Revision Weight Loss Surgery Forums

2,213 topics in this forum

Total newbie here. Six years ago, I had a Lap-band, and my unethical surgeon maxed out the Band in only three visits. Needless to say, I've gone over three years unable to eat solid food. On December 14th, if everything looks good when my (wonderful) new surgeon goes in, I'll have my Band removed, and a VSG done. There's too much osteoporosis in my family to even consider a by-pass. I'll be mostly lurking, trying to pick up information. Any advice is more than welcome.

I'm starting to get a bit jittery. My open gastric bypass was Sept 02 and I didn't fair well because I chose to eat more than I should have. I've been thinking about the lapband for six years and getting my "head right." I'm really ready now, I have visions of what my body will be like.... very excited. I'm new to this site and excited to get a nice welcome from Alex. I know that my life is about to change now that I know what I HAVE to do. I'm really ready this time. Not many get a second chance, I'm grateful.

In July I was posting here on having my lapband removed and revision to vsg. Yesterday I finally got the camera test and my lapband is eroded - so I have an appointment at the end of November and imagine I will be going back to hospital to have it removed in January, 2012. I was not impressed - but I guess I always knew there was some problem. I imagine that the surgeon will make me wait for x amount of time to have the vsg done. If anyone has any experience with this - I would appreciate your comments. Glenda Lapband Sydney Australia 2003

Just had my Lapband revision and hiatal hernia repair done this past Friday. I was originally banded in February 2010 and have lost 74lbs. I began to have problems with my band earlier this year when I was filled too tight. Had two cycles of taking all the Fluid out and trying again but each time I had pouch dilation and very little weight loss. I have been pleased with my band prior to these episodes and was not interested in switching to another WLS. This surgery was definitely different from the first. I was outpatient for the first one but spent the night this time. Doctor said hernia was big with lots of scar tissue. Really sore and not interested in eating. Be…

About 10 years ago I had a breast reduction. I went from a DDD to a large C cup. They took 10 pds. off of my chest. Well now after loosing over 60 pds. with my band I think they look like sagging skin. My gyn told me of a procedure they have now called a skin revision surgery. I have thought about having this done to my breast on my scars and get a lift also. I would like to get something done about my tummy from having three kids also. Do you know of anyone that had the scar rivision surgery, if so how did it go?

November 17, 2010 surgery day weight was 244. Today, October 27, 2011 my weight is 167. The lapband seems too tight. I have no Fluid at all in my band. My surgeon is talking about removing standard band and replacing with large band. He doesn't know why I am reacting too it this way. The band hasn't slipped at all. I have had problems with keeping food down for months. Since the surgery, I have no hunger issues at all. I have to force myself to stop and eat. I am concerned that I am losing too much weight. I have had upper endoscopy and barium xray. Fluid does slowly flow through. Has anyone had this problem. Thanks Frank

I am scheduled to have lapband revision surgery with a hiatal hernia repair on November 11. I was banded in February 2010 and have lost almost 80 lbs. Have not tolerated fills since December 2010 and the doctor diagnosed me with chronic slip. I am wondering if anyone else has had the revision and how the surgery differed for the first time around. Did you miss more of work than you did originally?

This is a shot in the dark but I really need to find information so here goes.... First off.. HI EVERYONE!! In 1995 I had the "molina band" WLS (I believe Dr. Oria still uses this band to date but was in training when I had mine put on). I weighed in at 285 and got down to around 160-70 in about a year or two. I have yo-yo'd with my weight for the last 13 years and am now sitting at 210 and feel like I am gaining daily. I have lived with this band and all that goes with it for 16 years. It is time for a change!!! I am looking for ANYONE that has or knows someone that had this band and now has a sleeve. I cannot find any information on any of the websites I have goo…

Okay, the surgeon I picked is very experienced. He used to do mostly lapbands, with some gastric bypass. Now there are almost all sleeves - with the occasional bypass and lapband thrown in. He has done hundreds of Gastric Sleeves and keeps records and stats on his patients. They have good data for 3 years and have results that exceed the "published" success rates. I guess I didn't ask the question of how many actual revisions they have done. It is less then 50. That is a drop in the hat compared to what some of the Mexican surgeons have done. I like my surgeon and their office, have no other reasons of concern, am blessed to have insurance coverage so I am incline…

I need some advice and opions. I had the lap band back in 2005 I have the VG band. I went from 436lb to 239lb back in 2008 I stopped feeling restrictions. I started seeing a different doctor then the one that did the surgery and was determined there was a issue witht he band it took 2 years to convince the doctor that there was a issue it was thought to be that I had a leak. In December of 2010. They went in found that the port became unstiched and the port was reveresed. Since having this fixed I have been going in for fills and not feeling any restriction it was found that there is a leak again. I have now almost gained back 100lb. I went to Dr Barker and he suggested…

Hi, I am new to the group. I currently have the lapband and will be revised by Dr Fontana in Norfolk. I have heard that sometimes the Dr can not remove the band and do the sleeve at the same time due to the amount of the scar tissue on your stomach caused by the band. Is this true? also can they see how much scar tissue you have when you do the barium swallow?

