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Can I see you all Before and After Pictures and Post What surgery you had, date of surgery, your height, starting weight, surgery weight, and current weight. I Am 18days away from RNY Gastric Bypass and I am so ready 💜

No, they don't remove anything. They DO rearrange some stuff, but it's all still there. Statistics show the bypass, as long as it's done laparoscopically, is no more risky than the sleeve. Recovery times are similar, although some people stay two nights in the hospital, like I did (I live 4 hours from my surgeon so asked for the extra night in case there was a problem). The fullness affect are as different as night and day! With the lap band I was either not full or almost sick on my stomach. With the bypass I eat one half cup of food, and am pleasantly full without that sick feeling like I always had with my lap band. The feeling lasts for HOURS before I am hungry again, and it's never the raging hunger that I had with my band. What ever you decide good luck, and remember we are here for you!

@JRT Mom Don't they remove some of the intestine though? And isn't recovery much harder? My primary motivation is getting healthy for my kids - but I don't want to die on the operating table or have some severe complications and leave them with just one parent I chose the band because it seemed so safe. But man, it sure sucks, and it doesn't help me. Do you like the bypass? Does it make you feel better?

I thought this myself 11 years ago when I got a lap band. But the last two years of living with it has been hell, so I said enough, consulted a surgeon who found out it had slipped and caused a hiatal hernia. I elected for the bypass because before I was banded I had severe reflux, and didn't want to go down that road again. As far as your fear about it being a more "severe" surgery than the sleeve--the bypass is less severe than the sleeve! In the sleeve 70% of your stomach is removed and it's non-reversible, but in the bypass everything is still there (just rerouted) so it is in theory reversible. I wish I had chosen the bypass all those years ago so I wouldn't have had to gone through all this again!

I had a revision to RNY and it’s like the difference between day and night. No more getting stuck, no more chest pain and I can eat a lot healthier. Steak, chops, chicken, salad etc. I still have to be careful of sliders and grazing but those are issues that we have to take individual responsibility for , they are not something any WLS will sort out. Bands have fallen out of favour as they cause too many issues and also trying to find the correct balance between reducing hunger yet still being able to eat healthy foods is too hard.

I have had a gastric bypass and am considering a revision. I was not sure what the option are or if it was even possible. I have had a concern ever since my surgery with a section of my bypass that is where the stomach was connected to the intestine. It has always caused me pain and I am concerned that it is not correct.

Thanks for the information. I am trying to determine if I may need a revision. This is helpful!

Sorry to say but this is incorrect information. The sleeve was originally designed to be the first step in the DS operation. Not the bypass. It's actually quite complex to do an RNY following VSG.

i was watching the latest episode of my 600 pound life and a woman whop had a sleeve 8 years ago.. and regained weight had a sleeve revision to a sleeve again.. that something you don't usually see...

I don't know...it sounds like your band is doing what it's supposed to do. It is supposed to limit the amount of food you can eat by slowing its movement into your stomach. Think of it as a sort of hour-glass where the sand (food) is held at the top and trickles down into the larger portion of the stomach to be digested. The kinds of foods you're describing that you can eat "gobs of" are considered "slider foods" that slide right through. Visualize the hour-glass again. If you pour liquid foods or semi-liquid foods, they slide through the opening. I would think you've had similar experiences with smooth soups, ice creams, puddings, etc. The key is you're not supposed to be eating those items and if you do, you should be limiting yourself in quantity and frequency. When you're foods are getting stuck and causing you pain, have you chewed them to a pulp? I saw an article today that we should be chewing to applesauce consistency. I don't know if I could do THAT, but you should be chewing so there are no "chunks" trying to get down. Again...visualize the hour-glass. Chunky food clots up the works. The band isn't supposed to prevent you from eating things you shouldn't. It's a tool to help you feel fuller, longer and therefore eat less. It's still up to you to eat the right things and eat mindfully, meaning chew well and take breaks. All other WLS have the same issues with slider foods. My advice: before you consider a revision, start tracking everything you eat. Be honest with the types and quantities of food. Call your doctor and or nutritionist. It sounds to me like you need to get back on track, following the rules. No WLS is the magic ticket out of fat-ville. They're all just tools. Best of luck!

