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I had the sleeve for 4 years. I had it revised once because it slipped out of place, and then it had a leak. The only reason I lost weight the first go around is because all I did was throw up... after i had it revised, it never was the same. I gained back the 90 lbs I had lost... Then I started having no restriction and we discovered it had a leak. I decided to have the sleeve. So far I like it, you have to eat really really slow and I still feel some times the "stuck" feeling, hopefully it will get better as the swelling goes down ( Im only one month post op) I've lost 16 lbs so far... but I am finding out that if you dont follow the rules.. it doesnt seem to come off.. I have a problem with drinking all the water I am supposed to drink and taking the vitamins and exercising ( too bad they dont tweak your mind along with your tummy!!) Hopefully my mind will get on board sooner or later!!

I have had my band since 2009 and started having a lot of complications with it in 2012 so I am having the revision to Sleeve on 11/27/13. I have heard a lot of people say they had to have a hernia repair what is the causes of getting a hernia with the band? For the last month I have had swollen, pinching, stabbing, and pulling feeling around my port area when I move or bend a curtain way. Is this something I should be concerned about?

Dear Nurse Mallory, I just joined this site in my last-ditch efforts to bring about some long-awaited positive results of my band that was put in summer of 2009. I assume this study was filled long ago, but if for any other reason for us to touch base, please email me privately at aamoury@mac.com or call me at 410/3960-2741. It breaks my heart and in some ways angers me that after all the work that's even Been done don, we have ended in failure. That is, unless there are some new techniques or even revision available since 2009. Thank you for your time and consideration. Myadele

5.5 months for me. I lost only 17lbs and really don't feel much restriction (didn't after one month). I'm now kicking the exercise into high gear and am hoping that'll help. I'm pondering band over plication too, I know that band has a lot off drawbacks, but I don't really know what else is available for revision -supposedly everything I know - but I'm not prepared to be the first GPS to VSG person!!

Don't be nervous, be excited. I had the band in 2005 and removed/revision September 18. I can already feel the difference, best dession I ever made because so far, I don't miss the sleepless nights, the vomiting, and the terrible acid reflux. Good look to you and congratulations on your new beginning????

I'm doing gastric bypass revision surgery on May 4. I'm familiar with the prep and post-op routine, so that's not a problem. I'm looking forward to getting back on track!!

I would try your insurance first. I had an exclusion and went to Mexico three years ago only to have my band fail me and the aftercare is horrible for Mexican patients in the U.S. (I did receive excellent care while having my surgery, though. The doctors really know their stuff. I just can't afford to fly down there everytime I need something.) I know the sleeve doesn't really require aftercare, but if something does go wrong, at least you have a doctor here. They treat you like the plague when you say you had surgery in Mexico! I now have insurance to cover my revision, thankfully. Don't give up! Hang in there! :thumbup1:

My surgeon's office is also about an hours drive away from me in horrible Dallas traffic (about as bad as Atlanta's!), so I don't go. The drive alone is enough to stress me out so much it's not worth it. Also, his support group is for people who've had all types of WLS. I was a revision from a lap-band and think the band should be outlawed. That said, I don't think they want me there with a bunch of people who have or are about to have the band, because I would not be a very positive influence on them . This site works for me. It might be worth it to try to start your own group from this website, or something like meetup.com if you feel it's just too far to drive.

I live 30 miles east of Springfield and am seeing Dr Matt Simpson through Cox. Mine will be a revision of a VBG to a bypass. Good luck!

@ how did your revision go? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Me. I can relate to slow weight loss with the sleeve and for many of the same reasons you've stated. I had a lap band in 2005. Did great, but was miserable and later found out that my band had slipped. I had it taken out in 2009 and did pretty well maintaining my weight until I had some major life changes and did some stress eating. Gained all of my weight back over the course of 2 years. Had a sleeve done in 2018 and my weight loss was slow but steady. I'm still not at goal, but I'm happy and feeling good. COVID lockdown has totally stalled me and maybe added a few, but my tool is still there and when I'm ready, I'm confident I'll get back on track. Stay the course. Follow your plan. It will work. (side note: it is my understanding that revisions typically lose slow. Something to do with the impact on our metabolism. Sort of a "been there-done that" mentality.) Good luck!

