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I am in exactly the same boat except that I throw up a few times a day. I have had my band checked for slippage and tightness and it's in the right place and there's lots of room for the food to go down. I either have zero restriction or I'm puking my guts out. I never know what it's going to be on any given day. The idea of the nerve at the top of my stomach being hyper sensitive has been floated, but there has been no real answer to what the problem is. My doctor is stumped. Finally I had to take out a large chunk of fill just so I could eat somewhat normally, so I am now permanently at zero restriction. I'm trying to get rid of my band now and get a revision to something else. What I really want is an answer to what's going on and I won't be getting a revision before somebody can tell me why I'm having so much trouble with the band because a revision is a whole lot more permanent. I too have not lost any weight other than my pre-op diet weight. I can't even go back to my pre-op diet for a spell because I can't keep those foods down. shakes are a no-go with me as they sit like lead in my stomach and make me sick as a dog.

Alabama checking in!! Having band to sleeve revision on January 9th 2013. Very Very Nervous!

It's funny. The timing of this thread is perfectly ironic as I had my band completely emptied last week because of awful pain when drinking mere liquids and awaking at night with vomit in my mouth. I am having an endoscopy tomorrow morning and will hopefully learn the fate of my band shortly after. The GI Series that I had last week was not promising: the flow through the empty band is too slow and my esophagus is "playing" with everything that enters it. I'm contemplating a sleeve revision because I fear I will continue to have these issues even with a new band. Have any of you "Old Timers" had a revision and if so, what was your experience like?

I am an old timer who was banded in 2005. This year would be seven years, but this band won't make it to my bandiversary in June. I have quite a severe slip. Since Kaiser is now doing Lap Band surgery, I have moved over from Dr Cirangle in San Francisco to Kaiser since that is my insurance. On Wednesday (March 7) I am going in for a revision. Dr Alami is going to take the old style band out and put in the new (and from what I hear, better) style band in. While I'm going to be very happy to have a fixed band, I'm also kind of sad that I have to have surgery again. I have to remember how it was seven years ago and start all over. I'm kind of sad that I have to start over and yet very relieved that my insurance will pay the bill this time. I originally lost about 110 lbs and have since gained about 50 of that back. I hope I can have the new band installed and I will feel that sense of fullness again, and that sense of control over food. I hope.... Anyhow, I'm a little down tonight because I feel in many ways like a failure. I failed the band and yet crazily enough, I got a second chance. Fingers crossed and all. Edited to add: I've been happy to read quite a few people posting who said they had a slip, had a revision and were doing great. That gives me hope and confidence. Thanks for that!!

I revised to a sleeve almost 2 years ago. I didn't realize just how many things I could not eat with a band. I love the sleeve. I never PB, and food never gets stuck. I can eat anything I want in small portions and I have been maintaining at goal for over a year.

Oh, and no, port revision surgery is not as bad as the whole band surgery. At least I didn't think it was. I had the revision on Saturday, back to work Monday. Don't recall any kind of recuperating time, just the damn leaking thing.

When Penni told me about her situation and that her surgeon was the same as Lisa's... RED flags went up immediately. I told Penni to come here and check out what was going on with Lisa because they seemed to be having a very similar problem. I do not think either of you should have to pay for these revisions... and something doesn't feel right about this situation at all to me. Lisa... I am also concerned about your waiting until this weekend with that tube protruding from your incision. I feel that is a direct line for bacteria to enter the abdominal cavity and I don't like it one bit... not one bit I say!!!!! It bothers me greatly that Dr. Lopez is also willing to wait until Saturday... did he see those pictures?????? I am also worried of course in regards to if this is a common complication... or if it is just common for Dr. Lopez or any specific surgeon. Actually... it is scaring the BAJESUS out of me. If anyone is able to obtain statistics about this... I would be eternally in your debt! Penni... I think you emailed me instead of Lisa... I got an email from you and it seemed to be directed at Lisa AKA DeLarla ??? Worried in Wisconsin... Darcy

I did lose most of my weight with the band, but starting putting it back on when I needed a revision. I probably put 20 back on which I lost on the post op sleeve diet, plus 15 more.

