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So, I get a call 2 weeks ago from Park Nicollet Clinics Bariatric clinic. The lady tells me they are in a partnership with the state of MN, a local paper and local tv channel for an ad campaign starting in October to endorse getting healthy. They wanted to do a write up on some of the success stories for lap band in the Twin Cities. She then tells me my name was the first to come up as one of their "Star" patients and would make a good story. They ask me if I would be willing to do a phone interview with a reporter or two for about an hour and maybe have my pic taken for an article or two. Well, you could have knocked me over with a feather. While I know I have been doing very well with the lb and my exercise, it's nice to hear your doctors office giving out respect as well. Of course, I agreed to it. I want to educate as many people as possible. Marketing person calls me back to verify that I am good to go and sets up appt. for interview. I was on the phone for almost an hour discussing everything that I have accomplished so far. Even did some history on me to give everyone an idea of what I went through before and after. I even put a plug in for LBT, hope it gets in the article as this place has been a HUGE resource for me. I'll see the article beforehand and will get a chance to make some revisions if needed. If LBT does not get in, I will make sure to put it in. Once the article comes out, I'll post it in the Magazine section. Just thought I would share this as I am looking forward to seeing some positive media attention given to the LB instead of all the negative stuff that gets said. More on this later.

I have not posted on here in a long time, ( a few years) I used to be a regular post on Obesity Help too, until all the band bashing made all the veteran bandsters leave. It seems like a place now for people seeking revisions from the band to something else, and it is no longer a place where anyone with a lap band or seeking a band should post, in my opinion. I also got busy with life, marriage, traveling, etc, living a great post op life, and I have not posted in any forum for a while, and thought I would come back home to LBT to share my journey /accomplishments and struggles and help newbies. I had a hiccup in my journey last year due to an un-diagnosed hiatal hernia that was never repaired during my first band placement, which also contributed to a small pouch dilation (surgeons were not routinely repairing hernia back in 2005), and had my old 4cc/10cm lap band replaced with the new AP small band. I had to switch surgeons to seek a highly qualified revision surgeon because a lot of surgeons are now moving away from the band which in my opinion, at least until a "new buyer is chose for the lap band" which is a disservice to those who really want bands, and what I've read and researched, those who are really wanting lap bands need to search carefully for band-friendly surgeons to offer great aftercare, which is more important than getting the band. Aftercare is the key to success with the band, and having a surgeon that believes in you, and will follow your progress. I was on vacation recently for about 3 weeks out in California and Vegas and I put back on some pounds by eating sweets and I want to take those pounds back off. I started my journey in a size 26 8 years ago, and my lowest size was 8/10, I maintained my weight in a size 10/12 for a solid 6 years until I got married and started having band issues last year but, I settle around a size 12/14, which is not too bad considering where I came from. I am overall happy with my new band, however my old 4cc band felt tighter, and I got restriction quicker with my older band, than with this new AP small band, but I am happy with my new AP band because I have never PB, or had any real issues so far, and I am very optimistic with my new "improved AP band".

This has been my life since I was banded April, 2011. I finally went to my surgeon and said I'm done! We had a long meeting and I discovered what I thought was food getting stuck in the band was not actually making it to the band at all. My esophagus does not like the restriction of the band so when I try to eat it spasms and closes off and I have to throw my food back up. Basically he said the band is not compatible with my body so I am having the revision to the sleeve. This will give me a smooth transition from esophagus to stomach which will calm the spasms. I was unfilled on Weds and I have been able to eat and drink without a hitch! I feel like that might be what's going on with you because you say you get two or three bites down and then you have to vomit or one day something will go down and the next few times you try it, it won't. That was the hardest part for me because I was always scared of not being able to eat when I would sit down to. And more times than not I couldn't. I hope you get yours figured out and find a solution! Good Luck!

Mine was 05, its 4 years now. Jack's at least 5 years. Marmar, in all honesty, you probably wont have your band in 30 or 40 years time. Every bit of research I did, and my own surgeon, led me to believe that theoretically, the band COULD be in there for a lifetime, but that in reality, probably the balloon will fail over time (yet another reason to avoid stuffing round with it too much, fill/unfill/fill and unfill again) and it will need to be replaced. Also, we just dont know how over a 20 or 30 year time frame our bodies will adapt to the band. After 4 years, my band works absolutely fine, my appetite and what I can eat low enough to keep me at a pretty thin weight. However, i've definitely learned to eat around my band, I know how to get food in when I feel like a bit of a pig out, I know how to manage it to eat foods I shouldnt eat but want to eat, etc. I remain dedicated 150% to running for an hour a day. THAT makes at least as much difference to my weight as my band does. I feel more in control of that, more able to guarantee I'll keep doing it than I do making promises about my eating behaviour. but every year goes by, I figure, thats one more year my body has been used to being thin. I truly think if I can strike up 5 years of normal weight, surely that has to count for something. Surely I can eventually establish a new normal for my body that it wont want to stray from quite so easily? who knows really? But I'd rather have taken this risk, and this leap of faith than stayed the way i was. And truly, I'm not the least bit worried about the band failing/breaking. That's easily fixed with another surgery. What, I'd be considering getting my boobs done but a second lapband surgery is the worst thing that could ever happen? I just dont understand that from the lapband knockers - they bleat about how they dont want to have second surgeries whilst in the next post they're talking about their tummy tucks. Makes no sense to me at all. Then again, our health system here is such that any revision surgery I may need wont cost me a cent. What I am worried about is my resolve, my continued behaviours, and my body deciding that fat is what it is meant to be. Hopefully none of that comes to pass.

