VSG Tommy B

I had my lap band (nightmare) for two years, btw I had so many problems with mine. After one year i had to have it revised because it prolapsed and once it was done the doctor never refilled the band,but i continued to have many problems with it, not being able to take deep breaths, having the worst time ever just to get a burp out,& most of all the worst shoulder pain. I am truly thankful for yhe sleeve now down 15lbs 9days out! Good luck on your journey

Hi. I am in Raleigh too and am also planning on having VSG (revision from lapband) by Dr. Yoo. I will probably have it at the main Duke hospital because he is there on Fridays and I don't like Duke Raleigh. I wish he worked at Rex. I switched to Dr. Yoo for lapband care because I wasn't happy with the postop care of my lapband surgeon. So far, I love Dr. Yoo. He spent a lot of time working with me to try to get the lapband to work for me. Unfortunately, due to reflux, he can't tighten it to the point where I feel satiety and can lose weight so, when I see him next week, I am going to tell him that it is time to ask for insurance approval for the sleeve.
I am sold on Dr. Yoo's knowledge and bedside manner. Could anyone who used Dr. Yoo, please let me know how you felt about his surgical skills and postop support.
Thanks!

I am only 5 days out and traveling by car for 6 hours tomorrow. Doctor said no problem as long as we stopped frequently to walk.

Hey everyone,
I got revised from a band to sleeve on Wednesday late in the afternoon. All went well. I spent one night in the hospital, had some nausea and pain that has mostly passed. Now I am just a little uncomfortable and feel well enough that I could return to work (desk job) tomorrow if I really needed to.

I am having my revision tomorrow too. Due to having to work today, I had to do the colon prep yesterday and have been on Clear liquids only since then. Did anyone else have to do a colon prep? What's the point of it? Seriously, they leave the pyloric valve and don't touch the intestines. After thinking about that all day and feeling like I am going to starve, I found out that my surgery isn't til 2pm tomorrow! I will be on Clear Liquids without a functioning band or sleeve for over 48 hours. UGGGHHH!!!
On the positive side, I can't wait for the sleeve and the feeling of fullness I never got with the band (except for the tightness when the pouch was full, but the rest of the stomach was growling).

Thanks to all who reported good results. I was worried about this too.
I am having my band removed and sleeve done in one surgery in two weeks. My doctor has not unfilled my band.

Congrats Smokey! Glad to hear you are on your way. I had my pre-op appointments last week and get sleeved on Wednesday June 26th. I am so ready to get it done.

I'm not afraid of not feeling full at first. Later on, with no way to adjust is what I worry about.

I am glad to hear similar stories, I wish everyone luck. Even though I am scared I started my pre-op diet this morning. Wish me strength and health. Does any one know a band to sleever that has has restriction and weight loss long term after the sleeve? I would love to hear as success story :-)

I also loved my band and was successful until two doctors told me it had to be unfilled because I have reflux which was eroding my esophagus. Now I don't have any restriction and have gained a lot of weight back. That's why I am having the band removed and replaced with a sleeve on June 26, 2013. I am very excited, but very nervous that it won't work either.

Hello all! I've been reading the forum for the past couple of months, thank you all for the great advice and sharing your experiences. It's been very helpful and informative! I met with the surgeon a week ago today, my surgery date is June 26. Anyone else for June?

I started my liquid pre-op diet on Monday, and the first two days were BRUTAL. I tried a few Protein Shakes, but didn't like any of them. Really struggled to get them down and was starving! Then I saw a recipe on here for a "creamsicle" shake, tried it, and have actually enjoyed it (that's right - ENJOYED it!) for the past three days. Just mix a 1/2 packet of orange-flavor crystal light with 8 oz Water, then add a scoop of vanilla Protein Powder. Shake or blend well to get rid of all the lumps, and seriously - pretty darn good. I am planning to try this with some other crystal light flavors to see if I like them too.

Acid reflux prevented my doctor from filling me any more than 3cc in a 10cc band. This left me constantly hungry. Yesterday I received insurance approval for the revision. I did get denied originally, but wrote a short letter appealing that decision. The whole process took 5 weeks. Can't wait to get my surgery.

Yes I had my lapband removed and sleeve done in the same surgery and did not have a de-fill before surgery. The procedure went fantastic no problems at all.

