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My husband had a fundoplication in 1980 and revision surgery 3 years ago. He has to watch his portions, chew food really well and avoid anything 'gummy,' like cheesy mashed potatoes or soft bread. Sound familiar?

I first had a hiatal hernia repair 5yrs ago due to the fact insurance wouldn't pay for it if I did it in conjunction with a lap band. So, I had the hernia repair then the lap band. After the lap band, my lung collapsed after discharged home. Spent nine days in ICU. No problems for another yr and lost 80 lbs 20 lbs from goal. Began having severe reflux. nothing helped. Dr claims my band didn't slip per xray. Went back to OR for either a lap band revision or nissen/fundoplication. He was to decide based on his expertise. I woke up to find I lost the band but had fundoplication. I was devastated. He said the band severely slipped so he took it off instead of putting it back in place. I did not want to lose the band. The moron left the port in place for unk reasons. Said he couldn't get the band back on and couldnt completely wrap the stomach around like he wanted for the nissen. I have not had any more reflux and have gained all my wgt back! I am so upset with myself. I want the band back. I am trying to find a dr who will do it. If Ihave to undo the nissen I would. I am afraid of Barrets esophagus if I reflux again. I dont want bypass. If anyone knows of surgeon in Texas who will do the lapband with nissen already done please let me know. I am desperate! I loved the band until it slipped. I dont think I needed the nissen to start with just a revision of the slipped band!

I got the lapband Sept 2004. Around December 2005 I started having pain issues in my body and by May 2006, I was a total mess. I've spent the last few years in severe daily chronic pain and taking oxycontin and still not having relief. I had a team of 6 doctors and lots of loving friends and family and no one could figure out what was wrong with me. 9 months ago I figured it out. My body rejected the lapband.. not slippage, erosion, or psychological intolerance.. true full-on rejection which is pretty rare. I'm being revised to VSG on Friday and I cannot wait for my new life to begin. Yes, what happened to me is rare, but all the other problems are WAY TOO COMMON. You're the only one who can make the decision for you. Do your research and make the best choice for yourself, but please remember my story in case you need to know it later. *hugs*

I've had the band, and over a 2 year period the band is more expensive than the sleeve due to follow up appointments, fills/unfills, and the other issues with the band. With the reoperation rate of the band, it's actually way more expensive than the sleeve. Hug your doctor, and thank them for being honest and giving you an option. Some surgeons prefer the band because it's the real money maker of the bariatric surgeries. I've had both the band and the sleeve, and my personal opinion is that the sleeve is superior over the band for several reasons. The band has the lowest and slowest loss stats, highest rate of long term complications even outdoing RNY with the exception of Vitamin deficiencies. The food restrictions alone with the band are horrific. I couldn't eat meat, any type of breads, lettuce, raw veggies, and most fruits caused major issues. The less ghrelin thing is true. Just because you fill up your little pouch with the band doesn't mean you are satisfied. That hunger is still there, and once the food slips through, you'll be hungry again, and really aren't supposed to eat because you're on a forced diet. The maintenance thing is true. You don't even need to go to a general surgeon. Your family doctor or primary care doctor can pull your labs, and monitor your levels. This is a post I share often when people ask about VSG vs. Band, or VSG vs. RNY, or VSG for a revision from band vs. band to band revision. At the very bottom, you'll find some research links that I enjoyed reading for research purposes. Hope this helps. This is directly from the band manufacturer so there is no skewing facts or stats here. This is their own study.

My sister who had VSG has never made it to goal. her starting weight was over 300#, lowest she made it to was about 250ish. She works out hard core, but IMO wasn't eating well and drinks too much alcohol. She is now @ 260 and doesn't like the fact I'm approaching where she is. She is working at eating better. My neice who had lap band lost almost all her excess weight, from over 300 down to 178ish. She has gained back to about 230. She's young and in love for the first time in her life-- love will make you gain every time :-) Though-- her BF just had VSG-- so i think she's determined to not let him get lower than her. My cousin has a band complication now and had to be unfilled-- and she has started to gain. Her insurance won't cover revisions- so she's stuck. I chose RNY because I saw my sister with VSG was still able to eat a lot of crap after her surgery. I knew the malabsorption feature would help *if* I chose to eat crap. And we both loved sweets...I also wanted the 'safeguard' of dumping to keep me away-- but it looks like I tolerate sugars so far. My sister gets heartburn and throws up more than I care for-- I didn't want to live like that. (and for the record-- I thrown up a handful of times in my life-- mostly pregnancy related-- anything beyond that is abnormal in my head.) I never wanted band-- too many complications and too much risk of not maximizing my weight loss considering my high starting BMI.

