How long did you wait for a revision?

Well long story short, I got sleeved early Oct. of last year. I managed to go from about 250-260ish pounds to currently weighing about 208 pounds. I will soon be 8 months post op and have only lost about about 50ish pounds total. Before sleeve surgery I wasn't even open to the idea of having my intestines "rerouted" but now I think that's what I will need to keep the weight melting off is some type of malabsorption. I do have the 1st part of the DS which is the sleeve and now I'm looking into getting the switch added. The surgeon who did my sleeve would gladly convert me to rny but I don't want rny because I want to keep my pyloric valve intact. I've been looking into DS revision surgeons and trying to see if my insurance will pay for a revision wls. *Sorry for rambling*. My real question is how long did you wait before you had a revision? I don't have any DS surgeons in my state (Colorado) so I will have to travel but this is definitely the surgery that I want even though it may take a while depending on whether or not my insurance will approve it.

I think first of all you need to see if your insurance even covers the DS, some don't because they still consider it experimental. I'd just hate to see you go thru all the prep work to find out they don't cover it. Also they may decide you haven't had your sleeve long enough or used it correctly to lose the weight. I'm not judging, these are just some reasons for denial that I've seen, The best way to know for sure is to simply call your insurance co. and ask.

I am definitely waiting to see what my insurance says before I get my hopes up. My insurance is Tricare and some people have been able to get approval for the DS but I'm still not going to get my hopes up. I wouldn't be surprised if they make me wait until the one year mark post op. I filled out the insurance application with the surgeon that I want to perform my surgery. It's just a waiting game for now. My BMI is 35.9 and I'm only 5'3, so kinda short and still lots of weight to lose and it feels like the scale isn't moving or like I will never make it to goal. I'm probably just being impatient.

I had to go 3.5 years with medical issues caused by the first surgery to consider the first surgery a failure.  Than I had to wait another 4 months to get approved for a revision surgery.

Many won't cover you for a DS if you are such a light weight at only 35.9.  Many insurance won't even approve you at below 40  for WLS at all unless you are >35 with co-morbs.  No way would I do the rny when you already have the sleeve.  Keeping the pyloric valve is very important.

I had the band for 3.5 years and never got below bmi 35 until the very last few months when the band was unfilled and I could eat solid protein. Than I had to be over 35 with co-morbs to start the process to get the revision to sleeve.

Starting at Your weight, 50 pounds is doing OK.  I would think they would require you to give the surgery and yourself a chance.

this is really a difficult question...it is more than about time, gender, age, health, etc.  if you go the revision, yes DS is your best as you have the vsg.  but with only 8 months only you know yourself, do you think you gave the vsg a fighting chance?  the ds is more than bmi, especially when it comes to revisions.  my revision was in the 30's, i know someone that was bmi

I'm not sure if I did give it a fighting chance since it's only been 8 months. I feel as if I'm thinking long term. With the vsg I *might* be able to get to my goal of 130-145 but I'm starting to doubt if I can maintain that without tons of effort and constant dieting. I don't want to be eating 1000 cals for the rest of my life just to maintain and be in a constant dieting/starving cycle. The thing that does worry me about the DS is the fact that I'm only 28yo (3 kids, married 9 1/2 yrs and counting) and I do worry about malabsorption for years on end and possibly having vitamin deficiencies. I also believe that with the DS I will be able to possibly make maintenance easier than it would be with just the vsg. I've been talking to Dr. Ara K. to see if revision would be a good option for me. Like everyone I'm scared of the possibility of weight regain years after having the vsg and I think if I have the DS now or within the next 18 months, maybe I'd be able to benefit from the restriction and the malabsorption, instead of waiting years down the line from vsg and not having as much restriction. Sorry if I'm not making sense but I'm just feeling a little discouraged about the weight not coming off as fast as I thought it would. Also still being in the 200s almost 8 months after surgery is also discouraging. :/

You're right that maintenance would be easier with the DS than with just the VSG. And yes, the sooner you have the Switch added, the more effective it will be.

BUT---Tricare doesn't like the DS, and unless things have changed a LOT recently, they're not going to let you have it unless it's done on a military base by a military surgeon.