I would like to thank everyone who posted on this thread. I appreciate all of the input and support.
I saw my doctor Thursday and my reflux looked so much better on the flouro that he put some more Fluid in the band. However, we both think a revision is necessary. When I mentioned that I thought he was pushing me towards RNY and wanted to discuss some of the plusses and minuses, he said that he actually thinks the sleeve is my best option and only mentioned the possibility of a later RNY revision so I knew the risks with the reflux. Now that the reflux is better, he is even more certain the sleeve is my best option.
He is submitting to insurance for approval on Monday. I am very excited, but also nervous (as is to be expected).
Thanks again everyone. Good luck to all of you!

Thanks Sunshine. I appreciate the input. I am glad to hear you are doing well and hope that you continue with no hunger and have an easy and speedy recovery.
Best wishes!

Shanked in prison...that's my go-to story!

My best friend is a crazy shallow guy (so vain in a lovable way lol). He is hot, knows it and wants everyone else to be too! lol But his ex had a VSG and he always said to me, "who cares about a few small scars... have you seen how hot he is?!" Lol Once you go through this and reach goal, you'll look better with a few small scars than you do now without them!! If you're worried about shallow guys, I'd worry more about being overweight and unhealthy than I would the scars!
And if you don't want to reveal to someone right away that you've had WLS, the gallbladder excuse would definitely work! Whenever I was asked about my incision scars from lap band, removal and replacement, I usually just deflected with a joke, saying, "Oh, that's from a knife fight. You should see the other chick." Which avoided a direct lie, and left open the option of revealing it later in the relationship once I felt comfortable.

Tom, the absolute best decision I could have made. Had my revision on September 10, 2012 after having the band for 5 years. We are all "virgin" sleevers and I lost my weight in a timely fashion: first 60 pounds in 4 months and reached my goal weight one day shy of 6 months. At 6.5 months now I have exceeded my goal weight and have lost a total of 80.4 pounds. You will know when you are full you literally can not eat another bite. I have had no vomiting, no sliming. I learned to eat slow and small amounts with the band so I think the transition was much easier than for someone who never had the band. I can eat all foods now(that I have tried) not like with the band. I am incredibly happy about my success and never thought I would meet this goal weight. The sleeve is miraculous. You will be amazed at how easy it will be to reach your goal weight that you have set out for yourself. You do have to follow your eating plan and eat right though for success. So many members here do NOT and then wonder why they don't lose or are gaining weight. Be smart about it and you will be successful. Good Luck!

I'm 4 months out from my sleeve (7 months from band removal and more than a year since my band had fluid) and am down 63 lbs.
I was REALLY hungry the first three months post-sleeve. Hungrier than I'd ever been with my band. But the past month, it has finally died down. My surgeon is convinced it is due to esophageal dilatation from the band, lots of damage. But it is getting better, and the hunger is manageable now. It seems that I pretty much skipped the sleeve honeymoon phase where people are hunger-free and went to what most people experience 6+ months post-sleeve.
I know I need to stop eating if I feel the need to take a deep breath before taking my next bite. I've slimed once and puked once. And those were both earlier on. Other than that, this has been a breeze (well, despite the hunger). I can tolerate ALL foods. Literally nothing is off limits.
I've found that I am most satisfied for the longest if I mix a few good carbs in with my meals/snacks. Straight Protein leaves me hungry sooner. I try to eat a healthy amount of fruits and veggies as well. I eat right around 1000 calories per day (I am not necessarily aiming this low - it's just where I land when I eat comfortably all day).
Best wishes!

I had my band 6 long frustrating years. And the past 30 days since my revision has been the best month ever. I have 0 hunger. Never believed that would happen. I have not puked since having the revision. Puked all the time with the band. I am only on the soft food part of my post op as of yet. However eggs don't scare me anymore. tuna doesn't scare me anymore. Get the picture. I had six years of torture. Learning how to eat around the band because it caused so many food intolerances. I love my revision. Best decision ever. And as far as not losing as much as a virgin sleever. News flash, we are virgin sleevers. I have lost 40 pounds since 2/11/13 and I only have 70 total to loose. It's up to you. Follow the rules and this surgery does what the band was supposed to do but now is recognized as not being able to do.
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A question I would ask is if you revise to the rny do you risk losing too much? If you only have a small amount to lose...
For me the sleeve versus band "Experience" are like night and day. Sleeve is alot better and i just don't have the problems I did with the band.