I  thought my insurance did not cover any revision of RNY, but found out recently that they do in certain cases.  I will be having a consultation with a local surgeon about a revision.  I read some patients prefer going to a DS after RNY?  Is that true?  Would a Revision just involve tightening up the pouch? What alternatives are there available? I gained 50 lbs since my surgery in 2004.

YES, it's true and the two BEST DS revision surgeons are there in your neck of the woods...

From DSFacts:
Ara Keshishian, MD, FASMBS, FACS *
Email: [email protected]

Central Valley Bariatrics
Phone: 818-812-7222
Fax: 818-952-0990

Primary Office:
1808 Verdugo Blvd., Suite 413
Glendale, CA 91208

Satellite Office:
Delano Regional Medical Arts Building
1205 Garces Highway, Suite 303
Delano, CA 93215

John M. Rabkin, MD, FACS *

Pacific Laparoscopy
2250 Hayes Street, 3rd Floor
San Francisco, CA 94117
Phone: 415-668-3200 or 1-888-848-8446 toll free
Fax: 415-668-2010
Email: [email protected]

There are two others in CA but they are RNY to DS revision surgeons. That is a skill set all it's own and only a handful of DS surgeons can do it.

Liz

Can you give me any information about the revision?  I was unaware that you could have another surgery...I had open RNY in 2002.  I'm in NC.  is there a website I can read about this?  thanks

There's even a whole forum dedicated to revisions---www.obesityhelp.com/forums/revision/

Revising an RNY to a DS is the most complicated form of revision, but it's also the most effective. Not many surgeons can do this procedure, so you really want to choose your surgeon wisely.

I was told tons of problems with DS. You are condeming yourself to a lifetime of diarrhea (sp). Both my nutritionist and the psychotherapist told me. I am in Houston at the Texas Medical Center and they steer clear of that surgery. I am going to a surgical seminar Wed. nite and will ask again.

I'm willing to bet they steer clear of that surgery because they don't perform it, possibly? 

That is a lot of seriously wrong information about the DS right there. Hopefully people will be along to set you straight.

I'm thinking I suffer from more diarrhea than your average DS'er ;)

And you were given some VERY BAD info. Diarrhea is NOT a normal part of the average DSer's life. We actually took a poll on the DS board once, and most people reported having two soft but well-formed BMs a day, and more said they suffered from constipation than from diarrhea.

Now, it's highly possible that both your nutritionist and psychotherapist were confusing the DS with the old BPD, which was basically a large-pouch RNY with a lot of intestinal bypass. It was very effective at weight loss, but it did have a lot of unpleasant bowel-issue side effects---which is why it's rarely done any longer.

It's also possible that your nut doesn't understand the correct post-op diet for a DSer, and is giving out bad advice which results in patients with problems. And what sort of education about bariatrics does a  psychotherapist have, anyway? Probably not as much as those of us who've lived the life.

Lots of surgeons and hospitals steer clear of the DS because it doesn't pay as well. It takes longer to perform, but insurance companies, naturally, don't like to pay out any more than they have to.

The DS has the very BEST long-term, maintained weight-loss stats, period. ALso the best stats for resolving or preventing co-morbs like diabetes and high cholesterol, too. And frankly, the post-op lifestyle is WONDERFUL.

It's unfortunate that your nut and psych don't seem to have access to facts and actual studies, but since YOU have to live with this surgery the rest of your life, it would behoove you to do some reading yourself. They sell RNY's there, so that's what they are going to push you towards. 

Here's a link to the PubMed abstract on the post-op poop issues of DS vs RNY. The post op issues are statistically about the same between the two surgeries. Honestly, I'd be leery of getting surgery any place that had such bad information or tried to steer pre-ops choices with bogus info.

7 year DS vet here, and while I have looser stools than the average bear, I am in complete control (unlike diarrhea), and I go only once per day.  Your nutritionist and psychotherapist are feeding you a line of crap.  It may be best to ask those who are living the life.

please do research on any revision surgery and ask alot of questions