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That was fun!!!!!! I got to the hospital and they were all ready for me! This part was just like the banding surgery in March. This is the tale of what happened next! First of all what is a Port Revision? Most of you already know but for the few who do not......it is when there is a leak in the port itself or the tubing going to the band! It is possible for the port to be damaged when the Doctor is doing a fill or adjustment. When there is a leak the doctor must go back in thru the belly button and fix the leak or replace the port. He finds the leak or problem with the port with a dye that is put into the port/tubing. This is all done with a local anesthesia so you are awake the whole time they are working on you and what ever is broken gets fixed, done, it was really quite fun......but then you hear the words of the Doctor, "Cheryl, The port has detached itself from the tubing and the tubing has gone up inside of you and I can not get it without doing it laparoscopically!", okay cool here we go on a nice trip to who knows where for a little while, I told them all night night and thanks for the great job and out I went! I woke up in the middle of a cartoon version of The Road Runner, it was really funny! I only had to stay at the hospital for a few hours, then I went home. So now today, it is almost the same as when I came home from the initial banding! I have three cuts from the laparoscopic part and the belly button cut! A bit sore today, feels like a Mac truck rolled over me a couple of times. BEST OF ALL!!!!!!!!! even though I am only on liquids, RESTRICTION, SWEET RESTRICTION! Oh how great it feels to have my old friend back in my body! Doc Feiz gave me a fill yesterday also just a little one. I can not say this enough, This young Doctor Feiz is amazing, kind, caring and very very special. Even my husband thinks so! So now back to loosing the tons and back to eating small portions. Just a side note! I was without any restriction for over 2 weeks, I ate a little more in portion size then with restriction and officially at the hospital yesterday I had only gained 2 pounds which I am sure is already gone with being on the liquids! This says to me that even with my band not being tight, I stayed in control of my hunger, the band was still doing its job, I still one night got food stuck eating too fast! I love my BAND!

I had a revision surgery from sleeve (2012) to gastric bypass Jan 29 2018. I am on a liquid diet until I see my surgeon on the 14th. With the sleeve, I didn’t feel hungry at all after surgery and was barely able to drink. But with this surgery, I am starving!!! It’s such torture cooking for and watching my fiancé and kids eating and not being able to have anything but liquids. It’s been such an emotional battle for me and I find myself literally crying over it. Am I the only one or has anyone else gone through this? Thanks!

Hi, I am six days post op and feeling okay (except a little dizzy). I still have over a week of liquid diet let per doctor's plan--- but getting so sick of the sweet protein shake options. I have ordered a bunch of protein soups. Hope everyone one in August is doing well!

@kiki52 And good luck to you also! I can't imagine two slippages. This experience has been really painful but I'm happy it's out and looking forward to the revision. I'm not as concerned with how fast I lose either. I just don't want to feel sick and in pain every day which is why I'd like to understand from others what the physical feeling has been between the two. I've gathered from my research and conversations with my dr. that I won't go through the same complications. Fingers crossed!

My doc used to do band removal and then wait for healing and do sleeve. Now if at all possible he does the removal of the band and the sleeve in the same surgery. He said it seems easier on the patient then 2 surgeries and he can usually get the band out pretty fast. My surgery was 3 hours. There is no way I was going to have it in two surgeries. I was only wiling for them to do their best to do the revision in one. And thankfully that is how it went.

