Duodenal Switch Options

Duodenal switch options through WorldMed assist are high quality, affordable and convenient. You receive the benefit of our expertise and the compassion of our registered nurses as you receive care in the US or outside the US. We are affiliated with hospitals that are approved by JCAHO or the Joint Commission International (JCI) and associated with respected US medical institutions, including Johns Hopkins and Harvard Medical. Our case managers are registered nurses who consult with you to make certain all your concerns and questions are taken care of to your satisfaction.

Most importantly, we provide you with a personal touch from start until well after your return home.

Options for quality duodenal switch include:

• Duodenal Switch in the U.S.
• Duodenal Switch in Mexico

We also provide information on costs:

• Cost of Duodenal Switch Surgery

What is duodenal switch?

The full name of this surgery is biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch (BPD with DS). This type of duodenal surgery changes the normal process of digestion by making the stomach smaller and allowing food to bypass part of the small intestine so that you absorb fewer calories.

You will feel full more quickly than when your stomach was its original size, which reduces the amount of food you eat and thus the calories consumed. Bypassing part of the intestine also means that you will absorb fewer calories. This leads to weight loss. The main advantage of Duodenal switch surgery compared to Gastric Bypass (RNY) is that dumping does not occur.

Duodenal switch surgeries are effective. Most people lose 75% to 80% of their excess weight (the weight above what is considered healthy) and maintain their new weight.

Duodenal switch surgery

In a biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch, a smaller portion of the stomach is removed through making small key hole incisions (laparoscopic surgery), but the remaining stomach remains attached to the duodenum (the upper part of the small intestine). The duodenum is connected to the lower part of the small intestine. The fact that the duodenum stays in place leads to the main advantage of duodenal switch as a form of weight loss surgery which is that dumping does not occur.

Duodenal Switch surgical procedure

Duodenal Switch Preparation

As part of your Duodenal Switch preparation you will fill out a detailed bariatric specific questionnaire, which will allow the surgeons that we work with to determine your eligibility for the procedure. If you are not ready to make lifestyle changes (and have not tried hard to do so already), you will not be considered eligible for the procedure. After hospital admission, you will receive psychological advice. This will help you adhere to a healthier lifestyle. Without changing your lifestyle, the surgery will not be a success. You will also receive nutritional counseling before (and after) your surgery.

Duodenal Switch recovery

Most people typically stay in the hospital for 4 days or less after duodenal switch surgery, followed by a stay in a nearby hotel for 4-7 days. Your doctor will approve your release once you can do the following:

• Move without too much discomfort
• Eat liquid and/or pureed food without vomiting
• No longer require pain medication given by injection

You will remain on liquid or pureed food for several weeks after the surgery. Even after that time, you will feel full very quickly, sometimes only being able to take a few bites of solid food. This is because the new stomach pouch initially only holds a tablespoonful of food. The pouch eventually expands. However, it will hold no more than about one cup of thoroughly chewed food (a normal stomach can hold up to one quart).

Upon follow up, your doctor will determine if you need replacement of iron, calcium, vitamin B12, or other nutrients. Supplements, such as a multivitamin with minerals, will be prescribed to provide any nutrients that you may not be getting from your diet. This lack of nutrients can occur because you are eating less and because the food moves through your digestive system more quickly.

Once your diet begins to consist of more solid food, remember to chew each bite very slowly and thoroughly. You will be instructed on eating small meals frequently throughout the day, rather than large meals that your stomach cannot accommodate.

Exercise and the support of others (for example, joining a support group with people who have undergone weight loss surgery) are extremely important to help you lose weight and maintain that loss following gastric bypass. You can generally resume exercise 6 weeks after the duodenal switch operation. Even sooner than that, you will be able to take short walks at a comfortable pace, with the approval and guidance of your doctor. Exercise improves your metabolism, while both exercise and attending a group support can boost your self-esteem and help you stay motivated.