Search the Community

@ 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

By all means, make the lifestyle changes, as they will be essential to your long term weight stability and well being, even if they aren't likely to get your weight down to where you want it to be - once we get to the size where we are considering WLS. there are enough various factors stacked against us that we run into that 5% success rate noted above. The way I approached this problem, when my wife and I got serious about our respective weight problems and started toward WLS was to start doing those lifestyle changes that would help to ensure my long term success. We know what we have to do - be more active (it seems like you already have that inclination), cut the junk out of our diets, improve the overall nutrition while reducing the calories to a level that will maintain us (if not leading to total weight loss to normal.) Most have already found that the various fad and "book" diets (any book entitled "The _____ Diet", most particularly if it also mentions "miracle" and is authored by a "Dr.") don't work in the long term. They may get your weight down to something approaching normal, but they teach you nothing about how to maintain that loss over the years, and the weight builds up again when trying to go back to a "normalish" maintenance diet. I avoided those diets, but worked on moving my diet as close to the ideal as I could sustain in the long term. It was not "perfect" by any book or nutritionists' standards, but it was what I could do within my tastes and it was something that I could do forever, and it was much better than the normal American crap diet that got most of us where we are/were when considering WLS. I kept tweaking things to carve out a few more calories where I could, and improve the overall nutrition of what I ate. That was almost 13 years ago, and I dropped about 50 lb over six months (335 - 285) or so and came to a halt. I could make small moves down and then back again. But I did maintain that loss for several years. In the meantime, my wife had her WLS after the serial insurance denials and ultimately self paying for her DS, and we settled into a reasonable maintenance lifestyle, though I usually ate about twice what she did. Once our insurance started covering the sleeve, I went for it as it was clear that I was not going to lose the rest on my own in any sustainable manner. That was five years ago, and so far so good. I also used that interim period to test my maintenance ability and help choose which surgery, if needed, was most appropriate for me. Had I regained what I had lost over those few years, that was a sign that I should go for the DS, with its better regain resistance. With the stability that I had managed over that time, the sleeve seemed like a good bet that I could avoid any revisions due to regain problems.

I'm a band to sleeve revision waiting for insurance approval but I've subscribed to both of your pages. Maybe I will make one as well

Sarabeth3569 - I had sleeve on Dec 21, 2012. I am probably going to be going through revision to bypass. Can you tell me how your process has been, struggles, non struggles, good days, bad days, etc... I was about 289 lbs when I had Sleeve done. I got down to 189. Then I got pregnant and Jumped up to 233. Now I'm back to 210, and I can't get my sleeve into gear. I'm eating way more than I should be able to, and I would like to get back into gear with all of this. It would be awesome to have an email friend.

Hello! I had a revision from lapband to sleeve in August. Now that I'm on solids. I can't keep some food's down. I run back to my Protein shakes and pureed foods. LadieT

SLEEVE TO BYPASS REVISION. I apologize in advance if this is not where I post this at. I have been sleeved for 21 days now....and now I may have to have the bypass within 2 weeks. I never had actual GERD before but have had GERD ever since the surgery. I don't have any vomiting at night like others have mentioned...but it restricts me from now getting any food but cottage cheese in and only about 20 ounces of water. I'm not talking like the tiny acid I used to get with eating a whole pizza and then laying down ...I'm talking like punch you in the stomach pain & sizzling noises all day long in my throat. I boil acid all day long. It's not excruciating...Its just not good on a sleeve and I'm scared It will eat through my staples or hurt my small pouch even more. I was 270 day of surgery and weighed this morning at 238. I'm losing weight like a champ but it's because my intake is super low. I saw my surgeon on Friday and he raised my Nexium but said that if in 2 weeks I was still having the Gerd that he was going to do a sleeve to bypass revision. Has anyone had a sleeve to bypass revision? If so I would love to hear about your experience. Good or bad. I've googled many posts but can't get straight forward answers. How was the pain? Did you have complications? And how is your quality of life now? Tia

I get my revision on Dec. 4. I can't WAIT to be done with this band!!!! I just had an "incident" yesterday and man o man will I be happy to be done with that. Most of the time I don't even know it's there and then BAM! Out of the blue I am completely stuck. I am sure I will have issues, too, because my pouch is really stretched. I hope your recovery goes very smoothly and I am so happy to hear you have no hunger. I am hungry all the time at this point.

i had my revision 8/25i have yet to get passed clear liquids. I had a stent placed last week. I am hoping this fixes my issues since i had 4 dilations with no success.

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.

Be thankful though, in that if your surgeon was not confident in his ability to make it work and had tried anyway, disaster would have followed. Perhaps your new surgeon will have more experience with revisions. Good luck!

Well I have a confession.... I'm glad!! He's real, real conservative and we butted heads from time to time. So if you're real conservative, we shouldn't talk politics. LOL I've always been one of those people who doesn't tan easily (or at all) and I burn bad and then do the disgusting peel. So my heart goes out to you. At least during the peel state, if you burned that bad, you'll probably be getting some good drugs and it won't be too unpleasant. Hydration has always been the key to feeling better after a sunburn. Man, I'm thinking of you. I had my sleeve revision 6 days ago. It is rougher than I thought it would be, but it is doable and each day you see an improvement of some sort. I have been surprised at how much this site helped me during the first days. If you have a question, there's somebody who has been there and glad to share their experience. I thought I'd feel too bad to be on the computer. But it's a godsend and please know that we really are all wondering about you and wishing you well. Best wishes for a speedy recovery!

The band is awful. I'm revising to VSG for all the reasons everyone stated. I sure hope it's as amazing as it sounds. Not hungry, full after a few bites, low risk of complications.. that plus my 2 hr workouts and I'm gonna be healthy in no time! can't wait. SIGN ME UP :thumbup:

I don't know of any disadvantages. There is a whole list of disadvantages for the band and the gastric bypass. I revised from the band to sleeve and I am really happy that I did it before the band did damage to my stomach.

I am 4 days out (surgery was wednesday) from having my revision from lap band to bypass. I had this all planned out in my mind as going perfectly. Im one to bounce back fast and this has been anything but. To be honest, im pretty scared and emotional. The surgery itself i've been told went pretty well. There was a lot of scarring inside from the band. He left a drainage tube in place which I know is pretty routine. I wasn't getting much comfort from pain medication at all. My oxygen levels kept going down which im sure was due to the pain. The doctor sent me home Friday towards evening with oxygen and pain meds. Through the evening and into the night it just got worse and worse. Around 930am I finally couldn't take it anymore.I was shaking crying and hurting so badly. He had me come back to the hospital. He thought maybe I had gotten dehydrated. Im sure that is possible. How are you supposed to keep up on the Fluid intake while you are resting? Finally around 6pm the Dr gets back to my room and decides he is going to take out the drainage tube. That was a large relief from pain. My oxygen stats increased, but im still in a decent bit of pain. So now I am the evening of the 4th day. I've taken meds to keep me from getting sick twice. I made sure to get my Vitamins in. Im trying hard to get the 2oz of liquids every 30 minutes in but im struggling. And the pain just wont subside much. Im a complete emotional mess. Im worried about having panic attacks and making things worse. I did this to improve my health and right now I feel like i've made the biggest mistake of my life. I know I can't be the only one feeling like this. I want to know there is light at the end of this tunnel. Any suggestions you can give to help the pain, get my fluids down, not become an emotional mess, anything really. I would appreciate it.

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