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Hi there @@kmt1973 -- there is a group of very successful banders who post on a thread called Banders #7. With so many different surgeries represented here on Bariatric Pal, Banders are somewhat of a minority so I always look there first. And I try to avoid the negative band talk from those who have had revisions. I'm sorry you had to go through all of that and hope that you're on track now -- sounds like the unfill and now refill process is going well. I think some doctors are annoyed at all the followup that a band requires. Most surgeons would rather be in the OR than discussing the finer points of appetite. There are a couple of links in my signature below which really helped me a lot -- the O'Brien Eight Golden Rules of Lapband on videos and the Dr. Simpson link. Best wishes to you!

My surgeon requires all his patients to take either a prescription PPI or an over the counter acid reducer for life. I haven't had a single instance of acid reflux or heartburn and I'm almost six months out from gastric bypass surgery.

My thoughts are that you need a new surgeon. If you have reflux, DO NOT get the sleeve. It will likely make it a lot worse. I was able to choose between bypass and sleeve because my A1c was less than 7 and because I don't have any form of reflux, so I chose the sleeve. My husband has GERD and a higher A1c and was advised that bypass is really his only option. Sometimes those that never had reflux get it with the sleeve and have to revise to a bypass to resolve it. And while the sleeve has less risk, the bypass does give about an extra 10% of weight loss. So definitely find a new surgeon.

My doctor mentioned having the bypass and the band done at the SAME time; not getting the band after the bypass had failed. He said it greatly increased the long-term success rate of both surgeries.

HI I went to a seminar for a surgeon in Pinehurst as well as the one in cary and I was way more pleased with Dr. Enoch's staff in Cary. They have a support group once a month in Raleigh at Rex Hospital. I found the doc in Pinehurst to be more into Gastric Bypass. There's also a difference in the quality of the band dr. Enochs uses. It's a lot better. We got to see the difference between both at the last support group. My sister had surgery year ago in Georgia and she's had great success so I've decided to do the same. Good luck to you. I'm scheduled for Friday August 22,2008. I'll keep in touch thru this site to update.

first off congrats on the amazing weight loss. I am scheduled to be banded next tuesday at a starting weight around 350. I too felt more comfortable with lapband then bypass. My surgeon prefers lapband over bypass because he believes that once lapbanders reach goal he can breath a sigh of relief that they will most likely not gain the weight back but with bypass he is happy that a patient has reached goal but still carries a concern as to their future since they do not have restriction if they backslide.

For me, it was the severity of the procedures. I was hesitant enough about WLS, but removing part of my organs was just too much for me. Also, since I'm self-pay, I was FREAKED out complications because my insurance would not cover any complications. Lapband was far less risky, IMHO, and therefore, less of a risk financially. I've been infertile for four years and would like to get pregnant one day, and the fact that you can remove all the liquid from the band and have a normal size stomach again appealed to me in terms of nutritionally providing for a child if I was pregnant. It's different strokes for different folks. I think Gastric Bypass is a fine procedure and is a better fit for some people. I think Lapband was the right fit for me. The best advice I can give is research, research, research! Good luck!

Transfer addiction can happen to any bariatric patient, not just bypass patients. I know an alcoholic bypass patient and a band patient who became addicted to pain pills. When we can't use food for comfort or numbing any more, it can be tempting to turn to some other substance or activity to deal with it. So we all need to be cautious because of the potential for transfer addiction.

I'm looking into getting a revision and no longer have insurance that will cover it. Has anyone gone through Dr.Elias Ortiz or Dr. Almanza in Tijuana for their revision? What was your experience?

Hello, I'd like to introduce myself. I'm Melissa and my LAP-BAND® surgery is scheduled for October 5th. I am very scared, but thrilled all the same. This journey has taken my up, down and all around so far, but its nearing the climax. I originally started out as a gastric bypass patient, but I backed out at the last minute. Good luck to everyone... This truly is a life changing experience.

Hi I too really considered bypass but I just couldn't do it. I went the safer route and am really happy with my decision. I am 3 months post op and have lost 41 pounds. The weight is coming off steadily and I am really happy with that. I feel really good! Good luck to you!

Hello kimmr... I am a band to sleeve revision too. I'm still alive!! I'm also healthier than I've ever been in my life, smaller than I've been in 2 decades and best of all HAPPIER than I can ever remember being. All the best to you in your journey.

