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My surgeon said that my reflux should go away once the revision to rny is done. I don't understand why it is virtually eliminated with rny since there is still a pouch and restriction involved? Do you still get stuck with the rny pouch?

Hello! I am a 40 yr old female from Cape Cod Mass. I have been overweight forever, but in the past few years I reached my highest peak @ 255lbs. In January of this year I looked into bariatric weight loss thru BI in Boston. They have a comprehensive and long program, which I completed in about 3-4 months and was told I would be a good candiate for surgery. I waited a few more months, as I was trying to decide what was best for me. Once I decided to go forward, I had to pick GBP or Lap Band. Since I was not a diebetic and on medications for health problems and the gbp seemed so severe, I opted for Lap Band surgery. My date was set for Monday 8/30/10. The week prior I did a partial liquid diet using mostly the unjury protein drinks. They taste good and filled me up. It was easier than I thought and I lost 10 lbs prior to surgery, just as my doctor wanted. I was super exicted and nervous but my surgeon is renowned in thie field and I was confident. Unfortunatley for me things did not go as planned. As I woke up in recovery, a nurse who did not seem to know about bariatrics, handed me 2 containers of liquid percocet and some water, telling me to drink it all down. I did as I was told, only to be hit with such pain in my chest, I thought I was dying. I could not breathe, I vomited, I was sweating and very upset. Nothing s/b given orally so soon after surgery and I will never know if that caused what happened next or not, but it was a long road for me. As a mom with a 6 yr old who was due to start first grade, I was happy to have my surgery scheduled before her school started, knowing I would be in the hospital for just one night. Well, for me it turned into a long 6 days! On day 3 my Dr stuck a needle in the band and took out all the water (15 cc) trying to loosen things up. 4 days after surgery I still could not keep 15 cc of water down and he decided to go back in and pop 2 stiches to loosen me up. This is called a revision and he said he had only see this happen in 2 patients prior to me...and he has done this since the surgery came about. I had to go backunder general anthesia and into the OR again. By the next day I was drinking some water and by Sunday afternoon I was finally released. I am 2 weeks out from my 2nd surgery and down a total of 30 lbs. I had my 2 week follow up with my doc and he says I am doing better than most. I am back to walking 3 miles a day (which I had started the month prior to surgery). My main issues now are with constipation and all that fun stuff.. Some days I don't want to get out of bed. I am cranky as I miss food. I loved to eat and it is harder than I expected to go without. On Saturday I tried on some jeans than are a size 20 (I was in 24/26) and they were a bit loose. This was exciting but only temporarily lifted my spirits. I still feel a bit off...not sure why exactly but trying to move ahead and getting stronger. I am on stage 4 diet...some solids, and so far, so good. This is my first time on a blog, and I am anxious to read other people's stories as well as chronicle my own. Thanks for reading:))

Hi Everyone! I'm leaving for Mexico tomorrow morning to have a LapBand-to-Sleeve revision on Tuesday by Dr. Aceves? Will anyone else be there during the same time? It would be nice to "know" someone before I get there.

That is for sure! Dr. Nowzaradan is a bariatric surgeon. WTF is he doing performing plastic surgery? I have never in my life, through all of my research of plastics and bariatric surgery heard of a surgeon that was doing both. They are both very highly specialized fields! I would never let a bariatric surgeon perform plastics on me or vice versa. It's insane! And the two younger doctors on the show... what is up with them doing tummy tucks with no muscle repair? That's pretty useless! No muscle repair, no lipo, everyone of their patients have a shelf and a terrible scar. Well, I'll cut them a little slack with the scar, because we aren't really seeing the patients a year or more out, when scars will really start to fade. But the no muscle repair or lipo makes it truly just "skin removal" surgery, which is not what most people think when they think of a tummy tuck. It will definitely require later revision with muscle repair for anyone to get the "flat stomach" they are hoping for.

