Anyone have the DS at Madigan?

J:
No, I don't work in the Clinic I work in the OR with all the Bariatric surgeons.  The gals who work in the General surgery clinic do not work in the OR with the surgeons...they work with the patients doing all the hard work with you all on your pre and post op issues.  I do the technical things during the procedure, instruments, staplers, that sort of thing.  I've worked there for quite a number of years.  And due to some unfortunate cir****tances will probably be having an lgb myself here in the next few months.  I am not eligble for care at MAMC...have to go outside to my great discontent.  I know my surgeons and would prefer that they do it as I trust them.  But I am stuck using a seattle surgeon due to my insurance.  I have lost over 100 pounds on my own....and hit a plateau that I cannot get through probably because I have lupus and am on prednisone. and other drugs for that.  But for the same reasons...I must get this last 40 to 60 pounds off and I am not going to benefit from a band because I am already under 1500 calories.  I need a common channel...and  a calorie malabsorbtion procedure done.  I have several other co morbidities. 

I have not mentioned to my surgeons at MAMC that I am going to go and get this done,  I just made my final decision after much thought and soul searching.  And 6 months of liquid dieting and working with my pred dose and getting.......well, nowhere.  So  I found this website to try and check out the surgeon that I am being forced to use...although I went to the gals who sell madigan our staplers and asked for a referral from them.  And that is the surgeon that my insurance will work with....thankfully.

And just so you know, I have worked in civilian and army facilities in the Southwest and Northwest, and done some of the original bariatric procedures done in the early 1980's with private physicians when bariatrics was in its infancy.  All the way up to the laparoscopic ones that are being done  today.  , I'm no spring chicken.  Didn't start doing this job last year....I've been at it for 3 decades.
The simple advice I gave her was to discuss her options with her physcian, who I know to be a skilled man, and then to trust him.  And I think that is pretty sound advice.  Both Dr. M and Dr. B e have done the procedure  she wants and are very strightforward men.  But it will depend on how far down the pathway people are with regard to Dr. B, because he is due to leave the area at the end of this year.  So, if a patient is not really set to have surgery soon, I think he would not be a good choice because he is leaving within the next 6 months.

Michele,

Thank you so much for posting this.

Dupont,

Thank you for sharing also. I recently started the Pathways this week. I have been researching WLS for awhile now and have wanted the DS. When I heard Madigan offers the DS, I signed up for their seminar. From my experience so far with Madigan, the DS does not seem to be favored. It is definitely a surgery that you have to get information about and research. I felt Madigan does not give the DS as much face time so to speak as the do other types of surgery. A lot of time was spent talking about the sleeve (great surgery), RNY (great surgery) etc..., but the DS is the fit for me. I don't know if it is because it is so new to Madigan or what as to why it seems to be less talked about. Do you know how long Madigan has offered the DS? Is Dr. M and Dr. B the only ones that perform the surgery? Do they do lap or open? I hope you don't mind the questions, I am early on in the process and don't get to meet with the surgeons yet. I have been following Michele because she is further along in the process than me.

Turtle:
Dr M only does the DS laparoscopicly unless he converts to open during the procedure for some reason.  Same for Dr. B.  To my knowlege they are the only 2 who do it at this time.  They choose the patients for the procedure due to their co morbidities and bmi's specifically.

You might be confusing the fact that the DS isn't out in the forefront of the ''advertising'' so to speak with the fact that the majority of the patient population not needing that much operation.  It is not a knock on the operation, just a fact that it is not needed for everyone.  The numbers speak to the fact that the majority of MAMC's patient population does great with the  RNY procedure and  it offers less complications.  So that is probably why you see that it is in the forefront of the offerings.  The sleeve is also good because it offers great weight loss and low complications.  But if you have a tremendous amount of weight to lose, and a lot of co morbidities, then you have to look at the DS.  It totally depends on your BMI.  I think the guideline starts at BMI <50, but Dr. Martin will discuss that with you.  I'm trying to think back on the last couple that I have done with him and both were around bmi 56 or so.    In the past year I've done one with Dr. B and two with Dr. M.  All three were laparoscopic.  I think Dr. M has done them for atleast a year or so....because I didn't do his first few.    I don't think that anyone will try and talk you out of DS if you are firmly entrenched.....and have your facts straight.  But I know that Dr. M will tell you every true thing that you need to know that you may not know now about the results of the operation.  And, especially help you compare the two operations to help you decide which is best for you.  Again, feel free to ask anything you want.  I will help if I can.  If I get a chance I'll ask him some questions  about the DS when I see him next.  I'm not working with him till next week, but when I do, I'll quiz him...lol.

