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From the little bit of research I've done on revision surgery from band to sleeve, you can still fail with a sleeve if you don't make proper choices in food. Go to the bottom of this page and click on VerticleSleeveTalk.com. There is a subsection just on band to sleeve revision. Just like band, sleeve surgery is not an obesity cure, it is still up to the individual to make the proper choices to make the band and/or sleeve work.

A little about me: lapband 2007 and really had no issues but couldn't eat alot of healthy foods, meats, some veggies, yogurt, eggs. I did lose weight but resorted to slider foods as easier to eat as you know you get tired of one day could eat chicken the next day you couldn't. Anyway I knew the lapband was not forever, at some point I would have to have it removed and like you did not want to gain weight back. So on LBT I found out about VST in July and the rest is history. I had my revision in Sept 10th and I could not be happier! Because I had learned rules with the lapband it has been an easy road so to speak: eating small bites, small amounts, small plates, no drinking and eating, waiting to drink after meals did all of this for 5 years. I have had no issues, no vomiting, no food intolerances so far. I have lost 43 pounds to date and can't be more thrilled!! Would I do it again, absolutely!!

Hi, You make a good point about the sleeve. Sorry you're in so much pain from your lap band erosion and complications. I did not do well myself with the band and since it's removal am switching now to RNY. I feel I need the malabsorption also and since I could not lose with the band have more confidence with RNY, also my daughter had it done a year ago and has been very successful so far with RNY. Good luck to you with your complications and eventual revision, Nancy.

I'm an RN also and had surgery with Dr. Aceves. Yes, complications are covered. For example, one person had a "funny looking liver" and Dr. Aceves did a biopsy at no charge. He stands by his surgery but hasn't had a leak so there's no complications. LOL. I told two people and went to Mexico alone. Both were ready to have a stroke that I was (a) having surgery in Mexico and (:confused1: traveling alone and both are the only ones who knew I was having the revision to VSG from the band. I worked a 13 hour shift, went home and showered, grabbed my luggage, and flew 6 hours to San Diego from N.Y. The care at Almater Hospital was great and the hospital was immaculate. Pre-op testing was fast and efficient and the Lucerna resort was beautiful. I saw the surgeons 3 times a day and all the RN staff are BSN prepared. Grab your fiance and tell your family you're going on a short vacation. This is for you and not them.

Left for a camping trip on June 20 and was at 226. Came back on June 27 and...drum roll please...219.7!! Today I was at 219.1. GOAL MET!!!! A full week early. That's over 30 lbs down from surgery in 5.5 weeks. So excited/surprised/amazed. A bit unexpected, and knowing things have got to slow down big time soon, but today I'll revel in it Rather than revise for July 4, I've now just got my eye on getting under 200 to onederland. I blogged about my 5.5 week update as well as pics of my face pre and post surgery on my blog at http://gastricsleeve4me.blogspot.com

I had band to sleeve revision. Because I have MS and band was eroding and I gain back 35 of 50 lbs I'd loss during a long recovery from MS episode. I am down 52lbs in 6 months. Much slower than expected but told that is expected in revisions. Also down to a sz 16 from a 24. And diabetes meds in half and no more cholesterol or blood pressure pills all which I'm thankful to God !!! Prayers up for you ).

I log everything as well no matter what! Curious though as to how many calories you all give your selves? I do 1000 if I exercise I eat a lil more. Going to stop doing that. I was sleeved march 16. Revision from band to sleeve. Does it seem like I eat a whole lot since I am still fairly new out? My doc says I'm at a good amount and no worries 1/2c maybe a bit more. Please just let me know anyone if this is good calorie and etc wise. Thanks!!!!

@dreamingsmall it does stretch. But it's supposed to. You have to watch the videos for a full answer. They have scoped (camera down the throat into the stomach) WLS patients and found that sleeve size really has no effect on weight regain. Everyone's pouch stretches in time, it's the diet and activity level that will create lasting change. He also has a video on re-sleeving and revision procedures. Research shows that these revision surgeries (including the re-sleeve) end up with minimal results. He calls WLS a "one-time restart button" and emphasizes that we must be ready to make change and do the mental work because we get one shot at this.

RNY 3/29. It will actually be a revision from a sleeve due to complications Looking forward to not throwing up anymore!!! For those who have already been bypassed this month, how are you doing?

Also think of it this way. If you don't so something (even if it turns out you can't), what's going to happen to his next patient? I know I asked my surgeon how many of his patients failed or had major complications and needed revisions. Will he tell the truth to his next patient? I know it's not your job to look out for the next person, but we all have to live on this dirt ball together! At least until WWIII anyway 😂

I agree with LadySin! I would contact a lawyer. Because of your first surgeon’s error, you now have to go through another surgery - more time out of work (if you work) - and another while healing process. And while it’s great that you will be getting the revision surgery, I don’t think that makes up for all you have and will go through. Good luck!!!

