Question about satisfaction with WLS

  Hello, I was directed to this board by msbatt. I'm researching WLS as an option and would like to know what where you most dissatisfied with  your original surgery that led to having a revision. Why do people have revisions?

If I decide upon WLS I want to choose the one that would be best for me and I can live with with long term healthy results. 

LOL! I clicked on this ready to tell you how very satisfied I've been with my DS---but I see you've already heard it. (*grin*)

HI I'm in Seattle!

Do research, there's good options out there but please don't do the band!!! I am revising from band to RNY on August 1st..

have had the band 2.5 yrs.. January 2009, lost 70 lbs... Sept 2009 it just stopped ... then many random tightness, regurgations, and a few unfills, etc.     So have had enough.

Band removal is becoming the #1 surgery per my surgeon

I originally had the RNY. After about 6-7 years I started struggling with my weight again and found myself on diet after diet without any long term success. My hypertension and diabetes returned and I ended up on insulin and a ton of other prescription meds.

My revision was a last resort because I was dying. I now have my life back!

I decided to revise from RNY to DS because I was gaining weight and no matter what I did, what diet I followed. When I had my RNY in 1999 I weighed in at 430 pounds. At the time I really didn't see any possibility of losing 300 pounds by dieting (or even a less amount) than that. RNY was considered "the GOLD standard" and though I had heard about the Duodenal Switch when I asked my surgeon about it his reply was "well, it's just like a distal (now called an eRNY) gastric bypass.  I trusted my surgeon and so I didn't do due diligence and I didn't research it like I had researched RNY. I just went with the RNY. I did lose  220 pounds and got to 210 and never lost more weight. My weight just stopped and that was it and where I maintained for about four years after which I started gaining weight and from years 4 to 10 I ended up gaining 92 pounds. To put that in perspective I gained about 48% of the weight that I lost.  One thing that the doctor didn't tell me was that Severely Morbidly Obese (my BMI was 72 and considered a SMO person) people re-gain more like 40-50% of their excess weight loss weight back starting around the forth/fifth year post op. Actually, I was told that I might gain 10-20%. What a lie. The reason for the weight gain is that the bowel track relearns to absorb more calories and such, though some vitamines are never really reabsorbed. I was severely iron and b-12 anemic. My dissatisfaction was my weight regain.  I wasn't happy with myself and I hated that no matter how much I dieted I still continued to gain weight. In addition to weight gain I really wanted to not dump, which I did frequently.

I had my RNY to DS revision in August 09. I weight 289 day of surgery. I had lost 13 pounds the two weeks leading up to the surgery so my top weight the second time around was 302.  I had a lot of post op complications and chronic issues for 18 months culminating in December with another large operation in which I lost another 2/3rds of my stomach as well as my pyloric valve, but I'm 165 pounds now and though my journey was rocky and tough, I'm happy with where my weight is.

Maddie
Me at 430 and then at 210



Me now (I was 157 in this picture) and at 289 day of surgery.

I had RNY (never knew the DS exsisted, otherwise I would have researched it as well) over 9 years ago and lost about 160 pounds.  My weight went from around 300 to 150.  I have gained 80 pounds back, even with dieting & exercise.  I am working towards a revision to the DS.

The DS has the best long-term weight loss and satisfaction with NORMAL eating patterns.  You can also take NSAIDS with the DS.

~~**There are only around 10 surgeons in the world who do RNY to DS revisions**~~
My best advice is to RESEARCH.... and you are taking a BIG step by posting!!!!




Hopefully I will be approved for my revision, and I will be flying to California to have my revision.
-Jamie in Alaska

I am very happy you posted this, I keep getting mixed messages regarding the Lap band and Sleeve, overall people mention how much they love their Sleeve, but yet when I read the Sleeve board a lot of posters report very difficult recoveries, "I guess this is the window of weight loss"? Also there was a post about many saying they have dumping syndrome just like the GB aka...shaking dizzy, fainting, vomiting and rapid heart beat when eating carbs and sweets. Also some report they don't have much restriction, I am wondering if people are really happy with their Sleeves, I don't get it.

My main concern is that you cannot reverse the Sleeve and once your stomach is removed there is no turning back, is this why they have no choice but to "love it". It makes me wonder about peoples true intent and honesty about their surgery.

I mean I was really interested in the Sleeve until I start doing more research, I've heard horror stories with the Lap Band too, fill problems, band slippage and not losing enough weight. I have friends personally that used the lap band incorrectly by having it way too tight to eat any solid food, but at least they had a choice in the matter of adjusting the saline properly.

I am really sad to hear that the Sleeve has possibilities to cause dumping syndrome, this was my main reason for not getting the GB. I guess for me there is no perfect surgery, they all have potential issues, some more dangerous than others. I guess I will pick a surgery that I can live with long term and not give me bad side effects because I work and I don't have time to take off a lot being sick from eating certain foods. I will tell you it is not an easy decision to make.