I just realized I'd hyjacked Junipers thread !! Sorry.... I was banded in April 2008, 259 lbs with a BMI of 41. I lost almost 70 pounds in the first year. I had a flipped port within a month of being banded - which should have been a light bulb for me. Went through a painful divorce, moved back home (and away from my doctor), missed almost two years of follow-up, got pneumonia, got defilled, took a long time to find a band-doctor in my area to see me. It was a long two years... Good news, found a wonderful doctor (John David Nye in Pensacola). Found out he can't access my port - which is in my chest and he hates it there (says it is dangerous). Went to get my …

I am on vacation for 2 weeks, and have just discovered that i have an infection of my port..... I have had this before, and i had a port revision. Looks like the same thing is on the horizion this time. I'm starting to lose all hope in this band. The band itself is working great and have lost 85lbs since Nov 2010. I'm worried about all the time off of work i am having to take because of this problem. Will I continue to have to have my port replaced:? this will be the second time. At least because i live in Ontario, any problem involving the band is covered by Ontario Health care...... its just the stress and anxiety i have to get over. How am I supposed to h…

I had my band to sleeve revision on Sept 7, so I'm currently on Day 12. I am really concerned about the post op diet phase. I was given 2different set of instructions for my post op. One set was given to me pre-op and one set was given post-op. There are significant differences between the two, and it makes me wonder if different instructions should be followed for a revision. Thoughts?

Hello All. I am new here and thought it's time to tell my story as I am about to start the second leg of my WL journey. I am 63 yrs and don't think it's too late to once again get healthy. I am a 2 years lapbander and can't wait to finally get a tool that I can begin working. Let me explain. I was banded July '07 and the Dr. was forced to use a much larger 15cc Lapband rather than the smaller Realize band as was expected. This was due to the size of my stomach and the fat growing on the stomach itself. Couldn't get the Realize Band around it properly so in the operating room he made the decision to use the larger band. Started out at 5cc's and took easily 6 months…

So out of the blue today I got a call from my surgeon's office (this is after 9 weeks of nothing) that my band (slipped) removal has been approved, when did I want to schedule it for. Can I add something really strange? After all these weeks of waiting, I had a dream lastnight that I was in surgery for removal. Odd! So I told the nurse who called that I had "applied" for a revision, not just removal (I know they're separate procedures in terms of billing & insurance, but my surgeon's office - in terms of procedure and paperwork - treats revisions as a single case)... and asked if they had submitted for approval on just the revision or on both. She said only removal.…

So out of the blue today I got a call from my surgeon's office (this is after 9 weeks of nothing) that my band (slipped) removal has been approved, when did I want to schedule it for. Can I add something really strange? After all these weeks of waiting, I had a dream lastnight that I was in surgery for removal. Odd! So I told the nurse who called that I had "applied" for a revision, not just removal (I know they're separate procedures in terms of billing & insurance, but my surgeon's office - in terms of procedure and paperwork - treats revisions as a single case)... and asked if they had submitted for approval on just the revision or on both. She said only remo…

Hi everyone! I posted this on Obesityhelp.com, and wanted to post it here to get more responses, if possible. I was just watching a video on Youtube posted by Endobariatrics, and Dr Alvarez was saying how band to sleeve revison surgeries sometimes can't be done all at once because of scar tissue, and that the weight loss of the patients who do it all at once can be poor compared to patients who have never had the band and get sleeved first. http://www.youtube.com/user/Endobariatric#p/c/DCC7DC6C03E946 9B/8/VXAOV4nz9qE I'm a little confused and, I'll admit, upset, because after reading through so many posts about revision surgery, I never read any posts about slow…

This is going to be the longest six weeks of my life.................:drama:

Hi everyone, This is only the 2nd time I have posted on this website. The last time was about a year ago when my LapBand doctor first mentioned a revision to the sleeve. I have been trying my best to keep my band for the last two years and now I think I just want it out. I have read several of your posts and can relate to many of them. I have been banded a little over 2 years. In those 2 years, I have had 11 fills and 11 unfills ( 2 complete unfills ). My doctor says he has adjusted me more than all his band patients combined in those 2 years. I can't find that "sweet spot" I am either too loose and can eat a horse ( and gain weight ) or I am too tight and get terribl…

