Feeling confused about next step!!
Thank you for your very helpful information! It's so nice to know that someone understands my situation....most people and Drs don't!! I have emailed Dr John Maguire from Premiere Metabolic and Bariatric Associates in Dayton, OH and am waiting on a reply! Have you ever heard of him?? He was the only Dr in OH who was listed as doing regional DS surgeries on the DSFacts website. I have been doing a lot of research and it seems like a lot of people who have had VGBs have successfully had revisions to other forms of Bariatric surgeries. I just am not sure why there would be a huge diffence in converting it to a DS rather than RNY??? I'm still learning a lot though! Haha I will def be checking more with my insurance (which is thru my husbands union) on there specific policies regarding my situation. Just not sure who to talk to about that or if I need to wait and let the Dr do that! Thanks again Lara for your help! ~Diane
Dr. Maguire is not known for doing revisions, and this is a very tough type of revision. Again, you will need to travel - accept this idea now and start contacting the experienced revision surgeons that have already been named. Your surgery is going to be very challenging due to the nature of the surgery you've already had. That's unfortunate, but that's your reality.
And yes, there is a big difference between converting an old VBG to DS or to RNY. For the DS, you would need to have the entire VBG taken apart, the mesh removed (easier said than done!) and then the sleeve stomach created. For RNY, the surgeon may be able to make the tiny gastric bypass pouch high on the stomach and avoid the whole scarred up mess from your VBG, then connect that pouch to the small intestine.
IMHO the only way you have any chance at all for a DS is to have one of the DS surgeons who frequently does complex revisions doing your surgery. If the best possible surgeon can't safely convert your current mess to a DS, so be it. But with a less experienced surgeon you will either end up with RNY or with things left as they are.
Larra
