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The surgeon in the US did the band. My insurance paid. I had problems and my insurance wouldn't pay. I went to Mexico for removal of the band and the sleeve. My doctor in the US cared for me after the sleeve. He is the one who did the upper GI, told me only about fifty percent cut away. He will resleeve but the cash price for the resleeve or sleeve is 17,000 in the US. The original surgeon for the sleeve is talking mini bypass. Sorry for the confusion.

Hi all! My surgery date will either be the 20th or the 27th. I am hoping for the 27th since it will tie nicely into my paid holidays at work! I am so very excited. My only regret is that I didn't do this earlier. Until this past summer, I didn't know that my insurance had made the approval process so much easier. You have to have a certain BMI or a slightly lower BMI and 2 health issues like diabetes, pre-diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol etc. No pre-surgery dietician or nutritionist, although my surgeon required 2 appointments and I am glad he did! Another big shock was that my insurance now considers the skin removal as an included surgery since it was the result of the treatment for a disease (obesity). 18 months post op, as long as the weight loss has slowed and can show a steady weight for 3 months, the removal is covered. I have the required cardiologist and pulmonologist appointments for final surgical clearance next week and I do not expect to have an issue. I'm excited and so motivated. I look like my mom, who looks like my great grandmother. Hearty stock I say. My mother had bypass 14 years ago and is still keeping it off and super healthy. She was pre-diabetic, hypertensive, etc at the time and now at 70 she only lakes a multi-vitamin. Ok, well, nice to meet the rest of the December Sleevers!!!

Hi Anissa! Congrats, you're almost there! Where are you having your surgery? I've definitely had similar thoughts-- especially ones about "not waking up." My boyfriend actually had gastric bypass 2 years ago and I asked him how he dealt with those thoughts. He said "the way I saw it, I was already dying." It's morbid I know, but it made me feel better somehow. This isn't something small, it's not something you're doing lightly or flippantly. You're doing it to get a new life really, and I don't think anyone would be angry at you for that.

My one month mark was the 25th. I feel good now aside from some lower level bloating. Bloating and pressure seem to be a theme for me. I had a lot of pressure from the gas immediately after surgery and it lasted for more than a week. I had some serious challenges immediately after surgery, my sister-in-law got married July 6, I had a two day job interview on July 8 and 9 - and someone was always looking to take me to a meal!!! But, I talked to my nutritionist before everything and she really helped navigate me through it. Though my surgeon instructed me to transition from liquid to pureed foods three to seven days after surgery, he told me to talk to the nutritionist and it was she who helped me to figure out what to do when my options were few. Her advice boiled down to pick soft, healthy foods like fish and the inside of a baked potato (preferably sweet) then chew, chew and chew some more. I'm grateful to have an excellent team. This week I attended my first support group. My team groups all bariatric patients together so I met a young woman who had surgery the same day, but she had bypass. It was nice to meet the participants, especially the fellow bandsters, but I didn't feel really stimulated during the session and not particularly engaged. Maybe because it was my first. I'll try it a few more times before I make a decision. Really glad I found this site. You guys are way livelier than the ones in my support group.

I know right! That was my theory also. I really thought that I should be doing more. I'm not a revision patient.

I'm type 2 also and before surgery was taking 2000mg Metphormine, a Januvia and 45mg Actos and still uncontrolled. I was headed for insulin next. Since surgery on August 15th I'm off of all of them except the Actos. I just saw my GP last week and my A1C was great so he lowered the Actos to 30mg. I'm very happy but have worked to keep it this way. I also eat very low carb and check my BS levels every day. I was also told I would be better off with the Bypass because of my diabetes and am happy to prove them wrong! :bolt:

