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I had my lapband placed in sep 2007 lost 80lbs, my port was sticking up seemed roundish, had revision procedure to make it flat, that was three weeks ago then doctor said it had flipped as stitches came undone internally, had surgery 7 days ago and now feel a squarish lump under my bandage then moves about 2 inches then back. Doctor on both occasions said just to eat carefully no need for mushy stage, and can resume normal activities the following day although may be tender. But even when having a fill normally he says no need for mushies or clear just be careful and eat slowly and chew as may now be tighter.

the pain you are possibly feeling are spasms in your esophagus. they are very painful. suggestion is to discuss with your doctor about taking more fluid out even emptying it and starting over with a break. if your esophagus is involved you can suffer damage that is irreversible. that is what happened to me, needing this revision I now have.

Well, and I can revise my statement a bit, too. This past summer, at just shy of 2 years post op, my daughter's in laws were visiting from England. Being the ever so cordial hostess, we were having dinner and some wine out on my back patio and having a gay old time chatting it up getting to know each other. Keep in mind I literally can count on two hands how many times I've drank post op. A couple hours later, I had managed to polish off a whole bottle of red wine by myself and completely blacked out. I would say I that's the definition of a 'bad' thing You know what they say on the internet. "Pics, or it didn't happen!"

I am a Bariatric trilogy: Band at 29 years, did not loose much and regained. Sleeve at 37year, lost 70 and over 3 years regained it all. 3 weeks ago at 40 I revised to RNY. Very hopeful this will be forever.

I'd tell me that everything is going to be okay. That the sleeve will actually help manage my/her out of control hunger and cravings. I'd tell her to make a strong commitment to thinking about food in a new way and redefining her relationship with food. (Actually I told myself that last part back then and I really did shake things up). I was a band-to-sleeve revision, so having had one weight loss surgery fail I was so much more scared of failure the 2nd time. I assume you're pre-op? I recommend reading a lot on this site and getting yourself as prepared as you can for the way you'll be eating post sleeve - and for what to expect before/after surgery.

I have been banded 3 years. I am considering a tubal ligation revision to have a baby. It would put me roughly at 44 to get pregnant. Has anyone had a successful pregnancy at that age? I am so concerned of down syndrome and other defects.

I had band to sleeve revision on June 6th 2016 I had horrible acid reflux with my band ! Now I don't even need the Prilosec and I feel awesome! Sorry your having such trouble but hopefully they can fix it without bypass! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I know a lot of people who have trouble with acid reflux and never had a band at all. Will your ins. pay for revision to by pass?

Here's my story, it's kind of long but I'll try to keep it short. June 30th I found a revision surgeon in Mexico who was able to take out my band and do a sleeve in one surgery. He is board certified in bariatrics (in MX) and is the president of the Mexican College of Bariatrics. Anyway, shortly after surgery, I got horrible GERD. Started off with one prilosec a day, quickly moved to two, and Gaviscon for symptoms, then on to dexilant. After a couple of days the dexilant wasn't working completely and I had to add some pepcids at night. I went to a local bariatric surgeon and he told me that because I had the revision in one surgery, that there was absolutely no way that my sleeve was the right shape. He said that the surgeon would have had to cut around the area of the band, leaving an area where acid would get caught and cause GERD forever. He said my only options were either: to take PPIs forever for the GERD or revise to bypass. And, insurance would never cover the revision to bypass. He said it was too early to do any kind of contrast study and told me to come back in three months. Yesterday I ran across this story: https://houstonsleevesurgeon.com/interesting-case-severe-acid-reflux-after-gastric-sleeve-surgery/ This patient's case is so much like mine. She had GERD for 10 years and mine has just started, but similar. She was "placed on escalating doses of PPIs in hopeless attempts to control her symptoms" and had "an incompletely resected gastric sleeve". In other words, it was pretty much what the bariatric surgeon had told me: "A retained gastric fundus may contribute to intermittent relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter leading to reflux. Furthermore the gastric fundus may allow for an acid pocket to form in the vicinity of the gastric cardia leading to acid reflux. A retained gastric fundus may also cause delayed gastric emptying further exacerbating acid reflux. The gastric fundus is a posterior structure and it can easily be incompletely resected during sleeve surgery. " So, I contacted the doctor that wrote this and he wrote me back and we've emailed back and forth a bit. He is telling me that - if the surgeon left gastric fundus then it would be an easy fix to resect it and avoid conversion to bypass. He also said I would need endoscopy and a contrast study to determine what is going on with my sleeve. I see a GI on Tuesday and I hope he will help me with this. I'm excited about the prospect of getting rid of this GERD and keeping my sleeve, but this surgeon is in Houston. I'm in Florida. He suggested I find a reflux specialist or a surgeon here that could handle my case. If - the surgeon left fundus - I would have to find a surgeon here that would be willing to resect the fundus. That's clearly not the surgeon in town that told me "PPIs or bypass" I would have to find someone who would be willing to try the procedure that this Houston doc is suggesting. This is going to be difficult - and possibly expensive.

