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Very well said, I am not giving up I just have to change things up. I went into my revision surgery not sure of the scar tissue preventing it but in the end I got it so I will MAKE it work

Don't be scared. I had my lap band revision to bypass May 7. I was expecting this surgery to really take a toll on me, but it was not bad at all. I had minimum, very minimum pain and left day after surgery to go home. Only took Tylenol once. So excited for you!!

I'm in relief tears, because you understand what I'm feeling. Thank you for answering me in such detail. BP is like a journal entry for me that responds to what I'm expressing. I love having this support system 💜. My actual support system is selectively small, by my personal choice. I'm private and respect other's rights to their privacy as well. I have 2 people in my support group who are Post-op, one had to revise from vsg to rny (major complications after revision this year). I read these posts and truly value everyone sharing their very personal experiences. This is like Cliff Notes for Bariatric Surgery.

Bands are miserable to live with. You'll be happier with the sleeve. It takes several fills to where you even can tell you have a band and until then, it's willpower alone. Besides that, you have to keep going back for fills, and if it's not right, get an unfill. don't even get me started on the complications bands cause. There would not be so many people getting revision surgery from bands to sleeve if we were all happy with our bands.

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".

For the past few years I've wanted to get banded. I go to Church with a woman who was very successful and she inspired me. My insurance doesn't cover any procedures so after I was done having kiddos my husband added me to his insurance policy. I officially became covered January 1st, so on Jan 3rd I had a consultation with two surgeons, Dr. Nicholson at the Nicholson clinic and then I had an appointment at True Results, Dallas. During my first appt Dr. Nicholson suggested I consider the sleeve procedure and for a few seconds I considered it...until I walked in to True Results and they told me how dangerous it was, how it hadn't been on the market long enough, etc. etc. I guess since I'd wanted the band for so long they told me everything I wanted to hear. I continued going to True Results for two more months, but in the back of my mind I kept going back to what Dr. Nicholson had said. He told me about problems with the band that were just developing and told me that since I lived so far away from a bariatric facility (I have a 3 hr drive, one way) that the band was more than likely not the route I would want to go. He always maintained that if I wanted it he would gladly give me one, but that he just didn't think it was the perfect fit. I continued to have thoughts that the band probably wasn't the best thing for me, but once i started visiting True Results I felt "stuck" in the sense that I didn't want to waste all of the time I'd already invested. I asked True Results if they offered the sleeve and they said they did, but that their surgeon didn't do as many of them because the band was "better". About a month ago I started really researching the band vs the sleeve and kept coming across numerous people who had the band, then had problems and revised to the sleeve. I didn't want to be one of those people. I want whatever I choose to work for life and i want to be happy with my decision forever. I also didn't want the surgeon that performed my surgery to do them every once in awhile, I wanted my surgeon to be the best of the best. I prayed about my decision and asked God to lead me in the right direction, whatever that direction was. The same day I was searching a forum who specifically pointed out True Results and the surgeon that I would have had and said if you're considering him/that clinic to run as fast away as possible. She wasn't speaking to me, but I felt as though she was if that makes sense. I then decided to contact Dr. Nicholson's clinic and see if they would even take me back. I'd only gone to one appointment and then had "chosen" another doctor, so for all I knew they would tell me tough nuggets. Nope. They said that they loved it when patients researched other doctors and that they were happy that I had "shopped around" and then returned to them. Lastly, I had been upset that the 2 months worth of nutritional appointments would be wasted in a sense, but had decided that in the long run, what was 2 months of my life, if it meant my life and happieness? Just for the heck of it I thought I would ask the Nicholson clinic if there was any way they would give me credit for the nutrition appointments and sure enough they will! Everything is falling in to place and I really couldn't be happier and more excited about getting the sleeve. I'm ready to change my life for the better and looking forward to this journey! Now if I can just jump through the flaming hoops for insurance and get my surgery scheduled

