I really need your help

[Settledownnow]

i dont want to hear to all people anymore.. that's why i am here to hear from u who know much better abt this surgery n i really appreciate ur answers, they help me a lot.
i was freaking out today when i read a post here abt bowel obstruction complication after DS.. is it common to happen or no?

You can get bowel obstructions and other complications with the RNY. There are always risks involved, but complications are not the norm.

 

[galaxygrrl]

The downside of the DS is eating a high protein low carb diet and taking the supplements. Some people tolerate carbs (starches, sugars) better than others, but it will slow your weight loss and make you regain. The carbs can also result in bloating, gas, and nasty poops. It is really a matter of getting into the habit of eating high protein, low carb, and doing a little planning. Another downside is that doctors are not informed about the procedure and the lifestyle requirements. They won't be a lot of help when it comes to your bloodwork and vit/min levels. You must advocate for yourself.

The upside to DS. It is great to not have the burden of the extra weight. It is psychologically and physically freeing! It is great not to have to think about activities based on weight (will I fit? Can I walk that far? What would I wear? Will everyone notice that I gained weight?) and instead focus on having a good time and doing what I want without regard to weight or size. The upside - when it comes to supplements and food choices, you can "talk" to the vets here as they have the best advice because they have been living with the surgery for many, many years. You can post your labs and ask for feedback and they will help. Of course, do not seek "medical advice" here, but you can learn from their experiences.

For me, the downside of the DS (diet, supplements, bathroom habits) is worth the overall benefits.

Managing the DS is not that hard. Find a good PCP and you will need to learn your new body, it takes time. I would think the RNY is the same in terms of learning a new body.

You get your labs done regularly and take you vits. But you must do this. Here is the bottom line and I'm sorry for being so direct. You will get co-mordbities sooner or late. The managing the DS is easier than managing co-morbities.

 

[Adam101]

Adam,

If you don't mind me asking, if you have decided to get surgery, why are you so apprehensive about the DS over the RNY? I would have stayed fat over getting the RNY, I did not want to dump and I wanted to be able to eat. I have a great diet. Watch the carbs and eat all the fat I want.

I would get the Sleeve over the RNY. And if vitamins are your concern, I think the sleeve would be a better choice.

Since i went to the informational session abt WLS and heard abt different surgeries i was impressed by the result after DS, i spent days studying the 3 main surgeries: VSG RNY n DS, n came to a decision to go with DS for all the reasons that u n others mentioned them here.. i informed my doctor abt my decision n he was OK with that. I didnt stop here, i continued reading more n more n came up to a solution that DS is not also the miracle surgery, many people regain back the weight after 3 n 4 years so can u imagine how will i feel if i regain back weight n i still have bunch of vitamins n minerals to take everyday..
Although the decision to do DS is already taken but i still try to learn more abt the surgery to feel more confident maybe. I am not sure abt RNY because i never was impressed by the procedure itself, i dont like the fact that i am gonna have a pouch instead of my stomach that i it will never completely function the same but cant ignore the fact that it is a great tool to lose weight.

 

[Adam101]

I wish I had the DS the first time. My insurance would not pay for it (it was experimental at that time) so I went with the RNY. I lost some weight (around 273 to 165) but quickly regained all of it. It was difficult to eat meat or dense protein because of the little pouch and I would throw up. It was so painful that I *wanted* to throw up. In fact, I learned to throw up into a bag while driving. I learned to eat "slider foods" (carbs usually - they slide down the pouch with a beverage) and then gained weight. It really sucked to have RNY, vit/min deficiencies, iron infusions, an ulcer, puke from protein, and still be fat. I felt like a loser until I realized that an extremely high number of RNY patients go through the same thing. I would not recommend the RNY to anyone.

The DS is pretty serious. It does take a lot of careful thought and research. I never directly recommend the DS to anyone because it takes a high level of understanding and commitment to the lifestyle. I never know if someone is capable complying with the lifestyle from internet postings. People who do not comply with protein and vit/min supplements get very ill and can even die. It is no joke.

The downside of the DS is eating a high protein low carb diet and taking the supplements. Some people tolerate carbs (starches, sugars) better than others, but it will slow your weight loss and make you regain. The carbs can also result in bloating, gas, and nasty poops. It is really a matter of getting into the habit of eating high protein, low carb, and doing a little planning. Another downside is that doctors are not informed about the procedure and the lifestyle requirements. They won't be a lot of help when it comes to your bloodwork and vit/min levels. You must advocate for yourself.

