Possible Revision

Well I had a revision from VBG to Lapband 19 months ago and am doing great.  I still eat most anything I want but my restriction level allows me to be satisfied with just a small portion.  I have never had a band problem and because I have the band I don't have to take supplements only one multivitamin.  Oh also I have only vomited twice in the last 19 mths.plus I am only 1.5 lbs. to goal.  Best wishes on whatever revision you choose.

Okay, this is the story as I know it. Yes, the lapband did work for you and that is so great. But there is a more percentage of people on whom the lapband doesn't work. One has a better chance of having the DS work than either the gastric bypass or the lapband. With the DS one can keep the weight off for longer, a better percentage of people having had it work for them. Upwards of 55% fail with the gastric bypass and more will fail with the lapband, that is the long and short of it. All I am saying is no one should just check out the lapband or the gastric bypass; just be sure to CHECK OUT THE DS TOO! That's all. And don't always believe your current surgeon you are seeing. They all don't know what they are talking about. Believe me. Check out DS here on OH and duodenalswitch.com.

People should check out all the surgery options before making a decision and don't believe anyone who says their surgery is perfect for everyone because there is no such thing.

I found out Friday from Dr. Bessler's offic in NYC that they do a lap band over an RNY, and they seemed convinced that that would be a fantastic choice for me.  We will see. . .   Lots to learn for right now.  The best thing for me, however, is that I know I am eligible for a revision, and I can either participate in a clinical trial, or not - my insurance should cover it! God Bless

Please keep us informed on your decision.  I plan to keep the board informed on what is going on with me.

Hi,  I had RNY 4 1/2 years ago, and just never lost all I should have. Have recently gained 22 lbs back. My surgeon has submitted for a revision  3 times, with denial everytime. Saw him a few days after Thanksgiving and told him I was at the end of the line with trying, was so frustrated and depressed. A few days later I ended up in the er with terrible stomach pain. Ended up needing gallbladder out. Called my surgeon and he agreed to do it and a hernia repair that he alreadyknew about. Said he would look at my rny and see what the problem was and try to tweek it to give me better results since insurance would not cover it. He said everything looked ok, so he put a silicone band on my pouch. I guess prayers are answered. I am sceptable about the band because of everything I have read. I want to know where to look to get information about this procedure. Is lapband a silicone band? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I checked into the stomaphyx, etc procedures. Ihave decided to go with the DS (used to be known as the biliopancreatic diversion or BPD, which is not done anymore that I know of). The DS or duodenal switch from what I have read on OH seems to be the best idea to get my gained weight off and get off the weight that I never did get off and get to my goal. I have to travel 3 hours to see the surgeon who does it. Some travel out of state or to Brazil, Spain, or Mexico to use one of their surgeons, some of the best in the whole world. Usually if you are self-pay, check out another country. I don't have the money, even if they are the best, and will travel 3 hours to Dr. Ara Keshishian or Dr. K. He is also one of the best especially for revisions. My original bariatric surgeon wanted me to have the lapband over theRnY. That is not the way to go. A lot of failure with that. One could also have the distal RnY, but if you are going to have that, just go with the DS. Some insurance companies will not authorize a DS, but most will now as Medicare has declared it no longer experimental, and the other insurance companies follow Medicare. Go to duodenalswitch.com and read all about it. Good luck.

I would also recommend the DS!!! : )

Hello Kathy, There are quite a few people on the DS board that have had a RNY to DS revision as a matter of fact I also considered doing that myself but decided to go with a Distal RNY instead.  I just felt that the risk of complications far out weighed the benefit of  redoing my stomach.  My surgeon is going to give me a 75 cm common channel (the same as a DS).  I really hate protein shakes so I figure that it will be easier for me to get my protein from food right from the beginning.  If for some reason I need more restriction I will do the RESTORe study at John's Hopkins.  Make sure you do plenty of independent (not just OH) research in order to make the best decision based on your cir****tances. Good Luck Shawnta

I appreciate your input. My original surgeon suggested doing a Bilopancreatic Diversion (BPD).  Many, many people have written to tell me that is not a good thing to do, and instead, I shoud have a BPD/DS.  I know my surgeon does NOT want to mess around with the pouch -- and instead would only do the BPD portion.  I also wonder if it is the same as a distal RNY -- almost seems like it.  It is moving the connection to my small intestines down much further, leaving only 3 feet to use for digestion. I'm not sure which way I will be going, but I am sure that I will be doing SOMETHING in the next several months - and I'm really excited about the opportunity to start losing again! God Bless