Always been curious about this board...

I usually head straight for the DS board.  I thought the BPD by itself was no longer done. 

Are they still doing this, or is it really BPD/DS?

There are no reputable surgeons that do the bpd. The bpd-ds is what we also call the DS, and they are not the same at all.

I wish they'd have named it differently so it wouldn't be so confusing.

Hello.  I had the BPD without DS in March 2002 and have found that over the last year, I have gained about 20 lbs of my weight loss back.  I came to this forum in order to see if this was happening to other people and to see what they ended up doing about it...diet wise and revision wise. 

I was wondering why the BPD wasn't done anymore?  Did they find that it doesn't work as well without the DS?  At the time I wanted the DS, but my surgeon told me that there was really no need for it.  I feel so defective and like I am letting myself and everyone in my family down with this weight gain since they were all with me through the whole thing.  I was thinking I am going to go back to the surgeon that did the surgery and ask for a revision of some sort, but wasn't sure if it was a pouch size issue or and eating issue or perhaps the non DS issue.  It just seems so strange that after almost 11 years, weight would start to come back.  :-( 

Any words of wisdom or any information you can give me would be so greatly appreciated.  Thanks in advance.

Well, I have the BPD-DS (also just called the DS), so my knowledge is limited about the Bpd, but I can tell you that the DSers in general are more knowledgeable about supplementation, so hopefully you are getting really comprehensive labs each year (use Vitaladys list, or one similar) and Vitalady, or many of the DSers can help you decipher them. Our doctors often don't realize something is heading out of bounds on our labs, until it is way out of line, and then much harder to correct. 

It's not you - don't get down on yourself about this. One difference between the bpd and the bpd-ds is that the bpd-ds has a sleeve stomach, whereas you have a pouch. If your pouch or stoma are stretched, then that could be the issue for your gaining, but a surgeon would have to evaluate you to see.

I would NOT NOT NOT go to the same surgeon that gave you the BPD - they are not up to date in either information, or SKILL! I'm angry that you were mislead by them, and wouldn't trust them any further than I could throw them. Many of the problems that result from the pouch are because the pyloric valve is cut off the bottom of the stomach with PBD and RNY (sleeve and DS retain the pyloric valve) and the surgeon makes a stoma instead. Having a manmade stoma in place of your pylorus causes issues like dumping syndrome, reactive hypoglycemia, and regain. 

There are a few surgeons that can reverse the pouch to make a DS or sleeve. I don't know what part of the country you are in, but if near CA I'd have Rabkin or Kesheshian evaluate to see if they can help you. Where are you at? There are a few other surgeons in the US that can to that reversal, but you will almost certainly need to travel. 

At the very least, following some of the early DS eating rules, like high protein, low carb, may help you re-lose that gain, but you have likely lost the caloric malabsorbtion you once had, which will make losing and maintaining much harder, which is why I think you may want to talk to a surgeon that revises many pouches due to regain and other problems.

I don't know of any surgeons, particularly in the US that still do just the BPD (well, I know of one where there was an accident during surgery and part of the stomach couldn't be saved) and am wondering who your surgeon was. 

Thank you so much for clearing up the difference between the BPD and the DS.  Please keep in mind that I had the surgery 11 years ago...before the DS was the way to go.  At that time the BPD was in its infancy, and I went to the best doctor in the field at that time that was one of the only doctors doing anything other than the RNY.  My surgeon was Dr. Christine Ren (Now Dr. Christine Ren-Fields) located at NYU in NYC.  I had faith in her then and still do.  I think she gave me the best advice given the time period.  I looked at her sight yesterday and it is updated for the DS.  She doesn't even do the BPD anymore.  I am going to make an appointment with her to discuss "fixing" my surgery.  Perhaps she is one of the surgeons that can turn this BPD into a DS and fix the stretching I have done to my gastric pouch.  At least I hope so.  

I understand what you mean about doctors not knowing enough about our surgeries to maintain our health afterwards.  I recently became so low in Calcium that I have been placed on Calcitriol.  I had been going to a doctor that had the RNY and so I thought he understood what my medical needs were.  He was doing all the testing that the surgeon had told him to do every six months, but he wasn'****ching closely enough and as a result I ended up with tetany.  I went to a new doctor who sent me to an endocrine doctor who is now helping me get all my numbers back into wack.  Part of it was my complacency for not following up, not getting copies and being knowledgeable enough myself, and for non compliance on taking my vitamins and minerals and such.  In any event, I have taken control of my health again and am much better...taking all my meds and being proactive about my blood tests and health in general.  

I appreciate your candor and information.  Thanks so much for sharing!  :-)

If you are still in NY, then you should talk to Dr Roslin. Here is a link to the list of surgeons that can revise from a pouch. If you go to your same surgeon, she will just put a band over your pouch, or some other half@$$ measure, that wouldn't resolve any pouch issues. Your surgeon CANNOT do that revision. Few can.

I also strongly recommend you get Vitaladys list of supplements, and at least take it with you to the endorinologist. I'm wondering about the Calcitrol, as my understanding is it may pull calcium from bones, to raise the level in your blood, which is not what you need, particularly if you have been lacking adequate calcium. We want calcium going to INto our bones, and it's an issue for many malabsorbers. 

Here is a link to vitaladys suggested daily vitamin schedule, and while many of us thought it excessive at one point, it isn't. Many of us have very similar schedules, with some tweaking. Cannot suggest strongly enough that you look at this, and compare what you take. 

Lastly, here is a link to the labs that should be drawn and target ranges when our blood is drawn. I'm certain that some of these have not been followed closely enough, and you have catching up to do. 

Please get involved in a group that can help you get and stay on target, to get and stay healthy.

Thanks for all the helpful links.  Years ago when I first had the surgery, I used to use many of Vitalady's tips and a few of her products.  I guess I should get back to it.   I truly appreciate the help!  :-)

Actually the BPD is really a distal RNY. You see, the DS done today has a sleeve. not a pouch. If you google weight loss surgery and proboards, you will find a lot of help.

Liz

Thanks!  I did go to the proboards, but there was no mention of a place regarding BPD...only DS.  Seems I am antiquated.  :-)

That's because you really fit in with the RNY board. Even tho your intestines are more along the lines of a DS...you still have a pouch.

I'm sorry you feel "antiquated". Liz