Prior to my RNY gastric bypass surgery 5 years ago I had sleep apnea but I also had severe asthma. The sleep apnea problem went into remission within a couple months. The asthma disappeared after around 3-4 years. There was recent research performed in South Korea that showed a direct correlation between weight loss in men and improved lung function. A group of researchers led by Dr. Eun Kyung Choe from Seoul National University Hospital Healthcare System Gangnam Center, Seoul, South Korea, studied the association between abdominal obesity and lung function — their study published in PLOS One. These investigators used clinical records from about 1100 adult Korean people — 428 men — assessing them at baseline and following them for about 3 years. All were healthy at the beginning of the study, and all were non-smokers who had never smoked. As the amount of VAT (visceral adipose tissue - fat tissue located deep in the abdomen and around internal organs.) decreased in men so did both FVC (forced vital capacity) and FEV1 (1 second forced expiratory volume). These measures are used, as well as their ratio (FEV1: FVC) to help diagnose lung diseases like emphysema and chronic bronchitis. The authors suggested that the changes in lung function associated with decreases in VAT might be due to mechanical differences, e.g. less pressure on the diaphragm, and/or due to the greater propensity of the VAT to release inflammatory cytokines which could trigger systemic inflammation. https://www.acsh.org/news/2018/02/28/losing-fat-might-mean-better-breathing-12629

Mine didn't get serious till about 4 or 5 years later too. It got to the point that it was "uncontrollable" and no PPI worked. It wasn't till my throat was literally burning 24/7 that I decided I had to get it revised or I would be risking throat cancer.

I'm barely out of the starting gate, so I can't address your main question yet. However, I wanted to point out that, when my doctor said that most patients achieve a loss of 50 percent of their excess body weight, he was framing that within a year's time. He went on to say that, within 3-5 years, my loss would approach that of someone who'd had gastric bypass surgery. The people best equipped to answer this will be long-term bandsters---I hope you get lots of good information; I'll be interested to see the responses.

