I hope you'll come on over to the DS board to learn more about it. You will find a group of friendly, well informed, honest people who will answer any questions you have about what life is like with the DS. There are also a number of people who have had revisions from RNY or other prior surgeries to the DS (I'm not one of them).
    What you will not find is people who tell you about how you failed, or that you need therapy (without knowing you), or about how hard you will have to work for the rest of your life to be successful. It's much easier to be successful with the DS than with other WLS,  and I can't see anything wrong with that!

Larra

It's so good that you are asking questions now, before your surgery. The DS is not new. It has been done in the USA since 1988. It is also not experimental, though some insurance companies will say that to get out of covering it. Depending on what state a person lives in, this can be challenged.     I chose the DS because of all the presently available WLS it has the best percentage of excess weight loss, the best maintainence of that weight loss, and the best resolution of comorbidities. You will find people will good results will all the different surgeries, but statistically the DS has the best results for the most people. It is especially valuable for people like yourself with a high BMI and a lot of weight to lose (I don't know your exact BMI, but at 370 lbs. it's surely over 50).      Also, the DS avoids a lot of the negative side effects of the RNY. No dumping. No food getting stuck at the stoma because there is no stoma. The stomach empties normally through the pyloric valve, just like it always did. No specific foods off limits. You can drink liquids with your meals. You can take NSAID's if needed. You DO need to eat protein first and get in plenty of protein, take vitamins and supplements faithfully and get regular lab work to make sure your levels are ok, and watch out for carbs. Of course, folks with the RNY also need vitamins and supplements, just different ones and maybe not quite so many, and they also need to emphasize protein and look out for carbs. But with RNY you also need to avoid fat, whereas with DS we absorb only about 20% of the fat we consume.      I hope you'll come over to the DS forum and learn all you can about it. Ask questions, you will get honest answers. Read research articles - in fact, if you would like, I can send you some excellent studies documenting the excellent longterm results with the DS at 10 to 15 years post-op (so much for it being "new"). Just pm me if you would like.     Best of luck to you with your research and your decision. Larra

Val, has your doctor checked your level of vitamin B-1, also known as thiamine? There are many reports in the medical literature about people with gastric bypass developing Wernicke's encephalopathy, which is caused by thiamine deficiency. It is treatable if caught promptly, but will worsen if left untreated.     Most docs don't know that gastric bypass can lead to this problem. In people who have not had WLS it mostly occurs in alcoholics, but with gastric bypass, you don't have to consume any alcohol at all for this to happen. It can cause weakness, falling down, and memory loss, among other problems. I have no way of knowing if this is your problem, but it would be easy enough to have your thiamine level checked. Larra

If you want the procedure with the "best, longest lasting results", I would strongly recommend that you look into the DS. Excellent 10 and 15 year follow-up studies have shown both that the DS has the best percentage of excess weight loss of all the available WLS, AND that it is themost durable, in other words, best maintainence of that weight loss. The VSG as a stand alone is new and there are no good studies beyond 3 years. The stomach does stretch out some with all the various operations, so restriction will only last for so long with any of them. After that, you are relying almost completely on behavioral changes. If you think you can successfully and permanently make those changes, fine, but if not, you will be looking at weight regain with either RNY of VSG. Yes, you can also regain with the DS, but because of the strong malabsorption most people don't regain much.     Some people will do well with purely restrictive operations like VSG and lap band. Many won't. The best thing to do is learn everything you can about all the options, then look honestly at yourself and at what changes you can live with permanently. Then, make your decision.     Oh, and by the way, since you live in CA, you can get your insurer to pay for the DS even if they say they don't cover it by appealing to the DMHC (dept. of managed health care) for IMR (independent medical review). The decisions in the last couple years have been very favorable. There are people here who can help you through this process. So, please don't make your decision based on what your insurer wants, figure out what YOU want and then go for it.

Lee, just by doing your research you are already ahead of the game. Take the time to learn about all the available options, not just the medical end of it but also what is life like with each choice. If there are any support groups in your area,  go to at least a few sessions.      It took me almost 3 years to get to the point of having surgery. The biggest hurdle for me was that I just didnt' want to have ANY surgery, I wanted to fix this problem myself. Eventually I had to accept reality that that wasn't going to happen. Then when I started seriously researching WLS I was initially very negative about the DS because it seemed so complicated, and I like things to be simple. But after learning all I could about the results of each option and what life is like with each option, I know DS was right for me. It has the best percentage of excess weight loss, the best maintainence of that weight loss (very important to me) and best resolution of comorbidities of all the options. It also has the most normal stomach function (along with VSG) and most normal eating lifestyle. There is no dumping, no food getting stuck. I can eat any food in moderation, though I do need to focus first on protein and take vitamins and supplements daily. I can take NSAID's if I need them. I am very happy with my choice and my results.     Check out all the different forums here on OH. Learn everything you can. Look honestly at yourself, consider what changes you can and cannot accept, and then make your choice. Best of luck with whatever you decide. Larra

