xpost: Confused on which surgery to have now HELP!!!

.Everyone is different but I can tolerate just about everything. I mean sure, I can't go out and eat an chocolate cake but I can have a few bites of anything and not have issues. So the variety of the diet was a huge factor for me PLUS I know a lot of people who had significant regain or barely any loss with RNY. One guy said that he just ate right through his pouch and another lady( who sadly, passed away from non related issues) only lost 50lbs when she had about 200 to lose. I personally just wanted to have the surgery that had the best success rate for me.

But of course, on the DS board we are going to say that the DS is better.

Another thing to think about is resolution or comorbitities. The DS has a far better success rate of resolving type 2 Diabetes. Something like 98% I believe.

Sounds like you are unsure, It's a big decision, take your time, research,  and don't rush into anything.

As an RNY from 2002 to a DS revision in December 2011.............. the DS hands down is the BEST!!!!!  I had re-gained 1/2 my weight back starting at 18 months out.  My body's metabolism was destroyed by crash dieting steadily since I was 11-12 years old.  The RNY's  absorption slows/stops at approximately 18 months.

I NEVER knew that, until I started researching the DS.  Here I was completely blaming myself for the weight gain!!!!  My RNY failed me.  I never knew that the DS exsited until 2008, and I became facinated on how much better of a surgery it was long-term for me!!!!

For breakfast every morning, I have 3 eggs (19 grams protein), and 4 pieces of bacon(12 grams of protein).  Try doing that with a low fat diet with having the RNY!!!!

Don't forget that if you have the RNY, you no longer will be able to take NSAIDS..... ibuprofen, naproxen, asprin, certain types of antibiotics.  Last year, when I was sitting at 230-260..... my joints hurt, and all I could do was take tylenol.................... which does NOTHING for inflammation.  And when you have a job that requires you to drive, you cannot be taking the alternative.... pain pills for relief.  So, I got to suffer.  UGH  Pain SUCKS!!!!!!

Just a few things to think about.


Good LUCK in whatever you decide!!!!!

It stands to reason that you're confused right now. You already had one bad wls experience. You thought you had your plans all worked out, then you find out that you have another option that might in fact be better than what you had planned. That has to cause some anxiety about making the right decision.

I don't know much about you, so I'll just stick to some general facts. The DS has the best statistics of any wls for percentage excess weight loss, for maintaining that weight loss, and for resolution of almost all comorbidities. It works through a combination of moderate restriction and significant malabsorption, which means that we need to eat plenty of protein, don't need to worry about fat intake, and do need to watch carb intake. In contrast, with gastric bypass there is initially significant restriction and very little malabsorption of calories. With time, the restriction eases up and the caloric malabsorption pretty much disappears, and any further weight loss, or even maintainence, relies on behavioral changes. You would need to follow a lean protein, low fat, low carb diet for life. Our diet and pattern of eating is much more normal.
    With the DS, we can take NSAIDs, whereas with RNY they are contraindicated for the rest of your life. Dumping rarely occurs with the DS, we can drink liquids with meals, no worrying about food getting stuck. The stomach empties normally through the pylorus, it's just a much smaller, sleeve stomach, not a pouch. With the DS, there is no blind stomach that can't be scoped or visualized with upper GI x-rays, as there is with RNY.

If you are still confused about what the DS involves, go back to dsfacts.com and re-read whatever is confusing to you and ask specific questions about it. If you have any specific fears, ask about them. We can't know what's concerning you unless you tell us.

Larra

What Larra said!

Hi There,

I'd suggest you take a month and thoroughly research the DS and RNY and pros/cons.  You want the right surgery!  Don't just do the RNY becuase that's what you've been planning on.  I also had just gotten comfortable with the RNY when I found out about the DS.  I'm SO GLAD I DIDN"T MOVE FORWARD WITH THE RNY!

Christy

By your surgeon "Garth Davis" I am assuming you are in Texas.  There is a fabulous DS surgeon in Denton Texas, Dr Stewart, check out his website http://www.weightlosssurgeon.com/.  I was 2 weeks away from getting the RNY when I learned about the DS and decided that a) I am a carnivore b) swallowing my vits does not bother me c) I only want one surgery and d) I do not want to regain.

Please do some more research.

Betty Decker.

I'm 8.5 years post-op, and there is absolutely NO food that I can't eat, if I choose. If I over-indulge in simple carbs, I get gassy, sometimes painfully so. Other than that, I pretty much eat whatever I want. But thankfully for me, I've always been a big meat eater, so maintaining my weight loss has been easy for me.

No one seeing me eat would think I'd had 85% of my stomach removed.When I got to a steak place, I have a small salad, an 8-ounce ribeye, a few bites of baked potato, and a yeast roll---maybe even dessert. And I wa**** down with a glass or two of iced tea.

One big reason I chose the DS was because diabetes runs in both sides of my family. With the DS, hopefully I'll never become diabetic.

 It looks like their diet is a more 'normal' one...is that right? Better maintained weight loss long term?

You betcha!

IMHO, if I had caved for a RNY, I'd be looking at revision. 

Again, IMHO, a RNY sentences you to restrictive dieting for life.

I did not have the issues with food mourning many RNY's have, as there is virtually no food that is forbidden. 

The food plan is basically high protein, moderate fats and complex carbs.

Simple carbs and simple sugars will give you gas from hell, and in many cases, the runs. 
That is deterrent enough for me.  If you are lactose intolerant, it will make you more so early out. Lactaid milk and tablets were my best friends for the first two years.  I use whey protein isolate, which processes out most of the lactose, and with that, I do fine with regular milk .Many of us  continue to supplement protein with our protein shakes.

That said, if I want to have dessert at a special occasion, I can, without fear of dumping syndrome. which many RNY's have when they eat  simple sugars and simple carbs. Some RNY's I know have told me they never dump.

There is no "pouch" to guard against stretching, as the stomach is simply made smaller and closer to natural anatomy.  No stoma to worry about plugging up with rice, corn or fibrous foods, because the stomach's natural esophageal and pyloric valves remain intact, and the stomach still churns food.  RNY pouches do not.

That said, the DS is the most malabsorptive of all the bariatric surgeries, and vitamin and mineral supplementation is *not* optional.  There is very little room for error in terms of the above with the DS,  If you are not fastidious about following doctor's orders for regular issues, this is not the surgery for you.