Is it true that weight loss with the band is basically the same as weight loss with a diet? And if it is, why have surgery at all? From time to time, a bandster will comment (sometimes in the context of a complaint, sometimes just in surprise or confusion) that weight loss with the band is basically the same as weight loss with a diet. They’re disappointed by this. They expected WLS to make weight loss easier than it is with dieting, and while that's true, it's only part of weight loss success. They may hold the mistaken belief that the band itself is what causes weight loss, but that’s not true either. The band is just a piece of plastic. Although it’s inside the patient’s body, it does not directly affect the way nutrients from food are ingested or metabolized. It releases no weight loss instructions into the patient’s bloodstream, nervous system, or endocrine system. It doesn’t directly affect the patient’s eating behavior or exercise habits. It doesn’t compel the patient to make good food choices, limit portion sizes, eat slowly, or resist the urge to graze or binge because of boredom, stress, cravings, etc. After reading that long list of what the band doesn’t do, you may be thinking that it’s a mighty expensive and not very helpful weight loss tool. Why go through the risk, trouble and expense of WLS when you could achieve the same results with plain old dieting? HALF EMPTY OR HALF FULL? Here’s some news that may shock you: I lost 100% of my excess weight by dieting after my band surgery. My dietitian gave me a food plan to follow, and I followed it. It never occurred to me to do otherwise or to complain about that because my bariatric team had made it clear that I, not my band, was going to have to make some significant lifestyle changes in order to succeed. It wasn’t until after the excess weight was gone, after a big unfill to treat an irritated esophagus and stoma (after swallowing a large, corrosive antibiotic capsule), that I realized how much my band had been helping me by reducing my appetite and giving me early (if not always prolonged) satiety. I had been taking my band for granted – out of sight, out of mind. I suppose it’s possible that I had been experiencing a placebo effect; that my band worked for me simply because I believed it would. If so, it was a remarkable and long-lived placebo effect. It wasn’t until my band was being refilled after a complete unfill (to treat a band slip) when I was 3 years post-op that I experienced a stunning, “Oh, so this is what it’s all about!” aha moment. My experience of restriction then was quite different than it had been the first time around, because I understood more about my band’s effects and how to optimize those effects, and because my body had changed so drastically since my surgery. Whether your 8-ounce water glass is half empty or half full, it still contains 4 ounces. Getting the most out of those 4 ounces is largely a matter of attitude adjustment. You can accept that you have 4 ounces, then make the best of it, or you can give up all together and spend your life in wistful regret. You can find another way to fill your WLS glass – complain to your surgeon, or the band manufacturer, revise to a different WLS procedure – or give up altogether and spend your life in angry regret. Taking the “half full” viewpoint may be easier for me than for others because I’m an opportunist who actually enjoys making a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. Webster defines “opportunist” as one who uses the art, policy, or practice of taking advantage of opportunities or circumstances, often with little regard for principles or consequences. Since I do have immense regard for principles and consequences, perhaps I’m not a classic opportunist. But I see nothing wrong with taking advantage of opportunities and circumstances when my own careful plans aren’t working or have led me into unknown territory. Resourcefulness has been a handy life skill for me. BUT I WANT IT TO BE RIGHT THE FIRST TIME I do know what it’s like to be disappointed with a purchase, though, be it a band, a blouse, or a bicycle. I want the item I purchase to be suitable, if not perfect, for its intended use. During a shift at my retail “day job” the other day, I helped a customer whose garment size wasn’t in stock. She didn’t want to order that garment – she wanted it now, so much so that she considered buying the wrong size and having it altered to fit her. Before I could volunteer an opinion, this woman uttered the very words I was thinking: “I hate to pay good money for something new and have to alter it. I just want to buy it and wear it.” If I were a better (or pushier) salesperson, she might have bought that garment, but I’m not and she didn’t. If your adjustable gastric band hasn’t (yet) lived up to your expectations, you do have my sympathy. It’s not easy – if even possible – to return a disappointing medical implant, and it’s maddening to have to “alter” it (by dieting, for example) to make it work for you. I could tell you (unhelpfully) that your expectations were not realistic, but it’s also possible that your surgeon educated you well, you’re a “compliant” patient, and yet your band just isn’t up to snuff. According to Doctors Jerome Groopman and Pamela Hartzband, authors of Your Medical Mind, “Medicine is an uncertain science.” No one, not even your doctor, can say with certainty what impact a condition “will have on an individual’s life or how someone will experience the side effects from a particular treatment. Each of us is unique in the interplay of genetic makeup and environment. The path to maintaining or regaining health is not the same for everyone.” Doctors Groopman and Hartzband go on to describe what they call the ‘focusing illusion’. “In trying to forecast the future, all of us tend to focus on a particular aspect of our lives that would be negatively affected by a proposed treatment. This then becomes the overriding element in decision making. The focusing illusion neglects our extraordinary capacity to adapt, to enjoy life with less than ‘perfect’ health. Imagining life with a colostomy, after a mastectomy, or following prostate surgery can all be skewed by the focusing illusion. We cannot see how the remaining parts of our lives expand to fill the gaps created by the illness and its treatment.” Despite carefully-devised formulas and scoring systems (intended to direct resources and money to those most likely to survive) for calculating a patient’s chances of surviving a treatment or illness, doctors are lousy at predicting outcomes. A study in England found that one out of 20 ICU patients who doctors predicted would die actually lived, and most of those who survived had a good quality of life. I don’t think that’s a sign of medical incompetence. I think it’s a sign of the unquenchable human spirit and its enduring will to survive and even thrive against all odds. One of my life goals is to survive and thrive, no matter what. That’s an ambition you can’t get from a medical device or bottle of medicine. It comes from within you, and if you think you don’t have it, or not enough of it, I suggest that you look again. You might be pleasantly surprised.

No I didn’t have one for my sleeve or my revision to rny.

I haven't had either surgery, so I'm not expert, but based on my research: (1) The sleeve is not malabsorptive, whereas the bypass is. This means you'll run less risk of bone problems, Vitamin deficiencies, and probably not have to be on diligent consumption of Vitamins and supplements. (2) The sleeve seems to have a lower complication rate than the bypass and be simpler. (3) The bypass has a slightly higher average of weight loss. However, from what I've seen, the optimal candidate for the bypass is someone who is morbidly obese (by obese standards), and has let their weight spiral up to 500 or so, where they are having difficulty even ambulating and need a drastic intervention. My advice? Get the sleeve. I couldn't have said this better myself. Also with the sleeve you run less of a risk of leaks (according to my surgeon) and I was also told that they will recommend the bypass to patients who have more than 150 pounds to lose and that have diabetes and/or a sugar addiction because dumping will keep you in check. I had the sleeve done 6 months ago and I've only felt weird after eating once and it was something I shouldn't have eaten anyways (a Chick Fil a milkshake).