I'm January 14! I'm in Maryland. My surgeon is Dr. Moazzez in Virginia. I'm a revision ... had my band out in April and gained 31 pounds since then. Band in at 254, down to a low (for a split second) of 175, up to 245 now. I've been eating what I want while trying to stay fitting in the few clothes that I have...I am ready to go back in the right direction. I'm scared that, while this is permanent, it still won't work permanently and I should've gone with the bypass (even tho I have never wanted to do that...). But i'm ready to start another journey. The doctor is confident that I'm a good candidate and will do well since I lost (although very slowly...) with a restrictivee only procedure before. Good Luck to you all. Crystal

I was wondering the same thing! My lap band surgery was my only surgery experience and it was AWFUL! I've read that alot of people say that about lap band vs the sleeve revision. Maybe its because you know kind of what to expect. Anyhow, I am super excited and lets see what happens!!!!!! Hugs to you all! xoxoxoxo

Hi Rhon, Thanks for the reply. =). Today I completed day 2 of the 5 Day Pouch Test. I will say after two days of liquids, I'm ready to chew almost anything!! The scale this AM said lost 2 lbs. Probably just water. But after today, I'm remembering how much self control I actually do still have and am hopeful. You are extremely brave to go through the revision. I'm scared to death that the new dr's will recommend that for me. Although after briefly talking to one of the best surgeons in my area, (who by the way,refused to follow any work done by my GBP surgeon), I'm now afraid that the new dr's will say I won't be eligible for any revision. I was told that the way my GBP was done makes it impossible for any revision. What the heck did that guy do to me? I guess I will find out when the hospital gets my records over to new dr's. I wish you all the best in health Rhon. Keep us posted. I love it that you're not giving up on you. Keep smiling!!!

I start Week 2 on Wednesday, so I'm right behind you. I was revised from lap band surgery to the sleeve last Thursday so this is a little more extreme than I am accustomed to. But, I do hear that the starving mode does subside. The trigger that tells us we're starving was removed during the gastric sleeve. Starts with the letter G & I can't think of it. I believe any "cravings" we might have is more psychological more than anything. Make sure you're drinking plenty of fluids (that should help), and be careful when you start week 2. Our stomach's are still healing & we have to introduce foods back in slowly, and as they tell us. Hang in there!

Hi, I am originally from Detroit. I am working in Texas for the Department of Defense. Maybe Sunday as I am preparing to go I will get nervous. I have a lap band now and I am going in for a revision to sa sleeve. I found out Monday that I would be having my surgery on the 24th. He did not even give me the two weeks for my pre op diet. I just hope everything goes ok because I did not do the pre op diet for 2 weeks. Also, he told me that he will not know if he will be able to give me the sleeve untill after he look at my stomach, because of scar tissue from the lap band. I have to think positive that everything will be ok because I really do not want to go under the knife twice to have one procedure. You will be ok. How long will you b in the hospital?

"I think there are a lot of people out there who opt to leave the band expecting other WLS just to be that much easier to lose the weight and maintain... and from what I have seen from the people I know that just isn't true. All the people I know who switched from the band to the RNY are still morbidly obese, the second surgery didn't help them lose more.. they weren't ready to change their patterns and behavior. " I would have to respectfully disagree with you here. Personally, I believe the band is more of a tool for weight loss, where other malabsorbtion proceedures are a method. Bottom line is, I've done both. The band will hold your hand, but the hard work is squarely on the patients shoulders. They do surgery on your belly, not your brain. Compared to a band, the rny or ds weight loss is easy. If I were in a burning building, I want the easiest way out. I tried the hard way, and got burned. I believe it takes an exceptionally motivated, strong willed person to get to goal with a large amount of weight to lose with the band. It is tough, tougher than I was! But even some of those people have been faced with their worst fear, losing their band. Some have been successful in maintaining their loss after removal. Alot have not. It's hard when you're a food addict. Even those who believe they have their demons tamed find them sneaking back out with no restriction or removal. "It is individual, I just hope the people who are on here after lapband removal are just not on here to say how unhappy they are but on boards that support them and give them the information that they need to cope with the alternate surgery they opted for. Personally I would have just left the band boards behind if my band was out and not going back and joined things that supported my choices rather than a board that obiviously will be proband." My journey and experience with my band and revision validate my choice to post on this board. If I can bring something to the post that I deem important, I will. Especially when I see misinformation, fingerpointing and cherry picking. Facts are facts. Experiences/journeys are priceless. If I can help one person from thinking they are a failure or reassure them their intestines will not fall out, and they won't explode from noxious gases if they decide to have another surgery beside the band, than I'm happy. There will be people who want me to go away here, Simply because I didn't have the same experience they have and they don't agree with me. That's just silly. Reading back, yes, I would seem negative toward the band, actually I'm trying to get people to see the whole picture. You can see alot more with a few views than just one, and you can also see alot more with an open mind than a closed one. I frequent many boards, the best one being www.wlsforum.org I have been involved with that community since 2002 when it was Spotlight Health. Why is it the best? Because all surgeries are represented there, and we learn as a community, yet still small enough that you are not "LOST" in the crowd like obesityhelp. If misinformation is posted, someone will be quick to point it out, even if it wasn't their surgery of choice. There are far less misconceptions about other surgeries, because as we get to know and support each other, we are also educated. Our destination is the same, although we may have choosen to take different paths. As far as band revisions go, there are 3 band to DS, 1 band to sleeve, and 2 band to rny (and one in process). Oh, and none of those have failed to lose weight with the revisional surgery. And one cannot have another surgery because of nerve damage during her band surgery. Her name is Nicci. There are more than a handful that have reached goal and maintain. There are many frustrated people who haven't. And as Forest Gump would say "That's all I have to say about that."