Kim, Answer to your first ? A Port Revision is when your port becomes disconnected. I had to have my port removed and a new one put in a different site and reconnected.This does not happen very much anymore because the company that makes the band has fixed the problem. Now your second ? .80cc's is less that 2cc's. Hence the higher the # the tighter the restriction. To me it seems that you would have to get more cc's to get better restriction. But since I had my revision being at .80cc is just like being at 2cc's for me. That is what is great about the band. It can be ajusted to fit your needs. XOXO~Teresa

Well if your band has slipped, you need to figure out WHY it slipped. If it slipped from non-compliance and keeping it too tight and vomiting and purging, then it may not be a good idea to get a band replacement. The Sleeve has been a good viable for option for those who've had band slippage, some surgeons wait for the stomach to heal before revising to the Sleeve and some surgeons will do it all in one surgery, I guess depending on the damage and adhesion's left from your band. Also, some people have had slipped bands, learned their lessons and have gotten rebanded, and have been complication free and successful, but from what I've read getting rebanded comes with more risk and everyone is not a candidate for rebanding depending on the damage the band may have caused. Edited to add: I got rebanded last year, and had the old band removed hiatal hernia repaired and new AP band placed, however I did not have band slippage, so your case may be a bit different, I am very happy that I decided to get a new band, it's working great so far. Talk it over with your surgeon, they know more about your medical history and what may be best for you. Good luck!

I had my surgery on Feb 6th. Other than Serious nausea no complications. I had my surgery with a specialist in Arlington, TX. He didn't see me at my two week check in/follow up. Instead I got the PA or Nurse Practitioner (not sure) who is fairly negative. I had the band to sleeve revision and he feels the need to tell me that most B to S patients don't do as well as other patients. I have been following the guidelines for diet and vitamins but am having trouble getting to 64 grams of protein w/o drinking protein shakes. Weight is dropping (at 197 from 232 pre surgery) but I am tired, cranky and way too weepy for my own good. I am walking daily and have been doing some fairly strenuous yard work. Is it because of lack of protein and nutrients? I have my 6 week appointment on Monday. What should I expect at that visit? If he gives the talk again I may slap him (jk). Seriously I need my surgeon's team to be MY team in my success but even though I am losing (35 lbs in 6 weeks) I am dreading the appointment. My husband is trying to be supportive but I haven't told outsiders about the revision so I don't have a "team".

The weight really does come back faster then it goes off. I just had revision surgery because of a leak in my port cord and when I lost restriction I gained back all the weight I had lost plus some. It's discouraging. Don't give up though. It's a daily struggle but we all can do it.

