Is DS dangerous??

Eeeeegads, and this person is a support group leader. *shudder*

" I had done a little homework"

Thats obvious! You did VERY LITTLE

"comes from the fact that you have to be a far stronger person to have this surgery and you have to be disciplined enough to make it work for you.  "

Wow... thats a big statement coming from a doctor who put you on a diet for the REST OF YOUR LIFE!! A diet with a band around it. A plastic band that could slip.

"I'm just concerned that Emily will be in the classroom and she'll have some intenstinal problem and be in an embarassing situation. "

WHAT???? Embarassing situation?? Are you talking about farting? or having to go to the bathroom? WOW!! You really only did "little homework". Because if you cared about Emily AT ALL you would have seen 99% of us go ONCE a day. And it's never anything you cannot control with food intake. I worked at a school when I was very newly pre-op, I went back at 4 weeks.. not once did I have some "intestinal problem" or "embarassing situation". And I worked in a K-8 school. Do you not fart or poop ever?

" I'm just concerned that Emily will be as lax about taking her vitamins and supplements as I am. "

And you think this why??? Because you are too stupid to put a multi-vitamin in your mouth and swallow??? If she had to go on high BP meds would you worry she wouldn't take them???

"Emily is looking for a quick weight loss result and DS should do it but we all know there are problems with quick weight loss.  "

Really?? Such as? I am coming up on 3 years out... and lost about 90% of my weight in the first year.... which was close to 170lbs, I would say that was a quick loss.. What problems am I having with a quick weight loss??? Please do tell me. Because since you have "done a little homework" I would like to know about my problems.

" I know and RNY patient who's stomached rotted and had to be removed.  She now has a pig stomach.  I just sort of worry that maybe if it was disconnected and left in there (like RNY) you may be able to use it, if need be."

Really???? You just said you know an RNY patient who stomach ROTTED from sitting there... Ours isn't sitting there.. It is a FULLY FUNCTIONING STOMACH, in fact MORE functioning then your stomach because yours has a FREAKING BAND MADE OUT OF PLASTIC around it. There is NOTHING plastic inside my body. NOTHING!!!! No chance of slippage like you have.

Do you really realize how stupid you made youself sound??? Please for her sake step back and stop trying to make yourself sound smarter then you really are. Because it's VERY obvious you do not know much of anything about the DS and how it actually works. And how the mortality rate is the same as RNY.... BUT the success rate is MUCH greater.

Yup, just like MajorMom said: You are totally misinformed....at best.

Lawanda,
What an ego you have.
And, you're not "attuned" to anything concerning correct and true facts about the DS.
And, please, please tell me how a rotted stomach on an rny'er has anything to do with getting a DS.  With the DS, there's no "walled-off" stomach, no portion of it that isn't doing it's job.  There's just less of it.  Your statement about leaving the unused portion of the stomach in there is just baffling to me.  Wouldn't it rot if it was just sitting in there, disconnected and all?
With a friend like you, Emily doesn't need enemies.
Oh, and I too, poop just once a day most days.  EASILY managed for most DSers by eating sensibly.

So OH support group leaders are allowed to post blatant misinformation about different surgery types? That's pretty shocking.

I, too, am shocked, Chad....

I actually think you have really good intentions, but one fact is that talking to a surgeon does not equate to you having read research on the subject and therefore are informed of what's correct and not.  I'm going to address your concerns in the order listed and I have done my research.  In fact, I completed my work for my Ph.D., which is a research-practioner degree and included research design and statistical training.  Thus I can say with complete confidence I understand the research I myself have read vs relying on someone's words as truth - that's a mistake no matter who they are & no matter the topic you are trying to understand.  Thus, yes, you are misinformed.  Why would a doctor purposely give misleading information?  $$ is a powerful motivator, that's human nature, they are not a cut above everyone else.

