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Certainly discuss this with the doctor, as there are a number of different bowel preps available, some of which are a lot friendlier to those of us with a small stomach.
If does not seem to be an uncommon problem for the normal prep procedures to yield an inadequate cleanse with the DS. The first time my wife had it done after her DS, the doc didn't believe that she had followed the directions. Talking about this at our support group, which is primarily 10-20 year DS vets, others had had the same experience, and what they had worked out was to do two or three days of the clear liquid diet prior to the day before bowel prep. This last time, we discussed this with the (new) gastro doc and he provided a low volume prep product. We also worked out for her to do a soft/liquid (not specifically clear) diet two days before with a bottle of mag citrate that evening, followed by the clear diet and bowel prep the day before and that seemed to work well for her.
So yes, there does seem to be some differences with the DS, and of course, most docs are unfamiliar with it, so it is best to prepare them for it so at least they are in the loop if they don't like what they see (I warned you....!)
1st support group/seminar - 8/03 (has it been that long?)
Wife's DS - 5/05 w Dr. Robert Rabkin VSG on 5/9/11 by Dr. John Rabkin
I am due for my 10 year colonoscopy. I had my ds 6.5 years ago. Do I need to alert the procogist about the DS? So few doctors understand the surgery, I am curious what others have experienced.
Thank you in advance.
Blessings
Julie
yes you should let them know about your altered anatomy.
I am due for my 10 year colonoscopy. I had my ds 6.5 years ago. Do I need to alert the procogist about the DS? So few doctors understand the surgery, I am curious what others have experienced.
Thank you in advance.
Blessings
Julie
A lot of times they give us the same diet as the VGS or RNY surgeries. We have different requirements then they do. I was on whole out of the hospital and didn't have a lot of the restrictions.
HW: 398.8 SW:356 GW: 175 CW:147
I was told that I'm supposed to use only skim milk for the first two weeks. But hell if I could use even 2% that would be WAY better. Skim is disgusting.
Moving forward you'll want to go to 2% or whole milk, your new surgery doesn't absorb fat like it used to...
HW: 398.8 SW:356 GW: 175 CW:147
It went well thank you. I'm now home and admittedly sore. I foolishly weighed myself and expectedly I'm up 7lbs. It's kind of funny to weigh more after the surgery then prior to. ?
i'm So not hungry but I'm supposed to start getting in protein. Via liquid of course. I'm craving a mushroom soup. So I think I'll soak some mushrooms in a chicken bone broth, add some organic bone broth protein powder and a smidge of organic skim milk. I'll strain the mushrooms out once warmed up.
Tomorrow I'll make a very thin protein tomato soup. I'll use salt free, sugar free tomato paste. I hope that's okay?
I just want to feel normal again.
Skilled DS surgeons almost routinely do the whole DS in one OP on very heavy patients. I met a patient in my surgeon's office who was over 800lbs on his surgery date. The whole 2 OP thing came about when 1 surgeon started pushing it. And writing papers. It meant more money for the surgeons and a lower skill level. Occasionally the 2 OP thing is valid. But usually it's an indication of the surgeon's skill level.
The DS is a very complicated surgery and not every surgeon has the experience to successfully perform it. I have never watched this show so I don't know what his skill level is. Also, doing the DS on someone over 600 pounds is probably not a good idea. There are usually other health issues with someone of that size so keeping that person under anesthesia for 4-5 hours is not a good idea. Most skilled DS surgeons would probably want to do the DS in two parts (the sleeve first, and then the switch).
Now for your questions. Eliza did a great job describing the DS. Please learn this because it is something you should know. I also carry a medical emergency card with a picture of the DS along with a brief description so that if I'm every in a situation where I can't describe what my insides look like, someone can see it (for example an EMT).
Did you ever get a copy of your operative report? That should tell you everything that was done. How are you labs?
Janet in Leesburg
DS 2/25/03
Hazem Elariny
-175
DS has two parts, a sleeve gastrectomy (partial stomach removal) and also a diversion of how food goes through the intestines.
Part 1: The gastrectomy part involves removing the curved side of the stomach, leaving a stomach that is shaped like a tube holding between 1 cup and 1 1/2 cups. (It was described to me as banana-shaped but now they compare it to a sleeve, but I guess it's the size of a toddler's sleeve!). The gastrectomy part of DS preserves the "pylorus", the natural opening of the stomach that regulates the flow of food into the intestines.
Part 2: the DS surgeon creates a "diversion" in the small intestine. The diversion separates the small intestine into two smaller "limbs", one for the food and the other from the pancreatic digestive enzymes and bile (that's the reason"biliopancreatic diversion" is in the name of BPD-DS). The diversion changes the usual way food is digested. The reason it is called duodenal switch is that the diversion starts at the duodenum, the first part of the small intestine.
Why it works: With DS, two thirds or more of the intestine is bypassed, leaving only a few feet of intestine where food and digestive enzymes meet. The "common channel" is the length of the intestine after reconnection, when food and digestive juices are brought back together. My common channel is 100cm, about 3 ft.
By keeping food separate from bile and digestive enzymes for all but a small section, the DS significantly reduces the intestinal area available for digestion of food and particularly fat (so a lot of calories go through without digestion), but it also gives less access for vitamin and mineral absorption. Darn it, but sugar and carb calories are the best absorbed!
At 13.5 years out, I am sure my stomach has stretched a bit and the intestines are getting more adept at digesting food, but I still weigh almost exactly half of what I weighed on my surgery day.
You touched a sore spit with me about Dr Now. DS is the most effective procedure for anyone who weighs 300 pounds, let alone 600 pounds. It is unconscionable that he continues to do a less effective procedure for these people. DS is a long and difficult surgery that isn't easy to learn, and maybe he can't or isn't willing to learn it. I won'****ch the show because I end up yelling at the TV and I can't endure the public humiliation and fat shaming that is part of the show.
