Recent Posts
2008 Ungson Hermosillo...this place hold close to my heart... new struggles
(2008) 273 down to 167 (2014ish) lowest
maintaining at 194 after 14 yrs...
still need to seriously up workout to get off meds but when I think back on my whole life and the things I made it thru, Having a second weight lost surgery, traveling to Hermosillo alone having my surgery alone coming back to the US having a stricter at anastomosis and then going back to Hermosillo and then only getting help after coming back (Yes I had stomach stapling in 2001 and got down to 205 in 2004).
It was the hardest but BEST thing I ever did for myself by myself..i use it as encouragement daily. it saved my life..
Vitalady was so helpful RIP...
Hello I had the RNY 2002, lost 85 lbs then gained all but 16 back.In 2017 I had the DS. It's not perfect and not the speed loss that people with WLS are used to but it works for me. Occasionally I do have increases but for the most part I lost about 50 lbs first 2 years and about 10-15 lbs each year since (COVID doesn't count does it?). I also found that the wasting isn't as bad as the RNY. I was also on Buspirone but it is an appetite stimulant so I have made the choice to take it on days I know will be stressful. My DR. also prescribes phentermine, which I only take on work days as that is my food trigger place.
In your situation, I would certainly strive for the DS, as what revisions that are typically done for the RNY are minor tweaks - installing a band over the bypass or one of several stoma tightening procedures, none of which seem to have a very good track record for stimulating much additional weight loss.
I don't know if Dr. Inman does the RNY to DS revision - that is a complex revision that is another level above the basic DS, and few surgeons do it - but she would be a good start. I know that Rabkin and Keshisian out here in CA do them and I believe that Roslin in NYC has done them (and there may be others in the NY crowd who do them) but you usually have to cast your net wide in finding the right doc.
As Patty noted, worry more about getting the right procedure for you than how close the surgeon is. Most in the DS business are used to dealing with travelling patients and doing their pre op and post op care and longer term sustaining care remotely. I travelled to SF from LA just to get my VSG from the Rabkins because there was no one in the LA area at the time who had much experience with them, and they had been doing them for around twenty years by then, via the DS. So, it is certainly worth travelling to get what you need, if you can swing it.
Another option that some will promote in your situation is to convert your standard proximal RNY to a distal RNY, which combines your RNY pouch with the greater malabsoprtion of the DS. This tends to be a fairly problematic procedure and I suspect that the main issue is that the surgeons rarely do them, and don't really appreciate the different nutritional and supplement requirements, and their patients suffer as a result. Most practices that do the DS do so as their primary or preferred procedure, so they are well versed in its requirements and whats needed to keep their patients healthy in the long term. My wife has been on some of the meds that you mention and they haven't been a problem with her DS; there might be adjustments to be made, but between the surgeon's experience and that of other veteran post ops in the practice, they are quite manageable, as the knowledge base is there to draw from.
1st support group/seminar - 8/03 (has it been that long?)
Wife's DS - 5/05 w Dr. Robert Rabkin VSG on 5/9/11 by Dr. John Rabkin
I currently am working on getting my Loop DS revised to a Traditional DS. I have a long, sordid story but here's the shortest version I can muster.
- I had the LapBand in 2012 at 500lbs and took 1+ year to lose 100lbs. Gained it all back and then some.
- Was a guest on a TV show. I went to a fitness camp for 6mo. Worked my a** off and lost 125lbs "naturally."
- I was given the opportunity to have free surgery (in exchange for show publicity) to remove the band and revise to any other surgery I wanted. I asked for Traditional DS.
- Surgeon wanted to do it in 2 steps - Had the LapBand removed and sleeve portion completed in Sept. 2018 at about 390lb.
- Then, the surgeon refused to completed the rest of the DS. After much arguing with producers and whatnot, they sent me to another surgeon who only did Loop DS. Settled on the Loop (as it was my only option) in March 2019 at about 340.
