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Thanks for sharing! I have young kids and similar stats. Wondering how recovery/child care will be!

So I think that this might be slightly controversial and different surgeries have different approaches. My surgeon is at a top teaching hospital, bariatric center of excellence and placed my band in 2007 (also 8 years ago). I went to him to discuss the revision and he told me that although some surgeons do it in one procedure he doesn't because he feels that overall the sleeve surgery is low risk but doing it as one procedure (the revision) doubles the low risk and although the risk is still very very low of a leak to him, it is unacceptable to unnecessarily raise the risk. I was quite disappointed because I have young children at home and did not want to have 2 surgeries but I trust him and also feel like I don't want ANY even a slight increase in risk if it can be avoided. So I had the band removed about a month ago and am getting my sleeve in June. The band removal was really easy - I was home by 11am comfortable resting in my bed. I was slightly groggy from the anastesia for a few days but within 3 days I was in the park with my kids and completely back to normal within a week. Now a month later I have zero pain (was sleeping on my port side within 2 weeks). Now I am very happy that I separated the procedures because the band removal was so easy and I can just prepare myself for the sleeve without the worry of recovering from the band removal (port pain) while dealing with the recovery of the sleeve (whatever that will be)! BTW - my band was in for 8 years too, I also did great with it and my surgeon said that the adhesions were not bad at all.

Actually this is a picture of me 1 day before my surgery! I am a revision so I got my Lapband unfilled December 2014 and gained 15 pounds from December to May! The Lapband worked wonderful for me until I developed GERD, so hoping to get those 15 pounds of with my sleeve have to say tho I am very conscious with eating natural healthy foods and I do hot yoga 3 times a week, still managed to gain 15 pounds being careful! I've already lost 10 in the week post op! So almost there! Same here. I lost 110 lbs back in 2007. 8 years and 2 kids later I'm almost up to pre-band weight. Band was out in April and I immediately gained 5 lbs! Ugh. 6/30 is my date assuming insurance doesn't give me a hard time!

I'm only in liquids for one week post op. After that puréed.

I am following you because I had my band removed in April and am getting my sleeve at the end of JUNE! I love that you are sharing your recipes - how do you make garlic Water? Also - which Ninja did you buy?

June 30th hopefully! So close enough.

What was your approval process like? So confused because I had to have band out last month and nobody told me that I can't gain weight!!! Reading these posts I am worried because I gained a couple since my band was removed. Surgeon always does 2 step process but never mentioned weight gain. Nervous! Final appointment Monday! I have Aetna also and am in nyc.

This is what I was hoping to hear! I think I was pretty shocked by surgery in general and much more prepared for the removal.

I agree that this is the best option. I had a similar situation once. I had two surgeons performing two procedures on me during one operation even. One was covered and one was not. The hospital billed the in-patient care, the covered surgery and the anesthesia to the insurance company for what was covered and this was the most expensive part. The only portion I had to pay was the surgical fee for the second surgeon. The only thing I do not know is what would happen if there were complications from your bariatric surgery. Also after care might be very expensive… Things to ask the bariatric surgeon.

No you are awake. You stand in front of an X-ray machine and drink barium.

Hi All, I am trying to figure out my plan for the summer (hoping to get my surgery in late to mid June). My kids are 3 and 5. The 5 year old will be in camp until 4 each day and the 3 year old will be in camp until 1 each day. My husband will take them to camp but will not be able to pick up most days. I guess that I need to hire a babysitter for a few weeks to pick up and care for both kids after camp? Does anyone have a sense of how long I will need the help? Thanks!

Hi All, Last week I had my band removed in preparation for getting my sleeve in a few months! I have had my band for seven years. The last three years I did not find good restriction and gained a ton of weight. I assumed that meant that my band wasn't working whatsoever to help curb hunger or restrict food intake. After recovering from anesthesia my hunger returned with a vengeance that I hadn't felt in years! I was surprised and forgot about this…. another observation is that after having my kids 3 years ago I became a sweets person. This past week, while I am very hungry, I have gone back to my pre band habit (already) of eating larger quantities of non-sweet food and not eating so much sweets. FYI - I was very successful with the band losing over 100lbs before the problems started.

Hi All, I am relatively new here but I had my band out recently in preparation for a sleeve in a few months. I found lap band talk very helpful when I lost 100+ lbs with my band before the trouble started (as it seems to). When I had my band surgery I was clear that there was no long term data on the durability of the band but I took that risk. I know that the sleeve hasn't been done for that many years as a stand alone procedure (not part of the DS) but as I look through the posts I don't see many posts from people who are more than a couple of years out. Do we think that this because they have moved on with their life and don't need the support of this board too much or is it because they have regained? Does anyone know sleeve patients in real life who are many years out? Like 5+? I know that obesity is a life-long problem and I will have to be constantly vigilant. I also feel confident that I can make the sleeve work and lose the weight I need to -- I am so concerned about regain and I was hoping I could have some input from you all about that. My body loves to gain weight as evidenced by the rapid weight gain every time my band was loosened and then removed.

Thank you! Anxiously awaiting my date. Hopefully will find out at my next appointment in May! Hoping for mid - late june but would be ok with very early July. Do you have kids? How did you do with the recovery taking care of them if you do?

I am glad you had the surgery the way you wanted it and it looks like you have had great success! Just to clarify - I didn't think the risk was "high" with the all-in-one procedure only slightly higher than with a 2-part. Also, although I am very eager to get my sleeve I liked recovering completely from the band removal first because the port removal hurts! - as you know! I have had MANY surgeries and I don't think that the risk of anesthesia in an otherwise healthy patient is not very high. Perhaps I am mistaken about that but I wanted to respond with that so as not to scare people out there! The risk with the sleeve as I understand it is primarily a leak (if you look at the data). At the risk is not very high if people follow the surgeon's directions. There is a very very small increase in risk of leak because of scar tissue which I wanted to avoid. I guess I am risk adverse!

