Hello

[Mirabella]

Hello. My daughter's boss told me about this site. She says that I will find some good information about the surgery here. My daughter, she is 18, is scheduled for the surgery on the 5th of August.
Her surgeon has suggested the Duodenal Switch (I think that is it), but her father thinks that the "Sleeve" will be enough. I am torn and the surgeon is willing to do the "Switch" on the same date, we just have to let her know a week in advance. I am here to see what the "Switch" is all about.
My daughter's boss told me some things, but suggested that my husband and I would benefit from reading the information here.

I want to make sure that I am completely informed and that we are making the right decision for our daughter.

I am appreciative for getting to read the information here.

Thank you.

 

[Mirabella]

Oh my! There is so much to read.

 

[Jo777]

Welcome! You will find a great many helpful & knowledgeable people here! They have reached out to total strangers many times to get the best possible outcomes for them. No fluffy bunnies, no rainbows and hot air.. just a wealth of total honesty backed by a lot of experience. Good on you for being open-minded enough to learn about something your adult daughter may need to have a shot at a long and healthy life!

 

[Jo777]

FYI, I am a sleever, and I stick around here since the information is so great. I was a lightweight at 264 at the time of my surgery..

The sleeve (from my years on this and other boards) seems to do fairly OK for lightweights (100-125lbs or so to lose) but really falls short for much more than that.. and if there are any other health concerns, mobility issues, or SMO, SSMO issues- it would not be something I would ever recommend.. and that's coming from someone who only considered the sleeve and DS, and I was a self-payer to boot.

 

[Mirabella]

My daughter has a BMI over 65. When we met with the surgeon, she told us that the switch was the way to go. My husband has heard about numerous complications and I just read a post about someone getting so bad they have a walker now. I want to do what is best for her. I want her to be healthy and I want to know everything. She believes that the switch is the way to go and says that she has done a lot of research, but I am afraid that she is just saying that because her boss had that one done. She will start her senior year in high school in about a month. I would like her to be able to start college as a healthy young woman.

 

[southernlady]

Welcome @Mirabella
Good for you for trying to learn as much as you can. Your daughter and your husband are also more than welcome to join, ask questions, etc.

I'm a virgin DS'er...my starting BMI was just 35.2 but I wore an insulin pump as a type 2 diabetic.

Biggest thing to help in the decision. Has she tried diets before? Did they work long term or did the weight come back. I've been on one diet or another since I was 12...at 56, I finally decided that the way I tried wasn't working and I knew just restriction would not work long term for me. I needed the biggest baddest gun in the arsenal!

 

[Mirabella]

DS, DS'er - does that mean duodenal swtich? Is that how you say it?

 

[southernlady]

With a BMI of 65, I wouldn't go any other route. And assuming she does go for the sleeve alone, yes she will lose weight but regain is almost a given.

Look at the chart here:

 

[southernlady]

DS, DS'er - does that mean duodenal swtich? Is that how you say it?

Yeap, LOL

 

[Mirabella]

OK - will you tell me what Lap means? I see it on your signature.

 

[Mirabella]

May I print that chart? My husband needs to see it.

 

[southernlady]

OK - will you tell me what Lap means? I see it on your signature.

Lap (laparoscopic) is how they do the procedure. Choices are Open and Lap. I've had both types. Open has a big incision but the insides are easy to see. Lap usually has about 5 small incisions and they use a camera to see what is going on. And they pump gas into your cavity which can be painful for a few weeks while that resolves OUT of you.

Both are just how they access the inside. Once inside, it's all the same surgery as far as DS (or any other WLS) is concerned.

 

[southernlady]

May I print that chart? My husband needs to see it.

Yes or you can find it here too... http://www.dssurgery.com/procedures/compare-surgical-procedures.php?subnav=2

 

[Jo777]

Ditto Southernlady, at her BMI, there's likely no way a sleeve would be successful getting her to even the low end of obese (BMI 40), and she would not stay down for long..

The DS is a wonderful surgery, but it requires one to be on top of their vites and labs. If she's a good researcher, and has a good head on her shoulders, (and she comes here for some support, esp for nutritional answers) she would likely do just fine.. the sleeve can have complications much like the DS.. the DS can have major complications if you neglect yourself over a significant period of time, but otherwise, it's as safe a surgery as any other. At her weight, her future isn't looking great to start. It sounds like she and the surgeon are in agreement, and she's able to make an informed decision about her health. I hope you and her dad can research so you can be comfortable with it too.

 

[southernlady]

Btw, my open procedure was a hysterectomy 2 decades ago.