I did but I am not typical. I knew in my heart that the bypass would have been a better surgery for me from the start. I feared the malabsorption and possible complications from bypass so I opted for the sleeve. never experienced gerd in my life. Until after my sleeve. about 1 year post sleeve I had gerd and a hiatal hernia. Ended up having to revise to bypass. Some of the things that made me think hard about having the bypass in the beginning was that I did not want to have to do surgery twice. having said that, there are many people that do just fine and are successful with the sleeve.

I started with a BMI over 60, and nobody even brought up DS as an option for me. To be honest, I thought DS was an outdated surgery that's not really being done anymore because of all the risks. I didn't realize it's still popular for high-BMI patients. The surgeon who did my RNY doesn't do DS. He recommended RNY to me rather than sleeve because of my high BMI, since RNY patients statistically lose a bit more than sleeve patients. My understanding is that the sleeve is basically the first step in DS, and that's how the procedure was developed -- surgeons would do the DS in two separate surgeries for high-risk patients, and a lot of them didn't even need the second surgery because they lost enough weight with the sleeve alone. So, that is one option: get the sleeve first and have it revised to DS if necessary. You could also have a sleeve revised to RNY. I remember seeing a bariatric surgeon on YouTube say that he recommends the sleeve to all patients because you can always get it revised, but to me, that's crazy because I don't want to have more than one surgery!

Sue, Per my doctor's orders I was on liquids the first day and then could eat normally again after that. Just told not to go crazy. I didn't revise at the time and had no complications either. Good luck to you, Nancy.

In October 2007 I was sleeved in Perth Western Australia by a surgeon named Jon Armstrong (aka Gorgeous Jon). I had a textbook recovery and without really trying or exercising I lost 50kg (over 100 lbs) in the first six months. I went down from 380 lbs to 260lbs and was feeling great. Then I separated from my husband, and ended up having a nervous breakdown and leaving my job. I was diagnosed with major depression, Binge ating Disorder and anxiety. During this time I turned to my old friend food for comfort and started eating junk food and binge eating. I discovered I could eat a lot more than I had before and fairly soon was back to regaining weight. Bad food choices, snacking and overeating led me to stretch my sleeve and now I've regained half of the weight I had lost. Most surgeons consider less than 50% excess weight lost as a VSG "failure". My surgeon has suggested I think about having a gastric bypass as I am still morbidly obese. He's refused a revision or a lapband on the sleeve. I am trying the pre-op liquid diet to kick start my weight loss and will then go on to counting calories and exercising to try and shift some of the weight as I think the bypass is a last resort. More surgery?! I don't know. It's already cost me $20,000 to get this far and I will be out of pocket another $8,000 if I have the bypass. My surgeon has done over 500 procedures and only has three "failures". He suggested my stomach may be overly efficient and empties very quickly, enabling me to eat almost as much now as I did before surgery. Examples: 250g steak, fries and salad or six slices of pizza. I am seeing a therapist to help with my emotional eating and binge eating issues. i really wish I had seen a counsellor before and after my surgery to address these problems early on. I don't regret having the VSG, because I am still lighter now than before the surgery. But I wish things had turned out differently... I now weigh 137kg (about 300 lbs) and need to get down to 80kg to be almost healthy weight range. I'm desperately hoping my stomach will shrink back a little now I'm doing a 12 week liquid and vegetables diet.

Have to revise this goal. I reached my original goal today. So my new April Fools Goal is my personal goal of 168 and a normal BMI. Can't belive I have a chance to be at goal in 5 months since surgery...I love this sleeve!!!

I agree- see someone else. I had GERD and Barrett's esophagitis with a Barrett's polyp. My surgeon did not even give a 2nd thought to doing gastric bypass because of the history. He told me that anyone with bad GERD before surgery could have it worse after a sleeve, and in those cases, bypass is the better option. My GERD is gone now. If you have GERD now, you may end up with a revision to bypass down the road, and IMHO, why not just get the bypass now and be done with it.

