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Hi...after a lot of research ,thought and pain I have changed my mind.I am not seeking a revision to the sleeve but in fact a RNY.My lapband has caused my stomach and esophagus so much pain...the reflux is severe.I can't cut away 85% of a very abused stomach.The Gold standard for me... My first time sleeve friend is doing very well with her sleeve.

Getting the bypass today and super nervous! They are prepping me now and freaking lol. Wish me luck!

I am dealing with this band..my insurance is being crappy and it is 2 weeks before I can get a barium swallow and a look to see if my band has slipped or erosion etc.Inwant it out .Still open to sleeve revision or bypass.My surgeon I met with only does 2 part revisions.Band out wait 3 months then revision....I am not sure I want to go through 2 surgeries.

They would probably start off with an endoscopy, so they can check your esophageal lining for things such as Barrett's, which would be a sign of Gerd. If they see anything of concern, then they would run pH monitoring and manometry. I was all set to have the Sleeve, but during all of my initial tests it was discovered I had Barrett's, had the rest of the tests to find I have bad acid reflux, so we switched my operation to the Bypass. Sleeve is known to cause an increase in Gerd for people who already have it, and it can cause Gerd in people who haven't had it before.

Hi Mike! Congratulations on getting your date. I am 16 months post-op from Gastric Bypass, and so happy I made the decision to do the surgery. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. Best of luck to you!

Hi Berry girl, yes I really like him, so easy to talk to and I think a wonderful surgeon, he explained everything to me. I went straight to the mini gastric bypass as to his suggestion due to my health issues, diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol , as my BMI WAS 30 he did not recommend the sleeve for me, so I took his advise. my son and daughter in law had the sleeve done with Dr. Perez also and are both doing awesome... i am am doing great tomorrow will be 2 weeks since surgery, I see him for a follow up, and look forward to getting the OK to get into the ocean and pool. good luch in your continued journey

Hi! Yes, I got the approval on the 23rd and they submitted everything on the 15th. They were off for Good Friday so it took 6 business days to get the approval. They did however, ask for more info on the 17th and my insurance coordinator faxed it over that same day. They seemed to be most picky about seeing my weights for the year. Here’s the requirements taken right out of my plan for the Bariatric surgery. I have the basic plan. Just make sure you get as many letters of medical necessity from all your drs. Especially your primary. That seems to help things. Good luck and keep me posted!!! Procedures to treat morbid obesity – a condition in which an individual has a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or more, or an individual with a BMI of 35 or more with one or more co-morbidities; eligible members must be age 18 or over. Benefits are available only for the following procedures: o Roux-en-Y o Gastric bypass o Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding o Sleeve gastrectomy o Biliopancreatic bypass with duodenal switch Note: Benefits for the surgical treatment of morbid obesity are subject to the requirements listed on pages 66-67. Note: For certain surgical procedures, your out-of-pocket costs for facility services are reduced if you use a facility designated as a Blue Distinction Center. See page 91 for information. Note: Prior approval is required for outpatient surgery for morbid obesity. For more information about prior approval, please refer to page 23. • Benefits for the surgical treatment of morbid obesity, performed on an inpatient or outpatient basis, are subject to the pre-surgical requirements listed below. The member must meet all requirements. o Diagnosis of morbid obesity (as defined above) for a period of 1 year prior to surgery o Participation in a medically supervised weight loss program, including nutritional counseling, for at least 3 months prior to the date of surgery. (Note: Benefits are not available for commercial weight loss programs; see page 41 for our coverage of nutritional counseling services.) o Pre-operative nutritional assessment and nutritional counseling about pre- and post-operative nutrition, eating, and exercise o Evidence that attempts at weight loss in the 1-year period prior to surgery have been ineffective o Psychological clearance of the member’s ability to understand and adhere to the pre- and post-operative program, based on a psychological assessment performed by a licensed professional mental health practitioner (see page 104 for our payment levels for mental health services) o Member has not smoked in the 6 months prior to surgery o Member has not been treated for substance use disorder for 1 year prior to surgery and there is no evidence of substance use disorder during the 1-year period prior to surgery

I have GERD so i went withvthe bypass and yesci was scared. But so far as of now my weight loss is 167lbs just went to the doctor last week . I weigh 190lbs. But over all the decision is your how you wamt 5o be healthy. Sent from my LG-TP450 using BariatricPal mobile app

Hi! I don't have MS but I have RA. I know it's like comparing apples and oranges, but they're still fruit. They're both still autoimmune diseases. I've had umm about six surgeries since my diagnosis and I've never experienced a flare from surgery. I do experience flares still occasionally, so it's not that I do not flare, but surgery never brings them on. My rheumy attributes my lack of flares to be that my RA is pretty much in remission. My rheumy is my biggest cheerleader for getting revision to RNY. She says getting to a more normal bmi will decrease inflammation and make my disease even milder. She says if I do flare after surgery, no problem, she'll just administer a steroid injection. So your neuro cleared you for surgery, they must feel that the benefits of the surgery will outweigh the risks. If you have any doubt, schedule another appointment with your neuro and discuss it with them. Has your wls surgeon okay'ed you for continuing the celebrex after sleeve surgery? I stopped mine after committing to revision to RNY. I had to know I could survive without it forever. I wish you all the best!

