Introduction

I am a 55 yo male who weigns in at 250. With a BMI of 40.
About 1.5 years ago my wife had Gastric Bypass surgey and successfully lost 100+ pounds.  I went to many sessions with her and helped her alot in the beginning days.

I have done WW 4 times in my life, each time losing between 50-60 pounds in about a year. BUT I fall back into my old ways and put the weight back on. I have been to nutritionists, 8 week programs, Slim Fast, etc.

I have no energy, I have no strength, I have arthritus in my hip, acid reflux, asthma and feel like crap. I had a blood test last week and meet with my PCP Monday. I am strongly considering asking him for a referral to the program my wife went thru.

I am looking for information and support in regards to men and Bypass surgery.  Initially my wife looked at Lapband, but after 9 months of meetings, research etc chose Gastric Bypass.

So I am interested in what members of this list think. I found you via Google.  Should I be considering this? Thanks

I am also 55 and had been struggling with my weight most of my adult life. My wife wanted me to have WLS about 5 years ago, but I resisted. Early last year I decided to do it. I had RNY Gastric Bypass April 20th. To date I have lost 110 pounds. But more importantly I no longer have sleep apnea, high blood pressure, high cholesteral and type 2 dibetes. I went from taking six medications a day and using a machine to sleep with to no medications and not having to use the CPAP to sleep. I only wish I had listened to my wife 5 years ago. My quality of life has improved 110%. I'm much more active. Keep coming to this forum. I found it a great help. Ask any question you have and someone will be answer you. There is a wealth of information here. Good luck in your journey.

It's hard for me to relate to someone at your weight because I started my journey as super morbidly obese and I'm down to 342.  I'll be 60 in April and I had my RNY in 2000 when I was 50.  I wish I could have had WLS way before that, but most insurance companies did not cover it when I was in my 40s,

Talk to your primary doc.  How does he feel about WLS?  It seems to have been the right choice for your wife and it may be the best choice for you.  I can't advise you on which surgery to have.  I assume that you meet the weight requirements and that you have some comorbidities.  My surgeon included my manic-depression even though it's not weight related.  I think just my weight along with the fact that I was exhausted by just walking from one room into the next were the primary factors. 

I had to beg the surgeon to do the WLS because of problems with lymphedema.  I argued successfully that my problems with my lymph system were not an indication of a problem with my blood flow.  They were afraid I'd throw a blood clot.  I argued that I was more likely to throw one if I didn't have WLS.  My starting BMI was in the mid 80s. 

Despite the inherent danger I faced with the surgery, it was the best thing I ever did medically.  My doctors and I thought I'd have been dead about 80 years ago if I hadn't had the WLS.  Don't forget that there is a danger in any surgery but the risk is fairly low.  Although many surgeons are doing WLS, just make sure that yours is not his first.

You should consider the surgery that would be best for you. Many surgeons are moving towards WLS that maintain pyloric valves such as the VSG and the DS, rather then performing the RNY. It would be wise to research all of your options.

Scott

Scottie is right about researching all of your options. A good starting place is looking at the comments and info on this board. Then I would talk to a couple of surgeons for different opinions. It can be a time consuming process.. but this is a big step.

My only regret about my surgery is that I didn't have it done earlier before becoming a victim of deep vein thrombosis and a pulmonary embolism.� Good luck in whatever path you choose.

Thanks everyoneemember looking for forums like this when my wife had her surgery but did not find this one.  I think you will be a terrific resource.  I meet with my PCP tomorrow. If my blood tests do not put me in the diabetic range I suspect they will be very close.
I will be having a long discussion with him.  Just an FYI we are in NH and my wife had her's done at Catholic Medica Center in manchester. She wwas very pleased with their program.

My aunt lives in Dover, NH (was in Barrington), and went to Tufts (Boston) for her RNY about a year and a half ago. She says they are a very advanced center, with tremendous experience in WLS (I don't know what they do outside of RNY, but you could easily find out), and they did an excellent job with the surgery itself, and all of the support before and after. She recommends them highly.

 If I werei n your shoes, I would have your wife look at a possible revision to the DS, and you look into the DS for yourself as well.  With a 40 BMI, you should qualify, atlhough you might be considered a "lightweight".   Come visit us on the DS forum and feel free to ask questions.    

 I see you're in NH.   Atlhough there are no DS surgeons in that state, you are not too far from Peckville, PA and Dr. Peter Smith.  He is a skilled DS surgeon and, incidentally, currently has about the lowest cash-pay fee in the U.S. for the surgery. 

While I suspect I could look these up somewhere Can I please ask what the following abbreviations mean?  I am familar with the 2 procedures local hospitals offer. RNYGastric Bypass and Lapband

DS
VSG

Thanks
Kevin

 Oops, first, a correction   ..  the surgeon in Peckville I recommended should have been William S. Peters, not Peter Smith ..   sorry for the confusion ..  

  DS stands for duodenal switch, fully known as a "duodenal switch with biliopancreatic diversion" ..   V.S.G. stands for "Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy", the newest form of WLS.

  The VSG is actually the upper part or half of our DS.   It is now performed as a stand-alone procedure on some WLSers who cannot for one reason or the other get the full DS.  It, like the lapband is a purely restrictive procedure w/o a malabsorption component to it.   However, unlike the band, it is a permanent surgical alternation of the stomach, in which it is formed into a fully functional smaller stomach, or "sleeve", holding about 1.5-2 oz. or so (about 15% of a normal stomach).  Unlike with the RNY pouch, there is no "remnant stomach" left after formation and no removal of the pylorus.   In some very heavy DS patients (typically 50+ BMI), the DS is sometimes now done in two stages for max. safety, with the VSG part done first.   When the patient's weight has dropped down to 50 BMI, then the lower half of the DS procedure, or actual intestinal "switch", is done, to add the malabsorptive aspect and enhance further weight loss.  The switching almost always also results in permanent resolution of Type II diabetes and hyperlipidemia (i.e. high blood chol/fats).  The loss of EW % is also greatest of all the types of WLS with the DS, as well as highest rate of retention of EWL (i.e. level of re-gain). 

  You can learn more at www.dsfacts.com  or www.duodenalswitch.com