DSfacts.com

 Dr. Gagner's latest study shows a 40% failure rate of RNY for 50 and over BMIs.

This is exactly why I'm getting the DS in *looks at sig line* 16 days. I do not want to gain back everything I lose and I damn sure don't want to have surgery twice! No way. I may not get skinny, but I *will* be healthy.

I love www.dsfacts.com! Scientific info, success stories, a list of qualified surgeons--all great info about this amazing surgery.

Oh, and I love, love, love my DS!!!

I started this journey at a BMI of 55.5. Within 16 months, my type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea were gone and I was a normal BMI. I now hang out at around 150 pounds and I feel great. Results ARE typical.

AND, as long as I eat my protein and take my vites, I eat what I want, from steak to cheese to bacon to desserts. Life is sweet!

Seriously, you owe it to yourselves to learn about the DS as an option, people. WLS does not have to suck.

Nicolle

I never considered the RNY or the band...Just didn't feel like either one of those were right for me.
I'm planning to have the VSG. Isn't that the first step of a DS anyway? Isn't today's rule of thumb that you have the VSG and if, after a few years, you haven't lost as much as you wanted or are not able to maintain that weight, that you can then go back and have the 2nd part to complete the DS?

There was a brief time that some doctors thought doing one, then the other, on extreme obese (BMI >60) patients was a good thing, but not anymore.

I suppose if you want to pay for 2 surgeries instead of one, you could go that way.

But I just want to do it right with one cut.

I haven't really read up on the DS very much but I didn't even know they did it all at once now.
I have a consultation with the surgeon on the 31st..so I suppose between the two of us we will decide which procedure is best for me. My BMI is right around 50.

I was self pay because my insurance company specifically excludes any WLS. My BMI was way over 50. One surgeon refused to do the full DS & just wanted to do the sleeve instead (because of my high BMI). I switched surgeons to one who would do the full DS because I could not afford 2 surgeries. I'm SO glad I did! I believe the DS saved my life! Best wishes on your weight loss journey!

First thing you should do is call the surgeons office and see if he even does the DS, Because if he doesn't do DS then he won't be recommending it.

Sad fact but surgeons don't recemmend a procedure that they don't perform. It doesn't make them any money.

Do your research and YOU figure out for YOURSELF what suregery is best for YOU, then find a surgeon that does that surgery.

Catnip

Goodlife:  If your surgeon does not do the DS, he will more than likely try to talk you out of it.  That is exactly what happened to me.  But, I was smart enough to get a second opinion with a surgeon that does all 4 WLS.   He does all four because he says each person can live with a different lifestyle after the fact.

As for the VSG vs Full DS.  From what I know with the VSG they make the stomach smaller than with a DS, so you eat less.  With the DS you have the malabsorbtion aspect which helps with other comorbidities, if you have them.

Weight loss by itself helps.  So the VSG is a great start if you just need to lose weight.

If you have a high cardiac risk, the DS lowers that by 85%.  If you have type II diabetes, the DS "cures" it.

I personally fought my insurance for the sleeve.  Denied all the way to the top.  Was approved for RNY with a BMI of 53.   Knew in my heart the RNY would not work for me.  The band had already failed and caused damage.
 
I had been approved for the RNY for almost a year when I thought that would be my only option, then my insurance started covering the DS (not the sleeve though).   Was told by my RNY surgeon that I would not be a good canidate for the DS.  Was told that it could not be done because of a condition I was born with.  Told a million things, that were false. 

Luckily, Dr. Stewart knows his stuff.  Had no problem with removing the band, and converting to the full DS.  No post op issues (knock on wood) and loving my DS!

Another thought about doing the VSG first.   If you lose down to a BMI that will not qualify you for the DS, then you will be self pay for your second surgery.  To me that is a big issue.

Cut once!

I LOVE reading the positive posts about the DS.  I am having my DS surgery  in 1 week !   I am looking forward to having great results like the people who have posted support.     When I went for my pre-op class I was the only DS patient in the room and I know most of the others would have been candidates but just wondered why they had chosen the RNY instead.  I feel confident I made the right decision and am nervous but anxious to get my life back.   Thanks so much for making me feel much better about my decision.    I will keep you posted on my sight.  Feel free to friend me.