Your take on common channel length
I think it does have some minimal impact on he weight loss but I am with MajorMom on it being more important for helping you maintain the weight loss. Mine is 100 and I am happy with that. 10 months out and only some slight anemia that I am addressing by increasing my iron.
HW 552 CW 198 SW 464 4/15/13 - Lap DS by Dr. Philip Schauer - Cleveland Clinic.
We can all rattle off our cc lengths, but it really depends on YOUR total small bowel length! I just had my original DS fixed. 5 years ago, I was given a 100 cm cc. That surgeon gives every patient the same configuration, whether they are 5 feet or 7 feet tall.
At 5 years out, I was nowhere near goal and gaining. At 5'3" tall, Dr. Keshishian (my revision surgeon) estimated that I would have a short length, somewhere around 400-500 cm and his plan was to follow the Hess method (as he always does) and make my new common channel length based on a percentage of my total length.
He says that with the majority of people, bowel length and height are closely related and a surgeon can try to predict based on that, but there are ALWAYS exceptions. He has seen patients that were over 6 feet tall, with small bowel lengths of 300. I ended up having over 800 cm total small bowel length. I also believe that my first common channel was measured very loose (think pulling a phone cord tight and it was probably longer than my surgical report states. So, he took me down somewhere around 50 based on all of my information, lifestyle, metabolic issues, etc.
I lived as a DS poster child, all vites, labs, 20 carbs or less per day, exercised and my weight was slowly increasing for the past year. My sleeve wasn't altered drastically, but with the shortening of my cc, I'm finally losing again and only few pounds away from my lowest weight, and that's just after 3 weeks. I fully believe that cc length has a lot to do with losing.
From where I sit and reflecting on how I would've done things differently the first time around, I would encourage you to choose a surgeon that tailors your DS to YOU!!
At 5 years out, I was nowhere near goal and gaining. At 5'3" tall, Dr. Keshishian (my revision surgeon) estimated that I would have a short length, somewhere around 400-500 cm and his plan was to follow the Hess method (as he always does) and make my new common channel length based on a percentage of my total length.
He says that with the majority of people, bowel length and height are closely related and a surgeon can try to predict based on that, but there are ALWAYS exceptions. He has seen patients that were over 6 feet tall, with small bowel lengths of 300. I ended up having over 800 cm total small bowel length. I also believe that my first common channel was measured very loose (think pulling a phone cord tight and it was probably longer than my surgical report states. So, he took me down somewhere around 50 based on all of my information, lifestyle, metabolic issues, etc.
I lived as a DS poster child, all vites, labs, 20 carbs or less per day, exercised and my weight was slowly increasing for the past year. My sleeve wasn't altered drastically, but with the shortening of my cc, I'm finally losing again and only few pounds away from my lowest weight, and that's just after 3 weeks. I fully believe that cc length has a lot to do with losing.
From where I sit and reflecting on how I would've done things differently the first time around, I would encourage you to choose a surgeon that tailors your DS to YOU!!
Original DS-1/07/09- Dr. Simper, SW: 286, LW:170, Post-op HW:194
Hiatal Hernia Repair & Revised DS to Hess Method-1/29/14- Dr. Keshishian, SW:194, CW:176, GW:130ish
PCOS w/ 2 post DS pregnancies!
I have a 95 cc. I agree with MajorMom as well. I think she summed it up perfectly.
I just want to add that everyone's needs for malabsorption for maintenance may be different. If you are a volume eater and are used to eating a lot at each meal or eating all day long, then the benefits of restriction will eventually decline, you'll stretch your sleeve, and you will need every bit of malabsorption you can get.
I was not a volume eater. My pre-op diet was coffee in the morning, cereal at 10, soup or lean cuisine at around 2, and dinner around 6. But at a restaurant or family gathering, I could pack away a lot of food. I find I have to force myself to eat. My sleeve has not stretched out like others, and I could not come anywhere close to the volume of food I could once eat.
Thus, I think the volume of food that you eat should also be a factor when determining your common channel.
Another factor....if you visualize yourself skinny with plastics, go for a shorter channel. If you are looking to get healthier, you may be able to consider a longer channel. Where you visualize yourself, and your goals of surgery are also cc length considerations..
I just want to add that everyone's needs for malabsorption for maintenance may be different. If you are a volume eater and are used to eating a lot at each meal or eating all day long, then the benefits of restriction will eventually decline, you'll stretch your sleeve, and you will need every bit of malabsorption you can get.
I was not a volume eater. My pre-op diet was coffee in the morning, cereal at 10, soup or lean cuisine at around 2, and dinner around 6. But at a restaurant or family gathering, I could pack away a lot of food. I find I have to force myself to eat. My sleeve has not stretched out like others, and I could not come anywhere close to the volume of food I could once eat.
Thus, I think the volume of food that you eat should also be a factor when determining your common channel.
Another factor....if you visualize yourself skinny with plastics, go for a shorter channel. If you are looking to get healthier, you may be able to consider a longer channel. Where you visualize yourself, and your goals of surgery are also cc length considerations..
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