Has anyone gone from a RNY to DS

Very true. OH has never been very welcoming to DSers.

Not to discourage you because I feel I had a bad surgeon.  I had a RNY in 1998 and a big pouch so not significant weight loss.  I had a surgeon in Atlanta (who is now skipped the country) that performed a conversion to DS in 2009.  I will say this, and it's simply my experience.  For the entire 6 years I have felt chronically fatigued, brain fogginess, dizzy, lost the weight and plateud at 190 in 2011.  Then as I began nursing school, I emotionally ate and regained to 245 and maintained that for 3 years.  January of this year for unknown reasons, I was unable to eat a single bite.  I found me a new PCP at Emory in Atlanta that was smart enough to run a lot of labs.  I found out that I have been severely malhourished due to the position of my anastomosis (connection).  So no matter the diet, the amount of protein, the vitamins, supplemtns, calories - they simply do not absorb because I don't have enough small bowel left.  So now I find out that several of his patients died from malnutrition by going into organ failure.  Tomorrow I start infusions for 3 weeks to get my vitamin and mineral and protein levels back to normal.  This will probably be a lifetime thing and I'm ok with that.  I'm just so thankful I left the hospital system I actually am an /RN at and went to Emory.  I believe I would have been dead in less than 2 weeks.  I could hardly lift my head off the pillow, was completely so weak I was bed bound, and started passing out.  This doesn't have to happen to you.  Check out your surgeon good, ask him his mortality rate, search on the internet for any suits against him, etc. and be specific with him before surgery how much small bowel you will have to actually get calories and nutrients from.  I have less than 5 inches!!!  Good luck!

Thank you for that information and I am so glad to hear that you are doing better.  The surgeon I am using is the same one that did my initial surgery. He also works for the same healthcare system I do.  I went to see him this past Friday and he told me that changing to a DS would be too risky, but he is running test to see if there are any restricitions first and then we will go from there. He will just probably tighten my pouch.

Personally, I think you should seriously consider tightening your pouch.  You will not believe the trouble I am enduring.  Today I started my infusions, which my insurance does not cover.  I am feeling so much better, but still looking at $150 a bag for more infusions and possibly lifetime.  I am a registered nurse so I don't mind taking care of my infusions, but to realize how close I came to dying and the number of people that have recently died from malnutrition leading to major health issues that eventually ended in their death is scary.  I am glad you have the same surgeon.  However, how many revisions has he done?  Revisions are higher risk and higher mortality rate.  Just be careful.  I thought my surgeon was one of the most sought after in the area, and look what he turned out to be.

Thank you so much for the update. I will definitely keep you in my prayers.  If you want to check him out his name is David Voellinger.

If your insurance will pay for a DS, have you considered Dr Boyce in Knoxville TN.  He is on the list of experienced rny to DS revision. (there are less than a dozen in US that are on this list)

I would but my doc is the one who did the original and he is the top surgeon in Charlotte, NC. I trust what he says.  I think I will be ok, if he just tightens me up. 

Mktiinpiano, ow long is your common channel? What does your daily vitamin schedule look like? Who did your DS?

Who was your Dr please? 

Hi I revised from RNY to DS in Dec. 2012. IMHO Distal is not a good thing. You have the small stomach and the malabsorbstion of the DS. You will need your stomach to get in nutrients. I went from 240 to 118 now I am at 125 and holding. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

It was the best choice for me. You will decide what is best for you. First step is to consult a true DS revision Dr. Not a Dr. who says he does revisions. You may not be offered the DS as it is a complicated revision and only a few DR's are vetted for this surgery.

Good luck

whitney