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I had a band for 3-1/2 yrs. Only lost weight within the first 6 months, then nothing after. Was miserable with food getting stuck, etc. Ended up with a hiatal hernia near the band site. Revised to the VSG in January and loving life now! In my opinion, the band is evil:sneaky2:... I wouldn't recommomend it to anyone except Osama bin Laden.

Hi there. Just wanted to pipe in because I'm also a patient of Dr. Idhe, but just for the gastro stuff. I know he's a very good doctor, but I think he's fairly new to the bariatric surgery scene. You need to ask him plenty of questions during your consult, especially about how many sleeves he's performed, if he's had any leaks, and what his complication rate is. I used Dr. Wade Barker for my revision from band to sleeve (he also put in my band in 2006). He was a general laproscopic surgeon for years before starting his bariatric practice and has done thousands of WLS since. I highly recommend him. There are lots of bariatric surgeons in the DFW area that are very experienced - I'm sure you see their commercials and billboards everywhere. With such great choices so close, I just urge you to get all the info you can and make an informed decision. Nothing against Dr. Idhe - I think he's a great guy - I just wanted to offer my thoughts and wish you the best in the future.

I had band to SIPS DS revision surgery on 8.8.17 and went home the same day. No overnight stay. You will be ok with one day [emoji4][emoji1360] I did ask my surgeon why no hospital stay and his response was that we get more rest and heal faster at home and have a less risk of infection.

Yes, you do. Anything involving the band, the insurance company makes you pay for. If your complication is more general -- like getting a blood clot, then it's harder for them to deny paying for it. After all, anyone can get a blood clot at any time -- they can't prove 100% it was the surgery that caused it. Some some will pay and some will not for those kinds of complications. The lap-band is touted as being so much less invasive, but I don't agree. It puts scar tissue on your stomach and can cause all sorts of problems which may or may not go away when its taken out. How is that not invasive? If you get permanent scars, that is permanent. I think all WLS is permanent and should be approached that way. If you take out the band, you gain back the weight. So if you want to solve your weight problem permanently, you need to think of this as a permanent solution. Now, don't get me wrong. I understand where you are coming from because I was once there. WLS seemed so scary because I'd heard all these horror stories about RnY. So the lap-band seemed "safe" and, if something went horribly wrong, I could get it taken out. But after being on this site for a while, I realized that all the stuff that goes horribly wrong with the band are caused by the band itself. And that I had to be willing to commit to permanent, if I wanted this to work, whether I got a lap-band or not. Once I was willing to commit to surgery and permanent, losing the part of my stomach that was causing me so much trouble didn't seem quite so extreme as it did when I first started my journey. As for cost, my surgeon charges about 14,000 for the band and 17,000 for the sleeve both including a certain amount of aftercare. But once that time is up, the after-care for the sleeve is just annual labs. After care for the band is forever. To make it work right, you need to get fills when you start to get hungry again and that can happen at any time. So when you add in the cost of fills, the band and sleeve are very comparible in price. The band has a higher risk in the first 3 months after surgery but after that the risks are much less than with a band. New studies have come out showing that anywhere from 25 to 40% of bandsters end up with complications requiring a resurgery -- including removing the band and revising to another surgery -- within 5 to 10 years after it being placed. Those stats were a deal-breaker for me.

Hi, My name is Lauri, I am happily married to my husband Ray, I'm 48 years old & as the title says, I'm in Danville, PA. I'm looking for anyone around here that has maybe recently had gastric bypass, or even better yet sleeve to bypass revision. I am being fast tracked & am looking for someone that I can turn to for help, support, and who can relate to what I'm going through. Right now, even though I'm extremely happily married & my husband is more than supportive, he just can't fully understand the loneliness, and the changes that I have had to deal with in such a short time. On March 8th I quit smoking, on March 27th I started the diet that the hospital put me on. I was told that I only have to maintain my weight, but I have actually lost 10lbs since March 21st when I went to see the nutritionist. Yep, I defied the odds, I quit smoking AND lost weight LOL!!!!! As I said, I'm looking for someone who is going, or has gone, through the WLS through Geisinger

