Had Sleeve 3 yrs ago and now being offered DS - What to do?

[peijeremy 3]

Hey all,

New to the forum, and have been struggling with this new opportunity. I had the sleeve done in 2013 and have been successful with nearly 150lbs lost. However, I gained a bit and am still at 364lbs. My sleeve surgeon has brought on a new partner who specializes in the DS and has called me to offer it up as I am a "prime" candidate with a successful sleeve and more to lose.

While I am happy to have lost all the weight, I still struggle with being the "big guy", and I find it hard to say no to it when I could lose another 75-100lbs My wife is also totally against having another "elective" surgery. She says I should work harder... Cautions me on all the skin surgeries I will need to have after as I already have some sagging skin.

I am concerned with what the surgeon says will be "multiple" trips to the bathroom daily, and possible runny stool thanks to the non absorption of the fat in my foods. I am quite happy with 1 trip daily now since my VS I also forget to take my Vitamins sometimes... so there's that.

Anyone else done the DS after already having done the VS first? And please don't make the replies about my wife, as she has said she will be there for me no matter what I choose, but prefers not to risk me dying on the table when I don't really "need" to be there.

Thank you,

[PorkChopExpress 820]

After the sleeve, you have the tool you needed to succeed - a smaller stomach. It seems like you'd have to actively work on it, to gain weight...what's your diet look like? Are you drinking soda? How many meals a day and how many calories?

The surgery by itself is not what gets you to goal, it's also the mental part...the discipline of forming new habits and behaviors. Having another surgery probably isn't the answer, because you've already had one and regained weight, which tells me the issue is likely behavioral and nothing to do with the surgery or size of your stomach. That's just my feeling, based on what little info I have here.

[BayougirlMrsS 3,933]

@@peijeremy You wife has a point... areeeeee you working as hard as you can at losing the weight? Think long.... are you really watching what you eat and are you exercising as much and as hard as you should be? If your answer is no, then i say.... no, don't do it. Work harder to make what you have work..... Don't misunderstand... Im not accusing you of not working hard.. im simply asking the questions you should be asking yourself.

On the other hand....... if your answer is yes and you think there is nothing else you can do to increase your weightloss....and he is offering you the DS free of charge..... I would go for it.

• PorkChopExpress..... I still drink a soda a day, eat when i feel hungry (which is about 3x a day) and i have never counted a single calorie...... but what i did do.... i busted my ass in the gym 5 days a week for no less than a hour or two..... for me its a matter of Eating less and moving more

[peijeremy 3]

I definitely have changed the amount of what I eat, because I couldn't squeeze in another thing If I tried

But ya, I do still have bad things I shouldn't occasionally. I definitely do not drink soda...

I am in Canada, so no $ cost to the surgery other than time off work.

Could I be doing more? Sure, I put on the weight when I stopped the gym, but am back now, 3-4 times a week and could likely even go once or twice more a week... But I have a life too as I have a 6 year old.

[Peggy D 123]

I've posted my story in several threads here. Here's a short version written several months ago.

To make the long story short(er), I had my sleeve 8/22/2013 & then on 12/29/2015 a revision of the (dilated) sleeve & the single-anastomosis duodenal switch. I also had my hiatal hernia repaired at the second surgery. A hiatal hernia can certainly be a cause of reflux symptoms.

Personally, I would not have a gastric bypass. I don't like the artificial opening from the stomach pouch to the intestine. The duodenal switch (classic or SA-DS) has the sleeve gastrectomy that leaves you with a fully-functional stomach, just much smaller.

I chose not to have a DS at the time of my original sleeve because the amount of malabsorption scared me. But 2 years later I was still at a BMI of just over 35, on 4 insulin injections a day, Metformin, atorvastatin (Lipitor) & 3 blood pressure meds so I decided something more had to be done. I am now 2½ months post-op & am off all insulin & the atorvastatin. One blood pressure med is discontinued & the other (a combo) is half what it was & I will probably be off of it by the end of the month. We did try decreasing the Metformin, but that didn't work - yet.

Now, nearly 10 months post-op, I am off all medications for diabetes, high blood pressure & high cholesterol. As a matter of fact, my PCP has removed those diagnoses from my problem list.

This one is a long version & here's another.

[lilmiss821 11]

What's ds and vs

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[BooBee66 104]

What is the ds

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[Peggy D 123]

DS is duodenal switch

VS is one abbreviation for vertical sleeve gastrectomy. More common is referring to it as VSG.

[Beth Kirsch 7]

Not everyone is the same, and some people need more help than others. The DS is the most powerful surgery out there for long term weight lose. I posted a link to a chart below. Make sure to take a look at it.

@@peijeremy - I understand your wife's perspective, and whether to have surgery again. But if the Sleeve did not work well for you, the DS has a much better shot. Look at the stats on the chart below i posted a link too. You might want to visit the FB groups on the DS and ( a community of people who had the DS) Just research this fully.

Porkchopexpress. You had your sleeve two months ago. You have no idea if it will work or not, the stats are NOT in your favor. What data or experience are you basing your opinion on that the OP needs to work harder. We have been told our how lives to work harder.

I looooove my DS.

http://www.paclap.com/downloads/comparing-options-for-WLS.pdf

Good luck

[engineer86 6]

I just had the DS Surgery a couple weeks ago. I haven't really experienced going to the bathroom that often but again am not eating that much either. I can also say depending on how much greasy food I ate before would make me use the restroom more then. My doctor advised against the gastric sleeve because of the artificial pouch and bypassing of the valve in your stomach.

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[Mannah 3]

I just had the DS Surgery a couple weeks ago. I haven't really experienced going to the bathroom that often but again am not eating that much either. I can also say depending on how much greasy food I ate before would make me use the restroom more then. My doctor advised against the gastric sleeve because of the artificial pouch and bypassing of the valve in your stomach.

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Hi, could you update me how is it going? My DS is planned to end of january. I am so nervous...

[engineer86 6]

It feel a lot better. I don't really have the cramps that much anymore. I am at 7 weeks right now. I lost about 50 pounds. You have to eat the right things or you will pay for it. You will get the cramps in your colon and and the diraherra if not. You also have to be 100 percent compliant on the Vitamins. Let me know if I can answer anything else.

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[Kaylamh 144]

In my opinion, the DS is the best surgery out there. I had mine a few weeks ago, and I already couldn't be happier. I feel great, I'm lighter on my feet, and I've already lost 25 pounds. It could really be a game changer if the sleeve isn't working for you. The sleeve typically has a lower success rate and a really high weight regain rate. The switch does not.

[Peggy D 123]

My doctor advised against the gastric sleeve because of the artificial pouch and bypassing of the valve in your stomach.

That's the description of the gastric bypass. A gastric sleeve, with or without a duodenal switch, removes 85% or so of your stomach but leaves the pyloric valve totally functional (the outlet from the stomach to the intestine).

[LittleBill 2,231]

I'm pretty much the same size you are. I am at 364 lbs right now, and I've lost 117 so far. The thing is for me, I am only 40-60 lbs away from where I want to end up. I have a large frame and muscle mass. I would think real long and hard about the DS, and the fact that you have asked about it indicates you are.

I think the question becomes, if you were told you would be staying at the weight you are at right now for the rest of your life, would you be happy? Would you be healthy? These are questions only you and your wife can answer. For me, if I did not lose another pound, I would be disappointed, but I am not sure I would be disappointed enough to go with a DS operation and all that would entail.