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Comment by Sonia S. on August 6, 2010 at 2:25pm

Hi Allison,

Welcome to SleepGuide. First I answer your question by giving the Wikipedia definition:

The Duodenal Switch (DS) procedure, also known as Biliopancreatic Diversion with Duodenal Switch (BPD-DS) or Gastric Reduction Duodenal Switch (GRDS), is a weight loss surgery procedure that is composed of a restrictive and a malabsorptive aspect. The restrictive portion of the surgery involves removing approximately 70% of the stomach along the greater curvature (the more elastic part, and where the hunger hormone Ghrelin is produced). The malabsorptive portion of the surgery reroutes a lengthy portion of the small intestine, creating two separate pathways and one common channel. The shorter of the two pathways, the digestive loop, takes food from the stomach to the common channel. The much longer pathway, the biliopancreatic loop, carries bile from the liver to the common channel. The common channel is the portion of small intestine, usually 75-150 centimeters long (mine is 125cm), in which the contents of the digestive path mix with the bile from the biliopancreatic loop before emptying into the large intestine. The objective of this arrangement is to reduce the amount of time the body has to capture calories from food in the small intestine and to selectively limit the absorption of fat. As a result, following surgery, these patients only absorb approximately 20% of the fat they intake.

For the rest of the information on the DS found on Wikpedia go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duodenal_switch

I did a year of research and pondering before I choose to have the DS surgery done. Most of the information that helped me I found on the following two websites:

http://www.duodenalswitch.com/procedure/procedure.html
and
http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/ds/

I chose to have the DS over the other surgical alternatives because it is the one that offers the best long term weight loss result with the least amount of weight regain. Also, it allows me to eat almost a completely normal American diet (including most junk foods). The Gastric Bypass surgery appeared too un-natural and extreme to me, and I didn't want the chance of getting the horrible dumping syndrome that many who had that surgery experience when they eat something too high in carbohydrates, feeling horribly sick and throwing up all the time or gaining weight because of not keeping the strict/restricted low-carb diet required by that surgery. I'm still a big sugar/carb addict and thankfully my DS still allows me to lose weight/maintain weight loss, and hopefully will continue to do so without no or with little weight regain.

I'm very happy I got the DS, I believe it helped saved my life, and at the very least it improved my health and quality of life. My Diabetes was cured immediately after the surgery and most of my previous health problems that were caused or exacerbated by the morbid obesity (such as Gastric Reflux, Heartburn, Edema, Hypertension, Tachycardia) are gone and I didn't go back to taking any medications after the surgery. The Diastasi Recti (which need to be repaired surgically) and the Sleep Apnea are two pre-existing condition that didn't get "cured".

I recommend the DS surgery to anyone that is morbidly obese or obese and with serious health problems (such as Diabetes, heart/circulatory problems, breathing problem, Sleep Apnea) exacerbated by the excess weight. Even the intestinal part of the surgery is used as a cure for Diabetes in Europe; hopefully the procedure will be approved in the US soon.

I probably gave you more info than you bargained for. Just wanted to provide the info for anyone that might be interested in learning more about the DS. If you, or anyone, have any more questions feel free to contact me.

Sonia

Comment by Allison Keller on August 6, 2010 at 12:13am

I have to ask, what is Duodenal Switch surgery? I see your pics on here and you just keep looking better and better!