My surgeon does a ton of revisions and is at a "center of excellence". He told me that the band removal is extremely low risk out patient. The sleeve is relatively low risk like .1%. If you do both together the risk doubled to like .2% and although is still low he doesn't like to increase on a very low risk procedure even slightly. I am ok with this and agree. I have 2 very young children at home who depend on me and want the most conservative plan. Also I think the band removal is the most painful part and it is nice to separate out the painful from the nausea/restriction issues.

My surgeon is making me wait a few months. He said the sleeve and band removal are alone very low risk and he prefers to not increase the risk even slightly. He is very good and very conservative and that was ok with me.

I JUST had my band removed 1 week ago and while i am fully active there is a ton of pain at the port site. Also my energy is not where it should be even though I'm on a regular diet. I hope you feel better soon! I think the removal of the band is a hard recovery!

Ooch does that hurt! Other than pain I am battling went very smoothly and surgeon said my stomach wasn't in such bad shape for having band in for 8 years! Waiting a few months before sleeve surgery!

Any suggestions for an affordable blender which is easy to clean? Don't expect to use it long term because nutritionist doesn't recommend caloric liquids after first month or so!

I am relatively new here. Sorry that this is so long. I am starting the process of revision. I met with my surgeon who is great and told him that I wanted the band removed and probably convert to sleeve. I was extremely successful with the band and lost 100% of my excess body weight about 8 years ago and maintained for 3 years. I had two babies and due to severe morning sickness had to take 1/2 the Fluid out my band for each. For the first pregnancy I gained a ton of weight (70lbs) but lost all of it but 20lbs within a year before I got pregnant again. After the second baby (3 years ago) I have not been able to lose weight at all. I am now almost up to my pre-surgery weight. I have been struggling with the past 2 years with fills - my upper GI showed mild enlarged esophagus which returned to normal when fill was removed. Bottom line I realize now that the only way that the band worked for me so well was when it was extremely tight and it controlled my hunger. I don't think that this was o healthily and I don't think I can do this anymore without irritating and enlarging my esophagus. I prefer the sleeve over the bypass because I think restriction works well for me. I asked my surgeon about the esophagus problem and he said that it was being caused by the band and should not be a problem with the sleeve since my enlargement is very mild. I had an endoscopy and the GI doctor said the same thing - that I am in good shape and there is no reason for me not to have the surgery. Can someone explain to me why you do not get an enlarged esophagus with the sleeve? I do not understand the mechanics and I don't have another appointment with the surgeon for a month. Also can someone explain what it feels like to be full with the sleeve? With the band I got a painful feeling. When my esophagus was enlarging I was able to eat a lot and it sort of felt like it was in my throat. Does this happen with the sleeve? I am worried that I am "used" to the feeling of food in my throat and the sleeve will not work for me. I am probably being neurotic here! I want to state also that I completely trust my surgeon and he is world renowned at a top teaching hospital in NY. I just want to understand how this works! The surgeon said the sleeve is the way to go for me over the bypass. Thanks!

I am relatively new here. Sorry that this is so long. I am starting the process of revision. I met with my surgeon who is great and told him that I wanted the band removed and probably convert to sleeve. I was extremely successful with the band and lost 100% of my excess body weight about 8 years ago and maintained for 3 years. I had two babies and due to severe morning sickness had to take 1/2 the Fluid out my band for each. For the first pregnancy I gained a ton of weight (70lbs) but lost all of it but 20lbs within a year before I got pregnant again. After the second baby (3 years ago) I have not been able to lose weight at all. I am now almost up to my pre-surgery weight. I have been struggling with the past 2 years with fills - my upper GI showed mild enlarged esophagus which returned to normal when fill was removed. Bottom line I realize now that the only way that the band worked for me so well was when it was extremely tight and it controlled my hunger. I don't think that this was o healthily and I don't think I can do this anymore without irritating and enlarging my esophagus. I prefer the sleeve over the bypass because I think restriction works well for me. I asked my surgeon about the esophagus problem and he said that it was being caused by the band and should not be a problem with the sleeve since my enlargement is very mild. I had an endoscopy and the GI doctor said the same thing - that I am in good shape and there is no reason for me not to have the surgery. Can someone explain to me why you do not get an enlarged esophagus with the sleeve? I do not understand the mechanics and I don't have another appointment with the surgeon for a month. Also can someone explain what it feels like to be full with the sleeve? With the band I got a painful feeling. When my esophagus was enlarging I was able to eat a lot and it sort of felt like it was in my throat. Does this happen with the sleeve? I am worried that I am "used" to the feeling of food in my throat and the sleeve will not work for me. I am probably being neurotic here! I want to state also that I completely trust my surgeon and he is world renowned at a top teaching hospital in NY. I just want to understand how this works! The surgeon said the sleeve is the way to go for me over the bypass. Thanks!

@@Band07 - thank you for your feedback. I will ask my surgeon the questions you raise. Where did you get your surgery done? @@liannatx thank you for your input as well! I am looking forward to watching your progress! I hope it works out as we both want it to! I am the same weight you were at surgery although I am a little taller. What is your goal?

Thank you LSF! This makes me feel better. Your esophagus explanation makes sense and I think this is what the surgeon said.

I am doing a 2 step revision. How long and how painful is the removal? Will presenting at a conference one week later be possible? Thanks!