Those of you who have had success with your Duodenal Switch weight loss surgery, listen up: 
(...because the Nation's DS Surgeons NEED YOUR HELP!)
Maria Harrison of UCLA Bariatric Dept (formerIy the USC Bariatric Coordinator many of us knew when we got our DS) wrote me:  She just came back from the ASMBS ( American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery) 29th Annual Meeting, held in San Diego June 17-22, 2012 and she spoke with former USC Bariatric surgeon, Dr. Gary Anthone (who now practices in Nebraska). Maria writes:  What's happened is THIS:
Dr. Namir Katkhouda, a Laparoscopic surgeon at USC who's a driving and deliberate advocate of the RNY gastric bypass (& lap band) weight loss procedures wrote and submitted for publication a scientific paper declaring that the DS procedure is "Bad" and that more than half of the patients had to be revised or suffered from malnutrition. (He also put Dr. Peter Crookes name on the paper -but, I don't know if that was WITH his permission or not.)  Dr. Katkhouda has never performed the DS procedure.  (I remember being at a USC Seminar after my DS, about 8 years ago, witnessing and being appalled when he actually told a prospective attendee NOT to get the DS or she'd die.)  At this year's ASMBS meeting all the DS surgeons were very upset and are trying to stop his report from being published. The recommendation was that the DS patients should write a letter validating their DS is having good result ~~ and if they are being compliant.
I wrote back to Maria asking:  Is there a paper or "form" of what information they would like; is there any "official request" or "questionnaire" they have created to get out to ALL DS'ers around the COUNTRY to get THEIR opinion and certification of how well it HAS worked for them? Or is there a website to go to as to what exactly the ASMBS DS surgeons/advocates need, in regards to patient's DS outcome/success?
Maria wrote back:  The DS surgeons will be working hard to make him wrong, but Dr. Gary Anthone will need telephone numbers and emails to collect testimonies.  Once they set up the website for reporting, it will be available.  She writes:  In the meantime, she needs DS patient "contact information" to provide to Dr. Anthone.  Please, email to me:  [email protected] with the words in the subject:  "DS patient"  your name, contact phone number and email address so you can be sent the information to submit your testimonial. 
So many had fought for the DS - it's changed and saved their lives; let's not let Dr. Katkhouda take the DS away from helping future obese patients!
Sharon Harvey, [email protected]  
DS on 12-5-2003 with Dr. Peter Crookes, USC
(I have maintained a 200 lb. loss)
Here is this year's ASMBS 2012 Annual Meeting website: http://2012.asmbs.org/

Sorry, just noticed I posted this in the wrong forum...

Not taking vitamins, or adequate vitamins with a malabsorbtive can be a death sentence. You have to consume at least 100 gr of protein a day to get what your body needs, maybe more. It's not optional - things like your heart are muscle, and the body will consume muscles to keep you going if you aren't getting enough protein. If you have the edema in your legs, that is a sign you are well into protein malnutrition.

I would ask you to post what your surgeon has you on for iron, b12 and other supplements, but I know already it is horribly lacking. You should be having regular thorough blood work, and you tweek your vitamins based on that with the help of your doctor, but it sounds like you are way behind, and will a specialist to get you on mega doses ASAP.

You need to find the vets over on pro boards (weight loss) and talk to Vitalady. She has helped many figure out what they need, and she has the right formulations that malabsorbers need. Since you seem to have such poor supplements info, I suspect that you may not be on the right types of some supplements as well.

You will need thorough labs, like if they didn't draw over 20 vials of blood, they were not thorough. Contact Vitalady or the vets when you have those. Becoming deficient in some vitamins can not only cause permanent damage, but can be fatal. Please don't wait on this.

 

 Help, I just come across your forum and to be honest I never knew this option existed! Will any of you mind answering the following questions as I go on my journey to choose what is right for me .... What I'm really wondering is how much do you eat per day. Are you eating very large quantities of any one particular type of food like proteins or carbs? I have read a post to the saying they to having to eat like a horse what does that mean? From what little I can put together it sounds completely amazing and it makes me question why does surgery is not more popular. What is it growing in popularity? Does anyone have any links that have a drawling for a visual explanation of what the surgery is I am so confused and intrigued. Currently I am looking into sleeve as a lapband formerly ... I'm concerned hearing that band to sleeve do not necessarily guarantee a lot of weight loss. Would that be the same thing here? In advance thank you so much for your time and effort.