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I revised from the Lapband to the DS two years ago. Since that time, I have lost 80 pounds. Besides there being a whole lot less of me, yes, I am happy and would do it again. I can eat pretty much what I want and have maintained my weight loss due to the malabsorption component of my surgery. You will find that many sleevers have regain issues. As far as the bathroom goes, no one's poop smells good. I have more gas in the evening and looser stool than I used to, but this is a small side effect and not a deal breaker to me. I went from a size 2x to a medium top. A size 18 pant to a size 8. No one eating next to me would know I had weight loss surgery because I can eat a normal portion. Protein first, veggies next. Drinking lots of water. My joints and feet don't hurt like they used to either. I wouldn't let a little more gas deter you from considering the DS. It's a good, solid, data-proven weight loss intervention. Out of all of the weight loss surgeries, the DS has the best proven track record for keeping the weight off, even over bypass surgery. Ask your surgeon. My short answer: Yes, I'm happy.

hi all i had a gastric band fitted in nov 2012 and have had numerous problems , fills and defills and even a period of 18months with nothing in my band , i decided to start again in april this year and have fills but having got to 5mls have had to have two defills putting me now at 4mls . i never know from one day to the next how my eating will be , one day i can be pretty ok and the next i may struggle with a yoghurt . i have after some time enquired about revision surgery from my band to the gastric bypass and have plucked up the courage to book a consultation to discuss it properly , i am also seeing my gp this coming tuesday with a view of mentioning it to her amongst other things . i have struggled with my weight pretty much all my life and not a day goes by when it is not in the forefront of my mind , i also suffer with depression , weight being a large part of that since being subjected to bullying re my weight at senior school . So sad am i my favourites tv programmes are about weight loss , especially dr now ! can anyone tell me of their experience with revision in this way , what type of things do you manage to eat ? do you struggle with salads and fruit like me ? is it a case of you plate is a side plate size or smaller but no food groups are a major issue like with me , sorry if this all sounds silly things to ask but i struggle with the heathiest of things which is just miserable and mad , any tips , experiences and advice would be most grateful . thankyou x

Good luck hope it goes well but there are many ppl now having to revise from sleeve to bypass

My surgeon advised that the best option was RNY. Less risk of reflux. Less risk of more damage/ issues to the oesophagus. I also know a lot of people that have revised to a sleeve or had a sleeve as an initial surgery who have not lost or have had massive regains. I decided to go with my surgeons recommendation and had my revision in Jan. I am very happy. My diet is much healthier than with the band, I don’t spend hours in restaurant toilets throwing up and I have reload the weight I gained and am sitting at goal.

Hi Astrid I am uk based aswell. I am 3 months post sleeve op but due to get revision to bypass in about September due to acid reflux making it soooooo difficult to eat and drink. I only told about 3 people about op and they have been very supportive. I dont tell anyone as people are very judgemental. If they think its the easy way to lose weight they are seriously wrong lol. Good luck with surgery and I know you will be successful in your weight loss journey

You may want to look around on the forum for answers. From what I have read the process to get a revision does not take anywhere near as long as original surgery. Good luck to you

I may need to revise for GERD. Best wishes for a speedy recovery!

I had gastric sleeve surgery about 3years ago. Since then I have been having boughts of back pain in my lower back. They did MRIS and found two disc issue in the lower lumbar disc. I had some pain (cortisone) injections but still have this pain. Could this be due to the gastric sleeve as it was a revision or a disc bulge issue?

Banded in Ft Worth in 2012- I just met with a new surgeon yesterday after having a swallow study. My esophagus is expanding causing reflux, etc. He unfilled the band and set me up for a follow up swallow study and follow up with him on Aug 15th. We talked about options. Do I want the sleeve or bypass? With revision do they make you wait months and months? Thanks...

