Search the Community

Wow! That would be quick! I'm hoping that once the surgery to remove my band occurs ( once I get approval for that too) that by the time I'm healed up I will have Been approved by my insurance for revision. Best of luck to you!!

Anyone from Kentucky have revision surgery? I'm at the beginning of the revision from band to sleeve journey. Just curious if anyone else out there has went through it too? Anyone have revision surgery with Dr Weiss? If so what was the process like for you?

Oh my! I'm so sorry you've had such terrible issues! Fortunately once the fluid was taken out of my band I was able to eat and drink normally again. I plan on getting this moving as quickly as possible because my appetite since my band was completely unfilled has been insatiable!! My dr put in a request for band removal in to my insurance today so hopefully I will hear something back soon. I just wish my surgeon wouldn't do the removal and revision at the same time.

I had two separate surgeries too. My stomach was far too inflamed when the band was removed to do anything else to it. I had not been able to swallow much at all. Yes, when I swallowed the stuff for a flouroscope, it stopped at the band. And that was AFTER the band was deflated. Between then and the band removal, even water hurt. I survived mostly on soft ice until at least 3 pm when I was able to eat a bit, generally baked potato. Make sure you do the revision to sleeve as soon as possible. I was delayed by a layoff and some other health problems so that had already gained back all the weight I had lost.

i had the lapband Nov 2010. I absolutely hated it. Initially I did alright ( lost 40 lbs) with it but over time I was vomiting almost daily and the weight slowly creeped back on. About a month ago I had all the fluid removed and had some tests done. Luckily there's no damage but my stomach is irritated/inflamed. And I'm now hungry ALL THE TIME! I have initiated the revision process, but I had no idea that it was going to be done in 2 stages. 1st is the band removal with a 3 month recovery time, then the sleeve. I was under the impression that it could all be done at once but my surgeon doesn't do that. Has anyone else gone through this as well? How was recovery from the band removal and how was your experience between removal and revision? Just a little overwhelmed with everything. I was so hopeful to have both done at once but it looks like my surgeon will not do both at the same time. I'm bummed to say the least.

Hello! I did, 08/30/17. So far, I'm pretty happy with everything! I'm a revision from band to SIPS, as well. Best of luck to you!

SIPS 9/11/17. I'm a revision so weight loss is slow, but no complaints. Sent from my LG-LS993 using BariatricPal mobile app

It really depends upon your insurance company. If your doctor is able to convey how the band needs to be removed and your need for a tool to maintain a loss, you just may be able to get the sleeve. It's going to be really important for you to consult with your doctor and see if he/she is on board with a sleeve. You may have to jump through a few hoops, but it will be worth it if you are able to get the sleeve. By the way, I have read of people getting a revision with a low BMI if the lapband has to be removed for medical reasons.

I’m doing well, I feel I’m a bit on the slow loser side but at least it’s coming off. And I guess to be expected since I am a revision. Best thing I can tell you is to walk as soon as you can. And as much as you can. Don’t worry about anything in the beginning except walking and water. They gave me these little one ounce cups and I would line up 5 at a time. With each lap of the living room I’d take a shot. And repeat. It was the only way I could get liquids in. Good luck! Let us know how it goes and walk walk walk!

4 months post op revision from sleeve to bypass. Been experiencing this pain when i swallow along with feeling like there is something stuck on my throat. It is ongoing all day around. Also feel some discomfort upper part of the chest right under my throat. Anyone has experience similar please help. Don’t know if is some reflux or what could it be but it has just been soo discomforting these past 10 days.

There were some entries on ObesityHelp regarding NF and revisions to RNY from 2012, but it seemed rare to have a sleeve the NF, then RNY and not many experienced surgeons do it at all? Good luck.

Question for anyone with sleeve to mgb revision: Did you taste buds change again after revision? Did you go through food phases at same rate? Liquid to soft to solids, etc? Like after sleeve it took 6 months before I could eat lettuce again. Should I expect same? Thanks

I’m so sorry you’re going through this. Unfortunately, GERD issues after VSG are not uncommon. Moving forward, you should do a lot of research to find a highly experienced bariatric surgeon who is capable of performing a revision as many WLS surgeons are not skilled in this area.