- Got pregnant unexpectedly weighing 270lbs in December 2019 - Healthy, normal pregnancy, baby & delivery in Aug. 2020. Weighed at 300lbs at delivery.
- Severe case of post-partum depression/anxiety, hospitalized several times after delivery. Lost 60+lbs in the first 2mo after delivery as I wouldn't/couldn't eat due to symptoms. Got to 240lbs in March 2021.
- Several months and medications later, doing better. I've since regained back to 290lbs+ and now after really watching diet/exercise, I can't get weight below 270lbs or so.
All in all, from the time I had the "Loop" part of the DS done I've only lost maybe 70lbs - Almost 20 of those pounds I've been able to maintain of that weight loss was from skin/fat removed during a Panniculectomy I had done in 2020.
Here's my dilemma: Even with consistent & restrictive diet/exercise regimen in place, I can't break through this barrier. I've never once had any issues that people talk about. (Diarrhea, malabsorption, etc.) Which is great, but I went through the most of the last few years without taking any vitamins and my numbers are perfect...And my weight doesn't budge. I also suffer from extreme reflux - The primary reason I sought revision in the first place. This tells 2 BIG things - My surgery is no where near restrictive enough for my body. And 2, I really need to commit to my vitamin regimen..
I have Medicaid right now and they have approved revision, but I believe that was to gastric bypass. My surgeon declined surgery at all, saying I've already had 3 surgeries and there was nothing more he could do...And my tests to view the damage from the reflux (even though I aspirate frequently and have thrown up in my sleep) weren't bad enough to warrant any changes. He also said a bypass might make me gain weight.
I want a 2nd opinion and I want to go to traditional DS. My common channel is 300cc and I feel like I'm still always hungry...And I've always been able to eat more than I felt like my other sleeve or DS counterparts could. I remember eating my first solids and crying, because I set out my portion and I was still hungry shortly after...It was like the band all over again. I have been so blessed to come this far and TONS of doctors say, "You should be proud of how far you've come. Most people your size don't make it this far." But going 2/3 of the way isn't good enough for me and I know in the depths of my soul that this isn't working the way it should because it wasn't as "aggressive" as it is meant to be. I'm upset because I didn't get what I asked for in the beginning and not am being punished for having too many surgeries. I understand the risks and I don't want someone to go in and hack away at whatever is left...What I'm asking is someone to go in and consider what I'm telling them - My body needs more restriction than whatever has been done before and perhaps more than "average." I really think my genetics are playing a huge role. I mean, I'd be a GREAT candidate for surviving a long winter & I would have been quite the catch a few hundred years ago, but it's not serving me or my family right now.
My biggest question: Does anyone have any information on revision from Loop to Traditional DS? Has anyone had this revision done themselves? Anyone know of a good surgeon I could reach out to that would be willing just to give me encouragement? The surgeon I had basically told me it was all behavioral. I have a counselor, I'm tracking all my food/exercise and will continue to press forward regardless...But I want a second opinion. I just have this gut feeling there's more to my inability to lose.
Thank you for taking the time to read if you made it this far!!
I was given the loop procedure when I had asked for and paid for the traditional.
I also had reflux but because the loop was done incorrectly, I also developed bile reflux, which is different. From what you are saying, it sounds like you are also refluxing bile.
I ended up paying to revise the loop to a traditional DS snd the bile reflux went away. I still have some acid reflux but not the bile.
So, yes, it is possible to revise but make sure you have a surgeon who knows what they are doing.
Thanks for the replies. I have made an appointment for a seminar with a doctors that does revisions close to my home. Today I called St Vincent in Carmel to see what they have to offer. A nurse is going to be calling me back. Dr Inman is the physician that I would like to see. She does the DS. Actually she was supposed to be my original surgeon but at the time she decided to only be affiliated with one hospital and it wasn't the one I had to go to. Even though it is a drive I want to talk to her and see what she says. As for getting off my medication for anxiety and depression I have no idea. I don't see a specialist. There are none around me. Just my PCP.