Hi and congrats on taking the steps to a healthier and better you. The sleeve is a wonderful and I absolutely love life post-op. As for your questions, I'll answer honestly and openly as I can. 1) I am a smoker. Smoking inhibits healing, and can cause ulcers. Not only that, it increases your risk of a leak due to hindering healing of the staple line. My surgeon knew my smoking status, but I didn't quit pre-op. Could it have contributed to the fact that I did have a leak, yes, but the biggest issue in my recovery and leak issues was because I had a band first that destroyed my stomach tissue. Smoking also complicates anesthesia recovery. Your abdomen is sore, causes more coughing and I had to use a spirometer to help prevent pneumonia. That really sucked because coughing caused major discomfort. I have quit twice since surgery, and am now trying to quit again. I actually went on Wellbutrin to help with the withdraws of nicotine as the patch, gum and cold turkey make life with me pure hell. 2) I had a huge panel of labs, a chest xray, psych eval, and consult with a nutritionist. Some surgeons require an upper gi and sleep study. 3) I didn't have a drain initially. A lot of surgeons use drains to make sure there is no leak, and some pull it before discharge, some require it stay in for about a week. I only had drains due to the leak repair surgery, and they stayed in for over 2 weeks. 4) I was not catheterized for my revision. I urinated before surgery, and was dry when I came out. 5) hair loss can happen to anyone that goes through surgery. It's a pretty normal occurrence. There is absolutely nothing you can do to stop it. It's a combination of anesthesia, surgical stress, and rapid weight loss. I lost hair for about 3 months, and I lost half of my hair. Luckily, I had super thick, coarse hair and no one that didn't know me before never guessed that I had lost all of my hair. The only thing you can do pre-op and during your recovery is to take hair/nail/skin supplements to help with regrowth. Biotin is usually the one most people choose. I didn't do anything to help with regrowth until I started losing. I used Folicure extra care shampoo. I started having new growth pop in while I was still losing. Currently, I look like a chia pet, and have chopped my hair off, layered it and bleached the top to help hide some of the new growth. I kept the back and underneath dark to help give the illusion of depth and volume. Unfortunately, hair loss seems pretty inevitable. There's several patients on this board that got in there Protein and extra protein, and they lost more hair and lost it for a longer period of time than I did, and I didn't get in my protein until I was on soft solids when I could eat chicken and other meat. My main advice is make sure you can handle the mental and emotional aspect of this surgery. It's a huge change, and no matter how much you read or talk to people will you really grasp it all until you go through it. I truly believe going in positive, and upbeat helps. Find strength within yourself, and know that you are doing something absolutely fabulous for yourself and your family. Know that recovery can be difficult, you'll be tested, you'll be exhausted, you might be mad at yourself especially during the post-op diet, but all of that is just temporary. Questions to ask your surgeon: What size bougie do you use to make the sleeve? What are your leak/complication stats? What are your expectations of my weight loss? Do you provide follow up care, labs, access to a nutritionist and psych if needed post-op (especially since you'll be self-pay find out what all is included in that cost)? Do you prescribe an acid reducer such as Prilosec, Prevacid, Nexium to protect the sleeve, how long should I be on it? Post-op diet instructions? Pre-op diet instructions? How many sleeves have you performed? How many bariatric procedures have you performed? How long is the hospital stay? Leak tests, how many and when are they performed? That's all I can think of right now. Best wishes on your consult, and if you need anything ask away. We'll all be here for you through this journey.

I'm getting the band removed rather than revised because I've had problems with slippage before. I've emptied than refilled twice and I was faced with removal or revision. I refuse to put myself through the emotional toll again and there would be a possibility that slippage may occur even after revision. I also fell that my body is negating the band.

I'm getting the band removed rather than revised because I've had problems with slippage before. I've emptied than refilled twice and I was faced with removal or revision. I refuse to put myself through the emotional toll again and there would be a possibility that slippage may occur even after revision. I also fell that my body is negating the band. [/quote [b]I think you hit the nail on the head with that one phrase EMOTIONAL TOLL..... our intuition is often negated by those that are supposed to be helping us ( the doctors) They so often make us feel like were crazy (were not) band problems DO occur, it's documented. and for that reason REVISIONS occur. DON'T BLAME YOURSELF!! Thank you so much for sharing your experience.[/b] I WISH YOU LUCKY in your new journey

This my beginning to LB revision to ByPass. I will be having surgery on May 7th too, I hope. I had an abnormal EKG and this may postpone my surgery date. Has anyone had an abnormal EKG and if so did you get clearance fast. I will see the Cardiologist tomorrow and I am praying for good new both ways.

