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The conversation becomes relevant as people get further out from surgery. I have a good friend who is eight years out from lapband - a seasoned veteran by the standards of Bariatric Pal. She's about 30 pounds away from ideal weight and her band just slipped. And she went unfilled for several weeks. There are options of revision, using medications to jump start weight loss as her band probably has good life left. As we continue to fight obesity, the challenges and conversations do change. Weight loss meds could be back on the table.

good suggestion. I can't modify my original post to request this info, so i'll look up each person's profile and input what it says the type of surgery they had. Not everyone fills this in, so we'll do with what info we have. Also, for those with revisions, only their latest surgery will be noted as it will start to get hairy if i have to cross-reference exactly WHEN they had thier revision...

Wow, my first wls was done on 08/01/2014. My highest recorded weight was 289 and that was underestimate. I am currently 215. I have GERD & 2 hernias! I am in pain each day. I work full-time and have insurance. I found a new doctor. It appears, he is in my corner. I have 2 avenues to pay for this revision. Remember that you are important and obesity is a real disease. [emoji817]% Peace [emoji41] Sent from my SM-G996U1 using BariatricPal mobile app

I just have the band and my revision was just to flip the port back over and stitch it back in place...and recovery was much more painful for me than the original surgery. i don't ever want to go through that again.

Exactly lori. I agree it's the rest of your life. Is brotherinlaw have a revision done?

Lots of thoughts here.... It's normal to be tight in the AMs.. There are different opinions on how to resolve the "can only get soft foods down in the AMs, can eat anything in the PMs." Some doctors tell you to white knuckle it. Dr. Curry on OH suggests doing your fill at 5PM so you have good restriction in the evenings yet you cannot eat at all in the mornings. Getting full... this is the fat mentality rearing it's ugly head. Did you know that naturally thin people don't like the full feeling? They eat until they are no longer hungry. WE eat until we are stuffed full. A good guide would be this, while you are eating really think about your hunger level: If you are hungry eat two more bites, If you are satisfied stop eating, If you are full you ate too much. When your restriction is not great drink ice Water before eating. Cold usually tightens people up a bit. I am sleeved now (revision from band to sleeve) and even with a sleeve that's about the only thing that affects my restriction. If I drink something hot/warm I see no difference. But if I drink something ice cold before a meal I can only eat about half of what I usually do. My food quantity is already very limited so I don't drink anything cold before a meal. But if I was trying to lose I would.

Holy Hell... I know you're not asking for advice, but I feel you need it. 1) I hope you're joking when you say you'd rather be dead than fat. How would your mother feel? Do you have a spouse and/or kids? How would they feel? Do you think they'd rather visit you in the cemetery or keep loving you regardless of your weight? 2) FIND A BARIATRIC SURGEON FOR GOD'S SAKE. Get that band out of your stomach. There's a wonderful thing called "revision" and hopefully your insurance will cover it if the band failed you. If not, assuming you'd rather be dead than fat, I believe you'd rather be poor than dead so you can always take out a loan. 3) Throwing up was NORMAL for you?? Girl, that ain't right. I do my best to chew my food so well that I don't have a chance at barfing because that is no way to live. If you're going to get revision surgery, you need to nip that habit in the bud. You could cause yourself some serious damage if you ripped the incisions on your stomach after a sleeve or RNY. 4) Actually, before you do anything else, SEE A PSYCHOLOGIST. You have some issues you need to work through before surgery works for you. Your goal all along should've been health, not size necessarily (though being able to fit into cute, smaller clothes is a happy side effect). Your doctor shouldn't have performed surgery on you from what you're saying here (that you'd rather be dead than fat, which indicates you're majorly hung up on the superficial aspects of weight loss and not the deeper, positive effects of reduced blood pressure, reduced risk of diabetes, and slashing your chances of getting cancer). 5) Shame on your doctor for giving you the surgery and then setting you loose after filling you too tight. My surgeon would never have done that. He filled me too tight at my last appointment and wouldn't let me leave like that (the water I drank to test the restriction was gurgling in my throat). Filling so tight that you can't eat healthy food without making yourself sick should absolutely not be the goal of this surgery. Fat is bad, yes, and it's uncomfortable, unhealthy, and unattractive - BUT it is better than being a corpse. Okay, that's all I got I think. Even if you don't want this advice, I hope if anyone else comes along with the same issues as you reads this and gives their surgery a second thought or seeks mental health assistance, I will be happy I wrote it. I do wish you luck and health, and pray you take care of yourself if only for the sake of your family. I would be sick with anger if my mom did this to herself, or my spouse, or especially my son.