Hi - I was a lap-band revision, so my weight at VSG surgery was low compared to others who have the VSG surgery. My BMI was 31.5 when I got the revision done. 2 weeks out and so far, so good. Good luck! Lara

There is no such thing as "every doctor has different limits" The FDA guidelines for all gastric bands are there for a reason. The band instructions specifically states several times NOT to fill it past 9cc's or it can break. Posting something like that can be very dangerous and should not be rationalized. The max fill is 9cc's. PERIOD. If it breaks and was filled past 9cc's your insurance company reserves the right not to replace it as it was not used within FDA guidelines. The Surgeon can practice medicine as he sees fit however your insurance company will always look for an out not to pay. I understand your frustration but to protect yourself,get it in writing from the surgeon and your insurance company that if the band is filled past the FDA guidelines if it breaks your surgery will be covered under a revision. This way your at least covered. If you have no restriction now imagine if leaks all the Fluid out!

Personally, if you KNOW your tum empties quicker than normal, then I would want to start with the sleeve procedure where you keep your pyloric valve. When you do RNY, you cut out the valve and only have a stoma, so it's an open system. I think you will have issues with satiety in both surgeries. But you might have a better chance with satiety in the sleeve where more of the vagus nerve is cut, more of the grehlin producing portion of the tum is cut away and the pyloric valve is intact. Also, if you have to revise, you would be able to revise to DS with more malabsorption for better weight long term sustained losses. Also with DS, you can eat quite a lot of food due to the malabsorption. So if you were struggling with satiety, would have better tools to deal/manage it. An RNY surgery is pretty much the "golden shot surgery" and no really helpful revisions can be made from it.

I had a sleeve to RNY revision for GERD. I did not have reflux before my sleeve, developed it a couple of years later. I was on the maximum dosage of omeprazole (80mg) for a few years and still had breakthrough acid, which gave me an esophageal stricture. I regurgitated everything I swallowed. Still, I didn't want RNY, so I found a surgeon who was willing to explore alternative surgeries with me. However, after a bunch more testing that uncovered some previously unknown issues, I decided on RNY. Had the surgery on 6/29. I had one episode of reflux two days after surgery, I figured it was the last bits of acid in my stomach trying to make me miserable one last time. No acid since. No regurgitation. No vomiting. It has been a massive relief not to wake up in the middle of the night with acid in my mouth or throat. I am really pleased with the RNY so far.

I Had posted earlier asking for opinions on Band and Sleeve just because I had been reading so many negative things on the band, especially of revisions and people having so many diff problems. I will definitely be sleeved! I had already researched Dr's before bc I thought originally I would get the sleeve before. I will use either Dr. Borland on New Iberia, LA or Dr. Gachassin/Dr. Eschete at Acadiana in Lafayette, LA. My best friend works in New Iberia and lives in Abbeville so either of these are Great Locations for me since she will be helping take care of me since my family can't take off work here in Ga. Thanks for all your input! Johnathan

ladivaluz806, Congratulations on your 30-lb weight loss and your smaller size! Revisions can lose weight more slowly than first-timers, but you are doing great, whether or not you feel like you are losing weight more slowly than non-revision patients. You’re on track to hit your goal within well under a year, and that’s something very few patients can do! It sounds like you have a good attitude about this. Savor the process and be proud of yourself, and take notes of what works so well for you so you can refer to your notes once you hit maintenance!

My insurance doesn't cover bariatric surgery. I was trying (not very successfully) to ask, in regards to this thread, is one considered a revision of it's been 3 years since the removal and, therefore, possibly slower weight loss? Or is a revision when you have band removed and sleeve surgery at the same time?

I lost weight faster after revision than I had with the band.