We're very similar, except I never had issues before the surgery. I could eat virtually anything and my stomach was fine. I am 4 months post-op. Now the acid churns whenever I eat anything. Some days my voice is hoarse by 10am. I used to love spicy foods. Now they burn all the way down because my esophagus is irritated. I am now on prescription Prilosec 2x/day plus Tums as needed. My surgeon is already considering a revision to bypass, but the insurance company wants to try to control the acid with medication for 6 months first. One thing to be aware of - when PPIs first came out, they were considered safe for long-term use. Now the recommendation is for 6 months or less. So, those of you who are on PPIs might want to research this.

Wow, I just found this thread and I'm surprised at all the sleevers that have had problems with bile reflux and esophageal spasms. I've been posting since 10 months post op about these horrid pains and spasms. I was post op 2 years on May 21. At the time of posting, I couldn't find anyone that was having them. I've been putting off getting bypass for several reasons. Number 1 being my husband has terminal liver cancer and was given 6 months in January at the age of 48. So my days are filled with taking care of him and that is how I want it to be. Losing the love of my life is the hardest thing I've ever faced and seeing the physical deterioration is traumatizing. Since he was diagnosed I've gained 20 pounds back. I lost 128 and was 168 and now am 188. I'm so scared I will gain back it all. Recently I've been taking Dexilant for the reflux and levsin for the spasms which definitely helps. I'm just so scared to have the bypass and go through another surgery. Especially,since it will be without my husband because he isn't going to make it. I was self pay for the sleeve because my insurance excluded weight loss surgery. I will have another policy on July 1st but it too excludes weight loss surgery but I was wondering if anyone was approved for bypass because of acid and bile reflux, spasms and gastritis? I would love to hear from all of you that revised and honestly are you glad you did this? I know the spasms are so painful that revising would be welcomed but I'm still scared. Reason is you can get ulcers years and years out and not know you have them because you don't feel the acid anymore. I know of two people that passed away with ulcers. Not mentioning any names because one was family of a friend and the other I just heard about. Hope all is well with everyone that revised. I don't know when I can even think about this. My surgeon has been trying to get me to do this for a year. I'm so sad and heartbroken. Just exhausted. My husband was in the hospital all week last week and now has a picc line which Home Health is going to be helping me with. Hospice isn't an option with me because they want to take away his fluids and meds and dope him up until he dies. Not happening. Only God will say when it is time for him.

@@jamiep5 I understand your concern. Your story is very similar to mine. I just had my sleeve (done in 2010) revised to the bypass and I was 190lbs. I was terrified of dumping, rapid weight loss, and severe vitamin deficiency. I just had my bypass on 5/16/14 and I am doing well as far as food tolerance. I don't know if it's my sleeve helped with that. I am scared to hinder weight loss because I've already done the whole food progression before and I know what hurts and what doesn't. Lmk how yours is going!

Thank you for the reply, I'm sorry to hear that your insurance company wouldn't cover your surgery. My insurance company's issue is that since I was self pay, they have no way of knowing if my band was medically necessary. I was 277 lbs at the time with a 40 BMI and sleep apnea. I would have qualified if I had gone through insurance but I didn't have to because I had the funds to pay cash due to an inheritance. The insurance company says if the surgery wasn't medically necessary that they would consider it to be cosmetic and they do not cover complications from cosmetic surgery even if those complications are life-threatening. So as it turns out, I may have to prove medical necessity for a surgery that I had five years ago in order to get it reversed and then quite possibly, have to reprove medical necessity to get the revision to the sleeve. They're making me crazy!!!!!!

Yes, I'm the same as you!! I didn't lose all my weight with the sleeve as well and I'm hoping I end up losing just as much, if not more. I agree that if it was an amazing loss, you'd remember. Haha! But man, I hope it works out for you. If you are in the States, you could also try Ozempic, Wegovy, or Mounjaro or something? Idk. This is what I'm seeing going around the revision fb groups and people are having crazy success. However, I think most regain once they're off of it. Hmmm, yeah.. It does seem like converting might be the better option but I'm no doctor. Everything else just seems like a quick fix, you know? How long does she want you on it?

