Partial DS!

Ok no worries... thanks.

So you had a bypass (was that an RNY?) then a band over the bypass? So you had a pouch to start with? DS from RNY is really hard and considering you had a band over that I'm not surprised you had too much scar tissue. Did you go to a revision specialist?

Yes, you're correct. I did go to a Specialist which my GP referred, I did research for over 6 months...

I'm at the stage of just wanting to know if anyone else can relate and how they dealt /dealing with it.

What bypass did you have? Do you have a pouch?

Sharon I've been on these boards for 16 years and I've honestly never met anyone who only had the switch. Since you still have a pouch, you should still have some restriction (as opposed to a full sized stomach).

What I learned when I had the DS (my one and only WLS) it was explained to me that the weight loss will come primarily from the restriction of the sleeve (obviously helped out by the malabsorption of the switch). Then it's the switch that has helped me maintain my weight loss for 15 years.

Your weight loss may be slower because you don't have any real restriction. You still have the ability to eat the same amount of food you did before surgery. Do you know how long your surgeon made your common channel?

As a new DSer I aimed for 30 grams of protein by the first 30 days post-op, 60 grams by the first 60 days, 90 by 90, et****il you hit your goal amount of protein. Stay hydrated. Once you're cleared, start taking vitamins (but that's something you can build up to).

Thank you Janet, i don't know the length of my common channel...these are questions that I'm going to ask next week for my first follow up.

I agree, i have done alot of research and never heard of the Doc not reducing the stomach hence my frustration.

I have been getting in all my protein and water with no problems.. it just sucks.

I'll know more once i see my Doc.

Thank you!!

Okay, so you had gastric bypass (RNY) already from what I gathered from your cryptic answers and got a revision. I'd bet a dollar that this "partial DS" is otherwise known as a distal bypass in RNY terms, which is where they keep your pouch and bypass more intestines to decrease your absorption.

A DS revision is extremely complicated, and if this specialist you saw isn't specifically experienced in DS revisions, then the distal bypass is safer for you to get from him. There are few DS surgeons who will tackle a revision.

As for whether or not this is your final solution, that's hard to say. If your stoma is stretched, it will do nothing to cure that constant hunger that it causes. I know one person who had a distal RNY and she lost another 50 lbs, but by clinical terms is still morbidly obese.

I hope this is the final solution for you. Many do well with this kick in the pants. The biggest challenge is if they experience dumping on fat, for the extra bypass will require you to eat more fat.

How did you make out at the doctor's? Was he able to answer your questions?

I'm concerned as Valarie is that your doctor did the distal bypass on you. I would see if you can get your operation report and I would also look at your insurance to make sure the surgeon didn't charge them for a DS surgery when it wasn't performed.

Best of luck to you.

Thank you Valerie and Dr Sanchez for your responses.

So after a back and forth bickering with my doctor as he was very arrogant and i had to let him know that he would not patronize or speak down to me, he finally explained this...

He said that he had previously explained to me, (maybe I misunderstood) that there was no need to do the Sleeve Gastrectomy part of the DS as i had previously had a gastric bypass done and my pouch was not stretched. He said by doing the Sleeve Gastrectomy it would make my stomach hold more (I'm not sure if I'm bought on that,). However, I do know that I don't/cant eat alot of food in one sitting.

I then asked him to explain what he did to me as if i were a 3 year old, i need to be clear before leaving.

What he said was my intestines is about 5m long, so he detached my stomach and reattached to the end of my intestines, leaving about one meter for the food to be absorbed.
So, when i eat i only absorb approx 20% of fat, calories etc, but that also means I only absorb 20% of my nutrients, hence why i have to diligently take all my vitamins etc.

So apparently a partial DS was done minus the restriction.

I asked him if he knew of any forums where i could speak to other people who have had the same procedure as i needed it for support through this journey, he said he didn't but they run a support group at the center the 1st Monday of every month and there should be people there.

He also said that the weight loss will be a long road and I'd probably get to goal in 2 years. ?

Dr Sanchez, do you have any advice? Does what he explained ring true to you?

I came away feeling like i hsd a bit more clarity but as the days go by, i don't know....

Thank you!

I'm not a doctor. Dr. Sanchez was my doctor who had done my lapband back in 2003.

I know there are folks on here who can answer your questions better than me, but I have a feeling your doctor explained things, but not the way he is trying to say he did. I think he left out information when you first spoke with him before your revision.

I can't explain it, but I have a gut feeling this guy took you for a ride. I have never heard of a DS surgeon not doing the sleeve part even if it was a revision.

If I am reading this correctly it is sounding more and more like he gave you the Distal Bypass. "Distal Bypass Surgery is when more than 120 inches of the intestine is bypassed as opposed to the eighteen to forty inches in Proximal Gastric Bypass. If more intestine is bypassed then weight will be lost through the process of malabsorption"

Please next time you go back ask for your operative report so you know exactly what was done.