Like I said before, I LOVE to know the pros and cons! Thank you so much for all that great information. I have a much better idea of what to expect now thanks to these posts. Initially, you'll have to eat small bites, and chew to mush, but not because of the pouch/stoma combination like what you have with the band. It's simply because of the swelling and trauma your stomach endures after being sleeved. But, it doesn't last forever. I eat normal sized bites and chew like a normal person and have since being about 7-8 months out. I never did the pencil eraser sized bite thing, but I did chew to mush. Digestion begins in the mouth, it prepares the stomach to accept food so it's important to chew well. As for pain post-op, it was minimal, except for the incision where they removed my port. I had a flipped port that had migrated so my port area was full of scar tissue and adhesions. I still have sensitivity in that area even at nearly 29 months post-revision. The gas pains are the same, the sipping post-op is the most often reported side-effect of sleeve surgery regardless if a patient is a revision patient or a virgin sleeve. Food can get stuck if you eat too fast, or don't chew well enough. I've never had a true stuck episode like I did with the band. Personally, I think the band helps us beat the eating curve with the sleeve. The key to sleeve eating is 1) measure your portions by volume 2) chew well 3) do not eat and drink simultaneously 4) and stop looking for this elusive full feeling, undereating your sleeve will give you 2 things a) keep you from overeating keep you within your dietary guideline for calorie/protein/carb intake I do not eat until full or stuffed because it leads to that "one last bite" syndrome and inevitably that one last bite is going to come up. I puked enough with the band so I have zero desire to do it with the sleeve. I did it a couple of times early out. I didn't get a full signal for months, and even then it was and still is a single hiccup. I don't rely on a full signal to tell me to stop eating. Finding satiety is the key for me to stay successful. As time progresses, the sleeve matures to maximum capacity, and your capacity will change so learning to measure food, not eat until full or stuffed has served me very well in maintenance by keeping me from overeating even though I can eat double the amounts I could today from what I could eat at 2-3 months out. There are no foods that I can not eat. Scrambled eggs still sit extremely heavy in my stomach, but poached, deviled, egg salad, hard-boiled eggs all work fine. Pork chops for whatever reason are heavy as well. We quit eating pork products 2 years ago after my husband's last deployment so I don't miss them at all. Best wishes with your revision. Getting rid of the band was the best thing I ever did for myself and my life. I've had an amazing 2 years post-op, and look forward to my future.

Okay ladies, I have my surgery today and it went well. I was scared over nothing. Not too much pain or gas..............I have been walking and walking and I slept twice today but for the most part...........I had a great experience and I am so happy to have my new best friend!! I have the Realize band not sure of the size yet but I think 9 or 10 cc but I am told I was suppose to get a serial number for it, so should I ask?? :confused2: We arrived at the hospital at 8am and the Doctor was doing a revision and it made him run behind schedule so 9:30 am changed to 11:45 am but the doc came in talked to me, then the nurse came in with another doctor and while she was talking to me he must have slipped that "feel good" medicine in my IV and all I remember was them rolling me out and the jolly young nurse was still asking me questions and I woke up and it was done...................piece of cake I tell you!!! Thanks for all the support and prayers ladies...............Beyonce watch out!!!