Hi everyone, I'm going to share with you a post I just posted on the Vertical Sleeve forum in case it helps anyone else. I'm a lapbander that is considering revision to VGS. I've been banded since 12/07 and have a possible (probable) slip. I had a CT scan July 1 and go for the results on the 14th. My doctor and I have discussed (briefly) revision to the VGS as opposed to repositioning my band. This was all done prior to my CT scan so I don't know how bad my slip is. He is 100% sure I've slipped and since I spent the entire month of June barely eating anything solid, and most days not even being able to tolerate liquids, I'd tend to agree with him. Since he remove…

I am having the band to sleeve revision in about a week. It is being done in the same surgery by Dr. Curry at Jewish Hospital in Cincinnati. Anyone else out there have the band revision by Dr. Curry?

I am still 2 weeks post op! but believe it or not those are just the worst part of having VSG .. Why I am saying that? cause everyday literally gets better! I am a band to sleeve revision, I feel guilty saying that the band didnt fail me! and I never failed it:) I lose most of my heavy weight on it! but wait a second! all doctors I have been to, to have an opinion about my band removal said the same thing " the band stopped working long ago, it was ur hard work" but believe it or not it wasnt the best work, I was crushed emotionally, deprived of life , starving, binging at other times ( we all know cheating with the band is the easiest thing) but I owe it to the band, I…

I hated that lap band but didn't realize how much until now. I'm losing weight quicker and yes I'm kind of weak right now but it's getting better all the time. When I eat three bites of a scrambled egg I'm full, and the full feeling lasts 3 hours or more. With the lap band I still had my huge stomach so I would eat, feel pain high up between my breasts, the food would go down, the pain would go away and I'd be hungry again. The lap band made so much sense to me at the time but now I almost view it as barbaric. And the port was really painful for me. I just thing the concept of a smaller stomach without losing part of your intestines and all that re-routing makes sen…

Hi everyone! I'm Heather and I'm a lapbander that is considering revision to VGS. I've been banded since 12/07 and have a possible (probable) slip. I had a CT scan July 1 and go for the results on the 14th. My doctor and I have discussed (briefly) revision to the VGS as opposed to repositioning my band. This was all done prior to my CT scan so I don't know how bad my slip is. He is 100% sure I've slipped and since I spent the entire month of June barely eating anything solid, and most days not even being able to tolerate liquids, I'd tend to agree with him. Since he removed 5cc on the 29th I've been able to eat normally for the first time in nearly 2 years and have gained…

I had band that was revised but lost only 20 lbs which I gained back. I'm having my gallbladder out by a bariatric surgeon and he wants to talk to me tomorrow about possibly revising my pouch if it looks too large. Has anyone every had your sleeved stomach revised? Thanks, Monica

Hello everyone. I recently started researching optional WLS, as I have a failed lapband surgery from 2003. I was going to go for DS but felt that I only have 80lb to loose and the VSG was the best place to start. I am Australian, but have lived in Canada for 7.5 years. I have a quiet happy life but my weight and the other illnesses have now are causing bigger issues. I am 50 years old (in my head I'm about 1/2 of that) and now have type 2 diabetes, high bp, high cholesterol, depression (due to loosing a child 5 years ago) and am a stay home wife/mother with an active 9 year old. I have read alot of your posts and let me say that this information and your hu…

I am wondering if anyone can tell me their wait times for having a lapband revision in Canada. I have been talking with a surgeon in QB but the cost may be prohibitive - Alberta Health Care covers part and so does my insurance - but the missing part could be too much for us right now. Any ideas would be appreciated and any personal experiences with how you went about getting your revision done here. Thanks Glenda

Hi, I am new to site. I am so encouraged by all the support available for those of us who are going through mutual fight against obesity. I am 40 years old and had my Gastric Band removed on yesterday, July 15th. I didn't experience a lot of weight loss, between 30-40 pounds at the most and had a hard time getting food down, along with acid reflux issues. Overall I didn't think the band was going to make a significant impact to my weightless and future so I agreed with my surgeon to have it removed. I am now leaning towards the sleeve and also thought about the bypass. I want to see results! I am tired of being overweight and all its physical limitations it brings. Can…

