it is hard on patients right now. Now, surgeons are performing procedures that are not the traditional DS. The language is confusing, because some of them are calling it the DS. Some patients only find out about the difference after they have had the procedure. There are two new variations:
- SIPS (Stomach Intestinal Pylorus Preserving Surgery) is a new procedure which is a variation of Biliopancreatic Diversion with Duodenal Switch (DS for short). It is also known as sleeve gastrectomy with loop duodeno-ileal anastomosis, or "loop DS". It is not the DS that people have had here.
- The other variation is SADI-S (Single Anastomosis Duodeno-Ileal bypass with Sleeve Gastrectomy). Surgeons may say this is essentially the DS, but it isn't.
Now, you can ask him if he is doing the traditional DS, as devised by Dr. Douglas Hess in 1986 or if he is doing one of the new procedures. First, you can establish that he is doing the original Hess DS procedure, which is the one that has been studied for a long time, has patients that are 30 years out from surgery, and is not investigational. Second, if he is giving you the original surgery, there are other questions about variations in the actual DS surgery measuring during the operation that others here who know more will guide you through.
Good that you found out now and get this clarified. DS patients have to be very knowledgeable about the procedures. If you stay around here for a while, you will get an advanced degree in bariatric surgery!