Question:
Would like to hear from DS patients about their experiences.

This site has a lot of information on the RNY. I would like to see more about the Duodenal Switch. Please tell me why you had this surgery. Are you happy with it? Was it a problem to travel to get to a surgeon? Thank you.    — [Anonymous] (posted on June 6, 2000)

June 6, 2000
Hello, I am still pre-op but will be having DS in Sept 2000. The best place to start researching DS is to go to the DS site. http://www.duodenalswitch.com you will find lots of information concerning the DS procedure. It is truly worth looking into. Please also join the DS mailing list. It is a wonderful group of people both pre and post op who will give you valueable information,support and encouragement. I am in Wisconsin. Where are you from? I will be traveling to Spain to have surgery. The DS site has a list of all the suregons who preform this procedure. You can join the mailing list from the DS site. Hope we can start talking. I am willing to share my whole experience with you and tell you why I choose DS over RNY. Take care and write me soon. My email address is [email protected] Talk to you soon Crissy Wagner Randolph, WI [email protected]
   — Crissy O.

June 6, 2000
It's hard to add anything substantial to Melanie's excellent response to this question, so I'll just throw in my two cents. In addition to the reasons Melanie gave, I was very concerned about what appeared to be an unacceptably high rate of failure with restrictive procedures such as the proximal RNY and the VBG. I recently read a paper in which statistics for complications associated with a proximal RNY included a failure to lose more than 40% of the excess weight in 20% of patients. That is shockingly, unacceptably high. The failure rate for the VBG is even higher - half of the people who undergo a VBG regain most or all of their weight. Surgery is a traumatic experience, both physically and emotionally, and I did not want to go through all that and not succeed! <br><br> It's true that the BPD-DS is the most drastic of weight loss surgeries, but it also has the highest success rate, and the risk of complications over the long term are the same or less than other procedures. I've seen some folks cite the relative "newness" of the procedure as a drawback, but I was perfectly comfortable with the BPD-DS's history - thirteen years and counting, with it's predecessor, the unmodified BPD, having a 23 year record of success. The surgery has been modified over the years to minimize complications and maximize success, and while it's not as widely available as the RNY or VBG, it's certainly an excellent and worthwhile procedure. I highly recommend that people seeking a permanent, successful solution to their obesity research the BPD-DS. I did, and I haven't regretted it for a moment - 90 pounds in six months, and a whole new life for me!
   — Kim H.

June 6, 2000
I picked the DS over the RNY because of how each reduces the size of the stomach. The RNY people tend to cut the stomach in half, leaving indwelling staples and disrupt the normal functioning of the stomach by eliminating the pyloric valve (what allows food to gradually leave the stomach and go into the small intestine. The DS people longitudinally transect the stomach, making it smaller, but maintaining the normal functioning, with no indwelling staples. It is more radical in that the rest of the stomach is completely removed, but since this will be a lifelong thing for me, I would have no reason to have the stomach returned to its previous condition. Other than that, I think the malabsorption principle of the RNY and the DS are pretty much the same. You can get more info from www.duodenalswitch.com. I can eat anything I want, in the smaller portions, of course. There is no "liquids phase" except in the first couple of days in the hospital. I had a cheese omellete and hash browns less than a week out of surgery (1 egg, 1 tablespoon mozzarella, 1 half a medium potato vs. my previous breakfast: 5 eggs, 4 oz cheese, 2 medium potatoes). I wanted to lose weight, not obsess about what I could or couldn't eat. Good Luck to you! And ditto to what Kim and Melanie said...Fondly,
   — merri B.

June 7, 2000
I chose the DS because of the high success rate--weight regain compared to other procedures. If you do your research, you will find these amazing statistics. I wanted to eat in a normal fashion without excessive chewing. I didn't want the complications of other procedures such as, food getting stuck, dumping syndrome, vomitting, nasea, ulcers, etc. And in the end, if necessary, it was good to know that the procedure could be reversed. For some reason, this was reassuring to me. The DS keeps the integrity of the stomach which was important to me. I didn't want to destroy one of my organs if there was an alternative. For me, the reasons for DS are many. After 7 months, I know without a shadow of a doubt, I chose the right procedure *for me*. Everything I wanted with this surgery has come to fruition. I can eat normally and the weight falls off. 7 months ago, I was on deaths door, today, I just finished my daily 3 mile walk and am very happy & healthy. I've lost over 60% of my excess weight and my blood work is normal. Good Luck to you in your research and finding the best procedure for you... http://www.myWLS.com
   — [Deactivated Member]

June 7, 2000
Well, I cannot add too much to the fabulous answers below. All i know, is that I wanted to have a good life without forced modification. I didnt want to feel like I was being punished for something I had no control over to begin with. I have a lot of faith in this procedure. In less than 10 months, I have lost over 83% of my excess weight, by eating as I please. My mother had the DS a couple of months ago and is cured from her diabetes. My daughter (16) is scheduled to have the DS on June 20.
   — Kris S.