WASaBubbleButt

Just been doing some reading over at the VSG board . From what I read it appeared that some of the issues banded people experience can also be experienced by sleeved people.

The one which surprised me was that sleeved people can also get that stuck sensation and have to bring food back up as it won't go down. I thought this was a problem with the band that wasn't experienced with the sleeve and that it was due to the small stoma that the band creates.So why do sleeved people have this problem as well.

Can someone please explain for me.

Thanks

Coming out of surgery your sleeved stomach is the size of a cigar. If you eat a piece of steak and don't chew well, something bigger than your stomach it can feel stuck. But after your stomach stretches out to a small banana in 4-6 months it's not a problem anymore.

There is a learning curve to all WLS types.

I am seriously considering lap band. :thumbdown: I have been reading and gathering alot of information on this site. I appreciate all the information available here. I noticed a huges percentage of "banders" who are happy with their decision of lap band. Is there anyone here or knows of anyone who Regrets getting the lap band?

I have submitted my paperwork to the surgeon and I am awaiting an initial consultation appointment. Thanx much!

I was banded and a year ago revised to a sleeve. I have to say, if I had it all to do over again I would have saved a ton of self pay money by getting the sleeve the first time around.

Banding is hard, the restriction issues, sliming, foaming, PBing, slips, erosion, band intolerance, all of it. I was prepared to work hard and do my part, and I did. I was not prepared for the kind of hard the band was, hard as in the stuff I had no control over. I did work hard, I did eat the right things, I did exercise, and I did get to goal but my cost was esophageal damage.

I am not sure you should rely on this information, their not even sure how much they paid. Some people just like to make you think what they say is real. Research it really good for yourself and then research some more:rolleyes:

I think many feel threatened when we have WLS and someone else with the same procedure type does not do well through no fault of their own. That really isn't reason to assume they are not being honest.

Okay maybe I posted without really thinking it through. Just a reaction to what I read after earlier in the day I read a sticky post about people being paid to talk bad about the lap band on this site. So it just kinda hit like that.

If it is the same sticky as I am thinking of it is warning people about being paid to post about doctors and encourage everyone to go to their doctor.

I am replying to my own thread:rolleyes: I appreciate all the pros and cons. That is what I truly want to hear. There are a huge percentage of success with the lap band, but it's a little difficult to find the "regrets/problems" with the lap band. That is why I asked. Again, I appreciate all the responses.

This is something else you might want to read:

Medical News: ASMBS: Gastric Banding Less Effective than Other Procedures - in Meeting Coverage, ASMBS from MedPage Today

I do have one other question.... I have GERD. I am going to the hospital tomorrow for a scope down the throat because of the constant heartburn (even with meds). I've heard the lap band can deminish or even eliminate reflux. Also I've heard that it can make it worse. General consensus? Thanx again!

It depends on what your GERD is from. Most of us have hiatal hernias caused by obesity. If you have a hiatal hernia that should be repaired when they do your WLS.

If your GERD is not from a hiatal hernia a band, sleeve, or DS would make it worse. Bypass is the best option.

Wasa! There you are. I was hoping you would respond. Have you ever seen this before? herniated lap band above the diaphram? This freakin hurts!! And yet I'm still FAT. All the Fluid was removed from my band and even tho it hurts i can eat grapes, citrus, broccoli, all kinds of fiberous foods i haven't eaten in 3 years. I just think patients who have a hiatal hernia to begin with aren't the best candidates for successful banding. Poor choice on my part. Expensive lesson.

So i saw it (and can feel it) pop above the muscle of the diaphram on the flouroscopy monitor. The radiologist pointed it out. Now i know why i have constant chest pain and my voice is often raspy.

You are always welcome to PM or email me. Anytime!!!! Always and forever.

I'm not sure of the phrase herniated lap band, are you referring to a slip?

Do you have my email address? I'll PM it to you.

I have no problem with debate and disagreement. I am thrilled whenever there is peer-reviewed information shared. Statistics excite me. I love seeing fellow RNs sharing accurate health-related information.