I didn't have time to post this yesterday, so here I am the very next day. Yesterday, I passed one of my most coveted goals I'd set for myself. Today I FINALLY weigh less than I ever did with my Lap Band. I guess I wanted to weigh this morning and see if it wasn't a fluke. Well guess what, it wasn't a fluke!!! My lowest weight ever with my band was 227. Today I weigh 226!!! I blew right past my goal!!! And ohhhh how I struggled with my Lap Band! I was starting to think maybe it *was* me. Why was it so hard, I would always think... Why wasn't I losing weight? WHY WAS I GAINING WEIGHT??? Why did I find myself back up to my starting weight?? It was such a m…

I am so happy that people do well with the band. I unfortunately, was one that had every complication known to man with the thing. After 3 years of fighting to make it work, and an erosion/slip that made it necessary to remove the band I revised to the Duodenal Switch. There is alot of misinformation about the DS going around, mostly from doctors that don't perform the surgery, or from people that just don't know what they are talking about, but once you find out the facts it is the most logical choice. If you are trying to decide what surgery to try if/when the band fails you please research ALL the things that are out there. The DS has better long term results …

I'm hoping to find someone that was able to get Federal BCBS to cover a revision surgery to VSG. Bonus points if you had a BMI under 35. I figure it's going to be a long, long, LONG shot to do it, but I'm hoping.

I'd like to hear more about the pros and cons of doing the revision surgery at the same time as band removal. I do NOT want to have two surgeries if I can avoid it.

Hi everyone, I am so glad I found this forum! I am wondering if anyone has found much info/research on success with the sleeve 3+ years out. I know this is not a new surgery (ie step one in a two part and was used for stomach cancer etc in the past) so you would think there would be some data on long term health issues/concerns as well as weight loss maintenance. I was banded 10 years ago, in Europe where I lived at the time. I would have never gotten that band had the long term risk of complications versus "success" percentages been known to me. I had thought risk of slippage, erosion etc was in the 1-2% range but it is really much much higher. I fear that I am s…

I had a VSG by Dr Alvarez in 2008, he used a large bougie... didnt lose the weight I needed...went in to see Dr Rutledge in Vegas last year and thought he would revise my VSG to make smaller and it was planned to do a small MGB. Unfortunately, he did the MGB and did not touch my stomach. As such I can eat tons of food and have terrible gas and diareahea all the time. I am going in for my last and final surgery in 1 month to reverse the MGB and have him revise and make smaller my stomach. I'm scared as this is my third surgery...and last I might add. Can anyone comment about VSG revisions? Blessings to you!

I'm here in Mexicali awaiting my revision from band to sleeve tomorrow morning with Dr. Aceves. Any anxious and nervous feelings I had have pretty much vanished once I got here. Everyone is awesome. Can't wait.

Just got a call from my surgeon's office. My insurance apparently requires an EGD. The lady called me on my cell, which gets horrible reception, so I didn't hear everything and didn't have much opportunity to ask. I'm going to call her back as soon as I have a chance. I don't know if the EGS is required for the band removal part, or the revision part. Or if it's required b/c my chief symptom from my slip was reflux. Or if it's standard to check for hiatal hernias when doing a sleeve-type procedure. Or... who knows. Just curious if it was "standard" for band -> sleeve revisions. Hope to have more info soon.

I had my revision from band to sleeve on June 4th in Mexico. I started to have an odd feeling where the port used to be I just thought phantom pain no big deal. Then I noticed on the 15th that my incision felt weird, I had a co-worker feel it and I said man I am going to have a lot of scar tissue she couldn't believe how wide the scar tissue felt. It was almost 3 inches wide and went the length of the insicion. RThe next morning I got out of the shower and I had a pinhole in my incision that was gushing blood and wouldn't stop. I was filling up a 2x2 gauze pad in 2 minutes. I went to a clinic still bleeding like a stuck pig and the PA I seen was thrown for a loop. I was…

I clearly recall seeing at least 2 posts in the last several months where someone mentioned that they had or were thinking about having their RNY reversed and converting to a sleeve. Can anyone help me out or remember who made those posts? Or even the name of a Doctor that does that kind of thing? I am asking for my Aunt who had a RNY back in 2000 and would like to find out more information about a possible conversion. She would be willing to travel anywhere if they can help her. She had a hack doctor in PA, dunno his name, but for the last 11 years she is in pain every time she eats. She has been told that her pouch was done incorrectly and she has almost like a sin…

Ok, so i had a port revision about 3 weeks ago, and for some reason, my surgeon felt the need to add some fill to my band when he was in there. We never discussed him doing this, so i'm very frustrated that he did. I have had about 5 'sticking' episodes, and had another one tonight. I'm eating super small bites, and I feel like I'm eating slowly. I'm so frustrated, and I'm so scared to get a fill because of everything that I've been through. I had to have the port revision because i had a huge infection (which is most likely from fills)..... so now i'm super nervous!! HELP! WHAT SHOULD I DO?!?!