The website is www.TrinityMedical.org. I understand there's a new, revised website in the works. I know that they're running a New Year special for $3999.00 - offer ending soon. My Uncle had surgery there and is down 34 pounds his first month. Everything is clean, each patient has a private room with a private bathroom, and there was no pain, no vomiting, no nausea post-op and saw Dr. Gutierrez before surgery and 5 times post-op! Dr. Gutierrez personally pulled my Uncle's drain tube and reviewed his X-ray. Couldn't ask for better service, professionalism and a great quality surgery. His incisions look like paper cuts because all the stitching was done from the inside out and not Frankenstein style stitches like I've seen from patients that came from Almanza while were waiting in X-Ray and sharing experiences. All the staff at Trinity Medical speak English, and super accommodating. This is Obesity Control Center quality at Almanza prices. I am definitely recommending my friends and family to Trinity Medical. I also hear they do Plastics, too. Dr. Gutierrez does a maximum of 5 surgeries per day and we had our nurse/concierge, named Nathan with us 24/7 during our stay. He even went with us to X-ray.

I chose the bypass because I had a significant amount to lose, I wanted the extra accountability, and I knew my insurance would only cover one surgery. If I failed with the sleeve, I would never have an option to revise, I would just fail. It's possible to fail with the bypass, as with any gastric surgery, but I felt that the bypass would be giving me the biggest chance for success possible. Yes, the sleeve is (by a very small percentage) safer/faster but honestly, that tiny extra bit of risk was completely worth it to me. I'll be 11 months post op in six days. I've had no complications, not even dumping, and I've lost 166 pounds since surgery and 221 pounds overall. You've gotta be really willing to follow your plan to the letter, as there is less room for error than the sleeve from what I've seen because of the higher risk of dumping and so on, but that habit change and hard work has been so worth it for me and many, many others. Hope this helps! Good luck on whatever you choose. It's entirely possible to be successful with either surgery.

I am 3 years post-op RNY gastric bypass surgery. I lost a lot of weight and my health improved significantly. I went from 3X in shirts down to a size Small. Think of it, a size Small. One of the best decisions I ever made. RNY is almost a gold standard in weight loss surgery. It has been around a long time and most of the bugs have been worked out. One of the reasons why I choose this procedure was because the weight falls off the quickest, the weight loss at bottom is phenomenal. I now have a normal BMI. And more importantly it has a very low rate for revision. If I went under the knife once, I sure did not want to go through it again. Also I had severe acid reflux (GERD). For GERD, having a sleeve will only make the condition worse.

Sorry your revision was rough. The theory that the lapband is reversible is a joke. They have to remove all kinds of scar tissue and it is painful. Keep up with your pain meds the first three weeks. I promise it gets better each and every day. I would try Milk of Magnesia and see if that helps with the tummy problems. The first few weeks are a challenge, but I promise it will all be worth it! The sleeve works!

I just had my revision surgery from a Lapband to a Gastric Bypass. I am 11 days out and have lost 8 pounds. Is this normal?

@@Pinkgirl1234 I'm so sorry to hear that happened. I know you must be devastated. Does this mean that you can never have a revision, or that they just have to wait awhile to give you a chance to heal? I sure hope it's the latter.

I am revising. I was previously banded Nov 2011. Lost 80 pounds, but developed problems with my band about 2.5 yrs out. I hit the green zone once. Long story short, my band cause so many reflux issues, heartburn all the time, vomiting. It eventually slipped and I just had it removed in August 2015. I am revising to bypass 11/30/15. I initially wanted sleeve, but because of the damage caused from my band with my reflux issues, the sleeve would make reflux worse. I am happy with my bypass decision. I should have chosen bypass in the first place. I am told that revision patients lose a little bit slower than a new WLS patient. We shall see.

@ I assume you're talking to me because it was my revision that just failed. The doc said I can try again in about three months but now I have to hope I heal, hope the insurance approves another go, and come up with all the money for out of pocket and travel expenses

Im getting revision on November 14!!