Boy, Heather! You have been through the grinder with your band. But my experiences in observing which wls surgery is the most effective don't match yours. Mine more closely match what all the medical research says. A group of us--about 40-50 wls patients--got together a couple of years ago. Someone asked, "Which ones had the DS?" I--inadvertantly, because I was still banded--said, "Just look around...it's the skinny bitches." And it was. I've been researching wls since about the time you were banded and I haven't met anyone--not one person--who had a DS and was unhappy with the way the surgery had performed. I *DID* encounter a person with a drug and alcohol problem who returned to drugs and alcohol and regained about 50 pounds, but even she didn't regain everything. OTOH, many of the banded people I know have had to have revisions and many are still MO, even after years of trying to make the band work for them. I really think that, especially for someone who has had all the problems you have had, your success is really outside the normal range of results. But bravo to you for achieving it! Sue

Have you tried gas-x strips? And getting up and walking often? I know it probably hurts to get up and walk but trust me it will help with the gas pains tremendously! I have had 2 c-sections, lapband surgery, and then this past tuesday my band was removed and revised to the sleeve. I did have a few periods of really bad gas pains in my chest and shoulder but the simethecone (Gas-x), pain meds, and walking helped so much. Now im not really having any gas pains- its more pain from the incision sites.

@shoregirl75 is having a revision from sleeve to bypass September 10th.

Very helpful Marina...thank you. When do you think you will have the revision?

I'm in the same boat. I will have my band and revision to the sleeve at the same time hopefully, but I've been unfilled for a while and have gained a lot of weight back. I was successful as well with the band, but I'm also wondering if the sleeve will be enough. I've considered bypass, but I just really don't think I am ready to go there. I just dont' want to find myself in this same boat again in 4-5 years. I already swore I'd never be here again when I lost with the band, yet here I am. :-( I have to have an EGD on 1/4/12 and then can schedule my surgery. I'm hoping for the middle to end of January. I'm just ready to get started again for real. Good luck!

Princessl how did ur pouch test go? Also@ Rhon how was ur experience with the revision? I am schedule for one on 8/20, i am also 8 yrs post op. thank u in advance for your replies!

The revision that I went though for my RNY was called an overstitch (it is new). What they did was go thought 3 little lap incisions in my stomach and 3 tubes down my throat. Then went in and they over stitched the opening to my stoma. This is to reduced that size of the stoma (from 3cm to .8cm). The recovery is the same as the rny and you are put back on the same diet as you had when you first had your RNY.

I'll be getting a band to sleeve revision on Sept 11 in Tijuana with Dr. Altamirano. I'm so excited!

Hi everyone. Well, insurance finally got in gear! I got a call from Kaplan's office yesterday and insurance gave them the approval! Susan (Kaplan's nurse) is great. She was on top of this and called me as soon as she got the approval. So, for those of you also waiting on insurance approval, I'm sure she'll do the same for you! My port revision is scheduled for next Friday (26th) at 11:30am. Woo Hoo!!!

better to travel once for a sleeve than two or three times to get it revised.

Do a search for GERD here. We have plenty of folks that have been sleeved with it, too. Acid is an issue for many post op, but for the vast majority it fades before the first year post op. In my case, 4-6 months and I was off my PPI. I've been on it since for my pregnancy and two other short periods when I was under an incredible amount of stress. Other than that, the issue resolved and it's this way for many. Losing too much weight and being malnourished is hardly a concern here. You'll see the occasional voice chime in that they got smaller than they wanted, but it's rare. And you're only malnourished if you choose not to eat adequate nutrition and take your B12, multi and Iron, if needed. I did have an issue with B12 and iron, but I've always had iron/anemia deficiencies. Now I'm on supplements that help me feel better than ever before. Additionally, you'll see many people get revised to sleeve from the band - and many of those people do it in part due to stomach damage and acid problems! My opinion is that your doctor is just more comfortable with the band procedure. This happens and it's true that the sleeve still isn't done at the rate of the older band and bypass. Only you can make this decision, but I can tell you that I was dead set on a band and thought a sleeve was too drastic...until I did six months of research and lurked on the band talk site and saw how miserable people were with the band surgery. Best of luck and I hope that you find a solution that makes you comfortable. I chose to self pay because my insurance covers only band and bypass. ~Cheri