Question:
What are the pros/cons of RNY and BPD? Why did you pick one over the other?
— Lori S. (posted on December 23, 2003)
December 23, 2003
FOR ME! I picked the RNY, its the gold standard for bariatric surgery,
approved by the NIH, does not remove any parts. The BPD removes and
discards a large part of the stomach. All my parts are still in there. Plus
I saw the success of other RNYers and honestly WANTED to be one of them!
The RNY and excellent care saved my life! At 2.5 years out I eat normal
portions of food, do not have to chew excessively, and am very happy. My
surgeon says the BPD should only be used for super morbids because of the
greater malabsorbtion issues.
— bob-haller
December 23, 2003
Well, I chose the DS. As for that part of the stomach they do remove---I
have no more use for it, and it's the part that produces most of the
hormone that tells the brain we're hungry---I sure don't need THAT, LOL!
The part of the stomach they DO leave still has the pyloric valve (the
normal emptying port of the stomach)attached, so I have no stoma, and
therefore no strictures or stomal ulcers. My new stomach can hold about 3
ounces now, but in a few months will stretch until I can eat small but
normal-sized portions, and I can tolerate any food---or medication!---
after surgery that I could before. I've always been a big meat eater, so
this was very important to me. I'll have no dumping syndrome, but not all
pouch people do, either, and I can control my need for sweets by eating
things sweetened with Splenda.The rearrangement of my small intestine will
cause a significant amount of malabsorption of fats and carbs, so I won't
need to limit these in my diet as severly as will pouch patients. I can
only absorb 28% of the fats I eat, and about that much of the carbs. Any
overeating I do can make me spend some unpleasant time in the bathroom, but
it can't make me fat! As for things you may have heard about DS patients
suffering from excessive and very smelly gas or bowel movements---each
individual patient has to learn his own tolerances of fats and carbs. Most
of the people I talked to while making my decision reported that, while the
odor was different, it was no worse than before surgery, and that while
their stools were often loose, they were NOT diarrhea---no "gotta go
NOW!" stuff, and the number of movements a day was directly related to
how many carbs they ate the day before. So far, I have no real experience
to speak of---my emissions are no more frequent nor smelly than before, but
I'll still on the pureed diet.
I chose the DS based on how I wanted to live for the rest of my life. I
didn't want to have to diet forever, or to have any foods I could never
eat, and I didn't want to run the risk of regaining my weight. (It's almost
impossible to "out-eat" the DS, unless you sit and eat sugar with
a spoon, LOL!) I wanted a fully-functional stomach, so I could take any
medications without worrying if it would suit a pouch. The malabsorptive
part of the DS will save me from my temptations, but it WILL requite me to
take vitamins daily for the rest of my life (which I was doing anyway).
— MsBatt
December 23, 2003
I was a super morbid and really would have preferred the DS, however I
chose the surgeon first and the surgery second. I like, admire and trust
my surgeon and all he performs is the RNY. I've been VERY happy with my
RNY - and at 18 months postop I can eat a normal sized smallish meal...not
tiny and not big. Comfy. Nobody notices how little I eat because I don't
at this point. I also eat meat VERY well...beef has been in my diet since
I went on regular foods. Chicken was my hard to get used to food, but now
do quite well on it 99% of the time. Anyway, just and FYI I wanted the DS
- I took the RNY. I'm happy and 200+ pounds lighter 18 months later.
