OK, I've been doing research, i live in Mi and don't want to travel...

...for my revision from RNY to DS. I know I should see Dr K or any of the others you guys all recommend, but after thinking about it. i want a local Dr and I want to be able to get to the Dr that did my srevision within a couple of hours if needed. Anyone have a revision in MI, IL or IN??

The RNY to DS revision is very difficult, and most surgeons don't do it. I wouldn't want to go to someone who wasn't vetted in that area. I haven't heard of anyone in that area who does a full revision.

Believe me, I can understand not wanting to travel, but this is so important. If you've made the decision to have the DS revision, I'd see someone who had a lot of experience in that area. All the best to you.

Love I'm gonna try and be gentle here but I do want to run around the room with pin wheeling arms screaming!  Ok so the DS........huge huge ******g surgery....no seriously its ******g massive!  As a Nurse Practitioner who has spent time in theaters I can tell you it is a highly technical operation with a huge margin for error.  It takes a very skilled surgeon to do a basic thing like stitch together a small bowel the reason being it is like wet tissue paper and will dribble blood and bowel contents if not over sewn until it is perfectly water tight.  Ok that is one small aspect.  Now lets add on to the fact that you've already had other surgery so say...lets chuck in some adhesion's (tissue that has grown randomly from the original cut and could be spider webbed all throughout/ happens about 30-40% of folk to some degree from memory).  Lets then add into the mix that your original procedure created a pouch that will need exploration and possibly revision.  So you're just gonna go to Joe Blogs up the road?  SERIOUSLY?  You're entire GI tract functionality from the stomach down is going to be changed!

You need to travel to a specialist revision surgeon without any doubt.  Your margin for failure is massive unless you get done by a skilled professional at revisions.  Many of us on the DS board had inter-operative complications myself included.  There is a reason RNY mills exist i.e. they are fast and reasonably uncomplicated surgeries in comparison.   The DS takes twice to three times as long and isn't going to yield the same money as doing two RNY's.  If screwed up the DS will give you a terrible quality of life, i.e enteral feeds, leaks, bowel obstructions, fistulas, sepsis  and hernias to name but a few.  They do go wrong....seriously.

Please don't take the risk all to save yourself a plane trip.  That cost saving might just kill you!

I hope Pre-Op RNY'ers listen up to this post.

THINK TWICE! Cut ONCE!  We say that for a damn reason.

This ain't a Burger King drive thru.

You have two options for revision. Dr K and Rabkin. That's it. I don't know if Greenbaum on the west coast will be taking any revisions this year?? Not sure. Greenbaum stopped doing revisions last year because he was FLOODED with revisions. Fixing people's mistakes.

Sure, go to someone who thinks they can revise you, but it make cost your life,... if not that, then maybe quality of life. I wouldn't risk it, that's for sure

Oy vey!

 
~~You have two options for revision. Dr K and Rabkin~~

And John Husted who is more experienced in RNY to DS than Dr. K.

Is Husted the one that keeps moving around everywhere? or is that Hougston(sp)?

I confuse the two

 
That's Husted.

I had a consult with him on behalf of two friends that want to travel to see him.  I point blank asked him why he moves so much and we talked about it for a long time.  I'm totally comfortable with his answers.  It made perfect sense.

I've been working around doctors for 25 years and I've learned time and time again that if a doctor is really good in OR he's not typically great at business decisions.  If they excel in business and know every single detail of what goes on in the front office they are not typically the better doctors.  I think that applies here.  But that is just personal opinion.

I think he needs a business manager to handle business issues and he needs to stay in OR where he is fantastic.

Hi Carly,
I know that you don't want to travel for your revision but you really need to go to one of the surgeons who has seen and done it all.  I was not a revision but I still wanted to go to the best surgeon that I could find.  I chose Dr. Rabkin in San Francisco who is also one of the top revision doctors.  And like you, I also live in SE Michigan.  Once you're post-op, chances are that you really won't need to see or talk to your surgeon other than for routine follow-ups.  I do take comfort though in the fact that there are at least two surgeons in the area that perform the DS so if I do have some sort of issue (like you hear of increased risks of bowel obstruction after any sort of abdominal surgery) I know that there are at least two hospitals that have staff with an understanding of my altered anatomy.  That said, I still have to have an understanding of what was done to me and am able to be my own advocate.  I trust Dr. Rabkin and know that he would consult with any doctor or surgeon that I needed him to if the need comes up.  

Sorry I can't help you with an alternative to travel but if you need anything at all, please let me know and I'll help you with whatever I can.  

Good luck in any revision decision you make.  Take care

Traveling for surgery is not a big deal. And while it may be less than ideal to be far from your surgeon it is entirely manageable.  Both me and my husband traveled from Florida to Nebraska for surgery.  And even though our surgeon is far away -- he stays in the loop when it comes to our health concerns.  Through faxes, emails and telephone calls he is committed to ensuring that we get the care we need.  Do not be afraid to travel -- most of us DSers have to travel and we do just fine.

Red

Carly,

I know you would like to stay close to home as possible but with this surgery out of town is the only way. There are far to many things that could go wrong and if you don't have a surgeon with some experience under there belt you could be in some trouble. Please reconsider Dr. K he completed my revision in 2 hours and I have a had no serious problems at all. You have to remember that it is important to get the very best when it comes to a revision.

Sorry it wasn't what you may have wanted to hear but its the truth.

Sophia