Awesome thanks for sharing cause I am on my way soon as I get off work and I was going to try the elliptical. I think I will bypass that one. LOL

April 8, 2010 Today I had a visit with my pcp. We were on vacation in Gatlinburg the week before. I felt terrible the whole trip...headache, nausea, shortness of breath. I made an appointment the day after returning home. I had already decided I would ask his opinion about weight loss surgery as an option for me. He was not against it, but he did not offer much encouragement. April 15, 2010 Today I had the test done that were ordered by my pcp. First was an intensive stress test. He said no surgeon would operate without it. I doubted this and should of let the surgeon decide if it was necessary. This was the second time I've gone through all these tests. I had to have a cardolite IV. It involved walking on a treadmill and pics taken by a machine that gives images of the arteries in the heart. The images take 20 minutes (two sessions) of laying completely still. Then it was on to the echo cardiogram. Basically it was an ultrasound of my heart. It's interesting to watch the screen and see the valves in my heart working! Next it was on the lab to have blood drawn. The tech was a newbie and since my "good" vein in the right arm already had an IV in it (for the stress test) she called a veteran tech to poke me in the left. It hurt like heck...she said she must have hit a nerve...I'LL SAY! My loving hubby came into town and took me to breakfast, then I went back for the second injection of cardiolite and the second set of images. It all went really well. The tests results showed no problems. Later in the day I called a nearby hospital in Bowling Green Ohio that has a well known weight loss program to register for one of their seminars. They were totally booked for the two seminars in April. I am registered to attend the one on May 15th. I'm hoping my hubby can go with me. They are a Center of Excellence hospital so I feel confident with them. Also, I know of at least 3 people who had bariatric surgery done there. April 21, 2010 Wednesday morning I got my test results. All the heart and stress tests looked good. The stress test tech noted that I tired easily on the treadmill. (I would of liked to put her on there with her smokers breath to see how she would of done ) My blood test came back alright, but my BP was up a little more. He had suggested in Jan. that I add a 3rd BP med and I had resisted. Now, I'm ready...bring it on! Add another co-morbidity link to the list. I called Anthem yesterday and grilled them to see if they covered the Sleeve Gastrectomy. The rep said it is included along with all the other WLS as long as the diagnosis is morbid obesity and I meet all the criteria. Looks like I may be on the way! I registered and got the ball rolling with the surgeon by going to the seminar at Wood County Hospital. May 15, 2010 Today dh and I went to the seminar in Bowling Green Ohio. It was held in a meeting room at Wood County Hospital. The surgeon, Dr. Lalor, was the first speaker. He explained all the different surgeries he preforms, sharing all the good and bad. After the seminar we got to talk to him one on one. It seemed to me that he really is sold on the sleeve gastrectomy. He likes the fact there isn't any malabsorbtion involved. He even mentioned that BC/BS is not approving many sleeves, but since I've had 4 open abdominal surgeries and already had surgery on my colon that they might consider the sleeve for me! Then the dietition spoke and lastly the ins rep for Dr. Lalor's office. Doc answered every single question he was asked through his whole presentation, which impressed me! He stayed and answered questions till the last person finally left. I have my surgeon's consultation on June 17th. I feel really good about him, his staff and the facility!! May 24, 2010 I decided to attend one of the support meetings at Wood County Hospital Mon. May 24th. I was waiting outside with some supper when hubby got off work and I kidnaped him and took him along. Bless his heart! He just finished a 12 hour shift, was tired and dirty, but he seemed anxious to go. The meeting was okay, it was sort of disorganized. They sometimes have guest speakers. Two women took control of this, meeting talking about all their personal problems. [Note to me: Remember to talk with the appropriate person at the appropriate times about personal problems.] Nothing to do but wait and worry till my surgical consultation June 17th! June 17, 2010 This was my first surgeon's visit. The nurse took me back and had me step on the scales. Then she had me take my shoes off to measure my height. So, I got to weigh with my shoes on, but measured with them off, making me weigh heavier and measure shorter! YEA!! I was worried about my BMI not being high enough so this was important to me! She asked me a ton of medical questions and we talked a little about which surgery I was leaning toward. I said the sleeve I thought was the best choice for me and that I would not have gastric bypass, due to the malabsorbtion issues. Next the doc came in and he asked me some more medical questions and questioned me alot about my previous surgeries. Then we discussed the sleeve and he said he would fight BC/BS if necessary to get me the sleeve. He said if they tried to push gastric bypass he would tell them that he felt it would be alot more risky for me. My impression of him is that he is very careful and very honest. He took all the time I needed to answer all my questions, which were numerous! He took me to the front desk and went over all the paperwork that included the tests I needed to schedule, the visits with the nutritionist and the visit with another doctor, who interprets the tests results and does a more thorough medical workup and physical. Next I went down the hall to have my first visit with the nutritionist. I will have a total of 3 visits, to satisfy BC/BS for a 3 month surprised "diet" to satisfy their requirements. I was really impressed with Beth. She gave me alot of information, answered all my questions and we worked on goals. They like patients to lose 5% of their weight before surgery, which is 10lbs for me. Doesn't sound like much, but I have so much pain in my hips and my feet that it will be a struggle. July 13, 2010 Today I met with the shrink. He basically had me go through my whole life history starting with when and where I was born. We discussed my weight issues along with family and even school issues. Then I had to do a personality test with over 100 questions...it took forever! Oh well it's done and over with and I think I did well. Next I went down to Dr. Lalor's office (same building) and met with Beth for my second nutritionist visit. That went really well again! I find myself becoming obcessed with WLS websites (this one and Obesityhelp.com). I am reading stories and looking at before and after pictures. I think it helps keep me going until I am approved and get a surgery date. Looks like the end of September or October would be the earliest I could have surgery.

