Heard Some Crazy Stuff About DS - Questions!

Yes to all the positives.

Ditto to the absolute requirement to take those vitamins and eat plenty of protein for the rest of your life. It's a crucial commitment, really a commitment to yourself, but it isn't difficult. You get into a routine. It's a shame that the few noncompliant patients who get themselves into major nutritional deficients make the operation look bad. The percentage of people with nutritional deficiencies is really very small (2%, vs. 1% for gastric bypass) BUT the problems can be impressive when they do occur, and any doc who has to treat even one of these noncompliant patients is going to come away with a bad impression of what is really a good operation.

As to surgical complications, the only study that directly compared similar patients having either DS or RNY during the same time with the same surgeons found almost identical rates of complications for the two operations. In the "old" days, the DS was reserved for only the heaviest and sickest patients, who of course had a higher complication rate. But with similar patients, this is not the case.

 

And interestingly, the high failure rate of RNY and other bariatric operations is not counted as a complication. Even the RNY surgeon who was all set to do my surgery acknowledged that the failure rate for RNY is 30%. What good is an operation that doesn't solve your problem permanently? Failure rate for lap band is sky high. For sleeve, the jury is still out, but the weight loss short term is similar to RNY, and it is likely to be similar longterm as well.

I'm sorry the folks making decisions for your province are not fully educated about the DS, though they aren't the only ones. If you need to travel for the DS, do it. It's well worth the extra effort.

Larra

 

All the positives are true, as long as you take vitamins and be diligent post op the DS saved my life over 4 years ago and i am able to live a more active and wonderful life....living in lewsiana food is a way of life and i cherish everyday i have with my family......DS is awesome~~!

I am relieved to hear the good news about DS.  I am going to see my PCP today to get my paperwork complete so that I can set the date for my surgery.  Sadly, it is a revision surgery.  I had the gastric bypass in 2002 and have gained back 90lbs.  Wow...just writing the 90 is scary.  My surgeon only does the DS twice a month so I am trying to get on the schedule asap.  I was afraid about having to go to the bathroom a lot because to tell you the truth the bathrooms at my job are sometimes nasty...ugh!  Thank you all for your post :-)

Thank you all so muc for the info. I believe I may have to look into Mexico...should be interesting getting hubby on board but this isn't exactly a simple decision. I just feel like I don't want to mess around and end up having to revise later.

If you go to Mexico, Dr. Ungson is the ONLY vetted DS surgeon in that country. However, he is also very good.

You have the right idea - get it right the first time! Revisions are more complex and higher risk and more expensive, and fewer surgeons do them.

As far as Mexico goes, you do need to be careful about which surgeon you pick. For the DS, the only ones recommended around here are Dr. Ungson and Dr. Aceves. Of the 2, Dr. Ungson has more DS experience.

Larra

It's kind of funny you should say that because I was emailing for details from Dr. Ungson's office when you responded. Here goes nothin! :0)

The DS was the best decision I ever made. Everything you said is correct. I personally like to stay away from NSAIDS because of the effects they do have on the stomach lining and I try to conserve the little stomach I do have left :). 

I know many Canadians who have had the DS and are very happy. I can't tell you if they went through provincial insurance or paid out of pocket though. Please do not let surgeons that are not qualified to do the DS steer you away from the surgery. Talk to a surgeon who does the surgery every week and is familiar with it. 

I actually just posted my 2.5 year update. I will link it below this so you can take a look. Feel free to message me with any questions. 

 

http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/ds/4650556/X-Post-2-5-Year s-Post-DS-230lbs-down-PICS/

The positive points of the DS are true -  but as with everything the negatives can become a problem if you are not proactive:

1) Malnutrition - Yes, it can happen, but only if you are sloppy about getting in your protein and vitamins - both of which are non-negotiable.  You may hear folks talk about taking children's chewables, but that is not true.  There is simply not enough of what adults need in them.  I take in 90-100g of protein daily, to absorb 45-50g - the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA). I also take ultra-high doses of 13 different vitamins - focusing specifically on A-D-E-K1 and K2 , since these are the vitamins DSer's are most prone to be deficient in.  I also take 4 (Centrum-type) multivitamins daily with at least 3000g Calcium Citrate + D daily.

I still use protein shakes, because I find it impossible to eat enough to get all my protein in. 

If you PM me, I'll be glad to send you a copy of my personal routine. I go strictly by my labs as to what I need to increase/decrease.

As with everything, make sure you talk with a doctor and/ or dietician who is familiar with the DS before you make your decision.  The vitamin/mineral/protein requirements are something you will have to supplement for the rest of your life, but the reward is as close to permanent weight loss as is medically possible right now.

You may read some people who are experiencing weight gain on this board, but from my own personal experience, it is very difficult to regain weight with this surgery.

Good luck in choosing the surgical intervention that's right for you.