LapBand to DS Revision

 Not every doc who performs the DS, does it as a REVISION.   You may want to double check with his office and ask specifically if the doctor performs the "RNY to DS revision".  

Sometimes surgeons who do not have RNY to DS revision experience give their revision patients the ERNY, but tell them that it's "just as good as the DS" or confuse them into thinking that it IS the DS that they are getting.  

This was happening quite a bit around 2 years ago, with patients posting & thinking that they had the RNY to DS revision,  only to discover upon questioning that they really had the ERNY and their surgeon had misled them.   You don't want the ERNY.

My understanding is that some have gone to Dr. Husted for a revision to a DS and have been confused.  ....  Those wanting a true DS should make sure that is what they are getting!!!!

not.....this:  (from his writings:)

"There are instances where revision/conversion to VERGITO from an existing procedure would be indicated. One situation would be where a patient has had a Vertical Gastrectomy in the past, but whose weight loss or improvement in insulin resistance is inadequate. As an alternative to conversion to Duodenal Switch, conversion to VERGITO can be performed. This conversion is not as an aggressive a procedure as a Duodenal Switch, but can provide a metabolic enhancement to effect further improvement in health."

http://www.johnhustedmd.com/vergito.htm

Note the highlighted text above.  That is the sale and wherein the confusion to the patient. comes.  The general thought with a DS revision is that if a surgeon steers you another direction then they are NOT confident in their own skills and/or lack the passion for the DS procedue or for some technical reason are unable to perform it.  That's why there's such a short list of DS Revision experts!  .....  Keshishian, Rabkin, Gagner......

An ERNY is not a DS!  A Vergito is not a DS!  And....you are sooo right!  Many surgeons perform "virgin" DS's but turn down revisions to DS which = major risk and usually major time in the O.R. and doesn't always = the most bang for their buck!

I was actually taking about Dr. Schlesinger, not Dr. Husted, when I mentioned reading on OH boards about patients who were "confused".   Several people came onto the these boards who were Dr. Schlesinger's patients saying they had the sought-after "RNY to DS" revision, when what he really had given them was the ERNY.  

I also remember there was an uproar on the DS boards about Dr. Husted steering self-pay  patients away from the DS and toward his new VERGITO surgery a year or so ago.   The DS'ers were not pleased.

I know about the VERGITO and am wondering how these new surgeries would ever get tested if someone didn't choose them?   Everyone will probably be getting that surgery 10-15 years from now, if it proves successful.  I know one component of it is to completely remove the Omentum, which is where a great many people hold their stored fat.  

Why would I ask if he does an RNY to DS revision? I do not have an RNY- I have a band. Does a surgeon have to be able to do an RNY to DS conversion before they can do a band to DS conversion? In my readings it seems it is much simpler to convert a band to DS and opposed to RNY to DS but maybe I missed something?

Not sure about Dr. Smith but I know Husted does along with a few others.

JFTR....

Patients who go to Husted are not confused.

Offering another surgery type above and beyond other doctors is a good thing, not a bad thing.

Just because a doctor is capable of doing multiple procedures does not mean he is unskilled or lacking confidence in another.

Dr. Husted has done more bypass to DS than Dr. K in CA.  I don't know the comparisons to other doctors.

Regardless of doctor, verify info for yourself, never trust people posting on a message board. You never know what their real agenda is.

I'm not confused either. I went back through my research. Dr. Smith does revisions- at least band to DS which is what I am interested in NOT an RNY to DS conversion as I do NOT have an RNY. I do not know if he does RNY to DS revisions as I have not researched this.

There are people on this board who have been revised by him from the BAND to the DS. For those interested please read the links I have posted previously.

I've also cut and pasted directly from his website below where he states he does the revision below. There is also a diagram of the DS on his website.

Revisions of Gastric Bands

If you've had a Gastric Banding procedure (such as the Lap-Band^®), Dr. Smith can laparoscopically revise your Gastric Band to the Sleeve Gastrectomy or to the Sleeve Gastrectomy with Duodenal Switch laparoscopically and in one stage, with removal of the Gastric Band. This can help restore weight loss and can help induce further weight loss.


I appreciate everyone's concern on this board regarding my selection of a surgeon.  I am not sure how Dr. Husted even came up but I am not considering him at this point. I will be attending an information session with Dr. Smith on Thursday night so I will make sure that the patients I spoke with who have been revised from the band to the ds are not confused and that I am not misreading the information on his website.

Thanks for your input.
Ann

I'm sorry - I must be blind (LOL) - you clearly wrote that you want the "lapband to DS" revision.   Sorry for the confusion.   

The lapband to DS revision is no comparison to the difficulty of converting the RNY to the DS.  I think that most DS surgeons can do it, because there has been no permanent alteration of your alimentary tract.  All they have to do is remove the lapband.  

Good luck for a successful and uneventful surgery.