Guest guest Posted June 21, 2001 Report Share Posted June 21, 2001 I have been compteplting wls for almost a year and doing the reserach thing. At first I was consisedering the RNY, but after reading more about the DS, it sounds much better to me. I just cant decide from my readings if this is a true perception since I am not a medical professional. Most of the web sites are by dr.s or centers that are trying to " sell " this procedure. Is that because it cost more. I just cant understand with the benefits that are listed like: being able to eat a widwer and normal amounts of food, access to the stomach if problems creep up later, no ulcers, no dumping, longer term weight loss.... How come more dr.s dont do it and how come more patients dont choose it???? I live in NJ and will defintely be seeking surgery from Ganger at Sinai in NY if I go the DS route, it just sounds too good to be true. Thanks for all replys. Bonnie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 21, 2001 Report Share Posted June 21, 2001 I've been thinking the same thing. And why is it that Big Atlanta has only one doctor? Why can't some of the New York or California doctors come here? I am having trouble getting the procedure b/c only one doctor does it here and I have HMO. So they want let me go out of state. Tachia > I have been compteplting wls for almost a year and doing the reserach > thing. At first I was consisedering the RNY, but after reading more > about the DS, it sounds much better to me. I just cant decide from my > readings if this is a true perception since I am not a medical > professional. Most of the web sites are by dr.s or centers that are > trying to " sell " this procedure. Is that because it cost more. I just > cant understand with the benefits that are listed like: being able to > eat a widwer and normal amounts of food, access to the stomach if > problems creep up later, no ulcers, no dumping, longer term weight > loss.... How come more dr.s dont do it and how come more patients > dont choose it???? I live in NJ and will defintely be seeking surgery > from Ganger at Sinai in NY if I go the DS route, it just sounds too > good to be true. Thanks for all replys. Bonnie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 21, 2001 Report Share Posted June 21, 2001 I am not a medical professional but I can give you some reasons why the BPD/DS is not more popular among surgeons. 1. It is a very complicated procedure. 2. The average LAP BPD/DS takes between 4 -8 hours vs. a RNY that can be done in 2. 3. Insurance companies do not like to pay for the BPD/DS - it is more expensive and requires a longer stay in the hospital. For what it is worth- I had my surgery March 22, 2001 with Dr. Dennis jr. in Marietta, GA and he is definitely worth the wait. He is an exceptional surgeon, has an outstanding bedside manner and truly cares about his patients. Hope this helps. Latour lap bpd/ds 3.22.01 318/260/145 - 58# (approx) > > I have been compteplting wls for almost a year and doing the > reserach > > thing. At first I was consisedering the RNY, but after reading more > > about the DS, it sounds much better to me. I just cant decide from > my > > readings if this is a true perception since I am not a medical > > professional. Most of the web sites are by dr.s or centers that are > > trying to " sell " this procedure. Is that because it cost more. I > just > > cant understand with the benefits that are listed like: being able > to > > eat a widwer and normal amounts of food, access to the stomach if > > problems creep up later, no ulcers, no dumping, longer term weight > > loss.... How come more dr.s dont do it and how come more patients > > dont choose it???? I live in NJ and will defintely be seeking > surgery > > from Ganger at Sinai in NY if I go the DS route, it just sounds too > > good to be true. Thanks for all replys. Bonnie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 21, 2001 Report Share Posted June 21, 2001 Bonnie: has pretty well hit it. The DS is more complicated for the surgeons, there is PLENTY of demand for the RNY which is quicker and easier and for which the surgeon gets paid nearly as much. Yes the DS is better for the patient but only the most dedicated doctors do it. It's pretty easy for a surgeon to do three or four RNYs in a day but I've never heard of a surgeon doing more than two DS and usually only one. And a surgeon can tell themselves that if they can help four patients instead of two they are doing a service. It takes more training, more time to do the surgery, a longer hospital stay and a harder fight with the insurance company. Some doctors let the patient worry about the insurance. But others are advocates for the patients with the insurance companies. They do surgery, after care, and a few even do the abdominoplasty afterwards. I'm just thankful that as many do all that as do. And while you have a shortage of DS surgeons up there, consider Texas with LARGE medical centers in Dallas, Waco, Houston and San . Not a single DS surgeon! Regards. Joe Frost, old gentleman, not old fart San , Tx., 60 years old Surgery 