Lisa
Sorry for the strange question marks. It is not me.... I edited and took them out several times and they won't go away!
Distance means nothing. It?s not uncommon for people to travel thousands of miles for surgery. Surgeons are cutters. After you heal from surgery there is seldom a reason to see them again. Very few surgeons have an aftercare program worth attending. I can only think of 1 exception. There are probably others but for most surgeons it is another revenue stream they use to push bariatric products. And usually, poor nutritional advice.
What?s important is to get the right surgery for you. And be sure you know what you are getting. A real traditional DS is a 2 anastomosis surgery. And you want a relatively short CC(common channel 100cm or so). There are lots of procedures the surgeons are calling a DS that are not the same. Look up SIPS/SADI/LOOP. Some people say they are just as good. But one surgery has already failed you and if I was in your place I would want the real thing. Anyway, educate yourself on what?s out there and question your prospective surgeon. Next learn about our protein and supplement needs. If you are not willing to take the pills and eat properly the DS is not for you.
RNY to DS is a big surgery. There are not many surgeons who do it. Make sure yours really does! Do they leave you with a pouch? Or do they give you a real stomach? Is your pyloric valve still there? Learn.
RNY to me is synonymous with failure. 20 years ago when I had my DS, I was one of 10 women I worked with who had surgery. 1 band, 8 RNY, and 1DS(me). Today I and 1 of the RNY people are normal weight individuals. All the others are bigger now than when they had the surgery. A standard proximal RNY bypasses so little that the body has usually adapted by around the 2 year mark. That's when the regain begins. There is nothing available today that is better than the DS. But it?s not effortless, you still have to do your part.
Best of luck!
I am sorry for your loss and for what you went through. About 50% of people who have weight loss surgery and loss 100 pounds gain back at least 50 by the end of five years. I worked for a while with a psychologist who specializes in weight disorders, and she told me that being on those medications is almost a guarantee of weight regain. Is it possible to get off of that medication?
An RNY reversal is not going to make any noticeable difference in your weight. Average loss with an RNY revision is 20 pounds. Investigate the DS program carefully. Ask to speak to their patients who have had long term success with a DS revision and don't be too surprised if there are not any. You may have to keep searching and travel to find a program that will help.
RNY to DS is a complicated procedure and there are very few surgeons who do that. There are various modified DS procedures. Do a lot of research and chose carefully. I hope you will post again and update us on your progress. Wishing you the best.
Real life begins where your comfort zone ends
Hello everyone. I am new here. I had the RNY in August 2013. I lost 100 pounds only to gain approximately 150 back. I honestly feel that my medications in part contributed to the regain. I can pinpoint to approximately 2016 as to when my regain started. My mother passed away after sitting in the hospital for 3 weeks waiting for her to pass. I was traumatized by this. I am a RN and have been a nurse for 21 years but had never had anyone that close to me pass or been in the position of waiting. I had always been the healthcare professional. If that makes sense. Anyway I started to have panic attacks and was started on Buspar and abilify also got with my antidepressant Effexor. I have had adjustments made with increases in the meds since then.
Anywho I am looking to get a revision but am uncertain which would be best for me the DS or have the RNY revision. The program that I would like to use does not offer the DS. This program is only an hour away. The program that does offer it is approximately 2 1/2 hours away. Any suggestions?
Lisa
My iron has shifted over the years. Pre DS I suffered from generic anemia occasionally. Post op I took oral supplements for a number of years and was fine. Then I wasn't. For 7 years I was on quarterly infusions, thankfully tolerated it well and was fine. Then the iron numbers crept up and I went off the infusions. Been on the Multi Gen breckenridge supplement for 10+ years and am fine, but I watch it. Take your iron and a vitamin c supplement all by it's self. No calcium in particular within 2 hours either side. Wa**** down with lots of water to aid absorption.
