Thoughts on if I picked the best surgery option?

I love the line- there is no set it and forget it WLS #truth

Hi ValAttack  

Congratulations on your upcoming surgery and taking charge of your health...  I like to provide as much information I can and then suggest while you are reading about the surgery type, ask yourself can I do this for the REST of my life?  If the answer is yes then you usually have your answer.  As everyone has said all surgeries have their pros and cons.  The next thing I suggest is for you go to hang out on the forum of the surgery you are considering.  Read, ask and our members will help in any way they can.  One thing I will add concerning the DS. This is a very specialized surgery and you want to make sure you get a surgeon that is very experienced in it.

 

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Duodenal Switch Forum (DS)

Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Surgery Forum (RNY)

Keep us posted on how you are doing!  

Regards,

Kathy

You have a BMI over 50 (according to one of your pervious posts). This means you are SMO. The best chance of losing weight and keeping it off statistically is the DS. HOWEVER- a lot depends on your ability to suppliment, get annual blood work, and your commitment to adhering to a WLS regime. .

I had the DS. I am very happy with it. It is not PERFECT, but it's given me what I want....a sustained weight loss without much effort.

I would have failed with the VSG- I need malabsorbtion. I know I would have been able to out eat the RNY- stretched out my pouch or ruin my stoma...etc. So the DS was really the only choice for me, it's hard to break. I have an old style DS, the new DS has more absorption and a smaller VSG. I think it's a better surgery- less chance of vitamin deficiencies and more long term restriction (at 10 years out, i have no restriction).

But with all that said, you should decided what you want to do and whats best for you. We always use to say on the DS board think twice-cut once. Revisions are REALLY hard on the body.

There is a modified version of both called the DS SADi which I had 2 years ago. It's similar to an updated version of an RNY but preserves the pylorus value which will make a big difference in your life. It is also similar to a DS but includes a much longer common channel so there is a low risk of malabsorbtion and lower risk of surgery complications. Although it's not discussed much on this website, it has become a common and often preferred alternative to the other 2 procedures. I would suggest finding a surgeon familiar with all your options and discuss it with them.

FYI - I am also fairly active and have lost more than 100% of my excess weight over 2 years. Now I'm gaining back slowly while working out daily. I expect to ultimately end up just below my goal weight.

 

I had rny in 2006. I lost lots of weight but gained much oot it back. I blamed myself and thought it was only me until I got in this site and found out it was quite common. I am having revision to ds in November and wish I would have done it the first time. When I. Had my surgery I didn't even know about ds. I have researched it and it seems that long term success is much better than ds. Either way, best of luck to you 

I had the RNY, and good success with it.  BUT, if I had a surgeon that was experienced in performing the DS, I would get the DS.  My BMI was 49 when I started and I was active.  The DS has better long term results, but not many surgeons are experienced enough with it (>100 surgeries) to justify the additional risk.  A key reason to have the VSG (for us former hi BMIers) is that VSG to DS is a lap surgery.  Most RNYs to DS are open surgeries.  The VSG is also a shorter surgery and less compls from anesth.

So, put out some more infor about yourself - age, wt, BMI, any other health risks - hiatal hernia, GERD.  And see what others have to say.

More than likely, your WLS doesn't do the DS, that's why he recommended the RNY.  See another surgeon who actually does the DS, not just says that he does it.  We used to call them Bait and No Switch docs.

Im 11 years 2 months post op DS. Greatest decision I ever made. Prior in my heavy days, how do I put this..... I was an enigma then as I still kinda am now. Even at 402lbs, I was serious athlete healthy just fat. My only issue was higher free testosterone levels which was thought to be pcos, but it wasnt as weve come to find out as Ive never been close to diabetic or insulin resistant. After researching for months and talking to many different drs, I chose the DS. As 1) clearly for being so active why was I so big and not stopping, so something like the RNY wasnt going to work I needed the permanent strong malabsorption. 2) I am allergic to artifical sweeteners, and react badly to even stevia and the like, so that was an important factor. 3) I also have egg, whey and soy allerigies....so that puts most all shakes out of the question, I needed to eat my food. After all these years I can eat no more than 10 oz usually at a time (my original stomach was 5oz). The RNY didnt offer what I truely needed to control my weight cause it wasnt over eating (calories in/out) wasnt lack of exercise and I always preferred to eat good foods and wasnt a huge eater. I always complained that I always felt I didnt belong in my body, like I was in a fat suit. Well surgery proved that too as all my fat was below the skin. No fatty organs or fat surrounding them.

Fast forward 10 years, I suffer 3 adrenal crisis. Well come to find out my weight problem was caused by steroid imbalance in my body by congenital adrenal hyperplaysia. But I am now sufferring from secondary adrenal failure as it was never caught or treated till now. Very likely would not have been caught if I was still obese, would have just recieved care for what it acts like not what it is. My DS allows me to eat as I need for this condition... aka high sodium as I salt waste (this is horribly deadly). If I get to run down I can get hypoglycemic....so that sugar is crucial. Also need to eat frequently. I have to keep my potassium intake lower (so that mean minimal milk, potatoes, yogurt etc). I thank my DS and its long term WL results for helping keep my weight down. Cause knowing what I have now the DS was even more crucial.

So why do I credit my DS for saving me again. Because it made me more aware than i was and responsible for my own body. So when I walked in that Drs office with labs in hand that I was the epitomy of health in every other way at a whoppi ng 33yo, I couldnt be blown off like when I was obese. Esp as a clearly fit individual too, I am a stationary engineer (I work in a powerhouse), I have 6 horses,I did ride and compete 2 out of the 6 regularly and 2 comming of age, with all the hay throwing, stall cleaning bucket hauling work that comes with it. I also do yoga 5 times a week.They had to pull out the big guns no questions about piddly little stuff.

My DS is the reason I am still here no matter what. Ive lost all the weight I wanted and have kept it off (actually below now because of what I am dealing with). Ill take 100% loss 11 years later.