Needing some honesty please! ALL info on DS
I am having RNY in Decemeber and i was told to come check out your board. My surgeon refuses to do the DS because of the severe heath risks so I have never even browsed this section. To be honest, I haven't even found ANY surgeon in Oklahoma who does the DS. My question is this, if so many surgeons are against this surgery...why? HONESTLY, what problems are you guys having if any? I have 230 pounds to loose and it does seem more do-able with the DS but I don't want to be sick my entire life either. Guy please give me ANY and all info you may have. Thank you so very much.
Stacy
Stacy
Her surgeon is not wrong about health risks. The DS does come with a lot of risk. It is important to educate yourself very thoroughly before making your decision. You must understand what you will be required to do for the rest of your life in order to minimize those risks and keep yourself healthy.
It is also important to hear from people who are several years and more post-op. It is the longterm - long life in front of you - that matters. Much more than the first year or two or three after surgery.
It is also important to hear from people who are several years and more post-op. It is the longterm - long life in front of you - that matters. Much more than the first year or two or three after surgery.
My DS 
I agree with you 100%. I believe that her surgeon is my surgeon. If I were her, I would go see a doc that does DS. I only wish that I did that instead of getting Sleeved, two years ago.
Virgie Tschirhart
Lap Band - 2008, Sleeve - 2009, RYN - 2017
Started Program Weight July 13, 2017 - 194.2
Before Surgery Weight December 27, 2017 - 185.0
Current Weight - February 2018 - 161.0
Getting a DS will not make you "sick (your) entire life." Unless, of course, you refuse to comply with the requirements: supplementing properly, getting your labs done when necessary, adjusting your supplementation based on the results of those labs, etc. etc.
Surgeons who do not perform the DS, from what I've heard, usually have nothing good to say about it. Why? Because they don't do it. So if you choose to get a DS, that means you won't be having surgery with them, and they won't be getting your money. It's kinda like Tara's car analogy: a car salesman at a Ford dealership is not ever going to tell you that a Chevy is a better car, you know? Skilled DS surgeons are few and far between, because it is a very intricate surgical procedure - it takes a long time to learn how to do it, and it takes a lot more time in the operating room to perform than does the other WLS options, yet most insurance companies reimburse at the same rate as they do for RNYs. So, most surgeons are like, "Why bother?" It's definitely a money issue. The other reason is that the DS requires such a diligent level of compliance that a lot of surgeons are scared that they will have a bunch of non-compliant patients who will mess up their surgical stats.
I think the only way that you can truly make an informed decision about which surgery type is best for you is to see a surgeon who performs all of them. Getting an unbiased opinion of what is your best option is the only way to go.
As far as problems that I'm having because of/due to my DS: none, really. I'm lactose intolerant now, which kind of sucks, but it is definitely not anything that can't be managed - there are tons of people who are lactose intolerant who have never had surgery. Other than that, my health has improved immensely since I had my DS: I am no longer pre-diabetic; my joint pain is pretty much gone; my mild sleep apnea is completely gone; my triglycerides and cholesterol are now low-normal. Oh - and I lost over 100% of my excess weight by 9 months after surgery, and have easily maintained that loss (I am almost a year and a half out from surgery now). I take a lot of vitamins/supplements based on my lab results needs, and I eat a ton of protein. I avoid lactose-containing food that gives me problems (not everything does, like cheese or yogurt), and I try to limit my carb intake (but I don't count carbs either). I love my new life, and I, for the first time ever, feel completely normal. It's amazing.
Surgeons who do not perform the DS, from what I've heard, usually have nothing good to say about it. Why? Because they don't do it. So if you choose to get a DS, that means you won't be having surgery with them, and they won't be getting your money. It's kinda like Tara's car analogy: a car salesman at a Ford dealership is not ever going to tell you that a Chevy is a better car, you know? Skilled DS surgeons are few and far between, because it is a very intricate surgical procedure - it takes a long time to learn how to do it, and it takes a lot more time in the operating room to perform than does the other WLS options, yet most insurance companies reimburse at the same rate as they do for RNYs. So, most surgeons are like, "Why bother?" It's definitely a money issue. The other reason is that the DS requires such a diligent level of compliance that a lot of surgeons are scared that they will have a bunch of non-compliant patients who will mess up their surgical stats.
I think the only way that you can truly make an informed decision about which surgery type is best for you is to see a surgeon who performs all of them. Getting an unbiased opinion of what is your best option is the only way to go.
