do I have any other options?

I had a phone consult w Dr for revison from RNY to DS and I got the distinct impression that there was an attempt to convince out of having DS instead to have a distal RNY performed. BTW both would have to be open... yikes. I have a small child and I work 6 days a week.  BTW he is the only DS doc that is in-network for me. It looks like the "ol bait and swich doc" is my only option. Obviously I am still gonna go in for the consult and convince him otherwise but reading the studies (granted they are all small) the peri-operative complication rates with revising are nothing to sneeze at: obstruction leaks bleeding embolism with complication rate of 30%. I am scared. My First surgery went so smooth. I can not afford to be out more than 3weeks. Is this revision still an option?  How much recup time did u revisiers need/take? How do-able are the vitamin supplements cuz i am 5 yrs out from RNY and I do not take any vitamins regularly bcuz I eat very well  and all labs are normal. HELP!

 

Hi, again,  I, too, was targeted by "bait and don't switch" docs.  Know that you can go to the consultation and try to convince him, but don't hold your breath.  That revision is an extremely complicated and time-consuming operation.  Consider the possibility that he'll tell you he'll do the revision *If He Can*.  Then he gets in there, *decides he can't* and you wake up without the surgery you want.  That is why you'll probably want to go with an experienced DS revision surgeon.

Given your cir****tances, you *May* have to go out of network and even accept the possibility of an open revision to get the surgery you want.  If you cannot be out of work for more than 3 weeks &/or you have nobody to watch your child, you may also have to wait until a later date to have this done.  But, please do not give up.  The DS is worth it. 

May you find strength, patience and wisdom during this difficult time.

There are very few surgeons qualified to do a 'true' RNY-to-DS revision, where the pouch is re-worked and turned back into a fully functional gastric sleeve stomach. They are Rabkin and Keshishian in CA, Elariny in VA, Gagner in Montreal (I think), and Greenbaum in NJ. There are a couple of others who've started doing this, but their names are eluding me right now. (*grin*)

Who is the surgeon you've been talking to? Talk to Vitalady about the ERNY---she's been living with one for 16+ years now, and she calls it the 'worst of both worlds'---high restriction coupled with high malabsorption. (Higher than the DS, if you can believe it.)

I'm not that knowledgeable about the ERNY, but what I've heard isn't good. I wouldn't settle for that if I were you.

And as far as having an open surgery, that scares me as well. But what scares me more is having a lap surgery and the doctor not being able to see what he's doing. Given the fact that a RNY to DS revision is so complicated, I think I'd rather my doctor not be *blind* so to speak.

My issues are not the same as yours: I have older children and I'm a stay-at-home mom. My problem is scraping together the money. If I can use my local surgeon, no problem. But if I end up using Rabkin or Keshishian, I will have to come up with thousands (It's what I've read, I haven't called their offices yet.). Coming up with that kind of money could take a long time...and I'm not getting any younger!

With all the different things to consider in working out the surgery details, it almost feels like planning a huge, elaborate wedding! A lot of money, a lot of time, a lot of headaches! Getting the right surgery done is worth it, but it's a lot of work to get to that operating table.

Lynda