new info

 I have reading a few posts discussing how RNY is only a temporary fix and the DS is the only smart surgery to pic.  Her in WI I have only seen 3 surgeons that even perform the procedure and they seem to have the least amount of experience.  What are your thoughts is RNY temporary and DS the real fix?  I have met with 3 surgeons in three different faciltiies and all dislike the side effects of DS.
I have seen a few posts discussing revisions because they had gained back a lot of weight.  I thought the purpose of the surgery was to help learn how to eat healthy while significantly improving health through weight loss.  Are there that many out there that prior to surgery did not eat well and after surgery returned to poor eating.  I would think this is an addiction issue needing counseling/therapy not another surgery.  Are there other reasons are there for revisions.

I met with the surgeon today his pre surgery diet is high protein low carb what was more interesting to me was his office does not advocate protein shakes of any kind,   Instead he advocates the same high protein low carb diet in varied consistency as the body can handle it as well as vitamen supplements as needed.  They recommend milk powders to add proteins.  Any thoughts or personal experiences with this approach.
Still looking for info on how to change my profile as I have not had surgery yet.

 I agree with you in that getting good counseling ( not just the hour or two that the surgeon needs to see if you are too crazy to operate), and a diet that lead me away from my carbohydrate addiction has been the ticket.
I'm still new to this life, so take what I have to say with a grain of salt, but the band seems to have served two purposes for me so far.
First, it has focused my attention on eating right. I feel pretty much like I'm dieting, but developing a new way of eating for life. Most days I don't notice that I have a band. 
Secondly, on the few occasions where I've eaten  too fast, or grabbed a bite of bread, the band smacks me back and says "oh no you don't,"
The Ds surgery seems like an attractive procedure, but the reason most surgeons are wary of it is because of its relative newness and lack of long term studies as well as the vitamin/mineral malnutrition that many patients experience. It's not just osteoporosis that the low calcium causes, I was considering that surgery, but when I followed the board bor a while, I saw many people come on with potentially life threatening problems. Also, the supporters of the proceedure seem to be rabid. A bit too enthusiastic, which raises an eyebrow to me.
All in all, it will probably turn out to be a good proceedure eventually, just not for me yet.

 Thank you for your response and good luck with your procedure hope it helps you the way you need it.  I feel really frustrated for those that have had unmanageable regain.  My surgeon and dietician told me that it can happen but you need to regroup and refocus when gaining weight back in any amount.  I have noticed the rabid dedication of DS surgery.  There are pills on the market that block fat absorbtion which leads to a lot of bad gas odor.  I have had two surgeons who do perform the DS surgery but only when bmi is really high. They have reported that this can be a side effect because DS patients can consume higher fat quatities and it does not get absorbed.   I do have one aquaintance that suffers with this and still does not have it corrected.  I would expect that dietary adjustment would help alot. 
I just dont want ever be at the point where I am now ever again so regain or revisions brought on by regain are a concern of mine. 
Best of Luck to you

And to you Davo

No matter what you do, you are responsible to eat right and exercise for the rest of your life.
You literally have to say good bye to bad habits forever and attach yourself to good habits forever.

It's literally the hardest and most important thing you will ever do physically; and the most rewarding.

I agree with the good Doc.  I don't think that ANY of these surgeries are "temporary", nor should they be treated that way.  Even the band, which they advertise as being "reversible" (and it is) is really a permanent surgery because who can really afford to have it removed unless there are complications where you have to?  

All of the surgeries are tools to help you lose weight and become healthier.  None of them do the work for you.  None of them will work properly if you don't stick to the plan.  However, if you commit to having the surgery, then you should also commit to following the plan and becoming a healthier person FOR LIFE!  Otherwise, you shouldn't have any of the surgeries, not even the band which is reversible.

