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I had surgery Feb 1st, lose 21 lbs so far, had my port flip, got revision surgery on March 28th. Got my first fill of 3.5 during that procedure. Went for second fill April 11th and got 3.5 more. Finally felt restriction but gained 2 lbs in a month from eating too much ice cream and not exercising. Got back on track and lost 3 lbs in 10 days in may! Went for my 3rd fill yesterday and Dr again thought my port had flipped but he got fluid in. He couldn't get it back out and 4 sips of water sent me into a puking fit! HORRIBLE!!! if I ever felt that after eating I'd never eat it again! I was filled to 10 ccs in my 11 cc band. I find out my line has a kink but if u push down on my fat roll the kink goes away and fluid can be taken out. I am filled to 7.5 now and it takes me about an hour to eat a normal sized plate of food. I go back in 6 wks and will have to get fills by x ray until I lose enuff weight to loosen up my kink!

The money-hungry Vegas doctors said you might not need a fill for a year! I recently inquired locally (Vegas) about weight reduction surgery. The doctors here require you to first attend their seminar. About 200 people showed up, and we learned the two techniques they offer: LapBand vs. surgical bypass. They gave the pros & cons on both surgeries. They didn't try selling one surgery over the other, but as far as fills, they said some people need them while others can go as long as a year. They never mentioned you might need one 6 weeks post surgery. Meanwhile, my friend had her band placed in October. She's lost 60 pounds and is just now wanting a fill. That's a good five months for her, while I've heard others needing them after only 6 weeks. Also, she told me there's a P.A. that flies to Vegas and does fills here. But he doesn't do the fluoroscopy because he goes right to your hotel room (or my house, I suppose.) He charges $200. I guess it's worth the trip to Mexico. Thanks for the info. May I ask.... how much has everyone lost? And when were your bands placed? Thanks!

(Hugs), everything will be ok! Many people need to have their bands removed, and it is possible (usually) to get a gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy instead. Both of those surgeries are permanent, so this would never happen again. Many people do experience weight regain after band removal, so it's good to keep to a limited diet once you are eating again. I notice this is your first post. Welcome!

You're gonna do great! I had the band to bypass on 08/11 so I'm just a month post op. I've pretty much been on my own (even self pay!) but...I can do hard things and so can you. That's awesome you've posted on here! I'm always worried that I'm posting something dumb but.. for the most part everybody is so kind and you can get some great information and support. Let us know if you have questions! I'm a newbie but I can share my experience. So far so good. Best of luck!

I've never posted on boards before but someone suggested I might find support here. I'm one week away from band to bypass revision surgery and getting nervous! I'm anxious to get the band out due to problems I've had with it in the past four years and looking forward to the bypass to help with the weight. I do find that a few well meaning friends and family are not very supportive.

It's funny how everyone can have completely different experiences with the same operations. I was a little nervous about getting the sleeve (mostly because of the time I need for work). I've had Lapband, revision, removal, and gall bladder and all of them was super easy. Went grocery shopping when I came home. Hopefully I will feel this way with this one too.

Recovery time should be pretty much the same as it was when you had the band installed. You are going in for a full laparoscopic surgery, so you'll have all the ports/incisions that come with it. You'll be unfilled, have your band adjusted and more than likely some more sutures put in to hold it in place, and this is all barring any complications. I had my band installed in 2011 and I had ZERO physical issues, no slippage, no erosion, nothing. But when I had my revision from Band to Bypass, it took my surgeon over 3 times longer to get the band out, because it has been 100% encapsulated in scar tissue. So, you *might* not have any issues once they get inside you again... but you could have some major complications ahead like I did, even though nothing pointed to there being any real problem. To be honest, my "suggestion" would be to talk to your surgeon about revision to another WLS. The Band has just so much working against it at this point, 2 major manufactures have stopped making them, most surgeons won't even do them any longer.

to to revise still having problems with this band, has the surgery to fix hole in tubing had a fill of 3 cc's that day went back this month and lo and behold had nothing in my band again, went for a port-o-gram and dye fill to check it and wouldnt you know it it is leaking again in same place, so its back again to have it fixed yet again