Questions to ask during consultation: 2) Research the doctor. What kind of follow up care is provided? (ie: fills, unfills, endoscopies, fluroscopies, port revisions, removal, etc). Ask to speak to about 5 or 6 of his patients before you make a decision. Ask those people if they have any complaints or issues with their care before, during and after the procedure. How many of the procedures has he done? What types of complications can occur from this procedure and how frequently do they happen? (ie: perforations, etc) What types of complications has he personally ran into doing this procedure? What is his policy when a complication occurs during a procedure? (ie: does he discuss options with family or immediately convert to bypass or other WLS). Is he Inamed approved for the procedure? If not then who qualified him to perform the procedure and can you have literature to verify this? 3) Research the procedure. How is the procedure performed? Will you use the Pars Flaccida approach? What type of sutures do you use? Can I request glue and not staples? Will I have a catheter placed? If I am on my menses, can I wear a tampon? What will I need to have prepared when I get home in way of food items? What are the short term issues? What are the long term issues? How will I be able to take my pills? Will you write today for liquid pain meds? Do you want me to take antibiotics post-op? If so, will you write for Diflucan? 4) Follow up care. What is the schedule for fills? When can I get my first fill? How is the fill procedure performed? (ie: with or without fluroscopy) What is the cost for fills? (under fluro and not) How often will I need to be seen? Will I have access to a Nutritionist? How do you handle unfills? Is there a direct line in case of Emergencies? Does your doctor have email address? Should I continue to take Metformin? What Vitamins should I be taking? Will I need to crush my pills? If so then for how long? Are there any pills that cannot be crushed? If so then how will I be able to take them?

I had to have my band removed due to a slip and at the time I was down to goal weight and my surgeon said I no longer qualified after saying I had the option for the sleeve. I had even started going through the process of getting the sleeve after I finished healing. I now live in another state and want to get my sleeve. Even though working out 5 times a week and eating healthy food I still have the issue I started with when I got my band in 2010....I'm always hungry and can't portion control. I have a food addiction. I've gained 60lbs in this year without my band. Has anyone had this kind of time between surgeries? What was your insurance experience like? I have the seminar to start the process here but I am so nervous that my insurance won't consider this a revision because it has been so long and they only allow one bariatrics surgery per lifetime. I want to add that I lost 160lbs with my band. I loved my band and did great with the restriction so I know the sleeve would work for me as well. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Welcome, I am glad your doctor suggested the sleeve. We have a lot of band to sleeve revision folk here. They will be able to give you a lot of support and I think you will be amazed by their success. I actually was just reading the lap band talk forum, a few friends post over there and I was reading thread after thread of poor results from the lap band along with the many ongoing complications that can pop up at anytime from the band. I have to say I am very glad I did the sleeve instead. Keep us updated!

Welcome.. I am scheduled to have the sleeve on Oct 19. Can't wait..You will find a lot of support here. Many have had the revision from the Band to the sleeve with great success..Good luck to you.. Connie

hi welcome, congrats on your surgery. surgeons have their own requirments for pre op mine is similar to yours -No pre op liquid diet, only one day before surgery -I will have a hospital stay (as i am a revision patient) -clear liquids only 1-2 days post op, full liquids 2 weeks again welcome aboard... MIla

Congrats on your decision to get healthier! Please do some research on long term effects of the band. I am one of the failure statistics and I am in daily pain as I wait to get this thing out. If your band slips or your have to have revision surgery, the recovery really isn't that much shorter. Good luck with your decision! I have found this forum to be such a source of great information and support.

I had a band to sleeve revision on 6/15/10. I started at 237 and I am now 197. That's only 40lbs in 6 months . I only had about 60% of my stomach removed and it was not made into the shape of a sleeve, and the doctor told me I would not lose all of my excess weight if I didn't work for it. I do not exercise as much as should and I can eat more than I should be able to. What should I do. I experience head hunger quite often and I snack all day. I really want to turn things around and lose 20 lbs by New Years Day. I know that sounds like a lot, but it's a reachable goal. I do have a hypothyroidism and I take meds for that as well. Any advice you all can offer is greatly appreciated.

You are a great inspiration for those of us who are waiting (me personally for a revision), 70lb in 6 months seems fantastic - and just think of how toned and beautiful your body will be with the running. Congratulations! Glenda

original surgery means it's the only weight loss surgery I've had. A revision surgery means you've already had a weight loss surgery before getting this one. mine was laproscopic. I think endo is a new technique (they didn't do that when I had my surgery five years ago).