I will also mention that at 3 weeks out I was completely on my stomach. It was sore but I had too! Revision was 8/31/15

I can't believe it, my surgery is scheduled for Tuesday...I am so nervous !! I fly out tomorrow. I am having a revision from a vsg to a bypass. Anyone else having the same thing done?

I am also 8 months post RNY. Surgery December 14 and presurgery wt was 195. 208 two weeks prior. I’ve finally hit my goal of 140 but I really had a hard time stomaching some of the foods you mentioned. Still do! Chicken and beef still gets “stuck” and hurts, and I can’t handle the sweetness of protein bars anymore! It sounds like you can tolerate a lot so you may be overeating and not realizing it. I’m a grazer so this is the only way I can get enough protein in. I hope The keeping track of intake helps you! I’ve revised my goal to 130 but I’m stalled right now so it may not be doable. Good luck!

Today is 100 days since surgery. I started before preop at 305 and I'm now at 240.6. I lost 23 on Preop (a full month of preop!) I've lost 41.4 in the past 100 days and I couldn't be happier! I am a Band to sleeve revision and have been unable to work out. I have yet to (knock on wood) stall it's slowed down the past two weeks but still moving!! I should be able to start the gym soon too!!. I'm only 2.2 from my New Years goal. I am so thankful for my sleeve. I wish I had gotten this 3 years ago instead of the crapband!! can not wait to see what the next 100 days brings (lol takes away really) The next 3 weeks are going to be challenging with family vising and holiday goodies but I'm in such a better place than I ever have been that I know that It won't break me! I'll try and post some pictures later on

I started out with the LAP-BAND®. What a mistake if money is an issue. I have ended up spending about $50,000 out of pocket for problems associated with the LAP-BAND®. I even had insurance that paid for the initial implantation of the band. I can honestly say, the band nearly killed me. In December, I self paid for the gastric sleeve. Believe it or not, my insurance would not pay to have the revision. They even stated in the letter they sent that I needed to have the band removed immediately due to all the problems. They would not however, pay for revision to something else. I ended up going to Mexico. I am Director of Nursing at an outpatient surgery center. I have been a nursing supervisor in hospitals all over the world. I can honestly say that the surgeon and care that I received in Mexico was better than any care I have ever received in the U.S. or in Europe. The surgeon I used has a world wide reputation for excellent work. I paid $12,500 for my revision from band to sleeve. This included everything. Please, before deciding to get the Band, go to the sleeve forum on Obesity Help and read how happy people are with the sleeve. There is also a section there dealing with revisions. Many of the revisions are those who are having problems with the band. I will say that the sleeve has been wonderful for me. Once you get the sleeve, that is it. No shelling out money for fills, etc. They have been doing the sleeve for years. It is the same thing that they have been using to treat stomach issues for years. It is the same thing as a gastrectomy. I know people who are years post op gastrectromy and the only thing they are is "skinny". Just want you to be aware that there are other options available besides the band. Good luck in your journey.