— [Deactivated Member]
December 23, 2003
I agree completely with Bob. Four years ago, after months of research, my
daughter and I selected the RNY over the DS because it was the procedure
approved by the NIH and the majority of board-certified bariatric surgeons;
the gold standard for RNY surgery is now transection rather than simple
stapling...a technique which does not remove organ parts and allows
reversal of the surgery if ever medically necessary; it was a surgery that
did NOT allow me to continue to eat all those things that contributed to my
obesity in the first place, and still lose weight (is that a dream or
what?!?)....rather, it was a surgery that was going to "force" me
to adopt new and healthy eating habits for the rest of a longer and happier
lifetime (protein first; no sugars; limited fats; smaller portions; slower,
leisurely, enjoyable meals instead of bolting down huge quantities of food
in record times; no grazing/no snacking on "empty
calories"....all effortless!!...now THAT'S a sweet dream after 40
years of obesity!); it was indeed going to require vitamin and calcium
supplementation for the rest of my life, but not to the extent that DS
patients require...a very large number of board-certified bariatric
surgeons categorically refuse to perform DS surgery because of the
malabsorption risks and the undetermined effect of that increased
malabsorption over the long-term; and none of the reported problems with
diarrhea and gas that some DS patients experience. There are now five of
us in our " lap RNY family". We range from 1-4 years
post-op....pre-op weights from 325-406 lbs...all are blissfully at
goal...happier and healthier than ever before in our adult lives....we eat
"normally" at home and in restaurants, simply making wiser
choices and having smaller portions....some of us "dump", some of
us don't, but for those who do, it continues to be a wonderful
"reminder" and behavior modifier....none of us have ever felt
"deprived" or wish that we had made any other choice. Is it a
"magic cure"?....no, it is a miraculous tool, and one which helps
us make healthy choices for our lives. Could we gain weight again?...yes,
don't fool yourself...any patient with any WLS procedure can "eat
around the surgery" by returning to old patterns and poor
choices....the burden of responsibility does NOT rest with your surgeon or
the type of procedure, it rests solely with each individual patient to
"maintain the dream". Would we do it again?...in a heartbeat!
Best wishes!!
— Diana T.
December 23, 2003
For me, after a year of research and talking to people that had had the
surgery, RNY was never an option. I'm 4 mos post-op from a DS/BPD and
self-paid to do it. I found in my research that people with an RNY have a
lot more problems, i.e. dumping, stoma closures/strictures, as well as
having the pyloric valve removed. I even found cases that an infection had
developed in the unused portion of the stomach. And then there's the weight
re-gain. The percentage seemed rather high of substantial regain, vs with
the DS/BPD, if people regain anything, it's like 5 - 20 lbs, until there
body is "comfortable". There surely is a reason the conversion
rate from a RNY to a DS/BPD is so high......
— [Deactivated Member]
December 24, 2003
One note: Dumping is not a complication, but rather a DESIRED side effect
of RNY. I am glad that I dump as it helps keep me out of trouble . .
.<p>RNY works for me and I am glad that I had it. I am transected, so
no need to worry about staple line disruption. I chose an experienced
surgeon with a good record, so I had few worries in the OR, I had Lap
surgery so the risk of hernia was very low, and I had a proximal RNY so
malabsorption is minimal.<p>The RNY worked great for me: I lost all
my excess weight in 10 1/2 months and have kept it off for nearly 2 years
now with a minimal amount of effort. If I'd had more to lose, however, I
would have had to weigh the distal RNY against the BPD and the choice might
not have been as clear cut. There is a risk of problems stemming from
malabsorption from both of those.<p>And to dispel the
"myths" about the RNY that are often thrown out by those who have
not had that type of surgery: I eat "normal" foods in the same
quantity as a "naturally thin" woman might eat. I have only
thrown up once (and it was my own fault). I CAN eat some sugar, or anything
else I'd like to have . . . in moderation (with ONE exception: ice cream,
even the sugar-free kind). YES, I can eat bread, pasta, rice, and potatoes
although, most times, I choose not to.<p>The thing I like about the
RNY is that it forces me to choose good foods. I look at it like this: I
only have so much room and I have to have a certain amount of protein a day
(for me 100 grams). That means that whenever I eat I have to follow the
"protein first, then fruits & veggies, then other stuff if I have
room" rule to get in my nutrition. For ME, if I had more room I would
probably be eating all kinds of junk which, even though I may not absorb it
all, is certainly not good for my body. This works for ME as the concept of
efficient eating worked very well for me in pregnancy (I only gained 10
pounds). I just apply the same principles here: You only have so much room
and have to fit all your nutrition into the day so there's not much room
for junk.<p>The long-term complications of RNY can be avoided by
adequate nutrition (read: protein) and adequate supplementation
(multivitamin with iron, sublingual or injected B-12, and calcium CITRATE
at 1000mg/day [only 500mg at a time and not with the iron]). For me, it's a
piece of (sugar-free) cake.