  

Dupont,

Thank you so much for your insight. I have all my research and am ready to share with them why I feel the DS is for me if needed. I appreciate they will not try to sway me from my decision, but I am more worried that they will not accept me since my BMI hovers in the low 40's. I do have high blood pressure and diabetes/high cholesterol runs in my family. Not sure if that will help me. I have never been checked for high cholesterol, but maybe I should if that will help increase my chances for the DS. Do they require "x" many co-morbidities if the patient is under 50 BMI?

Thanks again Michele for your post and Dupont for sharing your information.

Turtle........I do not think that they actually have an equation with X number of co morbidities = DS...but I do think that they take each patient as an individual and your BMI is going to enter in to the decision along with your co morbidities.  You should know if you have cholesteral issues.........just because you should.....it is a definate problem for anyone with a high bmi.  And if it needs treatment, then that would be another co morbidity along with any osteo or RA, apnea, bp, or any other issue that is obesity related.  All of these things add to the pie so to speak.

I have to ask Dr. Martin if they have any kind of formula.  I don't think so though.  I think each patient is unique and they really deal with it on a case by case.
D

Dupont,
I sent you a personal message with a little more insight into my visit with Dr. Beekley.
Michele

(Dupont)
Well, it is nice to meet you. How great it is to hear your side of things. I am so grateful!

I can see where it would be a little awkward for you to let those that you work with know about your pursuing WLS. I would imagine that they would be very understanding and supportive not only to the surgery, but the fact that you must go elsewhere to have it done.

I have not told the people I work with but for different reasons. I have only told my mother and my siblings and all I hear is "I wish you wouldn't have it done." This is from one overweight mother (who is doing very well on WW at the moment), my two overweight sisters and my one trim/fit (always has been) brother. I think that one of my sister's is more understanding but I try to avoid the subject right now as it is not helpful to me at this time. My other sister sees a nut. and told her I was going to have W:S and the nut. said "Oh, I wish see wouldn't." That did not help at all, I would have thought that a nutritionist would understand. I guess you have to work around it to understand it.

I am a special ed teacher and recently met a parent of a new child that I will work with next school year and found out that she works in General Surgery as a nurse in the hospital (your probably know her, but don't try to guess) and I told her that I would be there this summer and that it might be little awkward to have one of "my parent.s" see me after having surgery. I really don't think it would be to comfortable for me during the school year when I would have to have contact with her and to think that she saw my naked fat body. LOL. I did not tell her what kind of surgery, but then she went on to say how she sees so many people have WLS and then come back later when they have lost weight and how exciting it is. I had 3 other people I work with there for that conversation, but they did not put two and two together to figure it out. I guess it was a good thing they where not math teachers. LOL. Anyway I was glad as I really do not want anyone at work to know yet..

Sorry, I am rambling on,
I do wish you well as you start your path to a WLS,
Michele

Didn't mean to rile you up,but this is the internet, you could be anyone.  I also am very protective of all the surgeons at Madigan and fellow patients so you can understand where my questions are coming from.

Good luck with your surgery, I know personally serveral people who have had the surgery in with different docs in the Seattle area so if you would like a more personal review please let me know.

I'm not riled :-)
I am going to have to use Ki Oh.  My only other choice was Hunter, but the timing will not work for me, and I was unimpressed with the pathway to put it mildly.  So I went with Oh.  Even though I don't care for the advertising.  My contacts said that he is technically excellent, so I guess that is all I can ask for.
D

He is an excellent surgeon, and on the plus side he is way more onboard about vitamin, supplements and labs than Madigan.  You should start a thread asking for personal experiences, he has done a lot of people on this board and I think you will be pleased with how happy people are with him.