Considering Revision and now terrified

OK. I have been here before, and had many conversations with you wonderful DSers. In fact, many of you were up all night before my RNY and tried to talk me out of it... Feel free to say I told you so.

Since month three post op I knew I made the wrong choice. And now here I sit, still obese and stuck. I had a pregnancy, and lost a little during, but now stuck. I dump on everything, not just sugar. Everything I eat makes me sick. My blood sugar is always in the toilet. And I am severely dehydrated all the time.

So my surgeon mentioned a possible revision. My surgeon being the same surgeon here in AZ that just lost a patient, and a friend to all of you.

Now I am not sure what to do. I meet my current insurance's requirements to have the DS, but not out of state. Dr Fang is the only surgeon in AZ right now that I am aware of doing the DS. I was really looking forward to this possibility, and now I am frozen in my tracks.

Any guidance or insight is welcome from you wonderful folks.

I see our surgery dates are only a few days apart...I had the D/S mainly because I had a BMI of 79 and needed ALL the help I could get from my surgery. I am very happy with my choice. I wish you were having the same results. The RNY a very good surgery and I know many who have great results with it....not sure just why some do and some do not.
My only thought about the revision would be that you MUST have a surgeon that you trust. I would keep searching every option until you can find that comfort. I think it is very important. My surgeon is a long distance from you I know and not an option. He has been doing wls since 1978 and I can honestly say that I had no second thoughts about surgery with him at any time.
P.S. He does do revisions to D/S !!!!
 

Dr. Maguire does not do rny to ds revisions. He does not touch the pouch, but does re-arrange the intestines to have a common channel around 100 if the previous surgery allows. 

Unless his policy has changed since January '11

 

 

I would look into travelling for your revision since they are VERY complicated and tricky to do, you need a top-notch DS surgeon. ONLY go with recommended, vetted DS docs who have experience revising the RNY to DS. There's a lot of RNY to DS revision peeps on this board who would be more than happy to recommend DS surgeons for the job.

Do not settle for Dr. Fang. You're better off waiting to make other arrangements than settling for a doc who already has a shaky reputation and isn't skilled enough. A revision is not a job for a novice.

I would also ask around for advice on how to arrange for aftercare, the recovery from a revision is from what I hear is much longer than a virgin DS.

Edit: typos and such

There are only a handful of surgeons in the US that can do the complicated RNY to DS revision.  Not just any DS surgeon can do it.  I'm sure others will chime in with the names of the surgeons.  My surgeon was Dr. Henry Buchwald at the U of M Medical Center in Minneapolis, MN.  There are a couple in CA.  You will probably have to travel if you are going to go forward with this complicated revision.

So with traveling, is that something I could petition my insurance to cover if they feel I do qualify for it?

It depends on your insurance. It might cover the surgery and hospital if the DS revision surgeon is in network (some docs out of state are actually in network, but it depends on your plan). However, the travel expenses may not be covered.

I cannot advise much on this, as I was self pay due to an isurance exclusion on all WLS. But others may be able to help out with some info.

Yeah I have started my savings in case self pay is my only option. I will have to start making some calls to find out. Gotta get Fang to say I for sure need it first....

Awesome! Good to hear that you're saving up just in case. Even if it looks like the insurance will cover it, keep saving money into that account. Until everything is approved and the paperwork is done, you never know what may happen. It helps to be prepared just in case!

I feel so sad for you, and this is not I told you so, we all make the best decision why/when we have surgery.  I have a HMO and I went out of network,hospital was out of network, surgeon was out of network, anesthesiology, etc.  I was a revision and the 4th WLS, NO WAY was just anyone going to chop me up, I had to appeal to go out of network.  every insurance co is different, but yes you have a case that rny to ds is a highly specialized surgery and you need a highly skilled surgeon.   appeal with your insurance co.  .....PM me if you would...