I just find the snarkiness and condescension to be kind of contrary to the stated purpose of the board. I would think it more productive to share information without the digs.

You have a lovely evening, too :thumbup:

But I did share factual information and ASMBS studies. What's the problem? Nurse09 told me my surgery was proven ineffective, that is false information. She wrote that the band is the most effective WLS type on the market today. That was wrong. She wrote one wrong piece of information after another. As a fellow nurse are you suggesting we should just let it go and let people think the wrong information is correct?

I am not 'eroded' but have been diagnosed with 'herniated lap band above the diaphram' according to my last upper GI. I can tell you that I'm having chest pain, some other symptoms too. WHAT THE HELL!! Ins is still denying my appeal, I've consulted legal council. Whomever the policy administrator is-whenever they respond to the inquiries will be named in the lawsuit blah fkn blah. HATE litigation. Oh well, they'll have to pay all legal fees and court costs eventually plus the surgery.

Still trying to deal in the meantime. So, any suggestions? I started a thread "peer consult" and not much has happened since but more tests and trying to keep up with work and home.

Has anyone had or have a herniated lap band? It would seem logical remove/revise to another procedure. All of these sypmtoms are the same as my hiatal hernia only more chest pain. HELP!! My surgeon wants me to go w/the rny revision, right now I just need the band out but don't want two surgeries.

If you are not obese anymore they don't have to pay for a revision. If you have WLS benefits then they do have to treat the existing band problem.

If you have a lot of swelling right now then a revision may not be possible until the swelling subsides. (

so you were at goal weight....excellent. Did you have to pay for it yourself or did insurance cover it?

My insurance would have paid for a bulk of it due to the severe band problems I was having but I didn't want to jump through hoops and such and most of all, I wanted my original surgeon so I decided to self pay.

I would also like to add a few more things to consider about the sleeve.

1.) you can stretch your pouch out if you start eating too much.

No, we can't stretch out our pouch because we do not have a pouch. Bands and bypass have pouches, sleeves and DS have stomachs.

When 60-85% of your stomach is removed there isn't much left to stretch. The elastic portion is removed, what is left is the muscular portion. It does stretch but this is a known factor at the time of surgery. Coming out of surgery your stomach is this size of a cigar, or your finger. Over the next 4-6 months it stretches to the size of a small banana. That's the size we want it. I am 14 months post op and I can't eat anymore than I could at six months.

2.) People with higher BMI's to start have less success with the sleeve ( and with the lap band as well).

3.) If you start with a higher BMI it is more likely than not that you will have to have another surgery after the sleeve stops working.

I guess the point of all this is to let others know that there are pros and cons to both surgeries, but i don't see much of the cons presented about the sleeve.

So i only think it is fair that people are informed of these cons if considering the sleeve.

One can develop a stricture, it happens to less than 1% of the sleeved population and usually happens within weeks post op. It's an easy out patient fix if it were to happen.

One can develop a B12 deficiency due to lack of I.F. If that happens SL B12 is the fix.

Some people have reflux for a few weeks following surgery, a PPI deals with this quite well.

Don't get me wrong i am not for the band or the sleeve.

I know people that have had the bypass surgery, made goal, and have now gained back.

My whole point here is that we all have to find the right WLS type for each of us and we need to get that surgery. If people don't know other surgery types exist then they may not be choosing what is right for them.

Above all we need to provide solid information so people have an idea of what to research to find what is best for them.

Hi WASa, I understand your point - but I also think that is only partly true.

You still have to have some self control. I was taught this and chose to ignore it. I stopped losing weight and even gained. I had plenty of restriction, more than I should have. What I didn't have was self control.

Now, I have proper restriction and self control. I'm losing again. You must have both to be successful.

I mean, I wish it were that simply anyway...

But he's never had restriction. It's easy to have self control with restriction. None of us could do it on self control alone. When he gets restriction he too, will have self control.