My name is Virginia and I had the LapBand Surgery on May 21st 2007. From that date until somewhere in August all was well, I was losing weight and feeling pretty good, except for one major issue. I began having gas. Not the 'oops excuse me' gas but full blown explosions that resulted in much embarrassment and stomach bloating. My husband and I work together and car pool to work or it would have been a much worst experience than it already was, because on the ride home at night I had gas so bad I felt I was in labor. I began doing research on the LapBand and gas and could not find much on it. I started to eliminate different foods from my diet like milk, beans, etc... I made sure I didn't drink from a straw, I made sure I didn't eat too late at night, the list of what I tried went on and on. So during one of my fills in September I told my surgeon that the gas was getting to be too much for me to deal with and I didn't know what to do about it. He said that no way was it the band that was causing this gas, that it had to be my food. Well as the days pass and my gas gets more and more uncomfortable something interesting happened in October. I got a fill that was too tight. Needless to say I had to go in for an unfill and that unfill was still too tight so I went in for another unfill and this time my doctor took out 1.5cc and I was left with absolutely no restriction. I decided that since I had a terrible Thanksgiving I would just leave things alone for awhile and get back to it after the New Year. Now here is the interesting part, during the time I had no restriction my gas all but went away. I ate anything I wanted, dairy, beans, veggies and even stuff I should have never eaten but since I was in a loving life to the fullest mood I ate sweets, fast food and my wonderful ice cream. I gained 17 pounds during this time and I have no regrets. I was gas free and comfortable for the first time in months. But of course all good things must come to an end. On January 12th I made an appointment for a fill and while my doctor was doing the fill I told him that if I got my gas back that I would be coming in with a request to have the band removed. I felt as though he didn't take me seriously all those months and the minute I said I wanted the band out all of a sudden he was all concerned. No one believed me that I KNEW the band was the cause for my discomfort. Needless to say the gas came back full force. Two weeks later, with a ton of research in hand and food logs I went back to him and told him that I wanted the band removed and I wanted him to do the RNY on me. I had been researching it for months and I was not willing to just have the band removed and go it alone, I wanted something to take its place and I choose the RNY. He read over what I had brought to him and when he was finished he said okay. His biggest concern was, he stuck to the fact that he has done 'a thousand' LapBand procedures and I was the first to complain about gas this far out. Well I guess there always has to be a first. I agreed to another endoscopy and colonoscopy. As soon as all that came back clear my surgery date was given and believe it or now Yesterday March 17th marked three weeks post-op. What I would like to add is my Surgeon(s) Dr. Michael Orris and Dr. John DeBarros via the Weight Loss Institute of Arizona. When I first had my LapBand surgery last May, both these surgeons took my insurance. Somewhere along the line, Dr. DeBarros decided to drop Aetna and therefore I was only able to see Dr. Orris for all my fills. That was okay because it really didn't matter. However, when it came time to do my revision, since both these doctors work hand in hand I was forced to pay out of pocket for Dr. DeBarros. I don't think this was right but I paid what they asked anyway. One of my biggest complaints that I have had since I walked though their door is you can expect a good two hour wait to get into see either doctor. By the time I went in for my last few visits all I could think about was how grateful I was going to be when I didn't have to go there any longer. There were times when so many people were complaining about the wait time that several just walked out. I don't feel I was taken seriously when I complained about my gas and I know I wasn't treated with respect when it came to my appointments. Some times it was as long as 4 hours in that office. Now that I have had the RNY I will not have to go back for three months. Anyway, this is my story, I wanted to share it with you. If you are having any kind of issues with your Band and you feel you have done everything you can to make it work, make sure you yell, kick and scream if you have to, to be heard. Now I am on a different road and it has been a long slow recovery, I am still not back to work. The area where the port was is still very sore due to the cutting of the muscle that the port was attached to. My surgery took 4 hours because of scar tissue. I can't tell you all if it was worth it or not at this point in time, but I will try and pop in from time to time and give you updates. Please feel free to ask me anything, I would love to help. virginiann@cox.net

I started LapBandTalk the night I came home from surgery mid July 2003. Following my own Lap-Band Gastric Banding procedure, I was looking for information and community support. I came across a few helpful web sites, but they all lacked a sense of actually belonging to a group of people who share many similarities, struggles and habits. I've received one common request over many years from members on LapBandTalk who've undergone, revised to or are interested in the Gastric Bypass procedure: An online community they can call their own. I'm confident that you'll find what you're looking for at the new RNYTalk Community! After years of researching and reaching out to the community, we've been able to build the most comprehensive online resources for all types of Weight Loss Surgeries. Hundreds of thousands of registered members contribute amazing stories and useful information to our pages. Now let's hear your story!

If you don't mind telling us, why did you revise to the sleeve? Did you have complications with the band? thanks!

I am considering Dr. Nicholson as my surgeon to do my band to sleeve revision. I'm a self-pay patient from out of state. I've heard good things and he would be an alternative to going out of the country. I have a specific period of time that I would be able to get surgery since I'm a teacher. I could either do it during this summer, during Christmas break, or next summer. I really don't want to wait until next summer but I'm thinking that this summer might be unrealistic. I've asked his coordinator when they are scheduling patients but she hasn't answered me. I was wondering how quickly they were able to schedule your surgery. I was also wondering what you had to before surgery if you did not go through insurance. Thanks!

Revision to sleeve one month ago... Now experiencing the dreaded 4 wk stall.. What is everyone else doing to move past it?

Am I the only person that just doesn't tell the person I am interested in about my surgery? I had the lapband for five years and just had it revised to bypass. Dating has always been awkward and i dread dinner dates. I hate being stared at by the guy and asked why I am eating so slow or why I didn't eat so much. Or even worse when I had the band the constant running I the bathroom to "cough", up food. I was embarrassed of the weight I had gained that caused me to get the band in the first place and even more embarrassed when I still wasn't as skinny as I thought I should be.

I am scheduled for a lapband to gastric bypass revision on June 28th. Anyone else having bypass on that day?

I truly hope that your insurance has to pay. I also had to wait between band removal and Sleeve, my surgeon said that once he was in there my stomach was in no shape to do the revision at the same time. Those months past super fast though and the Sleeve surgery and recovery went smoothly. I will be crossing my fingers for you also.