Yolie, I am having lap band revision surgery in Dallas on the same day as you September 29!!! Let's keep in touch I'm so nervous!!

Hey hey family. I had a really good day today. My 3 month check up with my surgeon and nutritionist was today. Eavann my nut asked me do i remember what i said during my first consultation on what weight I'd like to achieve with my surgery. At the time I was 156kg 345lb (ish) and said 100kg or about 220lbs. I then proceeded to completely and utterly forget about this. Fast forward to today and i had my weigh in and I was 101kg. She said that congrats were in order as i had essentially achieved my target weight. I was floored.... For two reasons. Firstly the obvious one. I had attained a target! like whoah! Then I had a rush of sympathy for the old me. At one point I genuinely felt that getting to this weight was a stratospheric target.... high high in the sky and possibly unattainable. I thought that 220lb was a realistic expectation for me. Even when asked a lofty pie in the sky question I was unable to even imagine that I plus surgery could achieve normal healthy BMI. My response was a genuine and true..... "but, but, I feel like I've only just started??" She then said that they get that a lot. My revised (official) target is now 76kg or 167lbs and in line with what I've had here on bariatric pal since September/October. She said that I'm 2/3 of the way now, so still a little bit to go. My response to that was a jovial yet deadly serious "Sure, no bother to me". On a more serious note I am so delighted with the changes in my head. Much more so than the body changes. The body is great don't get me wrong, but it's upstairs where the real change lives. My identity crisis is throwing up the most lovely of artefacts. The old me would not in a month of sundays let alone in an instant like that be so sure of himself and while I had genuine sympathy for the Des who sat in that far off consultant's office and murmured that he wanted to be 100kg, I couldn't help but smile at how distant I felt from him than at that point. It was literally like Eavann was describing the actions of another person. In other news Oliver my surgeon is delighted with my every progress. He's asked me to get a Vitamin B12 test done but the rest of my blood panel has caused him to wax lyrical about me! Bad cholesterol down, good cholesterol up etc. etc. the list goes on.... Blood pressure is good and still very much in control. All told things are pretty much in fine working order under my proverbial bonnet. So that was my day. Walking on sunshine right now to be honest. Chat to ye again soon. Des x Man on the veritable cusp of non obeseness.

If you go by band standards, I was a success. More than 50% EWL and kept it off for more than three years. I was not where I wanted to be. I think you had great results with 85 pounds in 4 months. For the past three years plus I have been on rx meds for heart burn due the band. The med that was the most effective to treat it started to not work in April of this year. Even with no Fluid in my band right now, if I don't take my medicine I get terrible heart burn. My doctor said it is better for the patient to get both surgeries at one time. I have seen both opinions on the forum. Pretty typical. You also see different pre and post-op diets and lengths of time before introducing different foods for patients. My biggest fear is how much scar tissue is there from the band. I don't think there is a way to know until they actually do the surgery. My doctor said that a revision normally takes about 2 hours to perform.

Me too Band07!!! I'm scheduled for 9/25 for band removal and revision to the sleeve. My surgeon removed all my saline on 8/12 and had me do an UGI to check out everything. According to my UGI results he said he didn't see a problem with doing the 2 surgeries at once, but it did depend on how much scar tissue is around my band and he can't tell that until he gets in there. Praying that I don't have a lot of scar tissue!!

I am almost 5 months postop and I'm a band to sleeve revision. I have lost 58 pounds. And I had to have a rotator cuff repair so for the last 8 weeks I have NOT been able to exercise. I am almost at goal, and love my sleeve.