Thank you for your candor, I couldn't agree more. I am scheduled for 12/27 at a different facility. I did a lot of research but it is always concerning to hear about complications, especially when they are so extreme. It's terrible that you had to go through this ordeal and the way you were treated because you didn't have the perfect success story. I hope you are feeling better now after your revision to RNY. Good luck in your continued recovery. I know I will be keeping this in mind during these last few weeks before I leave, and things to look out for while there.

Hello, I joined today in hopes of finding others who are long term vsgers who had horrible gerd after surgery. I had my surgery in 2007 and by 2015, my gerd was so unbearable that I had something similar to a nissen fundo with mesh. That surgery has failed and my doctor is now suggesting a revision to rny. I am concerned about the risk and possible complications. Has anyone here had a sleeve to rny revision after nissen fundo-type surgery? I searched the forums and couldn't find anything specific to this order of surgeries. Thank you for any information you can offer. Lisa

This is a long post, but it details my gastric sleeve experience in Mexico, and I feel like it's important to share it. I'm sure there are great results from this clinic and others in Mexico, but here are some of the pitfalls: I had a sleeve gastrectomy in April in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, with Dr. Juan Francisco Hidalgo (Weight Loss Team), and I have had extreme complications since then. I had to undergo a revision surgery to a full gastric bypass because the multiple strictures in my stomach were so bad that surgeons at the Mayo Clinic (arguably one of the best groups of bariatric surgeons in the world), after five procedures, couldn't fix them. They say it was most likely Dr. Hidalgo's technique that created the stricture - he uses a much smaller bougie (tube to shape the stomach) than is typically used in the United States, and it is more likely to create complications. I know loads of people have a good outcome from Mexico surgeries, but I share my experience because I owe it to anyone contemplating this. I did a lot of research before going there and thought I had chosen well. The website of Dr. Hidalgo is very sophisticated, and there are no language issues when asking questions in advance because of the English-speaking administrator, Gerald. The website gives reams of information in perfect English -- all very comforting. Plus, as I was considering the surgery, they offered me access to the support group on Facebook for patients of Dr. Hidalgo -- something that seemed so authentic and convincing since I could read posts from all kinds of real people. However, after they recently found out about my complications, Gerald, the administrator, removed me from the group even though I was not all over it bashing Hidalgo but had just posted a couple of times about my situation. I suddenly felt so duped -- I believed all the great testimonials and was too gullible to understand that only people with positive outcomes were allowed to be in that community. So since I can't share it with people allowed to join that private group, I feel it is my responsibility to share my experience here: My experience in the Puerto Vallarta hospital was very hairy - I woke up after surgery in some kind of lounge with no one around me and in extreme pain - sobbing and begging for help, and after that at one point my blood pressure was so dangerously low that they wouldn't let me lay down anymore - forcing me into a sitting position, and I think it was possibly because the nurses gave me pain medicine twice at one point. Dr. Hidalgo was summoned to the room, and actually suggested perhaps my condition was because I hadn't taken my Wellbutrin for a couple of days. Um, what? I sincerely thought for a little while that I might die. Promises that the medical staff would check in on me at my hotel regularly after discharge from the hospital didn't materialize, and a bellboy had to track down Dr. Hidalgo to remove my staples because I was due to fly home. And then when I required intervention a couple of weeks later because I couldn't eat or drink anything due to the stricture, I was told by Dr. Hidalgo that I just needed a shot of cortisone (Seriously? Where?), and when they sent my "surgery report" to share with the U.S. doctor, it was actually just a generic report with my name at the top - not my report. It didn't even include my actual surgical information because it talked about the port they had installed, which I never had. When I asked for full records, including the swallow study/leak test done with X-Ray at the hospital before discharge, I was told that Dr. Hidalgo didn't have any of the records, and that it could be three or four months before he got it from the hospital. My diagnosis was that I had a severe stricture in my gastric sleeve in several places, and the five additional surgeries were to try to stretch and stent the stomach open, but nothing worked and I had to have a complete revision to a roux en Y gastric bypass because my stomach was unsavable. The Mayo surgeon's professional opinion based on my situation and the generic "surgery report" Hidalgo's team sent is that this stricture was caused by Dr. Hidalgo because he uses a bougie that is far too narrow. This is the tool used to size your new sleeve stomach, and Hidalgo uses size 18, while the medical standard in the U.S. is more like 28. Though I asked several times, Dr. Hidalgo would never provide my actual medical records or X-Rays from after the surgery, but the Mayo doctors believe the X-Ray immediately following the surgery shows the stricture, which left just a 1/4 inch opening and was slowly killing me. I didn't eat a solid piece of food for 140 days, I was anemic and malnourished and needing fluid IVs just to stay hydrated because I couldn't even force enough water down the narrow stricture. Half of my hair has fallen out, I was confused and exhausted for months due to malnutrition, and I could hardly function. I lost 75 pounds in four months, but I only had 100 pounds total to lose so that was a dangerous pace for someone my size . Yes, I lost weight, but this was not a safe way to do it and I was desperately sick the whole time. Besides, my procedures to fix my $4,200 gastric sleeve from Mexico cost more than $125,000 - thank GOD I have good health insurance because just the co-pays alone have caused me significant hardship. I'm sorry to share such a terrible story. I understand how hopeful it feels to finally have the opportunity to lose weight because I was desperate to do so. But I made bad choices, it seems, based on a fake Facebook "support group," and English-speaking staff, and a charming doctor. My advice is to choose slowly and well and to comb forums looking for posts from people who may not have had the best experiences with the clinic you choose. I have a network now of a couple of other people with an experience similar to mine from surgeries with Hidalgo's Weight Loss Team, and none of us ever saw anything negative ahead of our visits. People with complications need to share them for the benefit of people in the future. I would also recommend that you ask a surgeon for the technical aspects of their procedure and then compare them to the vast volumes of research available from doctors who practice in the U.S. The bougie size is a big deal, and so are the exact kind of staples used. And above all else, DO NOT leave Mexico without a copy of every medical record generated about your care, from the films of the leak test to hospital logs. Even in Spanish, they can be invaluable later to a team of doctors trying to help you if you have complications. I have learned these things the hard way, and it's been a rough road. If I could do it over, I would still have the gastric sleeve, maybe, but I would have been much more cautious in the process. I wish you all the best.

