Hi from East Bay, CA

[SuperRN597]

Hi everyone. I'm new to the site, but I like what I have seen so far. I'm an RN by profession and am researching moving forward with the second surgery to complete the DS. I'm looking forward to learning a lot from each of you here. Thank you in advance for all your shared insight. Have an awesome day!!

 

[newanatomy]

Hello and welcome!

 

[brooklyngirl]

When did you have the VSG done?

 

[Larra]

Hi and welcome! Glad you found your way here. Lots of friendly people and good info.

 

[JackieOnLine]

Hi Super RN!

nice to see you: welcome to the place!

 

[SuperRN597]

When did you have the VSG done?

I had VSG 3/1/2010. I lost 200 pounds in 18 months and have gained back 50...the majority of which has been gained in the last 10 months since I started Elavil. I gained the first 18 pounds over a year when I hit menopause and started having real problems with my knee which took out the biggest majority of exercise. I am restarting a protein fast to re-break my old habits (that have started to sneak their way back in) and get back on track. I also purchased a FITbit and am hoping it will help me track activity/sleep so that I can try to tailor my intake to maximize efficiency and weight loss. I am looking into the DS due to needing a knee replacement and needing to get the rest of my excess weight off and to be able to more realistically keep it off. Ortho MD is saying that I have to wait until I am 60 (at least) to have the knee replacement and I have to lose another 100pounds. I was a 67.3 BMI to start and 39.9 now.

 

[southernlady]

Welcome @SuperRN597

 

[aaa]

Welcome.

 

[DianaCox]

FYI, in talking to your doctors - when they try to tell you that you are no longer "big enough" for a DS, remind them that you should STILL be considered as a SSMO in recovery, and your odds of maintaining a healthy weight loss without a DS remain the same as if you were having a virgin surgery. There was a recent thread on an ASMBS LinkedIn group in which this was discussed. In fact the patient was your initial starting size, was given the sleeve and got stuck - here is the original post and one response from a surgeon (Gagner):

Laparoscopic Weight loss surgeon

A 220 kg pt, morbidly obese with a BMI of 68 at the age of 36 came 3 yrs back for bariatric surgery
Non diabetic with controlled hypertension on medication. No other medical problem.
Underwent Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy 3 yrs back. Lost 100 kgs. Now since 1 yr stagnant at 120 kgs. Now BMI is 38.
2 questions:
1. Was the choice of surgery appropriate 3 yrs back
2. What would be the choice of revision surgery

Gagner's response:

This patient SHOULD have been told that only the duodenal switch is the best operation for a patient at this weight. Anything short, would have been mis-information. The Sleeve is part of a process that is done in 2 stages. Hence the second part DS is not a revision, but a planned second staged operation.

The problem comes from surgeons who believe that sleeve is an adequate operation for a BMI 68 (NEVER!). Then, they notice failure (it is expected) and the "second" procedure is labelled as a revision (it should not be).