Search the Community

I had the sleeve in 2011 and then got horrible acid reflux and the sleeve was stretched some. My insurance wouldn't pay for the revision to bypass so I got the mini gastric bypass but I'm one of the ones that didn't get rid of the reflux with that so now the reflux is even worse and insurance still won't pay to fix it so I'm going back to Mexico for my 3rd wls. I'm really not happy about that but I need the reflux gone! What I can tell you about a revision, for me anyway, after the sleeve I felt no pain and went back to work in a week. After the mgb I was sore and exhausted. I went back to work after 2 weeks but I was so tired. And the weight loss is a little slower than the first time.

You have a few options as a revision but only a surgeon can direct you after testing A reminder: This will be your 3rd WLS, if given the choice IMHO i would choose the most permanent one (DS/SIPS)

I had a lapband on 30 July 2007 and had it removed in 13 November 2007 due to slippage. In 21 November 2008 I had a gastric sleeve. The sleeve was not a true banana shape due to scar tissue. I started at 133 kgs and plateaued at 102kgs. In 2015 due to constant reflux I was diagnosed with a hiatus hernia around my port entry which has given me a permanent gap at the LES. Since then I had put weight on due to menopause, HRT and stress by 4 kgs. Then in June 2018 I had a mild stroke due to BP and now I am 116kgs. So options are to have sleeve revision with hiatus hernia fixed or gastric bypass. But I’m not sure of the complications about a bypass.

I had sleeve to bypass revision mostly for my gerd and hernia. But I never lost all of my weight with the sleeve either. I have managed to lose 35 pounds in the 8 weeks since my surgery. I feel like that is pretty good and not sure why so many people say that we won’t get great results with revision as far as weight loss goes. I am very happy with my progress so far. Good luck!

I had my sleeve done and a hiatal hernia repair in 2011 and reached goal in about 11 months. I lost 100 lbs and have kept it off ever since. Fast forward nine years and I have esophagitis, an esophageal stricture, another hernia, and crazy bad GERD. My surgeon has presented me with two options. Option one, keep my sleeve as it is, but partially cut through the muscles of the esophagus to ease the stricture and then fold some of the stomach inward (like rolling the top of a sock inside itself) to keep the acid in my stomach. Or Option two, convert to a RnY. I love, love, love my sleeve because afterwards I had no hunger. None. And it's still gone, I can go all day if I am busy without eating and only remember if I start to get lightheaded or cranky. So, people who lost their hunger with VSG and had to convert to RnY, did your hunger stay lost? If you were at goal, how much weight did you lose? My BMI is 22, I can't lose too much more. I am dreading another surgical recovery and those awful protein drinks, too. Thanks for reading!

I had a slipped lap band that had to come out and my surgeon said it was easier to revise to a RNY than a sleeve. Also I had GERD before my band, and the bypass is supposed to help alleviate GERD, where the sleeve sometimes causes it in some people. Also I had developed a "touch" of diabetes, and the bypass really helps with that. I went off metformin right before the surgery and now, only two months later, my hemoglobin A1C is normal!

Hi - I'm scheduled to have the RNY revision from Sleeve on March 13, 2020 in TJ Mexico. I'm curious to hear about what the weightloss after revision has been for those of you that have had it. I've tried searching but I'm not finding a ton on stats. I'm having the revision due to GERD and to continue losing weight. I have about 80 lbs to lose total after losing about 120 lbs with the sleeve. Here is my before (420 lbs) and after to date (306 lbs). Lowest weight was 279 which I'm trying to get back to by my surgery date.

Hi! ❤Being kind and gentle ❤ Congratulations on your success after WLS that lead to fertility. Sorry about the PPD, the joys of motherhood can be tricky sometimes But Revision may not be the focus right now. Keep that in your back pocket for emergencies only. Only your surgeon can tell if its necessary so see your Surgeon because they can definitely help but also consider support groups/therapy etc. Perhaps getting to the root of the gain will kickstart your ability to heal and continue on your journey. Plenty of people have losts gained and lost the weight again without additional surgery, so its always possible! Don't lose hope❤ Cheering you on (again)🎉

@soccermonster31 - Yeah, growing up in the 80's/90's there was a LOT of misinformation about weight loss and management. Eggs were terrible for you, white carbs were optimal for fat burning (lol), coffee was the devil, and margarine was soooo much healthier than butter! I'm not angry with my mom. I know she did the best she thought she could and probably thought she was saving me from obesity. I'd love to be support buddies! When do you plan on revising? It'll be a while for me - we're going to move in the next few months and I want to be settled in our new house before undergoing a surgery. For now I'm gathering information and planning to do a consult with a bariatric center in Indianapolis. Fun story: I got my lap band in December 2015 and the surgeon, without warning, shut down his practice in January 2016. I had to go to a bariatric center 50 miles away for my fills and counseling when I'd anticipated he'd be right there down the street whenever I needed something. My lap band did not have a great start, and I wasn't super impressed with the bariatric center I was referred to. Luckily I have some choices!

