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I am relatively new here. Sorry that this is so long. I am starting the process of revision. I met with my surgeon who is great and told him that I wanted the band removed and probably convert to sleeve. I was extremely successful with the band and lost 100% of my excess body weight about 8 years ago and maintained for 3 years. I had two babies and due to severe morning sickness had to take 1/2 the Fluid out my band for each. For the first pregnancy I gained a ton of weight (70lbs) but lost all of it but 20lbs within a year before I got pregnant again. After the second baby (3 years ago) I have not been able to lose weight at all. I am now almost up to my pre-surgery weight. I have been struggling with the past 2 years with fills - my upper GI showed mild enlarged esophagus which returned to normal when fill was removed. Bottom line I realize now that the only way that the band worked for me so well was when it was extremely tight and it controlled my hunger. I don't think that this was o healthily and I don't think I can do this anymore without irritating and enlarging my esophagus. I prefer the sleeve over the bypass because I think restriction works well for me. I asked my surgeon about the esophagus problem and he said that it was being caused by the band and should not be a problem with the sleeve since my enlargement is very mild. I had an endoscopy and the GI doctor said the same thing - that I am in good shape and there is no reason for me not to have the surgery. Can someone explain to me why you do not get an enlarged esophagus with the sleeve? I do not understand the mechanics and I don't have another appointment with the surgeon for a month. Also can someone explain what it feels like to be full with the sleeve? With the band I got a painful feeling. When my esophagus was enlarging I was able to eat a lot and it sort of felt like it was in my throat. Does this happen with the sleeve? I am worried that I am "used" to the feeling of food in my throat and the sleeve will not work for me. I am probably being neurotic here! I want to state also that I completely trust my surgeon and he is world renowned at a top teaching hospital in NY. I just want to understand how this works! The surgeon said the sleeve is the way to go for me over the bypass. Thanks!

you have two very different options here... 1 - you get the lap-band. it fails. you go get a revision surgery to the sleeve. it fails. you go back for a third surgery to go to the RNY bypass, which works excellently for the rest of your life. 2 - you get the RNY bypass, which works excellently for the rest of your life.

Hello all I was wondering if anyone else has had this rare complication. I got my sleeve done in Mexico Oct 2021. About a year ago, January 2023, I noticed I started to have excessive saliva. It started randomly but picked up more. Well fast forward to January 2024 I got an endoscopy and was told my sleeve is “tortuous” and I have a hernia. This means that my sleeve has a lot of turns. I don’t feel any pain but the acid reflux which was manageable completely prior with one 20mg Prilosec, some days didn’t have to take it at all, has now been more annoying. I’m getting a referral to a Bariatric surgeon here in the states even tho the gastro told me I’ll be fine and don’t need to do anything. I’ve read that a twisted sleeve happens to about less then 2% of sleeve patients. I’ve also read some great success stories of surgeons fixing the twist and hernia without revision to bypass etc. I’m hopeful and not in any pain. But I don’t want it to get worse and it’s just a little overwhelming. Thank you!

I understand your situation. Ibwas banded in 2007 had to have a revision in April this year to fix my slipped band and a hernia. Have i lost any weight since then? Nope sure havent. Very frustrated. I am trying to be careful as to what i eat and try to exercise everyday. But this time everything is different and the fills are smaller to help keep my band from slipping again. Any time you want to chat let me know. We all need the support cause its never easy no matter if this is new or not. Good Luck Danielle

Hello New Friends, My name is Sara. I got the band in 2003 in Mexico and liked it too tight. I lived on liquids and tiny amounts of food, which caused sliming and puking every day for years. I lost 100 lbs in the first year and slowly regained it all with liquid calories. My band was so tight and I ate a quantity of food that caused esophegial stretching. So my lower esophogus has become a pouch that stores food until it makes its' way through the band. I have now had all fill removed and the gastro surgeon in my doc's medical group wants to remove the band but he says I would not succeed with a sleeve revision because the ways I cheated with the band (liquid calories) I can also cheat with the sleeve-- mochas, wine coolers, ice ream, etc. So he will not approve me for further surgery. Also, of that hundred pounds I've lost 70 lbs again, by using Alli daily for 3 years, so my BMI is too low for insurance to pay for WLS for me. Do you agree I am not a good candidate for the sleeve? I am having an upper endoscopy in a few weeks to see if there's any tumors or cancerous disease process in the esophagus. Then the surgeon wants to remove the band and thats it. No more surgeries for me, according to the surgeon. Do you agree? I'm thinking about going back down to Tijuana in 6 months, so my anatomy has time to rest after the band's removal. I'd like to give it another shot to do it right with the sleeve. Eat protien first, then veggies. No abusing liquid calories. I'm ready to try to obey all the sleeve rules for success if my stretched esopgegus can tolerate and not sabotage my new sleeve. What do you think? Please be frank. I need the truth, even if it's ging to sting when I hear it. Thanks, Sara

