Dr. Kemmeter Grand Rapids, MI RNY to DS revision
With the RNY you lose the use of your pyloric valve. Over time many people with the RNY have had the man made stoma (opening from the pouch to intestines,) stretch. This allows the food to literally dump straight into the intestines and leave you hungry all the time. Also some have reported that the blind stomach has reattached to the pouch with an opening that once again allows the food to dump back into the big old stomach with the same affect.
With a DS they make the stomach a sleeve and remove the large part, this is the VSG, than the do the DS switch for mal-absorption. This is why it has the best resolve of diabetes and the best results for long term no-weight regain. But, it also requires the most diligence with supplementation, lab work follow up.
BAND REMOVED 9-4-12-fought insurance to get sleeve and won! Sleeved 1/22/13! Five years out and trying to get that last 15 pounds back off.
Hello there MC,
I had the RNY done on 12/7/10. I lost 44 lbs total from the day of surgery before my weight started creeping back up again. I am now back to my starting weight (over 100 lbs overweight) after only 2 and 1/2 years. This surgery was not successful for me. I don't know why, as I have seen many others who have had wonderful success - including my best friend who lost over 100 lbs and has kept it off now for about 3 years... It has been so incredibly discouraging for me. I recently had an EGD where the Dr found out that I do in fact have a very enlarged pouch and stoma. I have been able to eat significantly more than my friend (who had the very same surgery) since the beginning. I don't know why this surgery has failed me. I just know that it has done nothing to help me with my weight loss after the first few months. I am constantly hungry, never feel satisfied, and I am exactly where I was on the day of my surgery. It is depressing when you go under the knife to have a better life, and you end up right where you started. Therefore, I am researching my options from this point. A well-respected surgeon in my area offered to do a gastric endoscopic outlet repair - a very new procedure in which he is the only one in the state of MI who performs this. Unfortunately, my insurance company will not pay for endoscopic repairs of the pouch or stoma due to their experimental/investigational nature. The out of pocket expense would be $5500 - which is simply more than I'm able to pay. Thus, I am looking into getting a revision to the DS. After much research and reading, it seems that this revision (though incredibly challenging) may be my best hope for long-term weight loss. I really just want to be able to run and play with my 2 young children.... Well, that is my story. I hope it aids in helping you make your decision. Best of luck in whatever you choose!
SIncerely,
Leslie
For me personally, I absolutely LOVED my RNY for many many years. I was a RNY in 1992. Mine lasted for about 16 years. But unfortunately life took control. The weight started coming back, five to ten pounds at a time. I could get it off but then it would creep back up again. Then I lost all restriction. I started noticing it bit by bit. I find I am back to eating larger amounts and not feeling full. I am trying to take control of it before I hit pre-surgery weight again. My story is probably one of the better case scenarios I have read. There are some on here that their RNY lasted maybe three to five years. Why the DS is another question. I would do as many have advised to do, Do your own research. I have taken the advise of many on this forum and done exactly that. I would chose to revise to a DS but that is only my personal choice from research.