The most negative statistical outcomes has been directly attributed to "The band" . most insurance companies don't even cover it anymore, and most surgeons will not perform the surgery. I believe one of the easiest ways to counter the negative vibes that you may encounter when talking to someone who "knows someone" that has significantly failed is to merely ask the question: "do you know what type of WLS they had". In my experience pre and post op, virtually everyone says the same thing: "they had the band". If so, then just take a few minutes to talk about your surgery, and let them know that there is a significantly higher chance of success with the Sleeve or bypass. In fact if you look up the history of the sleeve, it was originally developed to be a "first step" in the bypass process, as an attempt to have severely obese people drop initial weight to a level which made the actual bypass easier and safer to accomplish. What they however found in the majority of cases, was that patients didn't even need the bypass after the sleeve, which is why it is now so popular. The sleeve, and associated nutritional education are on the cutting edge (no pun intended) as a cure of the blight on our populace by the proliferation of cheap easily available questionable food choices. Corporate marketing of non-complex high carbs and calorie laden meals are literally tapping into the same brain chemistry as heroin dealers. The food industry makes in money in carbohydrates, not protein. Protein is expensive. Carbs are cheap. When you go out for your "reasonably priced" pasta meal, consider that 85% of what is on your plate, cost them 10% of what you are paying. The protein then eats up 75+% of their costs. Unfortunately they are typically covered in sauces to make you think they are all the same thing. Not! The cheap carbs are what cause the problem and they are the majority of most meals. As a side note to all of your "banders" who have succeeded. Bravo! I know it cant be easy.

I've had my lap band since 2015, and I HATE it. It does what it should do, stops food from going into my stomach. But I get stuck a lot and it hurts, I end up vomiting it up, and anything unhealthy slips right through the band without a problem. I can eat gobs of cake, cookies, chocolates, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, casseroles, the works but it is painful to eat fruits, lean proteins, vegetables, etc. due to them getting stuck. It's like it's doing the opposite of what I want. When the food stays in the pouch, all I need to do is burp a couple times and boom, pouch is emptied. In short, It. Just. Does. Not. Work. I want a revision but I'm not sure what to do. I need to talk to a doctor, I realize, but I'm nervous. I thought the lap band would be the ticket out of fatness but it's absolutely not. I'm scared if I try something else, that won't work either. I love to eat and I can't stop. I've tried all kinds of diets. It just sucks, my appetite is insatiable and I need to do something about it. I'd love to hear from people who have had revisions and share what's different about their new procedure (whether sleeve or bypass). Sleeve makes me nervous because I've heard a lot about GERD. My spouse's grandfather died of esophageal cancer, due to years of GERD. But bypass makes me nervous because it seems like such a severe surgery... and I don't want to look like a skeleton in a bag of skin 😕 Any shared experiences would be appreciated!

Actually, I did not lose it in 12 months. I had sleeve surgery in 2017 - had a leak and was in hospital for 3 months, lost some. Gained a lot back. Had Bypass surgery in February. Have lost and gained and lost again. As for 'fake news'... Do you really believe that everyone loses at the same rate regardless of age, gender, genetics? Really? I'm not sure your science holds up. But, at the end of the day, you have you ask yourself at some point... is it better to be right or kind? You have proven your point and made sure people know you are right. Now it's time to be kind. Whether it is physical or mental, there are people who lose slowly and you have made your point on the scientific aspect of this. Now it's time for you to let people talk about what they want and need to talk about as part of THEIR weight loss journey. You do your journey and let others do theirs.

@Aodhanmom that's exciting!! I'm in Kansas! I'm soooo excited. My insurance kept telling me I would need to do the whole 6 month diet thing but it had been removed from their policy that was just revised so my surgeon office decided to just send in the prior authorization just to see what they would say. I'm so pumped and ready for this new life!!!!

I was hungry after my sleeve back in start of 2018. It was real hunger and I am sure of it. just got revised to bypass 6 weeks ago. Thankfully this time around I am not hungry anymore. head hunger can be hard to deal with though. My dr told me that if it is real hunger you are hungry for anything. If you get hungry for something specific, it is most likely head hunger. hang in there. It does get better.

I've never had experience with this, but I know a lot of people who've had revisions from the band are REALLY happy they revised.

