Search the Community

Hi I am considering revision surgery from lap band (which has been loosened and is now unfilled for 12 months) to gastric bypass. Unfortunately, I appear to have put on about 25 kg in 12 months. I'm hoping some people can give me some suggestion on what their estimate (IN AUSTRALIA) of out-of-pocket expenses for revision surgery was. I'm being quoted about $8,500 out-of-pocket despite having top hospital cover. Does that sound about right for revision surgery? I've had the band since about April 2015 but have developed a pouch above the band and have ongoing indigestion. Did eventually go from 129 kg to 84 (but from 100 to 84 too a LONG time as I like liquid calories; now want to know how much and how soon. My old surgeon is still around but my daugher-in-law had gastic bypass and was only out of pocket 3,000. Oh my god it is all so expensive. Thanks cher

I developed GERD with my sleeve. Had the sleeve for just over 3 years before having revision to bypass in dec 2020 and Couldn’t be happier now. Since the bypass, no more symptoms of GERD at all :) and weight loss has been so much more consistent for me this time so far Good luck on your journey :)

I understand how you feel...helpless and frustrated. When I had gastric sleeve surgery on 2/13/2014, it was in Tijuana (cost was less that $5,000 at the time)! This was because of insurance denying my initial attempt (I wasn't going to appeal since my health was in jeopardy. Now I need a revision to gastric bypass, I kinda expect the same response. Of course, now with COVID, Tijuana is high risk, if I was allowed to go and it was safe. But do not give up, nothing will change if you stop trying. Pain stopped me from working in October 2018, and due to lots of meds, I have gained almost all the weight that I lost, and kept off over five years. I share your frustration-let's keep going until we get what we need!

Immediately !! I coughed that whole first night after surgery and kept my roommate up it was so bad. I ended up having a revision 11 months ago because of esophagitis D and a hiatal hernia. I was afraid of getting the bypass too but as far as weight loss and maintaining it has been much easier. I honestly liked the sleeve better because of the restriction and being able to eat all foods, but the flip side of that was I constantly had to watch my weight and struggled just to stay around 170. I was 180 the day of my revision and this morning I weighed in at 150.8. This is the lowest I have ever been and usually maintain 155 to 159 with no stress. I had a temporary crown put on 2 weeks ago and dropped 8 lbs because I am not getting the food I usually eat because of pain. I go in on Monday for the permanent crown and am sure my weight will bounce back up. lol Good luck to you and whatever surgery you choose.

My weight loss is also VERY slow 22lbs in the 3mth Post surgery sw was I've spent hours trawling through the Internet trying to workout the biochemistry/cellular physiology of what exactly happens during a stall ( I lost a few pounds over the first month but then stalled for 3 weeks) How can intake be 600 kcal and enough protein but no weight loss ... right !!! Measuring was the only thing that convinced me something was happening (7 inches from my waist and 1 inch from my hips!). OR maybe you could be on track for a Nobel prize for groundbreaking research on the revised laws of thermodynamics!!!!! How far out post op are you? And what was your surgery weight? ( it factors in as well) IT WILL IMPROVE . it has too! All the best

Hello i will be travelling from Canada to Mexico. My revision surgery is also scheduled for May 26th! I will be going to Limarp which is where I had my vsg in 2018. They were great. have to say not looking forward to the extra 3 night quarantine hotel stay when I land back in Canada and then another flight to get all the way back home.

I live in Middle TN but had a revision surgery and had to do it in Knoxville. My surgeon was Dr. Stephen Boyce and he was great. I'm now 2 months post op and doing pretty well. Some foods just taste awful. Dr. Boyce is the only doctor I could find in the state who would convert my 1984 VBG into a R&Y. I highly recommend him.

Hi all. 9 years ago I had a gastric sleeve done by Dr Ariel Ortiz in Tijuana. I have since stretched out my sleeve and am looking into a revision. Has anyone had a revision through Dr Ortiz? Was it successful? Cost? Or if you used another Dr, would you recommend them? Was it successful? Cost?

Upper GI barium swallow shows esophageal dysmotility and it also found a hiatal hernia that the endoscopy missed. I can't find out much about the esophogeal dysmotility googling but the radiologist said I am either going to need revision to bypass or nissen fundoplication and that the hernia will need repaired. Waiting now to see what my surgeon says.

Glad it is working for you. My surgeon told me it had failed in a very high % of patients. All have not had revision or removed. For me I am just glad to be rid of the dadgum thing. Congrats on your success and continued weight loss.