Hi All, I had a band removed and gastric bypass performed on Dec. 16th. During surgery the spleen was nicked and had to be removed. So instead of the 5 little cuts, I have 4 little cuts and one REALLY big one. The staples came out today (don't ask) and I am healing nicely. I was wondering if anyone else has a similar story and what your healing progress is like. How much exercise can you do? How much are you eating, etc.? Cheers

Hey all you September Sleevers. How is everyone doing? I am 3 weeks PO today. Feel great! Back to the gym this am. I have been walking in the mornings since its so nice here in Tejas. (rare) So just did some cycling, and some arms. Tried not to do anything that would pull on the tummy. I am down 20 lbs. Which 7 was pre op diet. But happy. I know I will loose slower since I was revision. But if I can stay 20 lbs a month, I will be one happy camper. Lets all check in and see how everyone is doing now that we are on the loser's bench.

Wow..can I relate to this thread! I had my surgery 11/19/15..and returned to work 2 weeks ago...(having lost 35 pounds since anyone last saw me)...one doofus @ work immediately blurted out, "Did you have gastric bypass?!?"---I confronted her and curtly told her that my surgery was personal...and essentially none of her concern. The next day, I returned to work to hear that she told everyone I had vaginal reconstruction!!! I was appalled. Again, I confronted her..asking just WTH her problem was...spreading lies that had placed her on a fast-track to a workplace harassment charge...now possibly sexual harassment....and she meekly replied, "I was just concerned about you"--- BS...."concern" would have been checking in on me while I was off from work...not speculating and fabricating BS lies upon my return because you don't know ANYTHING about my personal life...and you have some sick need to be the focus of everything. --- I told her that if anyone wanted to 'really know what went on while I was gone from work', that I'd gladly tell them, provided that they be willing to pay a portion of my medical bills....otherwise, it's NOYB. Period. I told her that if she spoke one more word about my health or appearance, there would be consequences beyond which she cared to imagine.....Strangely enough, she has been quiet as a mouse since. Some people just have serious issues seeing someone else experience anything positive....My choice to undergo such a life-altering procedure didn't come lightly...and the victories are MINE...and of no concern to anyone other than those I choose to share with.

whichever surgery one gets, unless they help (the WLS tool they chose) as in changing what they eat to better quality foods and start to exercise, nothing will help..its a total life change..def a huge mental change.. too many people are thinking if they get a surgery, poof the weight will just be gone in a months time... its not like that... it takes some effort... so unless some effort is given (eating better, following dr's instructions on how to get well) the bypass, the sleeve, the ds, the band wont work..the patient must also do some work...and be honest... i chose the band to save my life. the sleeve was not covered by my insurance. the dr wanted me to have the bypass because of my high BMI when i started... i am sure he saw only doom in my future...proved him wrong...whatever you get, get it and get on with living life.

As a single parent, I feel I need to do something to make certain I'm around for my daughter as long as possible. However, it needs to be a safe something, and the complications of banding are nonexistent compared to those of bypass. The mortality rate alone scared me off of that.

I just downloaded the Baritastic app (thank you for suggesting it) - it is really great because it understands our needs. I am getting ready to have a revision of my sleeve in January (because I have had terrible GERD) and want to really do it right this time. This app has timers for time to take to eat and time in between meals and drinking, trackers, a journal, you can link your fitbit, it has information about the different surgeries, links to resources, recipes, and a link to forums. And it is free!

