2 stage surgery for DS
I received a call from my DR office today and she told me that my surgeon has decided to do the surgery in 2 steps hes going to do the sleeve first and then do intestinal part.. i guess because im so large and have alot of scar tissue from 2 c-sections and 1 hysterectomy.. well anyways.. do they normally do this? I just hate the thought of having to go through 2 seperate surgeries but if it is safer i do completely understand.. I just really had my heart set on DS 1st go around and not have to do anything else... anyways is this common? :( i am kind of sad now.
You can always get a second opinion. Email Dr Keshesian in CA and give him some of your specifics. Ask if a 2 part is indicated.
--gina
Check wwwdsfacts.com for other surgeons.
5'1" -- HW 195/SW 187/GW 115 July 08/CW 121 Dec 2012
******GOAL*******
Starting BMI between 35 and 40ish?
Join us on the Lightweights Board!
DS on Aug 9, 2007 with Dr. Hazem Elariny
on 10/1/13 11:54 am
Well, no it's not very common.
The least experienced the surgeon is the more often that can happen.
Naturally it depends on you, if you are willing to let him do it, or if you get a second
opinion from a surgeon that is well versed in the DS.
dsfacts.com has a long enough list of surgeons.
Good Luck
DS 2009
Your doctor is the guy *****located to Celebration, so I'm assuming you are somewhere in Florida.
The nearest other qualified DS surgeon is in Atlanta.
There seems to be some disagreement in a Facebook group I am in concerning your surgeon. I just was reading it today. While he has a lot of good reviews, some of the group members felt that he wasn't really a DS surgeon. I would get a second opinion about doing the DS in two steps. It might be bonafide good medical practice but it could also be a bait and switch without intent to perform the second procedure. Mind you, I haven't ever met your surgeon or have first hand knowledge of his practices.
I would recommend you contact Dr. Ara Keshishian, whom I do know. He did my band-to-sleeve revision. I would have him do my current procedure next week (repair hiatal hernia, remove gastric tumor/resection sleeve, and the duodenal switch) but I'm currently in Germany. I'm seeing Professor Dr. Rudolf Weiner, to whom Dr. Keshishian had referred me prior to leaving the States if I had a sleeve-related issue. I didn't expect to have a tumor but I'm relieved to be going to a surgeon who is on par with Dr. Keshishian. Dr. Keshishian is an excellent surgeon and human being and his office staff is competent and kind as well. BIG pluses.
I had two doctors at my practice wanting to do it as a two stage, - if the sleeve didn't do enough. The other doctor said with a BMI over 50, go do it all at once. My surgeon, knowing I was doing a DS, purposely made my sleeve as open as possible, so I would be able to eat the higher amount of protein a DSer needs. Often, surgeons who go two stage do a smaller sleeve to maximize weight loss, but that leaves you in difficult shape for a DS, because you need to be able to eat the protein, but your sleeve is small, forcing a lot of small grazing. Find one of the recommended doctors who does the DS regularly, and advocate for yourself, and what you need.
What's your BMI? Mine was 74, and my surgeon did mine all in one surgery. However, he did it OPEN. Would that be an option? Believe me, it's better to have one open procedure than two lap ones. Also, the DS just plain works better when done in one step.
I recommend getting in touch with some other DS surgeons, even if you have to travel. This is the ret of your life we're talking about.
