what advice can you give?

I am writing this about my daughter who is in the process of having an rny. I just had rny myself. can anyone give us the reasons why she should have a ds vs rny. We do not know much about ds only what we have read but I would like to here from people who have had it. Thank you any info is greatly appreciated. Joyce

Hi, Joyce! I hope you are recovering well from your surgery. I listed some of the reasons that I chose the DS over the RNY in my profile. You can get to it by clicking on my name above this post. It's up to each person to figure out what is best for him/her. I think it's great that your daughter has you for support and to help her along the way. If you hang around here and read the posts, you can get a better feel for how our lives are after surgery. Jeanie

I looked into both types of surgery in depth, as you will find that just about everyone here did. We are a pretty informed bunch. Many of the DS'er have the reasons posted right on their profiles and I'm sure you will get responses from them soon to know right where to read them. For me it was a great choice. Its been a year, I have lost 100 lbs and Im still losing, although very slowly now. BUT...I eat! When I go into a restaurant, no one knows that I have had the surgery. The meals they give in most restaurants are so large that most "normal" eaters take half of it home. I have a friend that has done that for years. I dont have to worry about dumping, which was a terrible scare for me. My children are both out of the house now, so my husband and I like to eat out more, along with friends...I didnt want to end up dumping because of some hidden sugars that I wasnt aware of, or worse yet, being afraid to go out to eat. I no longer take insulin shots which I was taking for 2 years, nor oral diabetes meds that I had been taking for 10 years. That alone is the reason for me. In some countries they are preforming the DS as a cure for diabetes, you dont even have to be obese! There are many other benefits that Im sure you will hear about. BUT, dont let it discourage you on the choice you already made. Remember that no matter what surgery anyone chooses, its just a tool that we have to use. Keep on the right path, go to support group meetings, even 5 years from now! Hope this helps, good luck to your daughter on her decision and good luck to you with your surgery and your journey to becoming a new you!

Joyce, Let me first say congratulations on your WLS. As a post-op DS patient I have my definite set of reasons for my choice. I began my WLS journey thinking about the RNY. My research showed that it was indeed the "gold standard", i.e., the most practiced. I attended two surgical information sessions for the RNY. I had a hard time accepting the remnant stomach and all the other things I read people struggling with on the ObesityHelp.com main message board. I got cold feet for a year while I failed yet again at another diet and exercise plan. It was that failure that made me revisit my research. That's when I stumbled onto this forum. My research led me to conclude, in my humble opinion, that the DS overcomes all the pitfalls of the RNY procedure; thereby making it the "platinum standard": 1) Although, the malabsorption at first appeared to be the more drastic due to the distal nature of the biliopancreatic limb, the retention of the pylorus, vagus nerves, and the antral pump give better absorption than the proximal RNY and prevent the occurrence of "Dumping Syndrome", 2) There is no blind remnant stomach that is retained and can no longer be explored, but which robs the body of B-12 through bacterial overgrowth and necessitates the use of injection or sub-lingual supplementation. 3) The acid producing region of the stomach is removed (greater curve gastrectomy) thereby minimizing acid reflux (this is important to me because two family members have died from esophageal/larynx cancers), 4) There is no man-made stoma to risk strictures or marginal ulcers at the suture or staple line because the DS has no junctional area vulnerable to gastric irritants. 5) Better absorption of medications and supplements as well as taking steroidal and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents, 6) At 10 years an RNY averages a 50% weight loss DS averages 80% weight loss. In other words with the RNY in ten years I would still be obese. I didn't have surgery to have those results. 7) The RNY "pouch" of 1-3 ounces or the DS stomach of 3-5 ounces which keeps a portion of the duodenum in the food stream. The preservation of the pylorus/duodenum pathway means that food is digested normally (to an optimally absorbable consistency) in the stomach before being excreted by the pylorus into the small intestine. As a result, the DS procedure enables more-normal absorption of many nutrients (including protein, calcium, iron and vitamin B12) than is seen after the unmodified BPD and RNY procedures. 8) After observing the OH message boards for both the DS and RNY, I've noticed that DS board is very quiet compared to the RNY board. The biggest complaint among the DS is the insurance - not BM's or gas, while the main message board among RNY is no-stop pleas for help with strictures, side pain, diarrhea, staple line leaks, dumping, nausea, and vomiting. Everyone must chose the procedure which best fits their personalities and limitations. It means a lot that you are doing a little extra research for your loved one. Best wishes on your journey, Catherine C.