Seems like no one does revisions in the Huntsville Alabama region Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I am SO happy for you!!! I couldn't get anything covered after they removed my band. I wouldn't wish that on anyone!!! I made the mistake of self paying to re-band since I had success up until the slip and erosion, but bands being the evil little things they are, I'm having a revision done too now after a lot of complications! Lol What a huge relief!!! So happy for you!!!! let us know when you get a surgery date!!! The next few months will go faster than you think!!

I'm glad you are cancer-free! Please be sure to check whether you have sleep apnea before surgery as that could be dangerous while under anesthesia. Also - sometimes reflux can worsen with the sleeve and require a revision to Bypass so be sure you have talked to the surgeon about that and make the right decision on what surgery to have. Best of luck!

Lmao at can eat! I always thought bypass was just that. Eat and no digestion. LOL 200 lbs. wtg! Yay! what’s difference with original bypass and revision. Isn’t it the same?

oh we can eat - unfortunately!! Mine wasn't a revision - it was an original surgery. I had it because I had GERD prior to surgery - RNY usually improves if not outright cures GERD (did mine!). I lost over 200 lbs - but again, it wasn't a revision.

Hello all, just looking for some help and encouragement. I was banded May 2005 and am facing revision surgery on July 15. I have had two slips in the last year so I am having to have a new band put in. I had no issues at all the first 2 yrs of being banded and lost 95lbs. I have slowly started gaining and wish to start over and get on the right track with a band that will stay in place. Does anyone know much about the AP band? That is what I will get this time. Thanks. Relxnthsun

I know alot of people post this concern, I have seen it too....Please dont tell me to stay off the scale, I have been through this nightmare already.....I was a sleeve to bypass revision on august 1st, but when i got my sleeve I was on the other site titled "sleeve talk"...and soon after my sleeve, I saw that my weight loss was lagging behind everyone who was sleeved at the same time I was..then, I just stopped losing..actually as soon as the post op diet ended...I have lived on salad and grilled chicken for 3 yrs, and the wt would not come off..I knew I could eat alot, it wasnt my choices in food, it was the volume...Now I feel like I am living that nightmare all over again...I lost 11 lbs the first 11 days, then i stopped and now i've gained 2 lbs...I am so scared...the doctor told me i had a stretched fundus, upper part of the stomach, that he could not shave off due to scar tissue after the band and it had stretched to allow alot of food...he said he had learned how to get behind the scar tissue now and was going to fix my sleeve.....I agreed, but 1 week later i called and told him I wanted bypass, i didnt want to take a chance that it wouldn't work and i would fail again....So, I had the GBS, then one week post op he told me he left the excess out pouch and just lopped off the bottom of my stomach....NOOOOOO.......what????....I dont know why I didnt say anything that day...last Friday as a matter of fact...but i didn't and now he is on vacation and I wont see him till sept 10th...Im sure if I do say something he will only blow it off anyway...but now I feel like I am living my last nightmare of surgery without the benefit of wt loss....I am walking, eating right, but no wt loss and a 2 lbs gain to boot!! sorry for ranting but I am so depressed right now, I dont even know what to do with myself....I look around and everyone is losing faster and more than me just like the last surgery....I dont even know how to close this rant so I will just say thanks for listening.....

I suggest researching the Bariatric Centers of Excellence near you and finding a good doctor there. Plenty of doctors have done revisions / converted to a sleeve or gastric bypass!

How much have you lost since your revision? Sometimes during stalls, we don't lose pounds, but we are losing inches. I think it also depends on how much weight you have to lose. The less you have to lose, the slower weight loss can be. And stalls can happen all along the weight loss journey. I think they're a normal part of the process. It's our bodies/metabolisms adapting to the changes our bodies are going through. I'm only 6 weeks post op Band to Bypass revision. But I seem to be a slower loser than those with virgin bypasses. My restriction is there, depending on what I eat. Of course I feel it more with denser proteins. Compared to my Band, the Bypass seems to feel completely natural, unlike my Band. When I was able to start exercising, and increased my calories a bit, I noticed the scale started moving better. I hope to be released tomorrow to be able to lift weights again, I know that will also help me more. Best Wishes!