David in Washington

I thought this was a great video explanation of dumping syndrome.

I'm getting to swallow the barium tomorrow. It's my last test before getting my date. My labs and EKG were fine. I'm doing all this with little to no support system, so I'm taking an Uber 30 min each way to the hospital. Then again, I watched my first episode of My 600lb Life and now whatever I'm going through seems minimized. Anyway, wish me well with hopes it all looks good to them!

I was surprised when he brought up the DS. My previous surgeon hadn't. I was having enough trouble deciding between the GS and RNY, and now this. I'm still leaning strongly towards the RNY. And congrats on your weight loss as well! It's good to see people successfully on the other side of this experience.

My original surgeon left the state unexpectedly so I had a consult with a new one today. I'm down to the point of choosing which surgery I want and I had settled on RNY. This new surgeon brought up SADI DS which he said solves issues the old DS caused, i.e. less malabsorbtion and less GERD than the sleeve alone (something to do with how they deal with the pyloric sphincter). He said the advantages over bypass are less chance of ulcers, increased weight loss and better control of serious type 2 diabetes (which I have). I hadn't considered ulcers in my research so I would like to ask if others with RNY have had issues with these and/or have noticed this being a serious issue in your own research. I did a search here and there are almost 1K mentions in the RNY forum. I would also be interested in hearing from those who had this particular DS procedure (I think it is the most common DS version now?) and developed GERD after, and any other issues with DS in general. I'm still inclined to get the RNY but want to keep an open mind at this point. Malabsorbtion is an issue for me as I do take a number of medications that I will continue even with weight loss. Thanks for any input. I really want to get past the decisions and get this done!

I agree with this. My head has been swirling with all the things I've read and experiences shared on this forum. It is a lot to take in. I think what makes this decision harder is that, unlike other surgeries I've had, it isn't quite like a doctor saying this is wrong with you and here is what needs to be done to fix it. This feels more like a choice when I'm deciding to have my insides rearranged (and by which method) and all that goes with it. This makes me feel like it's all on me, which I guess it mostly is. There is also always the little voice that says I might be able to do this without surgery. I'm smart enough to know that this would have worked long ago if I could do it, but it's still part of the mix. Thanks for your comments. You seem to have done very well with your own weight loss. I'm glad your DS worked for you.

Thanks! I had it done Friday and yeah, it was very thick. The results were good so there is that 😁

Yeah, this was just for the upper GI so the Uber was allowed. I have to find someone to pick me up after surgery. The test went fine - no issues in the results - but the Uber was $130 ☹️ I don't have a car right now and probably couldn't drive with my hips at the moment anyway. Man, that barium was thick!

I barely just got here myself. I'm getting my pre-op tests now and will hopefully have bypass within a couple of months. Welcome to the party 🏳️‍🌈

Hi all. I've been lurking the past few weeks, researching heavily. My insurance has cleared me for sleeve but I'm not as sure now as I was when I chose that surgery. My last hurdle is labs and upper GI. I'm bouncing back and forth between sleeve and bypass. My doubts about the sleeve include the risk of developing GERD. I see a lot of revision stories and I don't want that. My main reason for choosing the sleeve was to keep the pyloric valve intact and avoid dumping. It also seems to allow normal medication action - I take a number of meds. I'm creating a list of questions for my surgeon because I want to make the best choice but man, I must admit to feeling dizzy with all this information. It's a big step. I'll save my dietary questions for another post. Thanks already for the great information I've gotten from reading through this forum!

I was actually approved for the sleeve but am switching to bypass. In my own research, and much reading of this forum, I just see too many people experiencing GERD after the sleeve. Sometimes it takes years to show up or it can happen right after surgery, but there are many, many revisions because of this. I just couldn't risk living with the kind of medication resistant GERD people describe for a couple of years then go through a revision. I see much more satisfaction from the bypass side. I realize there are people perfectly happy with their sleeve and I hope that continues for them. This is my best decision for myself. I would just encourage you to search the sleeve forum for GERD and also stroll though the revision forum to see why they changed. The kind of GERD we are talking about makes living difficult. If not for this one issue, I would go with the sleeve, though the bypass is still considered the gold standard. Good luck with your own decision. Your surgeon can help with this.

That sounds like a healthier version of Banana's Foster. Sounds good.

Is this revision due to GERD? I'm trying to make the decision between sleeve and bypass myself so any experience you had would be helpful. Thanks.

Wow, now that's worth considering. I've had IBS since my teens. Thanks. I just noticed your weight loss - 180lbs in 3 months? Wow, just wow.

I'm going through Franciscan Center for Weight Management, David Swedler, DO. I've made it through my insurance company requirements and was certified for sleeve, but I'm on the fence now between that and bypass. Do you have a preference yet? Congrats on getting started!

You are right about this. I've started thinking about the sleeve as more drastic.

Thanks for the advice and congrats. Your weight loss looks phenomenal!

Thanks, I will.

Wow, 30 pills! This does make me feel better. I'm still going to ask my surgeon and PCP, but I've been reading that Cox-1 specific NSAIDS liike Celebrex and Mobic are ok for regular use. I'm on Mobic (meloxicam) for osteoarthritus. I realize the need may be reduced after weight loss but age could bring it back and NSAIDS are about all there is for this. On malabsorbtion, after looking at all the surgical schematics which distort the dimensions, I thought maybe it was only a foot bypassed. It's actually up to 5 feet which I guess could make some difference. Still, that's out of 26 feet of small intestines. I think I'm going to stop worrying about dumping. It sounds like something that can be controlled and may happen with either surgery. GERD concerns me more. I was concerned about it because I have IBS and diarrhea with cramps has been a nemisis for a long time 😣

This is literally my first post here but I couldn't pass up responding. It looks like gays are here, including me 🙂 I have a good friend in Prescot near Liverpool. We talk almost every day. I feel like an honorary Brit, lol. I'm trying to decide between Gastric Sleeve and RNY, there are pluses and minuses for both but I'm leaning towards the sleeve. Is bariatric surgery covered under the NHS? It looks like you have only about a week to go - good luck!