I posted a really long answer to a similar question just the other day on the main boards. Here's a link to what I said to Sherry: http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/messageboard/postdetail/1475265.html?vc=0 And tell her I said: Research as much as you can, and ask as many questions as you can think of. The better informed you are going into surgery the more likely you are to be willing to be compliant with the constraints that any surgery requires. Every WLS has people who were successful with it - it suited their personalities, their wants & their needs, their relationship with food, and their lifestyles. You CAN make any of them work for you. The question is - Will you? For who I am and what I want, the DS is wonderful. --BT

Hi, Joyce - Welcome! I have a good friend who had the RNY in April and is doing really well. Hope you're doing the same! I'm choosing the DS because it's most effective in reversing Type II diabetes, which I have (98.9% success rate), and study after study reveals that the DS exceeds other forms of WLS in terms of excess amount of weight lost and maintained over time (see Buchwald et al., Hess, Anthone). The smaller stomach (initially a couple of ounces larger than a typical RNY patient's) precipitates weight loss (weight loss is a little slower than in the average RNY patient, though that may depend on one's starting weight, general health pre-surgery, etc.,) and the malabsorption component helps maintain that weight loss over time. In addition, I wanted to preserve as much normal functioning of the stomach as possible --> the pyloric valve still works after the DS, and there's very little to no risk of dumping. After an initial recovery period of a few months, DSers can eat and drink small but regular portions of food. Those are my primary reasons for choosing the DS over the RNY. Everyone has to make the choice that is right for oneself, one's own lifestyle, and particular comorbidities. Hope this helps some! Alison * * * * Quest for DS officially began 2/28/05 Currently appealing insurance denials to CA's Dept. of Managed Health Care * * * * "Waiting is not mere empty hoping. It has the inner certainty of reaching the goal." (I Ching)

If during your studies of rny/ds you find that you would have preferred the ds, it can still be done for you, if you find your self needing a revision or repair of the rny you can op to convert to a ds, but a ds cannot convert to a rny. I cannot have a rny, and that is how i learned about the ds,a rny doctor sent me to the ds doctor.

There are all sorts of reasons---better long-term maintainence of weight loss, resolution of Type II diabetes, no dumping syndrome, etc. and so on---but for me, much of my decision was based on post-op lifestyle. I wanted to be able to eat anything I enjoyed, and in quantities that would satidfy my mouth as well as my much-smaller stomach. I also wanted to be able to continue taking NSAIDs for my arthritis, be able to chug-a-lug water when I'm thirsty, and get all my protein from real foods. Read the profiles of as many DSers as you can. If possible, talk to some of us in person. Learn as much as you can about the DS.

Dear Joyce, So glad to hear you are doing well after your WLS. I started my journey toward RNY a couple of years ago. Finally after ALOT of research I came across the website www.duodenalswitch.com I spent weeks reading every single persons experience. Then I started lurking on the message boards, and very quickly I knew that the DS was for me. Is it for your daughter? Only she can decide that. Knowledge is power, so research is the key. I love that I can blend in anytime I am eating. Only my immediate family knows I had surgery, and no one else even suspects it. I really enjoy food, and I love being able to eat a full (small) meal. I like being able to drink while I eat. I like not having to burp all the time. I am thrilled to say I have never dumped. Due to my other medical conditions I am happy I can take over the counter pain meds without concern. Those are just a few of the reasons I personally chose the DS. I hope your daughter finds which surgery is best for her. Thank you for asking us, and we hope to hear from you (and her) in the future! Best wishes to you and yours Isha 366/247/220-170 sw cw gw's

Joyce- I hope you are doing well after your surgery. I am a pre-op so I have no real experience to offer you, plus you have already been given some excellent advice by the others on this board. I just wanted to chime in with an observation. If you want information about the DS do not ask a surgeon that only does the RNY. I have read comments several times on this and other boards where the RNY surgeons (as well as PCP's) do not give out accurate information about the DS. Whether they are doing this because they are misinformed or because they are trying to steer you to the surgery they perform is anyone's guess. I believe they do really do not know enough about the DS to give accurate information. Good luck to you and your daughter. Red