I havent been losing much at this point nor do I want to. I lost 25lb more after the revision and have been maintaining it now for a good 6 to 8 months. I have noticed that if I dont eat a normal 3 times or more a day my weight will drop. I had a crown done a week ago and havent been able to eat on that side and dropped 7 lbs in a week!!! CRAZY

I can't speak for the OP, but most people who have this revision have it because of severe GERD.

I'm only 6 months post revision, so I'm not really sure if there is a honeymoon period like I heard about with the sleeve. I too have gotten below my goal and significantly lower than I ever got after VSG surgery. But I was overweight, not obese, at the time of my revision since the surgery was done for medical reasons, not for weight loss. I really don't know why I've lost so much weight, since I feel like my insides have been healed for months. I try very hard to eat healthy and I walk 5-6 miles a day. But I would be less than honest if I said I never ate sweets, snack foods etc. I haven't been actively losing weight for the past month (only lost 1.2 lbs. in the last 30 days). I think I'm actually in maintenance, which would be great if I can just keep doing what I'm doing and maintain! If it's a honeymoon, I hope it keeps going.

Went out to lunch with my sister for the first time eating at a restaurant since my VSG in Dec 2019 (had revision in Aug 2020 and a bowel resection in Dec 2020), so I was over ambitious to say the least. This is an after picture. I stole 3 small French fries from her and ate a bite of bacon off the salad. I think the melted cheese is what did me in. Next time I’ll order without the cheese. 😂🙃

I had bypass surgery October 2020, almost 6 years after I had the sleeve surgery. My revision was to resolve severe GERD, Esophagitis and Gastritis. I was overweight, but not in the obese range at the time of my bypass surgery. The recuperation for a revision appears to be very different from a "virgin" bypass and my original VSG. The biggest differences that I noted: 1.) no sense of restriction like I felt with the VSG 2.) I was hungry, unlike my total lack of hunger following VSG and 3.) I had very little pain after the revision compared to the pain I experienced after VSG. But everyone has different experiences and pain thresholds, so I can only speak for my post op experience. On a positive note, I've lost 47 lbs. since October and I feel great. But I could very, very easily "eat around" the bypass if I didn't make a conscience decision to eat healthy and exercise. Since weight loss is considered a ""complication" of my surgery, I am beyond thankful that I've been given this "do over".

I wish there was a study on WLS failures. Where everyone would be honest about what they did and didn't do to contribute to the outcome of their WLS (band, sleeve, GB, MGB, DS.. etc) whether good or bad. I know when I had my band place in 2009 band and BP were my two options. My bmi was 42+ at 5'2" 232lbs. Sleeve was the "new" wls and not much was known. I did however work with about 200-300 women for a huge corporation and I saw firsthand some of the successes and failures in some. My journey began with my co-worker and friend got the band. She did an amazing job and I thought this is for me. I had also seen a few that had GB and didn't want to go that route. I also had a few friends and a cousin that did GB and I saw their struggles. In fact, they have all gained their weight back. Now my friend Paula, was not a very compliant bandster, but her wife was (wife and I got the band the same day). The wife lost and did a great job. She still has her band. Paula doesn't. Paula also learned to eat around it and gained, then blamed the band for not working. She then revised to the sleeve, I don't think she has lost a pound with the sleeve (we are still great friends). My friend Tami at the time was the only person i know that had had the sleeve done back in 2008. She did an amazing job but is now about the same size she was when she started. What I'm getting at..... is all of the WLS have risks of "not working"........ but they all have the "ability" to work if worked properly. I'm new to the sleeve (8/28/19) I had my band from 2009-2017. I know that the stress of going through a divorce and the fact that I got a very bad case of a stomach virus caused my slip. Up to that day, I never had a day's problem. I never go reflex at all. I of course got stuck a few times, but once I got stuck on something, I didn't eat it again. I maintained my weight of 143lbs. At the time I thought I didn't need another WLS and that surely I learned how to eat and I could just eat like I was with the band..........I WAS WRONG.... with the band completely gone it was HELL.... I was so hungry all the time. I gradually re-entered bad foods that I could not eat with the band. I was back on the sugar train, and the carb train... and over the next 2.5 years I put back 30lbs. I was so disappointed in myself, depression was really bad, and I also started menopause. A few times over the years I thought to revise, but no one would because I "didn't weigh enough". So if I were to do anything, it would have to be cash. I started looking into Mex... and had decided I would go there. But I still didn't have the money. $9500 was not just sitting in my bank account....... As luck would have it, in May 2019 my divorce property settlement was done. I also found a dr. here 10 min from my work.... Yes, it was 14k, I figured I'd pay the extra to be right here..... So I took 14k of that money and invested it in me. That day I was 173lbs..... Today I'm steady at 120-123lbs..... Praying that God keeps giving me the strength to keep going and keep being healthy. In July I will be 53 and feel I'm in the best shape and health of my life...... BG (Chris)

