Question:
Would like to hear from DS patients about their experiences.
This site has a lot of information on the RNY. I would like to see more about the Duodenal Switch. Please tell me why you had this surgery. Are you happy with it? Was it a problem to travel to get to a surgeon? Thank you. — [Anonymous] (posted on June 6, 2000)
June 6, 2000
Hello,
I am still pre-op but will be having DS in Sept 2000. The best place to
start researching DS is to go to the DS site. http://www.duodenalswitch.com
you will find lots of information concerning the DS procedure. It is truly
worth looking into. Please also join the DS mailing list. It is a wonderful
group of people both pre and post op who will give you valueable
information,support and encouragement. I am in Wisconsin. Where are you
from? I will be traveling to Spain to have surgery. The DS site has a list
of all the suregons who preform this procedure. You can join the mailing
list from the DS site. Hope we can start talking. I am willing to share my
whole experience with you and tell you why I choose DS over RNY. Take care
and write me soon. My email address is [email protected] Talk to you
soon
Crissy Wagner
Randolph, WI
[email protected]
— Crissy O.
June 6, 2000
It's hard to add anything substantial to Melanie's excellent response to
this question, so I'll just throw in my two cents. In addition to the
reasons Melanie gave, I was very concerned about what appeared to be an
unacceptably high rate of failure with restrictive procedures such as the
proximal RNY and the VBG. I recently read a paper in which statistics for
complications associated with a proximal RNY included a failure to lose
more than 40% of the excess weight in 20% of patients. That is shockingly,
unacceptably high. The failure rate for the VBG is even higher - half of
the people who undergo a VBG regain most or all of their weight. Surgery is
a traumatic experience, both physically and emotionally, and I did not want
to go through all that and not succeed! <br><br> It's true that
the BPD-DS is the most drastic of weight loss surgeries, but it also has
the highest success rate, and the risk of complications over the long term
are the same or less than other procedures. I've seen some folks cite the
relative "newness" of the procedure as a drawback, but I was
perfectly comfortable with the BPD-DS's history - thirteen years and
counting, with it's predecessor, the unmodified BPD, having a 23 year
record of success. The surgery has been modified over the years to
minimize complications and maximize success, and while it's not as widely
available as the RNY or VBG, it's certainly an excellent and worthwhile
procedure. I highly recommend that people seeking a permanent, successful
solution to their obesity research the BPD-DS. I did, and I haven't
regretted it for a moment - 90 pounds in six months, and a whole new life
for me!
— Kim H.
June 6, 2000
I picked the DS over the RNY because of how each reduces the size of the
stomach. The RNY people tend to cut the stomach in half, leaving indwelling
staples and disrupt the normal functioning of the stomach by eliminating
the pyloric valve (what allows food to gradually leave the stomach and go
into the small intestine. The DS people longitudinally transect the
stomach, making it smaller, but maintaining the normal functioning, with no
indwelling staples. It is more radical in that the rest of the stomach is
completely removed, but since this will be a lifelong thing for me, I would
have no reason to have the stomach returned to its previous condition.
Other than that, I think the malabsorption principle of the RNY and the DS
are pretty much the same. You can get more info from
www.duodenalswitch.com. I can eat anything I want, in the smaller
portions, of course. There is no "liquids phase" except in the
first couple of days in the hospital. I had a cheese omellete and hash
browns less than a week out of surgery (1 egg, 1 tablespoon mozzarella, 1
half a medium potato vs. my previous breakfast: 5 eggs, 4 oz cheese, 2
medium potatoes). I wanted to lose weight, not obsess about what I could
or couldn't eat. Good Luck to you! And ditto to what Kim and Melanie
said...Fondly,
— merri B.
June 7, 2000
I chose the DS because of the high success rate--weight regain compared to
other procedures. If you do your research, you will find these amazing
statistics. I wanted to eat in a normal fashion without excessive chewing.
I didn't want the complications of other procedures such as, food getting
stuck, dumping syndrome, vomitting, nasea, ulcers, etc. And in the end, if
necessary, it was good to know that the procedure could be reversed. For
some reason, this was reassuring to me. The DS keeps the integrity of the
stomach which was important to me. I didn't want to destroy one of my
organs if there was an alternative. For me, the reasons for DS are many.
After 7 months, I know without a shadow of a doubt, I chose the right
procedure *for me*. Everything I wanted with this surgery has come to
fruition. I can eat normally and the weight falls off. 7 months ago, I
was on deaths door, today, I just finished my daily 3 mile walk and am very
happy & healthy. I've lost over 60% of my excess weight and my blood
work is normal.
Good Luck to you in your research and finding the best procedure for you...
http://www.myWLS.com
— [Deactivated Member]
June 7, 2000
Well, I cannot add too much to the fabulous answers below. All i know, is
that I wanted to have a good life without forced modification. I didnt
want to feel like I was being punished for something I had no control over
to begin with. I have a lot of faith in this procedure. In less than 10
months, I have lost over 83% of my excess weight, by eating as I please.
My mother had the DS a couple of months ago and is cured from her diabetes.
My daughter (16) is scheduled to have the DS on June 20.
— Kris S.
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