Could you do it with NO restriction? Of course not, neither can he.

were you overweight when you got the sleeve put in?

No, I was at goal. 20.8BMI.

is it your understanding that following the 6 month waiting period your doctor will re-install the existing band or will you have to purchase a new one? because the failure rate, especially from erosion, is represented as so low, i was wondering if the doctor indicated an intention to re-install at no charge. most lap band patients are paying this out of pocket and can ill afford another procedure.

You could never hold on to a band and replace it at a later time. Always it requires a new band.

Erosion is a risk we all take with this surgery. It isn't the doctor's fault, no reason he should pay for it. It would be like if you took a new antibiotic and you turned out to be allergic to it. It's not the doctor's fault, he had no way of knowing.

Lots of things in medicine... you don't know if it will work until you try it.

You really can't reband an eroded person, if they eroded once they are very likely to do so again.

I'm suing the both of you because your personal bickering has caused many, many pains in my ass.

No, I am suing YOU because you do not agree with me on absolutely every topic in the world and you know I'm right. ;o)

The bickering is over. I'm dealing with this in a better way from now on. A more effective way.

To wasa:

You have completely crossed the line. If I have ever sent you anything of the sort, prove it! You have my permission to post it here. However, you must show proof that it came from me and was not fabricated by you!

I will be sending this to my attorney. It is obvious that you ARE working for/with Dr. Aceves so he will also be contacted by my attorney. I unlike you, do this correctly through the legal system and I act ethically.

Going on these boards and posting your great experience with your surgeon, recommending him and getting a referral fee is done all the time. I don't think there is anything wrong with that. However, when you use the tactic of defaming and posting libelous information about other surgeons, you are acting unethically. You are not doing your surgeon any favors.

Again..I have NOT done what wasa is accusing me of. She has made numerous claims and has never post a single shred of evidence! By the way, I HAVE posted the medical license and other documentation to support all of my claims. I have notified Alex and have invited him to go into my profile and look through all of my PM’s, received and sent.

Do you really think anyone would spend as much time and energy doing this if she was not profiting? Unfortunately, her tactics of doing so are disgusting at best!

Sandy Johnston

Patient Care Coordinator

aLighterMe.com

877-765-THIN(8446)

I am finished playing games with you. Now we get to play heavy hitters. You know as well as I do with all your fake accounts and such that the person who has the real case here is Dr. Aceves and I'm turning everything over to him.

You go ahead and call your silly attorney. I don't care. You play dirty, I'm playing by the rules.

I won't be dealing with you anymore. I'll let someone else take over. You can't even follow the rules of a simple message board. No wonder you write the posts you do.

It is absolutely and 100% false that you believe you can still eat anything you want and still lose weight.

Let me clarify. Right now you claim that you have no restriction.

So, you are eating everything you want without any regard to what a proper portion really should be?

How often are you eating "anything you want"?

Every meal?

Based on the fact you have a lap band you must have not been eating the most healthy options, am I right?

Well if you have answered yes to even most of those questions you are not going to lose weight. The band is not failing you, you are failing your band (so far).

Don't give up hope so easily. You have only been banded for not even 6 months. You got the band to 1) Lose weight and 2) be more healthy. You are not going to achieve this by continuously eating everything/anything you want. There needs to be a healthy balance in there. You need to think of healthier options to your favorite foods. Trust me, you can find some really awesome ways to cook the things you love most that will provide more nutrition, less fat, less sodium and eating only the right portion size. Too much of anything is not good for you.

Hang in there, this is in no way going to be an easy road. The band is not going to stop your decision making. It will only tell you that you are full faster and keep you there longer.

Also, a healthy balance is this... "Well, I've been really really good for a whole week! I've been losing steadily, I've been kicking ass on my workouts. I think I deserve a treat (whatever you want). I'm going to eat it without feeling guilty, but I'll make sure I'm not bingeing on it either..." That is a healthy balance. 95% Angel, 5% Devil.