Mortality Rate:
If you read the research, you would realize that the DS has been traditionally reserved for those with the highest BMI.  This stemmed from the fact that it was a derivation of the Scorpiano BPD method in which serious, health-compromising complications arose.  The DS is not the original BPD.  The original one cut the stomach horizontally, removed the pylorus valve, and bypassed much more of the small intestine than does the DS.  This resulted in dumping and severe malnutrition.  The DS - the outer curviture of the stomach is removed, which leaves a fully functioning regular stomach that is still attached to the pylorus.  Thus food is digested in a normal fashion in the stomach and empties into the small intestine at a normal rate (b/c the pylorus is a valve that regulates this process).  Due to the fact that it was originally based on the Scorpiano BPD that had such severe complications, virtually all surgeons were hesitant to try the DS and thus viewed it as an option to be reserved for those who had the highest BMI b/c the Scorpiano BPD resulted in far superior weight loss and little to no weight regain.  It was a matter of weighing risks and doing the procedure that would help them the best & in this case, that meant choosing the one that would result in the most weight lost due to their exceedingly high BMI.  You needed that information to understand why the DS has a higher mortality rate.   Comorbidities are positively correlated to BMI, meaning the higher one's weight is, the more obesity-related diseases one tends to have.  The more diseases one has is also related to their level of health such that, the more diseases one has, the sicker they tend to be.  This is the group of patients that has traditionally been selected for the DS.  The sicker one is, the higher the complication rate is and the higher the mortality rate.  Thus, the mortality rate that is compared among those who have underwent the DS vs those who have underwent the lapband vs those who have had the RNY differs as a function of INITIAL HEALTH, not that of the procedure itself.  This is a CLASSIC example of how statistics can be used to falsely represent information for one's own purpose in what they are hoping to find.  This can actually be controlled for in a statistical fashion.  By the way, doctors are NOT training in statistics and they may or may not realize the importance of this.  I have been trained as a researcher and I most certainly understand it.  I hope you now do as well because your job as a leader should entail correct information.  Again, I believe that you mean well and I don't blame you for not having known this, but now you do.  Please be responsible.

Intestinal Problems & Embarassing Situations:
At least 90 - 95% of those with the DS know by experience that things such as bad gas or urgent needs to vacate the bowels (that ARE controllable until you get to a bathroom) are caused by the intake of EXCESS starchy &/ or sugary carbs.  Extremely high fat levels in one meal can produce this for SOME people, not all of us (I'm not one).  Thus, it is a simple choice of whether I want to have, for example, a large piece of cake knowing that in 3 - 5 hours I'm going to be somewhere in which I may not want to risk having bad gas or needing to go to the bathroom within a few minutes (vs waiting 20 - 30 until class ends).  This is completely avoidable, it really is a simple matter of planning ahead.  The extreme majority of DSers plan ahead.

Vitamins & Protein:
Valid concern.  The main reason I agree that the DS is NOT for everyone actually has to do with the fact that not everyone will be disciplined enough to take their vitamins & get sufficient daily protein.  I was concerned about this myself.  On the flip side, I can rationally argue that when making a choice (take vitamin dose # 3, for instance), if the consequence is more severe, one is more likely to make a healthier choice.  This is supported by behavioral observations across many topics.  People weigh the pros & cons of their decisions based on the amount of effort it takes to do X and what the possible consequences are for either doing it or not doing it.  Think you might be more vigilant about taking your vitamins if you knew you would cause yourself significant harm in a much shorter amount of time?  I would guess my last bottom dollar that you would be.

Dangerously Quick Weight Loss:
It has been noted in multiple studies that the RNY results in quicker weight loss with higher regain whereas the DS results in slower weight loss with less regain in comparison to the RNY.  You would know this if you read the studies yourself (please read them!)

Removal of a Portion of the Stomach:
When the stomach has not been in use for a long time, it atrophies and is therefore more likely to cease its normal functioning.  This is true of any organ or muscle in the body.  That is why your friend's stomach rotted away.  It wasn't being used anymore because she had the RNY.  It is not AT ALL comparable to the DS because the stomach portion that is left is constantly being used, just as any normal stomach is used; therefore, its normal functioning doesn't cease, it doesn't atrophy, and it won't die.  You truly are comparing apples and oranges here.  I understand on a conceptual level why you would make the comparison, but you do not understand the etiology (science in this case) behind why this happened to your friend and why this thing would not happen with the DS stomach.

In summary, I want to emphasize the fact that you truly strike me as being a caring person who means well.  In the very least, I hope that my non-attacking approach and efforts to underscore the science behind your concerns has sufficiently piqued your interest to be open to the possibility that you really may not have all the facts that you believe you do.  Given the very important nature of your position as a WLS leader, it is my sincere hope that you will set aside some time to go to PubMed and to your own research.  Then read the studies.  Understand everything from a scientific perspective and stop relying on surgeons who do not do the DS.  Given the fact that doctors spend so much money to go through schooling, I understand that they need/ want to make decisions that will pay back their investment in education.  This is a very, very real issue that influences doctors decisions on whether to take the extra training to become proficient in the DS.  You should NEVER take someone's word as gospel truth.  In this case, there are monetary reasons that most surgeons don't do the DS.  That *IS* the primary motivator, not concerns on health.  Read the research & find out for yourself.  PLEASE.

 Oh, you are good!  Thank you for that.  I love me some good facts!!!

Dang, girl! You're awesome!

Terrific post, Lisey!