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Ms. Maui, let's be fair. That stat was true of the older lap bands wasn't it? And while you are at it, can you tell me what the reversal rates are for Gastric Bypass and Gastric Sleeves? Oh, wait they can't be reversed can they? And as long as you are interested in stats, would you care to let us know what the mortality rates are between the different types of bariatric surgery? Any bets which surgery has fewer patients die within 30 days of the surgery? Now, I don't have an axe to grind, and even if what you said was actually true of the lap band that I had installed, I would still have gone ahead with the surgery. I like choice in my life, and with the lap band I have a choice. With GB and sleeve, there is not going back, no further choice. Now, with that said, if my band fails and they can't put another band in. I will probably revise to a sleeve, if that fails (they do), I will opt for something else. But you see as a band patient, i have that choice. My friends wife who had GB and makes her self sick 4-5 times a week with dumping, doesn't have a choice anymore. http://www.obesitylapbandsurgery.com/statmain.html

I had my band in for just under 2 years and had it removed and time if sleeve. Best thing ever, good luck to you! Revision 1/31/13 by Dr Cabrera and Venezuela in MX

Gastric bypass - how about you? Are using Dr Hahn also? My dad had Gastric Bypass with Dr Hahn 7 years ago. He says Dr Hahn saved his life. My dad was 70 when he had the surgery. Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

Hi all! I am in Walnut Creek. I had my surgery done March 3, 2016...just passed my one year mark. Due to some complications from the sleeve, it looks like I'm going to have a revision to an RNY. I'd like to find people to talk to about all this. My husband is wonderful, but he hasn't experienced anything like this, so he doesn't have information or opinions to offer me. If anyone wants to chat, message me!!

Having my bypass on Tuesday. Clear liquid diet started today. Just wondering how anyone else is dealing with this. Sent from my SM-N910P using BariatricPal mobile app

Have not had the revision yet still have first band but it has prolapsed three times and I have to have it replaced but questioning if anyone has had a second put in and experienced prolapse with the second one

That is so good to hear. I have to have my band out in a month. Partial slip, and surgeon says he will try to revise my band or take it out period. He feels I didn't do well at my 2 yr check up. Since I only lost 30 lbs and my bmi didn't go down enuf. I'm not diabetic anymore so I think I did good. I'm praying for a revision Sent from my iPhone using LapBandTalk

I think it is dangerous to expect others to change their habits in order to help me cope with my food issues. That means that when I "fall off the wagon" I get to blame them because they ate in front of me. I was sleeved 8 weeks ago and I never expected anyone - spouse, kids, siblings, co-workers to change anything. I eat out in restaurants daily and those with me order whatever they want with no regard for me. I either take my own food or find something to order off the menu. We even stopped at a Friday's on the way home from the hospital and I prepared unjury after requesting a small glass of water! I went out for drinks with co-workers about 4 weeks post op. As per habit, they order several appetizers including a huge plate of nachos. Someone was thoughtful enough to ask if it bothered me and I truthfully said "no., I am just relieved I don't need to eat it." It was so much food it turned my stomach! I did order an ice tea that evening and nursed it for two hours. I think I only drank about 1/2 cup of it. I have been to McDonalds multiple times (take my own food), Big Boy (1 egg scrambled), Fridays (chicken tortilla Soup, French onion soup), Red Robin (hamb without bun), Wendy's (chili), Red Lobster (shrimp cocktail), Logans (chopped steak), Perkins (cheese omelete) and others. I went to a fancy luncheon at work earlier this week because my boss was getting a big award. They served hot chicken salad in a puff pastry, baby carrots, red skin potatoes, spring mix salad, and lemon cake. I ate about 1/4 cup of the hot chicken mix (yick, but I ate it), 1 bite of lettace, and 1 bite of the lemon cake (its my absolute favorite!). On the way home (it was a long ride), the car stopped at Mc Donalds for Diet Cokes and Fries. I passed and drank my bottled Water. My thinking is that there will ALWAYS be people eating and drinking things that I need to pass up. I need to be strong enough to resist the temptation even when it is right in front of me. Because seriously, it will always be right in front of me. Now, let me say that my family, friend and co-workers have all been tremendously supportive. Only one of my friends mentioned to me a month after surgery that she was really scared for me because another friend of hers had had serious complications after a gastric bypass. She discussed with a 3rd mutual friend that she wanted to try to talk me out of it and the 3rd friend told her not to since I had done my research and my mind was made up. I am glad she didn't say anything before surgery. I have to leave home know to go to a Breakfast meeting that will have a huge spread of food including donuts, Cookies, sweet breads, etc. I am taking my greek yogurt (pineapple) and my own decaf coffee since they only have regular. Stay strong!

I've had my surgery almost a month ago and I haven't lost any hair. I don't know if it will happen later on, but so far, everything is fine. I haven't changed much at all except for losing weight and not eating a lot. I know of a woman who used to teach my sister, who got the gastric bypass. She lost some of her hair, but it has grown back. If you do lose hair, I doubt it will do much damage. I believe you will keep most of your dreads.