I had mine for 10+ years and I lost about 80 pounds and mainly kept it all off but THE REFLUX after maybe 6.5 years of having it. Ugh. Crazy-bad. And it slipped once, which was just God awful. And I am pretty sure it was the cause of my hiatal hernia, which needed a MAJOR repair. I also know of several people who had enough of a food addiction that they were easily able to 'out-smart' the band. That being said, I thing until the addiction is addressed for these people, ANY WLS will ultimately end up as a failure... But, back in 2009, I was unwilling to get a bypass and VSG didn't really seem to be a 'thing' as far as I knew. At least that option was not offered to me. My surgeon tells me there are a several patients in his practice who absolutely love their band, even when it is giving them the same kind of problems I had with it and will not even consider removing/revision. So...go figure! Whatever works I guess

your experience is common. A lot of people (maybe most?) have had them removed and have revised to sleeve or bypass.

Hey there!! Question: I had a Lap Band revision to sleeve on 3/15/21 and never experienced dumping with my LB. What are the signs that you get if you feel like you are going to have a dumping response? TIA!!

I too had the God forsaken band when I was 49. I had revision to sleeve at 63...on 2/23 and wish I had done it about 12 -13 years earlier. You will not regret this decision. You will be able to eat some things with less trouble with the sleeve... just smaller portions. I work from home but had surgery on Tuesday and went back to work on Thursday...I could have gone back to work on Wednesday but had a 4 hour drive home. The only pain I experienced was on the day of the surgery and when I had my first BM post op (8 days later). I stayed so doped up in the hospital that I really didn't have much pain. Best decision I have made in a while. I am down 42 lbs since Jan 26th. Good luck...I am glad I did this.

I haven't had the revision, but it isn't uncommon. A few people on here have had it, so hopefully some of them will respond. The food plan is pretty much the same as it is for sleeve.

Hi! I’m new on here but I have a question. I had my sleeve done January 2020 and was very happy with my results and so glad I did it. I have lost 135 lbs and want to loose another 20-30 lbs more. Now being out 15 months I have developed heart burn, acidic reflux which at times is horrible. I have had heart burn in the passed but infrequently. The GI doctor has done an endoscopy and took biopsies plus stretched me as pills and food were getting stuck in my throat. Now I have this horrible pain after I eat anything like chicken, pork, fish and red meats. I don’t cook with spices, onion, or garlic. The doctor has given me different meds but nothing has worked. Right now I’m on Protonic 40 mg 2 times daily and Pepcid at night. I had an abdominal ultrasound which they found no gallstones but an minimally enlarged spleen. By the way had my gallbladder was removed 37 yrs ago. I was told by her nurse practitioner that the next step is to have a revision. Is this correct? Is there anything the GI doctor or Bariatric surgeon can do before this? Can anyone tell me about the revision? Does it hurt worse than the sleeve? Everything is basically the same as the sleeve except of course the surgery itself? Thanks in advance.

So I am coming up on my year revision from VSG to RNY and wondering about the honeymoon phase discussed in virgin surgeries. I am wanting to know if the honeymoon phase is different in a revision or the same and when it ends? I honestly didnt feel like I had a honeymoon phase with VSG I worked hard to get to goal that first year and I never felt like the weight just came off and it was hard to maintain, but with this revision everything seems so much easier and I am 20lbs lighter and not struggling to maintain like I did with VSG. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

You know.... i really don't know. but a very good question.... I do have a few that are doing ok..... one just revised to the sleeve and he is doing great.... down 100lbs

Hello, I am looking at scheduling my revision surgery. I will be travelling from Canada to Mexico and wanted to get some feedback from those that have done so recently during the pandemic and really recently with the mandatory 3 day hotel quarantine when you re enter Canada prior to continuing home for the rest of isolation? Any issues, what 'protein' did you bring. Anything hidden surprises or things you wished you had known. I am feeling comfortable with my decision for a revision and the Doctor but I am getting stressed about the added complications of the travel and the costs. Any advice/guidance would be greatly appreciated. I