I get it - I love food, too, which is why I needed the surgery. I don't have a "stop" button when it comes to eating, but my band became a "stop" button. Even with this awesome tool, I get frustrated because I WANT to eat more, but I CAN'T. Like last night we had a work dinner with prime rib (YUMMMMMMM) but I could only eat a sliver of that, some green beans, and a few bites of potatoes. I wanted a lot more, but it wouldn't be worth the pain. I'm very averse to vomiting, so I guess that's a good thing. But I'll admit it, sometimes I miss being able to have a good binge when I'm having a terrible day. Point is, I understand where you're coming from. Being fat sucks. Wanting food all the time sucks, too. No surgery will stop that feeling, even the sleeve or RNY because it's mostly psychological. I still get mad when I grab my small plate and put a couple ounces of meet and a cup of veggies on it and think to myself "this will never fill me up" but it does. It's just different now. Anyway, I'm glad you're taking care of yourself. Make sure you're talking to a bariatric surgeon when asking about revision. I don't know how that works with lap band erosion (might be dangerous to remove the band and revise you all at once) but it's worth asking. Also, check with your insurance! They very well might cover the revision cost due to band failure. Good luck!!! Keep us posted on what you find out and what they'll do for you.

Hey you all are in the rochester area... can I ask you a question. Well I will... My sister lives up there, and has had RNY. SHe's gained all her weight back, and is looking for someone to do a revision, or maybe a lapband over it. Problem she has is she also has nerve damage from her RNY. So I don't even know if it's possible, but she's asking me for information about a surgeon that may do it. I'm doing good... just anxiously awaiting my first fill. I go for that tuesday.... election day. Are ya'll voting? teri

I highly recommend Dr. David D Kim in Colleyville. He did my band to sleeve revision on 9/27 and I am doing great. He is EXTREMELY compassionate and understanding. His office staff have been nothing but great. Plus, he performs his surgeries at Forest Park Medical Center in Dallas. What a great hospital!!!! It was a great experience (hospital wise) and I would definitely go back there again if ever needed. Dr. Kim's website is www.drdkim.net. Check it out and give him a call. I don't think you will be disappointed....I am definitely not!!! Debra Band to Sleeve Revision 9/27/10 Dr. David D Kim

It was not Dr. Almanza. I no longer have the band. So is that still considered a revision because they wont be taking it out? I could ask facilitators this also haha. =)

Hi, I have done extensive research into many Dr. I know that Dr. Ariel Ortiz at the Obesity Control Centre in TJ, is the expert in Lapband's revisions, problems and issues. He was on the Oprah show in the past and has an excellent reputation. I am scheduled on April 9Th for Sleeve Surgery with him. The other Dr you have mentioned Dr G Alvarez is very well known as a specialist as well. If it was a seedy place you went to but I think you said a good Dr. Was that Dr. Mario Almanza by chance?

I had my revision in one surgery on May 6th. My Dr. said the longer you have the band in the more damage it can do to your stomach thus two surgeries for some. My band was only in for 16 months so I was good to go. I had no preop diet except for the day before. I just went for my post op one month today and I went from 164.5 to 148.5 in four weeks. I am eating regular food now because my Dr. doesn't have as strict diet guidelines as some others and have had minimal problems. I can eat chicken, chili, potatoes, veggies, and even tried a quesadia and a wake up egg white wrap from Dunkin donuts. I feel so much better. No pain when I eat. The only thing hard to get used to is with the band if your bite of food isn't going down you know immediately. With the sleeve I have eaten things and been fine and then get a big stomach ache and diahrea about 20-30 minutes after eating if it doesn't agree with me. It happened with cream soup about 2.5 weeks out. Best of luck, you will do great!

