Ds Reversal

Has anyone had there common channel adjusted or lengthen???

I know it's possible, but don't actually know anyone who has needed to. 

Are you losing too fast or too much? If that's the case, you can take digestive enzymes or eat more carbs till things slow down.

I had mine lengthened from 100 cc to 200 cc because of a lot of issues I was having.  I also had my sleeve revised to a RNY pouch.  I lost all my excess weight and then some.  In hindsight I probably would have done a lot better with a very small sleeve and longer common channel or even just restriction.  Beyond that it was the best thing I could have done.  No more gas issues, no more diarrhea (now I am constipated) and no more foul odors.  I am much healthier all around.  To be totally honest I also overhauled my eating.  I am majorly addicted to carbs and I was out of control with them, which of course didn't help my other issues.  Since my revision I have been sugar free and gluten free, so I don't know if that is the reason for my improvement but I am sure it helps a great deal.  I am also a lot more diligent about vitamins, protein and lab work.  I also didn't have a very good surgeon so I am not exactly sure what was done in the first place.  It's kind of a bizarro world where when I had a 100 cc common channel I managed to regain  100 lbs and when I have a 200 cc common channel I lost too much weight.  I have a feeling that there was something done wrong in the first place because I had constant bacterial overgrowth, so I wonder if he didn't hook things up wrong and when I had the revision things are the way the should have been.  No idea at all.

Anyway, I am sure you are talking to a good surgeon.  I was told that I might not lose any weight when I had my revision but that wasn't the case for me anyway.  Having a small stomach means I eat less and am satisfied easily and I rarely get hungry.  

Hi - I have only a 75 cm common channel, but a 250 cm alimentary channel. I have only lost 22 lbs and am going crazy; I was a self-pay and went to Dr. Keshishian in CA - flew all the way from NY.  Got desperately ill with cdiff and then colitis - and have had a tough time losing weight, despite eating very low carb, etc.

So, my question is...who did your revision, making your pouch smaller and your cc shorter? I need to get some possibilities. I was about to fly to CA again- as a self-pay - and started having serious kidney stones; So my trip has had to be postponed.  I also found out that the revision to either shorten the channels - or making the stomach smaller - could cost up to $30,000 out of pocket. Holey Moley!! 

Was your revision paid for, because of the issues you were having? I will be paying off the first loan for the original DS surgery for a long time, and hate the thought of an even GREATER debt.

Thanks for any advice you can offer!!

Truthfully I wouldn't recommend my surgeon.  From what I have heard you can't do much better then Dr. K.  I wish I had seen him instead of my surgeon.  What does he have to say about your situation?

Insurance did pay for my revision because I was having a lot of problems.  They have been resolved thankfully but now I have lost too much weight in spite of having a 200 cc common channel, which makes me wonder what was done and how things were measured.  I also feel like it was some kind of "eenie, meenie minee moe" as far as how things turned out.  Since my health is good and I no longer have any other issues I don't feel the need to have anything else done and I just have to wait for time to do it's thing as far as my weight goes.  My BMI is normal, although at the very low end, so for me my weight is a matter of vanity and preference as far as wanting to weigh a bit more.

eta, my cc wasn't made shorter.  It was lengthened to reduce malabsorption.  I went from 100 cc to 200 cc. Which means I shouldn't have lost as much weight as I did.  Unless it was measured wrong or who knows what was done.

Dr K is baffled; he said I no doubt need a revision - either to shorten the alimentary channel or to make the stomach smaller.  My liver enzymes have all been elevated, which would normally indicate I'm losing weight too fast! HA! 

You know, when I had this surgery, I was so afraid that I might be the one it wouldn't work for...and I am.  I can't even imagine losing TOO much weight.  Not to minimize your situation, but I would love that problem right about now.  I eat low carb, high protein (roughly 20-30 carbs daily and about 80-100 protein) yet there is no weight loss.  None, since my initial 20 lb loss in the first 3 months.  That was 14 mos ago. 

Diane in Dr. K's office has indicated that revision would cost up to $30,000 out of pocket. I can't afford that.  The only real complication I have is inadequate weight loss, so insurance won't touch me.

I'm really glad for you that things have worked out...I hope I will be able to say the same some day. Thanks again for your reply.

PS Sorry if I repeated anything I previously wrote!

Ok, after tons of searching I finally found my limb lengths.  My op report says the alimentary limb is now 150 cm and the biliary limb is now 170 cm.  The biliary limb had been 270 cm.  I guess those had to be reduced in order to increase my common channel.  So maybe a shorter alimentary limb would make a difference. 

If it were me I would have my stomach reduced but you haven't mentioned any issues with eating too much or not having enough restriction.  I just know for me having restriction for the first time ever has made a world of difference.  However, if that isn't a problem for you then obviously it isn't necessary.

Have you considered going out of the country.  There are many fine DS surgeons in Mexico, Brazil, Spain and other places and the price, even including travelling costs, is much lower then the US.