— ctyst
December 24, 2003
I chose the DS because it's the cadillac of surgery options. There is a
higher percentage of weight loss, and the lowest percentage of regain. The
RNY patients who often post in favor of the RNY are within 5-years out, and
they haven't experienced the common regain yet. DS post ops rarely regain
more the 10% after 10+ years post op! Also, the RNY doesn't prevent you or
force you not to eat sweets like people claim. If you DO eat them, you
just have to suffer for it, but there is nothing stopping you from putting
that food in your mouth. So, if you had food issues - there's nothing that
'forces' a cure for it. The DS allows you to eat sugars if you like, eat
meats, eat absolutely anything you want. You have no adverse affects from
it and you aren't deprived anything you crave. Can excess sugar slow your
loss? Sure! But it's very very hard to "stop" it or regain.
It'll just take longer to lose. Do you have to exercise and follow a
strict diet like RNY patients? No! You can if you WANT to, but it's by
choice, not required. Do you have a "pouch rules" list to follow
after surgery? NO! You do what you want. There are guidelines to follow
(like "eat less sugar for maximum weight loss"), but no
requirements for success. I have friends who've had the RNY since that's
all their insurance would approve, and I chose the DS. Other friends of
mine DID get the DS (I used to belong to a BBW group - hence all the fat
friends) and we are all doing well. The RNY friends are losing weight and
doing well, however they hate certain aspects like the inability to eat
more than a few ounces of food - EVER again (unless they "pouch
push" and stretch their pouch to eat more - which attributes to weight
regain in the future), and the vomiting that follows them after nearly
every meal. Us DS folk you'd never know we had surgery. We don't eat or
react different than any other "normal" person. WAY COOL!
The big difference that people forget is that the BPD/DS works so well
because initially you have RESTRICTION (smaller stomach) as well as
MALABSORPTION - causing excellent weight loss. The RNY only has
RESTRICTION and very little malabsorption, which causes the initial weight
loss. After time, you stretch your pouch with the RNY (or your new small
tummy with the DS), and that's when things change. Once the RESTRICTION of
both surgeries reaches its end (2 years or so), there is NOTHING to keep
you from resorting back to your "old ways" with overeating, and
you can regain with the RNY. However, since the DS has continued
MALABSORPTION forever, once the restriction has ended, the malabsorption
enables you to MAINTAIN your loss! WOO HOO!!
Lastly, RNY patients insist the DS is not reversible. This is 100%
INACCURATE. The DS is DEFINITELY reversible. The ONLY thing you can't
reverse is the portion of the tummy that was removed - however NOT A SINGLE
FUNCTION of the tummy is altered (the DS tummy is simply a smaller model of
a "normal" tummy - where as the RNY is a fabricated
"new" pouch tummy that actually doesn't work the same and the
pylorus - which regulates the emptying - doesn't get used at all). If you
are revised from a DS (which I've heard has been done ONCE in 18 years),
your small tummy will stretch out to a normal 8-10oz size after a few years
on its own anyway - so there is no issue with a complete reversal.
Most people, when they don't know about something, they tend to make things
up. The fear of the unknown and people's own niavity can sometimes be more
damaging than anything else. RNY Doctors who truly don't have knowledge of
the DS will most often say they DO, and they will insist it's dangerous so
you will choose the surgery THEY perform. DUH! Talk to a DS doctor who
has also performed (or still performs) the RNY... they are quite honest
about the differences and they'll tell you when/why one is a better choice
depending on your health/size preop.
