5 year old sleeve to DS ..will the switch help

[LindaDarnell]

Im about 30 days out before my revision from VSG to Ds. I know Ive asked this before but still need answers. Will the switch be enough to help me fight regain?

I know that my revision will be a much slower weight loss than the first, but I was a slow loser anyway. My surgeon is only doing the switch bc he said the sleeve still looks good and not stretched.

But after 5 years, I can certainly consume alot of food. Much more than I could 3 years ago during the early stages of my vsg.

If I only have the switch added, will i truly lose weight or will it be more of a help to combat gaining more?
My hubby just had a virgin DS..and though he's loosing great..45 pounds in 4 weeks, he's having a tough bout adjusting. So I'm debating if the risk and recovery is truly worth it.

Any and all advice and opinions are greatly welcome.

 

[DianaCox]

I'm closing in on 14 years out, and at my lowest weight. Still overweight, but BMI of 28 is OK by me. I am religious about my supplements, but not my diet (other than focusing on protein).

You will lose more, but not as quickly or possibly as much as if you had had a virgin DS. But treating or avoiding comorbidities is the biggest impact of the DS, so you get that pretty much in any case.

 

[Marquis Mark]

As a Sleeve to DS revision, I second the above.

 

[LindaDarnell]

I'm closing in on 14 years out, and at my lowest weight. Still overweight, but BMI of 28 is OK by me. I am religious about my supplements, but not my diet (other than focusing on protein).

You will lose more, but not as quickly or possibly as much as if you had had a virgin DS. But treating or avoiding comorbidities is the biggest impact of the DS, so you get that pretty much in any case.

I'm closing in on 14 years out, and at my lowest weight. Still overweight, but BMI of 28 is OK by me. I am religious about my supplements, but not my diet (other than focusing on protein).

You will lose more, but not as quickly or possibly as much as if you had had a virgin DS. But treating or avoiding comorbidities is the biggest impact of the DS, so you get that pretty much in any case.

Thanks! That helps. I know it will be harder the 2nd time around and im not looking to be a skinny mini. I just want to make sure i can get rid of some of the regain. I guess right now I'm a little jealous of the hubby who is a lightweight ti start with. Had a virgin DS to treat diabetes..and has loat 40 pounds in 4 weeks!

 

[LindaDarnell]

As a Sleeve to DS revision, I second the above.

Did your diet change?

 

[KathrynK]

If your weight loss was not adequate initially, you should talk to the surgeon about a more restrictive "resleeve" to further reduce the size of the stomach at the same time they do the switch. Your original surgeon may have not adequately reduced the size if the stomach. If the weight loss was adequate, but you steadily regained after surgery, you should speak with them about the causes of this. I was told by a patient at the time of my surgery that I should keep all meals as small as possible, so the stomach healed without stretching too much. That advice apparently worked, since I am 12 years out and still 135 pounds below my surgery weight. I regained 18 pounds over a decade, but I recently cut that down to 8 pounds by sticking to protein and cutting out sugar. Don't think the DS is forever effortless. You still have to change your food choices, but it is so much easier. Good luck with your journey!

 

[Butterfly]

Im about 30 days out before my revision from VSG to Ds. I know Ive asked this before but still need answers. Will the switch be enough to help me fight regain?

I know that my revision will be a much slower weight loss than the first, but I was a slow loser anyway. My surgeon is only doing the switch bc he said the sleeve still looks good and not stretched.

But after 5 years, I can certainly consume alot of food. Much more than I could 3 years ago during the early stages of my vsg.

If I only have the switch added, will i truly lose weight or will it be more of a help to combat gaining more?
My hubby just had a virgin DS..and though he's loosing great..45 pounds in 4 weeks, he's having a tough bout adjusting. So I'm debating if the risk and recovery is truly worth it.

Any and all advice and opinions are greatly welcome.

I'm having a VSG to DS in about 3 weeks (OMG I just realized it's only about 3 weeks away) so I'm with you on worrying. We're having them around the same time, we can be VSG to DS buddies!