I really hope this helps. I struggled too for a really long time. The band is a learning curve. Some learn immediately. Some like me take a really long time to figure it all out. It will happen for you though if you just stick it out, and also realize a healthy body does not come from unhealthy habits.

The whole point of having a band is to have restriction. NONE of us could do this without restriction, that's why we had surgery.

He's probably not going to lose weight until he does have restriction.

JFTR...

The "deleted" PM was something I did indeed write.

It was in response to an email sent to me by Sandy Johnston under one of her fake email addresses (same IP address as Sandy) telling me that if I did not quit writing what I know about Betancourt she would come up with fake death certificates and post them on every WLS board claiming my doc is a hack and she would do everything she could to destroy his reputation.

My PM was in response to her email to me and I stand behind my words.

I think this is a great example of how different surgeries can be right for different people. My roommate had gastric bypass six months before I was banded. Today, we have lost an equal % our goal weight. I started at 280 and am at 185. She started at 230 and is at 167. We both have a goal weight of 140. I am happy with my choice, I haven't had any complications, yet. She struggles with acid reflux. But she eats crap all the time, Oreos, chips, and bags of chocolates. I don't eat simple carbs or refined sugar. If i ate like her, I don't think I would be successful. She picked the right option for her and I picked the right option for me!

I am not sure your friend picked the right surgery type for her. In time she will stop malabsorbing to the same degree she is now and she will begin to regain. (

This is the position I would have been in if I had bypass the first time around. I would have been your friend. I would have eaten crap and let my surgery type do the work for me and at this stage in the game I'd be regaining.

I feel for your friend, if the band did anything for me it taught me that I can live without white carbs such as flour and sugar.

Good job on your weight loss!

The End of Overeating , it was published this year or 2008. He used to be ahead of the FDA and he is the same person that went after the tobacco industry. He says he is going after the restaurants and companies that make food addictive. He talked to big wigs at the companies and they gave him some secrets. Of course they wouldn't give names but you can tell who they are. They even take Water out of foods and put fat in to replace them. He gave an example of Chilis Southwest Eggrolls and how they make them full of sugar, salt and fat so we would crave them. I used to eat them all the time so it was ironic reading about it!

You know, this is exactly what I have been looking for all day today. I have literally spent most of the day today trying to find out what it is about fast food that is nothing short of addictive. I mean McDonalds doesn't even taste good, the restaurants stink... so why do people go there day after day?

Have you seen this?

There is no way any rational person would eat there again after seen that yet they do. They aren't rational anymore.

There has to be a chemical that's like a drug in these products for people to eat it knowing just how bad it is for the human body.

I'm going to order the book, thanks!

Just weighing in here...

Here are my statistics:

The band got me skinny.

I didn't know about the sleeve.

I have a sleeve-fund set up for **when** my band goes south.

I will ride my band till the wheels fall off.

I never know if/when I will be able to eat on a day to day basis. IF I can eat. I CAN EAT, if I can't, I can't. It is a PITA.

My band is my best friend and my worst enemy.

I encourage everyone do to the research into a sleeve.

I completely and totally understand the frustrations you are experiencing. I'm so sorry you are going through this. When a band goes bad it affects every single area of your life.

If you are having major band problems I wouldn't wait long to have it removed. I waited too long and have permanent problems because of it.

If you slip and an unfill doesn't do the trick they won't be able to do a revision in one surgery, two surgeries is much more expensive. If you erode... again, two surgeries. Then the weight gain while you wait for surgery #2 for revision.

If you are self pay don't wait, get it done as soon as financially possible.

I don't know who you are asking, shirley, but I am doing very very well. Today marks 3 weeks of eating healthy with no sweets. The book I got by David Kessler has been a god send. I am losing weight on my own with out the band. He says to have daily meal plans and stick to them. There was other helpful hints to of getting of the road of obsessive eating. He also talked about how the restaurants and food companies have specific departments to make the food addictive, and they know what they are doing but they rather turn a profit. Very interesting and enlighting book!

