DS? im so confused..

Hi everyone,

I have the lap band and hate it, ive had nothing but problems with it since i got it, im ALWAYS sick and feel like crap, i dont lose any weight, ive lost 20 lbs since sugery and im so discouraged! I got so sick a few weeks back i had to get all of the fluid taken out which was nice because with it all the way open i could actually eat a little without getting sick every time i even ate a little bite of chicken or anything.
            Anyways I went thursday and got some fluid put back in and i asked my doctor if he had ANYONE fail with the band, he said no, not 1 person has failed with the band he had, which i know is a bunch of bs, (because i am obviously one!) and he has never done a revision because everyone had done so well. but anyways I asked him what he thought of the DS and he said its a great surgery and hes actually certified to do it but he doesnt because its too risky in a private practice but i asked him about if it would be a good surgery for me. He said that he would never do it on anybody except people that have horrible Diabities that are going blind because of it, or have liver problems. He said he wouldnt do it on me because im way too young and that by the time i got older i would have oteoporosis. I said even if i take my vitamins? He said ya probably. Im so confused i see so many young people having great success with this surgery too and so many people that dont have diabities or liver disease have it? What do all of you think?
I dont have any health problems YET because of my weight, i am 19, 5' 11' and weigh 285ish..

First all, I wouldn't believe a single word of a doctor that said he had 100% success rate with band. First of all what is success to him? You said yourself you only lost 20 lbs so he is saying anyoe who loses 1 lb is a success??

Do your own research and decide for yourself. I had bmi of 43 and got the ds.

Good luck.

I had no health problems (aside from gallstones) when I got the DS. Normal blood pressure, no diabetes, no liver problems (and I  had a liver biopsy that confirmed my liver is "perfectly and completely healthy") nothing was really wrong with me aside from my weight. 

I would suggest that you talk to a doctor who performs the DS regularly -- not a doctor who would perform the DS only for case X or Y. In Arizona, that would be Dr. Husted. I'm sure many of his patients will chime in to talk about him. =)

If you don't go to a vetted DS surgeon, they will try to sell you on whatever surgery they do perform. If you go to one that sells all four surgeries, you have more of a choice in the matter.

hijack,

SH did you gain a few lbs?  oh I hope so, and that you are doing better....

Another hijack:

I keep reading here of people becoming underweight after the DS. Is this common? If it is common, is it common for DS virgins only, and not RNY to DS revisions? While fighting to put weight *on* instead of off sounds nice in theory, I'll bet it actually really sucks.

oh you poor thing, no surgeon can have any procedure that a  patient didn't "fail"  what the heck is his definition for that anyway. ask your surgeon how many band patients he has.  you have to understand that the band is at least a 2 surgery wls and it is not permanent, as your surgeon to see the DR's info. sheet from allergan, it states it is not a lifetime implant.   you can not take the DS lightly as intestinal bypass comes with some high compliance (vit/min and bloodwork followup)   first the DS and the band are very different. the band causes an unnatural feeling of "fullness" , the DS was soooo easy for me as I was in so much pain the last 1-2 yrs. with the band, so anything was better for me.   my band to DS revision was due to severe complications as lap band complications increase linearly over time. 

because 60% of your small bowel is bypassed and now your food is presented downstream instead of upstream.  every part of the small bowel absorbs different nutrients at different places.  DSers have issues with certain vit/min absorption due to the bypass.  osteoporosis or osteopenia is a possibility with DS, but it would not happen overnight, hence the monitoring, trending, and making sure you adjust accordingyour supplementation  to how YOUR body is adapting to the intestinal bypass, you have to be compliant.  I didn't have any co morbidities, my bmi was low 30's when I had the DS, your surgeon is clearly someone who doesn't like the DS, find a surgeon who does ALL wls and understands that the DS can really be taylored for everyone depending on health status, age, how much you need to lose, gender, etc.limbs can and should be custom made for each patient.  I am impressed with the fact that you are a "teenager" and you are contemplating wls, keep asking questions, talk to 5+ yr post ops, ask questions for those who are young like you, see another surgeon get a 2nd opinion.  it will come to a point that after you do all your research you will be the one who decides what surgery to get as it is your body and you will have to live with your decision, do what is best for you at this time in your life.  best to you

Very well said, Airbender.