So excited to find this group! My surgery is 12/13 and I need feedback!

So, could you guys clarify...from everything I have read the DS is only for BMI 50+ and is much more dangerous in regards to complications.  Several of the sites I have gone to say they don't even consider DS for a lower BMI since you can lose too much weight. So, what made you decide to do DS over something else, and what did you Dr. have to say.  Also curious if you had it done in the US or somewhere else (since docs here are so strict).  Sorry for so many questions, but since I haven't had the surgery yet, I want to make sure I am making the right decision. Thanks!- Danielle

On November 8, 2012 at 6:32 AM Pacific Time, 6penningtons wrote:

So, could you guys clarify...from everything I have read the DS is only for BMI 50+ and is much more dangerous in regards to complications.  Several of the sites I have gone to say they don't even consider DS for a lower BMI since you can lose too much weight. So, what made you decide to do DS over something else, and what did you Dr. have to say.  Also curious if you had it done in the US or somewhere else (since docs here are so strict).  Sorry for so many questions, but since I haven't had the surgery yet, I want to make sure I am making the right decision. Thanks!- Danielle

The DS in the hands of a DS surgeon is NO more dangerous to a lightweight than the RNY. Both can cause excess weight loss IF you are prone to that. But for MOST of us, our bodies just knew when to stop without going too low.

I had a surgeon tell me it was only for those who were a 50BMI or more but was MORE than willing to do the RNY on me. I found a different surgeon. I knew, in my heart that the DS was for me. And if I had to travel to get it, so be it.

With the RNY, I would not be able to take NSAIDS. I NEED to be able to as I have arthritis in my back.

With the RNY, I would not be able to drink during a meal. And while I don't drink much, I want the ability to sip during my meal.

With the RNY, I had a 30% chance of dumping (I can't even imagine doing that) and a 40+% chance of developing reactive hypoglycemia 2-5 years down the road. For me, since I already have reactive hypoglycemia totally unrelated to surgery, I did not want to make it worse.

I was already eating the way a DS'er does, protein & fat FIRST and then veggies and lastly, bread/pasta/etc.

Complications CAN happen to ANYONE who has WLS. The typical DS'er tho IS far more obese and unhealthy to begin with than the other surgeries. The average BMI of other surgeries start at 35 BMI and go up. Thanks to outdated thinking, the average DS'er tho is over a 50 BMI.

The Switch part, without the sleeve part, is being done in Europe to cure diabetes in Europe.

Talk to a vetted DS surgeon if you want an unbiased option as to which one is best...they will take all your medical history into account in telling you which surgery to have. If the surgeon doesn't do the DS, they won't recommend it.

And continue to ask questions...find the best surgery FOR you and THEN find the surgeon. The best one may be the one you have already chosen but do not be afraid to 1) change your mind and 2) travel to get the one you really want.

Liz

 

 

 

Hope you will reconsider your surgery, as well as having it in Tiajuana!  Too many stories of peeps dying down there.  There are other choices for bariatric surgeons down in Mexico.  I hope those folks who went down there will chime in. 

I'm also a "lightweight" who had the DS - 5'6", BMI at surgery was 39.  I chose the DS after doing tons of research and finding out that the DS had the best long-term statistics for keeping the weight off, offered the best stats for getting rid of my co-morbidities (pre-diabetes and high triglycerides), and would allow me to eat the most "normally" post-op.  Yes, I had my DS done in the US - about an hour away from my house, actually.  My surgeon at first was a little hesitant when I told him that I wanted a DS (his exact words were, "That's a lot of surgery for someone your size.").  He wanted to know why that's what I wanted, so I laid out all of my reasons to him.  Keeping the weight off long-term was huge for me - as I told him, "I only want to do this once, so I want the best."  He agreed with me, and here I am almost three years later.  I'm maintaining right around 137 pounds, which puts me at around a 21 BMI and I wear a size 4.  I've been this weight and size since I was 9 months out from surgery.  I am very proactive about my labs to maintain my health status, and I've been fortunate to not have had any complications since my surgery.  I couldn't be happier with my decision.

Have you looked into the sleeve or the DS? I am not sure what a MGB is...but I researched extensively and settled on the sleeve for me. I would not have had WLS at all if I could not have had the sleeve or the DS.

The MGB is a mini gastric bypass. Essentially it is the same as gastric bypass, however there is only one anastomosis vs. the 2 that you have in a full gastric bypass. There are fewer complications, and weight loss is the same. 

 

Actually the Mini-Gastric Bypass is a dangerous surgery that doesn't have near the results as a regular gastric bypass and is not approved by the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgeons for that reason. (Or any other Medical Society that I know of in any country.) That's only why a handful of surgeons do it and they all have horrible reputations including Dr. Rutlege who has lost his license to practice medicine in several states.

Please, please reconsider and do more research.

I can give you info to my surgeon , he does a fabulous job! And is a cash pay place too. 13050.$ worth every penny .vsg it's never too late to change your mind and go with a Center of Excellence and stay in the states. I would evengive you a place to stay. Really do your research , MGB scared me when I looked it up.  You sound like me , I think you would love the sleeve

Welcome !!  All of your fears are normal :)

Mandy

There are definitely good and bad things about the internet. The good is there is a lot of information out there, the bad is that it is hard to determine which info is legitimate.  Anytime you are talking about a surgery of this type, there are bound to be "horror" stories.  I have seen conflicting information about every type of surgery out there.  I guess each person has to do their own research and then decide for themselves which is best for them...and then quit reading threads because all it does is make you question your decision!   :)

I talked to my surgeon today about possibly doing the DS, and he advised against it simply because I have a lower BMI. He suggested either the sleeve or MGB.  The advantage of the MGB is the absorption issue. Obviously after the "honeymoon" is over that is null and void, but I am hoping that it will help with my initial weight loss.