Researching standard DS vs Loop DS surgery.

Bob said:

Thank you so much for the link to Dan’s story...it definitely left an impression on me. Should be required reading for Type 2 diabetics. I noticed you shared “Dan's CC was 50cm.” Is this still common practice for DS surgery in Europe?

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Probably the shortest you will be able to find is 100cm. I am not up on what's going on there anymore but if you want to find out you can contact Dr. Baltasar and ask him. I am sure he would respond to your query. Here is a link to his FB but doesn't look like he has been there lately. https://www.facebook.com/aniceto.baltasartorrejon And here is his email and his CV. http://drbaltasar.es/main.html

He is pretty much retired from surgery now and is affiliated with the Medical School of Alicante and has been doing a lot of teaching and mentoring. Writing lots of papers.

My health insurance where I work is with Aetna and if I use a bariatric surgeon in the Trinity-Health network, the most I pay out of pocket in a year is $2,500. I would like to at least start my search for a good bariatric sugeon that performs the DS procedure in my Tier 1 network which would save me quite a bit of money. I am willing to go out of network if I need to even though the cost would be higher. I found Dr. Paul Kemmeter, MD in my Tier 1 network who performs the two anastomosis DS surgery in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I would be interested if you have heard of or know someone who has experience with Dr. Kemmeter. It looks like he has been practicing for 20+ years. I would have to travel out of state which I am willing to do. I have found that the bariatric surgeons where I live do not perform DS surgery at this time...even though one of the surgeons I talked to told me that he is scheduled to go through the training soon. Not sure I want to be his first patient that he performs DS surgery on. I know the importance of finding a good skilled surgeon with a lot of experience. Trying to make wise decisions as I know this surgery will effect me the rest of my life. Thank you.

I COULD be wrong but I am thinking we have some of his patients here. I know I have interacted with quite a few of his posties over the years. One I can think of right away is very active in the DS community and I will ask her to post for you!

Dr. Kemmeter is definitely well known in the DS community, and very highly regarded as well. If he's an option for you, you are fortunate.
As far as the surgeon who is training, that is a good thing overall, as we need more DS surgeons. Being his first (or fifth, etc) DS patient sounds scary, but in all likelihood he will do his first few DS's with an experienced DS surgeon as his proctor and assistant. If you (or anyone else) goes that route, ask questions and don't be afraid to be specific, as in how many DS's have you done (and not just how many bariatric surgeries), who trained you, who will be assisting you, have you had any serious complications, etc.

I am a 12.5 years post-op patient of Dr. Kemmeter and had my DS at age 45. I am doing fabulously well and have maintained within a seven pound window all this time. I have had some osteoporosis issues and take daily Forteo injections, which appear to be working. My bone marker lab values are rising and I will know more with my DEXA this summer. I do have to have iron infusions every two years or so, but it is truly a small price to pay for all of the other benefits I have derived from this surgery. Kemmeter is one of the top in his field . My stepdaughter just had the DS with him a year and a half ago and she was only 26, and LOVES it. You will likely have to show him that you are knowledgeable and proactive about the reasons why you want the DS. He doesn't like to give the duodenal switch to someone who he feels won't keep up on their vitamin maintenance. If you do end up making an appointment with him, and I hope you do, please tell him that Julie from Ludington says hi. He will probably laugh out loud as I have referred many many patients to him and know him well. Good luck and if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me

Bob said:

Thank you so much for the link to Dan’s story...it definitely left an impression on me. Should be required reading for Type 2 diabetics. I noticed you shared “Dan's CC was 50cm.” Is this still common practice for DS surgery in Europe?

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I need a bit of help, I couldn't find the link to Dan's story.

G

Georgepds said:

I need a bit of help, I couldn't find the link to Dan's story.

G

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Here you go! https://bariatricfacts.org/threads/ds-for-diabetes-dans-story.355/