SOME ONE PLEASE HELP !

 Here!  Here!  This is so very true!  Your surgery cant just be about your weight loss. It must be about eliminating the comorbids for the long term. I wouldnt settle for anything less than the DS. Your chances of eliminating diabetes is so much better. 

This is incorrect, OHIP will no longer send people out of country for DS or any WLS. There is a DS surgeon in Hamilton who is performing virgin DS surgeries (Dr. Hong) and complicated or revision cases go to Dr. Gagner in Montreal.

I am a patient of Dr Gagner and I have diabetes and high blood pressure and high cholesterol and he said that I should have the VSG and not the DS and that he thinks I will have good results on both the weight and the co morbs. He said the difference in percentage of resolution or improvement for diabetes is about 10% btwn the DS and the VSG and he said that the DS will make me too thin and is much higher maintenance and has the issues associated with malabsorption of nutrients etc. I tried for the DS with him for precisely the same reasons you outlined and he said that the VSG is a better option for me with about 75-80 lbs to lose. I believe him as he seems to be the expert. Having the VSG in April. Hope that it works because it really is about the co morbs and not the looks. If I can't get a good result on the co morbs then it will have been in vain. I certainly hope that this does not happen...I think everyone is different and indeed it is very important to research all the options but in the end listen to the experts.

It shocks me that Dr. Gagner would tell you blatent lies. This has been studied extensively and the resolution of diabetes with VSG at 5 years post-op is 55% compared to 95% with the DS. The excess weight lost with VSG is also an average of 55% at 5 years out, compared to 75-90% with DS. The DS has a 1.5% risk of malnutrition and losing too much weight in people with a BMI under 50. It is not a realistic risk. Even with VSG you need to supplement and there is a risk of nutrient deficiency. If one is committed to the vitamin regimen there is a very low risk of problems with the DS. I was 220lbs and 5'2" on the day of my DS surgery. Hearing what Dr. Gagner told you has made me lose significant respect for him.

I don't know... I am sure everyone is different and he must be recommending the VSG for me because of the specifics of my case. I have spoken to some who have the DS and have also cautioned me to think twice or thrice...because of the same reasons he evoked. One particular issue is that I work in places which are conflict or post confluct zones and medical care is often non existant. He also said I could always get the DS down the road if necessary. I mean, if he doesn't tell it like it is, who can one trust? I was the one who sought him out, he wasn't scouting for patients...

Wow, if he actually said that to you, I'd change surgeons. There are plenty of studies that are contrary to what he is telling you, and for him to just lie would make me RUN from a surgeon. 

Can you send me some links to the studies? I will have another discussion with him on this. No running! He is a great surgeon and I am sure that he is giving me his advice with my specific cir****tances in mind. But I will have a go at it again! Maybe I will convince him.

What Dr. Gagner is a lie. He just has a DS bias for lightweights. Thinks its too much for them. He's wrong.

And 10% IS a large difference in resolution rate of diabetes.

Please, PLEASE switch surgeons and find one who is lightweight DS friendly!

Liz (a lightweight who loves her DS)

I looked into a few other DS surgeons (in the UK, Belgium and Spain) and got more or less the same from them. My options are on this side of the pond. I honestly think he is giving me his view based on my specific situation and balancing the tool with my life needs and ability to have necessary follow up. (see above). I don't believe he is lying! That's kind of extreme... He is bound by ethics isn't he? I think he is telling me what he thinks would work for me based on what he knows of the different surgeries and of me and balancing the pro's and con's in that specific context. I got my diabetes under control without surgery already. My A1C is 5.7 now. So maybe given that it has only been six months since I was diagnosed my beta cells aren't totally gone and I will have sufficiently good results with the sleeve.

Hi there!  More and more people in Ontario are getting VSG's and DS's.  You have to make a very good case for it, but it's possible.

Come over to the Ontario board for a visit and you can talk to people about their experiences.

http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/on/