I apologize to the original poster – I’m off topic. @AchieveGoals So, I just checked out ALL your activity on the site. Your comment on this post stuck me as odd. You said " until GERD kicks in" You posted ” So a little bit about me, I was lap banded when I was 17 years old, got it taken out when I was 22 because of pouch enlargement. Now I am thinking of getting sleeve done. But the GERD part scares me, it's like exchanging disease states for one to the other. It helps get rid of Diabetes, but you acquire GERD, so severe to the point that people need revisions to another sleeve or another bariatric procedure. I would be scared to get an RNY or a Bypass, I am happy getting a Sleeve (and this was a decision I thought a lot over to even get to it), so the thought of so many revisions due to GERD scares me to even get this done in the first place. It makes me wonder if I will be one of those who undergoes this too, I don't have current GERD right now, sometimes I do get heartburn maybe three times a month, but I'm not taking anything for it chronically. Anyone have any thoughts? Thank you so much! You are assuming everyone has Gerd on needs revision? Not everyone acquires GERD or needs revision after surgery. Know that many of us have no complications and are doing fine years out. (I’m five years out) Your surgeon would be the one to talk to about having heartburn three months at a time and considering sleeve.

Day 1 here we are. I kicked butt at Crossfit like butt has never been kicked before!!! Lol. At least in my standards. Proud of myself. I've decided to kick dairy from my diet and try almost milk instead. By the way I had my sleeve done in September 2012. Revision from the band. I can do this!!!! :-)

Hi Boubette! I am so sorry I just now saw your question. I received my original surgery date just before my all day session. I was worried they weren't moving fast enough to get surgery done last year (and they weren't, lol!) so I hounded them incessantly until they told me when it would be. The actual gastric bypass surgery was scheduled at the beginning of March during a followup visit for my band removal. I know that every doctor is different, though. Are you doing a revision from band to bypass, too?

AZDee, I've read so many of your posts that I feel like I know you. I agree with your comments about scaring. That's initially one of the reasons I looked at Gutierrez -- his micro-surgical expertise. But now I'm trying to look at the big picture thanks to all of the honest, open feedback provided by you and others. I'm definitely concerned about scaring, technique (sculpting skills), infection rate and of course price. Because I need multiple procedures, pricing is a concern but doesn't trump the other considerations. I hate, hate, hate general anesthesia and really think twilight is a better option. But that's not enough to make me have the procedure performed in MX. Initially I too thought that affordability was only an option outside of the US, but I'm seeing more and more affordable options. I know the look I'm going for. As the girls on realself.com say, "I want to get snatched!" But..... I'm trying to be realistic about what is possible for my body type. I find that a lot of the drs. here (even in FL) give tummy tucks with a boxy shape. I'm in love with the curvy hour glass sculpting done in MX and DR. So I still have a lot more work to do. I really wanted to chat with you about your experience with Gutierrez since you're having some revision work done in TX. I read a review from someone else that wasn't thrilled with their work. Sigh..... Ally

I have Aetna. Mine was a revision, band to sleeve. Their policy specifically states that to qualify for revision I needed to have had lost less than 50% EBW on prior WLS and it had to be more than 2 years prior. I fully qualified according to the policy but they denied me for being under a BMI of 40 anyway. We submitted appeals twice, the second appeal I was at BMI 40 and they approved it.

I'm waiting to hear back from the insurance. All they required was one neutrino class and a psych eval for the revision. I'm from Texas and Dr John Pilcher will be performing my revision. He has also given me the choice between resleeving and rny. I'm not too sure what to do. What is a bougie?

Have you checked out other options? I see so many band revisions it scared me away from it! Just make sure you do plenty of research (not just with the center doing your band.) and good luck!!!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I had someone at work say in a joking way that I am "cheating". She weighs under 150 and is very tall, she doesn't know how it feels to be obese. I just looked at her and said "b*#$%h please, you will never get it" and moved on. Someone will always say something stupid. They know that unless you are making my meals, wiping my butt, paying my bills, or in my shoes, I really don't care if you think I am "cheating" or not! You guys now this is hard mental and physical work!!! This is not easy for any of us. We got cut to save our lives, some of us multiple times with revisions. I say forget people like that. You are doing well. Don't let any one discourage you, EVER!

My port is located one inch to the right of my belly button. I already had a port revision as it was sticking out too far.

