Questions.

Thank you, I am going to be doing as much as I can to lose weight before surgery I have a goal to lose 100 lbs before surgery. I am 28 lbs down so far in 37 days. I am committed to this. I don't want a two step surgery, I want it all done in one shot.

Kat just to add to KarenM's post - there have been Ontario patients  receive a virgin DS from Dr Hong in Hamilton.  Its been awhile since I have heard of anyone who did receive a virgin DS - but it has been done in Ontario

I am committed to this, this is a brand new lifestyle.  I will lose as much weight as I need to, so that it can be done in one shot because for me it is not an option to have two surgeries because it will be hard enough to go through one surgery, let alone two. I want it all done through one surgery.  I will do the work to lose the weight to get down to the size Dr. Hong needs me to be to do the surgery in one shot. I will NOT do two surgeries. 

While I understand your reluctance to do so, it may in fact be necessary for your own safety, Kat. Being a particular weight at surgery doesn't guarantee anything, unfortunately. It will be dependent on what the surgeon finds when he gets in there.

Yes very true. I am going to try my hardest however to push for the whole surgery in one go, to see if he will at least try.

So I'm assuming that you called about getting a referral to Dr. Hong?

I called and left a message.  Nobody has called me back.

So I finally received a reply to my message that I left for St. Joe's bariatric team.  They said that they won't do the DS as a one step surgery.  That I would have to have a regular gastric bypass so RNY and then have it revised into a DS.  That they don't and haven't performed one step DS surgeries. Yet I have read on here that people have gotten them!! So I will just stick with Humber River Regional Hospital and get an RNY then because it's not going to happen the DS until I have another surgery first....

Are you sure they said to do a RNY first and not VSG?

IMHO, I wouldn't have an RNY.  Too many problems and you can't take aspirin or Advil.  The chance of long term failure was too great, which is essentially what they are saying too if they routinely revise it to a DS.  I've never heard of anybody getting a RNY with an eye towards a revision, but I'm not an RNY expert.  

A VSG on the other hand is part of the DS.  All it is is a tummy trim, but it gets rid of the evil hunger causing side.  It was first really devised as separate surgery because many surgeons thought their SSMO patients were at too high a risk for the more complex whole DS surgery.   This would be pretty standard advice.  I don't know if this is true, but I've heard that there are some special equipment that is required for the SMO+ types to be the safest during surgery, so that is one logical reason why some surgeons do it one way and others will not. 

Six months ago I got a full DS in Mexico for about ~$15,000.  I don't remember the price of a VSG, but it is perhaps half that.  In Seattle a DS was quoted at ~$30,000.  I would go to Mexicali again without a second's pause.  I know they do one stage DS on SMO+'s, but I don't know if they would do that for you or agree that a two stage is better.   I would contact them and find out.   If you were my sister, I would tell you to take a loan, have bake sales and car washes and do anything else needed to get your arse to Mexicali and avoid the whole RNY thing, but I also recognize that lots of people are happy with their RNY, so perhaps I am a bad sister. :-)

Good luck!

Hello! 

Thank you for your reply! I have no idea she was saying to have a RNY first. But oh you can believe I am pushing for the sleeve. I don't want an RNY. After doing more research on it. I want a gastric sleeve and then possibly the DS. I am upset because I wanted the DS from the start. I want the higher chance to cure my high blood pressure and Diabetes (type 2). Going to Mexico is not an option. I cannot afford that surgery. I am going to continue (hopefully losing weight) on my own (down 28 lbs so far) and then take the surgery when it is my turn.