Me too! Actually just shy of 3 weeks. How are you doing on the purée diet? I had revision from lapband to bypass. Turns out there was an uncommon problem with my port. After 5 years it was causing pain and upon extraction they found some significant issues. Anyway looking to the future. Still sore with a lot of bruising but out and about doing a little Christmas shopping. Missing eating out with friends and the occasional margarita! Let me know how you’re doing!

Hi all I'm new to the forum. Had gastric sleeve done in 2012 was 370lbs lost little over 100lbs. October 3, 2017 had revision to bypass due to acid reflux. Think I'm losing slow. Surgery weight 270lbs today 245lbs just about 8 weeks out. Anyone else have revision or surgery around October 3rd. Sent from my SM-G935V using BariatricPal mobile app

Hi guys, Well I am back in theatre next week to have gastric plication and lengthening of the roux limb. I had a band in 2004, band removed and sleeved in 2015, bypass 2016, 2 x overstitches in 2017 and now having plication and roux limb lengthening next week. I have lost weight with each procedure then gradually gained again. Never getting near my original weight of 136kg, I get down to about 80kg and am happy there then invariably start to creep up gradually each time. This has to be my last procedure. This is my 6th attempt now. I have everything crossed for this working. Anyone else had roux lengthening or plication as a bypass revision? Thanks :-)