I have had my band for 10 years and I’ll be revising to a sleeve next year. I had to have all fluid removed. My story is not the horror show some have. I don’t have a slip or a port flip that I know of (confirmed via swallow test) and my pouch isn’t stretched that I have been told but for whatever reason, it simply becomes too tight (even now with no fluid ) on occasion and I’m unable to eat solid foods. So I turn to “sliders” because I’m hungry. But sometimes even those come back. The Dr recommended revision and frankly, I’m tired of the “stuck” thing on a regular basis. If I am asked if I recommend it I have to say maybe but leaning to no. There is a lot of upkeep and so many drs are leaving this technology behind that I simply don’t feel it will continue to be properly supported. But I would also never discourage someone who wanted it - with one caveat. I think the best thing to do is GET A HANDLE ON YOUR EMOTIONAL EATING because the band *will not* help you with it. In many ways, it’s worse because the “bad foods” like cookies, ice cream, mashed potatoes, sugar cereals etc all slide right in thru the band. So basically all the crap you turn to when you eat emotionally, yep, that’s going to really go thru. And the stuff you should be eating is what you get stuck on. So if you are really honest with yourself and are a big time emotional eater, you need to deal with that first. That’s actually homework for ANY surgery. I’ll Also tell you what I told a friend. Start eating the “post op diet” now. Your portions may be larger but see what that post op diet is and eat that way now. You need to know if you can live with it before you have surgery. Lap band means NO carbonated drinks so get sodas, beer and fizzy drinks out of your diet now. All surgeries want you eating protein first, veggies and then any carbs last. Do it now. Can you be happy eating this way? If you’re a Diet Coke addict you may as well work that out of your life now and not in recovery when you’re dealing with everything else. Can you have the occasional champagne toast or piece of cake? Of course. But notice the word “occasional” meaning a wedding or birthday is an “occasion”. Tuesday or “I had a bad day” is not. If you eat that post op diet and feel like “oh, this is nice. I feel good” it will help bolster your decision. Maybe you will like eating your protein and then a veggie and feel like “nah, I don’t need mashed potatoes”. I know I did and it felt great!! But if the thought of not having soft drinks, or bread or drinking anything with your meal (lapband guidelines state don’t drink with your meal or for 30 min afterwards) makes you want to cry, then this isn’t the surgery for you. Can you be successful with the band? Sure! I did well for quite a while although I only lost 40 lbs. But the success cases I’ve seen have been from folks who really did their homework and got their heads right remember, they band your stomach, not your mouth. If you eat a whole bag of m&ms because you’re upset, the band can’t stop that.

I was looking at getting the lap band done but my surgeon warned against it, they stated that they remove more than they put in. They also stated that if they were researched more than they may not have been accepted under todays standards. I came home did my own research and made my choice for the VSG, I can not change your mind but I personally hate surgery. I only wanted to do this one time vs having the risk of going back and having a revision or removal done. Several of the staff in the Dr office had the band, and they actually warned against it as well, they were working to get the band removed and then have a VSG. I am not a chicken when it comes to pain but I personally would rather have one surgery vs several!

Hi, This is my personal experience and I still have a band. Literally HATE IT! Looking into revision now. Nope nope nope! Don't do it. The average weight loss is 60#. I lost the 60# and it stopped totally; I've now gained around 20 back and I'm MISERABLE! No, it's not permanent but it is a SURGERY process...which means recovery, losing hair galore and eating A LOT of protein which causes you to be constipated. The majority of the time when you loose weight is the first year. When you go in for monthly or bi-monthly fills are are unable to eat for 3 days. First day is liquids, second day is mashed foods and third is back to soft foods. When you eat, you must chew chew CHEW 30 bites each; if you swallow too fast your screwed and stuck before you know it. YOU MUST drink at least a gallon of water a day. You must NOT drink carbonated beverages. Yes...you can have a few sips after you are totally healed. You MUST not drink out of a straw. This causes gas in the stomach and esophagus area. Many pills (antibiotics) must be cut in half as they will not go down. If you eat warmed up chicken and it get stuck you will slime - (Spit up) a LARGE red solo cup of slime, spit, your eyes water, and nose runs. I thought I was literally dying my first stick. The slime causes tooth decay. True, if the band is too tight it cause food too get stuck. However, if it's not tight enough your able to eat a little more & want loose weight. So find the SWEET SPOT they say... Okay today we find the sweet spot and it works well. Then you decide to travel 3 hours and the band then changes, so it's a viscous cycle. EVERYTHING effects the band... Weather, mood, stress, climate change, traveling, stress, sweating, flying, boating. When you eat it is VERY little and everything must be chopped tiny tiny. Your stomach continues to make HORRIBLY loud gurgling sounds screaming for food. You are FULL but it's not the the tummy full feeling...it's indigestion filling of being full. You will become SICK of protein drink after a couple of years because you live on them. In researching I was hard headed and thought I could get thru anything and would be different form the 5 people that kept screaming - - - NO No no...I sure wish I had listened. If your serious about the weight loss why not do something permanent and one time instead of like me...NOW looking to have a revision. Which means TWO surgery - one to remove the band then waiting 6 months before a sleeve or MGB. Think long and hard - the media doesn't tell you all the good and bad regarding the band.