I dont think everyone loses that appetite and some who lose it get it back after awhile. I had bypass last Sept. I also felt hunger but when I spoke about it with close friends and family who had the surgery before me, they told me it was just "head hunger". I was given the advice to drink water when I felt this head hunger. It was hard for first couple of weeks and after that, I didnt feel head hunger anymore.

Hello All, I am not a frequent poster on this forum. To make a long story short, I have had my band for 10 years. Up until 4 months ago, I was what I considered to be a successful bandster. Had lost about 95 pounds (41 years old male, highest 270, lowest 175 lb). Maintained a 90 pound loss but was having serious issues with my lap band: 1) acid reflux, 2) gas bloating and abdominal pain, 3) port pain, 4) no follow-up doctor as my out of province surgeon had retired years ago, etc... I am in a difference place now. I FINALLY found a GREAT weight loss surgeon locally who agreed to take me on as his patient and have been following up with him since then (he does the fills himself which is also great). He did xrays on me. Band appears to be good. He removed 2cc as I had been experiencing excruciating gas bloating and abdominal pain attacks that were becoming more and more frequent and then filled me slowly over 4 months to a more comfortable level. I am now at a lower level (0.3 cc lower) where I am no longer experiencing acid reflux, gas bloating, abdominal pain or port pain which is a HUGE relief. The only symptom I still have is random low-grade nerve pain (left shoulder, head, leg) that is gas related but I can happily live with that if I do not gain further. Funny enough, even that pain disappeared when he removed the 2cc so I know it's band related. Unfortunately, I am gaining weight FAST! In those 4 months, I have gained 25 pounds and am unable to stop it. I really don't know what to do. Last week, I decided to really go back to basics. Eat very very slowly, tiny amounts, No sugar ...basically dieted...and all I lost in that week was 0.3 lb!!! I don't know how long I can keep that for. I really feel that years of banding wrecks havoc on our metabolism so that if you lose it, or just go to a lower fill, you just end up gaining weight very fast. I am not sure where to go from here? I do not want more fill and I am not mentally ready for a revision. Worried about side effects of these surgeries (in particular bloating, abdominal pain. NEVER want to go back to this) and the fact that they're not reversible. I am also in Canada so if I do revise using public insurance, it would be years assuming I get approved (which I very well may not considering I am not high BMI at this point yet). And not sure I can self-pay at this point. Even if I did, I would have to go out of province for this as my surgeon only works under the public system. I don't want to be in the same position again of not having a doctor to follow-up with where I live. I know that's a discussion I need to have with my surgeon but I am not even sure I am ready for it yet. I just want things to work with my band as I am so relieved to be finally following-up with a doctor locally and to not be experiencing terrible pain with it. Any words of wisdom or advice would be most appreciated as I contemplate my next move.

Hey everyone. So I was notified today that my insurance approved my surgery!! I got an email From my surgeons office telling me what I would owe their office and of course that it would need to be paid at my pre-op appointment. She said that the fees from the hospital, anesthesiologist, and pathology would all come from the hospital and that they would be in contact. I haven't heard from them yet but I called my insurance and they told me that according to my benefits, everything at the hospital would be covered in full by insurance and that the money I owe to the surgeon's office is basically my deductible for the plan year. Soooo my question, since I have a bad habit of always assuming the worst, if my insurance is incorrect, does the hospital require their payment up front as well or does that get billed after the whole ordeal? I just want to make sure I've got all my Financial stuff good to go.....

Hey everyone, so I wanted to reset my eating and such for the new years , have gotten a little off track, and am at a stall/ plateuaI. I was looking at other meal replacement high protein drinks and was told about MRE Lite , it has animal based proteins rather the whey , anyone have information for gastric bypass patients if this would be good option??

Good luck with your decision and possible revision. You're a success!