As far as problems that I'm having because of/due to my DS: none, really. I'm lactose intolerant now, which kind of sucks, but it is definitely not anything that can't be managed - there are tons of people who are lactose intolerant who have never had surgery. Other than that, my health has improved immensely since I had my DS: I am no longer pre-diabetic; my joint pain is pretty much gone; my mild sleep apnea is completely gone; my triglycerides and cholesterol are now low-normal. Oh - and I lost over 100% of my excess weight by 9 months after surgery, and have easily maintained that loss (I am almost a year and a half out from surgery now). I take a lot of vitamins/supplements based on my lab results needs, and I eat a ton of protein. I avoid lactose-containing food that gives me problems (not everything does, like cheese or yogurt), and I try to limit my carb intake (but I don't count carbs either). I love my new life, and I, for the first time ever, feel completely normal. It's amazing.
~Heather~
HW: 249/ CW: 130/ GW: 140
You are much more likely to be sick your entire life with a RnY than with a DS. Dumping, sticking, reactive hypoglycemia, ulcers that can't be scoped or seen if you ever take an NSAID again. A higher risk of regain starting at 2-3 years was what really scared me.
You have to take vitamins with the RnY and get labs. You have to take more vitamins with the DS and different ones. You have to get labs. If you aren't the kind of person who can confront a medical person and explain to them that you don't have an RnY and have different needs then you should be careful with this decision.
Most of us traveled to get the DS. We are not suffereing severe health risks lol. Quite the opposite.
www.obesityhelp.com/forums/amos/4391498/RNY-insulin-carbs-we ight-regain-Articles/#36305662
www.lenoxhillhospital.org/press_releases.aspx
www.dssurgery.com/procedures/compare-surgical-procedures.php
www.obesityhelp.com/forums/ds/4416755/Must-Read-Transcript-o f-Dr-Roslins-Presentation-to-ASMBS-on/
I was on my way to a RnY too. It was the only surgery I could get in the Asheville NC area (well the lapband no thankyou) when I found out about this forum. I was a lightweight with only 100 lbs to lose and the DS was the best decision I ever made. I drove 4 hours one way and stayed in a motel for a week post op to get my DS. I would do it every year if I had to.
~Becky
You have to take vitamins with the RnY and get labs. You have to take more vitamins with the DS and different ones. You have to get labs. If you aren't the kind of person who can confront a medical person and explain to them that you don't have an RnY and have different needs then you should be careful with this decision.
Most of us traveled to get the DS. We are not suffereing severe health risks lol. Quite the opposite.
www.obesityhelp.com/forums/amos/4391498/RNY-insulin-carbs-we ight-regain-Articles/#36305662
www.lenoxhillhospital.org/press_releases.aspx
www.dssurgery.com/procedures/compare-surgical-procedures.php
www.obesityhelp.com/forums/ds/4416755/Must-Read-Transcript-o f-Dr-Roslins-Presentation-to-ASMBS-on/
I was on my way to a RnY too. It was the only surgery I could get in the Asheville NC area (well the lapband no thankyou) when I found out about this forum. I was a lightweight with only 100 lbs to lose and the DS was the best decision I ever made. I drove 4 hours one way and stayed in a motel for a week post op to get my DS. I would do it every year if I had to.
~Becky
(deactivated member)
on 8/7/11 1:47 am
on 8/7/11 1:47 am
Hi,
What Tara said. Your labs, supplements and protein are non-negotiable and will have to be done, adjusted and followed for the rest of your life because our malabsorption lasts for the rest of our lives.
That being said, I see more people with serious problems that have had the RNY and in addition to their health problems there is a very high incidence of regain. You would have
had a major surgery and possibly end up back where you started.
Keep researching! I could have had the RNY 100% paid for right down the street from my house, instead, I self-paid and traveled thousands of miles to have the DS. That is how convinced I was that it was the better surgery for me.
I am 6+ years out and have had zero problems or complications.
HTH,
Michele
What Tara said. Your labs, supplements and protein are non-negotiable and will have to be done, adjusted and followed for the rest of your life because our malabsorption lasts for the rest of our lives.
That being said, I see more people with serious problems that have had the RNY and in addition to their health problems there is a very high incidence of regain. You would have
had a major surgery and possibly end up back where you started.
Keep researching! I could have had the RNY 100% paid for right down the street from my house, instead, I self-paid and traveled thousands of miles to have the DS. That is how convinced I was that it was the better surgery for me.
I am 6+ years out and have had zero problems or complications.
HTH,
Michele
Most Active
Recent Topics