@ForMyBabies I want to address your questions because I recently had a sleeve revision (12.2.2019). First, I will say yes it is possible and I had a sleeve to sleeve revision with a smaller sleeve. I too had success after the first surgery in 2013 and then regained the weight, plus some for good measure. You talked about eating because you are depressed, feeling disgusted with yourself for eating, and then doing the same thing again because it is almost like why bother anyway. It is a very vicious cycle. I think the first time around I believed the surgery was sort of magic because the smaller stomach means eating less. That seemed simple enough, but the sad truth is the stomach is a muscle and can/will stretch to its original size or greater. However, I never dealt with the things that made me eat in the first place, including depression. I went back to the same surgeon, had many long conversations about the revision, and spent about two years working through some of the mental stuff because the bottom line is - as you said, the surgery is only a tool. Eight weeks post-op I still grieve for what I call my inner fat girl even though I still weigh plenty. I want to eat - EVERYTHING! I am not hungry, but I miss it - pretending I didn't care what people thought, or how much weight I gained. I just wanted to eat and had many reasons for overeating. For me, moving forward means dealing with the issues that makes me eat or want to eat in the first place. Every day I see something and wish I could eat it. Fortunately, right now my inability to eat stops me, but that will change. I need to be ready to deal with when I can and finding different ways to deal with the poorly adaptive behaviors that I used when I couldn't deal. In the long term, I have been advised that revision surgeries have even less success unless I am willing to work on it. I know statistically I am less likely to succeed, but I made a choice not to get on that table until I was ready to deal with the lifelong changes I will need to make to be successful. So far, I am beating the odds with 68 lbs down, but it is a daily struggle not to give in to my inner fat girl who wants the things that I used to think made me feel good. The reality is they never made me feel good and actually contributed to that vicious cycle of eating, feeling worse, eating that got me to nearly 400 lbs. If you decide a revision is for you, I can promise you it won't be easy. You will be confronted by your prior success and also by the gradual things that allowed you to regain the weight again. For now, it is one day at a time. My nutritionist gave me a powerful thought - food is only fuel. You need to eat enough fuel to get you to the next time you need fuel in the tank. I have 6 small meals per day 2-3 oz to get me to the next meal. My silent prayer is for lifelong sustained success in the future. The scale is a motivator but less pain and the ability to move more freely propels me forward. Only you can decide if a revision is for you, but you have to consider all the facts for you and decide from there. It took me over a year to decide to move forward and I had absolutely no pre-surgery weight loss requirements. One day I finally decided I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. I hope this helps. epicdreams

Hi all. This is my first post, so please be kind... I am 37 years old and had my sleeve surgery over 3 years ago. It was the best. I lost 150 pounds pre-surgery, and then lost about another 100 after surgery. I was so proud and happy and healthy. I had needed to lose weight for many reasons, but my main driving factor was the fact that I wanted children. So a year after my surgery, it happened. I had to have fertility treatment done, lots of shots, pills, and lots of stress. This, along with the medicine, caused me to gain some weight back. Maybe 30 pounds. I wasnt happy, but i felt it was necessary to become a mom. Then pregnancy happened and I was hit with brutal morning sickness. The kind that lasted all day and only was curbed by carbs. At least that is what I convinced myself. So I thought, okay eat what you need to, but after the baby comes, lose the weight. So I gained about 80 pounds. Yep...80 pounds. After I gave birth I was so disgusted with myself, and that coupled with my hormones and other issues, I spiraled out of control. I had debilitating PPD and ate myself sick. Then, with no treatment, I got pregnant again. This time I was determined not to gain more weight. But I failed. I had convinced myself that Iw as pregnant and I needed to eat for my unborn baby's sake. So now here I am, 2 kids later, and gained back 215 pounds. I am disgusted by myself and am miserable. I know how to lose the weight, i did it before, i just cant do it this time. It isnt working. I am never full. I am a ravenous animal. I eat because im depressed, then that makes me depressed, so i eat more. WTF Anyway, i feel like maybe if I met with my surgeon again and was forced to face him, and talk about revision, maybe that would give me a goal, give me hope, give me motivation. Tell me about revision. Is it possible? does it help? I know that revision will not make a world of difference if I do not get my eating under control. I know that the surgery is not a cure. I need to make a lifestyle change, and I know that and I am ready. This must stop. But give me some positives of revision. Revise the sleeve? Convert to bi-pass? Thanks all

^^ yes - I think that's what they're referring to when they do band over bypass. It's not a lapband. Those band over bypass surgeries used to be a pretty common type of revision, but I don't hear much about those anymore.