Linda, my heart goes out to you. You are NOT a failure. This is the nature of the operation you had, that while some people do great, others - lots of others - don't. Not everyone dumps, and dumping isn't the key to weight loss with RNY anyway. People who dump don't always lose all the weight they wanted to lose, or can regain.      I agree with the idea of going back to basics to see if you can get the ball rolling again. Perhaps your surgeon or nutritionist can provide some good suggestions. Don't be afraid to call them, you are not the only one with this problem. If I had had the RNY instead of the DS I'd probably be right there with you.     Good luck, and don't give up. Larra

Hi, Jamy!     It sounds like you are very early in the research process, but good for you for doing your research. Not everyone does.      I hope you will consider all the available options, not just whatever the first doctor you encounter recommends. Some docs will only recommend the options they do, and not provide complete information on all the different surgeries.     I chose the duodenal switch (DS) because on average it provides the greatest percentage of excess weight loss, and best maintainence of that weight loss (very important to me). I hope you will come over to the DS forum and learn more about it. I had researched on the internet - this site was extremely helpful - and also attended local support groups. I found some RNY and lap band people who were very happy, but others who were really struggling after the initial rapid weight loss phase, and others who were failing and very unhappy. I felt the risk of failure, meaning weight regain and/or failing to lose enough weight, was too  high with these options. Others will disagree. You really have to research like crazy, learn all you can not just about the medical end of things but also what it's like to live with these different operations. Then  take an honest look at yourself, and what changes you can and can't make, and figure out which option is best for you.     I wish you the best of success with whatever you decide, and you are welcome to pm me if you would like medical articles on the DS or any other info or help that I can provide. Larra

Kirsten, are you willing to consider revision to other types of WLS, in particular the duodenal switch? We have a number of people on the DS forum who have had revisions from RNY to DS for weight regain or other problems. It can be done.     Come on over to the DS forum and learn more about the DS. You live in MN, where one of the best DS revision surgeons practices, Dr. Buchwald. Please consider all you options, research everything and learn all you can before making this big decision.

Larra

PS you can pm me if you like for more info, including an article on revision from RNY and VBG to the DS by one of the leading surgeons in the field.

Some people - like your daughter - do great with lap band, others don't. With the amount of weight that you need to lose, chances are good that you won't get to where you need to be with the lap band.     Best advise is to thoroughtly research all the WLS options available, especially those that include malabsorption, because restriction alone is unlikely to get the job done for you. Check out especially the DS, which has the best statistics of all the WLS for percentage of excess weight loss, maintaining that weight loss, and resolution of comorbidities. But do research everything, and then look honestly at yourself as to what will work best for you and what lifestyle changes and side effects you are comfortable with. Then make the decision that suits you.     Wishing you health and success with whatever you decide! Larra

Dear Val,   Actually, it was his son, US Congressman Jackson from IL, who had the DS, not the better known Rev Jackson. His surgery was with the Rabkins and he is even featured in one of their annual calendars. He has done very well! Though, for all I know, maybe he's a "rev" as well as a congressman. Larra

I am so very sorry for your loss. My thoughts are with you. Larra

Debra Voight (spelling may be wrong, sorry) was actually featured on 60 minutes. she lost about 100 lbs, looked great and sounded great, too. She did mention the loss of some of that support from all the abdominal fat, but clearly she was able to compensate for this, and there are lots of slim opera singers who don't rely on abdominal fat, so I think you should be ok.   And, it seems to me that with less fat on the chest wall, that should make it easier to expand the lungs and project your voice. Depending on your build, some people have some degree of lung restriction from their weight.    Check with the surgeon, of course, and best of luck to you. Larra

Dear mthzxter,   You are not alone. As you can see from the other responses, there are many other people who have been where you are now, and who can relate to your present life with disabling obesity.

The good news is that there is hope for a better life for you with WLS. Several other people wrote with suggestions about getting funding for surgery, and I have nothing to add to this. I do want to throw in my 2 cents worth, though about the potential advantages for you of the duodenal switch, for 2 reasons: l. with the DS, people lose more of their excess weight, on average, than with any other form of WLS. Yes, there are some people who do great with RNY, but on average, with RNY people only lose about 60% of excess weight, while for DS it's more like 80%. This is especially important for someone who has a lot of excess weight to lose. 2. Knowing that you have Blount's Disease, it is even more important for you to get off as much of the excess weight as possible, as the excess weight, especially at a young age, is probably what caused this problem to start with. Losing weight won't correct the bone damage that has already occurred, but will make it so much easier for you to regain mobility. And, if you get to the point of having surgery for the Blount's disease, being as non-obese as possible will aid your recovery.   I chose the DS after many hours of research and almost 3 years of agonizing about whether or not to have surgery at all. Even though I am a doctor, I had never heard of Blount's Disease before reading your post, it is not very common, but I did look it up, and now that I know about it I feel strongly that you should consider the WLS that will help you to lose the most of your excess weight. Please check out ALL the WLS options, and come on over to the DS board to learn more about it. There are many people on the DS board who are incredibly well informed.There are several highly qualified DS surgeons right here in CA, so travel shouldn't be a problem for you, just funding...please look into the great suggestions that others have already made. Please also feel free to email me for more info. We are here to help, just as others helped us before.  Larra