A suggestion: Stop responding to the posts that say negative things about VSG. Let them...

The Rabkins have done patients up to 800 lbs laparoscopically.  To my knowledge, they have only ever done a "two part" DS when something came up during surgery.  I don't believe they have EVER felt it necessary to do it in two parts in advance.

There are a few -- Gagner for example -- who will do a two part DS at the drop of a hat.

However, keep in mind that for the majority of two part DSs, the second part is done as soon as possible after the first, and generally under the first insurance approval -- and not years later.  Again, I emphasize that VSGers who think that they can "just add the switch" more than a year or two or five later and get the benefits of the DS are going to be sadly mistaken, for some or all of the reasons I mentioned previously.

Here you go -- I think these reasons should be posted here as well.

Our message isn't for you who have already had your VSG -- except to the extent that those of you who end up regaining will have the information.  It is for the pre-ops who are listening to your fairy tales of what you HOPE will happen long term, because the first two years of VSG history showed it didn't work well, and there is NO proof or even reasonable evidence that the "revised procedures" will do any better, will understand the real risks they are taking in listening to you.

For those for whom the VSG isn't going to be enough to get you to or keep you at a reasonable weight, this is what is going to happen:

1)  You will go through the struggle and misery of dieting and failing again.
2)  You will have to face again the difficult choice of what to do.
3)  If you decide to have a revision surgery, you will have to figure out how to get insurance coverage, how to pay another set of co-pays, undergo a risky revision surgery (anesthesia, risk of infection, risk of leaks if your sleeve needs to be revised), take time off to recover -- IF you qualify for a revision surgery.  And that's IF you still have insurance coverage, IF your BMI is above 40,and IF your insurance doesn't have a one-WLS-per-lifetime exclusion. 
4)  You may have to meet another FIVE YEARS OF BEING MO requirement before you can get revision surgery, another SIX OR TWELVE MONTH DIET REQUIREMENT, IF your insurance at the time covers a DS surgeon, of course.

I think this is the perfect place for posting these warnings.

Cox-it is working just fine for me.  Thank  you for asking!

that kind of arrogance will turn off pre-ops and you won't be able to inform them of anything.

it's sad because they should know about all the surgery options.

If I read a post and feel obligated or annoyed enough to respond then I will do so regardless as to whether I am the first or the forty-fifth responder.  Your point is well taken though but it seems your strategy is not working since they have responded several times to your post as well.  For now I will just smile but when they start saying people in Cali are smarter than people in KY or that their car runs faster than mine...I'm gonna be mad  (peeps in KY get mad about stuff like that)......LOL....Barb

And coincidentally, here is a thread by someone who found out that the VSG was a MISTAKE based on our posts, and has come over to The Dark Side.  And there was ANOTHER one who posted the same thing in response.
http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/ds/3856933/Hello-newbie-wa nna-be-DSer/

So yeah, you just keep your own head buried in the sand, while we educate the ones willing to learn.  But please don't stop arguing with us -- it brings these posts to the attention of MORE people who are still in the research phase.

What you really don't get is that we don't think DS is the dark side.  We know it's a good option for some.  And we don't try to talk anyone out of it.  Everyone has their own journey.  We recommend researching them all, and making their own choice.

Then kindly tell your little head-in-the-sand friends to stop spouting bull**** about the DS. And quit misrepresenting data.

I think the problem is that your attitude almost makes it sound like you are rooting for non-DSers to fail so that you can be proven right.  You really sound like a miserable person to me.  Hey, but that's just my opinion.