are in great hands.

Join us on the new site (see my signature) where there are other VSG to DS revision folks and lots of vets to guide you.

~Becky

Hi Becky, and MANY thanks!  I appreciate your insight and advice.

What are some of the reasons why the 2-step DS may not produce weight loss results as the 1-step DS?

I will check out the new site for other VSG toDS'ers. Again, appreciate the info!

Take care
Donna

There is some synergism (sp) between the sleeve and the intestinal rerouting and the ghrelin reduction that produces the most effective weight loss with the full DS.

We see slower weight loss with all the revisions than with the full one step DS.

Some folks say the two part DS isn't really a DS at all.

~Becky

 Hi Becky,

Are you saying that the total amount lost is, on average, going to be less with a two-step revision than if the full DS is done all at once? I'm just wondering if it will even out in the end, even if the initial loss after the intestinal rerouting is slower.

Thanks,

Julie

Hi Julie, this thread is on the same subject and may provide some insight to you.

http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/ds/4375541/Unproven-hypoth esis-about-why-2-part-DSs-are-less-effective/ 

This part from the thread I re-posted is a concern " Remember - non-MO people who get the switch as a stand-alone procedure for diabetes lose about 25 lbs at first, and then regain most of it"  I've read that info in more than one place.

Although to be honest, I did meet with one vetted DS surgeon in Belgium and he ONLY does 2 stage DSs.  He only does a common channel length of 75cm in order to avoid regain.

Hi Huneypie,

Thanks for the thread, though I must confess the news within it was unwelcome. Yikes!

As someone who is 6 days out from getting the VSG (though I went into surgery hoping for a DS), is there anything I can do to help myself besides trying to get a surgery date ASAP for the second part (the intestinal rerouting)?

Thanks,

Julie

I guess get part II soon and consider a short common channel length.  The fact that I spoke to a vetted DS surgeon that only does the DS in 2 parts has to give a little hope.

FWIW, I e-mailed Dr. Gagner this afternoon to ask about whether two-step DSs are less effective. I pointed him to the above thread, in which Dr. Rabkin conceded (anecdotally) that this seems to be an issue. Dr. Gagner's reply was: "Not substantiated, and Dr Rabkin has never published or presented this topic at meetings. Not scientifically proven."