Need some advice please

 Lately I've been having 2nd thoughts about getting my revision done. I'm scared that since I need to travel, that I won't get follow up from my surgeon. I'm basically on my own to know what tests to ask for, when, and interpret them and tweak my own vitamins. The idea of the getting a RNY and having my DR right down the road is starting to look pretty appealing to me. If you had any of the same misgivings while making your decision, can you please tell me what made you decide to get a DS over the RNY? 
THanks so much,
Me

I decided that the DS was right for me because of the amount of weight that I need to lose, plus the fact that the percentage of people able to KEEP the weight off is much higher with the DS than that of the RNY.  I also wanted to keep the majority of my stomach in tact.  Also, Motrin is my pain reliever of choice and you cannot have Ibuprofen with a RNY. My insurance also only allows me a WLS once in my lifetime, I wanted to do this once and do it right the first time.   And another thing is that I didn't want to diet my entire life, I'd rather make the changes I need to make, but still be able to enjoy a vast majority of food (just less of it!).  It's a personal choice, read up on dsfacts.com and decide what is best for you. 

I was lucky, Dr. Kemmeter is only a 20 minute drive from my home and he is one of only four surgeons who do this surgery in Michigan.  But honestly, I am so dedicated to this surgery if my only option was to travel out of state, I would do it.

I wish you the best.

Aundrea

Do your research. 

Here's some help:

www.obesityhelp.com/forums/amos/4454843/Considering-the-RnY- Please-educate-yourself-These-threads/

www.lenoxhillhospital.org/press_releases.aspx

www.dssurgery.com/procedures/compare-surgical-procedures.php

Most of us travelled for our surgery.  And even if I lived next door to my surgeon I would still be on my own for labs/vites/follow-up.

I got the DS because it works and the RnY disables your pyloric valve.  I happen to like having a pyloric valve.  Google it to see how it works and then you'll know why you need it.

~Becky

I wanted RESULTS!!!!!

I traveled for my DS, from Chicago to San Francisco. I suppose it depends on your revision surgeon. If you picked a good one--a Rabkin or  Keshishian--their follow-up is pretty good. You will not be forgotten. I print out my surgeon's lab orders every 6 months, go to my local lab who sends the results to my surgeon and my local PCP. I chat with my surgeon's office on the phone and adjust my vitamins as indicated by my labs and my docs. If I have any trouble at all, I am to call my surgeon--that is what he is there for, at this point. He has made it very clear that all of his patients are to call him right away if we have concerns.If your surgeon does not offer this type of customer service, get another surgeon!!!!!! Immediately!

In Chicago, you cannot swing a dead cat without hitting a RNY surgeon. In fact, I had consults with a few of them and NONE of them could tell me what I needed to hear: that I would get rid of my Type 2 diabetes and that the majority of the weight would stay off, years down the road. Instead, they scoffed and told me I had pie in the sky expectations and that I should be happy to keep 50% of the excess weight off. For me, that would be 100 pounds!!! I would have ended up at 250 pounds and should have been happy? Heck no!

If I was going to risk my life via surgery, I wanted it to be for something worthwhile--curing my diabetes and keeping the weight off. In my opinion, the RNY is barbaric and needs to be abandoned.

Sure, the RNY is easy to get, but you wil pay for "easy" down the road, in crap results and disappointment and probably another revision...to a DS. I do not know what you are revising from now--a band? How easy was that to get? Pretty damn easy, right?

I'm four years out now. God willing, I have a long life ahead of me in which to see if my DS decision was a good one. So far, I'd say it was the absolute best thing I've ever done for myself.

Nicolle

 Thanks for all your honest answers, I still have a lot to think about, but I'm definitely leaning toward the DS

In all honesty, you're probably going to be on your own regarding labs, vitamins, etc., no matter what surgery you have and what surgeon you use. Surgeons are trained to cut and sew, and most of them know far less about vitamins and supplements that do the people on this board. (Well, than the people who used to be on this board, anyway.)

My surgeon retired six months after I had my DS. My PCP has ordered all my labwork---based on what I told her I needed.

It will be your responsibility to make sure you're taking the right vitamins and supplements, and getting the proper lab tests run. That's why WLS---any WLS---is a life-long committment to study and stay on top of things.

 If I counted on my surgeon for my nutritional health, I'd be a hot mess right now.  Surgeons, while they have a basic starting suggestion, are NOT nutritional experts, I'm afraid.  I was blessed enough to have a very curious and enthusiastic PCP who was happy to work with me and my needs.  She got the list of labs from the surgeon, and I may ask her to add something else, then I tweak my own supplementation based on the results and she took notes in my file of what I was going to do next.  You can learn a lot from vets, moreso than many of the medical professionals.  I've seen too many docs giving wrong amounts, wrong kinds of vits (oil based that we don't absorb).  Honestly, it's going to take some work on your part to get to know what you need, but once you know that, you have control, so it doesn't matter where you travel to.

one thing i cannot stress enough is 'YOU ARE YOUR BIGGEST ADVOCATE!' regardless of what surgery you have high amount of responsibility and challenges with follow up care. so either way your going to hit these bumbs. might as well pick the surgery that has the best results.

this surgery we all have to strap on our kick ass panties to get the after care we need. i have seen lots of people post on their fight to get the right labs ran, a good pcp, and of course the all knowing NUT's. you just have to educate your self and go out there confident and ready to fight for what you want. :)

i hope that helps

What everyone else said!!!!

The only thing I can add is that I was scheduled to have my RNY on June 9th, 2008.  It was going to be so easy and convenient.  I didn't even know anything about the DS at that time other than my surgeon mentioned it in passing at my first group meeting. ( he didn't perform the DS, of course!)  Something in my gut told me to not go through with it.  I had spent much time on the RNY board, and too much was said about problems, especially reactive hypoglycemia.

I cancelled my surgery and had just given up on it and decided to stay fat.

My PCP continued to encourage me to have some kind of bariatric surgery, so I thought I'd look into the lapband again.  Nope, just couldn't do it.

Something in the back of my mind kept bringing up the DS that was mentioned in fleeting at that meeting, so I began to study about it......intensly.  I got on the DS board, read every word that was typed, as well as the profiles.

Now, 6 months later, not one regret.

good luck on your decision.  Like Becky said.......RESEARCH!!!!!!!!!!

2 and a half years after my selfpay DS - I would do it again and again.  Best gift I ever gave myself.

I researched the heck out of it until I was proof positive and then ignored all my last minute second guessing as I knew it was nerves.

I agree with the above folks that post surgery, my Surgeon just wanted me to come in for the out of pocket follow up costs but did not provide any additional info that my PCP didnt already do.

PCP has been doing great and my vitamins are spot on but when there were not i just did some tweeking till they got there.  Continuing with the Dexascans and labs (now on a yearly basis) but honesly my PCP ran all my labs for insurance reasons and after a while I quit forwarding them to the Surgeon cuz again --- nothing to add.

There was zero follow up on foods, nutritian etc... and got most of my info from reading the posts, using common sense and asking my PCP.

Good luck with whatever you do