HELP! Looking for Surgeon (Mexico) for Lap Band Revision to Duodenal Switch

Thanks Lisa.  Is Ungson good about speaking with you over the phone?  When you have your labs done, do you fax them to him for his recommendation as to supplements, etc.?  Or, are you completely on your own?

Ungson's office staffs a nutritionist whom you will meet with before leaving the country.  The nutritionist gives you a packet of info that has a lot of info in it that is more appropriate for the dietary needs of an RNY patient, as well as simply recommending ADEK (it's an all-in-one fat soluble supplement) along with calcium - this is completely inadequate for your vitamin needs post-DS; however, it is also what many, if not most DS doctor's associated nutritionists also recommend here in the US.

I have honestly never tried to have Ungson review my labs, especially after getting the nutritionist's recommendations, I knew that I would be better off posting my labs here & getting feedback from the vets on this board - this is a standard practice around here & I frankly think that at least 8 times out of 10, a patient will receive better vitamin recommendations from fellow DSers here than their nutritionist &/ or surgeon's program recommends. 

I did ask Ungson a couple of things along the way & did not get a reply.  I also know of one other person who went to him & had the same experience.  Thus, I like to tell people at this point that it is my opinion that your care is up to you once you leave the country.  Don't get me wrong - that is not to say that he's not an awesome surgeon, highly skilled . . . he truly is!!!  After care, not his shining moment.  In all honesty, though, I don't think he would actually be the best source of info to give you GOOD & OPTIMAL feedback on your vitamin labs - the fellow DSers are WONDERFUL on this site for that, so the lack of follow up care in that regard really becomes a non-issue in my opinion.

Lisey (sorry for mis-typing your name earlier), that's great info.  It's good to know you all share your labs and give each other support.  I feel much more comfortable about that now.  From what I've read on this sight, it sounds like some of the surgeons here in the US are the same ... not so great on the follow-up. But, as far as the surgery itself has gone, do you feel like you are progressing well toward your objectives and his technique enabled you to succeed as well as any DS surgeon's? 

I feel that the surgery I obtained was text-book perfect.  I chose to have it open to save $2k & I really personally like that his open cut is horizontal.  I have yet to hear of another DS doctor who does a horizontal cut, everyone else (I think, at least) does a vertical cut.  I am hoping to have a LBL or at least TT next year.  My horizontal scar will be pulled down so far that it will look like a C-section scar - if it's there at all.  THAT ROCKS, IMO.  Completely superfluous & vain on my part, but oh so sweet all the same :)

I reached my goal weight 8/29/10.  I had a 150cm common channel length, which is what I requested.  I had no complications - but again, I was a virgin DS, so I was a lower risk.  Only hang-up I had was developing a fairly bad lung infection & discovering that I was allergic to morphine, but either of those things could have & probably would have happened anywhere in the US also.  I also had a bowel obstruction two weeks ago today, but again, that could have happened in the long-run no matter who I saw & is completely not attributable to anything he did or didn't do.  It's simply a long-term risk for any abdominal operation, as well as losing a "massive" amount of weight.  Even still, the risk I believe is around 5%, I was just one of those few.

I am actually still losing weight &, according to average stats with the DS & the DS-surgeon who did my emergency bowel obstruction surgery 2 wks ago, I will likely continue to slowly lose weight until I reach 2 yrs out.  He guestimated another 15 - 20 pounds, particularly because I'm very physically active.

The surgery was a complete & utter success for me, all around, no question about it.

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Edited to Add:
I just wanted to point out since you asked if I felt I was progressing towards my objectives.  I, as well as most people on this board, have their highest weight, surgery weight, current weight, and goal weight listed in their signature box.  Those are the abbreviations you see & then people will list the corresponding weight.  It's a nice way to quickly ascertain the fact that the majority of people are successful with the DS - more so than any other WLS, ESPECIALLY in the long run due to the malabsorption - it works forever due to its high degree/ amount.

Thanks!  You're great to share so much.  I don't blame you at all for wanting the LBL or TT.  I know I'll want the same ... something I've never had is a flat stomach.  It would be wonderful to have that after all the trials of losing the weight. 

I had a revision by Ungson.  Was suppose to get a DS, that is what he said I would get.  I woke up with a scopinaro procedure.  Not good.  Also lost my spleen during the surgery.  Is he a good surgeon, probably but I did not get what I paid for.  D............
 

Good to know.  Thanks for the heads up.  Did he ever offer to go back and complete the procedure? Did you have it completed somewhere else?

Re: "completing" the procedure: A Scopinaro BPD is a complete produre. The main difference (and I'm assuming this is what Darlene got but don't "know' for sure) is that in the Scopinaro BPD the  gastrectomy is horizontal rather than vertical. In other words the stomach is reduced horizontally, meaning the pylorus and surround tissue is removed.

There's no going back. It's a complete procedure. Your idea of "incomplete" or "changable" is faulty here.

It's a bad procedure. It's done only in very messed up cases. I specifically refused a Scopinaro procedure on my consent forms, along with refusing a VBG. VSG and RNY. I consider myself fortunate that my consent forms were so detailed and that I knew what those terms meant.

What were you revised from?

I am sorry that things aren't going to well for you

A 20 year old stomach stapling.