Any dropoff
I'm 5.5 years out for a standard DS and I haven't noticed any appreciable change in my malabsorption.
I once heard on a webcast by Dr. Keseshian out of California that the cilia responsible for some absorption do get thicker over time in a DS patient. The analogy was a muscle gets stronger if you are using it more. There was no quantifiable change and my takeaway that your malabsorption may be reduced but usually not enough for you to tell.
I'm 15+ years post-op from a standard DS and I haven't noticed any changes in malabsorption. I definitely still malabsorb fat. My protein labs have been fine. I've been at my current weight (within 8 pounds) for at least 10-12 years, but I also can still drop a few pounds if needed.
Janet in Leesburg
DS 2/25/03
Hazem Elariny
-175
The body always tries to adapt. Standard proximal RNY doesn't bypass much and right about at the 2 year mark, the malabsorbtion is gone for many people. Then it is just a diet with a pouch. The DS bypasses so much the body can't adapt completely. But it tries!
I belong to a FB Group of people who are 10, 15, 20 years post and it's all over the place. Some still maintain pretty effortlessly and others have to be very careful. Me personally, my entire life has been a diet and it never will change. I never had much of a honeymoon and I should be skinny but I am not.
I only know of one DSer who never really lost weight and I believe there are real reasons(mental illness) why he didn't. When I had my surgery 8 other women I worked with had the RNY around the same time. 7 of them are heavier now than when they originally had surgery.
No one knows where all the DS variant patients will end up. Best guess is that you will end up somewhere between the DSers and the RNYers. You have a huge advantage because you are male. Men just do better than women at all weight loss schemes. Diets, surgery, whatever. But be vigilant. The best maintenance plan I ever heard was from a woman named Carolyn who used to post here. Simple! Weigh every day and if you are over your magic number for 3 days, no carbs till it's gone.
