where to get revision to DS

 hello all, i've got a sleeve that turns out is too big, i'm about 6 months out and i can eat tons of food and of course am not losing weight...

i am in Canada, and the DS is not covered, and they are cutting back so much that most surgery isn't getting done here where i live... anymore

but i was wondering how much it would be to get a revision to a DS and where you can get this done for a good price...

any ideas?

thanks for your help!

You might want to check with Dr Ungson in Mex or Dr Marchesini in Brazil. Their contact info and that of other DS surgeons is on www.dsfacts.com. Wishing you good luck. Please keep us posted.

--gina
 

 thank you for replying :)  I have emailed dr ungson, but his site is in spanish and his toll free numbers go to cruise giveaways, and i can't get thru...

is the dr in brazil cheaper? and cheaper to fly to?  is he as good?  thanks for any info you can give me :)

i phoned dr. acevez and the price is $9000 not including air fair, and I can't afford that...

cheers
elaine

Marchesini is excellent from everything I've heard. I'm sorry, I don't know anything about his prices.

 

 thanks, will do a skype call with him when he gets back to me

I'm in the same boat with my sleeve but fortunately, I have insurance.  My surgeon's office has done nearly 3,000 surgeries and specializes in the DS and revisions.  BUT, the DS is $24k and they are really hesitant to take patients without insurance because they said, "one complication can bankrupt a patient."  I've heard great things about some surgeons in Mexico and Brazil too.  The ladies on this forum are great and I would listen to them in a heartbeat if I were in your situation.

Good luck!  And keep me posted!

 ya, insurance in canada doesn't cover the DS... but i'm going to fly to mexico, been talking to a surgeon's assistant, and she thinks the price is $7500 without the air fare, so i have to play with finances a bit, but i'm going to do it... should be ready to go in about a month i figure... frankly i'm glad the surgery is half way done... because the sleeve part of it was particularly unpleasant for me... but i'm excited now, at the possibility of actually getting to goal weight!!

i don't feel scared of going to mexico to get it done either, it all feels right to me

i'm in a good mood now :) man alot can happen in one day, it's been years since i researched getting the DS done, maybe will go read up on it some more :)

thanks for your help you guys

cheers!

Just wanted to say I am glad things are moving in a positive direction for you. I had a DS revision (from RNY) done in March 2012. It has been a long road but I am down 100 lbs and if I can just keep away from carbs hope to keep the weight loss moving along!

Best of luck! Terri

Laney, I don't know where you are in Canada, but some people in Canada do get their DS covered. There is one surgeon in Ontario doing the DS - Dr. Hong in Hamilton. There is also Dr. Gagner in Montreal. I have no idea whether or not you could get a revision from what sounds like a not done right sleeve, but it's worth looking into before you spend your money.

A couple thoughts that really need to be said:

1. with Mexico, you really, really need to be careful what surgeon you go to. I understand about finances, but going cheapest isn't always wise in the long run. The only surgeons to be considered for the DS in Mexico are Drs. Ungson and Aceves. We have seen horror stories with other surgeons. There are others for operations other than the DS, but these are the only 2 experienced DS surgeons in Mexico at this time.

2. Dr. Marchesini in Brazil has a stellar reputation. I don't know his costs, but he's definitely someone to consider.

3. You may need to have your sleeve re-done regardless of who your surgeon is. If you have little or no restriction, the "switch" part of the DS by itself will not get you where you want to go. The DS works so well because it combines moderate restriction with a lot of malabsorption and metabolic changes. The switch part by itself is being done in some countries for people with diabetes who are not MO, and they don't lose much weight.

Larra

Hi Laney, Larra is correct. I had my revision to DS covered by OHIP and others are having their virgin DS with Dr. Hong. You do have to go through the bariatric registry http://www.ontariobariatricnetwork.ca/ and there is a bit of a wait. I agree with the fact that if you choose t go out of country, you need to be very careful about who you choose. Good luck!