Hey Petal...well, I went through with it and came out on other side. I did feel a huge sense of relief as soon as I woke up that was most definitely tied to the fact that the debate was over. I had revised to a sleeve, I could no longer justify that internal struggle. Does that make sense? I'm not saying that I don't still have some concerns that I made the right decision, or that I might face some unknown consequences...especially long term. But, the surgery is done, I can no longer lose sleep over whether or not I'm making the right decision. I made that decision because, with the information I know now, it was the best decision for me. My therapist has explained it nicely....regret is a choice. You CHOOSE to regret something. And if you choose to regret something, that means you're holding yourself accountable for knowing what the future holds, which is completely asinine. I made the best decision that I could for myself in 2012. If 2025 gets here, and something is wrong, well, I still won't 'regret' it, because in 2012, there's no way I could know what's going to happen in 2025. I bugs me when people post these, "do you regret it?" posts. I just don't like the term 'regret.' It seems sort of simple minded. Maybe I'm being harsh, but that's the way I see it.

Hello everyone my name is Jessica and I am sure that my story can relate to many others. I've been having my entire life coming from a family that is also very overweight and I wanted to make a difference in my life. I love being active and working out and trying to do different weightlifting and things like that but I found that because of my weight I would get injured often. I ended up getting a tear in my meniscus which sent me to physical therapy for an extended period of time and then occasionally it would still hurt when trying to work out on it. I realize that I really needed something to help me with the eating aspect of dieting and becoming healthier so that I could be able to work out and really be as active as I want to be! I actually looked into getting gastric bypass in the past and my insurance didn't cover it and at the time I do not have the funds to pay for it, So When it came to my attention that I would be able to get a surgery for weight loss and have it be covered by my insurance it was a breath of fresh air! I am also a preschool teacher and being so overweight I feel as if I am almost a bad role model for those students. It makes me sad to think that they look up to me so much and I should get healthy role model to them! I got married in April 2013 and one day we want to have children. I feel if I were to get pregnant now at a weight of 369 pounds that I would have complications with my pregnancy and it could not only hurt myself but also my future child! At first I decided on the sleeve procedure and then I went to a support group and I realize that a lot of the patients that had gotten the sleeve then went on to get the gastric bypass years later. I realized that perhaps just going straight for the gold and getting the bypass was the best option for me! I called my doctor the next day after researching it with my husband and I actually switched my procedure to gastric bypass weeks before my actual procedure! I have battled with weight gain and loss and self-esteem issues my entire life, and now I feel that I finally have a tool that can really help me to lose the weight and to keep it off and to be healthy and live a long, long life! When I started this journey with the preoperation diet on December 10 I weighed 368 pounds. On the day of surgery I weigh 347 pounds. At my doctors appointment after the surgery on December 26 I weighed 334 pounds! So I am down 34 pounds 10 days post-op and I'm feeling great! I am definitely looking forward to being cleared to exercise to help with the weight loss! I feel so great to a found a forum in which you can actually talk about all of the different things that you're going through during the process of weight loss surgery! So I'm very excited to get to know everyone and be able to answer any questions that I can personally answer ( although I am kind of a newbie at this point) but also to be able to ask those questions of you guys who have experienced what I am experiencing!!!!

Welcome Ndipilato, glad you decided to join our group. I understand your worries about the bypass as I am currently doing my liquid diet to have the bypass in a week and a half, I am actually happy with my choice only because I know my body and my self, and I am ready for this. I also am a yoyo dieter, and too have been a heavy person since I was real young. I am ready for this change and this to be the end of obesity for me. I need this to be and that is why I am putting my full head into it. I hope that you get your decision from the insurance company soon and you are happy with the sleeve. The reason I decided on the bypass was because I had the band back in 2010 and it did not work for me, something happen with the band and made a year of hell for me, so I had it taken out in 2011 and was so discouraged that I didn't have a revision done which I should have and I know that now but because of everything I had gone through I didn't trust something else. So I joined weight watchers thinking that I could do that, and went to meetings and everything I lost maybe 10lbs in 5 months. I have a super bad thyroid that I take meds for and I just think that with that issue it hinders me in losing weight. I went to my doctor to ask about bypass and when he said that if I got the sleeve and that didn't work then I could always get the bypass after right then I was like no way, I am having the bypass I am not going to have a surgery knowing that there is one more that i can get and jeopardize my weight loss with that knowing there was something else I could do. I am all set, so that is why I made my choice!!! Well Welcome and good luck!!!

@@lexiemia I am near Jacksonville - good luck with the revision. I just had surgery 12 days ago to a sleeve. I contemplated the band for a bit but decided to go with my "gut" - which was the sleeve. No regrets. @@Typhanee wish you the best of luck and hope this time you find your greenspot!

