Question:
Laproscopic Proximal or Open Distal

I am very confused! I am researching 2 surgeons, one does the proximal and the other distal. I know that there is a possiblity of malabsorption with the distal, but it also has the best success rates after 5 years. The laprascopic proximal is less invasive to your body. Does anyone have any feelings on either one of these surgeries that might make my decision a little easier?    — Sasha A. (posted on June 3, 2001)

June 3, 2001
Sasha..you are actually asking about two different things....if you have the chance to have a LAP surgery with a good surgeon, who knows what he is doing, and has done them for a long time now...GO LAP, NO QUESTION...as for distal or proximal, the night before I had my surgery I asked my surgeon for a distal instead of a proximal. He said that per his research that the distal only gives the person about a 5% higher sucess with weight loss, but at a much higher health risk. I have a proximal(but at the limit of that definition, I have 5 1/2 feet bypassed) and I am doing very well with it. (LAP RNY 1/16/01 70LBS Down)
   — Debora H.