Hi! Am en route to have my lapband revised to the RNY (most likely- not sold on the sleeve...) and I am trying to figure out how much time off from work I need. When I had the lapband surgery, I spent a day in the hospital with gas pains and just a little sore. If I had the job I have now back then (middle school teacher- so I can be fairly sedentary if needed) I think I would’ve been able to go back to work within a few days. I mean, I just had a baby with no drugs, had to be stitched and I was going on long walks the day after. I also had ankle reconstruction and went back to work in 4 days (including a weekend). Not saying that I am super tough, just a seasoned surgery patient- there are way more that I could list :) Those who have had both surgeries, how do you think the recovery time and pain compares? Thanks! Amanda

Hi Revision buddies! Just a bit of backstory: I had a lapband placed back in fall of 2007, so almost 12 years ago. Unfortunately, I have always struggled with my band when it had fluid in it (vomited frequently, inability to eat most proteins, GERD, could not drink anything that wasn't warm or at minimum room temperature.) My band and I officially "broke up" in 2015. All of the difficulties I had been struggling with had gotten so bad that I had developed acute gastritis, and esophageal spasms due to the GERD and persistent vomiting, which resulted in me having to have all of the fluid removed. While the vomiting every time I ate and esophageal spams stopped, the GERD remained and the last 60 pounds I had managed to keep off after my initial loss, rapidly returned. So here we are in 2019, through an unfortunate incident my husband had earlier in the year, our deductible and out of pocket maximum have been met for the year. The window of opportunity for me to finally end 12 years of GERD and struggle with this band is finally open. I found a surgeon I really am confident in and have had an EGD to check for Barret's and see what kind of shape my stomach was in. I was lucky in that my hernia had not returned and I didn't have any ulcers, but he did notice that even with no fluid in my band, that it seems tight, I'm not really sure what that means, but it would explain why I still struggle with most proteins. At my last appointment, we reviewed my EGD and he was sending the letter to the insurance company. Because my revision would be due to band complications, my insurance doesn't require the 6 months of dieting, psyh visit, etc, just a letter from the surgeon showing medical necessity for the revision. Since I have a history of GERD, we have decided that RnY is the best option. The paperwork was probably sent in sometime after July 3rd, my appointment was late afternoon on the 2nd and I can't imagine that they would be able to get the letter done and submitted the same day. And now I wait. UGH! It's the worst. I don't have any idea how long it should take. I've read the boards and for some people, it's taken as little as a single day for approval. and some waited for weeks only to be denied. It's maddening!! Thanks for the vent! TX2NC

It's not a guarantee you won't get gerd after getting the sleeve. That being said I also had heartburn at the end stages of both my pregnancies and the occasional heartburn after eating certain foods or overeating right before bed. It never occurred when I was thin so I determined that the cause was the abdominal pressure. I have not had any reflux or heartburn since my surgery, not to say it won't happen in the future but so far so good. Talk to your Dr. in depth about your concerns and ask him/her how many revisions they've had to do because of gerd so you can make the most educated decision you can.

I may end up needing to revise myself. Thanks for starting this thread as I will be watching it closely. goid luck to you!

Maybe you could get some other surgical opinions. There seem to be a lot of folks here that have revised from sleeve to bypass. Check out their posts and see what has worked for them. Best wishes,

Ohhhh @azhiker I love your excitement!!! Haha so fun. @losingit2018 my surgeon said the DS is the way to go he doesn’t revise to the bypass and since I have the sleeve already i can see advantages to the DS. I’m not confident another surgery will be the answer since it seems like I have been gaining weight so easily w the sleeve after 2 years. I don’t want to redo my insides and have bathroom issues for the rest of my life and still be fat. Sigh

I revised from Lap-Band to RNY and was at the lowest weight I've ever been when I revised. Good luck with your revision!!