Well, let me first start by saying that I have no regrets at all for having WLS (I had the sleeve). I am not going to share a "normal" experience. At least in the last 16 months that I have pretty much been visiting bariatricpal, I do not consider my experience the norm. I truly believe that if you search around enough, you will see that most people have a good experience. I think some people experience somewhat expected nausea in the beginning, but that it isn't prolonged say, for several months. In my case, nausea kicked in not in the beginning, but actually a couple months post sleeve. It gradually got worse, and now, 15/16 months post sleeve, it is relentless. But I have had a lot of underlying health probs and a lot of it stems from a terrible colon resection. Nausea now, along with pain when eating and terrible acid reflux has set me back to eating only liquids or very well pureed food. This is not a normal experience. Seeing my surgeon on Friday to talk about revision to gastric bypass. If you have acid reflux and it is a problem, then the sleeve is probably not for you. The bypass would serve you better. I can't give any other info on bypass, as I haven't done much research yet. Whatever route you go, I wish you the best.

The last time I lost a significant amount of weight was on the Adkin's diet when I was 23. I went from 201 down to 163, a loss of 38 pounds, & actually kept it off for a couple of years. Over the years I gradually gained until I hit my high of 314 after I quit smoking 4+ years ago. I gained about 10-11 pounds over 6 months & then lost that over the next 6 months without even trying. Then I was back to about 303-304 pounds where I had stabilized for several years. I had gone back on the Adkin's diet many times over the years. I had also tried the liquid "pre-digested protein" back in the early 1980s & Nutri-System in 1990-91. At the most I would lose 10 pounds & then stall. My surgeon did say he thought the duodenal switch would give me the best results for my type 2 diabetes but I said I didn’t want anything to do with malabsorption & he was fine with that. I did have the gastric sleeve done on 8-22-2013. My weight the day before surgery was 259, a loss of 44 pounds in 4 months pre-op. Over the next 5 months or so I lost about 33 pounds & then I stalled. Nothing would break the stall. I did lose another 5 pounds over the next 10 months. On 12-8-2014 I had a panniculectomy where my surgeon removed 15 pounds (!) of excess skin & fat. This was covered by insurance since I had documentation of recurring severe rashes under the "apron." I did hit a low of 201 pounds about two months after the panniculectomy but that was very briefly & I gradually regained to 219. My BMI was still just over 35 & I still have the co-morbidities, although markedly improved, that I did when I started. I can’t say the sleeve didn’t work. After all, I was down 84 pounds from my starting weight & 95 pounds from my highest weight. When they say patients lose an average of 65% of their excess weight, there are many on both sides of that average. I’m just one of the lower percentage people. My age & length of time I've had type 2 diabetes are probably the main reasons I hadn't lost as much weight as I had hoped. So, after much consideration I have decided to have the duodenal switch as my surgeon originally suggested. The major malabsorption of the classic duodenal switch still scares me so I had decided to ask Dr Srikanth if he would do a longer common channel when I learned of the single anastomosis duodenal switch which has an even longer common channel. He & I have agreed on a 300 cm common channel which is an amount of malabsorption I am comfortable with. The pre-op testing revealed that the upper portion of my sleeve has dilated so he re-sleeved that at the same time as the switch. I asked about the sleeve dilating &, apparently, that is normal. It's what our stomachs are made to do. It's the upper portion of the sleeve that will dilate. A gastric sleeve procedure removes a lot, maybe most, of that stretchable portion, but there is still some. It was a lot of work, getting all of the testing & an updated psych evaluation done, but I got them done in a week & got insurance approval a week after that. So I was able to get my surgery done before the end of the year, on December 29. I was even able to lose 10 pounds in the three weeks before surgery, most on the dreaded Clear liquids. I had a revision of the sleeve, the single-anastomosis duodenal switch & repair of a hiatal hernia. Recovery has not been as smooth as it was for the original sleeve but I'm making progress, probably faster than a lot of patients undergoing the same procedure. I think the hiatal hernia repair has cause the most discomfort. I had a lot of gas pains under my diaphragm & spasms of pain running across my diaphragm every time I swallowed. But that is better & I rarely take even acetaminophen for pain, just walking & drinking my liquids warm helps the most. Of course, I put on 10 pounds in the hospital & by six days after surgery I was back to "day of surgery" weight. My surgeon is very strict on the post-op diet & I was to start 5 Protein shakes a day on day 8. It has been a challenge, much more so than the first sleeve, to get all of my fluids in, but I have gotten the minimum 80 oz in every day, & over 100 oz the last two days. My shakes are supposed to be made with just 3-4 oz of Water. But trying to get even that much down is a struggle. I switched to unflavored Protein powder after my first sleeve because the flavored ones just "sat like a rock" in my stomach. Now I'm having the same reaction only more so to the unflavored. It does go best mixed with my homemade broth, but still it makes me gag. I’m now trying different brands I got from GNC & Super supplements. Instead of stressing over how much I’m getting in (& keeping down), I’m just doing my best. The huge number of Vitamin & mineral supplements as well as the regular prescription meds I take is very hard to do.

