Newbie

[Kclark77979]

This is my first time ever posting on any forum. I'm a 50yo female who is having surgery in November. I have to be honest in that never in a million years did I ever think of having GB. I always worried over my weight and was always right on the line of normal/overweight. About 15 years ago I lost about 35-40 lbs and was a 2-4. I'm now a 16. I gained a husband and about 40lbs in one year and every year added 5-10 more. I've tried every diet known to man, prescription drugs and have been seeing a personal trainer since Jan '17 to no avail. I've seen internist and endocrinologist to see why I can't lose weight and finally figured out that my body has been hoarding my fat. I did not want to wait 6 mths to jump through insurance hoops and worry about not losing weight, but not gaining either. I'm having surgery with Dr. Alejandro Lopez at Vida Hospital in Tijuana. Has anyone had surgery there and what was your experience? I'm having bypass bc of reflux. Any information would be so great! Thanks!

 

[hilary1617]

Hi and welcome @Kclark77979! Best of luck.

 

[KathrynK]

Glad you came by!
We’ve all been on the same weight loss merry go round you describe, so we can relate. I am guessing by “GB” you mean RNY?
Several people have been to surgeons in Mexico and I’m sure they will stop by.

 

[southernlady]

Welcome @Kclark77979
I’m also assuming by the term “gastric bypass”, you mean the RNY?

 

[Susan in Tennessee]

This is my first time ever posting on any forum. I'm a 50yo female who is having surgery in November. I have to be honest in that never in a million years did I ever think of having GB. I always worried over my weight and was always right on the line of normal/overweight. About 15 years ago I lost about 35-40 lbs and was a 2-4. I'm now a 16. I gained a husband and about 40lbs in one year and every year added 5-10 more. I've tried every diet known to man, prescription drugs and have been seeing a personal trainer since Jan '17 to no avail. I've seen internist and endocrinologist to see why I can't lose weight and finally figured out that my body has been hoarding my fat. I did not want to wait 6 mths to jump through insurance hoops and worry about not losing weight, but not gaining either. I'm having surgery with Dr. Alejandro Lopez at Vida Hospital in Tijuana. Has anyone had surgery there and what was your experience? I'm having bypass bc of reflux. Any information would be so great! Thanks!

Hi, and welcome! Is your reflux severe? I'm assuming it is to cause you to rule out DS as an option. Is that correct?

 

[Kclark77979]

I've never looked into DS. Nobody's ever talked to me about it. I wouldn't say the reflux is severe, but if I don't take omeprozale every night, by the second day w/o it I'm pretty uncomfortable. What's the advantage of DS over GB?

 

[Kclark77979]

I do mean RNY. I've got to learn the lingo!

 

[Larra]

There are many advantages of DS over gastric bypass. Most important is that the DS has the best statistics of any bariatric surgery not only for percentage excess weight loss, but also for maintenance of that weight loss, which is a major problem with other operations, including gastric bypass. It also has the highest rates of permanent resolution of all major comorbidities. The one and only issue where gastric bypass is superior is GERD - which you do have, but which apparently is not severe. In that case, a DS surgeon could take that into account and make the sleeve a bit wider to prevent worsening of your GERD (you really don't want a VSG with a tight sleeve, which can make GERD worse).
Also no dumping with the DS. Dumping is sometimes touted as a weight loss tool of gastric bypass, but the reality is that this has never been proven. Rather, it is a potentially very nasty side effect that some (not all) people with gastric bypass get. No one can say ahead of time who will get it and who won't, or what foods will cause it. No laundry list of foods we can never eat again. We can take NSAIDs safely, while with gastric bypass they are contraindicated for the rest of your life. NSAIDs are one of the most commonly prescribed classes of meds (and also widely used otc) and even if you don't need them now, you probably will at some point in your life.
Many bariatric surgeons don't tell potential patients about the DS because they don't do it, and don't want to lose a customer...oh excuse me, I meant patient. Others who could do the DS prefer to do operations that are easier and quicker for them, but you are the one who will live with the results and it should be your decision.
I would strongly recommend that you spend a lot of time reading about the DS on this website. There is a lot of good info here. Ask questions. And if you do conclude that it's superior (it is!) the best surgeon in Mexico for this operation is Dr. Esquerra. A lot of people here have gone to him and the feedback is uniformly positive about both him and the hospital where he operates. Apparently Dr. Wilhelmy at the same hospital is also doing the DS now. I hope you'll keep an open mind and be willing to make a change of plans.