I was banded 03/2012 with my highest weight being 318. The lowest I saw with the band was 237 around 07/2014. I rarely felt real restriction and worked out 5-6 days a week, 2 hours a day, to get to 237. Once I couldn't keep up the workout routine I began gaining. My doctor/nutritionist put me on a diet pill around 10/2015 which I didn't see much results and hated the side effects. I was unbanded on 05/2016 and am on schedule for my revision 12/2016. Currently, I am about 305. My surgeon suggested a sleeve, but I am wondering if bypass would give me better results despite the complications that can come from bypass. Should I push for a bypass instead of the sleeve? Do others feel they would've been more successful with a band to bypass revision? I have a goal weight of 155-170 pounds.

So as some of you know I started at 540 pounds October of 2015. I had surgery May 29, 2016 at 480 pounds and today (March 23, 2017) I am 303.6 pounds. I am mostly happy with my progress but am plagued with lots of extra skin. Even though I am not a year out from my surgery I met with a plastic surgeon for my stomach hang. It bothers me a lot and is pretty painful. The surgeon gave me 2 options. 1. I could wait until goal or 2. I could get have surgery to remove the hang now and have a revision later. I chose to try and have insurance cover it now and get a revision later because it bothers me so much. They submitted it to insurance and I got the call that they approved it!! My surgery date is June 5th! I'm very excited but also a bit nervous. The surgeon said mine would be the largest he has ever done and I would need at least 4 drains in for about 4 weeks. I'm also nervous that by June I might be closer to goal and it might be silly to get it now when I would have to get it again so soon. It's really hard to tell my rate of weight loss though once I get closer to goal. Overall I am excited and just wanted to share my good news with everyone!

My surgeon removed all the fluid from my band about a month and a half before my revision to give my stomach some relief and healing before the surgery.

My doctor removed all my Fluid before the EGD, otherwise it would be difficult to get the camera down my esophagus. It was also to let my stomach go back to normal before the sleeve revision. People who never had the lap band have EGDs all the time.

My name is Jamie and I started my weight loss journey many years ago but my surgery journey started in February 2010. I was 330 pounds at 27 years old. I was always a healthy person but after 4 knee surgeries I gained over 100 pounds and tried EVERYTHING to try to loose the weight. When I hit 330 I knew it would end up being life or death so I attended a barbaric surgery meeting at my mothers suggestion. After meeting with my surgeon and discussing all options with my husband we decided on the lap band. (Man was that a mistake) I had the lap band surgery in May 2010 and it only took me 3 weeks to recover!! I thought I had done enough research to prepare my self but I was very wrong. Eating was hard and I was seeing the Dr almost every 4 to 6 weeks for 3 years trying to figure out where the perfect fill was. After 3 frustrating years of throwing up and learning how to cheat with the band we decided it was time to revise the band. I decided to do the a use it seemed like a safer and less invasive surgery. I was very excited to start this new journey after seeing co workers have great success with it. I had my revision to the sleeve May 2013. The recovery was much harder then the recovery from the band and I think it was due to doing the band removal and the sleeve revision at the same time. After 6 weeks I was as good as new and dropping weight at a nice pace. I was very excited to eat right and exercise because I was actually loosing weight!!! After the first 3 months I began to get really painful chest pains. Being a person that never delta with acid reflux, herd or heartburn I didn't know what the pain was from. I went back to my Dr and he began seeing me every 2 - 4 weeks and we tried every acid reflux, hernia, heartburn and GERD medication we could. By the time I was 10 months out I was in such bad pain and no medication would help my Dr decided we needed to revise my sleeve to the full bypass to eliminate the acid from being created in my stomach. I am very unhappy with this decision so I went to 3 other doctors that specialize in acid reflux and weight loss surgery and sadly they all agreed with my surgeons prognosis. We began the insurance approval process and it was a little harder tot get the bypass surgery approved this time since I am 178 pounds and they didn't see a reason for the surgery. Last Tuesday the pain got so bad I ended up in the ER for 6 hours as they tried to figure out how to make the pain stop. The prognosis was esophagus spasms so I had to be put on a liquid diet since eating hurt. Finally my insurance approved the surgery and my doctor is rushing the surgery date due to the severity of this issue. My revision to bypass is scheduled for May 13 2014 and I am completely freaking out!!!! This is not a surgery I want and I am concerned that I am going to have all the bypass side effects I really never wanted to have! I am telling my story because I really need help from others out there that may gave went thru the same issues I am and what did you do to resolve it? What should I expect to be different from the sleeve to the bypass? Please help! I am really scared and really don't want to have to go thru this again!!!