When I started the process to get approval for my lapband surgery in 2010, I had three children aged 19, 15 and 9. I told them in my pre-op that I wanted to be able to keep up with my youngest child-a very high energy young man. I'm in the process of revising to sleeve and yes, I'm doing this keeping my kids in mind. I want to be around long enough to see my children grow up (now 25, 21 and 15), finish schooling, get married, have kids, etc. I don't want my weight issues to burden them in the long haul.

Hello everyone, Feb. 1st surgery date. I have my first follow up appt. tomorrow. I am having some bad cramping and hoping its just my bowels. I have been walking some but it's rainy here in AL. I am not sure how much I have lost. My surgery is a revision from stomach stappling done 35 Yrs ago . ( YES, I'm old.) Lol anyone else here with a revision?

I'm considering getting VSG surgery done soon and I've been reading a lot of posts here and elsewhere lately. I'm wondering how common revision surgeries are. If I have the surgery, I'm going to have to pay for it myself (with financing) and I don't want to have to spend $14000+ on surgery now and then have to have a revision surgery down the road. Are revisions really that common or is it possible to go through the VSG surgery and follow the diet & not need a revision in 2, 3, 4+ years later? I'd really appreciate any comments or thoughts about this.

I am 1 1/2 years out - no revision needed. Think you need to talk to your surgeon. When you get VSG - the portion left of your stomach does not have the elasticity to stretch back into normal size again...you can't grow a new pouch. This is not the old stomach stapling surgery of decades ago. Now I can eat more than I did at three months out. But I know how to trick my stomach with slider foods (not recommended) But in no way can I eat a lot of gorge as I did before as a volume eater. Talk to your surgeon, you will be happiest with a medical response. Good luck - I love my sleeve even today.

suggest you speak to the doctor, perhaps you band has a leak or was damaged in your accident. I am scheduled for revision surgery this morning as my band is no longer working. I know the frustration and panic you feel.

Hello, I'm Kim Harris and I've had the band since early 2010. Althouh I loat weight, I've had nothing but problems from the get-go. A year and a half ago I was diagnosed with a Sjogrens, an autoimmune disease similar to lupus, which causes joint pain and fatigue 24/7. I just received word today from my surgeon that insurance has approved the removal of my band. I am praying that removing the band improve my health with respect to my autoimmune condition. I considered having a revision to a gastrectomy but metal staples would be yet another foreign object permanently placed in my body for my body to reject and continue the autoimmune response. When I saw your poat about how you had just had your band removed and you feel so much better (and weight loss on top of it) I had to ask what you were feeling and problems you were having that prompted the removal of your band? And did you have any revision surgery? I'm wanting to know if there are others who developed autoimmune conditions after lapband placement, and if they chose to have the band removed, did it improve their autoimmune symptoms/conditions? Thank you for sharing your post-op improvement; it gives me hope that I haven't had for many months now. I wish you continued improvement in your health. I am interested in knowing what problems yiu experienced with the band and what has improved thus far. I'm new to this site, so if you have posted this info elsewhere, I would appreciate a link. And by the way, my daughter in law works for an attorney and we were juat discussing this very topic yesterday of lap band compllications and how they are so hard to prove for a jury to actually have enough concrete information to find in favor of a patient. Her attorneys won't even look at medical cases unless there has been loss of limb or life. So, don't be too optimistic on finding an attorney for lap band complications (I have no idea what your situation is; you may have something an attorney would consider.) Kim

Does anyone know any data on this? I'm a big YouTube wls follower & I have seen a few ladies need revisions because of partial digestion? Like their sleeve stopped passing food through properly or something.

I had a port revision because my port flipped over after 2-1/2 years of no problems. I didn't even know it until my surgeon and her NP began having trouble accessing my port. My surgeon didn't know what could have caused it to flip, partly because she's not the one who did my band placement. She says it could have been a failed suture, or stress on the abdominal fascia during a workout. Anyway, after the revision it stayed put and since she relocated my port deeper (so I no longer had a bulge there) and away from my waist (where it used to rub against my clothes, kitchen counter, etc.) I was happy with the results. I can't comment on the 1% chance of needing a port revision because I'm not a statistician or medical professional, and not inclined to believe statistics anyway (a boss once told me, "figures can lie, and liars can figure"), and can't comment on whether your port is pressing on a nerve (never heard of that), but I've encountered quite a few people whose port flipped. I understand why you're not feeling too swift about this turn of events, but a port revision is not the worst thing that could happen to a WLS patient. Hard as it may be to imagine, a year from now that revision will be a distant memory.