revison surgery

I am a ways from making my decision if I am going to go for a rny revsion to ds. but want to have enough info this time to make a more informed decision.  i have been hearing alot that the best way to go for someone who had RNY is to go with the DS.  Since there is not a dr in my area that does this I would have to consider another route.  Can someon tell me how long thr RNY revison to DS surgery takes? What is the general hospital stay?  Recoup time?  IF all esle fails and i really CAN NOT make it happen to have the DS what is the next best revison?  thanks all

I am in the same boat with you...I had the RNY in 2003 and I am considering the revision to the DS. The closest vetted surgeon that performs this revision is in New York, I live in Georgia. Please keep me posted on any updates. 

will do! i had my RNY in 2001. keep me posted also.

Me 3.  

My surgery took 4-5 hours.  I was in the hospital for 4 days.

I flew from Alaska to California............. Honestly, I would have flown ANYWHERE to have my revision!!!!

Travel is such a SMALL drop in the bucket for the rest of your life and health!!!!

I do all of my follow up with my family doc/PCP, and stick on these boards to the advice of the vets.  Our docs (surgeons are good cutters, not the best aftercare............. As for the family doc or PCP doing the follow up, you have to be YOU best ADVOCATE for YOUR HEALTH) usually learn with your teaching them, that is the simple truth.

I love my PCP, had him around 11 years, but he is willing to learn. 

Well, I can only be so biased, since I'm one of those "thrilled with my DS" people, but I'm not sure I'd bother with a revision if it wasn't to DS, and heres why. I'll be as objective as I can be here based on years of reading places like OH, medical studies and journal articles and what I've actually seen.

There are other surgeons closer that will supposedly revise the RNY to another type of RNY (usually the ERNY) but most of the shortcomings of RNY come from having the pouch and bypassing the pyloric valve. If weight is being regained from food leaving the pouch too soon, then restoring the stomach back from the pouch back to using it's own pylorus is the only REAL way to fix that (some surgeons are doing things to supposedly re-tighten the stoma like ROSE, Stomaphyx, which are all useless). Of course things like reactive hypoglycemia or dumping are not resolved as long as the stomach stays a pouch either.

If they are talking about putting a band over the RNY pouch, well, the band has such horrible stats on it's own already, and there are no changes to it that are going to make it's performance any better with the bypass than it has been as a stand alone procedure.

I'm a person that self paid and left the country for my DS, and while I was intimidated by just the travel aspect (I hadn't left the US before) and they didn't speak english where I was going. It was also my first surgery ever, and was going to be a doozy. I was paralyzed with fear, but kept telling myself to "just do this, and after it's all done, I'll have what's easiest for me to live with FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE!" I wanted the least chance to ever need surgery again, and didn't want any surgery if there was much chance for failure.

Now, it was tough to go half way around the world, and I know that traveling to where ever your surgeon may be is not ideal, but it's a small price to pay when you look at the big picture. One thing that lessens the risk, and just makes it easier, is that it doesn't have to be just hospital, or home. There is a span when you are actually fine to be checked out of the hospital, but want to stay nearby since most complications happen right after surgery. That's why you are usually not discharged for a few days, but then theres a week or two that you just feel blah and it's nice to be near the surgeon just in case you want to get back quickly, and you can stay at a nearby hotel, or better yet with a relative or friend.

There are surgeons that are used to having people travel to them, and many will visit you in a nearby hotel room (again, only after you are actually OK, and cleared for discharge from the hospital). It was very comforting for me to be near my surgeon for several weeks post op. Yes, I was fine to go, but didn't feel good yet, and they even suggested I just sit and relax at a nearby beach. This is one of those things when I think looking at the short term things like travel or extra hassle is actually very short sighted in comparison to you lifetime.

I, like Jamie, was revised from RNY to DS by Dr. Ara Keshishian.  All has not been easy for me I am still recovering. But the question I have for you is why would you purposely go with a second best option?  

The other options mentioned for RNY revision have not proven successful. At least I have not seen any successful follow-up posts. Maybe I have missed them...

Whatever your choice I hope it works for you.

Best                                                                                                                             

Whit

I'm so glad to be back! I can't say this enough. Thanks for posting questions I want to ask too!  I'm still not 100% sure if I want to have a revision surgery but the fact of the matter is that I'm not living.  I wasn't really sure if you could revise to have something completely different done.