Lap band to what? Sleeve or Gastric Bypass or what - need advice/experience

Sherrie, if you qualify for WLS, you qualify for the DS. We have several 'light-weights' on the DS board, with beginning BMIs around 35. If you want the DS, get it---we have people who can help you fight your insurance company if that's the problem.

Hi, I read your post and Ihve a band and looking to having it taken out. But what is a DS? I'm hoping

just look on this site or google duodenal switch.(ds)

i am considering a revision of the duedenol switch i had done in 2007. has anyone undergone this type of reversal surgery?

Do you mean a reversal, or a revision? They're not the same thing.

What problems are you having with your DS? The more you can tell us, the more we can help you. Have you posted about these problems on the DS board?

the problems i am having from the ds are extreme malnutrition and severe anemeia. i am faithful in taking my supplements (like 29 vitamins per day) for some reason my body is not absorbing nutrients i am ingesting. i had my surgery in 2007. actually was doing great until 5 months ago. i have been very weak and sick since july. i went to my gastro dr. and he suggested a reversal. he felt my symptoms were just too serious to continue in this condition. i will post on ds board once i find it..(im new to this site)

 

Here's a link: http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/ds/

Can you post a list of the vites you're taking, and how you take them? Like what you take with what else, time of day, etc.? And everything was fine up until 5 months ago?

Has anyone suggested taking pancreatic enzymes to increase absorption? And it's possible to lengthen your common channel without doing a complete reversal.

so just be aware that if you choose the RNY you will always have the malabsorption with vitamins but you don't always have the malabsroption with food.!!

 

please do your research on the different surgeries and research what your insurance will cover.  For me I chose the RNY and even though I have problems with low iron I still don't regret the RNY.

 

With any surgery you can have weight gain if you don'****ch what you eat.

 

Tamara

Tamara:

I read your profile and you sound like you are in a similar situation and has a revision.  Did you have GERD with your Lap Band?  Did you lose much weight with the Lap Band?  After your revision?  I have low iron too and just taking a liquid supplement (I can't get pills down very easily and iron reflux is nasty).  I am still waiting to see a surgeon and hoping they will have good advice without bias, specific to my situation.  We'll see.  I know the malabsorption is in the early stages, but did you lose the weight and then able to maintain?  That's what my hope is.  I am also looking into the sleeve and DS.  It is just the sleeve may not heal my GERD or it may reoccur after so many years.

Thanks for any advice,

Joyce

hey Joyce.

I lost from 272 to 218 with the lap band.  After my revision i lost down to 149 was the lowest.  I stay between 155 and 160 now.  and that is all my fault that i have gained.

if you do the RNY use the first 6 mnths to 1 year to lose as much as possible.  i could not do the sleeve because my heart burn was so severe.  the dr did not even consider the sleeve with me.  The sleeve can cause severe heart burn for some people.  Even worse than the band. 

I honetly started exercising immediatly and that helped me alot.  i lost very, very slow.  mainly i think because i was considered a lightweight and secondly with any revision i think weight loss can be slower.  i did lose 1/2 pound some weeks.  When everybody else stalled i stayed fairly steady.  i lost up to about 9 months and then around my 1 year i lost like 5 pounds.  just be patient with the weight loss. you may feel like its not going to come off but it will.

 

Tamara