New Life Jax offers a variety of bariatric surgical options for its patients. It is a state of the art private hospital that offers quality care from one of the top sought-after surgeons in Jacksonville, Florida. Dr. Suniil Sharma is a well-renowned surgeon who has performed thousands of bariatric procedures. One of the bariatric surgeries is the Duodenal Switch method (DS or BPD-DS). Duodenal Switch is one of the most complex and technically challenging procedures. Patients who choose Duodenal switch are usually morbidly obese and suffer from other complicated metaboilic issues.
Duodenal switch is a complicated procedure because the surgeon creates a gastric sleeve (reducing the stomach size by 80%), removes the patient’s gallbladder, and rearranges the intestines reducing the amount of calories and minerals absorbed by the body. The intestines are segmented and regrouped to separate food from the digestive juices.
Patients generally experience a significant weight loss during the first 12-18 months after the surgery. According to statistics, one can expect to lose about 75% of their current excess weight. There are many benefits for choosing a Duodenal switch, which include: (1) weight loss in this surgery is greater than in any other procedure; (2) It also helps to cure diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia; and lastly, (3) it is suitable for patients with a very high BMI or who are super obese.
While there are many benefits to this procedure, there are also a lot of risks that lead to life-changing habits. Because the intestines are rearranged to reduce the caloric intake, it also reduces the absorption of vitamin and minerals, which leads to malabsorption. This can be serious as it affects your immune system and bone structure. As a result, patients are required to take supplements, such as Vitamin A, Vitamin D, and calcium, daily for life. Malabsorption can also cause frequent bowel movements, body odors, and serious malnutrition. It is for these reasons why the Duodenal switch is considered to be more complex and riskier than other weight-loss operations.
The results of Duodenal switch are amazing, but the follow up is a life-time commitment. It is important that patients keep their appointments and follow the post-surgery guideline as prescribed by Dr. Sharma.
If you have questions about Duodenal Switch surgery, or if you feel this is the best procedure for you, please feel free to contact New Life Jax Hospital at 904-399-4004 and one of our friendly staff will be more than happy to answer them.