11/29/00 by Dr. Welker Lateral Gastrectomy with Duodenal Switch 340 Starting Weight, currently 230.5 http://www.duodenalswitch.com/Patients/Joe/joe.html http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WLS-12StepRecovery > I have been compteplting wls for almost a year and doing the reserach > thing. At first I was consisedering the RNY, but after reading more > about the DS, it sounds much better to me. I just cant decide from my > readings if this is a true perception since I am not a medical > professional. Most of the web sites are by dr.s or centers that are > trying to " sell " this procedure. Is that because it cost more. I just > cant understand with the benefits that are listed like: being able to > eat a widwer and normal amounts of food, access to the stomach if > problems creep up later, no ulcers, no dumping, longer term weight > loss.... How come more dr.s dont do it and how come more patients > dont choose it???? I live in NJ and will defintely be seeking surgery > from Ganger at Sinai in NY if I go the DS route, it just sounds too > good to be true. Thanks for all replys. Bonnie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 21, 2001 Report Share Posted June 21, 2001 Where did you learn that the DS provides " longer term weight loss " ? I'd like to see some documentation of these studies. Thanks. Why isnt DS done more > I have been compteplting wls for almost a year and doing the reserach > thing. At first I was consisedering the RNY, but after reading more > about the DS, it sounds much better to me. I just cant decide from my > readings if this is a true perception since I am not a medical > professional. Most of the web sites are by dr.s or centers that are > trying to " sell " this procedure. Is that because it cost more. I just > cant understand with the benefits that are listed like: being able to > eat a widwer and normal amounts of food, access to the stomach if > problems creep up later, no ulcers, no dumping, longer term weight > loss.... How come more dr.s dont do it and how come more patients > dont choose it???? I live in NJ and will defintely be seeking surgery > from Ganger at Sinai in NY if I go the DS route, it just sounds too > good to be true. Thanks for all replys. Bonnie > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 21, 2001 Report Share Posted June 21, 2001 Thanks for the info. Does ANYONE have anything other than anecdotal data to support the theory that the DS provides either more weight loss or longer term weight loss than the RNY? Thanks Why isnt DS done more > > > > I have been compteplting wls for almost a year and doing the reserach > > thing. At first I was consisedering the RNY, but after reading more > > about the DS, it sounds much better to me. I just cant decide from my > > readings if this is a true perception since I am not a medical > > professional. Most of the web sites are by dr.s or centers that are > > trying to " sell " this procedure. Is that because it cost more. I just > > cant understand with the benefits that are listed like: being able to > > eat a widwer and normal amounts of food, access to the stomach if > > problems creep up later, no ulcers, no dumping, longer term weight > > loss.... How come more dr.s dont do it and how come more patients > > dont choose it???? I live in NJ and will defintely be seeking surgery > > from Ganger at Sinai in NY if I go the DS route, it just sounds too > > good to be true. Thanks for all replys. Bonnie > > > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 21, 2001 Report Share Posted June 21, 2001 A number of places, specifically the Hess Report, www.duodenalswitch.com click on Physicians and you'll find it. Regards. Joe Frost, old gentleman, not old fart San , Tx., 60 years old Surgery 11/29/00 by Dr. Welker Lateral Gastrectomy with Duodenal Switch 340 Starting Weight, currently 230.5 http://www.duodenalswitch.com/Patients/Joe/joe.html http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WLS-12StepRecovery > Where did you learn that the DS provides " longer term weight loss " ? I'd > like to see some documentation of these studies. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 21, 2001 Report Share Posted June 21, 2001 The DS is a complicated procedure; it takes more skill and time. Hospital stays are longer. Insurance companies consider it experimental and investigational because of the 1991 NIH consensus on bariatric surgery, these are the guidelines the companies use in determining coverage for weight loss surgery. Some surgeons are against the DS because of the malabsorption and supplement issue. Most of not all doctors tent to take a more conservative approach to surgery. They are less willing to perform a more evasive surgery when less evasive is available. Because DS patients must take supplements for life some doctors do not want to be held accountable for non-compliant patients. The medical community is slow to recognize surgical procedures. I am not sure where I read this report but I heard that the DS will be the gold standard for WLS in the future. We can only hope. The DS gave me back my