I will only say that mothers always worry about their babies no matter what!! Mom was afraid for me to have WLS both times--I considered both surgeries lifesaving. The first surgery was gastric bypass 10 yrs ago that began failing me about 5 years ago. It took all this time to get OKd for revision to sleeve. I just think you need to be headstrong in doing surgery for YOU and YOUR HEALTH. Then once you have surgery, education about your new lifestyle, nutritional needs, etc. is in order--be the proof in the pudding for them and their doubts. If they see your efforts openly, my guess is they will be grumbling under their breath, "Why didn't I believe her???" Fear and doubt does strange things to people--typically those we are closest to--namely, our moms!! Good luck with everything, and I will be praying for good things happening with your surgery and your family. :DRonda

I am about to turn 57 and had my surgery almost 23 years ago. I have given birth to three children and stayed thin the whole time. I started at 250 and settled at 125 ( I’m 5’4.5” and that made me a size 0 or a 2) When I was done having my last child I settled back at 155, still wildly successful. When I entered into perimenopause, it became a fight to keep my weight off and I kept fighting. And then now through full-blown menopause two years since I’ve had menstruation, I’m almost as big as I was when I started. I’m wondering if there’s any help in this situation. Any doctors who will look at a revision I guess or make some practical suggestions. I have changed my eating, habits a dozen different ways to try and bring everything down but it’s like it was before, the weight loss is nearly impossible. I can get it down sometimes but then it comes back and it never goes down more than 30 or 40 pounds. I regularly get my hormones checked and I’m on progesterone and testosterone. My estrogen is always fine or even high. Looking for optimistic ideas. Thank you in advance for your suggestions.

My slip symptoms were: back pain, not being able to eat solids, having trouble getting liquids down and bad heartburn. The only sure way to tell if your band has slipped is to have your doctor check it under fluoro. I had to pay $3500 for the revision surgery in Mexico, plus $250 for the endoscopy. Good luck Myra! I'm thinking positive thoughts that your band has gone back into place.

If you're located near Dallas. Have you tried Kim's Bariatric? They did all the paperwork for me, an on appeal, my revision was approved. I didn't have any health issues except high blood pressure. My insurance is BCBS of Texas too.

I had lapband in 2008 was 305 went down to 170 in 9 months. Kept it off for 6 years then my band eroded in oct of 2013. I was revised to bypass in May 2014 but had to gain weight to meet the criteria to have the bypass. Day of surgery I was 245 on May 21, 2014. I am at 189 now still have 19 left to get back to my optimal weight but it's coming off ????

Yes it’s the same insurance company. They have a revision clause for failure but I have to prove that failure wasn’t due to not following diet and exercise as prescribed by my doctor.

Or at least an upper gi. Michelle Post op revision band to bypass 9-28-17 Sw 276 Day of surgery 252 Cw 248 Goal Healthy BMI 154.

Well what happened to me was that I wanted the sleeve, but i had severe GERD and my esophagus was already hurt because of it, so my Surgeon advised me against it because I most likely would have to get a revision. This was not what I was expecting but I didn't want to risk going through this surgery twice. Today I'm almost two months post op and really happy with my RNY. So you do your research and make your own decision but also listen to your doctor's advice because they know better.

I am excited and nervous I complete my last part Of my insurance necessity's Today and then I just have to wait for a surgery date. I had my band placed back in October 2008 and have been having complications with it and weight gain since The end of 2011. I now have my two insurance to help cover all costs! Can someone please let me know if they had lots of nausea with the band and if you have more or less with the sleeve???? Tell me your stories about what the biggest differences please I crave information!!!!

Hey there folks. My name is Will. I'm 35 years old and In 2015 I had the gastric bypass sleeve. I have not lost the weight with that that I wanted to or hoped to. I have contacted a surgeon in my TN area and am going to the pre surgery seminar tomorrow night. Then I have my appt with the head nurse and surgeon on Friday. I'm hoping that he will say I can qualify for the bypass. I'm not happy with my current situation. I'm having stomache pain and discomfort and a lot of diarrhea. Any thoughts or comments would be greatly appreciated Thanks Will

Dee, revising from the band to the sleeve was the best thing I ever did! I have had so much more success and love it!