RNY or Duodenal Switch???

So I know all surgeries are dangerous but which one is safer....the RNY or the Duodenal Switch?  I learned about the DS last night in a support group and I like the fact that you dont get "dumping syndrome" and you lose weight quickly and it stays off.  Please if you have had the DS please let me know your experience with it.

It's been an godsend for me. I haven't had any real issues other than trying to figure out how to deal with my sensitive system. Some people don't even have this kind of trouble and all they do is eat a little yogurt every morning. I have to take a prescription strength probiotic but it's all good. I don't think I've ever dumped but I've heard that a few people do. Mostly we don't because we still have our pyloric valve, where those with RNY have their pyloric valve moved off to the side along with the remnant stomach.

Thank you for the friend request. You should be able to see my profile now with all kinds of DS info I collected in the early days. Let me know if I can answer any questions.

--gina 

Thank you for your response! Awesome..I will check some of your info out on the DS!  Thank you so much. 

I chose the DS because it has the best statistics of any bariatric surgery for percentage excess weight loss, for maintenance of that weight loss, and for resolution of almost all comorbidities. Maintenance is a huge problem with gastric bypass and many people never reach a normal weight and struggle to prevent regain.

The DS has other advantages, including that you can safely take NSAIDs, which are contraindicated for the rest of your life after gastric bypass, dumping rarely occurs, and we can eat smaller but otherwise normal means. Dumping is not a weight loss tool, it is just a potentially very nasty side effect that some (not all) people with gastric bypass experience. With DS there is no laundry list of food you can never eat again. It is a much more normal way of living as well as having better results. I had the DS almost 10 years ago and have absolutely no regrets. The support group I attended before  my surgery, made up mostly of people with gastric bypass and a few with lap band (no DS'ers and sleeve wasn't done as a stand alone back then) had so many unhappy people who were unable to lose enough weight no matter how hard they tried, and who started struggling to avoid gaining after a couple years, I decided I would rather do nothing than have gastric bypass.

Larra

Larra...Thank you so much! Very informative!  I am definitely leaning toward the DS!  I have 3 appointments on FEB 4...the dietician, exercise and psychologist.  I am ready to get this ball rolling!

I'm one where I've had some sensitivities to foods. Carbs are pretty much a no-go for me, but I knew that could happen going in. I picked the DS because I wanted to be able to eat "normal" amounts of food and be able to eat "normal". I have had some issues arise, but I wouldn't change picking the DS anyway. Most my issues are figuring out what I can't eat, for example some carbs are a no go for me because they cause too much gas. Sugar in particular. I don't dump, but now I am hypoglycemic so sugar causes me to spike (which means a headache, and being super tired, sometimes to where I feel like i'm going to pass out) and it causes me a ton of gas. So very limited sugar for me. 

I mentioned eating normal. You know how an actual serving of protein is about 4oz (give or take the protein)? I eat that much in a meal. I used to measure everything out, and now I can tell a portion easy peasy. I've done comparison to my "oh thats about 4oz" and weighed it to be off within +/- 0.2 oz. So you get used to it. I have no protein restrictions, if I eat a portion. Being 1.5ish out from surgery, I can even eat more than that of some protein at a time, but I typically don't. I eat 2 main meals (I have a shake for breakfast still for ease), and oh, well, I need A LOT of calories so I eat about 6 snack a day, give or take. Now some of us don't need to snack as much, some of us do. If you check out dsfacts.com there is an article on there about how some of us eat about 3,000 calories a day. I eat about 2200-2800 depending on the day. I eat all the protein and fat I want and just limit my carbs. About 6 months ago though I was able to add back in some "good" carbs such as vegetables. I cut up the veggies and coat them in olive oil, then I roast them, and then I smother then in cheese under the broiler - YUM. This is a staple - the veggies change nightly though. 

I used to track how many grams of protein/carbs/fat I ate a day. Mainly early out because I needed to make sure I hit my goal of 90g protein. Now being further out I aim for about 120g a day and all but 30g comes from food. 

I mentioned some complications, but honestly, I think they could have happened even if I picked RNY. 

Again, i'd pick the DS again in a heartbeat. I struggle right now with eating enough, and not loosing weight (yes even though my BMI says normal my Dr is on me to gain because my fat level is way low). That should start correcting itself in the next few months though (There is a period of adaptation for your intestines which can take between 1.5-3 years). During this you loose the most weight, after you will gain a bit back, but not as much as with say an RNY. 

If you have any questions about anything let me know. I love my DS and highly recommend it. 

Keila

Keila,  Thanks for your response! I am excited about starting this DS journey!  Thank you for all the information you provided!  I am a sweet eater big time....Id rather have sweets than food. I know...bad!   But since Jan 17 (which was my birthday)  I didnt eat any sweets...nope not even birthday cake! lol   I have been staying away from the sugar and pop....just drinking water and doing low carb...I feel better and hope the scales show a little weight gone when I go get weighed!  I am thinking I will have surgery around March-I hope sooner!

 

It's my imoression that statistically there isn't much difference in surgical complications. The DS is a more complicated surgery but the surgeons involved are usually better overall so I think it evens out.

While anyone can dump it is pretty rare for DS people to actually have this hapen to them. It happens a lot to RnY people because they get a pouch for a stomach and we DS'rs still have a fully functional stomach, just smaller.

I'm almost 3 years out and would do it again in a heartbeat. I've lost about half my body weight and while I struggle in the 225-235 range it's a problem I'm happy to deal with.

I chose it because of the amount of weight I had to lose and the stats on keeping it off. I'm sure I went through dozens of diet programs and always gained back more than I lost. I wanted the best chance to break that cycle.

All my problems post-op have been non-DS related so I'm happy about that. On the plus side I'm off all diabetes meds, off the CPAP, and lowered the BP meds. I was off the BP meds copmpletly or a while but had some kidney issues and the answer was to go back on the BP meds.

I had a foot ulcer for years but I rode 1500 miles on my bike this past year and started swimming laps at my local "Y" so all in all post-op life has been vary good to me.

Pete

Just search obesityhelp for revision posts.

This is a common topic for the RNY forum and while I have not been on OH regularly for a long time, I'd guess the same for the vsg forum.

DSers do get some bounce back but statistically we lose weight and keep it off.

With a skilled surgeon, both are "safe". Do not go into this thinking the DS is magic. Regain can happen with any weight loss surgery.

Best wishes on your journey.