WLS Candidates - PLEASE check out the DS procedure

I feel so sad hearing so many who are dissatisfied wth the results of the other procedures - if you are on the fence, PLEAE carefully research the DS. I have a normal stomach, but I do not absorb nutrients the same as a normal bowel set-up would. The results: I have more urgency with my BM's and I go 4 - 6 times a day. I take a daily dose of flagyl to keep me from having the gass associated with bacterial overgrowth. I take vitamins and calcium. I lost EVERY OUNCE of excess fat, and I now eat like a machine to maintain my goal weight (it's a terrible burden to eat three normal meals and 3-4 snaks per day...sigh!) Seriously - it's amazing. i am in top physical shape, running, working out, eating whatever i want, whenever i want. I am truly pinching myself over this new life. You can't "cheat" the DS, you won't be starving yourself, you won't dump, you will have a REAL stomach that works just like the old one - just a little smaller. I do everything my surgeon (Dr. Dennis Smith Jr., Advanced Obesity Surgery, Marietta, GA) tells me to, and I kid you not - it's a miracle. Do yourself a favor, save a lifetime of regret - look at the DS. Mike

Hello... What about the Vertical sleeve Gastrectomy".... so far it's the best wls according to me.. It is relatively new but it is getting more & more poular everyday.. No Dumping, NO MALABSORPTION, Normal digestion, purely restrictive proceadure only!! so none of that dumping baloney and future problems of being mal-nourished!!! I am 2 months & 8 days post op and have lost a total of 62lbs with only 43lbs to reach my suregons goal weight of 165lbs and another 58lbs to reach my own personal goal of 150lbs... So if anyone is interested, come on over to the VG forum.. our family is growing everyday!!

DONT FORGET LAPBAND...BY FAR THE SAFEST

Well, I guess the many folks on the OSSG-gone_wrong group on yahoogroups.com who are living with serious problems from the DS don't count. There is no one perfect surgery. And they can go bad even when the patient is 100% compliant with both diet, supplements and exercise. Personally, I'd hate having to take flagyl every day the rest of my life. Two side effects of prolonged flagyl use are seizures and peripheral neuropathy. No thank you. More common side effects include nausea, headache, dizziness, vomiting, diarrhea, epigastric distress, cramping and constipation. It can also cause a chronic metallic taste. Furry tongue, glossitis and stomatitis can be the causes (as a result of the medication) all related to Candida infection from chronic use of antibiotics. I didn't have surgery to have to take more pills to have a manageable life...someone on chronic medication isn't a truly healthy person as they are under constant treatment. Nancy 394/260/180

Nancy can you link me to the yahoo group? I am very interested in learning as much as I can from anyone who has had the DS. I feel very strongly about the VG and think it is the wisest choice to take to at least get down to a safe size and see if it is working continually or if you will need the second half of the surgery. IF so then the option of having it done is there. I know my body and what most haven't understood is that so far to this point in my life, my body is very sensitive to everything. I don't need to take 2 extra strength tylenol for pain of a severe sinus or migrane, I only take a 500mg and it is gone. So I feel my body would be fine with the VG. My surgeon however, doesn't do just that part of the operation as he feels like some who have posted here, that it will not be fully effective. I feel differently for my body. I have a theory, that if you close your eyes when you eat and actually "taste your food" you will also be very aware of how your stomach feels and know when it says "I am satisfied". NOT over done but just right and the maintenance of the goal weight will be attainable and sustainable. Just my opinion though.

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/OSSG-gone_wrong/ Satiety is driven by the vagus nerve, however. What many pre-ops and too many post-ops don't understand is that full doesn't = stuffed, but merely "not hungry anymore". I suspect as time goes by, they'll find a pretty big regain rate with the VG unfortunately...since the smaller stomach will become more elastic and allow more volume (which we know happens with DS folks and it's their high level of malabsorption that allows them to keep that weight off because they can and do eat quite a bit more down the line). One of the reasons I chose the band was its direct interaction with the vagus nerve. I don't stop eating because I can't force another bite down, I stop eating because my hunger shuts off and I'm comfortably satisfied because the brain has gotten that physical signal (you know...the one they always told us about while telling us that meals had to be 20-30 min in length to give that nerve enough time to fire the signal). I too know my body well and had a diagnosed physical satiety disorder (vagus nerve not close enough to stomach to ever fire off that signal). I want that ghrelin to give me the other end of the equation...real hunger. So now my eating is driven like a normal person's: I eat when I'm physically hungry, and I stop eating when I'm not hungry anymore. But the group is a great wealth of information for both people exploring the idea of surgery and those post-op experiencing problems. Nancy 394/260/180

Nancy, You are one of the most knowledgable on this board. I am tired of people saying that the band is ineffective for people with a bmi over 50, but I can;t find proof on the web from a legitamate source. Do you have any websites that I could show these naysayers? Thanks is advance, Joel

The Extraordinarybandsters group on yahoogroups.com probably has more info...to even join that group you have to have started with a BMI of at least 50...lots of success stories in that group...they may have links to more information. Nancy

Thanks Nancy, Have a great week. Joel

I'm a pre-op that has studied all the different types of WLS. I have opted for a DS. I have been a member of OSSG gone wrong group for about a year. Here's what I have noticed. MOST who post on that board are those having serious issues with their RNY surgery. Many times, they don't even post what type of surgery they have had (they might say "gastric bypass"), so it can be hard to tell which surgery they are having problems with. From their issues (dumping, strictures, etc.) -- it is usually easy to tell they had the RNY. Yes, there can be complications with the DS. Sometimes it was because of a surgeon who was not experienced with the surgery (it is more complicated than the RNY) and sometimes it is because of not listening to doctor's orders (i.e. not taking your vitamins and such) and I'm sure there are times when there are problems and you don't know why, but it is not that common. Here's one thing you will NEVER see. You won't see a DS'er wanting a revision to a RNY, but you sure see it in reverse. You also see many a lap-bander getting revised to a DS too. I know (personally) many DS'ers and have quizzed them relentlessly about their BM issues and meds they take. It is just misinformation to say that all DS'ers have 4-6 BMs per day. 90% of those I know, have 2-3 BMs per day. They also take no more vitamins than the RNY's UNLESS their labs say they need something else. I know we all think we have (or will have in my case) the best surgery. I'm not saying the lapband is a bad surgery. I'm not saying the RNY is a bad surgery. I'm just saying get the facts first without putting misinformation on here. Go to www.duodenalswitch.com for the best information. Research, research, research. If eating daintily is something you WANT to do, then RNY is a good choice! If having the least invasive surgery is your main goal, then lap-band is the best choice! If eating normally and losing the most weight is your main goal, then research the DS more. Debbie -