Question:
anyone know of dr in philia area does surgery on sixteen yr old 250pds

   — dorothy C. (posted on October 15, 2003)

October 15, 2003
I know when I had my surgery last year in Philadelphia, my surgeon, John Meilahn at Temple University Hospital, performed a bypass on a 17 year-old who was 500 lb. You may want to contact him. I believe that telephone number is 215.707.1464.
   — Kimberly L. A.

October 15, 2003
I know of a couple of teens who have gotten the lap band. You might check on the Yahoo SmartBandsters board. http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/SmartBandsters/?yguid=6535337
   — TMF

October 17, 2003
There are two DS surgeons in PA, here's a link. http://duodenalswitch.com/Surgeons/surgeons.html I also think the lapband may be better for a teenager. It has less weight loss success on average, but it alters the body the least. In someone so young, that's an important consideration. Better surgery or non-surgical methods are sure to be developed in the future, and at that point the person could switch to the new method. With DS, the intestinal bypass could be reversed and you'd still have an intact stomach. With RNY, the unused part of the stomach eventually deteriorates and becomes unusable; converting the pouch back to a regular stomach is very difficult and becomes more so over time.
   — Chris T.

October 17, 2003
Chris I hate to disagree but the DS removes permanetely a large portion of your stomach. The RNY leaves all the parts and changes how they work. The DS has a larger malabsorbtion component too. <P>Now wether the RNY or DS is a good choice for a teenager is a large issue too. If I had a child I would likely lean towards the lap band. Because kids need all the nutrients to develop fully. Unless that kid were 500 pounds or really big. My surgeon does teenagers in sekect cases.
   — bob-haller

October 17, 2003
Bob, while I agree with both you and Chris that the least invasive and most reversible treatment would be best for a teen, you don't seem to understand the DS very well, and you keep making assertions about it that are simply incorrect -- particularly when Chris posts. In the DS procedure, the gastric reduction part of the procedure removes a large portion of the stomach -- but it is the redundant tissue of the greater curvature of the stomach, leaving all the functional parts with a smaller volume (leaving a 4-6 oz functional stomach). Because only redundant tissue is removed, and because the body attempts to heal where it can, in fact over time (about 18-24 months) the tissue regrows, leaving the DS patient after a couple of years (and most if not all of the weight loss) with a stomach that is about 2/3 - 3/4 of its original size, and able to eat like a normal person with a smallish appetite -- there are few if any food restrictions on the DS patient (other than the sensible caution to watch sugar consumption, since sugar is fully and comfortably absorbed). In fact, a reasonable amount of fat is not an issue for a DS patient -- it is poorly absorbed, and eating a meal with fat not only increases the sensation of satiety, but is a non-guilty pleasure. Of course, as with ANYBODY, eating too much fat can cause bathroom issues, but as with most things, moderation (rather than abstenance) is key. The malabsorptive aspect of the DS, which is the switch, is surgically adjustible if too much or too little absorption results, and is (in most cases) completely reversible.<P> In contrast, according to what I have read, the RNY stomach can rarely if ever be put back together again to have normal function, especially after an extended period of time. The unused portion loses its functionality, and the upper portion is permanently altered by the artificial stoma. Moreover, the pouch is designed to cause extreme restriction for life, and I don't believe any RNY patient expects to ever eat "normally" again. There are lifelong food restrictions, chewing what you can eat to a pulp, dumping (although I understand that may resolve over the course of a few years), etc. I realize that many people think some of these are good things that help them control their demons, but I (and most DSers) don't feel like I need a lifetime of punishment for my "sin" of gluttony -- first, I was never a glutton -- I have a genetically slow metabolism and a sedentary job -- but even if I was, I STILL don't think I deserve to be punished. Maybe you don't feel that way, or don't feel punished by your restrictions, but I would.<P> Finally, another few words on obesity research and teens: I am both a Ph.D. molecular biologist and a lawyer (which professions I have combined into the job of biotech patent attorney). I know quite a bit about biology, medicine and where the most cutting edge research is going these days. Before admitting that I needed surgery, I spent 1-1/2 years in a Phase III clinical trial on a biotech company's injectible drug for obesity, which I researched up the yin-yang. Sadly, while the Phase II trial, which lasted 12 weeks, showed some excellent results, in the longer term trial 70% of the patients (including me) eventually developed neutralizing antibodies to the drug and got no benefit. The company is trying to develop another modification to the drug to make it less antigenic, but I knew it was time for me to do something guaranteed to work. I had my DS 12 days before I turned 50.<P> I also have a 21 year old daughter who is unfortunately following in her mother's ample footsteps. She is healthy, muscular -- and about 50 lbs overweight at 5'1". I hope she NEVER has to have WLS of any type, because I hope my company or some other company develops the "magic pill" I sought for so many years, the one that will allow her to effortlessly control her weight. I will encourage her to watch what she eats (NOT diet! We KNOW that won't work, and will make her metabolism worse!), stay fit, stay healthy and wait for the benefits of the genomic revolution to be realized -- and hope that it happens before she ends up with a BMI of almost 50 like I was before surgery.<P> Diana Cox, DS 8/5/03; 285/244/160?
   — [Deactivated Member]