Hi everyone so new to this. I had the sleeve surgery in November 2016. I have been having regurgitation for the past 2 years and endoscopes shows that I have moderate gastritis my upper gi showed I have a trace of gastroesophagal reflux. I have used every anti acid nothing works. I am currently meeting with the surgeon to go through revision to rny. But i am not sure if I have to do the six months weigh in due to it only being a revision due to reflux. I have Cigna open access

I don't see how or why a band would ever be offered when the RNY is one of the best surgeries available...? A band is old technology with known complications.. I have heard that the bypass can be revised by overstitch to tighten the pouch up if needed... I don't know what the band will do to help if the bypass didn't do it already...

Has anyone had band over bypass revision surgery? I had RNY bypass surgery in 2002. I lost about 80lbs, but never lost as much as I had hoped/expected. Over the years, I've gained back 50-60lbs. After 5 years of trying everything to lose the weight, I went for a consultation to discuss revision options. My Dr. suggested placing a lap band over the original bypass. Has anyone had this procedure done? How successful was this revision? Has anyone found any other successful revision options?

I am new here and I was revised (so I was told ) May 2018 and I have never felt so terrible , 104 lbs any morsel of solid food causes pain to upper stomach (kidney stone pain x100) then violently vomit and who says no sleeve bad removal , liver nicked port cut thru stomach muscles , non absorption thiamine def , weekly losing 2-8 lbs mirgrane and expected to be ME 48 yr old mom g mom and g ma to be ... in-laws care taker as my moms and I am to now get ANOTHER UPPER G I SERIES -suregeon left New Jersey help

Good evening, Hi everybody, I'm newbie here, currently waiting for revision approval. I'm a Lap Band failure case - Had it in for 11 years (actually loved it - it was a great tool), and got to goal weight after 18 months. I kept it off without much issue, until it eroded into my stomach, and pretty much almost killed me. This was the third issue that I had with the band. Two port infections, lead to port revisions, and one MRSA infection. It was finally removed in 2015, and sadly, now I'm back up to where I was before my banding. I'm currently in my 5th month of 6 monitoring/counseling, for pre-op revision approval for bypass. Unfortunately, I've also since gained 6lbs. since I started that monitoring [during the holidays]. I know that I'm being a bit, "It's my last _______, and I want to enjoy it" . I've followed every class, every appointment, and every health test, but still have not heard back about my "March" surgery date for bypass. I have one more nutrition appointment as required by BCBS, and one more evening 'STRIVE' support counseling meeting that must be done for revision surgeries as per my doctor's office. I'm just panicked that I've been going through all of this, but have not heard anything regarding a yes or no at this point. I'm currently at a BMI of 39.4 with sleep apnea (on CPAP), severe heartburn, failed back fusion surgery, Lupus, Fibromyalgia, and am in LOTS of pain - 100% disabled since 1995, so Medicare is my primary with BCBS of GA secondary. Has anybody gone through the six month pre surgery hoops only to get turned down? I'm just so worried that it's going to be a no go decision. I really appreciate that this page/group is here, and look forward to hearing from y'all! Thanks 🙂

Sorry I never saw this post from you. I did pretty good weight wise but have had horrible acid reflux that the mgb was supposed to fix but for me it didn't. So here I am about to have a revision to full bypass because I can't take the reflux any longer.

How did your surgery go? My insurance denied me so I'm going back to Mexico for revision on Feb 3rd. Since you're from the KC area like me we should meet sometime and chat. Kinda like a support group lol. Are you part of a wls support group?

Only an EGD will give you answers to the condition of your band and whether there is too much damage to do a revision to sleeve or bypass. Many banded people do get revised because of this type of issue. I wish you the best in your medical decisions.

I had a revision from VSG to RNY bypass on Monday, 1/13/20. I had major complications with the VSG, and that was the only option. I ended up with a pinched nerve in my left shoulder due to the position my arm was in during the long surgery, so I’ve been on painkillers a bit longer than planned. Enough back story! Today I’m on full liquids for my seconds day. Not my first time at the rodeo with the graduated diet. However, I’m having liquid poo. Cannot trust a fart (lol)! Is this a concern that I should call the dr’s line over the weekend for, or is this a common issue? I go back to his office first thing Tuesday to get my drain out. That’s the first time they’re open again.

Revise. That’s what I did with no regrets so far. It is really the only long term solution for those of us that have gerd after sleeve.

I'm having revision to RNY as well (plus hiatoplastic and gastropexia). I'm going in on February 25th. I was satisfied with the MGB for over three years until my hernia came back.

I had the sleeve and had a revision for acid reflux. I had to go to Mexico because insurance wouldn't pay and the Dr. recommended the mgb so I got that in 2016 and now I have reflux worse than ever. Guess what, insurance is refusing to pay for this one also so now I'm going back to Mexico for the rny. Had I known the mini wouldn't fix the reflux I never would have gotten it. Because here I am needing a 3rd surgery and having to pay cash, again. I know some people have the mini and it fixes the reflux but why risk it, I would go with the rny just to be safe.