I am July 12th having band to bypass revision. It will be great not to have indigestion every day x Sent from my SM-G928F using the BariatricPal App

I just joined this group. I have just started the process for revision from a lapband.. The band slipped and I have only lost 60 lbs. since 5/09. I saw a new surgeon last week and wanted a bypass, but he thinks the sleeve will work for me. I am glad since it is less surgery. I have been getting alot of good info on these message boards. Seems like most people are having good luck with the sleeve so I am looking forward to getting it. I know it will be a while. It seems to take forever to go thru the process, but it will be worth it.

Mine is a revision also. Best of luck. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App How did it go? GOD BLESS YOU THROUGH YOUR JOURNEY! Sent from my SM-G920T using the BariatricPal App

I got the sleeve knowing if I wasn't successful that I could get the DS as a revision to lose the rest. I have been very happy with my results from the sleeve and the DS isn't needed for me. If I was going to revise to the DS from the sleeve I wait until after the 2 year mark. I lost another 50 plus pounds so far after the 1 year mark. I would also look at how you are eating. What are you daily protein and carbs?

My names Tina and I live in Tulsa too. Dr Varnell is my Dr. I'm having a band revision to RNY. In exactly TWO WEEKS!!! Freak out time. I'm having mine done at the Surgery Center Tho his other office.

I'll be joining you this summer. I'll be a revise from the lapband. I live in Broken Arrow. Nice to see another Oklahoman on here.

I'm having the lapband removed and revising to the gastric bypass. I should've done that surgery to begin with. Hoping to either get it done at the end of May of beginning of June. My insurance before sent me to Journey Clinic in Moore which is in Norman now. I'm sticking with them because my surgeon did really great the first time.

May 17 too I am nervous mostly with the possible longer recovery if surgery has to be open due to my revision. But I am also so looking foward to finally get this VBG gone and loose weight once and for all. I have lost 12 lbs so far on pre-op diet and that is encourging. Best to you on you WLS. Sent from my SM-T310 using the BariatricPal App

I'm on the 17th also. See everyone on the other side. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App Mine is a revision also. Best of luck. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I haven't personally needed to do that, but it is sometimes done either as a planned two step DS procedure, or as a revision/completion of the VSG to continue the weight loss or counter regain. The point that my doc stressed in considering using it as a "plan B" in the event of inadequate results from the VSG is that the revision/completion works best if done before any substantial regain occurs. One of the points that we have discussed over the years in our support group is that with the DS, the majority of the weight loss is due to the sleeve while the switch helps keep the weight off, implying that you may have already used the majority of the weight loss power available. If I were considering a completion or revision in similar circumstances, I would want to know whether there is any problem or defect with the sleeve or something about how I used it as a tool that has left me with less results than I may have expected, so that such can be addressed and corrected as part of the revision process. Is there something about my diet or other habits that has caused a shortfall in performance of the original surgery, which is something that I would want to address, or is there a metabolic problem that the switch would address that the sleeve alone does not? Good luck in finding your answers and with decisions....