Post op lifestyle and Pros/Cons Lap DS vs. Lap R en Y

List 'em. Tell me your thoughts. Also, would like to know if anyone out there is like me. I'm male, early 40's, 270, BMI 42. A surgeon tole me that R en Y was better than DS because the post op was much harder for those with DS. He said that they lived a very sickly life constantly struggling to maintain their nutrition and that it was a mistake if I had it. From what I've read there are less complications, nicer eating lifestyle and better long lasting results. Set me straight!! Thanks, Newbie with Questions

Hi Barry, Does your surgeon perform the DS himself? Based on his comments, I would venture to guess that he does not. As an analogy, think of a car salesman. If I sell Chevy's, am I going to recommend that you purchase a BMW? Or will I try to point out (or make up) negatives about the BMW while touting the virtues of the Chevy's that I sell? It is true that the DS surgery itself is more complicated than the RNY - for the surgeon! But as far as I know, the recovery times are pretty much the same for either type of surgery. As far as quality of life post-op, THAT IS THE REASON I CHOSE TO HAVE A DS!! The first day post-op I was NPO (no food or drink****il I had my leak test. As soon as that was performed, I was able to have a full liquid diet. Since I tolerated that just fine, I was moved to a soft diet. So within a couple of days of my surgery I was eating REAL food. My first soft diet consisted of roast pork, green beans and mashed potatoes. REAL food - not the pureed baby-food type diet that RNY'ers get immediately post-op. When I was discharged from the hospital, I was told that I could eat anything that I could tolerate. Granted, I could only tolerate VERY small amount of anything at first, but that is equally true of RNY'ers, if not moreso, as the DS stomach is larger than the RNY pouch. That pouch is one of the most important reasons that I chose DS. First of all, if you have a pouch, you are unable to take NSAID's. As I have heart issues and need to take aspirin daily, this would have been a real problem for me. Next, a pouch has an artificial opening, a stoma, connecting it to the small instestine. This stoma can become easily clogged if you don't chew your food to mush. This can be very painful, and even require a trip to the ER. With the DS, a partial gastrectomy is performed. This process removes part of the stomach, but maintains the natural exit, the pyloric valve, that controls how fast your food empties into the small intestine. Because of this, there is no stoma to get clogged. Also, since the pyloric valve regulates the speed that food enters into the digestive tract - rather than a stoma, which is NOT a valve, just an opening - DS'ers do not "dump", as dumping is caused by the rapid release of undigested food into the intestines. Dumping feels much like a low blood sugar incident, and I don't know about you, but I was diabetic pre-surgery, and have had my share of low blood sugar incidences. I really don't want a procedure that touts "dumping" as a benefit!! I don't want to be punished for eating like a normal person. Oh, another thing, removing the greater curvature of the stomach also removes much of the area that produces ghrelin - the hormone that causes us to feel hungry. So not only do you have smaller capacity, but you also don't feel as hungry. As far as living "...a very sickly life constantly struggling to maintain their nutrition..." - that is just plain BULL. It is true that it is mandatory to take a good muti-vitamin or pre-natal vitamin and calcium. Most also supplement the fat-soluable vitamins A, D, E and K. It is also vital that you follow the after-care recommended by your surgeon, including yearly blood testing. However, vitamin supplementation is also vital for RNY'ers, as is after-care and yearly blood testing. Personally, I haven't felt this well in many, many years! I certainly am NOT living a "sickly life" nor am I struggling to maintain my nutrition. Did your surgeon talk to you about long-term results of the RNY vs DS? Did he mention that the percent of weight lost is much better for DS than for RNY? Did he mention that many RNY'ers either fail to lose at least 50% of their excess weight or gain back a significant amount of weight after two years, whereas DS'ers routinely lose 75%-85% of their excess weight and usually have a rebound of only 10-15 pounds at about five years out? You don't have to take my word for this. I suggest that you check out the following site for some really great information on the DS: ---> www.duodenalswitch.com For a really good comparison of all of the major procedures, check this out: ---> www.dssurgery.com/generalinformation/comparison.php For a really great presentation by one of the top DS surgeons in the world, you might like to go to this Support Meeting. Note that RNY and DS are BOTH explained thoroughly, and the reasons given as to why their practice prefers the DS. Also, you do not have to be a patient to attend the seminar: ---> www.paclap.com/SupportGroups/supportgroups.html#IL And last but certainly not least, be sure you visit the DS forum right here on OH. This is one of the most informative and supportive group you'll ever find! ---> www.obesityhelp.com/forums/DS/a,messageboard/board_id,5357/ Barry, I am so proud of you for researching thoroughly before making a decision - after all, no matter which surgery you eventually select, it iwill be a life-altering procedure. I've given some reasons why the DS was right for ME - but acknowlege that it might not be right for everyone. Keep asking questions until you KNOW you've made the right decision for YOU. Best of luck on your journey, and sorry for the LONG post! Beverly sw/272, cw/210, gw/152

Barry, I do not think that we here can really set you straight on what the correct answer is to your research question for DS vs RNY. I would suggest that you get a couple of books to help you compare all of the procedures. "Weight Loss Surgery for Dummies", "Weight Loss Surgery, a Lighter Look at a Heavy Subject" and also Barbara Thompson's book on WLS "Weight Loss Surgery, Finding the Thin Person Hiding inside You". All of the books with the exception of Weight Loss Surgery for Dummies can be purchased on this site in the store. You may also be able to find them cheaper on amazon.com. There are also a whole bunch more books in this site's store. This is where you will find the most detailed information as to all of the pros and cons of all the surgeries. Also on this site like I mentioned to you in your other post on the home page is the box with the featured topics and it explains all of the surgeries in detail. Both my husband and I are PO RNY patients. We needed the added enforcement of dumping syndrome to keep us on the straight and narrow. I for one have microscopic colitis (MC) and in reading about the DSers having 3-4 bowel movements a day that was not something that I needed in addition to my MC which already has a small issue with the frequency of going to the potty. So, you need to look into what all the pros and cons are in that arena with RNY vs DS and only you can set yourself straight and make an informed decision. Come back anytime with questions or PM me and ask. Chris