Both are major surgeries! It blows my mind that people still think the sleeve is the “easier” surgery. if you have any problems with Gerd then Bypass is your best option, otherwise you’ll most likely need a revision anyway

I had my revision to bypass on 6/26, and I was so proud of how well I rocked it. I was zooming those halls and drinking like a champ. My drain couldn’t come out, as it was draining too much. A home nurse came out twice and still had to leave the drain in. I started having awful pain on Sunday and finally went to ER yesterday. The drain was kept in too long and got an infection. The pain radiates up to my chest and collarbone so I am kind of miserable. I keep getting small fevers but am hopeful the antibiotics kick in soon. I want to go back to zooming around!

OK this post will be long and involved. SO if you don't wanna read it then skip over it. I sent Dr. HUNKY (BILLY) an email stating that I did not want to do the surgery on Friday before having an Endoscopy (ENDO) done. His reply to my email is listed below. It is long so bear with me. __________________________________________________ We can do the endoscopy at the same time if you want. The surgery we have already discussed, namely the correct positioning of your port has to happen anyway. I think it is very unlikely that you have an erosion. Your symptoms are not as dramatic as the patients I have treated with erosion. Because I don't think an erosion is very likely I was hoping to avoid the endoscopy entirely. My thinking was that if the laparoscopy which we would perform at the same time as your port repositioning was totally normal then there would be very little chance that you have an erosion. Erosions always cause lots of adhesions between the liver and the stomach and the port tubing is always wraped up in lots of fat. It is not a subtle finding and easy to diagnose. If on laparoscopy your have none of these findings then I don't think you need an endoscopy. Your symptoms are not at all very suggestive of an erosion. Erosion is just one of the things on the list of things to consider. If you want us to perform an endoscopy while you are under anesthesia we can do so, it just might not be necessary. I think there is a very low liklihood you have an erosion so I was thinking how to minimize the need to perform an endoscopy. If you want to have an endoscopy we would perform the endoscopy first. If there is an erosion I would either wake you up to discuss the erosion and show you pictures and make a reccomendation to you and then you would be able to participate in the decision as to what to do. If there was no erosion we would proceed with our planned revision of your port site to secure the port and reposition the band tubing. Let me know what your thoughts are. If you want to do the endoscopy fist and then schedule the second procedure at a later date that is fine with me. Another strategy would be to perform the laparoscopy to examine what the surgical site looks like (rule out all the adhesions) If it looks fine then proceed with the port repositioning and tubing repositioning. If it looks like an erosion then proceed with the endoscopy. If there was an erosion I could then stop and discuss the findings with you. I'm sure it is possible to get the endoscopy scheduled for friday. It would be easy if we combined it with the laparoscopy and the information at laparoscopy would be useful anyway. If you just want to have a routine endoscopy in the GI suite then let me know and we will work on getting that approved for friday. If you want us to do the endoscopy simultaneously with the laparoscopy then we can do that on friday because bothe procedures would be done in the main operating room which we already have scheduled. As I said, your symptoms are unusual and don't really fall into the pattern of symptoms I have seen in the erosions I have treated. They really appear more like an allergic reaction at this point. I have one other patient who had a red port site after placement of a lap-band in Mexico. I did the endoscopy first and could not find an erosion. I then replaced her port and found lots of adhesions and lots of Fluid around her port site. Now I have scheduled her for another endoscopy just to be sure I didn't miss a very timy erosion. She has no complaints and has not had any problems but she still ended up with multiple procedues. I think that your situation would be similar. I don't think that I will find an erosion on your endoscopy, If we do the endoscopy first but then when I replace the port I find fluid around the port and adhesions with the laparoscopy I will be concerned that you had an infection at some point around the port. We always worry about erosions and since we are not perfect we always wonder if we missed the erosion at the time of the first endoscopy and often would reccomend a second one to be absolutely sure. I hope this helps. Let me know which way you want to proceed or if you need any more information to help make this decision. In the meantime I will see about getting time to do the endoscopy on friday if that is all you want to do. Again I think the liklihood of you having an erosion is very, very low. Dr. Billy ____________________________________________________ Don't you just love him???? So, I am gonna have the ENDO at the same time as my surgery on Friday. That will put to rest any idea if I have erosion or not. OH!! And Donali see in the email where he states that erosions cause lots of adhesions? You came into my thoughts while I was reading that cause didn't you say Lopez said you had lots of them. He thought you were rejecting the band when in fact it was the erosion causing the adhesions. Anyway, I am feeling so much better now. THanks to all of you great people for listening and letting me vent to you. You are all angels to me. VIVA LAS VEGAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had surgery on Aug 3. 10 days post op I woke up in a pool of Fluid. I had an "uncontrolled pop". They drained it more and put me on antibiotics. It healed. I went in for my first fill on Sept 15 and my port flipped. I had surgery for port revision on Sept. 27. A week later the incision started oozing. Back on antibiotics. Area around port incision is slightly swollen and red. Will see doc again on Wed. 40 lbs down despite everything.