Hello! I am new to this forum. My gastric sleeve surgery is scheduled for Dec 15th. I am on day one of the pre-op diet, and it is going as expected - I'm hungry lol. I am a revision from Lap Band. I lived with a Lap Band that had somehow migrated up to the bottom of my esophagus for a good 4 years. I basically had no pouch, and almost everything I ate got stuck. I had lost some weight initially, but it all came back as I ate whatever would go down instead of what was good for me. I had the Lap Band removed in June, and the weight came back on faster than ever. I now weight more than when I initially got the Lap Band. I'm ready to make the change. I'm older and wiser and tired of being tired. It's time to work.

Part of the issue is accountability and the other part is identifying the issue and taking steps to address it. I'm 225 lbs and can't eat as much as you in one sitting. I think you need to address some addictive personality traits before you consider any revisions. You need to start small with making better choices when eating, and I do mean small adjustments at a time so it becomes sustainable over time. However soda and french fries should never be part of anyone's diet. You have to remember a point where it started to spiral out of control and you began to regain the weight. Go back to that point and identify what caused you to start making the bad choices you have been making when it comes to food selection. I know boredome and stress are big triggers for me. It's good you identified that your are beginning to derail now than later on down the road. Now it's time to put on your big girl pants and crack down on yourself and your daily intake. No amount of surgery is going to help you until you address the other issues making you eat badly.

I really hate to see some of the things that have been said in this thread. So, to those wondering about my Drs appointment I said question a revision. I just wanted my Drs opinion, although I enjoy talking to ppl on here. It's all opinions and personal thoughts. My DR said he has had a few stretch their pouches but not many in 20 years. Told me to go back to the basics. Protein first always then Veggies, no carbs. Carbs make you fat and keep you fat. Told me if my sleeve wasn't "working" he hated that term. That I wouldn't be up 30, I woulf be up 100. Just thought some it you would like to know. Thank You for the positive msgs. The negative nasty people, I understand why you were overweight to begin with. Slamming others equals NO self worth or Self Esteem. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using BariatricPal mobile app

Hi Bridgette! I think you had the Verticle Banded Gastoplesty. Is that right? I know it used to be called stomach stapling. So going in for a revision surgery for that makes a whole lot more sense than going in for a lap band revision. That’s why you never had a port. I’m really sorry this happened to you. I hope you get your money back. Did you ever try to go back and see your original surgeon who did the VBG? From what I understand, if you start suffering from the symptoms you described you usually have a leak or fistula. I hope that was the case, because the diet for both of these surgeries are almost the same. I’m hoping you have better luck with the GB. And I hope you get a refund and an explanation!

Well, I had the procedure on Tuesday. Woke up in the ICU so they could monitor bleeding issues. Pain was pretty intense when I woke up. They had me stay an extra night in the hospital, but eventually moved me to a regular room once i pooped and had a positive upper GI xray. I'm back on a clear liquid diet for the next couple weeks, then it's into full liquids. Christmas is gonna be a pain in the ass. Since I wasn't resleeved, and can't find many people who have had SIPS as a revision to VSG, so I'll try to post my experience here. Day 2 post op... 6 incisions, painful shoulder gas, hurts to stand, get a little nauseous and tired when walking... but I'm doing it . 6'2" 354lbs going into surgery. 356 today, but I think that's normal. The drop should start in a day or two. I'm currently coughing and hicupping a lot, which hurts like hell. Also, I wasn't given pain meds (for reasons listed above). I'll post more as it happens.

Hi! I got an approval for my revision in less than 2 weeks and I am scheduled for surgery on 12/12/17. I think my surgeon did a great job documenting all of my ongoing problems with the band so I have medical necessity for its removal. When you add in the weight that I've gained back along with the return of my pre-diabetes, pre-hypertension, asthma and sleep apnea, then I'm sure that's what got me the revision to the sleeve approved. Looking forward to my sleeve adventure! Good luck with working through the process, can't wait to hear how everything goes for you! Take care!