open vs lap ds surgery

Hi,

  Met with Dr Greenbaum last friday wants to do an open ds... How many have had the open ds and how did you do.. Thanks.

I was open.  My Hand sister were LAP.  I recovered faster than they did but there's no magical answer.  Complications can happen during any procedure.  For me, it worked out fine.

Have had both and strongly recommend lap if you have a choice. 

I had my RNY lap and the RNY to DS revision was open. For me the lap was a 100 times better. I was hooked up to a wound vacuum for months with the open and have a big incision that is still very tender. I was under the impression that most virgin DS procedures are now lap. For revisions then I think open is more common.

But either way I guess you have to trust your surgeon and if they want to do open just get the reasoning behind it. I would ask how many open patients need the wound vacuum. Because of that I needed a nurse to come every few days to change the dressing and the wound vacuum at home. I had other complications so this was just one of many.

Best of luck! Terri

I had my open DS with Dr. Greenbaum back in February. No problems healing up. He does all his DS surgeries open so he can better visualize and do a precise measurement of the small bowel length. 

thank you for the response.. i didnt know why he wanted open and i just forgot to ask.. there was too much info going on... thanks

My surgeon would do an RNY lap,  but only do the DS open, and I was fine with that.  With as complicated as the DS is to perform, I felt comforted at the thought of my doc's eyes and hands being there to see the real thing.  The incision was glued all the way down, so no sutures or staples, and it was healed in 2 weeks.  I was very listless for a good 4 weeks total, but since my outside wound healed well, I doubt that has any difference between open or lap.  The scar was big, but trust me - there is no way that I would be showing my tummy today either way...and should I ever get PS, that scar can be removed along with it.  Another benefit to having my DS open - no pre-op diet.  There was no need to shrink my liver to maneuver tools around it.

I am brand new to the forum and am having my next surgeon's appointment this coming tuesday.  We have already gotten insurance approval and I have attended the seminars.  he will be setting me up for a psych class and a nutrition class at that time.  HOWEVER, he was very clear that he only does DS open because it is easier for him to see what he is doing and he feels safer doing them open.  That's fine with me.  I want the surgery and the benefits it can provide, but I also want him to feel comfortable and confident in what he is doing because that brings less stress to me over the surgery.