Whoops... I guess I should read first before I jump onboard. Sorry. I'm doing the gastric bypass. Sent from my Y538 using the BariatricPal App

Hi All! I've had my band for 5 years now from today actually and it hasn't helped me at all. Like many, I lot weight, got sick and then gained it all back plus some. I'm making insurance calls and researching the sleeve. I've heard it's wonderful especially for candidates like me. Please give me any insight on what it's like to have revision and travel the "sleeve" journey. What's food intake like, sugar intake, similarities from the band or the differences, positives and negatives. I would love to pick as many brains as I can. I feel like I need to change what I'm doing now due to low success but scared that bc lapband was the wrong decision that I will make another wrong decision. Help! - Kara

Hi, Dr Zapata put my lapband in back in 2007. It now needs to come out due to a slipped band. I am considering going back to Dr Zapata. Can you tell me what the cost was to have the revision? Did he require an endoscopy? Also does the sleeve cause you any heartburn? Thanks

Since having the revision i crave extremely spicy food! But, and its a big BUT i soon developed GERD once i was onto normal foods and i cannot touch spicy stuff in any way .. Im a little sad about it but i can live with it as it is *shrug*

@Kristina. J, your story sounds so much like mines. I was banned in 2005, had leakage for a year. So my banded was changed in 2006. With a small weight lost the dr. Found out in 2007a hernia, so I went to surgery for repair but when the dr. got in, and there was no hernia but found out that some of the stiches poped they just had to restich and changed the position of the band and port. So I lost weight with thevcorrection but I had a lot of puking and acid reflux during that time. I lost 115lb but in 2009 I became sick with bells palsy andi had a lot of meds to take which the band didn't like. So I stared gaining weight back. My org. Weight was 315 in 2005 got down to 200 at my lowest but I'm back at 340lb. So dr. Said the band had to be removed due to it gave me acid reflux and nausea with heart pain, so we did a band removal & revision to the sleeve on 6/25/2013. I have already lost 13lb on first 1 week check up. So good luck to both of us. This has been a long road. God Bless

Hi Kara. My story is the same as most people who have already answered you. I had the revision surgery 2 weeks ago and I feel the best I have felt in years. I am a researcher, sounds like you are too, and I read threads and threads of posts on this site before making a final decision. I think the thing that gave me the most confidence was actually talking to a sleever in person to ask all the questions. When you find a surgeon, make sure they have support groups because that helped me a lot to listen to them talk in a session, that's where you get the real behind the scenes info. Anyway, I am not hungry at all, have to set my phone to eat meals, and having trouble getting enough protein in but working on the protein shakes to up the protein grams per day. This is the best thing I could have done for myself and so happy not to have that dreaded feeling of "which meal will I throw up today with my band" saga anymore. I wish you much luck and success in your research and your ultimate decision.

I'm in france and they only require two week liquid diet for the band. For the sleeve and bypass their prefer just a low fat diet. It's all about cleansing the liver of fat to shrink it. I'm no expert at all but as long as it's not fried chicken on the salad, I would think it ok? I could be completely wrong mind you... Sent from my SM-G920F using the BariatricPal App

I've tried to find the group but can't! Secondly it took 2 days for my insurance to approve my revision surgery from lapband to gastric bypass sad new I have to pay for the lapband removal portion myself.... MC

You need to listen to what your doctor tells you. I found out at the support group meeting that patients done by the same doctor may have been given different instructions so at my first post-op appt. I asked him about it. First thing, he has changed some of his instructions from when he did a band lets say for example a year ago. Secondly, the instructions given pre-op are general instructions. These may change once the surgery is actually done. There may have been complications, something he found once he was in there, etc. Or you may be one of the lucky ones and everything go as he said about my surgery "about as perfect as I could have hoped for". Then things can change down the road like they have for me. Bummer! I was losing a significant amount of weight the first 3 months post op and now I swear I just lose and gain the same 2 pounds. Seems like I am stuck at this plateau. I go for another fill in a few weeks so I am hoping that it helps. But we all know this is a long journey, not a quick fix so I am being patient. If quicker was my only consideration I would have chosen bypass. I had many variables that made me decide on the band instead so I will take it slow and steady. Good luck and hang in there. You are doing super fantastic.

Hi Cyndi, I know what you mean about d.w. I told her I did not want to get the bypass and she said"then don't. Don't feel obligated to get one". I was devastated and said"but I went through all this stuff to get a lapband and I want that" No sympathy whatso ever. Anyhow I am going to stick to my guns on the 30 and see what he says. He seems to be a very nice man. my only concern was he has only done a little over a 100 of these so that may be why he is so cautious. I will look into manchester, nh or ny if I have too before I give up. Do you live near burlington? I live down near Barre. Are you happy you got lbs and have you had trouble adjusting to your new life? thanks again.

I currently have a lapband and seeking a revision to a gastric sleeve. Does anyone have any experience with this? is approval process the same with the 6 month nutrition plan?

Update: November 8th, 2012 - this morning weighed in at 204, down 17 since I posted on 9/7 - I may need to revise my goal! I absolutely need to move more - that is a big goal for 2013 for me and my famly. Keep going strong gang - even if we stall those losses pick back up again if we stay the course

After surgery, the process is very complicated and can become somewhat overwhelming. You will develop a routine that will improve over time. It wasn't until my 6th month post-op, that I reached a happy state when all these minor problems seemed to melt away. Here is a link to my experience after RNY gastric bypass surgery. I hope it will be of help to you. http://www.breadandbutterscience.com/Surgery.pdf

Hi Everyone! I'm having gastric bypass on April 17th. Would anyone like to be my buddy? Someone understanding but strict would be super helpful for me! Starting to feel a little nervous. Thank you! ~Shannon

From different research sites it shows bypass reduces the hormone, as well as surgeries like vsg. Some research shows that hormone levels return to normal after a few years. http://press.endocrine.org/doi/pdf/10.1210/jc.2003-030705 http://press.endocrine.org/doi/full/10.1210/jc.2003-030705 It is also produced in our small intestines, so unless we have all our stomach and intestines removed, we will still have ghrelin in some quantity.

I want to revise my goal for Jan. Previously I said I wanted to be 185 by then (was 208 then) but I am now 192.So I think I will drop it with 10 pounds and try for 175 by 1 January 2013.Will revise again if needed.