Hi all! I am getting revision surgery early tomorrow morning! I am excited, stressed, and so ready to do this! I started with the band in 2008 and lost around 30 pounds, had to have gall bladder surgery, and gained back 15. I had a too tight band and developed a hiatal hernia and erosive gastritis. Getting stuck was the norm! So, with my sleep apnea and needing to lose 90 pounds to hopefully regain my health, I am doing it. I have been on a liquid 800 cal diet since last Wednesday. I am 10 pounds down this morning. Wish me luck sleeping tonight here in Raleigh, NC!!

You've made the choice to have surgery to stop yourself from yo-yoing and to give you a lifelong tool to success. There is absolutely no shame in that. I had feelings of sadness when I had my surgery. Mainly that I had waited so long to do it - and I was 32 at the time! I had a sleeve and I'm having an extremely rare complication now so I'm revising to gastric bypass. I lost 150 lbs with my sleeve and was still obese because I was so heavy to start with. Now, I'm just looking forward to feeling healthy again (it's been a long, rough year of sickness and diagnosing my complication) and losing all the weight I intended to lose when I had my sleeve. We all struggle. Even "skinny" people struggle. Being overweight is due to so many factors, none of which can be changed at this point. Did I contribute to my own obesity? Sure, but now I'm working on resolving it. Being sad does nothing but keep you feeling bad about yourself, and you are a strong person to take all the steps needed to get to your surgery date. I congratulate you on the hard work you've put in so far and wish you a fast recovery and great success in the future. You haven't failed a thing! You're still alive to keep fighting! <3

It's definetly a risk that is not talked about much. If you still have alot of weight to lose, I would consider revision to a gastric sleeve. You should also consider a different doctor, if he/she is not going to listen to you. They should have tested you sooner!

Hi Dr Illan, I may have asked you this but when you do a sleeve revision to mini bypass, do you re-do the stretched sleeve to make it small again? Or just the bypass part?

Hi all, Am new to the site so please be gentle I love reading everyone's posts. A little back story... I had the band when I was near 300lbs. I lost about 126lb after giving it my all, exercise became my friend and I was absolutely loving life. However, I always had trouble with the band. I hated the unpredictability of it - some days I was fine, others I could be throwing up multiple times a day. To cut a long story short, I am having a band to bypass revision at the beginning of November (after putting on nearly 5 stone). Am very excited! However, I'm sitting here feeling pretty disgusting after eating a family size bar of chocolate. I want to say that's the only thing I've eaten, but that would be a lie. So my question to you folks...what kind of fat person were you? Did you have have a mega sweet tooth? Gorg on takeaways? Just eat large portions? I suppose I ask because I am intrigued as to how you coped with this change post surgery? I most definitely have a binge eating disorder which I am looking into seeing a therapist about. When I had the band, my food portions weren't cut drastically overnight (apart from the initial period). It took nearly 6 months before I had any restriction, so worked my butt off during that time and took advantage of my new found motivation. My concern going forward is that I was always have this obsession with food...that I will always search for that 'full' feeling, that I will push it further than I should. Not out of greed per se, but more out of self sabotage (I seem to enjoy feeling rubbish about myself, it's what I'm used to). I'm scared of my life being dictated by food...or perhaps it always will be and I just need to deal with that? I just don't want to be fat anymore...or lose all the weight again, but just to put it back on again. I'd be interested to hear if anyone has felt the same and what your experiences are? Sorry for the rambling. Lou Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I am looking into getting a sleeve revised to a duodenal switch with Dr Ponce De Leon in Tijuana MX. I can only find 2 people that have used him for DS in the past and none are responding to me for updated opinions. Anyone here use him for a DS can you tell me if your experience was good? Any complications? How long before you went back to work? What kind of vitamins do you take? Thanks in advance for any feedback!

Ok now I have my surgery date which is June 3 however I paid my doctor the $221.27 for whatever I had to pay I can’t remember. Now today the hospital called and informed me that I have to pay 2,821.00 on the date of my surgery or I can’t have it. I told that lady why in the hell would I just not receive this information some people don’t have that type of money. She said we will only accept half and we will bill you for the rest ok but still I don’t have $1400. This is crazy because I should have known this information way before now. When I had the sleeve my doctor had the hospital to tell me what I would have to pay out of pocket and they put me on a three month payment plan before I had my surgery. I actually thought that I wouldn’t have to pay since it was deem medical reason for the revision to bypass. My insurance company said that I hadn’t met my in network out of pocket deductible which is $5,500 some of these insurance companies are complete riff off.

Is a revision like the origianl surgery? Does it cost as much? Is it just a matter of restitching it into place? Please explain how it works. Thanks! Mary Luke