The upside to DS. It is great to not have the burden of the extra weight. It is psychologically and physically freeing! It is great not to have to think about activities based on weight (will I fit? Can I walk that far? What would I wear? Will everyone notice that I gained weight?) and instead focus on having a good time and doing what I want without regard to weight or size. The upside - when it comes to supplements and food choices, you can "talk" to the vets here as they have the best advice because they have been living with the surgery for many, many years. You can post your labs and ask for feedback and they will help. Of course, do not seek "medical advice" here, but you can learn from their experiences.

For me, the downside of the DS (diet, supplements, bathroom habits) is worth the overall benefits.

Thank u very much for the info.. very helpful n informative
u mentioned something very important that not all doctors are informed abt the procedure and the lifestyle requirement which it may lead to having serious health problems in the future.. when i talked abt my family doc abt the sugery i felt like she knew nothing abt it.. she thought it was the RNY.. the problem for me is not only to lose weight but also to live healthy.

 

[Larra]

I don't know where you are getting your info about weight regain after a few years. I've read the long term studies about the DS, and weight regain is far, far less of an issue with the DS than with gastric bypass or sleeve.
I do agree with you about many pcp's being totally uninformed about bariatric surgery at all, let alone about the DS. No matter what operation you have, you will need to be well informed and be your own advocate. You will need to request that your pcp order all the necessary labs, and find a new and improve pcp if he/she refuses.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

I don't know where you are getting your info about weight regain after a few years. I've read the long term studies about the DS, and weight regain is far, far less of an issue with the DS than with gastric bypass or sleeve.
I do agree with you about many pcp's being totally uninformed about bariatric surgery at all, let alone about the DS. No matter what operation you have, you will need to be well informed and be your own advocate. You will need to request that your pcp order all the necessary labs, and find a new and improve pcp if he/she refuses.

Glad you responded to that. ANd I know you never correct me because I'm always right, but here's your big opportunity:

I think the regain after the RnY is because of minimal malabsorption and, after time, it fails...and
I think the regain after the DS is because the patient has found a way to eat/drink around the surgery...non-stop high carb beverages and booze, and the gain can be reversed with more attention to the "protein first" rule.

I think that I have been as high as almost 30# above my lowest post-op weight--sometimes due to other conditions, more often due to lazy habits--but returning to steak, trip-tip, bacon and eggs really works magic.

Okay...now fix that statement!

 

[galaxygrrl]

Adam, I posted a link to the data on the DS results vs the other surgeries previously on this thread. We are all trying to help here. But you need to pay attention to what we are posting. U have asked the same questions a number of times here.

Sorry for being gruff. But look at the studies and the data on the surgeries. One off stories on the internet don’t tell you much

 

[Larra]

Well Spiky Bugger you are right, but your analysis left out a couple factors.
First, with gastric bypass, the minimal malabsorption is certainly a factor, but along with that in some people is the loss of restriction if/when the stoma enlarges over time. Once that happens, it doesn't matter whether the pouch is large or small, whatever the person eats just falls right out of the pouch into the small intestine because there is no valve to prevent this. This leads to a sensation of hunger and for some, also hypoglycemic episodes.

With the Ds, I agree that a diet high in carbs will defeat it, as it would any bariatric surgery. And while booze and soft drinks can certainly contribute, any simple carbs will do - junk food, fast food, whatever. An increase in issues with alcohol has been documented with gastric bypass, I don't know that this is such a problem with the DS - haven't seen it, but that could be because it's not a problem OR because it hasn't been studied in the DS population.
I also agree that a return to a DS healthy high protein, low carb diet should work to reverse the weight regain with the DS.

So, you were mostly right, but I do so enjoy correcting you!

 

[Adam101]

I don't know where you are getting your info about weight regain after a few years. I've read the long term studies about the DS, and weight regain is far, far less of an issue with the DS than with gastric bypass or sleeve.
I do agree with you about many pcp's being totally uninformed about bariatric surgery at all, let alone about the DS. No matter what operation you have, you will need to be well informed and be your own advocate. You will need to request that your pcp order all the necessary labs, and find a new and improve pcp if he/she refuses.

