What sort of complications have you experienced since your DS?

I want to understand, better, what sorts of complications can occur after a DS. I would really appreciate it if you could share with me any side effects or complications you have experienced. I have heard of some folks developing nerve issues, hypoglycemia, extremely low blood pressure or pulse..Have you experienced any of these or other complications?  I am going to have DS surgery soon and I just want to be clear on what I could possibly be getting into. I know the surgery is wonderful in many ways; however, I still want to go in with an open mind as to the types of complications I could experience. Thank you for sharing...

I did not have any complications and neither did my sister...  

You can read about potential complications here: 

http://www.dsfacts.com/duodenal-switch-risks-and-complicatio ns.html#.UoEbSfkXSXs

Best of luck to you in your journey.

I had the DS almost 3 years ago, I am 44 now and have had zero complications. Very few tweaks in my vitamin regimen but it couldn't have been better

Good luck

I had adhesions.  My insides were glued together had to be cut apart before starting it took 2 hrs before even starting the surgery. Lost so much blood had 2 transfusions 2 different days. My blood pressure wouldnt stay up.  Keep in mind I was the exception not the norm. I had 6 previous abdominal surgeries which caused most my problems.

Hypoglycemia is something RNY's experience frequently.  Unaltered people can too if they go too long without eating. and of course, as you know, same for diabetics.

As for the DS, it can happen if you let yourself get too hungry, and that can happen, becasue a big portion of your stomach, that produces the hunger hormone ghrelin, is removed in the DS.  Therefore, your body does not give the usual signals to the brain that it needs to eat.  Personally,  from what I learned in pre-op class, and what I was told by the NUT (dietitian), I made sure to eat something every two hours, preferably protein, since I was told to get 90-100 grams in everyday.  You are only absorbing about 50-60% of what you take in, so you have to eat a lot, or drink protein shakes as a supplement.  Everyone is different, and this is just what I do, since I tend to be on the higher end of the malabsorption spectrum, and my common channel is only 75cm.

It all depends on how your surgeon approaches the surgery.  he or she may give a standard common channel to everyone, or use the Hess Method to measure how long your common channel should be for you. It's really a custom bariatric surgery if it's done that way, and IMHO, that approach is the one that gives optimal results. 

I have not experienced any of the things you mentioned.  I had high blood pressure which is now normal after shedding 245 pounds.  No more sleep apnea, either.  I also have lupus and fibromyalgia, and for the lupus, none of the available drugs would work  to keep it from flaring, except prednisone at my high weight.  Now, there are treatments that didn't work before, that work now.  When I weighed over 400, they couldn't get the doses high enough to work safely.  BTW- this morning I weighed 172., I'll be 5 years out in February.

Make sure you ask for  a copy of your surgical notes for your own records, as well as copies of all your lab work, pre and post op.

 

Good Luck!

 

None

1.25 years out here and all's good. I get in >100g protein and normally >120g. I'm on the Vitalady program and am doing well with a little tweaking following labs.

None.  But I still wish I could lose more.

none

None. Not even gall bladder flare up. I did have osteoporosis after the first year but I had osteopenia pre-op. I'm back to oteopenia levels now.

--gina