Update for anyone *****members me....

I am so sad for you.  I'll pray that everything is perfect post-revision.  You deserve a much better life. 

Dawn, I'm so sorry you have gone through all this, and hope the next surgery will help you.
     However, I must say that I'm confused about the surgery you have already had. You say a couple things that don't fit with the DS. First, that there is a feeding tube in the part of the stomach that isn't being used. With the DS, there isn't any part of the stomach not being used, because the stomach that isn't part of the sleeve is removed. This is different from gastric bypass, where the small pouch is created and the rest of the stomach is left in place. Did you perhaps mean that the feeding tube is in the biliopancreatic limb?
     Also, you say that gastric bypass is easier to reverse than DS. Well, of course the sleeve part of the DS can't be reversed at all, but the intestinal portion is relatively easily reversed by joining the BP limb and alimentary limb together. Gastric bypass is actually extremely difficult to reverse, and such a reversal is rarely done. For both operations, the lengths of the limbs can be adjusted, with the DS usually to lessen malabsorption and with gastric bypass usually to increase malabsorption (since gastric bypass is usually done with only a very short portion of the small intestine bypassed). So both are adjustable, but DS is actually more reversable.
    My final area of confusion is why it would take your doctors 3 months to figure out that you were suffering from protein malnutrition. You had an operation know to cause malabsorption, and then developed what sounds like significant edema. Protein levels are easy to check. There are lots of folks on this forum who are not physicians who know about this, and I would think any bariatric surgeon, even one who doesn't do the DS, would have considered this diagnosis (and for the record, it can occur with gastric bypass as well, just less common).
     Whatever the case, I wish you only the best with the upcomming surgery and hope that it will resolve the problems and allow you to move on to a better life.

Larra

Hi Larra.  The feeding tube is in the jejunal area of my stomach.  They couldnt figure out it was malnutrition because they were unable to get blood from me becuse my veins are pretty much finished.  Once they put in the picc line at the hospital, they were finally able to test my blood, and found the malnutrrition.  Up until then, we all thought it was lymphedema-and I was seen at the lymphedema center, and they didn't know what to do-but they tried to assist.  They realized after a short whilee that it was not lymphedema and thats when my physician took over.

Thanks so much for taking the time to reply and for your wonderful advive.  Thias has been hell and I wouldnt wi**** on my worst enemy...

Larra, I so much agree with your comments. Three months and they finally figure out its low protein? There has to be more to the story. I met a woman once who admitted that after her DS she didn't take care of herself. She finally almost collapsed, was rushed to the hospital, and given seven bags(?) of protein. A few days later she said she felt awesome.

I looked up Dawn's doctor.....Dr. Clark in New York. Please Dawn, get the statistics on how many similar surgeries he has done! I would never insult your doctor's character. But I will question his experience! You have been thru so much and I have been thinking about you all morning. Please check with the vets on the other board to learn more about your surgery and the vetted surgeons who have performed it. For the sake of your children and your family! Please!

Dawn,

First I want to say that I am sorry for all that you have been through!

Second, I want to say that I am as confused as Larra about what was actually done to you sugically. Your surgeon may be a fine surgeon but I have never heard of him doing DS surgery and I am wondering if his inexperience has anything to do with your problems.

I hope everything goes well for you and you get back to being healthy!

Michele

Hi Michele. He does not perform the DS-he only reverses them.  He did not do my original surgery- he does the  bypass and Lap band among other wl sufgeries on a regular basis.  He believes the DS should be saved for people who are alot heavier than I was.... Basically he feels that the DS is great for people who are 700 lbs plus-or-people who have serious health problems due to their weight. I had no real issues due to my weight b4 surgery-but I wanted to have the wls before prioblems started... He has done a large number of these reversals -he told me 30 percent of the people who have the DS have to have this reversal done due to numerous different issues.  He feels there is a place for the DS, but I shouldnt have been considered a candidate....

I weighed 279 on the day of surgery.  We have numerous lightweights that have not had your problems.

I know that there have been a few that either were reversed (very few) and a few that had their common channel lengthed.  Since 2004, I have not noticed anywhere near 30%, more like 1%. I don't know everyone that has had this problem of course, but it does seem like we would have heard of a few of them.

Anyway, that is neither here nor there, if you are in whatever percentage, it is a miserable condition and I wish the best for you.

Michele

I was a light weight too at like 250 ish and went down to 127lbs but now sit at 165lbs after having a baby.  Sorry you have such a difficult time.

 Every doctor has his own opinions, but this is the first time I have ever heard a doctor believe that a DS is only for someone over 700 lbs.  To the contrary, I dont recall one single person on his board who had the DS who weighed even close to that amount!   That means that there are more DS surgeons who dont agree with your surgeon. 

I have never ever heard a statistic that says that 30% of DS patients have revisions. I dont like calling anyone a liar, but i believe that statistic is a bunch of bologna. 

Look two threads back at a thread called "success rates.". Read the reports, and educate yourself about the DS. 

I have never seen on this forum, anyone who has had a DS revision. There is probably one somewhere, but I have not seen it. And I went way back during the year to educate myself on this surgery. 

Most surgeons who are critical about a surgery, are the same ones who dont perform it. Case in point:  an oncologist told a friend of ours when she had ovarian cancer, that he would have to open her up with a huge incision - the surgery was too invasive. He also told her she have a very small survival rate.  She was 18 years old.  Ha!  I knew an oncologist who performed lap surgery. She successfully had lap surgery.with 20+ biopsies. Today she is blessed to have one ovary and two children.  The other oncologist just didn't perform the lap!

I get the same types of opinions from other doctors.  They sometimes use their knowledge and opinions to claim a fact that simply does not exist.

The DS surgery itself is very complex because of the proximity to the pylorus valve, and I may have spelled that wrong.  PLEASE post on the other forum and get some feedback from the vets who have more information than I.  I am still thinking about you today and want you to have the most successful surgery.  I am getting some very bad vibes about your surgeon, and your surgeon is the most likely reason that the surgery will be successful or not.  Again, he may be a great man of character, but you want a skilled, practice, veteran doing this surgery for you!  I wish you the absolute best!