My mom has had her lapband for just over 2 years. I'm sitting beside her in the hospital right now. It looks like her band has slipped. We are waiting to hear from the surgeon, but she has pretty much decided on a revision to the sleeve (yay!!). I'd like to get some insite on some of you. I was thinking it would be wise to get the stupid thing taken out and allow her stomach to heal as much as possible before getting the revision. Or does it matter? Any insite would be great. I hate seeing her in pain, but I'm glad she's getting it out. That lapband has been pretty cruel to her.....

Anyone I know from LBT? I'm a long time member & mod over there. I see a few names I recognize. I was just diagnosed today with a slipped band. I'm suspecting I"ve been slipped for about 2 years now, since that's about when my "weird" symptoms started which led to the eventual diagnosis. I presented very atypically compared to your typical case of slippage - even the symptoms I did have were inconsistent so it took a while for me to realize it wasn't just me doing something wrong, and for them to realize it wasn't just me doing something wrong. But "atypical" pretty much sums up my life with the band, so there's no surprise. I've been told it's a pretty si…

I am sitting here in Calexico watching the :clock: waiting for tomorrow. I get my band out and start a new chapter in my life with a sleeve. There are three of us here at the beautiful Crowne Plaza hotel waiting for tomorrow morning. We had a good trip from SD, had our tests done at the hospital and just had our "last " meal" !!! I am so excited to get the band out and say good bye to all the irks that go with it and lose weight forever! T=My next post will be band free and sleeve in place. See you then!! Patti :bounce:

Hi I’m new here. I was banded 7/05, was doing well for 17 months when my band slipped. I lost down to my surgeons goal weight for me because I was barfing my brains out for a few weeks and had pneumonia. Life was complicated at the time and I just didn’t put all the pieces together, duh. I had the slipped band repositioned and it just hasn’t worked right since. I have a tiny bit of fill that doesn’t give me restriction and have lots of heartburn and reflux. They’ve checked the positioning twice and it’s the same as when they fixed it. I gained 10 pounds right away, slowly put on 15 and now after I had a hysterectomy last year I’m 50 pounds heavier than when they repositi…

Just wondering if anyone can shed some light on what to expect from 2nd port revision. The first one was done 12mths ago, and the tube broke, and i was in extreme pain and had to stay in hospital over night. I went for a fill last week and the stitching has broken and they need to go back in, they couldn't find it. I'm going in first thing in the morning.....am i a whimp, and i'm trying to work out if i will be going home or will i be staying. Is it painful surgery, they have booked me in for a general anaethesia??????? Can anyone give me some advice. Cheers

I am having my revision done on June 13th by Dr. Aceves. Anyone else scheduled for that day?? I am so excited!!

I had LB surgery in August 2009. I had a low BMI around 36. My lowest weight with the band was 183lbs. Pre-op weight was around 217, if I remember correctly. Highest weight 237. I am currently 198 and counting. This has been an diffucult year. My relationship with food is unhealthy. I eat to compensate for emotional problems. I may be bi-polar according to my psych. I have an obsession with my appearance, depression, anxiety and compulsive issues. I had liposuction last year and plan to have it again in 2012. With all that said...I have had pain at the protruding port site, esophageal spasms, nausea and vomiting. I have no restriction because I was unfilled…

Just trying to relax here in my hotel room. Suprisingly, I am not too nervous, just hoping to not be in too much pain when I wake up. Had my preop testing completed this afternoon and the driver will be picking my husband and I up at 7 tomorrow morning to take us to meet w/Dr. Aceves before surgery. Prayers are welcomed and please make room for me on the looser's bench! Much love, erika

Hi All, Well as a very unhappy bander who had a sleeve surgery date (6/20) Passed nutritionist appt.. pysc evailuation, and was waiting to take the sleeve class tomorrow I received frustrating news today. First, I am self pay, I was self pay in 2008 when I had my band put in. Used the same Dr. here in VA who was to do my sleeve. The call I had today was to tell me that Blis, the co. for self pay catastrophic insurance ( part of my surgery fee now may not approve revision to the sleeve because of all the complications that can occur). My stats are below but I have kept off most all of the 85 lbs. (all but 12-15) in the 3 years I have had my band. Despite all the …

Hi all. I am a lap band patient and considering having a revision to a sleeve by Dr. Aceves in Mexico. I am a self pay patient and I know Mexico is a little cheaper than here in the US. Also, I have been hearing great things about Dr. Aceves and that he is great at revisions as well. I must admit that I am a little apprehensive about going to Mexico. Does anyone have any suggestions or a similar experience to share?