Duodenal switch surgery in East Texas
At UT Health Tyler Bariatric Center, our compassionate team of bariatric surgeons is dedicated to providing effective weight loss solutions tailored to each patient’s unique needs. Specializing in advanced weight loss surgery, our weight loss clinic offers the duodenal switch procedure, a highly effective bariatric surgery known for its superior weight loss outcomes and diabetes control. Our experienced weight loss surgeons are committed to guiding you through every step of your weight loss journey, ensuring you receive the highest quality care at our state-of-the-art weight loss center. Discover a new path to health and wellness with our personalized weight loss procedures at UT Health Tyler.
About duodenal switch surgery
Duodenal switch (DS) procedures combine restrictive and malabsorptive techniques to help patients achieve significant and lasting weight loss. This surgery reduces the size of the stomach and bypasses a portion of the small intestine, which limits food intake and nutrient absorption. At the UT Tyler Bariatric Center, we offer two different types of duodenal switch procedures: Classic DS and SADI-S (also known as Loop DS).
Classic DS involves creating a smaller stomach pouch and rerouting a large section of the small intestine. This leads to significant changes in digestion and absorption. Loop DS, or SADI-S, is a variation of this procedure in which a single intestinal loop is created. This helps simplify the procedure and reduces potential risks of complication. Loop DS is the newest procedure approved by the American Society of Metabolic Surgery. Both procedures offer patients substantial weight loss and improvement in related health conditions.
Duodenal switch operations have four effects, and every patient experiences different degrees of each effect. These effects are:
- Dumping: The intestines are much more sensitive than the stomach and this can cause unpleasant reactions to certain types of food. Usually high-calorie foods, such as concentrated sugars and fats, are the type that cause problems. Dumping can include nausea, diarrhea, cramping and low blood sugar. These unpleasant side effects help you stay away from junk food.
- Malabsorption: After a switch operation, you will not digest all of the calories in the food you eat. This is a significant part of DS, and why switch operations have a higher average weight loss than any other operations. However, it can also cause malnutrition so it’s important to work with your dietician or physician to ensure you stay healthy.
- Reduced appetite: There is usually no hunger at all for the first few weeks to months after surgery. Hunger does come back eventually for most people. When it does, hunger is usually less than before surgery and can be satisfied with much less food. As with Sleeve Gastrectomy and Gastric Bypass, switch operations reduce a “hunger hormone” called ghrelin.
- Restriction: A smaller stomach makes you fill up on much less food. For the first few months after surgery, this may be only about a quarter of a cup. As time goes on, people can usually eat about a cup of food.
Duodenal switch offers several advantages compared to other bariatric operations, including higher average weight loss and a better chance of controlling diabetes than sleeve gastrectomy or gastric bypass. Additionally, it does not carry the same ulcer risk associated with Gastric Bypass.
However, DS is more complex surgery and comes with its own set of disadvantages. The risk of intestinal obstruction, though rare, is higher than with sleeve gastrectomy and similar to gastric bypass. Due to its malabsorptive component, duodenal switch surgery also presents a higher risk of metabolic disorders, diarrhea, vitamin or mineral deficiencies, and protein deficiency. Talk to your doctor about which surgery is best for you.
