revsion decisions

When I talked to my bar. surg. office they said they only do Gastric bypass revisions, not any other. That office is the one who submitted by revision request to insurance and got approval. Any thoughts on best revision.  I have a lot of dumping issues...mainly real grogginess after eating and I have to sleep it off for about 30 min.

Are you in a position to change surgeons?
Have you weighed the pros and cons of at least the 4 major types of bariatric surgeries?
If you would choose to revise to a DS, be aware that there are damn few surgeons who are qualified to revise an RNY to a DS.  It requires a complete "take-down" of your surgery, then giving you a DS.  My opinion is that it would be worth it, but that's just my opinion.
Have you visited the "revision" board?

I wonder if my insurance would ok DS,  Have to go thru process again.  Wow didn't realize it would be more complex doing the DS. Is it a more dangerous surgery? Can they do it the lab way w/o the open way?  I did go to revision board.  Does the DS way lessen the dumping problem. I always have it...more matter what I eat usually...........except my protein shakes. I started at 251 and got to 169, then weight started back.............now up to 200!! So sad. I tried the 5 day pouch test and made it thru day 1 and half of two, but had to have a chicken breast in some salad.  I AM HUNGRY  most of the time..........since early on.  Right after surgery first week I just had to cry out of hunger. Then started having pain when eating. Had to have 2 diff. endos to open stoma some. I wonder if it opened too much!  ARGH!  I am almost 61 now and worry time is runnng out to get this straightened out.
Where to find qualified DS surgeon? How know he's good?

Thanks for responding.

I'll try to address some of this. (some I just don't know)

Dumping:  My understanding of what dumping is, is it's the small intestine's reaction to food hitting it that's not digested enough for it to handle (the stoma of an RNY can allow food to enter the small intestine even if the stomach hasn't "done it's job").  That said, with the DS, you have pyloric valve function, so food is held in your stomach until that valve opens, not until it falls out of your stomach (I'm totally oversimplifying it, I know, sorry)

The outer curvature of your stomach is removed, and you end up with a VSG-type stomach.  So, you have restriction there.  For me (although everyone's experience is different), I was never hungry after my surgery.  I'm nearly 4 years out from my DS, and, still, eat because I know I should, not because I'm hungry.  I HAVE felt true hunger (I think) since my surgery, but it's pretty rare.

If you want to get detailed information about the DS, please check out the "DS forum".  Particularly for your questions about revising from an RNY.  There are plenty of people over there who've been where you are right now.

I do know that it can be performed laproscopically, but, that would be a surgeon preference kind of thing.

Anyway, WAY smarter people than me on the DS forum, you can get tons of info over there.
See ya,

Thanks so much for reply.  Will check it out at DS forum.

Appreciatively,
Maggie

I gave you the name of the BEST revision surgeon we know.

Open vs. laparoscopic is meaningless. I've had several open surgeries and they are not that bad.

RNY revision to DS is a lot more complicated than RNY revision. It takes longer to recover and there are people who do not survive the surgery or die from surgical complications.  

Read the revision board and ask a lot of questions when doing your research.  

Thanks...I am in the fact-finding mode....thanks for all input  I need to be well informed.
Maggie

 There is also a Yahoo group for DS Revision

 http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DS_Revision/ 

You need to talk to a surgeon who does LOTS of different kinds of revisions. There are very few of those and you will have to travel. The very top of the list name is Dr. Ara Keshishian in CA, then Dr. Rabkin, also in CA. There are a few others, but not many.

An RNY to RNY revision is not a remedy for dumping. I'm biased in favor of RNY-DS revision, which Dr. Keshishian has done for uncontrollable dumping/reactive hypoglycemia and to reverse malnutrition, on people who were of normal or nearly normal weight.