Getting desperate!

 I am desperately trying to find a Dr. to do a revision from the band to the DS. I've called sooooo many sugeons that claim to do them on their websites or even on here in the referal section and once I call them they no longer do the DS. They tell me it is because that ppl get too malnurished and often need feeding tubes and further surgeries. First, is this true? God I hope not.

And Second, I am looking for ANY recs that would do the surgery within the PA, NY, NJ area. Even some drs that I got from OH don't do the DS anymore :( So any info you can tell me if really appreciated!) And thank you all for being so patient with me.

BTW is there anyway to do a board search for previous posts? I can't seem to find it. 

Thanks,
Susan

HI Susan.  Your best shot is to go to www.dsfacts.com - will be your best list of surgeons available.  New York city has a few that will do revisions.  Did you try Dr. Bonanni?  Dr.  Greenbaum?

My doc would have been a great recommendation (in Scranton) but he's no longer practicing due to being ill. 

Good luck.

Sharon

We are sailing in the same boat! I too have the band and am desperatly searching for a doctor to do the DS. I HATE MY BAND. I too have called all around and cant seem to find anyone who is willing to do my surgery. I am in TN. I have insurance but my insurance wont pay so i am going to be self pay. I dont know why but some docs are telling me they cant do it unless I drop my insurance. That is ridiculous. I called a place in Texas but I havent heard back yet. I did learn that 98% of the people who answer the phones at these offices are rude.
Good luck to you. If you find a place pass it on :) 

Did you speak with Dr. Hugh Houston and Dr. AL Spaw, both in Nashville? What about Dr. Stephen Boyce in...well, East TN somewhere. I really thought all three of these guys did Band-to-DS revisions (but none of them do RNY-to-DS revisions.)

Both Dr. Keshishian and Dr. Rabkin on dsfacts.com are well-known for being expert revisionists.  Both are in California.  Dr. Rabkin works in Chicago as well.

Regarding searching... Let's say you wanted to search for "time off work" in the DS forum.
Here's the Google site search method to use:

searchtermhere site:www.obesityhelp.com/forums/ds

so

time off work site:www.obesityhelp.com/forums/ds OR
time off site:www.obesityhelp.com/forums/ds

You would put the above in your address bar (not the search bar for OH).
Good luck!

You will not find accurate information for DS surgeons on OH, period. And the docs who tell you they "no longer" do the DS, with rare exception, never did it in the first place.
     There is a list of real DS surgeons at dsfacts.com. Check there. Almost all of them would do band to DS revisions, though very, very few do RNY to DS revisions, which is much more complex surgery.
     And as to the crap about how we all get malnourished and need feeding tubes or further surgeries, that's just bs. The rate of nutritional problems with the DS is very low even longterm - 2% according to the Hess study, which followed a large group of DS'ers for 10 years. And even then, the problems were almost always due to noncompliance, AND could be remedied without further surgery. The number needing revision for nutiition problems could be counted on one hand. If you want a comparison to RNY, the rate of nutritional complications for RNY is 1%, and again, almost always from noncompliance.
     Now, if you want to look at an operation with a HIGH revision rate...well, you have already had THAT operation. So go to dsfacts.com and find yourself a real DS surgeon. Also, most of the vets from this forum have moved to a new website. If you don't know about it already, you can pm me for info.

Larra

I'm not trying to start anything but I get a little offended when you say people that have complications have been "non-compliant". I was very, very sick for 6 months after surgery and I certainly wasn't non-compliant.

This is a very, very serious surgery and while there are those that do wonderful - there are plenty that don't do so wonderful at first and there are some that die. That is just the facts. There are definately plenty of people that have had to have feeding tubes, lost their stomachs, etc..

Thank god I was able to get things straightened out and am fine after almost 2 years out but I wil ltell you for me personally (and everyone is different) it certainly was a long, rocky road at first.

Lisa, I agree completely that this is serious, major surgery and that some people have complications through no fault of their own.
     Take another look at what I wrote. I'm speaking ONLY about the nutritional complications longterm, as that is what those non-DS surgeons used as their excuse for not doing the DS. For this particular complication, the rate for the DS, according to Hess, is 2%, and again according to Hess, it was ALMOST always related to noncompliance - meaning that even here, there will be exceptions, with some unfortunate people doing everything right and still having nutritional problems. My point is not that complications are the fault of the patient, rather that, specifically, longterm nutritional problems from the DS are 1) not common, in direct contrast to what some surgeons are telling potential patients, and 2) usually but not always related to noncompliance.
     While I was fortunate not to have any major complications from my DS, I struggled myself with eating for about 8-9 months, to the point where I needed an upper endo to rule out stricture or other problems. Nothing was found and eventually the problems resolved. So I can relate at least a little to what you went through, and did not in any way mean to belittle the very real problems and complications some patients experience.

Larra

 Dr. Bonanni or  Dr.  Greenbaum.

Dr. Roslin at Lenox Hill in NYC.  He did my revision from RNY to DS and he did other OH member from lapband to DS as well and we are both doing great.

Frankie