Hello, I've been on her for a few months but haven't really posted much but have read a whole lot. My surgery date is this Thursday May 20th. I'll be getting the gastric sleeve revision. I got banded October 2012 & had little success. Lost about 25#'s initially & then nothing more. I struggled with the band & never truly was able find the 'green spot'. I ended up getting to tight & had a good portion of the saline taken out. My surgeon's 'bedside manner' was horrible & I did not want to go back but I did. I ended up talking to a new younger surgeon & he told me I HAD to stay with the other asshat surgeon. I refused. I continued to struggle with what I believe is port pain or possibly where I'm banded & decided to pursue the sleeve with another Bariatric center. I'm so dang glad I did!!! My insurance denied me TWICE & the waiting game SUCKS but I know it will be worth it in the end. I just got notified last week that I'm APPROVED... Stoked but a ball of nerves!!! Excited for the journey ahead

Following gastric bypass, doctors generally recommend 60g to 80g of Protein for the gals and 80g to 100g for the guys. The average adult has about a trillion cells in the body. Every single one of those cells contain protein. Remove all of the Water from your body and 75% of what's left is protein. So why is the recommended protein higher following the surgery? Protein is used extensively to repair and replace damaged tissue. Carbs are king when it comes to energy. On a regular diet, about 60% of your body's energy requirement is met by carbs. But when you're on a low carb diet, your body will metabolize protein for energy. It is common to read posts from folks who are struggling to get in their doctor's recommended protein. And in the same post learn that they are suffering from low energy. No carbs + no protein = no energy. Protein is a key player in fighting off bacterial and viral infections. Protein will help minimize lean muscle wasting during rapid weight loss. Protein will help reduce hair loss. Terry has commented on the concern of possible kidney damage related to protein intake. The question of what, if any, association exists between protein and osteoporosis remains to be answered. This link - http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/155/7/636.long - is to a 2001 paper published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. Although quite technical in places, it highlights the conflicting results of various research studies. This link - http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/alerts/osteoporosis/protein-osteoporosis-prevention_5826-1.html - is to a 2011 study at Johns Hopkins which is much less technical but again stresses that results are inconclusive. And finally this link - www.who.int/.../public_health_nut8.pdf - is a study published by the World Health Organization and concludes that "...evidence of adverse consequences [from dietary protein] is lacking." At the moment, perhaps the best we can do is follow our doctor's recommendation as closely as we possibly can.

I too am having revision from band to sleeve. May 28 is my date. My band was successful for 10 years. I lost 100 pounds. Last year I had a virus and was vomiting. My band slipped. They had to remove all the saline and I have now gained 87 lbs. I am ill with myself for gaining but I guess after being so restricted for so many years I kind of lost it. Good luck and keep us posted.

I was banded in December of 2012 and went from 275 to 255. I never got in the "green zone" and constantly suffered from overwhelming pain after I would fly (I travel for work). My surgeon later explained to me that the band tightens after flights due to the cabin pressure. I would be miserable for days... Sometimes longer depending on how much I would fly. I also would vomit and get horrible reflux from my band. In seeing a new surgeon I feel really good about my revision, and am down 12 out of 15 pounds required before surgery. My goal is to be 265 at surgery time.

My surgery is the 2nd of April I have my preop labs on the 28th I have not had a cigarette in 6 days and have been on my preop diet the same amount of time. I am looking so forward in getting my band over bypass goo luck all

Hi everyone! So I just visited with my former boss who had gastric bypass six years ago. She told me about this website that sells Protein powders and ready-to-drink Protein shakes of all different flavors. Protein drinks and others!! Yay! We dont have to drink the same old crap from Walmart. This thread sounds like spam or some sort of advertisement, sorry for that. I just know that I have become so SICK of my same old Protein powder that I have to GAG down these days. I am THRILLED to have some variety and feel like I will stick with this protein thing much better if I have some options. Hope you enjoy!!

Which Dr. at UCLA did your revision surgery? Sent from my SM-N950U using BariatricPal mobile app

My GI doc is at Cedars. I’m scheduled to see someone at UCLA next week to discuss revision.

Hi, my name is Beth and I am 30years old, married to an amazing man and have 2 beautiful little girls. I have always been overweight and have tried every diet out there. In 2011 I lost 110lbs but have gained about 75lbs back since the birth of my second daughter in February 2013. I made the decision to have the bypass in September 2013 and between being diagnosed with hypothyroidism, pcos and trying to get all the medications regulated it has been more than difficult to lose the pre-surgery weight. I've finally got be my thyroid leveled and the pcos under control and have managed to lose 10 of the 16lbs I need to lose in order to be scheduled for my surgery. I am nervous and excited about this chapter in my life but know it will only help me be the best person I can be for my family!