Maybe you should post this question in the gastric bypass revision forum. There should be more people there that can answer you

I had GERD since 2010 and took omeprazole daily. 2016 I got the sleeve, didn't affect the GERD one way or the other. 2021 revised to bypass and my Doctor had me take the meds for 30 days post-surgery and then stop - my side-effects after I stopped and the GERD is gone.

Banded in Ft Worth in 2012- I just met with a new surgeon yesterday after having a swallow study. My esophagus is expanding causing reflux, etc. He unfilled the band and set me up for a follow up swallow study and follow up with him on Aug 15th. We talked about options. Do I want the sleeve or bypass? With revision do they make you wait months and months? Thanks...

I'm a revision b/c I only lost 20 lbs with the band and the sleeve is so much better. I'm 4 weeks out and have lost another 13 lbs with the sleeve. I'm a "slow" sleeve loser but at least I'm losing whereas with the band I stalled for 3 years. I had the hunger problem with the band and the sleeve has cured that. Good luck!!

Had lap band and I never felt full. Even after several fills Of course I am only two weeks out of from sleeve surgery. There is certainly a difference already. There are so many lapband revisions to sleeve these days. What does your dr suggest. I was scared to have the sleeve.. But it all went well. Take your time in making a decision that is best for u. Research ..ask questions...and pray.over it. You will know what route u should take when the time comes.

At the time I donated I was on lapbandtalk.com (revision) and gave mine to people who needed them on there. Sent 3 big boxes to 3 different people just for shipping prices. And my sister in law made out like a bandit. Lots of J Jill, Eddie Bauer, and Old Navy stuff with tags still on em. U might want to try the clthing exchange on this site. Good luck

Heya! I'm scheduled for surgery 8/5 at NY-Presbyterian-Columbia. I'm a Brooklynite. Getting revision from lap-band to the sleeve. Anyone else a revision patient?

My surgeon advised that the best option was RNY. Less risk of reflux. Less risk of more damage/ issues to the oesophagus. I also know a lot of people that have revised to a sleeve or had a sleeve as an initial surgery who have not lost or have had massive regains. I decided to go with my surgeons recommendation and had my revision in Jan. I am very happy. My diet is much healthier than with the band, I don’t spend hours in restaurant toilets throwing up and I have reload the weight I gained and am sitting at goal.

I had my gallbladder removed today I’m in so much pain today I found out I have esophagitis and I have bail my surgeon found I have wait a year too make sure is clear if not I’m going have get revision from gastric sleeve to gastric bypass

I was a band to sleeve revision. I never had issues with acid prior to getting sleeved, but unfortunately, have been one of the unlucky ones to develop major acid issues post-sleeve. My doctors have tried everything, but nothing has worked. Thus, I am now looking at revising to bypass.

