RNY to DS Revision DR. Greenbaum

Wait wait wait until you get what ever it is you need!  If you feel the ds is your way to go, then do not accept anything else!

I did, and I regret it every day.  My Ins approved me for a second revision with Dr K, but due to family cir****tances, I dont have the other resources to go ahead with it. 

My story is alot like Monique's, in that neither surgery was 100% successful for me, despite following the rules of the surgery.

Good luck to you!

 Check out Dr. Hugh Houston at Centennial Bariatric Center in Nashville, TN.  I believe he is considered a very good surgeon.  He did my DS and it has gone fantastically well.  And, I'm pretty sure he does revision surgeries as well.  In addition, they have the ranking of Center of Excellence (or maybe that's the hospital they are affiliated with).  AND, they guarantee their work for 90 days or so.  That means that if you have complications during the first three months, the cost of treatment to address the complications is on them.  

And, is this Greenbaum in New Jersey??? If it's the same one, a friend of mine had her DS through him.  She raved about him at first but I think it was a mistake.  I don't feel she got the after care support she should have.  She was going down in vit D.  She was taking 50k a day... but it wasn't the dry!!!  They either told her to take the dry and she forgot or they never told her.  This was an issue that went on for months and months.  I had to tell her about the dry!  I was shocked!  I just assumed her dr's would already have her on it.  In addition, she's had a lot of funky reactions and issues with her DS.  Some of it was her fault dealing with food choices, some of it wasn't.  Not sure if it was due to surgical skill or just how her body responded.  In all fairness, part of the after care issue is that she moved.  But something about the situation just doesn't feel right to me.  

I agree... go for the DS.  But I'm just saying that from my personal experience and becuase I didn't trust myself to be successful long term with an RNY.  

Good luck!!!

Dr. Houston is not a "vetted" RNY to DS revision surgeon.  RNY revisions are the most difficult and there are only maybe 2 or 3 surgeons in the US that I would reccomend.  There are a few more surgeons that have been doing these type of revisions and hopefully soon they will have enough experience.

There are quite a few good DS surgeons for virgin DS or Band to DS revisions but RNY to DS is a whole 'nother animal.

COE accredations are notoriously easy to obtain and, yes, it is the hospital that has it, not the doctor.

Also, most surgeons do not offer optimal after-care, they are cutters not nutritionists.  I agree that if they offer the surgery, they should offer good after-care but as of yet, I haven't seen that happening.

If Dr. Huston offers good after care that is a huge plus for you!!

Michele

Dr. Houston's office does offer excellent after care.  They emphasize it.  He has nutritiionists on staff that call after your labs are in to talk about them and talk about what needs to be done.  Although, I still believe you are the most informed person about you and it's still important to be your own informed advocate.  

Also, I noticed you did a typo and said Dr. Huston later on in your message....  important important distinction.  I'm guessing you would recognize that they are two different DS docs but I want to make sure that everyone else knows they are two different DS docs.  I could not in good conscious recommend Dr. Huston to anyone.  There are just too many red flags associated with him.  

I was thinking Dr. Hugh Houston did do RNY revisions to DS, but I can't find that info on their website so I'm guessing you're right.  

Oops, sorry for the typo.  I was referring to Dr. Houston. I probably ought to use his first name in conjunction with his last name to avoid getting them mixed up in the future.

That is awesome that he provides great aftercare, like I said, many do not, sad to say.

Michele

Yeah... it's terrifying when you think of the enormous changes to our system and the changes in needs for a surgeon's office to not offer good aftercare.  My friend whose DS was done by Dr. G but she moved soon after, I can't say what type of aftercare support she would have gotten if she had stayed.  But, there were definite problems trying to work things at a distance.  The support, and critical guidance, just weren't there.  She is at least 3 years out from surgery and she has finally settled in a place she looks like she will be for awhile (she did a lot of moving associated with her work).  And so.. she has finally gotten in touch with a DS surgeon's office for the purpose of getting appropriate aftercare -- and her labs show she's having to make up for some lost time.

I had a sucessful revision from RNY to DS, but in 2009. Unfortunately I was one of Dr. Greenbaum's problem children in that I had a **** load of post op complications that lingered chronic for 18 months. It took another gastro surgeon and a near complete gastrectomy to finally fix what ailed me. I don't blame Greenbaum for my post op complications though I know he does bear responsibiity for them (his own words), but in subsequent conversations about why he thought this happened to me I was informed that he had noticed that non transected RNY pouches present with far more problems than non transected RNY pouches. I'm pretty sure (total speculation on my part here) that had one of his patients not died  of some post op crap in ICU he very well might still be doing RNY to DS revisions.

As for stringing you along. I would have been pissed too and I'm sorry that is how things turned out for you. Best to have found out now though than day of surgery.  As a previous distal (eRNY) gastric bypass person I would not recommend having it done. I'm sorry that you now have to find another doctor to do this as well. I have no control of Dr. G, but it does sadden me to hear that this type of thing is happening.

All the best to you from here on out in your journey.

Maddie

I was so sure that I researched this and I was fully prepared for this surgery.  I respect Dr G being cautious but he should have said no that he was not doing the revision I requested.  I read the concerns expressed on this board but because I asked him directly and he assured me of his belief in the DS I thought everything was fine.  I am now reaching out to Dr Rabkin and if he is able and willing to perform the RNY to DS revision I will be California bound.  I may not be the sharpest pencil in the cup but I do have a point.  I learn from my mistakes.  I chose the wrong surgery before in haste and I refuse to make that mistake again.  As long as the RNY to DS revision is medically feasible for me I will pursue it. Thank you for all the responses I needed a sounding board to work through this.  Just because there is a surgery date does not obligate me to accept a surgery that I do not think is in my best interest.  Lesson learned and time to move on.  I am done crying over spilled milk.  Now it is about restoring my health.

Vee

Good for you!!!  Strong, beautiful woman!  I am powerful, hear me roar!  Anyone going through a similar process is going to take courage from what you shared here... And they'll learn a lot.
   (happy dance)

Count me as one of the "grandfathered in" RNY to DS people. My personal opinion is that Greenbaum decided independently that he did not wish to do these anymore, but my case had lingered on "in the system" that I still had RNY to true DS approval by him (approval was not by insurance--had nothing to do with insurance).

He's very skilled. I can only wish him well and hope that he continues to do the full RNY to DS as there are so many needing patients out there.