Hi! I am in the Seattle area, and would love to start a support group for people either considering surgery, revision surgery or is post-op. I believe there are not enough of us to support each other through this time. Unless you have been in the situation, it is hard to understand. It is so hard in the Seattle area to create friendships, I thought that this would be a great way to begin. It is about common ground, support and trust. I am 10 years, post op sleeve surgery. I have been recently approved for revision surgery, however, the surgery would be a sleeve to bypass. Completely different. I would love to hear from you all and hear your stories. Maybe we can get a little group together once a week and share over coffee? Yes, I am an addict, a slave to the coffee bean. Jolynn

Hi! I am 10 years post sleeve surgery. I had my sleeve back in 2010, when the procedure what relatively new. I had the procedure done as an outpatient. I was cash pay and had no follow-up. Everything seemed to go well. I started at over 350lbs, and made it to 219lbs. I was ecstatic! I was no longer a diabetic, I no longer had high blood pressure. I no longer had an appetite. Being a cash pay, I was unable to afford a plastic surgeon, so I carried and still carry a bit of skin. So, here I am, 10 years after. My weight today is 251lbs. I still believe I have been successful. I can still shop at Macy's and not have to order everything online. I gained weight, yes, but I have also gained confidence. After so long, my struggle with food is slowly returning. I am so afraid, that I started the process of looking into revision surgery. The surgeon that I have, at the hospital that I work at, will not revise a sleeve, but will revise a sleeve with bypass surgery. She states that there is a 100% complication rate, from things as small as a UTI to death. I would love to know more about this. Insurance has approved the revision. I have already had the medical testing, upper GI, and will be meeting with the psychiatrist and dietician next week. I would love to chat and hear stories from anyone who is considering revision surgery. I want to hear all of the good, bad and ugly. Please feel free to reach out at any time. I am new to this forum and would love gain support, information and be of support to others going through the same battles. Thanks! Jolynn Let me know if you would like to chat further, I can be reached by email also. If anyone is in the Seattle area, let's start a group!

Don't even think about getting a sleeve. People who have never had GERD often develop it after a sleeve. A bypass is a good option for helping with the GERD. You get a new little pouch that is separated from the part of your stomach where all the acid is, so you shouldn't have the reflux after a bypass. I don't know if that helps with ulcers-I guess they could still develop in the stomach remnant. Have they figured out why you are getting the ulcers? I had several in the past and they tracked it down to NSAID use. I stopped taking them and never got another ulcer. If you get a bypass they will tell you never to take them again for this reason.

Congrats on the weight loss! You are what..roughly a 6 days past your 1 month 'surgery anniversary' date? 1 lb a day is still much faster than what I was losing in my first month and my first week my calories didn't even hit 300. My 2nd week I hit 400. I didn't reach 700-800 calories until I was 2 months out - everyone is different and my doctor has some very very strict food phases and lengths. I actually lost more in my pre-op phase than in my 1st month post op but I lost weight and was glad. I have surgery siblings who were roughly close to my age (those who were in their 20's and 30's lost vastly more which was no surprise to me) and starting weight that lost double what I did. 1 person I knew was busting out the exercise so I knew or felt that this helped her dramatically as she was, like myself, a relentless food/intake and water intake tracker. I have torn the meniscus on both sides of my right knee so when I took up hiking I found that once I hit 2 miles my knee balloons up and I struggle to walk for 2 days. Working with my orthos on alternatives. I was swimming before it got cold here. They are waiting for my BMI to be under 40 for a full knee replacement but I'm trying to do whatever I can to postpone that type of surgery if possible. After seeing the scans of the bone spurs and arthritis in my knee, I'm not sure how long postponing it will work in the long run. I think it is in one of either Dr. Weiner's videos or the other guy that ppl watch on this forum (I know, so helpful with that description) who instead of looking at the initial rates of weight loss in the first 6 months and even overall in a year...and then they look @ the 2 year+ outcomes and for those that stick with their plans and work it...and exercise...the outcomes start to be very very similar. Am trying to remember though if they were talking about results from VSG vs. bypass or results from people who lose more slowly, etc. I was purposefully seeking more bariatric surgeon input on metabolic resistance and set points so I'm hoping I'm recalling the fact that their 'overall outcome' charts were addressing this. I don't believe that for the most part that all or at least the majority on this thread think that if we dropped our calories down to let's say...300 calories a day and did NOTHING else except achieve the estimated calorie deficit that just getting up and going about your daily tasks can burn....I've read ranges from 300 to 500 or more?? (I'm NOT talking about lying in bed day and night and not moving)....that we would NOT lose weight. We know that, yes, at some point our bodies despite any metabolic issues, health issues, medication issues, setpoints, etc. WILL continue to lose weight with a large net calorie deprivation/deficit for sure. I don't know about anyone else but when my calories drop consistently below 500, I am always very dizzy. My first 2 months were spent feeling very dizzy.