Band was right for me six years ago. It was so comforting during my pregnancies to have all of my fill removed, and know that my babies were at no risk for any complications due to my WLS. However, post pregnancy, my Band hasn't worked again... and I'm meeting others who have the same issue. Nobody seems to know why. So, if me and my doctor can't figure this out, I'll be going for a Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy. Basically, 80% of your stomach is removed... including the portion that produces a lot of the ghrelin. Your pyloric sphincter is in tact, so no dumping. It's restrictive only... so no malabsorption. Partial gastrectomies have been performed for years on cancer victims... and the partial gastrectomy has also been the first part of the DS which has been used for at least 10 years. If you need to revise the VSG, can add either a DS or RNY malabsorption component... but it seems that very few need that at this stage. I used to be really nervous about having anything permanent... like having part of my stomach removed. But, I'm more comfortable with that over an RNY pouch-like stomach... where part of your stomach is blind... and you deal with staple line issues. With a VSG, after about 6-weeks, there is no more risk of leakage or issues with your new stomach.

Trisha...my banding was almost one year ago! I have been extremely happy with Realize band! I think 2 surgeons is great and it is really the port that is "installed" differently/ Instead of being sewn on the muscle fascia...it has a tool (think of it like a "bedazzler" which stamps the claws onto the fascia!) I have had 2 friends need lap band port revisions because they flipped...never heard of a realize port flipping....not to say they can't but hmmm... I will be thinking of you! Good luck and be happy!

I'm only 3 weeks out and I feel great! I know everyone's experience is so different and you never know where you will fall on that scale. I had read both extreme's before surgery and because I'm in my mid 50's I was worried I would not bounce back as quick as some of the younger ones. But I have been blessed. The worst pain was the headaches in the hospital that first night after surgery. I assume it was from the anesthesia or caffeine withdrawal, or both! I never even took any of the morphine they offered because I was afraid it would make me nauseous and I had not had any nausea. I still haven't. Not once. I am just starting soft foods and I've not had any trouble tolerating any thing I've tried. I've eaten Beans and shrimp and stewed tomatoes. I've always drank a ton of tea and coffee and I continue to do so. I drink 24 oz of coffee in the morning then switch to earl grey tea for the rest of the day. Most days I will have another 12 oz cup of coffee after dinner also. No it's not decaf. No it doesn't keep me up at night and no it doesn't bother my stomach. I take no PPI. Like I said, I've been truly blessed. I had a lapband put in 2.5 years ago and went from 233 to 183, then slowly started gaining it back as the band was either too loose or too tight. My doctor recommended revision to sleeve which he did all in one surgery. This is usually a little more in depth and so he did leave me with a drain for a week after surgery. The drain caused some discomfort when I walked. I wasn't sure what it was until he removed it. It wasn't painful, just kind of a weird tugging feeling. Kinda worrisome until I knew what it was! But the drain and the pain are all gone. I don't have the sluggishness described by others after the first week or so. I've been meeting all my Fluid and Protein goals from about day 3. Will this be your experience? I have no idea. But I do think it's true that most of the posts on the forum are people looking for answers to questions or people having problems. The rest of the people having no problems and no current questions are off living and enjoying their new lives. For me, I think this was the right move. I hope you are as happy with whatever your decision, as I am with mine.

Hi elcee, I had the band placed in 2006. Last year after years of battle and complications with my band, I revised to the Gastric Sleeve. Well since I always go big or go home (in my sarcastic voice) I had a stricture and severe heart band so was converted to the Gastric bypass almost 3 weeks ago. The eating for each is different but there is a definite difference in the lap band and the bypass. with the bypass, you have to take small sips of liquid...im progressing in introducing new foods. I can honestly say that even though I'm still in the early learning phases I wish I had started out with this procedure. It definitely provides structure and discipline in the new way of eating and making good choices.