May I ask the title of this book?

Please post documentation stating that "other than Tijuana and Juarez, cities are just like they are here" You are basing this on what? Many, many cities in Mexico have had problems, including a great increase in Mexicali and even Cancun. In fact it is in almost EVERY city! The most important point of travel to Mexico is to be with someone that knows what AREAS to avoid in the cities.

Oh, btw... here is the US warnings about Mexico. Please note, TJ is listed in the warnings, Mexicali is NOT.

Mexico

This is dated June 30, 09.

Cheers.

Please post documentation stating that "other than Tijuana and Juarez, cities are just like they are here" You are basing this on what? Many, many cities in Mexico have had problems, including a great increase in Mexicali and even Cancun. In fact it is in almost EVERY city! The most important point of travel to Mexico is to be with someone that knows what AREAS to avoid in the cities.

Ahhh, Ms. Betancourt coordinator...

I invite you to check out the US, MX, and CA warnings for Mexico.

Mexicali is not on the list. But your flunky, non-board certified, wannabe surgeon Almanza IS indeed in one of the cities most warned about. Tijuana.< /p>

Aren't you also known as SkinnyPlease and all the other IDs that slam dunk Dr. Aceves? You thought I didn't know, I did. When I was Admin of VST I had tools. Tools to check IP addresses. Then I could prove what I know to be true.

You are all nice and professional under THIS ID. But when you post under fake IDs, you are your usual self and try to slam dunk the surgeons that are actually ... good.

Would you mind posting Dr. Betacourts Medical License? We would all like to see it.

Thank you... ever so much.

Please take the following post in the friendliest of contexts, please...

I left for a couple days and then returned cooled down and re-read much of the thread.

I then realized why I was so put off by one or more of the posters. Despite using a good measure of reason and facts they found it difficult at times to bring any people to their way of thinking that did not already agree with them.

Here is some good friendly advise I thought I would share so as to assist certain posters with their interpersonal skills...

First, as Dale Carnegie once asserted something like: if you want to win someone over to your way of thinking avoid criticizing, don't be condescending, and compliment sincerely when you can.

Much of the wordy posts were well constructed. However, there are several kinds of rhetoric you might want to stay away from...

For example, one of you claimed that...

However, sprinkled in with your facts, figures, and stats, I found, lo and behold things other than just facts and figures.

Here are some recent examples from their posts...

You might not have realized that this was condescending if the person was a noob, but if they were not then even more so.

The most charitable thing a person can say about this is that it is "flippant" and, again, condescending. Psychologists, Psychs, along with their "peer reviewed" studies indicates this type of comment makes your interlocutor entrench in their own position under these circumstances and will not be brought to your way of thinking. Avoid this kind of remark.

Presumptuous, unless you are in the mind of the poster you cannot know if they are being honest or not.

Presumptuous and condescending, my father's a doctor, my brother's a doctor, my sister is an RN and a head nurse, my niece is an PA, and have 2 best friends that are doctors. I'm a businessman. I know that, while doctors tend to make lousy businessmen, they know how to make money whatever procedure they perform. Moreover, I have a 146 IQ and am no idiot myself and RNs, PAs, and MDs are not mystifying to me and I don't consider them high priests but rather highly skilled professionals. I've known some health care professionals that are opposed to ANY kind of bariatric surgery. Should we take away their license? Your health care title can only take you so far. By the way, some nurses around here seem to have an unhealthy opinion of most doctors. I guess that's normal, though.

Now maybe this poster is an English major too and was simply applying more "facts and figures", but I'd rather think they were just making a good old fashioned "dig" at the other person. It might be a "fact" but it is not a fact related to bariatric surgery as far as I know.

Well, isn't this ironic. The poster of the highest statistical and "stick to facts and figures" order (and I mean that) has just made a statement based entirely on personal anecdotal experience and not backed up by "peer reviewed" studies. (chuckle)

These all seem more like "flaming" than "facts and figures".

It might have felt good to make these statements, but they don't convince people.