Thanks I will definetly focus on chewing more. I take a Gi on the 29tth to see if it goes down. On the 4th of Feburary I go back to my surgeon to consider next steps if it is down he said he would consider starting a slow refill or the band will have to be removed and consider a revision

I would say don't overpack. I was sent home the same day after my vsg, and for the rny revision, I went home the next morning, about 24 hrs after being admitted. Basically slept till my release. What I found necessary was a very loose outfit that you can slip over your head, comfortable shoes, your cell phone, necessary ID items and a small pillow for bumps in the road for your ride trip go home is really all I needed.

Hi Diddle! I love reading your posts! I'm new to this so I don't always know how to post or comment, but here we go. The little protien bullets you talked about getting at Sam's Club...do you know the name of them, and the other thing is the Atkins shakes. Are they just called shakes or something else, and what is the best flavor? I start my Protein shakes on Tuesday for my surgery on the first. I'm not young at almost 58, and my surgery will be an open revision, but you know what...it's really my last chance to get rid of this weight. You inspire me. I was sad to read about the loss of your mother. I lost my mom about a year and a half ago. I still miss her and always will. If I can be of any help to you feel free to ask. What state do you live in? I'd love to find a buddy around here to partner with. Any suggestions? Kristen

I had lap band in 2009, it slipped in 2017, and I had it revised to bypass December 2020. I lost 16 pounds in two weeks then nothing for over a month. I worry that our bodies already got used to the lower calorie intake from when we were banded. I also think that is why I gained so much when my band slipped because I was eating “normal” amounts of food, but my body had been set at band amounts for a decade! I’ve finally started losing slowly again in the last week. I too got discouraged reading people’s posts about their significant and quick weight loss, I was starting to feel like a failure. But we each have our own journey and I wish you all the best on yours.

Let me clarify...when I had them they were broiled (not fried) and not breaded, nor did I use any mayo for dipping. If you are going to try them, purchase the lump crab cakes and prepare at home in your oven so you know exactly what you are eating. There are MANY ways to have foods that you have enjoyed in the past, you just have to revise the preparation. I did eat them in soft foods bc my surgeons rule was anything that could be cut with a fork--a broiled crab cake falls apart so definetly worked for me. I have operated under the rules of my surgeon at all times-if it's a new food I haven't had, I prepare at home first so that I know it meets my protein expectation along w carbs and sugars. If you liked something in the past, be creative and try to find ways to make it work now. I hate it when someone tells me "no" but love it when I find a way to make it work for my new life-good luck

Actually, I have seen a great deal of offensive posts on this thread alone, not to mention a wealth of absolutely wrong information but the offensive posts aren't from the one you accuse. I am still waiting to hear why lap bands are removed at a rate of over 50% by the 6 year mark yet when these SAME people revise to a sleeve they do well. I was the poster child for lap bands. I followed every rule, did all the right things, followed up with my doctor every 2 weeks for 18 months and ended up losing weight to the point of looking anorexic, I was seriously malnourished, I have permanent esophageal damage, I was so weak I couldn't even go shopping to buy clothes that fit because I couldn't walk that far, and all in all, the band almost killed me. And you know what? I am typical. My case was not unusual. Many doctors decline to band anymore, my own employer refuses to band people. He won't place new bands and he won't reposition slipped bands. He will remove them, he will revise to a different surgery type, but he believes it is unethical to place bands knowing he'll get the person back for a revision. We remove about 5 bands a week. And no, we didn't place them. They were placed by surgeons all over the world. I see these people every single day, I work with them, I take care of them. They are not at fault. They have been trying to get banding right for 40 years. Yes, 40. First it was the mesh band, then the non adjustable metal band, then the small adjustable band. Now the mega band. Stats are NO different today than they were 40 years ago. People buy into this nonsense that least invasive somehow means safer. It is NOT safer. Banding provides the slowest weight loss, the least weight loss, the highest regain, and the most complications of all main surgery types. Least invasive means nothing about long term safety issues. I can have you drink poison, that is least invasive. I can slice open your gut and pour in the poison, that is most invasive. But it's STILL poison. When people are having band problems and are facing losing their surgery type they are already at their lowest point. They feel like even WLS can't help their weight issues. To blame them is childish, insensitive, poison to the soul, idiotic, repulsive, insecure, and simply uneducated nonsense. These people need compassion, not a bunch of school yard bullies saying yes yes yes, you phucked it all up. It's all your fault. My butt it's all their fault, it most certainly is NOT a majority of the time. There is a reason many doctors decline to band anymore. Many hospitals decline to band. Heck, entire countries opt not to band and they are doing sleeves now. Sleeves have far superior weight loss and are one heck of a lot safer long term than banding. People do not need your childish finger pointing and uneducated nonsense. They need compassion and a shoulder. Try being adults for damn sakes! Yes, it's much easier to run around pointing that dumbass finger and blaming everyone and everything except the stupid sorry band. It's easier to slam dunk than it is to pony up the compassion and try to treat people like human beings. And it is far easier to slam dunk and then run and hide claiming you won't be reading posts anymore when we all know darn well you are reading. Yes, much easier to do that than to be a friend. Some of you people make me wish I could be around to see the karma when YOU start having band issues. Lecturing people on band rules when some of you have been banded 3 full years and you still aren't at goal. If you were following your own advice, shouldn't you be at goal now? Some of you can't even post accurate information! This nonsense about erosion being the fault of the patient. Total crap. Nobody knows what causes erosion a majority of the time. So how the heck do you guys know? People, at least shoot for accuracy for goodness sakes! But posting a bunch of negativity, blaming people for something they have no control over... it's nothing but insecurity on your part. Get over your silly little selves!