First of all, anything is,possible...trust me. My story is very similar to yours although I really didn't have any issues with the band. My doc said that the band failed me, I did not fail the band! Lost about 100 lbs starting in 2007. It took many fills and tweeking to get me to my sweet spot. Found it and worked with it. In the summer my port started shifting so I went in for a port replacement and woke up with the entire band being removed due to erosion!!!! I was shocked, sad and feel like someone took the only thing that had ever worked for me in 30 years away just like that, snap!! I immediately began the revision proceed but with a BMI of 26, there was no way. I tried, I truly did to keep the weight off but at 50 lbs additional and 2 co mortalities I was approved for the sleeve. Had it done 1 week ago from tonight and it was the best thing ever. I have CIGNA and I had a tough time, but other people have had smooth sailing with CIGNA...I just can't figure them out. Make sure you find out if your ins will only cover 1 bariatric proceedure a lifetime. Sleeve is fantastic so far

Please bear in mind that I am a very happy and very successful bandit now 9 years post-op. I do not regret my band, would do it all over again and if I ever have to have it removed, I would hope to have a replacement. When I was banded in 2006, it was a miracle surgery. And for some people, who accept that they will still have to work hard, it is just that. It was and still is for me. But over the years it has become clear that serious complications necessitating further surgery are much more common than originally thought, some of these are avoidable by careful eating and by not keeping the band tight; unfortunately others are beyond our control. We used to be warned about band slips, leaks and about ( very rare) erosion into the stomach tissue but it turns out that a build up of scar tissue round the band (causing it to tighten) is quite common. It can be very difficult to get the right level of restriction and some people are tempted to keep it tight enough to physically limit food, in fact it was once thought this was how it should be. But this causes food to back up into the oesophagus and that risks problems such as oesophageal dysmotility which may be irreversible. It can also damage the vagus nerve. Quite a number of doctors have stopped implanting bands as they found the removal rate was unacceptably high and it was too easy not to lose enough weight. Revision from band to sleeve is not uncommon! We still need lots of will power. The band makes it easier by dimming hunger, but it does nothing for head hunger and, contrary to popular opinion, it does not and should not physically stop us eating. If it does it is too tight! Having said all that, I love my band, I know many successful long term bandits in real life. My own experience has been good and so has that of almost all those I actually know and have met. But don't rule out bypass. For many people the element of malabsorption is a key factor.

I can relate to everyones feelings, I'm having a revision from LB to GB on May 24th as well. I'm 54; 5'5'' ; 235lbs. I'm very excited & blessed to be getting a second opportunity - to embark on a healthy lifestyle again. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I posted about this on the sleeve forum before. I developed GERD after my sleeve and was able to control it with one PPI a day until the end of 2020 where it's increased to two PPIs, 1 H2 and tums all day. Had issues with vomiting, nausea, stomach and chest pain. Difficulty swallowing. Sore throat since December. Had an endoscopy 3/3. Lax LES causing GERD, gastritis and a nodule in the antrum of the stomach that appears to be benign but will be removed in an endoscopic ultrasound in June as a precaution as it has a small risk of turning cancerous later on. Gastroenterologist referred me to my bariatric surgeon believing revision is needed. My surgeon wasn't sure on revision because I have lost all my excess weight with no regain. I have only been in maintenance for 4 months though. He sent me for a barium swallow. Had the barium swallow and the radiologist found esophogeal dysmotility and a hernia that the endoscopy had missed. Radiologist said I will either need a nissen fundoplication or revision to bypass along with hernia repair When I called my surgeon's office to schedule a follow up the nurse said something about maybe a hernia repair would be enough which left me feeling confused. I told her I want do whatever has the best chance of not having more complications or needing more surgery in the future. I had my galbladder out June 2020 after sleeve June 2019 and really just want to be healthy with no more surgery. My follow up is on Tuesday. I am not sure what my surgeon is going to recommend. From posts here it seems nissen isn't the best option for sleeve patients. Would hernia repair be enough or is revision to bypass the best option? I just don't want to be getting hernia repair and then still have reflux be a problem due to my esophagus and end up needing a revision later on.

Thank you for responding! My bowel movements are daily so that isn't the issue. I've read stalls are common, but I wasn't expecting one only 3 weeks post op! May I ask, you said you checked with your doctor when you had a stall? Then you had a revision? I had a RNY, what more could they revise at that point? I'm sticking with the program..don't really have a choice even if I didn't want too...major surgery done..no going back. 😋 I know its fairly common to experience these stalls, but, it doesn't make it easier its still frustrating!