life. If I did not have this scare on my tummy I wouldn't remember that I ever had this surgery. People who know I had this surgery will come up to me and say should you be eating that cake, or can you eat those chips….just watch me. > I have been compteplting wls for almost a year and doing the reserach > thing. At first I was consisedering the RNY, but after reading more > about the DS, it sounds much better to me. I just cant decide from my > readings if this is a true perception since I am not a medical > professional. Most of the web sites are by dr.s or centers that are > trying to " sell " this procedure. Is that because it cost more. I just > cant understand with the benefits that are listed like: being able to > eat a widwer and normal amounts of food, access to the stomach if > problems creep up later, no ulcers, no dumping, longer term weight > loss.... How come more dr.s dont do it and how come more patients > dont choose it???? I live in NJ and will defintely be seeking surgery > from Ganger at Sinai in NY if I go the DS route, it just sounds too > good to be true. Thanks for all replys. Bonnie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 21, 2001 Report Share Posted June 21, 2001 > How come more dr.s dont do it and how come more patients > dont choose it???? . . . it just sounds too > good to be true. Thanks for all replys. Bonnie Bonnie; I have two more reasons the DS is not as widely available as the R-n-y to add to the previous reasons. I think that until the insurance industry comes up with standardized CPT codes there will be problems getting approval for this procedure. If I were a surgeon I certainly wouldn't want to be inviting hassles in getting reimbursed. Also, I asked Dr. Welker why there are no DS surgeons in the Seattle area. His response was that the surgeons are too lazy and/or busy to go and learn how to do it. It stands to reason that it is more desirable for a surgeon to learn this in Residency or Fellowship rather than to take time off of private practice to go learn it. gobo DS/Sched. 7/9/01 Dr. BMI 55 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 22, 2001 Report Share Posted June 22, 2001 Bonnie- Most, if not all DS docs also do the RnY.. so why do you feel they are selling the DS? They get approximately the same insurance reimbursement for DS as they do RnY.. and the RnY isn't as complex as the DS. Being more complex is also why fewer docs do it.. but its NOT being sold.. they are trying to offer the healthcare consumer information to make an informed choice... if you check those websites, they also offer information about the other weight loss surgeries the doc does. Just my .02- Hugs, Liane > I have been compteplting wls for almost a year and doing the reserach > thing. At first I was consisedering the RNY, but after reading more > about the DS, it sounds much better to me. I just cant decide from my > readings if this is a true perception since I am not a medical > professional. Most of the web sites are by dr.s or centers that are > trying to " sell " this procedure. Is that because it cost more. I just > cant understand with the benefits that are listed like: being able to > eat a widwer and normal amounts of food, access to the stomach if > problems creep up later, no ulcers, no dumping, longer term weight > loss.... How come more dr.s dont do it and how come more patients > dont choose it???? I live in NJ and will defintely be seeking surgery > from Ganger at Sinai in NY if I go the DS route, it just sounds too > good to be true. Thanks for all replys. Bonnie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 22, 2001 Report Share Posted June 22, 2001 Try reading the Hess report, posted right on the DS Info Zone site.. its there in black & white. You could also check Dr Balthazar's site, he says the same, I believe. Both of these surgeons have worldwide reputations.. is that sufficient documentation? Liane > Where did you learn that the DS provides " longer term weight loss " ? I'd > like to see some documentation of these studies. Thanks. > > Why isnt DS done more > > > > I have been compteplting wls for almost a year and doing the reserach > > thing. At first I was consisedering the RNY, but after reading more > > about the DS, it sounds much better to me. I just cant decide from my > > readings if this is a true perception since I am not a medical > > professional. Most of the web sites are by dr.s or centers that are > > trying to " sell " this procedure. Is that because it cost more. I just > > cant understand with the benefits that are listed like: being able to > > eat a widwer and normal amounts of food, access to the stomach if > > problems creep up later, no ulcers, no dumping, longer term weight > > loss.... How come more dr.s dont do it and how come more patients > > dont choose it???? I live in NJ and will defintely be seeking surgery > > from Ganger at Sinai in NY if I go the DS route, it just sounds too > > good to be true. Thanks for all replys. Bonnie > > > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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