Hi, Holly.  I hope I can clear up a few misconceptions you seem to have about DS.

I went to Brazil because my health insurance excluded ALL weight loss surgery for ANY reason.  However, I would have gone to the ends of the earth for my DS, whereas you couldn't pay me to have RNY or lapband, for all the reasons I put in my previous post.

I did not just show up in the ER when I had a complication.  Dr. Husted wasn't seeing patients yet, so I went to an experienced bariatric surgeon, who does not perform DS but is certainly educated about it.  He had been recommended to me by my sister-in-law, who is an endoscopic nurse and had worked with this surgeon before.  He handled my case without hesitation, and my health insurance covered the entire bill.   In most cases, patients with complications either return to their surgeon, or their surgeon coordinates by phone with a doctor the patient chooses close to their home.  DS surgeons are quite accustomed to working with other doctors long-distance.

 The rate of complications with DS is no higher with DS than with RNY.  In the old days, DS was performed only on patients who had BMIs over 60, which places them in a much higher risk category no matter what type of surgery they have.  Now that DS is being performed on folks with all BMIs, including "lightweights", the complication rate is about the same. 

DS has been performed for over 20 years in its current form.  However, the sleeve portion has been performed since the 1800's for various stomach ailments such as cancer and ulcers.  And the intestinal portion is performed in other countries exclusive of the sleeve portion solely for the successful treatment of diabetes.  Medicaid and Medicare have covered it for several years.  Why?  Because it works.  It is not considered "experimental." 

The reason most surgeons don't perform DS is simple - money.  It takes several months of proctoring under another surgeon to learn to perform DS because it is a much more complex procedure to learn, and most doctors don't want to put their profitable practices on hold for that.  In addition, a doctor can perform 2 RNY surgeries or 3 lapbands in the time it takes to do one DS, so they earn 2 or 3 times as much money doing those surgeries.  Plus they don't make all the money on the fills and unfills that they do with lapband.

As for follow up care, it's true that if you don't take your supplements, your health will suffer, but that's the case with any weight loss surgery.  Since there is a greater amount of malabsorption with DS than RNY, you'll get into bigger trouble and faster with DS, but if you don't intend to follow up and take care of your health by taking supplements and getting regular labs, you have no business getting any WLS.

I made the commitment to get the DS no matter what it would take, because I knew it would offer me the greatest chance to lose the weight, and keep it off forever.  I have personally seen several women *****gained all their weight with RNY, or just never lost it at all with lapband.  I knew if I had to live on a diet for the rest of my life, which is required with the other WLS, that I shouldn't even bother with surgery because if I could do that, I wouldn't need surgery at all.  DS doesn't require me to count calories or fat grams.  I eat whenever I am hungry, rich and satisfying foods, until I am satisfied, several times a day.  I wi**** could be this way for everyone, including you, Holly.  Best of luck with your choice.