Moving forward, carefully

[Newb]

I believe I have been using this site incorrectly. Due to my location, I only have 3G access to the site, on my phone. Internet is not available where i live ( well, dial up is available, but i can't handle that). Connection is spotty at best, which means my learning curve for navigating the site is extremely slow. One wrong click and everything disappears, or I seem to be caught in loops. Due to this, I am really open to any suggestions about what I might be doing wrong. I live in northeast pa and have been going to the bariatric weight clinic at Geisinger Medical Center in danville pa. When I began with their program, I was certain I wanted the vsg. A friend of mine has a few friends who went through the program and we're extremely happy with it. They required that I attend support group meetings, at least one that they sponsor, and the other could be online. That encouragement is what brought me to this site. I have completely changed my mind about the surgery that I want. I am now sure that I want the ds. Geisinger had primarily done RNY and vsg. They had one surgeon that did all of the ds surgeries, but they recently left (I don't know if they retired, moved, whatever). They now have three surgeons. I just found out that the surgeon who is current doing the most ds surgeries is Dr gabrielson. In my last meeting I asked some questions, but the nurse I asked did not know the answer to. She did get confirmation that they do use the Hess method, and that a 100 cm common channel length is one that they commonly use. I haven't spoken to the surgeon yet, but I am holding off on paying the program fee until I do. I understand that geisinger is not known for this surgery, but that fact alone isn't stopping me at this point. When I can speak to the surgeon, I will ask questions and get answers in writing. I plan to ask if they will use the 10% and 40% measurements for MY ds, or if they just use the same measurements for everyone. I will also ask about anastomosis (I am sure i spelled that wro g but am too afraid to leave the page to look it up, for fear of losing the entire post)and get their answer in writing. I am also going to ask for actual numbers for their complacation rates.
Basically, I am reaching out to you all for guidance in my questioning and interpretation of the answers I receive. I have a meeting g with the surgery team on Feb1 and I want to be fully prepared. Peer reviewed articles that you could point me to would be helpful. Anything would be helpful, really. I am texting this post, I apologize for errors. I am afraid to lose the whole post if I go back and try to edit. Thanks

 

[Larra]

We've only known of one person who had the DS (or so we believe) at this clinic. Unfortunately he has disappeared from this website for unknown reasons, so we can't ask him to fill you in on his personal experience.

Re: the Hess method, if they are using a 100 cm cc for everyone, that's not the Hess method, it's the cookie cutter approach to the DS. Now, many people do just fine with the cookie cutter DS (including me), though Scott didn't. But definitely it's something to ask about.

I've never heard of the doctor you have named. Here are a few questions I would ask, and hopefully other people will have more that I didn't think of:

How many DS have you done?
what is your complication rate with the DS?
what is your mortality rate with the DS?
Do you use the Hess method?
Do you perform the standard of care DS with 2 anastomoses, or the loop DS aka SADI aka SIPS, (one anastomosis, not standard of care, long term results unknown)

I think your decision to have the DS is a good one, as it has the best statistics of any standard of care bariatric surgery for percentage excess weight loss, maintenance of that weight loss, and resolution of almost all comorbidities. Sleeve would be my second choice. There are other DS surgeons in your area who definitely do the DS and have excellent reputations. These include Dr. David Greenbaum in NJ and Dr. Bonnani and his colleague (long name that I would misspell for sure) in PA. I think the guys in PA only do the DS for patients with a bmi of at least 50 - don't know if that would affect your decision or not. My information could be out of date on that issue. If it were me I would want to go to one of these surgeons rather than Geisinger, but I don't know all the circumstances of your life and you must make this decision.

I do have some excellent articles documenting the long term stellar results of the DS but if you don't have email I don't know how I could send them to you.

 

[DianaCox]

I ditto what Larra said - do you have email?

 

[DSRIGGS]

Hon this is a great forum with great people here but it is not a good idea to post your personal email account publicly. I would remove that and you can send that to Diana in a private message or what is called a conversation on this board.

Good luck and good questions.

FYI - I think what your Dr office said was that they do the Hess method and that 100cm ends up being the proper CC for them based in the measurements..... But as larra said (she knows her stuff, actually all the ladies in this post are extremely knowledgeable) it is good to seek clarification. I have battled unnecessarily for two years because the cookie cutter gave me an AL (alimentary limb) that was half the length it should have been so I suffered extreme malabsorption which caused nutritional deficiency ,which led to other issues. Please make sure you get clarification that the Hess methodology will be used.. ..cookie cutter can work (note can) but there is risk if too little or too much malabsorption and resulting weight loss.. There is no reason to take an unnecessary risk........ Yes I preach this as I don't want others taking undue risk that is very easily avoidable.

Good luck

 

[southernlady]

Hon this is a great forum with great people here but it is not a good idea to post your personal email account publicly. I would remove that and you can send that to Diana in a private message or what is called a conversation on this board.

I agree but I edited it enough so it could not be harvested by spammers.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

I have been reading about bariatric surgery...mostly the DS...for the better part of thirteen years and have NEVER heard this name.

And Larra hasn't.

And I bet nobody here has, so...I would wonder about that.

 

[Munchkin]

I have never heard of this doc either and I'm another one who has been around forever.

 

[Newb]

We've only known of one person who had the DS (or so we believe) at this clinic. Unfortunately he has disappeared from this website for unknown reasons, so we can't ask him to fill you in on his personal experience.

Re: the Hess method, if they are using a 100 cm cc for everyone, that's not the Hess method, it's the cookie cutter approach to the DS. Now, many people do just fine with the cookie cutter DS (including me), though Scott didn't. But definitely it's something to ask about.

I've never heard of the doctor you have named. Here are a few questions I would ask, and hopefully other people will have more that I didn't think of:

How many DS have you done?
what is your complication rate with the DS?
what is your mortality rate with the DS?
Do you use the Hess method?
Do you perform the standard of care DS with 2 anastomoses, or the loop DS aka SADI aka SIPS, (one anastomosis, not standard of care, long term results unknown)

I think your decision to have the DS is a good one, as it has the best statistics of any standard of care bariatric surgery for percentage excess weight loss, maintenance of that weight loss, and resolution of almost all comorbidities. Sleeve would be my second choice. There are other DS surgeons in your area who definitely do the DS and have excellent reputations. These include Dr. David Greenbaum in NJ and Dr. Bonnani and his colleague (long name that I would misspell for sure) in PA. I think the guys in PA only do the DS for patients with a bmi of at least 50 - don't know if that would affect your decision or not. My information could be out of date on that issue. If it were me I would want to go to one of these surgeons rather than Geisinger, but I don't know all the circumstances of your life and you must make this decision.

I do have some excellent articles documenting the long term stellar results of the DS but if you don't have email I don't know how I could send them to you.

Thank you for giving me questions to add to my list. I will post my list in terms near future. I'm not ready to give up on this facility yet, but am definitely able to do so. I am looking forward to any articles that anyone may have. I am planning on going in, eyes wide open, and facts checked.