Unless you qualify for medicaid the only other option would be self pay! In the US it can range from $9-25k. You can pay cash or take out a loan, some providers offer payment plans through companies such as care credit. You can apply online for them & find out if you're approved in minutes. The credit line is given based on your credit score (I know they use experian as their source). If you know you have a few dings you may still be approved but maybe not for the full amount. A co-signer would help increase your credit line in that case. Be warned though that unless you pay in 18mts or less for their promotional offer their interest rates run high but again this varies based on your credit. So you can visit their website & search for local approved providers & go directly through your surgeon or you can first find a surgeon you're comfortable with & then find out if he accepts finance plans such as this. With a 5yr plan (in cali they offer only up to 60mts but I've heard other states are longer plans) your payments for an average priced sef pay procedure of say 16k could be about $300/mt. For me when I added up the cost of meds, gyms & jenny craig not to mention the dining out & other weight related bills I would no longer have it seemed like nothing!! There's also the route of having it done in a diff country such as Mexico for as little as $4500- I honestly couldn't tell you what, if any, payment plans they use. Some say ofcourse foreign countries offer lower quality & can have more complications but that's something you'd have to research. With the band though you're required to have follow up care for life & many US surgeons want nothing to do with a foreign placed band- liability! Without the fills your band is useless so if you go that route locate a local fill doc that's willing to work with you first! Also my surgeon told me the company that produces the lap band in the states (Allargan) does not sell its product to places like mexico because they are not certified so the band many people receive there is a swedish band that's an older, cheaper model of less quality subject to leaks & erosion. Ofcourse these are unresearched statements from my bias surgeon. So take them with a grain of salt! It is true the mexico did perform the first lap band & austrialia & europe have also been doing it for years longer than the US who didn't approve it until 2001. So something can be said for their experience. But again in a foreign country you have no recourse if something goes wrong. =/ As a self payer you'd just want to keep in mind that your insurance typically will not cover any part of the wls -in some cases this includes any complications related to it. And remember the cost of follow up/fills that in yr 1 are every 4-6wks or as needed & can vary from $50-350/ visit depending on your provider so shop around for the best program package! Many include 6mts to a yr of follow ups & some practices also offer revision insurance for a yr which cover leaks, slips, erosions & port flips. Be diligent in your price comparisons & research! There's a thread in self payers forum here where ppl have listed what they paid in diff states you could inquire there also! Best of luck!

13 Days post op revision and I feel great! Back to my normal routine minus the lifting and no problems. I just get tired by about 3pm but I just think its because I am not eating much for energy. Trying to get the protein in is hard. I can eat pureed/soft foods but I really don't have much of an appetite so I kind of have to force myself to eat. Best of luck!

I’m having a bit of an episode tonight.  This hasn’t been an easy journey so far.  I got revised 5/27 and was in the hospital another 3 nights this week. One for a huge hematoma, it happens. 2 nights to repair some scar tissue, a very fast healer the doc said as it was twisting and I was vomitting bile and had a sour stomach. He went and repaired it.  I feel gassy today being home. Trying to drink as much as I can but I just can’t do it. Even with the sleeve I had an issue with liquids. Especially water.  Tonight I took two gas pills and within an hour now I vomited them right up. Omg! So scary. Here we go again. I’m so afraid.  Did I make a mistake by getting the RNY.  Will this be my life now moving forward.  I recall the sleeve being easier.  I’m so anxious tonight so excuse me if I’m rambling. I’m so sad. Why did i do this. Was it worth it. Should I have lived with the constant daily nausea and heartburn  :-((  I

While on my weight loss journey, I've been learning to drink water. I discovered that I really liked higher alkaline water, so I kept drinking it and started wondering if there was a reason I preferred it. Then, I read this article http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22844861. Now, that I think about it, my GERD isn't nearly as bad when I'm drinking pH8+ water. Has anyone experienced this? Also, maybe it might help someone having lapband GERD issues. That's the reason I'm having revision surgery.

As it turned out, my port was leaking. Had a port revision a few weeks ago. bump in the road I reckon.

You have to understand that this isnt a one shot surgery and I am "fixed" kind of thing. There are revisions, complications, appointments to adjust restriction.... point being its a lot of time, money and effort. A doctor is going to tell you that should plan on 50% of your excess weight loss with the band - so for you what is that like 35lbs? I am not sure its worth it for you. That said, and end to the yo-yo dieting might be. You also have to ask why your fat... Do you have portion control issues (I did) or do you eat all day long (I didn't). From what I have seen on here the band seems to work better for folks with portion issues. Also what do you eat? The band isn't going to help you make the right food choice - you will still have to do that on your own. I had never been the thin guy - but I am now thanks in part to my band. 296 with a bmi of 42 to 165 in a little over a year, but not without two additional surgeries. But still the best decision I ever made. Good luck

Hi all. I am 4 weeks post op from a band to sleeve revision. I have heard of people using stomach binders after surgery to protect their incisions but I am wondering if anyone has used them after healing? I am not so much losing pounds but inches for sure and my stomach is becoming saggy and the skin is loose. Any insight?