I am so sorry to hear all that trouble, me too, I went to San Antonio Texas and they drove us 3 hours down to Mexico, I got Staph a month later, then my tubing poped almost through my skin and then no one here in Oregon will see me , no matter where else I went and then I have a revision in October and now the bottom incision has poped open and drains fluids and still no surgeon will see me, I don't know what I am going to do now. The Dr. who did it has moved and would barely answer me this time. So see? there are maNY others out here with you . I sure am sorry for you too.

I didn't have the port tubing come undone but I've recently had port revision for a leak. So shoot me any questions you have. And yes it's ridiculous that he didn't listen to you the last time, but I guess they assume it will get better and only get concerned when it doesn't. I wish you all the luck with your revision and I hope you get a working band again soon.

For me personally, I believe I received a tried and true WLS method when I had RNY. It's been proven to work. If I ending up gaining back so much weight that I'd quality for WLS again, I will feel that I messed up big time. I can't say for sure what I'd do if I reached that point cause I'm not there, but I think I'd be too embarrassed to ask for a revision. I will have failed cause of me, not the surgery. However, I disagree with the quote about the lap band. My hospital stopped performing that surgery more than a year ago because it just doesn't work well enough for enough people. So if someone had RNY or sleeve gastronomy after a band, I'd see them as getting the "right" surgery this time and not fault them so much for the first one not working. If they failed to change their habits so that RNY or sleeve didn't work, THEN I'd say it's on them. Just my $0.02.

Well SHOOT!! I typed all of my stuff and lost it!! I have heard people say that my WLS didn't work. I don't totally agree with this. But like was said it is the choices that we make. Now the Lap Band failing I have 1st hand in knowing about. As you see my hubby had his for 13 years. He lost 100#'s with it but never met his goal. Yes, he did eat around it but it also was damaged during a fill, more surgery. Then in 2013 he went in for a revision to a RNY. It had eroded into his liver. Failed surgery. Then he got abscesses. Was deathly sick for 9 months 3 of which he doesn't remember. His Surgeon dropped him in the middle of his treatment, told him to go to his PCP or the ER. But hubby was so desperate he went back to this Dr again. Then he told him that he was a PROBLEM CHILD and he wouldn't do the surgery. He referred him to Portland, Oregon OHSU one of the best Bariatric Centers. They said they would try to do the RNY but he needed to lose 25#'s and get his A1C down to a 7 or 8. Which doesn't sound to hard right. He couldn't do both, if his Blood Sugar was good his weight went up and the same for his weight down BS up. In the mean time we find out he has Kidney Cancer but there is nothing they can do until he loses 150#. So down to Mexico self paid surgery. When they get in there he couldn't do the Rny because his whole right side is solid scar tissue so he gets the SLEEVE. This was June 3, 2016 to this day he has lost 60#'s. So pardon me when I say it isn't always easy to get another WLS. It makes me so mad when I hear someone say well, I'll jus ge a revision if it doesn't work out. We don't always get what we want. Now I'm not saying he did everything he could to lose his weight but darn the problems his weight has caused us!!! So I guess I'm saying in some cases yes a revsion is in order but if it is just because THE WLS didn't work, then they do need to go thru more counseling to make sure that their mind is on what needs to be done!!