Yes studies show that DS has a high rate to not regain weight for long time.. but youtube is full of different stories n some didnt reach their goal n others started to regain after 3 years n sit on weight watcher but cant blame the surgery here, because maybe they didnt do what they were supposed to do

 

[Adam101]

Glad you responded to that. Abd I know you never correct me because I'm akways right, but here's your big opportunity:

I think the regain after the RnY is because of minimal malabsorption and, after time, it fails...and
I think the regain after the DS is because the patient has found a way to eat/drink around the surgery...non-stop high carb beverages and booze, and the gain can be reversed with more attention to the "protein first" rule.

I think that I have been as high as almost 30# above my lowest post-op weight--sometimes due to other conditions, more often due to lazy habits--but returning to steak, trip-tip, bacon and eggs really works magic.

Okay...now fix that statement!

Yea i agree we cant blame the surgery because of some people's fails n mistakes

 

[Adam101]

Adam, I posted a link to the data on the DS results vs the other surgeries previously on this thread. We are all trying to help here. But you need to pay attention to what we are posting. U have asked the same questions a number of times here.

Sorry for being gruff. But look at the studies and the data on the surgeries. One off stories on the internet don’t tell you much

Thank u very much for ur help, i really appreciate every reply n every info, i pay attention to every detail and every word u say, i am here to listen to u n learn from ur experience, it is a serious life decision for me
Yes i saw the table n saved it on my pc.. n for that reason i chose to do DS but still when i did my own search i found some sad stories abt regaining weight but not always to blame the surgery
sometimes it happens that i ask the same question but in different way because i want to know more abt something or clarify some points
honestly i am more confident abt my decision now, i did everything possible to know in deep the 3 main bariatric surgeries n i chose the best according to my knowledge so no blame anymore

 

[Adam101]

Well Spiky Bugger you are right, but your analysis left out a couple factors.
First, with gastric bypass, the minimal malabsorption is certainly a factor, but along with that in some people is the loss of restriction if/when the stoma enlarges over time. Once that happens, it doesn't matter whether the pouch is large or small, whatever the person eats just falls right out of the pouch into the small intestine because there is no valve to prevent this. This leads to a sensation of hunger and for some, also hypoglycemic episodes.

With the Ds, I agree that a diet high in carbs will defeat it, as it would any bariatric surgery. And while booze and soft drinks can certainly contribute, any simple carbs will do - junk food, fast food, whatever. An increase in issues with alcohol has been documented with gastric bypass, I don't know that this is such a problem with the DS - haven't seen it, but that could be because it's not a problem OR because it hasn't been studied in the DS population.
I also agree that a return to a DS healthy high protein, low carb diet should work to reverse the weight regain with the DS.

So, you were mostly right, but I do so enjoy correcting you!

Very true n this is one of the reason i want DS, i want to have a normal functioning stomach that hold the food in n give me the fullness sensation for longer time

 

[GrammyLuLu]

Adam101 as someone who just went through revision surgery from RnY to DS I can only say I wish I was able to just have the DS. Just about everything everyone mentioned about the RnY I either had or know someone who did have it. From dumping syndrome to "reactive hypoglycemia" I had it all. Yes my stoma enlarged and I just had a great big "tube" for food. With all the problems I had I finally gave up and forgot all the rules and gained all my weight back. I gave up on a revision until last November I found this forum and everyone here is so great. My revision was done by a great surgeon and I have been so blessed with no complications with that being said the recovery was difficult but again it was a revision.
About vitamins I HATE taking pills but it is a small price to pay to be healthy. You have to weigh the pros and cons, it sounds like you have! Best of luck with your surgery!!!

 

[Adam101]

Adam101 as someone who just went through revision surgery from RnY to DS I can only say I wish I was able to just have the DS. Just about everything everyone mentioned about the RnY I either had or know someone who did have it. From dumping syndrome to "reactive hypoglycemia" I had it all. Yes my stoma enlarged and I just had a great big "tube" for food. With all the problems I had I finally gave up and forgot all the rules and gained all my weight back. I gave up on a revision until last November I found this forum and everyone here is so great. My revision was done by a great surgeon and I have been so blessed with no complications with that being said the recovery was difficult but again it was a revision.
About vitamins I HATE taking pills but it is a small price to pay to be healthy. You have to weigh the pros and cons, it sounds like you have! Best of luck with your surgery!!!

Thank u very much for sharing this, it is so inspiring for me, i am really so glad that u finally was able to do a revision to DS n u feel better now

 

[Adam101]

Thank u to all of u DS folks
I feel happy relaxed n confident now that i did the right choice n hope i will never regret it