GOOD LUCK! Visit my website at www dot sassssy dot com if you want to
see/read more info on my WLS story!
— Amber S.
December 24, 2003
— Amber S.
December 24, 2003
Judith, I must add my experience to your belief that the only way someone
with DS can out eat it is to sit and eat sugar by the spoonful. I believed
this too, and since I'm not a sugar eater like that I thought I could have
a little! I don't know if I "Out ate" my DS but I stopped losing
weight at 4 months out. I only lost 45 lbs and am now at 8 months from
surgery. I wanted to caution you, as you have just started and don't
really know what your experience will actually be, and you obviously
believe the BS that's been fed you by people who had success with the DS.
I did too, and wish I'd watched my diet more carefully. I am in that small
percentage who did not lose well with it. Perhaps it would have stopped at
45 lbs off for me no matter what I ate, but I'm sure watching my carbs now,
and exercising much more. As for your info about absorbing as little carbs
as fats, that's just plain wrong. Yes, the fats are not absorbed much, but
carbs are absorbed at a rate of at least 50 percent, and for me I think
much higher. I am probably going to need a revision. I would choose the
DS again because of the stoma issues, and have also known many who are
happy with their Rny.
— Kathy Y.
December 24, 2003
I know several DS patients who are a year or more post-op, and NONE of them
have had any problems with their vitamins, etc. Of course, they are all
patients from the same surgical practice I chose, and they all have
bloodwork done at regular intervals, something my surgeon is fanatical
about. Their rate of weight loss varies, as would any group of people, but
all of them ARE losing, and are very happy with the lifestyle their surgery
has allowed them to lead. Jennifer, I'd like to hear more about those two
people you know who are having trouble absorbing/taking their vitamins. Who
was their doctor? Does he do regular bloodwork?
I'm certainly not trying to "bash" anyone's choice---I just want
to say that I'm VERY happy with the choice I made.
— MsBatt
December 24, 2003
AMOS MOD HERE<P> I appreciate we are keeping this discussion
friendly!<P> For ME a RNYer at 2.5 years out I can eat anything. As a
matter of fact foiods like stuffed pepers and spicey foods are awesome.
Couldnt eat those pre op. They are very tasty! I eat normal quanties for
thin people and chew normally, and certinally not to mush. I have to avoid
high calorie junk food, and got addicted to oreo cookie bars. Now when i
eat one I wonder what I thought was so great about them.They arent worth
getting fat over. No surgery is right for everyone, its good we have
choices/ Everyone has to make a informed decisuion for themselves. BTW I
can eat for comparison purposes a entire pizza hut personal pan supreme
pizza if really hungry. At a month out one egg was a HUGE meal.
— bob-haller
December 24, 2003
When I started considering WLS, I was pretty sure I would get an RNY. I
totally discounted DS because the word "malabsorption". Once I
really got into researching the different procedures though... it made a
whole lot of sense to me. I'll share with you some of my thoughts but I
highly encourage you to do lots of research yourself into the different
procedures. Do not rely on 'word of mouth' info or simply the opinion of
one surgeon.
I picked the DS for several reasons and have had my choice confirmed with
additional knowlege. One... I wanted something that was going to work in
spite of my crappy choices. I wanted a surgey that was going to make me
as close to normal as possible. I didn't want to have to obsess over every
bit put in my mouth. I eat lots of crap food, and the DS works in spite
of my lack of willpower.
RNY patients tend to have more lactose intolerance and B Vitamin problems.
DS patients have more issues with iron and fat soluable vitamins.
(although lots of RNY patients have iron problems too because you need B
vitamins to properly access iron) DS patients actually can take less
vitamins then RNY patients. The bottom half of the stomach is where the
intrinsic factors for B vitamins and lactose are formed. I'm a big dairy
eater...so this was important to me.
