RNY to DS

Hi guys it's been a long time since I've been on this site.  Was wondering if I could get some feedback on RNY to DS Revisions.

I had an RNY in 2001 and Gained all the weight back.
After trying other methods, I went to Toledo and met with Dr. Brian Lane to discuss a revision from my old RNY to DS. 

I am a candidate, but of course need to go through all the testing, supervised diet etc.

The surgery as explained on these boards and by Dr. Lane, seems like it would be very successful, but also very risky.  I can't lie and say that I'm not scared.

That being said, the last time that I saw Dr. Lane was back in February.  My husband and I have gone through some pretty big issues in the past several months, so WLS has been pushed to a back burner per say, but still never forgotten about.

I would really like to hear from all Bypass to DS revisions.  Newbies and the more experienced folks.

I've seen quite a bit months ago, about folks going in to get a revision to DS and it not being possible due to excess scar tissue etc.

Any feedback would be SO appreciated.

God Bless,

Kristina

I hear there's lots of Rny Revisons to DS on the DS forum.  Hop on over and get all the info and TLC you need!

Good luck!  It sounds like you've got a great plan:)

Hi, Kristina!

Joyce is right - make your way over to the DS board and you'll find lots of folks who were in your shoes, and revised to the DS.

I had a 23-year-old VBG (old stomach stapling), so I had plenty of scar tissue for Dr Greenbaum to clear away prior to revising me to the DS. In fact, the first 45 minutes of the surgery was doing nothing BUT clearing away the scar tissue.

Revisions are tricky. And the RNY to DS revision is even trickier than the revision I had. You've got to be prepared for your surgeon to "punt" based on what he or she finds once they get in there. A truly experienced revision surgeon will be able to do this. A surgeon that is only semi-experienced with DS revisions may not.

This is why it's imperative to research and choose your surgeon carefully. There are only a handful of surgeons that are versed in revisions like the one you're researching, and of those surgeons, probably only one or two will contract with your insurance company.

When I was researching, my list boiled down to just a few surgeons that I felt had the DS revision experience (and the reputation) I was looking for:

Husted (in Kentucky)
Gagner (in transition, now... will be practicing in NYC, but who knows when?)
Rabkin (in California)
Greenbaum (in New Jersey)

For insurance reasons, the already-short list narrowed to Gagner and Greenbaum.

Gagner wasn't so swift at communicating with me, and eventually dropped off the map on a self-imposed sabbatical. Last I heard from him, he was planning to start performing surgeries in June... of 2009!!! As far as I know, he still hasn't set up shop, and his patients are still waiting.

I chose Dr Greenbaum because he worked with my insurance, was an excellent communicator and also because of his reputation of taking on the hard cases that no one else would touch.

I welcome PMs if you have any specific quesitons you'd like to ask me about my experience with Dr Greenbaum. There is a lot to consider ... I wish you all the luck in this phase of your journey.

xoxo

Kathy

Kathy,

Your reply was thoughful and very imforming.

As you mentioned, there are a lot of things to consider.  I am now in the process of waiting for my paperwork and also found out that I can do my testing and supervised diet by a Cleveland Clinic doctor, in lieu of having to drive to Toledo for everything. 

My next obstacle is deciding if I want another child before I go through with this...

Thanks again!

Hi there!!!  I just posted to your post on the DS board as well.... but I wanted to give you some additional info here.

Look over to your left on this post, and under my picture, you will see [Latest Posts]
Click on that... I have a BUNCH of links for research.... check them out!!!!  You just need to scroll down to find them, they are there.  And, also, if you want more links to posts, and journal articles, other websites, just let me know, I have been researching and gathering information since I made up my mind to even entertain the idea of a revision...

-Jamie