So your post sounds just like me...add a few advanced nursing degrees AND the fact that I had RNY done 25 years ago to make me feel like even more of a failure. I'm back going through the process of considering a revision to my original surgery at my highest weight ever. IF insurance will approve. While it would be awesome to get a total do-over with the RNY process (not just the reducing the stomach which is essentially what I'm not a candidate for) I don't regret my decision 25 years ago. I am sad that back then there was little/no follow-up, no real rules on diet/caffeine/timing of water intake/etc --maybe I'd have had better long term success. BUT I did lose just over 100lbs. Felt better than I had in my entire life and did more than I'd ever done - travel, marriage, shoppig in normal size clothing stores, etc. I have been morbidly obese since 6th grade and overweight since I was 7. That surgery got me closer to "normal" than ever. No diet I did before that or since then has been so successful- a year long protein shake diet did result in 70lbs lost but then I regained all + some much faster than after surgery. But, I realize now that I half-assed the process and expected that it would just magically work on its own. I'm sure deep down I probably still sort of think that way. I'm older have a couple kids that wish mom was more active and am restricted from doing things because of my weight and that makes me sad. This time I'm throwing everything at it...sort of feel like it's my last ditch effort. After my mandated psych eval for surgery I opted to continue working with the counselor who specializes in all types of eating disorders and am seeing a bariatrician who will prescribe WL meds. I've long thought until someone fixes the chemicals in my brain WL will never be long term, so I believe in meds. I'm taking the process so slow unlike in the past where I jumped into huge lifestyle shifts that were only sustainable for short-ish periods of time. I didn't even start a legit "diet" until just this week even though I've been going through the pre-cert process since October...and it's not really a diet- just replacing one meal a day with a shake per the changes prescribed by the bariatrician. On the advice of the counselor I've been setting one really small goal each week that is hopefully attainable and I'm able to maintain. Who knows what will happen with the WLS approval process. I'm hopeful the other adjuncts I'm working on will help me be successful for the long term. IF surgery is approved, it's really just another piece of the WL puzzle though a really nice one in terms of the ability to lose weight rapidly. It's up to me to keep it off though.

I had my lapband surgery in July 2011. It slipped in July 2012 but it fell back in place once the Fluid was removed. I had it refilled the last week in December and it slipped again last week. I only had it filled for about 2 1/2 months before it slipped again My doctor wants to remove it and would like to do a revision to bypass or the sleeve (my choice). My question is, how hard is it to get approved for a revision due to mechanical failure? I'm worried because my bmi is 36 with no co-morbities. I'm the same weight as I was before the surgery. I have priority partners in Maryland. I was self-pay for my lapband. Thank you!