DS patients can take NSAID drugs like advil more readily then RNY patients.
Although they should still be generally avoided.
DS has statistically a better longterm weightloss then RNY.
My sister is RNY patient and is regaining her weight.
DS is the only WLS that has 100% cure rate for diabetes.
Im 18 months out. I take 1500 mg of Calcium and two multivitamins a day.
I've lost 160 lbs. I feel this was one of the best decisions of my life.
If you would like to read more about why I picked the DS, please check out
my profile.
No matter which WLS path you choose, I wish you much success in your quest
for better health!
— Kym L.
December 24, 2003
The DS was not offered to me in the dark ages (93) when I first started
processing for surgery. I have a very distal RNY. My common channel is the
same as a DS (100cm or 40"). There are vitamin issues that may take a
lot of effort to resolve, like calcium. But then, many of us start out
with damaged bones (from all the previous diets), but we'll never know
because all the docs say fat people have dense bones. Myth. Never mind.
Don't get me started. I still weigh about 110, have all along, once I
stabilized, EXCEPT twice, when I got involved with sugar. I was able to
reverse the gain by cutting the sugar out. I have peers, however, with a
pouch, with a 100cm common channel who have regained every pound. Grazing
& sugar. That scares me. I was revised in 2000 due to staple line
disruption (my original surgery was 1994) and was more informed. I could
have changed then, but the RNY was working beautifully. I did opt to
remove the balance of the stomach, because I had a 30 yr history of ulcer.
I figured I'd be one of the ones who gets an ulcer in the lower stomach, as
it was full of scars from the old ones. My distal helps me maintain my
weight, no doubt. I malabsorb just about all fats (and no, I do not have
the big D), malabsorb some complex carbs, but not sugar. I don't MIND
protein and vites at all. Never did. If I coulda taken pills and skipped
surgery, that would've been fine, too. But as it is, I figure the surgery
is all that stands between me 'n 300# + , and taking supplements is such a
small price to pay. I can eat sugar, have raised my tolerance by
stupidity, however, I will feel it in my pants in a week. Needless to say,
I refrain.
— vitalady
December 25, 2003
Just thought I would drop in and I saw your question. I am one of the few
people who had many many problems with the BPD/DS. You will NOT see many
of us on here and for good reason. Not because this site is a problem, but
because people, at times, tend to put you down for having a negative
statement about WLS. I had my DS reversed (and yes basically it
"can" be reversed). I had many many problems including severe
anemia, severe weight loss (sounds good to a preop but ask some people who
have had this problem). Malnutrition along with diahrea (12-15 times a
day). Very bad "gas" issues where no one wanted to be in the
same room with me. Please refer to my profile for more info. I don't
knock either surgery, but I DO say, like Michelle Curran does, that if you
are not willing to change your way of thinking and take all of your
supplements, this is NOT the way for you. Neither RNY or DS. There
"are" complications for some of us, and some quite deadly. You
have to weigh the pros and cons of having this done just in case you are
one of the unlucky ones like me. Just for some of you older WLSers on
here, yes, I am doing really well lately. Most issues resolved completely
post takedown. Have I gained weight? Yep but not toooo much. I would
like to lose about 15 pounds now and think I can do it now. In the
beginning, my body was absorbing every calorie I put into it. A year
later, I have stabilized and am slowly losing again. Happy holidays to
all!
— Barbara H.
December 25, 2003
Wow, this subject can sure be like opening a can of worms!! But it's safe
to say that there are pros and cons to each surgery - and what those pros
and cons are, and how they stack up - are completely relative to the person
having the surgery! Yes, there are FACTS regarding dietary restrictions,
malabsorption, regain, etc. related to each surgery, but I would not take
seriously any of the "iron clad statistics" quoted here (some of
which are simply wrong) - get the information instead from your
physician/surgeon - and talk to a few docs, too. What seems like the
perfect choice on the surface may end up being the wrong choice once you
look into the facts. A case in point - I "knew" that I wanted to
have my WLS laparoscopically - I mean, who wouldn't?! I met all of the
qualifications, and it was a no brainer - until I started researching it.