Hey there 6/27/2016 Sleever here, revision from Lap Band (2006). Tomorrow will be one week post op, doc told me I can go to full liquids on Tuesday, can't wait!! Really excited to be on this forum since I live alone, and most of my support is Facebook and online... Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I need some inspiration...I've had this love/hate relationship with food for the past 25 years! I've always been a stress/emotional/bored eater. In 2013 I had the Lapband...day of surgery weight 319. After 2 years, and for the first time in my adult life I saw 199 on scale. That was absolutely the most amazing feeling I'd had (weight related) in my adult life! A couple of months after that, things changed drastically, I began having complications with the band and ended up in the hospital for a week...discharged with all the Fluid removed from the band. Frustration and anger set in and the weight began to pile back on. Today I am 1 week and 1 day post op from band to sleeve revision. The original plan was band to bypass...during surgery, due to extensive scar tissue from the band and complications with my intestines, my surgeon went with the sleeve...which he had discussed with me prior to surgery, saying that could potentially happen. I kept my hopes up for a successful band to bypass...#1 reason being that I felt like I "needed" that restriction! I don't remember feeling hungry after the Lapband! I'm only a week post op and I'm hungry! I don't know what to do! I don't remember feeling this emotional after the Lapband! I read and I read and I read...I know that everything says follow your Drs post op diet to the "T" or you could damage your "new" stomach. Last night I made the mistake of getting on the scale. Morning of revision surgery I was 302...last night my scale read 297...I was devastated! Per dr recommendations, full liquids are to start today...in my hungry, desperation, feelings of failure...you name it...pity party, party of 1 ????...I ate about 4 teaspoons full of low fat cottage cheese. Now I'm beating myself up and I'm terrified that I'm not going to get this right! Can anyone offer me some advise on how to deal with this emotional roller coaster I feel like I'm on and how to deal with wanting to EAT, not drink?! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

A vit D deficiency can be very serious. There are several negative effects of having low levels (especially over a long period of time) that are irreversible. Definitely look into it and talk to your nut about it. Don't forget that you must take bariatric vitamins for the rest of your life. I have a severe Vit D deficiency that is being treated with high dose supplements for at least 6 months. I stopped taking my vitamins over a year ago and I quickly became deficient. I'm post op 9 years but I'm now having a revision due to weight gain and some other issues.

Im sorry for your friend. I'm familiar with a lot that she's going through. I know I'm far away, but my surgeon is amazing! He has done quite a lot of revisions and reversals. I've been through tpn, etc. It took so many years and doctors before I found him. Dr. Sunil Bhoyrul, Scripps La Jolla San Diego , CA. I hope your friend can get the help she needs❤️

I've gone to Mexico twice, first time for my LapBand in 2005 and just last month for my revision to the VSG. Both times, Dr. Pedro Kuri was my surgeon. His price was $5,500 + $1,000 to remove my band. Travel expenses to San Diego Airport are not included. I trust Dr. Kuri and his team implicitly.

Startingover, I had my band removed last October and am planning on revising to RNY on 6/11/09. I'm using the same surgeon who did my band and the part of the same team that did my 20 year old daughter's RNY last May. I think you need to get as much info as possible and will have a difficult finding all that on this site because it is designed for lap band patients but obesityhelp.com and thinnertimes.com are two that cover RNY. Also there are books out there and I have read Weightloss Surgery for Dummies and it was helpful for my daughter and myself. I don't think you can judge a surgery by one person's opinion even if it's positive. I've been there with my daughter from day one and she did have issues in the beginning with a stricture where her new stoma actually closed and she couldn't get any food or Water in so they had to do an endoscopy with a balloon twice to stretch it open. That also involved an er visit and two day stay for IV fluids and to wait until the following Monday for someone who could do the endocopy to be there. I don't know the percentages as to how many people get them but I wouldn't be surprised if I were to have one also. Also she has never had "dumping syndrome" and from what I read only 40% of people do but it doesn't also mean she never will some people won't have it until a year post-op. She has lost well over 100 lbs and it was fairly quick due to her stricture but she has tapered off for now. It's been almost a year and I think that's normal. I think there is a honeymoon period where you lose easily and quickly and it can stall. Then it requires more work from the individual. I've also read a statistic that you lose 1/3 of your weight so my daughter has met that statistic. She is only required to take one supplement that I can purchase at her surgeon's office now which is nice. She's able to eat regularly now but she definitely has to chew her food very well! You also are not supposed to drink about a half hour before you eat and I've heard a half hour to an hour after you eat as you do not have a pyloric valve that would slowly empty food from your stomach so you basically are self flushing with liquid. Anyway I hope I didn't mess any of the info up for you which is another reason why you can't depend on a few opinions to decide on a surgery, lol. But good luck and discuss this with a surgeon and ask as many questions even the ones you think maybe stupid with him/her! Take care Nancy.

