RNY & Weight Regain

I am 41/2 yrs post op I went from 278 to 157 in the last 2 yrs I gained20 pounds back due to stress of loosing home due to a fire and son and grandson moving in with us. when my size 16s started getting to tight I said enough went back to basics and now I am down to 161.  Our surgery is not a cure all we have to make it work. I found I could eat a cookie ot 2 wait awhile and eat some more. So now there is no junk in the house and since I have gotten back on track my pouch is more picky than ever It lets me know who is the boss. I DONOT ever want to gain back the weight  weight I have lost. prayer helps alot also.I just ask God to help me not to get fat again. BW  278 GW 150 surgery 3/25/03

I'm 6 years out, had RNY and have not regained any of my weight. I hit goal at about 11 months out.  I was proximal in the amount of intestine bypassed and I continue to keep my portions small and get in all my protein, my water and lots of exercise. Make sure they bypass enough intestine to make it worth while, follow the rules and you'll be ok. There's no reason, barring medical failure, the RNY doesn't work, if we follow our surgeons guidelines for post ops care, diet and exercise.

Jenni, You are doing great to be 6 years out and have not regained any of your weight.  Most people have at least regained back some of their weight.  I hope the 2nd time around is a charm for me.

"Most people have at least regained back some of their weight" I have to ask - where do you get this idea? The problem is that "most" is inaccurate.  It's not an inevitability.   If you look at some real statistics, what you'll find, in all procedures, even DS - there is what is called a "re-bound" gain once a person gets to goal.  The body re-adjusts, they may gain another 5-10 pounds beyond their lowest point.  That doesn't necessarily put them in the category of being overweight at that point either, it's a natural bodily reaction to a significant weight loss. What most people are "frightened" of is a significant regain (30 lbs or more) that would put them back in the overweight or obese category.  Yes, it happens - but you'll notice that 9 out of 10 people who this happens to will also admit to letting go of one or more of their procedure's "rules" after having reached goal.  By and large (no pun intended) - it can be controlled as stated above, by following surgeon's orders.  Re-gain due to being non-compliant is a risk in any procedure. I just want to emphasize for you that YOU are the one who's in control of your loss and your maintenance.  Looking to the tool in and of itself to solve the problem, or thinking that the tool is in "control" of whether you're going to re-gain might be setting yourself up for disappointment.  No matter what, it ultimately becomes mind over matter. I wish you the best as you pursue your revision - keep asking questions.

Just a thought.....have you checked into having the duodenal switch?  The DS has the lowest failure rate of any of the WLS currently available.  People lose the highest amount of weight, and regain the least statistically.   Obivously for people to post that "it's a tool" and how you have to change your lifestyle goes without saying, but in my opinion if I was a good dieter I woudln't have needed WLS.   If i was able to change my lifestyle completely, then why the hell would i rearrange my intestines?   Hello???? Hence the reason I had the DS.  It gave me the best chance for losing weight, and the best chance for keeping it off long term.  In Dr. Hess's study of over 120 patients, he found that 95 percent of them were able to maintain a weight loss of 75 percent or more of their excess weight 10 years out.  To me that sounds like a freaken MIRACLE.   Anyway, you can try working another "tool"......but I highly suggest that you at least stop by the DS forum and look at the surgery.  There are many on the forum who are revisions from the lap band and the RNY. Scott

I had an RNY in 2000 at the weight of 412lbs and was a good patient. Even my doctor said so. I was loosing weight slowly and my doctor didn't understand why it had stalled, so he gave me a revision a year out. So, there I was a year out with a revision.

It's been 6 years and the weight has come back. I'm 50lbs or so heavier and a doctor thought I ate out my stoach. Till the films came back and he saw my small pouch. No matter how I work the tool, I gain, loose, gain. My highest weight after surgery 325, with a small pouch. I'm now 288. I lost most of that weight due to gallstones.

I had tried everything and nothing had worked. Never thought that I would have to diet again. But there I was, dieting.

Now I'm looking into getting a DS and have found that it's the operation which will help me to get rid of this weight. It may be something that you might be interested in before you go towards a revision. Do your homework and read a few articles, ask some questions and don't be shy on the DS board. There are a lot of helpful people there.

I know after having a revision I thought all was solved. Then to find the weight 'still' crept back, was devastating to me. Back then I didn't have this choice, now I do. No one want extra surgeries. Do your homework and make an educated decision which is best for YOU.

Hold the bus, Darnell! I totally undersatnd your reservations about getting a revision to something that people are getting revisions FROM.  I would like to invite you to investigate the Duodenal Switch.  We've had several successful revisions from RNY and LapBand and nobody needs a revision from the DS, because IT WORKS and IT WORKS WELL.   I'd like you to go out to duodenalswitch.com and check out the details, including long-term studies.  Results of these studies show that the Ds is statistically proving to boast the highest amount of weight loss and lowest rate of regain than any of the other procedures.  I can tell you from my own experience that post-op living is very easy to adjust to.  From what you've experienced after GB, it will be a cakewalk for you.  There's also a forum out here for the DS, and I invite you to ask any questions that come up.  It's not too late to back out of that RNY revision, and sometimes the tool just doesn't work for some people, no matter how hard they work it from their end.  There are a couple of people who have backed out of scheduled surgeries after learning about the DS, too.  Talk to a surgeon who does the RNY as well as the DS.  That's the only way to get straight answers out of most surgeons, I'm afraid.  The most current list of DS surgeons is also on that site I gave you. If there are any other questions I can answer for you, please don't hesitate to ask.

I had an RNY and lost very little weight.  I didn't re-gain, I never lost more than 30#'s so I had a revision to the DS.  I've lost over 90#'s and am still losing.  The DS has better statistics for weght re-gain after 3 years.  That seems to be the mark that people tend to regain.  I'm not there yet, but I too could not handle another failure.  You do see an awful lot of revisions that are RNY's to DS and you don't have near the eating restrictions.  You have a normal staomach, just much smaller, so you still have to limit carbs, but you don't dump and and you can eat all protein which the pouch requires you to eat these tiny bites and chew, chew chew.  When I eat in front of people now, they have no idea I had surgery, because I eat normally, just smaller amounts than what I use to eat, but normal amounts.  Please do the research on both surgeries.  The RNY may be fine for you, but  if I had known of the DS the first time, I would not have had the RNY.  Good luck to you, which ever road you choose. Beth

Hi Darnell - I just wanted to chime in and tell you that I love me DS. It has been the most effortless weight loss I've ever experienced. There is no "working" this tool because it does the work for you! And like others have said, I can't think of anyone being revised from DS to another wls. That's because it is effective and easy to live with. It's not too late to consider other options. Afterall, you don't want to be looking for another revision a year from now. Good luck!

Hi Darnell, I'm so sorry your surgery wasn't what you hoped it would be first time around that's not fair.  However, please read about the DS before you go any further, come and talk to us on the DS board.  It may not be for you, and I'm not slamming the RNY here it's different strokes for different folks.  BUT bear in mind before you have another surgery that the DS isn't a tool which you have to work it's a lifetime cure for obesity. Lots of luck.

5'7"   SW 268lbs BMI 42/ CW 132lbs BMI 20.7 / GW 140lbs
136lbs  Lost 

                            I Ymy duodenal switch