 

[DSRIGGS]

In my humble opinion I would advise you to think carefully about asking to be resleeved. The sleeve portion of the DS is by far the worst part and hardest to recover from and there are some surgeons who try to make the sleeve too small which can cause some serious issues. The sleeve only helps to take weight off initially and as you have seen long term without the switch it is very difficult not to gain the weight back. As long your surgeon gives you a DS with proper limb lengths for optimal malabsorption (not too much so you are sickly like I have been and not too little so you don't lose and maintain) , you will lose well and maintain well.

I believe you will find the recovery from just the switch part to be a breeze compared to the Sleeve surgery, and you will just have to learn new eating ways and what foods cause you intestinal distress (painful gas, bloating and or diarrhea or constipation). It will be a matter of learning how specific foods impact you and then eating accordingly to avoid those symptoms. I didn't have a two part DS but I had my channels extended during a revision so it is similar to what you are going to go through as my sleeve wasn't touched but my intestines were rearranged. ...so not exact surgery but very similar.

Best wishes and try not to fret. The DS works.

 

[DuodenalSwitchaRoo]

I had my DS 3.5 years post sleeve. If you read my other posts from 2013/2104 you will see my sleeve is a tank. I was not resleeved. I begged and pleaded with my surgeon a minimum of 10 times. Each time it was a 'no, you need capacity to eat a lot of protein and a smaller sleeve carries more risk of GERD'.

Fastforward to now, I have GERD due to complications of hernias causing other hernias, BUT, I can eat. I can eat quite a bit and for this I am thankful. Turns out I need a minimum of 150g protein a day just to keep afloat. It's better if I can get closer to 200g, but when Im not healing wounds, 150-160g a day gets her done. Now where would I be if I could not make those requirements with a tiny sleeve? Sure, I might be thin, but I also might be in serious nutritional trouble. I prefer chubby and healthy

 

[LindaDarnell]

Thank you all!!! This information helps alot!!!! Especially the responses from the Sleevers to DSers! I wasn't pushing to be re-sleeved bc of the risk of complications, but I just wasn't sure if I could see any benefit from getting just the switch at this stage, 5 years out.

I was a very slow loser (always have been), and lost 83 pounds in the course of a year and a half with the sleeve. Once my metabolism slowed down, it became incredibly difficult to lose any more. Even with rigorous weight training and strict eating, the most I could do was prevent weight gain..but not lose more..which is what I really needed. So after a while I just gave up. I don't think my sleeve failed me, but I do think my sleeve wasn't enough. And I felt that almost from the beginning..30 days after my surgery, I was complaining to my surgeon that I wished I'd chosen an option with a malabsorption component bc I didn't think the sleeve was enough boost metabolically for me. While I think the sleeve is a good tool for a lot of people, I really feel more assessment needs to be done when determining if it's the right choice for a patient. And it needs to be more in-depth than BMI. Lifestyle, challenges with previous diets, metabolic history, and so much more!!

Anyway, the benefit I have going into the switch is that my husband just had a virgin DS, and by default, I'm using my history and knowledge of the sleeve diet regimen to help him, and it's helping me get back on track. I eat what he eats, trying to stick to a lower carb regimen. He's only 5 weeks out so his diet is still limited, but I've started adjusting my meals.

The only negative for me is that he is losing weight extremely fast, and he wasn't a big guy to begin with! He's already down 45 pounds in 5 weeks!!! I am so incredibily jealous. He'll be in oneder-land by his 2 month mark. That makes me very jealous!! LOL!!

 

[DuodenalSwitchaRoo]

Girl, my hubs....no WLS...can say 'I think I may watch what I eat' and instantly loses 5lbs lol. Its maddening lol.

You will see benefit with a DS but it is slow going Well...at least for me lol.

 

[Stefanie S.]

I just posted my 9 week VSG to DS update... you might find it helpful?

 

[LindaDarnell]

I just posted my 9 month VSG to DS update... you might find it helpful?

Just read it..going to read it again! That is EXACTLY what I needed to see, from someone similar to my situation. Thank you for sharing. Needless to say, I will now be stalk..I mean following your posts. Thank you again...and I'm glad you are learning and recovering well!!!