I exercise four times per week. Running and cross-trainer. I have just went thru revision surgery and it is helping me combat this weight gain that I have struggled with since unfill, surgery, barely any fill, etc. If I didn't eat crap I probably would loose. But for me 153 is ok, not really where I liked previously. I felt more comfortable in a size 8 and 140 lbs. But until I am restricted I struggle? Go figure. I also am almost 4 years out so the doc said my stomach isn't a normal virgin one that would respond to the band like it did in the beginning. As long as I am restricted and keep my eating to 1 cup to 1.5 cups eating wise choices, exercising I was able to loose. best wishes to you. Dody

I think you have some valid questions. I had the band removed 6 weeks ago and will revise to the sleeve on 12-28-13. With the band I lost almost no weight. I could never get the fills correct. To tight or to loss etc. My band slipped and had it removed. I think all insurance company might be different when it comes to revision. I know some insurance company only allow one weight loss surgery. You never know we're you will be in terms of insurance down the road. With my insurance I was already seeing a nutritionist for 6 months before going to see the weight loss surgeon. After they discovered the slip the submitted everything to insurance. My surgeon which does all type of weight loss.surgery said they band only has a 50 % successful rate and in 2013 the hospital only did 1. I think that speaks volumes. I think with any surgery you must make sure you have an experienced surgeon or things might go wrong.

@@Lapbandster My band to sleeve surgery went just fine. The surgery was about 1 hour longer than just the sleeve surgery because they had to remove the band first. Scar tissue builds up around the band and port so they have to carefully remove it. My biggest pain post-op was the incision where they pulled out the port. Having said that, I was down for about 10 days. I could have gone to work at 8 days but that would have been pushing it. For me, about the same as the band surgery. Everyone is different. Some surgeons remove the band and put in a sleeve in two surgeries. I was only wiling to do one surgery. My surgeon prefers to do it in one surgery whenever possible. The only time he can't is when there is so much scar tissue it takes too long to remove the band. This has happened only once for him. The recovery was maybe a little longer with the sleeve than the band but I'm 10 years older (now 64). For me the big difference is the lap-band is a restriction. The sleeve is a small pouch which limits the amount you can eat. They also remove part of the stomach that creates the hormone grulin (SP?). I am not hungry at all, my cravings are gone. I love healthy food. (I'm told that can change in the years to come but for now the sleeve is working well for me. There is a lot of information on this board about lap-band to sleeve revisions.

I agree with talking to your mom about how you feel. It can be frustrating when you feel alone. I’m a year post VSG today and 4months post VSG to RNY revision and there are days where the struggle with texture are very real. I just do the best I can. I rely pretty heavily on protein soups, protein bars, and shakes as animal protein doesn’t sit well most of the time. Sometimes I’ll go the plant based protein route with things like impossible burgers or tofu. Hope you find something that works for you.

In my opinion, if you don't have acid reflux OR diabetes, they are both probably good choices. If you have those condistions, current evidence is that bypass is a better choice. My BMI was 52 when i revised to the sleeve and I have gotten to a normal weight/size and maintained for a few years now. The challenge in making this decision is that the sleeve has been around along time but not well studied for LONG term results. It appears to work "about" as well as the bypass, but the long term data just isn't there. At a high BMI, many surgeons nudge you toward the bypass because there is a clearer, well documented long term results history documented. I had my own reasons for choosing the sleeve and I think some of it was my bias against the bypass based on personal experience. I have known 3 bypass patients close enough to see them from pre surgery, through maintenance and they all "Scared me" 1. Died. but to be honest, she died because she was a diabetic who became an alcoholic drug addict after losing all that weight. It was absolutely terrible - in her 40s and died in her sleep. This was about 10 years ago. Lets be honest, that had nothing to do with bypass vs sleeve. 2. Horrible horrible recovery. But, this was mid 1990s. It only recently occured to me that her surgery was "open" not laproscopic. At the time, I thought the horrible recovery was due to the "rerouting" but I bet it had more to do with it being open surgery 3. The surgery and weight loss really aged her. She looked terrible post weight loss and never got to a normal weight. Again, to be fair, I don't know the reasons. This is someone I worked with about 5-6 years ago. She may have had other health problems and frankly most bypass patients I have seen pictures of or have met since then look great. I recognize my own biases and my views have changed. Now, 4 years post sleeve I tell everyone that I think they are both good procedures. I think they are both excellent choices versus remaining morbidly obese and suffering the increasing health issues over time. The bypass has more documented history, many more studies, and resolves reflux problems. Sleeve has been amazing for me, and many others too... but there are no 20 year studies either.