PRE-OPS ONLY! Post-ops, read at your own risk

This was posted by Diana Cox on another forum, but I thought it would be helpful to preops who might be considering their sugery choices: <br />
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http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/rny/4319383/PRE-OPS-ONLY-Post-ops-read-about-the-DS-at-your-own-risk/<br />
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If you have not THOROUGHLY studied the benefits of the duodenal switch (DS), you cannot make a fully informed decision about which surgery is the best one for you:<br />
The DS has by far the best average weight loss of any of the surgeries - a statistical fact<br />
More importantly, the DS has by far the best average LONG TERM MAINTENANCE of weight loss of all surgeries- a statistical fact<br />
The DS has by far the best CURE RATE FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES, including LONG TERM CURE, even with weight regain (the others have substantial rates of diabetes returning, especially with the far more likely weight regain) - a statistical fact<br />
The DS is suitable for ANYONE who qualifies for bariatric surgery, and not just SMOs, which has been recognized by the ASMBS, ACE, Medicare, and most insurance companies, even for BMIs >35 with a serious co-morbidity (especially if that is diabetes or hypercholesterolemia - a statistical fact<br />
The DS has the easiest post-op dietary regimen of all of the surgeries - FAT IS YOUR FRIEND. Little to no restriction on eating delicious high fat, high protein foods, because you don't absorb much fat - and your cholesterol and triglycerides will plummet, without meds<br />
Good DS foods include marbled steak, crab legs with butter, chicken WITH the skin, cheeseburgers with all the fixings (but hold the bun), scallops sautéed in butter, cheese of every sort, eggs - and BACON!<br />
No dumping, no food getting stuck, no limitations on drinking with meals, no sliming or "productive burping," no fills and unfills, no stoma blockage, no marginal ulcers, no restrictions on taking NSAIDs<br />
However, you should NOT consider the DS if you<br />
Are too stupid to follow the simple rules of the DS: eat high protein, take your supplements, get your labs done diligently and adjust your supplements as necessary<br />
Are too lacking in self-control to manage/time your overall intake of refined carbs to avoid weight gain and gas<br />
Are too sheep-like to argue with your PCP or surgeon for the right to have the most effective WLS<br />
Are too passive to fight your insurance company to get the DS, when most of them will LOSE on appeal<br />
Are too cowed by doctors to stand up to them in the future, to explain what surgery you had and how your treatments need to be tailored<br />
Are too submissive to advocate for yourself<br />
Are too weak to be certain that you will ALWAYS ensure your access to necessary protein, supplements, lab tests and other medical care<br />
Are so self-loathing that you feel you need to suffer to atone for your sins in order to enjoy life with weight loss surgery<br />
Remember:<br />
Insurance coverage for the DS is expanding all the time, and even if your policy does not cover the procedure you have a good chance of getting it covered on appeal<br />
Only a qualified DS surgeon can help you figure out if the DS is for you - if you see a RNY surgeon, he is going to tell you to have a RNY<br />
If you see a surgeon who SAYS he offers the DS, but then tries to talk you into something else, odds are you've gone to a "bait-and-don't-switch" surgeon - check the surgeon list at DSFacts.com before you go.<br />
WARNING: More and more insurance companies are instituting a "one bariatric surgery per lifetime" restriction on their policies, no matter WHO paid for the first surgery - and you may not get a second chance to have a revision if you pick a surgery that doesn't work for you in the first place<br />
Revision patients lose more slowly and lose less on average<br />
Revisions are MUCH more dangerous surgeries than virgin surgeries<br />
Think about the psychological damage it would cause you to work your ass off to work your ass off with a less effective surgery - only to have it fail<br />
THINK TWICE, CUT ONCE!<br />
For more information, please come over to the DS forum here, or go to www.DSFacts.com<br />

This is a little too negative for my taste. "too weak, too submissive, too dim-witted". This is just the kind of thing that the men's board has done a good job of avoiding. Thanks for bringing it here.

