Hello....Just a question.....

I will post the same thing on the DS board as well....

My new surgeon told  me that when he does my revision he will be doing a "distal" and then make the pouch smaller and that this would be similar to a DS...is this true?  I would ask him but his accent is so thick I could barely get that out.

Also, if this is true can someone point me in the right direction for vitamins?  As I understand it, this type of surgery causes a different type of malabsorption  and therefore requires different nutritional needs.  Please help!

Thanking you in advance,

Angela

Define distal

I just sent you a friend request today!  And here you are...

I got this definition from the web:

• situated farthest from point of attachment or origin, as of a limb or bone
• directed away from the midline or mesial plane of the body
   

Well, I know the word means, "at a far distance from...." whatever is under discussion

But what I'm after is how does YOUR doc define distal?


I'm distal, as in my limb is measured from the colon, common channel. Some docs bypass another few inches on a proximal and call it a distal.

Sorry I wasn't more clear on what I meant

Not a problem...I probably would not have understood what you meant anyway....LOL

Anyway, he told me he was going to remove intestine and make my pouch smaller.  Does that help?  I just had my first consult last week.  Have an upper GI in the morning and go back next week to discuss what may have gone wrong with my first RNY and then do NUT counseling and submit to Aetna.

Nail it down before you get on that table. Do you have restriction now? If so, why mess with your pouch? That's where the danger is in revision. If it's a useless pouch, then it does need fixing and your doc is not a newbie at this.

But you need to find out if he plans to bypass more (how much more?) or if he will measure from the colon BACK and tell you how much common channel you have.

If he measures from the TOP down, it's a long limb proximal. If he's talking common channel, then it IS a distal like mine and you'd better know what you're signing up for.

And seriously, most ppl don't understand the difference. Lots of docs started marketing a "distal" when ppl started asking, but all they were doing was bypassing a few more inches so they could call it distal as a marketing tool. I don't want you to be trapped with that, because there doesn't appear to be any better wt loss or maintenance with that.

Oh dear Lord...I have so much to think about.....wow.  I do know that he is going to adjust my pouch because my first surgeon made it way too big.  I lost 9 lbs my first month out after my first surgery.....after that it was 10, 12, 13...then I broke down and paid 2,000 for a trainer to lose the other 40lbs.  I had an upper GI done back in 2008 and the doctor performing it asked me did I want it as big as it is?  I told him no, he told be that having a pouch that size would never have benefited me.  So I know my new doctor plans to make it smaller so that I can actually lose weight this time.  I am still confused....

OK, that makes sense then.

But get the limb thing straightened out so you know what you're getting. For sure.

Hey Angela,
Sorry I dont have any info to help you...just wanted to say hi! 

Dr Tran did my band surgery...after I had met with Dr. Halmi. Dr Halmi is so great. I have an appt with him to discuss a revision. Ive tried looking around and not sure if he does DS or not. I plan on asking about both DS and RNY. Band just isnt doing it for me.

Good luck to you!

Hey Mary!  I went to Dr. Halmi almost 2 years ago to get a revision.  I was approved and everything but then he wanted me to pay a 1200.00 pre-surgical weight loss program fee...I did not have it...especially when my insurance was covering the procedure at 100%.  I know for a fact he does not do the DS which is why I chose not to go back to him.  There is only one doctor in the state of VA who does the DS and that is Dr. Elariny(sp).  And he charges so much out of pocket that it does not make any sense at all....I would love to have the DS...but I can not afford it.  Not right now anyway.