 

[Kclark77979]

Thank you so much for the information!!! I've been reading up on it ever since I read the thread. I'm very terrified about the dumping syndrome so this is very appealing to me! My biggest concern about all of these is regaining weight. The two friends I have that had both the sleeve and rny and both are bigger than before.

 

[Susan in Tennessee]

Thank you so much for the information!!! I've been reading up on it ever since I read the thread. I'm very terrified about the dumping syndrome so this is very appealing to me! My biggest concern about all of these is regaining weight. The two friends I have that had both the sleeve and rny and both are bigger than before.

Exactly! Many people here revised to DS after having a previous WLS fail them (lap band, RNY and sleeve). DS is THE best tool to get it off and keep it off!

I traveled to Mexico and received DS surgery from Dr. Esquerra in June of 2016. I had a great experience, no problems, and love my DS! I was 58 years old at time of surgery and am 5'1" weighing 238 when I began my pre-op liquid diet. I had low-carbed for many years on and off but could never stick to it so thus a yo-yo of gain and lose, but mostly gain in last years! I think my all time high weight was 250 or maybe even 260.

I'm now 128ish and loving life. Ask anything you'd like to ask.

 

[RainCity]

It sounds like your GERD is adequately managed with omeprazale but that doesn’t mean it’s not severe. The ideal goal should be reducing dependency on PPIs as taking them long term can introduce other health risks & issues.

I had One Anastomosis Gastric Bypass (OAGB), aka MGB, surgery in Tijuana earlier this year and now I don’t have to take omeprazale anymore, which is huge. I was low BMI pre-op, have reached my target weight already, and have had no complications thus far. Now the harder part begins - maintenance mode.

I’m not saying you should have GB surgery over the DS but should first determine the extent of your GERD as that is key data in determining the right bariatric surgery for you. Have you had a recent endoscopy, upper GI, or Bravo pH monitoring done lately?

 

[RainCity]

By the way, I don’t suffer from dumping syndrome. It is not common after gastric bypass; only 20-25% end up experiencing it and it can be minimized with food choices.

 

[Larra]

The studies I've read give vastly varied numbers for dumping after gastric bypass. I've seen as low as 30% and as high as 70%. What that says to me is that it isn't 0 and it isn't 100 but no one really knows the true percentage. Some people dump and don't recognize their symptoms as dumping. This was true for a long time for a dear friend of mine who had gastric bypass. She would say that certain foods "disagreed" with her. Turns out she had dumping.
To @RainCity I'm glad you don't have dumping, but no one can predict pre-op who will dump and who will not. And with the mini GB that you had, you also put yourself at risk for bile reflux, though it sounds like you have the good fortune not to have that either. That's the main reason mini GB isn't considered standard of care in the USA (though it's more available elsewhere). I'm glad you're doing so well, but many people with gastric bypass struggle mightily with weight regain after a few years, and that is another of the op's concerns along with the dumping.

 

[Kclark77979]

Exactly! Many people here revised to DS after having a previous WLS fail them (lap band, RNY and sleeve). DS is THE best tool to get it off and keep it off!

I traveled to Mexico and received DS surgery from Dr. Esquerra in June of 2016. I had a great experience, no problems, and love my DS! I was 58 years old at time of surgery and am 5'1" weighing 238 when I began my pre-op liquid diet. I had low-carbed for many years on and off but could never stick to it so thus a yo-yo of gain and lose, but mostly gain in last years! I think my all time high weight was 250 or maybe even 260.

I'm now 128ish and loving life. Ask anything you'd like to ask.

Wow! Congratulations!!! You're my inspiration.

 

[Kclark77979]

It sounds like your GERD is adequately managed with omeprazale but that doesn’t mean it’s not severe. The ideal goal should be reducing dependency on PPIs as taking them long term can introduce other health risks & issues.

I had One Anastomosis Gastric Bypass (OAGB), aka MGB, surgery in Tijuana earlier this year and now I don’t have to take omeprazale anymore, which is huge. I was low BMI pre-op, have reached my target weight already, and have had no complications thus far. Now the harder part begins - maintenance mode.

I’m not saying you should have GB surgery over the DS but should first determine the extent of your GERD as that is key data in determining the right bariatric surgery for you. Have you had a recent endoscopy, upper GI, or Bravo pH monitoring done lately?

Thanks for the info! No, I haven't had any tests done. I never had to take it until I gained all the weight, but my dad has GERD and he's never had weight issues, so not sure.