Hello All, I have been a long-time lurker of those boards but am posting for the first time in need of some advice and support. I have been banded for about 5.5 years now. I have originally lost about 90 pounds from an all-time high of 270 lb and had gone down to 180 lb by the end of the second year before slowly settling for 190 lb for a couple more years after that. The issue started last year. I hadn’t gotten a fill in over a year and a half at that time and that last fill (only 0.05 cc) helped stabilize my weight at 190 lb and prevent further weight gain. I was starting though in the last few months to feel really tight, pbing on a regular basis because I was eating in a hurry, not chewing enough, etc…, had mild heartburn occasionally, etc… As I was feeling uncomfortable with the constant PBing and the “tight” feeling in my chest and stomach, I had a tiny unfill of 0.05 cc for fear of doing permanent damage to the band and losing it. This settled all my band and stomach problems right away. 14 months later, I no longer struggle with PBing, heartburn or the uncomfortable tight chest feeling, feel great and all around healthier (I am able to eat more and better). On the negative side, I found myself gaining another 15 pounds over those 14 months, 6 of which I was able to lose through good eating and exercise, putting me at around +- 199 lb. I am posting because I have been thinking for a couple of months about getting that small fill (0.05 cc) back. This is a big decision for me, not only because of my past issues with that last fill, but also because I live 2,000 km away from where I had my surgery so getting a fill/ unfill costs me a good +$500 to fly back and forth. I have tried for many years to have a WL centre here do my fills/ unfills but they won’t see me because I had my surgery done elsewhere. I am also not sure I want someone other than my regular doctor do my fills/ unfills. So my question to you all: is should I go for this tiny fill back or not? I know that at my current fill level, I will not have any issues with my band for many years to come as I am on the loser side of things (though still have good restriction but can eat around the band more that I was able to with the tiny fill in). I am struggling with weight gain though and need to be very careful with every bite I eat to prevent any further weight gain. On the other hand, with that tiny fill back, I am confident I can get back to 190 lb and stay there effortlessly, but will have to suffer more eating wise. I also worry that in the longer term, I would do permanent damage to the band and thus either have to have a much larger unfill for things to settle down or revision surgery like I see happen to many long-term bansters. And this is a risk I cannot tolerate at this point as I live far away from my surgeon and have no money for any revision surgery (I was self-pay). Any words of advice/ support would be most appreciated. Thanks, Seldom

So I had gastric bypass surgery on 1/23/17, highest weight was 330, surgery weight was 274, and currently at 224. I've lost 50 lbs and 15 inches. I feel great, have tons of energy, and love going to the gym or outdoors with my 3 kids, but my boyfriend, who is over weight as well (around 315lbs.) Just can't seem to keep up with me anymore. He has lost around 30 lbs on his own since last Christmas, which is fantastic, but lately he has been skidding back into old bad habits. He always has an excuse not to go to the gym, he sneaks sweets late at night, won't go out with us, and just generally sits on his butt all day watching YouTube videos...when not at work. We started this weight loss journey together! He didn't want surgery, but me having osteoarthritis at only 34 years old, I needed it. He is approaching 40 this year and even though he doesn't have serious health problems now, I'm afraid that if he doesn't start to change and get active, he will soon. What attracted us to each other was out sense of adventure and loving the outdoors...now Im lucky if I get him to go on the back porch. I'm so frustrated! Any suggestions on what may be the problem or how to get him motivated once again?

Yes, you can get a bypass when they remove the band. May I give you some advice? The bypass is pretty final. EVERYONE that I have talked to has had complications but they also say they would do it again. I myself never once considered the bypass because it is so invasive. I got the band in March 2010 and am having it removed July 9 due to not feeling well, intermittent nausea, tummy issues, etc. I, too, am worried about re-gaining weight but if I do, then I do. I think I won't though. You have had your band longer than me so you must have lost weight and learned to eat differently. Just try very hard to continue that. Can you tell I am very much against the bypass?? LOL But seriously, think about it beforehand. It's a big move. Good luck!