Wow a week and a day and I'm approved for my revision! I had the sleeve done on 12/16/12 and I'm going for bypass on 8/18/14, due to gerd and a stretched sleeve. My weight lose was around 40 lbs with the sleeve and I've actually gained 15 of it. I started off at 239 post op, current weight 206, lowest weight since sleeve 189 (for about a day).

My insurance (UHC) requires revised mental health evaluation for revision from lap band (2008) to sleeve (to be 2011). It consists of one hour talk and two hours of tests on first appointment. Then one more hour of talk two weeks later at second appointment. Then about a week to write a letter to surgeon for approve/not approve. Seems excessive. What was your mental health evaluation like ?

I'm wanting to get a revision to the sleeve I had in 2015 I've gained roughly 70lb and I feel like I or the sleeve failed me. So I want the bypass now. Any input on this

I'm having surgery on September 13, and have a wedding reception for my best friend to attend on September 29. I don't suspect that I'll feel much like dancing, and she already knows that I'm having surgery and can't eat or drink, but I definitely want to be there and celebrate this amazing part of her life. Can some of you share how you were feeling that far out? I have had several surgeries before and have a fairly high pain tolerance. This is a revision from a sleeve to the bypass, I just can't recall from when I had the sleeve how I was feeling after 2 weeks... I did go back to work after two weeks with my last surgery, so I'm guessing I'll be okay to go to a reception at 2 1/2 weeks? thoughts?

I'm 2 years out from my band to sleeve revision. I've lost 115 pounds. Yay!! But I have gained about 10 back (and I wasn't done losing). I feel like I've been on a sugar binge since before the holidays. I cannot seem to get back on track. i'm eating things I know I shouldn't, even when I'm buying the chocolate, Cookies, etc, I have a conversation in my head about why I shouldn't buy it but then I do it anyway. I've gotten so far away from the "rules" and cannot seem to get back on despite every intention to do so every day. Any help, ideas or kick in the ass would be welcome.

I was off mp BP ,Metformin, cholesterol medication and no longer have Sleep apnea. Almost immediately after my sleeve surgery. But my reflux is much worse than it was before. Had to add more medication for it. Waiting for approval from my insurance companies for the RNY revision to get rid of the reflux (praying that it works)!! Sent from my SM-G960U using BariatricPal mobile app

I was banded today! And I had a BMI of 55 when I started my consult a BMI of 53 when I started pre op and up until today I've lost about 20lbs (not sure what BMI that gives me no less than 51 though. I was banded this morning & my only complication was my nausea to the anesthesia. Not even 24hrs later I feel much better! And I think like everyone said you know yourself and what your true needs are. If you know you're commited to the lifestyle changes the band requires go for it! Its a lot easier to revise from the band than it is to go from the other WLSs to the band. Most doctors like many ppl look at ppl with higher BMIs as those who have extremely bad habits & lack of self control/comittment to make the band work so ofcourse they'll recommend faster somewhat easier options but you shouldn't let that opinion sway you. As long as ur healthy enough to go be approved for surgery get what you really want & are comfortable with!

I have Cigna and had my revision done in 1 surgery which they approved. This was after the 3 month requirement was met

Breathe, breathe! I know it's freaky, but this drainage is not unusual. I didn't have it with my original surgery, but my port revision surgery drained horribly for about a week. There is an amazing amount of Fluid that can come out of there, so you may want to keep it covered with something absorbant to protect your clothing/sheets. My port site actually was sore, although not infected, and I found expressing the fluid out manually helped with that part. The fluid must have been building up inside a pocket. As long as it is clear (mostly clear, a clearish orange), there is no infection and not to worry. However, if the incision becomes hot, or the fluid starts to thicken-up and look more like pus, a visit to your doc is in order.

Congrats!!! I myself am just going through all of the preop testing and just praying my ins. goes through with no problems and hoping to get through the process quick and easily! I will be a band revision due to band complications so I am very nervous...I am very happy for you and hope you have a very speedy recovery and things go very smoothly for you and you have as little pain as possible I have a cpl of friends that have had this done and they are all doing pretty awesome! Good luck on your journey and your new life!!! Feel better