Good for you! Hope that you are doing well with your surgery. It's amazing that you are able to eat 2 weeks post op and lots of luck with that. I have to wait a while for my revision surgery and I am petrified of having it. I just do not want to give up sugar in my coffee (because I am allergic to the artificial sweetners) and the eating and drinking. Hopefully, your acid reflux is now non existent from what I hear about this surgery! Best wishes to you always. Stephen

www.obesitylapbandsurgery.com/ Look at this website. It is THE PREMIER group on the planet Earth. These are THE BEST doctors: those who pioneered laproscopic placement of the band and helped develop the surgical techniques to prevent slippage and the band revisions, i.e. to the band itself, facilitating placement via laproscopy. There are surgeons, and then there are GIFTED surgeons and Dr. Rumbaut falls into this latter category. He is SO INTERESTED in every patient. And, when he told me and my husband he was able to stitch the stomach around the band in the BACK as well as the front he was EXCITED and proud of himself. Imagine an american surgeon coming to the hotel to meet you the night before surgery and then coming to the hospital at 8:30 on a Saturday night to say goodbye before he left!!!!! (he was picking up his son from the movies). He has four children... 12, 10, 7 & 5. He is SO personable. Other surgeons in Monterrey are jealous because he has two operating rooms available to him ALL day on Tues and Thursdays. His office is IN the San Jose medical center. You'll see.... When you are in his office be sure to look at the large picture of a red headed woman dancing with a man.... it is classic. Nancy

I want to say that I think that the lap band is a good tool for weight loss. I have seen some successful people with it and have personally known quite a few. I've realized, though, that the lap band really is a temporary device. I have never met anyone that has a lapband after 10 years. They either had slippage, erosion, or other complications from the lap band such as infections and hernia or whatever else and etc. My friend told me that when she signed the paperwork...it was listed as a temporary device. One of my friends had such bad damage and scar tissue from the band that she was unable to get a revision surgery. That got me concerned. Does the band cause damage to the stomach from having it for years that makes the person incapable of getting a revision surgery? Does the person then simply just hope and pray that they have learned new lifelong habits to maintain the weight loss? There are so many what ifs. So who still has it after 8-10-12 years? Does it still work or is it unfilled and simply just sitting there without being in use? Is it really a permanent solution to weight? I want to say I think it's a good temporary tool. But I do wonder what people do when the temporary is over...

Hello EVERYONE! This can't happen we have been bumped down the list!! I have been missing for a couple of weeks but wanted to check in. Some of my fellow A11s may know I had a flipped port in November and had revision surgery. The surgery and recovery was not bad. I was unable to exercise for a little over 2 weeks. OMG let me tell you about Thanksgiving I was so proud of myself on my first plate, I had a very small amount of everything. Felt great not stuff or anything. But later that night I ate again but with more of my favorites on the plate. It was my first holiday after being banded and I would say I did better than expected, but not that good. I lost myself for the week following Thanksgiving with leftovers and Desserts and on top of all that I could not exercise. During the struggle I lost and gained the same 3-4lbs. I am happy to report that I was back on track as of 12/5 and lost 5 pounds in that 1 week. So this morning I went for my first fill following revision surgery. I had a hematoma that he had to drain but I got my much awaited fill . So needless to say ladies and gents I am back. I have my second fill since being banded! Hope all is well with you all. Thanks for listening!!

You are all in my thoughts and prayers. Since i am a revision dr wants me last so he wont feel rushed. Great ideabut here i sit with anxiety ramping up. Doesnt help im in juarez mexico alone. I just keep breathing. I lost 9 pounds preop. Ive been through every emoyion from fear to excitement to thinking about packing up and leaving!!!! Im calm now. Just breathe.