Is the DS operation a safe procedure?
Below is an excerpt from a letter written to an insurance provider by Dr Hess. At this stage he had been performing the DS for ten years. Short answer, yes! The patients we have operated are 155 re-operations from failed gastroplasties or failed gastric bypasses. Of the total 1300 cases, 750 patients had a BMI between 40 and 50, 550 patients were in the super-morbid obese group (BMI ranging from 50 to 90). Gastric leaks: less than 1 % Death rate: 6/1300 = 0.47 % Reversals: 8/1300 = 0.61 % – When needed, reversals are relatively simple, you need only to reverse the small bowel portion and the patient does well. Revisions: There were only 34 revisions in 1145 primary cases for a 2.9 %. – This also is relatively easy, needing only to revise the distal Roux-en-Y. Large numbers of failures and complete re-operation is not needed as in many of the pure restrictive procedures.