The bottom line point to all this is if someone does not like you, they will always be inclined to disagree with you no matter how much "sense" you believe you make. It's simple human nature.

I consider myself open minded, but I am not a masochist. I hope everyone out there with the "love-sleeve" considers some of my points.

Best wishes to all...

You have written a boatload of ... well, nothing.

I stand behind my posts.

When you have something of value to type, do let me know.

hi

i was completely unfilled today. i've been having issues eating sitting down since i was banded. it's pretty weird when i go out to dinner...i have to walk around to eat.

while i was losing weight i could deal with this....to do this the rest of my life seems a bit much.

i've considered the sleeve...but that is so new and i would like more long term success on that surgery.

last time i went to my doctor to explain this issue....he was a little flip with me. he said he never heard of this issue before.

so this time i asked to see his nurse. she was the one who figured out that i had pneumonia early on.

i guess my doctor was curious why i asked for her and not him so he came in instead and was soooooo helpful. (i actually love my doctor...he is really very good)

so we agreed to completely unfill to see if i can eat more easily. he feels i may be able to stay unfilled and maintain my weight. if i cant and i start gaining...i will go back and get filled under fluro.

i had my first meal sitting down tonight and it put me in such a good mood. i had chicken which i haven't been able to eat since being banded.

i really would like to keep the band and not undergo another surgery...

i still love my band and the life i've gotten back since losing weight. i was a prisoner in my own body.

josie

When I was banded I had to eat standing up as well. Then I had to go walking because I'd get stuck every single time. Even on Protein shakes.

I relate to what you guys are going through.

I was going for the band but after talking to the doctor we choose the RNY. The sleeve you really have to have a high BMI. I'm hoping my Ins pays for the RNY. The band seems to be right but after really talking about it we choose (I) choose the Y instead. You read about people being banded then going over to the Y. But it is really up to you really think things through you have to live with it. The Y they will put six wholes in you. It's not like before when they cut you open. Just think about it. Are you paying cash or ins? that can put some weight on what you go with too. Julie

You do not have to have a high BMI for the sleeve. You have to have a higher BMI for bypass than you do a sleeve.

I had my sleeve done with a BMI of 20.8.

Ugh, this is such a difficult decision...I have been obsessing over it for days!

You have some legit concerns.

I'm not really a fan of bypass. It's a great procedure for some, life saving for others. But I'm too irresponsible to take the supplements for the rest of my life. Also, many people do not realize they are not going to fully malabsorb forever. Usually they do during the honeymoon period of 6-18 months. But you'll always malabsorb nutrition.

If you are confident you can overhaul your eating behaviors and maintain exercise bypass is a great option.

Don't forget, the sleeve and DS also exist.

I was also worried about the possibility of needing chemo someday and not being able to get it with a bypass. The idea that the band was removable was comforting to me, not scary. I hope to never lose my band and it has been very good to me. I am hopeful that we will have a long happy life together, but if problems arise, maybe there will be something even better to try 10 years from now.

Cindy

Banding is actually one of the procedures one would not want to have with chemo. There is usually a lot of violent vomiting with chemo and the risk is a slip. During chemo people have very little immune system working and surgery to correct a slip smack in the middle of chemo would not be good.

TALK to your surgeon. Ask every question you possibly can think of. For example, does he stitch the band in place to prevent slippage? how many patients have had problems such as erosion (not just his patients, but overall)? You may find that they things you fear have very small percentage rates of occurrence.

Do you know of ANY surgeon who does NOT stitch the band into place?

Sorry, I'm not familiar with 5DPT...can you tell me what that is?

It's the 5 day pouch test. Originally meant for bypass patients but it works well for ALL WLS folks.

Two days of Protein shakes, two days of soft Proteins, 1 day of hard Proteins.< /p>

Gets you off the white carb cycle.

Less than 20gms of carbs daily. Gradually incorporate GOOD carbs. Cut out flour, sugar, Pasta, and potatoes.