Then it wasn't as cut and dried. For a number of reasons, I ended up making
the decision to have my WLS open, and have never regretted it. I guess my
point is, research your options, and go to the horse's mouth (that would be
your surgeon, the American Society for Bariatric Surgeons, etc., etc.) for
your information - and take with appreciation but also a grain of salt the
case histories and "facts and statistics" you get here.
— johanniter
December 25, 2003
Just couldn't resist a friendly rebuttal to some previous responses, and
would like to emphasize that research into all available procedures, and
the selection of a qualified surgeon, are absolutely the keys in every
instance to individualized and personal success. Our family felt extremely
fortunate to be able to utilize the services of one of the founders of
today's WLS techniques in the field of laparascopic RNY surgery. He, and
some of his very well-known peers such as Wittgrove and Schauer, have each
performed thousands of WL surgeries. As a group of peers in this field,
they benchmark theier long-term results and report that approximately 10%
of RNY patients will experience some degree of weight regain (usually 10-15
lbs.) over time, and that weight regain is solely due to the patient
resuming negative eating habits and poor food choices.. The research of
their patients over the past ten years does not support the previous
response that "30% of patients with RNY will regain a significant
amount of their weight loss beginning their third year". My younger
daughter and I are four years post-op and still "at goal".....my
husband is three years post-op and still gradually losing, even though he
is technically "at goal", doesn't dump, and eats virtually
whatever he wants. We have all had proximal RNY surgeries, never
experienced blockages or strictures, have only vomited occasionally in the
first three post-op months as a result of eating too rapidly/not chewing
well enough/taking bites that were too large. A previous response that
" people with RNY must chew their food to mush in order to prevent
blockages" certainly has not been true for our family or our surgeon's
patients. Our surgeon encourages his post-ops to chew their food to a
"mushy consistency" during the first month...after that, we are
encouraged to take small bites, chew well, and eat slowly....isn't that
simply what our parents started telling us when we were children, and what
our skinny friends do normally?....no magic and no deprivation to that! It
was stated that "stoma blockages occur frequently with RNY.....RNY
paptients suffer from narrowing of the anastomosis requiring endoscopic
dilation". There are potential complications with every type of
surgery. However, in our surgeon's practice, "blockages" have
been an extremely rare complication, and usually a result of the patient
eating too-large bites or trying to eat less-digestible foods during the
first few weeks.... and only a very small number of his patients have
required post-op endoscopic dilatation for stoma stricture. Endoscopic
dilatation of stoma stricture is an outpatient procedure with IV
sedation...takes only a few minutes....is completely painless...and almost
always "cures" the problem immediately. A rare number of
patients require more than one dilatation. This is a subject that should
be discussed with your prospective surgeon during the pre-op visit....what
percentage of your patients experience blockages or require endoscopic
dilatation post-op? Never go into any surgical venture blindly....don't be
hesitant to ask what his/her operative mortality rate is....do his/her
patients routinely spend any time in the ICU post-op?....what type of pain
management will be available to you?....can you expect any post-op tubes or
drains?...and in the case of DS patients, ask specifically about post-op
supplementation of protein/vitamins/minerals and the rate/percentage of
post-op problems directly relating to malabsorption issues.
Information...CORRECT information...is everything. Research...try to talk
first-hand with other post-op patients....weigh out all the pros and cons
(and EACH procedure has them), and then determine what will work best for
you as an individual. We are all convinced that our respective surgeries
are "best"...and they are....they are "best" for us.
Make those same "best" informed decisions and move confidently
forward to a whole new and exciting life. Remember, it is not so much how
you achieve the journey....it is that you arrive at your destination. Best
wishes!