October 17, 2003
This area is of much interest to me. My surgeon generally doesnt do the DS because of the larger risk of anemia his words. I will ask him about these issues and get back to everyone hopefully with a website to answer this one way or the other. Barb Henson had the DS, and reversal, and still has troubles with anemia, her profile is here.
   — bob-haller

October 18, 2003
Just a short comment about Barb Hanson -- from what I have read and understood (and I did some specific research about her and her problems before surgery), her surgeon was Dr. Booth (I believe in Mississippi) who has since "retired" -- and Barb herself acknowledged that a number of his patients had "bad problems." I believe Barb reported that when she was reversed, her new surgeon discovered serious issues with what Booth had done -- he had clearly not performed the DS surgery the way it was supposed to be done. There are risks in any procedure, including risks related to having an incompetent surgeon, and risks of unexpected post-op problems. Barb surely had her share -- but that should not unduly affect anyone's choice to have the DS.<P> As for anemia, some DSers AND some RNYers get anemia, for a variety of reasons. Fortunately, this is a simple, inexpensive problem to test for, and relatively simple to fix if there is a problem, including taking periodic iron infusions. Most people have no problem with iron absorption, and most WLS patients eat a sufficient amount of protein in the form of meat, which has iron in it. It is not a serious problem (if detected and treated), even if it occurs, and I can't imagine a surgeon using that particular post-op issue as a reason to not offer the DS as a WLS option. More likely is the fact that the DS surgery is technically more difficult to perform -- it requires measuring the entire small bowel to get the proportions of biliary-pancreatic channel, digestive channel and common channel correct, as people's small bowel can vary in length, as well as the fact that the anastamosis of the ilium to the duodenum is more difficult than stitching other parts of the small bowel, because of the nature of the duodenal tissue. From what I have read, a general surgeon can learn to perform the RNY fairly quickly, but the learning curve for the DS is much steeper -- therefore, an RNY-only surgeon is predisposed to "dis" the DS, because he can't do it himself. And the skill required to do the lap DS is even higher -- I am very fortunate to live in the SF Bay area, and to have been able to have my lap DS surgery with Dr. Robert Rabkin, who has done over 1000 of them. Diana
   — [Deactivated Member]

October 18, 2003
Dorthey, Iam from Suburbs of philly, (levittown) the waiting list is unbeleivable in Philly your talking the middle of may of 2004 just for a consultation I went to New Jersey right over the Burlington Bristol Bridge to Lourdes Hospital Dr Greenbaum, I had my surgery August 7th and Iam now down 63 1/2 pounds I started the end of april with him and surgery the first week of August. Look up in this site for Doctors in New Jersey and Dr Greenbaum, he hosts every other Monday nights in the Hosptial cafateria support meetings, and yes he has done a 16 year old, the one thing he charges 950.00 support fee one time fee and it pays for ALL his speakers that do come to the meetings and it pays for our christmas partys and halloween party and picnic's and much more it is well worth it. I have met so many new friends at this place. You have to come to a meeting then his nurse gives you a packet of papers and you must fill them all out then mail them back to her. And you have to see a few Doctors from the Nutrionist to the shrink and heart and lung he is very good with that. If you have any other questions feel free to e-mail me. Good Luck. P S it would acually be faster coming from lansdale to NJ then to philly right from the turnpike to the bridge and its 3 miles from there. Well like I said Good Luck and If I can help you in any other way, feel free to e-mail me. Christine
   — blainejrjeni