🎲🎲🎲🎲🎲🎲🎲🎲🎲🎲🎲🎲🎲🎲🎲🎲🎲🎲🎲🎲🎲 💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜 Not many may know but I require a revision from VSG to RNY. There are several reasons but none are regain or weight related (I've had no regain) I am scheduled for July 15, 2019. 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉 I can't deny I am slightly nervous because who wants more surgery after WLS that isn't cosmetic 😁 but I'm taking it day by day. I will keep updating this thread now that i have a place to keep my story 💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖 📠📠📠📠📠📠📠📠📠📠📠📠📠📠📠📠📠📠📠📠📠

We've received many many requests over the years to add a revision forum. Your wish has now been granted!

@GreenTealael I missed what date you are getting your revision surgery. I just want to make sure I wish you the best of luck prior!

I am a sleeve patient and don’t have any answers for you. I am wondering why would a person choose ds over bypass revision? I don’t know much about ds but I may soon be facing the decision to revise myself. So I am curious what the benefits may be with ds over bypass?

I’m sorry for the long rant but I want you to see the full picture: sleeve vs. sleeve + behavior modification/commitment. You’re 2 weeks out. Don’t be so hard on yourself or doubt your decision. What is done is done. No regrets. This could be the beginning of an amazing healthy future. No looking back now — only ahead... Here we go: I am 7 years post sleeve and I’ve regained all of my weight back and some. Highest weight before sleeve was 210, Surgery day weight was 193 (done in Mexico). I got down to 147 and maintained that for about 2 years and then started regaining. I’m 214 now. According to my current U.S. surgeon (Dr. Stanley Klein), my Mexico surgeon (Dr. Ariel Ortiz) completely blotched my sleeve in 30 minutes (surgery report information) making it look like an hourglass instead of a banana. BUT, I regained not because of my “bad” sleeve but because I changed my eating habits. I have A LOT of restriction still, more than a friend who’s 4 years out. I also became very anemic which caused me to pass out and get into an accident in 2014. I’m terrible about taking my Vitamins, so that’s also not my sleeve’s fault. I then received multiple infusions over the years, had my esophagus dilated twice because I wasn’t eating enough (mostly GERD pain related) and developed a grazing eating style (probably the biggest contributor to why I regained). Having GERD since day 1 (couldn’t keep any liquids down/stayed on IV till I was literally kicked out - started putting my stuff outside - to get room ready for next patient), a hiatal hernia and two ulcers, I am now revising to the RNY (surgery date TBD 8/1/19). My malabsorption/malnutrition is because I don’t take any vitamins. I’ve become “nutritionally crippled” as my surgeon put it which makes my body crave carbs for immediate conversion to energy. It’s literally biologically driven at this point and he told me not to blame myself for the regain — he’s so nice but I do blame myself because I got myself here! Due to the malnutrition, I’ve developed some metabolically induced issues: thyroid problem, autoimmune problem, multiple infections that antibiotics do nothing for (or maybe I’ve become prone to the antibiotics) and lately, small Fiber neuropathy (worst feet tingling and burning ever). I’ve now started going to CBT and support groups that are super informative and fun. Last time they had a practical activity for us at the end where we pretended to be at a restaurant, were given real menus and we discussed why some choices are good and why some are not so good — keywords to lookout for, etc. I’m considering pushing my surgery date as far out as possible to be better prepared through these new resources. I realize the problem is not my sleeve. The problem is my head — my food abuse issues, my food addiction issues, my head hunger, my emotional eating... The list of “synonyms” goes on! But in essence, all of us are here because we have these issues plus obesity/genetically related comorbidities or else, we would have not resorted to surgically modifying our anatomy. We need to fix our relationship with food if our surgeries are ever going to help us, and that’s why I’m trying to work on that more than anything this time especially because I didn’t have any pre or post care before. I’d love to get rid of my GERD and the other problems but I’d really hate to fail at losing weight, again. Not out of vanity but just to prove to myself that I can triumph over years of using food to feed disease instead of health. Summary and awesome thing to keep in mind: “You get out of it what you put into it.” Thank you @Macy6! I love that... Great motto! Take this opportunity to change your relationship with food. You are in the “honeymoon phase” where your body is not ready to accept food (it’s all head hunger), so use this time wisely to identify your emotions and cravings, knowing you can’t act on them now with your healing stomach. Later, this will really help you... when you can map your behaviors to their origin in thought (triggers) and stop the unwanted behavior right in its tracks! You’re in control! Your taste buds may also change so what you’ve liked before, you may no longer want to eat, so this is also a great opportunity to try new healthy things and learn to like those instead of our old ways that hurt us in the end. I really wish this was helpful. I’m being as transparent as possible to give you vision into what the sleeve is and what it’s not, because I went into this initially thinking the sleeve will stop me from overeating and I’ll always have an accountability buddy, but you can drink and eat your way around any WLS out there and gain weight, not to discount the RNY for the additional malabsorption component... You can do this!! You can use your sleeve to change and become a new person INSIDE (head/habits) out (health/body). I wish you complete healing and all the best for your future.