I'd love to be honest about it. The weight loss is nice...but I still have to be VERY DISCICPLINED in what I eat or I REGAIN weight. Also, I woke up from surgery with horrid GERD that has not gone away and HUNGRY. I still get hungry (famished) just like before the surgery. Long term GERD and PPI use have significant health issues associated with them. I have moderate anemia now (10 years post op), and can't seem to absorb enough through food. I may have to have Iron infusions. I have to have an endoscopy to check on things next month. I may have to have a revision to bypass. I hope it's not more serious than needing a revision (Please God, no Barrett's esophagus, or {gulp} cancer). Most times, I am OK and have come to acceptance for the most part...but other times I seriously regret having 85% of my stomach removed (I really didn't have any co-morbidities) and I get a little freaked out about what I have done to myself and what might happen as a result of this serious surgery (no going back). I was so desperate I was to lose weight. I gotta tell you... the biggest problem was a selfish, unloving, critical, abusive husband and my own lack of self-esteem. I was glad to get rid of all 180 pounds of HIM! Now that was the best and healthiest weight loss of all. I wish I had gotten rid of him first, because after he was gone, I started working out, lifting weights and got in shape. That was a game changer. I would encourage everyone to do their own research. Look up the rate of weight regain after the sleeve. Look up the risk of GERD associated with the sleeve. Look up the rate of hunger after surgery. Weigh the pros and cons. This is not a benign surgery. At least that is how I feel about it today

gosh, you must of been in such pain. But the main thing is you are safe and well now. Did you find it easier to loose weight with the band or bypass? x

A lot of WLS patients find their tastes change after WLS. Sometimes it’s too bad, like not liking healthy foods like chicken or salad anymore. Sometimes it’s a good thing, like when you don’t like greasy foods anymore. Sometimes it’s a direct result of surgery, like being intolerant to super sweet foods after gastric bypass or not liking the taste of Water anymore after the sleeve. Sometimes it’s the result of getting used to a new set of foods that you first FORCE yourself to eat, and later actually enjoy more than the junk food you used to eat. Like many lap-band patients, I didn’t notice any immediate changes in my tastes post-op, but my tastes have definitely changed in the years since surgery! Now, I like healthy foods, and don’t automatically prefer high-calorie sugary or fried foods. I like yogurt, and oatmeal, and fruit, and vegetables, and prefer unprocessed foods. What about you? Have your tastes changed since surgery? In which ways?

My surgery for gastric sleeve bypass is still 3 months away. My question is: how long before I can go back to work? I work in a dental office.

I think (though correct me if I'm wrong) the bypass with MGB is longer than with RNY therefore I don't feel it is necessarily a good indicator of what her experience would be. My bypass is almost 9' which is why I have this side effect. There is a MGB group on FB that is very helpful and has so much support and information. Perhaps ask to join and post this there as well.

Don't count on dumping as your punishing tool. You might not experience it. (It always makes me sad to hear that people really hope they will dump like hell after bypass). I can eat sugar and sweet things in I guess what's called "moderation" without having early or late dumping. Interestingly enough the amount not only of sugar but of food in general I can eat without feeling uncomfortable depends a lot on physical activity. I came home from a 52 km road bike ride today and feel like a bottomless pit tonight, lol.

I am going to be getting a port revision in the next 2 weeks or so, because of a leak my Dr. found on May 27th. I am pretty discouraged as I have gained almost 20 lbs over the course of 2 months. I am hoping to use this poll to help me see what might happen after revision surgery. Any stories or advice is welcome!

@@bugsy72 Glad everything went well for you. I had a nuclear stress test in June and you are right that feeling when your heart starts racing is very weird but everything went good as well. I also am a hard stick when it comes to IVs. Especially when they use lidocaine to make it less painful. During both my bypass and my spine surgery in June they stuck me 8 times before they finally got a line in. I had surgery on Monday and warned them that lidocaine will make it worse for both of us. They had a anesthesiologist do it without the lidocaine and bam they got it on the first try. From now on I am going to tell them not to use lidocaine. The other good news is as you lose weight you end up with more veins for them to choose from which is great. Before my bypass they really stuck me in the same place every single time and that created years of scar tissue.