— Diana T.
December 26, 2003
Wow...a lot of answers! I appreciate everyone taking the time to reply. I
know I need to do research but I'm kind of stumbling along on how to do it.
Since I'm not doing effective research, I'm not even sure what questions
to ask or which issues to raise. Diane's examples of questions to ask the
surgeon are very helpful. Does anyone else have other questions that I
should ask? What sites would you recommend for research? I am diabetic so
I'm hoping whichever surgery I do will eliminate that problem. I currently
take 15 pills a day (multivitamins included), so taking pills isn't an
issue for me. Although, I did wonder how the small opening for the RNY
affects taking pills. Almost every pill I take is larger than a pencil
eraser.
Since my original posting, I found a doctor, Henry Buchwald, in Minneapolis
that does both types of surgeries and I made an appointment for a
consultation. Unfortunately, it's not until June 2004! Since he does
both, I'm hoping he can make a recommendation on which would be better in
my case.
Once again, I want to thank everyone for taking time to help me. I really
do appreciate it. *s*
— Lori S.
December 26, 2003
Oops...forgot a couple other medical concerns. My mom died when she was 62
of a heart attack; her dad died of a brain aneurysm. My dad died when he
was 58 of lung cancer and so did his brother. Of my siblings, I'm the one
that's most physically like my mom. My scared factor increased when I
noticed that skin on my thighs started to go numb if I've been walking more
than an hour. I'm only 40 yo and I want to stick around until long past
retirement!
— Lori S.
December 26, 2003
I researched quite a bit and decided on the RNY, not only that but the
surgeons in my area do not do the DS, they just do not feel it is as good
as the RNY in alot of ways.
I also would like to add, I have had no complications I am now 3 months
out, rarely have gas, my hair has fallen out a bit, but nothing major and I
do make wise food choices but I can eat pretty much anything and it has to
be chewed well, but everyone should chew their food that much anyways.
I think it is a very individual decision and I know you will make the right
one!
GOOD LUCK!
— Saxbyd
December 26, 2003
Lori, just a response regarding post-op medications. There are alot of
surgeons and nutritionists represented on this site, and it seems that
everyone has a slightly different answer....not right or wrong, just
different :-) Some patients are told to take liquid medications
only...some are told to crush or cut tablets indefinitely...our surgeon
started us on whole Percocet tablets for post-op discomfort in the hospital
on the day after surgery, and we were told to resume our "medications
as usual" as soon as we arrived home on the third post-op day. None
of us ever experienced any difficulty with tablets or capsules. I think
that it's wise to remember that with any WLS there is a fair amount of
internal swelling for the first couple of weeks....that's what makes it
hard to take more than a sip or two, or bite or two, in those first days.
As the internal swelling goes down, the discomfort with eating and drinking
also decreases. Just as a common sense measure, we took our medications
one pill at a time, instead of by the handful in those early days, and
never had any problems. I was also diabetic, and taking approximately 12
pills a day pre-op....my diabetic medications were discontinued the week
after surgery, and all of my blood-pressure-related drugs were discontinued
two weeks after that. That won't be everyone's story, but I think that you
will hear many people express how quickly they were able to come off their
long-term medications and resume a more normal and healthy life. I wish
you the very best!
— Diana T.
December 27, 2003
Lori, you're not going to find very many people who will post and say,
"Gee, I was an idiot and picked a crappy surgery - don't do what I
did." What you're going to find is people standing by their
decisions. Do your homework and look at the pros and cons of each surgery,
and make your decision accordingly. For me, the DS met my needs far better
than the RNY. Do I regret my decision? Not for a single second!! I'm
over 2 years post-op, and I still say that having the DS was the smartest
thing I ever did. I regained my health and my quality of life...but never
my weight. Good luck with your WLS journey. (In the event that you're
interested, my surgeon was Dr. Keshishian -- www.grds.com .)
— Alyssa J.
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