Scott,

I'm with you.  A "surgery war" is one ******g match I don't ever recall seeing here.  

if the horse is out already, we don't need to argue about it, but it is true, four week out and I could eat anything I wanted and still loose weight, and and although I'm a light weight to begin with I'm almost at goal after 12 week, 26 lbs go, , I am very comfortable,  no hunger, and labs are good. taking a low dose of metformin solved a stalled and improved  slightly elevated base glucose level which many probably have and don't know it.

Screw the advertising in our mens forumn.  It's a sure way to **** people off and stop them from sharing questions or answers, take this chit to the main forumn.  I's not welcomed here!  For my 2Cents the DSers are pushy momma's boys looking for someone, anyone t tell them they  made the right choice.  Man up make your own decision, follow through with it and come here for support, or to support others, not for a fight about who's dad is gonna win.  What are you a 3rd grader?

This forumn works because that chit isnt allowed.

Again this was meant for preops.....who still can choose not to dump, who can still choose not to have a surgery that will force them to fight major regains for the rest of their life...etc, etc, etc.

If you feel offended by truth, then I suggest you bury your head in the sand so that you don't get offended. But when you have people touting the benefits of the band (for instance), while he sits there with a 100 lb. regain, then it's time to suggest that people do more research and not just buy the line that "every surgery works". That is a lie. Every weight loss surgery is not created equal.

People need to be made aware that there are options available for them....I didn't make the original post, but I whole heartedly agree with it.

Scott

Well said Scott. I don't think there's anything wrong with posting this here. I think postopers just deserve to know there options before they end up in the revisions forum like me.

 Bottom line guys, each of us made and each of the pre-ops need to make, his own decision.

Based on all of the information I had available to me, as well as the recommendations of my PCP, my internist, and my surgeon, I chose RNY.  It has worked great for me and my ONLY regret is that i did not have surgery years ago.

I do agree that this particular post is very negative and none of us need that.  Making this decision is tough enough.  Making the life-style change that we all must make to be successful with ANY wls is tough enough.  None of us need someone else making negative comments about the decision we made or must make.

For those who choose the DS, I wish them all the best success, as I do those who opt for the bands, sleeves, and of course, my particular favorite, the RNY.

Again, bottom line...make a choice and do something...DON'T WAIT!!!

Wasn't it a character in one of Bill Shakespeare's plays that said, "Methinks the lady doeth protest too much"?
If the purpose of the lady's post (and the BmuS repeater) was to induce pre-op fat guys to research their options, then OK.  But the negativity and downright vitriol contained in this post seems to go way beyond an admonition for research.  There's something else at work here.
I don't know what it is.  But maybe it's the same thing that gets Manchester United fans to riot, or Dodge truck guys to look down on Chevies and Ford.  Or Muslims to kill people.  There's always a risk that objectivity flies out the window when someone make an irrevocable decision and wants to world to think they invented something on their own.
I'm just saying...

Diana has worked for many years fighting for the rights of persons that are obese. She has spent countless hours as an attorney helping people file appeals with DHMC in Cali, many times pro bono. In addition, she spends many many hours, helping people get revisions from failed WLS. Seeing good people, suffer with bad WLS can be very challenging. When they (the people) fail, many times surgeons will attack the person and make them feel like garbage, nor realizing that the band is basically useless, and the RNY has a very high regain weight after the 3 year point.

If you've seen the number and amount of cases that she's helped, I'm sure you would become a bit jaded at the fact that surgeons are pressuring people to pick from really bad options. You want people to really research all of the surgery choices. Think about how many people are given the band, which has a 1 in 7 failure rate. Many people on this forum have had revisions from the band, and almost died because the band caused a tremendous amount of scar tissue or pierced a vital organ. Why push a restrictive surgery like that when a person can have a VSG, and not have a foreign object in their body?

This is just an example, and again, everyone must make their own choices....but I think if you look at it from the point of view of a person that spends their free time helping individuals with failed WLS get the DS or revisions, you'd probably understand why she has become so adamant about people doing their research.

The DS is not for everyone, but it is a good choice for many.


Scott