To the mention of only three surgeons in your area who do the surgery, that is pretty common.  There aren't nearly as many Drs who do it as do the other 3 major surgeries.  That was a big deal for me.  If I am going to have someone cutting me open and messing with my innards, I want it to be someone who knows what the heck he is doing.  I love my Dr and wouldn't change surgeons for the world.  A testiment to his fine abilities, I have had ZERO complications from my surgery.  (Knock on wood)

As far as the comment Doc made about DS'ers being somewhat fanatical.  I have seen that as well.  In fact I will put it to you this way.  When I was lurking in the forums for all of the different surgeries, I saw someone post in the DS forum that they were undecided between DS, RNY, Band, and Sleeve and were looking for advice.  (They posted the same thing in all 4 forums and got the same result in all but DS, which was something to the effect of 'I am happy with my ____, but you should decide what is best for you based on _______')  In the DS forum, the answer most gave were basically "You are an idiot of you decide on anything but DS" and the one that bothered me the most was the one who said something like "If you are even considering anything but DS, then you aren't ready for WLS and are just wasting your time and your surgeons time by even trying to have surgery.  That just proves you don't know what you are doing and don't want to really succeed".  The more I read, the more I was shocked.  (Not to say there aren't reasonable DS'ers out there, but I was quite taken aback by many many posts by DS'ers outright attacking the other surgeries. 

Me, I love my sleeve, but wouldn't knock anyone who chose the Band, DS, or RNY for themselves.  It is your choice.  Just educate yourself and make the best decision based on your life.

Charlie -

I had the same experience as you did when asking about the surgeries!  I don't know what it is, or what causes that, but I had nearly the exact same experience when I asked each group about their surgery type.   They'll tell people that DS is "the best" surgery, and like I said before, there is no "best", just what's right for each individual person.  That group was kinda militant, where everyone else was cool, said "this is why I chose it, but you still have to find your own path and own reasons in choosing a surgery".

Funny.

what Charlie said.........

Davo, 

RNY Could be a temporary fix if you're not active or really like simple carbs. Personally, I'm close to six years with RNY, I'm sure I have much of my original malabsorption (albeit with a lot less hunger) and most importantly, I'm still at my post surgery low.

It probably depends on how much you feel you can stick to a program.

But then, I felt like an athlete stuck in an obese person's body and that may be on the rare side.

Hope This Helps,

Dave

 I have tried to figure out why im a big fatty fat fatty.  I dont sit around in the fetal position eating a gallon of ice cream because Im sad.  I just dont get full very often .  I can eat alot and many times my choices suck.  I love healthy food but I also love less healthy foods.  I guess that is why i was asking how you keep it going and if the RNY does give you some help farther down the road.  I dont want to come back to this place.  The list of things I cant do keeps getting longer and I really feel I am missing out on the great outdoors.  Id like to get  a couple hundred miles on my bike this summer, and even more important get back into nursing school.  Thanks for the feedback at any rate.   

I have neither the RNY nor the DS surgery, but I disagree that RNY is "temporary" and DS is "the only smart surgery".

Indeed, picking a surgery type (band, sleeve, RNY, DS) is like picking a political party or a spouse.  There is no "right one" for everyone; there is only right for you.  

There are plenty of people who have lost all their weight with a DS.  There's also plenty of people that have had complications with DS.  Also, there's plenty of people who have not lost all their weight with an RNY.  There's also plenty of people who have lost all their excess weight with an RNY.   I don't like the lap band at all, on a personal level - it has the highest rate of complications and the lowest rates of success.  Regardless, there are plenty of people who have lost all their weight with a lap band and absolutely love theirs.

I would strongly caution you to be wary of a source of information which decries that there's only one smart surgery.

You're right that one purpose of WLS is to learn to eat correctly.  A lot of veterans around here will remind you of the following:  "The surgery fixes your body, not your mind."  The fact of the matter is that some people have this surgery when they aren't truly mentally ready for it, in the fact that they still look at the food they're eating as a diet, rather than a completely new lifestyle.  I'd argue that the people who lose 90-100% excess weight are the ones with a new lifestyle, and the people who lose 30-50% excess weight and/or require revisions are the ones on a diet, just waiting until they can "eat normally" again.  Don't forget too though, that a few revisions happen not because people didn't lose enough weight, but because of medical issues.  For instance, lab bands will be revised, in the case that the lap band starts to erode into the stomach wall.  When that happens, it's gotta be removed, and once removed, people tend to put on weight immediately, so you want to 'revise' it into another surgery (like VSG, RNY, or DS).

I'd suggest you go to some support groups around you and talk to the different people there, and ask what made them choose the surgery they wanted.  I found this really useful to do for myself.  Or, start a thread in each of the surgery forums and ask why they picked the surgery they had.

Good luck!