Thank you all for your replies. I have decided against getting the fill back as I do not want the same issues to reoccur at some point and run the risk of either having a bigger unfill or losing the band all together. I cannot afford the cost of a revision surgery (I was a self-pay). The band is at a much healthier place today than a year ago with it on the loser side. I feel healthier, eat healthier. If this means I have to accept myself at 199lb instead of 190 or even my lowest weight ever of 180 lb, so be it. I was 270 lb six years ago. I would have been tipping the scale at +320 lb today if it wasn't for the band. I have to keep reminding myself that the enemy of good is better.

glad this was brought up. I am about 15 weeks post op and have already had two fills. I have lost approxamately 40 pounds. I still feel no restriction. I actually felt more restriction after my surgery than i have since having my fills. I am concerned in that my surgeon put a 4 cc band on me and i have already had 2, 1 cc fills. I am HALF FULL and still not feeling restricted !!! WHAT is wrong with me? It is taking sheer will power to push myself away from the table!! My surgeon even did an UPPER GI to assure me that I really am Banded. I feel that the only thing i have to show for from my surgery is 5 small, well-healing scars on my abdomen and huge doctor bills that keep pileing in. I am starting to wonder in my mind if I should have opted for the gastric bypass instead. I am not feeling very encouraged at all.

DH = Dear Husband I am not sure with the sleeve, but I had sex with my husband about 10 days post-op my band surgery. John, my husband, was deployed during my revision to the sleeve June 3rd, and he didn't get home until September 30th. From what I've heard from others, they were able to be intimate once they were pain free, and comfortable. Of course, you can't be a contortionist immediately post op, but take it easy and be gentle.

ive done weight watchers i am on a diet i try to eat healthy but obese runs in both sides of my family my dad had the gas bypass

Overabsorption of nutrients causing obesity? Where on earth did you hear that one? the only way you can get too much of any one nutrient is by eating too much of any particular food. The body will absorb what you put in it (more or less, many factors can cause you not to absorb much of what you eat), not overabsorb from reasonable amounts of food. You certainly dont get fat from "overabsorbing" the nutrients in healthy amounts of food. Nobody needs a bypass becuase their body absorbs too many nutrients. They need a bypass becuase it suits them psychologically and they are prepared to run the risk of their body absorbing too few nutrients as a trade off for physical and emotional relief from obesity. And anyway, a bypass only adds malabsorption to drastically reduced food quantities - the main weight loss benefit still comes from much fewer calories going in in the first place There's nothing wrong with not being prepared to take that risk, that's not close minded, that's just having feelings on the matter. However it doesnt follow that lapbands are entirely safe or effective for everyone either.

Meetings are at 6:30 on the last Tuesday of every month at the Hospital in the Montgomery Room. (Down stairs from St. Albans) There is one on the 27th and they generally last about an hour. The last meeting the room was full and there was only one person who was there for bypass all others were bandsters :thumbup: I will be coming from work so I will be the one in the Detention Home shirt Hope to see ya there!! Kim

Hi 65toGo, Yes, I had my lapband surgery done by Dr. fuller at UCD in October of 2007. I had Healthnet at the time and everything was covered. I was worried of course but the gals at the clinic assured me that I'd be good. I had previously lost weight using OA and was supervised by my PCP so that helped (even though I gained it all back) my case AND my BMI was over 40. So I'm not sure for you since every insurer is different. But if the surgeon feels that you're a candidate I know they will fight for you. They seem to do a good job of making a case for you. If you have co-morbidities (bp and such) you might be good. I know the band is preferred for lower BMI's in general I guess... Word of caution to you though, UCD is not Pro-Band. I had to fight pretty hard for mine. I think I was only the 8th band they did. Usually they do the band as a back up if you are not considered a good candidate for bypass. Feel free to message me with questions along the way or let me know how your experience is going. If you do get the band through them, Dr fuller himself does all the fills. The nurses are great. I go in once a month for an adjustment. Good luck, let me know how it goes. Emily~

Emily and Heartfire, thanks for the advice. I did read on the UCD web site they perform the RNY procedure with no mention of the band. That's too bad. As long as I can handle NO, it never hurts to ask though, right? ) If I do have WLS, I absolutely do not want the bypass procedure. It's just too invasive. I've lost 51 lbs. on my own (it's taken me three long years) and if I am denied by insurance, or UCD will only perform the RNY procedure, I will continue on my path until I reach my goal. I may never reach what the BMI charts suggest is a healthy weight, but I will reach a reasonable weight for my frame. Thanks again.