Hey are there any DS/BPD people on this board??

Just wondering- I am trying to get my surgery ball rolling and I am with Shari - it seems that most people have had RNY. I love this board- just wondering if anyone else here is going to have the switch??Amy

I had the BPD/DS in Feb of 2006, if you haven't been there already I highly suggest you go to the DS forum on OH and www.duodenalswitch.com Most people do get the RNY, but it doesn't mean it's the "best" surgery, it just means it's the most widely practiced surgery. The "best" surgery is the one best for you, and the one that you can live with for the rest of your life. I had the DS because it is the best weight loss surgery in terms of statistical loss. Meaning that most of the people that have it, lose a significantly higher amount of weight then those that have other types of WLS. I had 300 lbs to lose at the time of surgery, and currently have lost 230 of it (in 11 months). According to the University of chicago (the article and link is in my profile), the DS is the best WLS for the SMO (those with BMIs over 50) becasue of the amount of weight loss that can be expected after the procedure. Don't get discouraged about getting the DS because most people have other procedures. More and more people are having the DS since last Feb when Medicare offically recognized it as an acceptable treatment for obesity. Since that time, scores of insurance companies have changed their policies regarding the DS, taking away it's "investigational" status, and making it one of the 2 or 3 WLS prodedures that they cover. Scott

Hey Amy, I had the DS on 08/23/06 with Dr. Marchesini in Brazil. I could not be happier. I have lost 104 lbs to date. Feel free to see my profile or ask any questions. Jamie S