I saw a highly recommended surgeon and he talked at me, making many assumptions about me without asking questions. He automatically said sleeve was the only option. For the fact that I have metabolic disorders, and cannot use exercise to burn calories to compensate for extremely slow metabolism I felt like pursuing surgery was not an option without RNY benefits of absorbing less calories. I was there for a surgical consult for my gallbladder as well and he also assumed my gallbladder was not inflamed. (My gallbladder was low functioning with severe symptoms) I didn’t feel comfortable and decided I was not going to pursue it with that doctor. It was crushing, I was getting exhausted trying to fight my weight alone, my own fight with low carb low calories wasn’t getting me anywhere. it wasn’t until I saw a endocrinologist and discussed my metabolic disorders and the fact that I couldn’t take the medications and that despite my efforts my weight kept climbing, that I got referral to Cleveland clinic. the doctor there knew right away based on my history of severe GERD/acid reflux that the best option was RNY. And I also had ulcers but that was not a factor for the doctor. If you have any kind of acid reflux the sleeve can make it worse. Many people get sleeve and then end up revising to RNY due to GERD. for me the possibility of dumping wasn’t an issue. One being that the gallbladder surgery also had similar dumping syndrome risk and I didn’t think It would be a big issue since I avoid the causes ie. Eat as little sugar as possible. And I’ve dealt with worse in my life. It was just something id deal with if it happened and not really think about. im glad I went with Cleveland clinic, they made the process much easier. And since I had record for months (actually longer) of my diet efforts. It was approved quickly. Also it turned out that I had chronic gallbladder inflammation despite what the highly acclaimed doctor had said to me ... but that’s just my personal experience. Some people do very well with sleeve.

I just posted this below on another post discussing VSG revisions and thought it was appropriate here as well. I am a VSG to RnY revision but not because my VSG failed me, because of GERD. I didn’t hit my weight goal but I lost 47% of my excessive weight and maintained until my revision. I do know I learned a lot between surgery 1 & 2 and my biggest take away is my surgery didn’t fail me but I definitely failed my surgery. Your tool, or whatever you call it, doesn’t decide what you eat or when you eat. It doesn’t choose to drink while eating or to graze. You get out of it what you put into it. I know people that have the VSG and have been wildly successful, I know people with the VSG who have lost and gained. I know people with the RnY who have been wildly successful and I know people with RnY who have lost and gained.

I am a VSG to RnY revision but not because my VSG failed me, because of GERD. I didn’t hit my weight goal but I lost 47% of my excessive weight and maintained until my revision. I do know I learned a lot between surgery 1 & 2 and my biggest take away is my surgery didn’t fail me but I definitely failed my surgery. Your tool, or whatever you call it, doesn’t decide what you eat or when you eat. It doesn’t choose to drink while eating or to graze. You get out of it what you put into it.

I didn’t realise that you were having a revision. Good luck, hope it all goes well and that it solves the reflux issue