Hi!! Brand new to this forum! Was wondering: I had my gastric bypass in December of 2014. I have lost 120ish pounds and have NOT gained back (it's a life change--not a "miracle!' I have a few questions. 1--the past 2-3 years my hemoglobin has dropped to a 7 (January) and 8 (a month ago.) I've been recently referred to a specialist-in which I go on the 20th of this month. Has anyone had this problem? BTW--extremely addicted to Sonic ice!! haha. 2--are gastric bypass patients still supposed to wait 30 minutes after eating to drink anything? I know we had to in the beginning. Asking these questions because my dr who performed the surgery (in Texas, btw) - I didn't see him but maybe 2 times post-surgery. (LONNNGGGGG STORY!) What does anyone think? PS--I've still kept the weight off--and have even lost a couple of pounds the past year. Thx!! 2--

Hello BariatricPal Friends! It's been close to 4 years since I've posted on here and didn't realize this site was still kicking! Anyway, I'm here to tell you about my story about me and my Lap-Band. I've had my Lap-Band for 2 and a half years before I had revision surgery because mine slipped due to me losing too much weight and my adjustments were very frequent. Before revision surgery, I was down 120lbs. After revision, I haven't gone back to the doctor. The last four years of my life have been a roller coaster. I'm close to my starting weight before starting my journey in 2013. Well after getting married, my daughter being born and fast forward to 2017, I'm back where I started before getting weight loss surgery... Crazy huh? It's not a good feeling by any means that's for sure. I could sit here all night and give a list of excuses. The biggest area of my problems was in my marriage (currently getting divorced). My significant other was against my surgery after my revision and it was a downward spiral from there emotionally, mentally and spiritually among other martial issues that hindered my weight. I got into bad habits again and just felt like my self worth and self esteem was non exist. I picked up all my weight I worked so hard to lose. Worst feeling in the world and feel like my surgery wasn't worth it and that I'm just another lap band patient that picked all their weight back up! Well now going through the motions of a divorce and will be putting it in the past once everything is settled, I've started to get back in the groove of things and I'm getting back to my old self again of taking control and have already seen weight loss and have seen my Lap Band doctor. I'm glad to be back on track and I can't wait to see the what future holds! -I'm a 5 year veteran with plenty of experience with the lap band so if anyone needs advice or wants to ask questions let me know! I used to be very active on this site! -Amine

Most bypass people can eat anything as well. Only about a third of us dump. I never have.

Hi, you asked some good questions and your concerns are all things we all think about and need to be addressed. You are right to consider all these things. I have only been banded since October 26,2007 and am not really all the way to total restriction so I am not an expert. But I will tell you that the 'food yearning' issues I was so concerned about have not been nearly as bad as I feared. I can eat pretty much everything - including bread. You do have to eat slowly, take small bites and chew stuff until it is mushy, but really that is how we all should be eating anyway. Watch a skinny person sometime and I guarantee you they will be eating more that way than a fat person! Another thing I want to point out to you is that there seem to be a lot of people on this sight who I think (this is just my opinion) are too tight and too restricted and overfilled. The purpose of the band is to lose approximately 5-10 pounds per month. You can easily do that by keeping your caloric intake around 1000 calories. I see people on this sight all the time who are eating 500 or 600 calories. There is a thread on here for posting your daily food journal and if you read some of them they look like a food journal for a hamster. In my pre-op education I was told that I should be able to eat approximately 1/2 of what I used to eat. That really isn't that little. That is what most of my skinny friends eat when we go out. The reason I decided to have LB instead of GB surgery was because I do love food so much. With the lap band you can enjoy food still. Please don't let that be the reason you decide not to have the surgery. As you read posts on this board, remember that there are a lot of different people on here and we are all different and go to different doctors. I plan on only getting as much restriction as I absolutely need to continue to lose a safe amount of weight and still enjoy food. I agree with you that food is one of life's great joys and it is not wrong to enjoy it. If I wanted to lose 20 pounds a month I would have had gastric bypass. The other real factor that led me to the surgery was thinking about life AFTER I reach my goal (and now I really believe for the first time I will reach it!!!) The band will allow me to stay at my goal weight and not be constantly worrying about regaining all my weight. The band will always be there and will always be my special tool to help me stay on track. How loose or tight it stays will be up to me and me alone!

Hi I got my band from Dr Bright at Rockwood in November of 2011. I'm here in Spokane and would love to find a buddy. I am also near Fairchild AFB. It would be great to speak to someone going through the same thing. I've gone to the support group at Rockwood but most of the people there had the bypass so I feel like I can't relate to them.

Good luck to you Patti Sue. Please keep us posted. I go to Dr. Aceves on June 23rd for a band to sleeve revision. It helps to get feedback so I can know what to expect. Best wishes to you.

I've had the crap band for 9 years. Long story short, it sucked because it discouraged eating healthy foods but allowed me to eat sliders (chips, ice cream, rice, Pasta, and anything greasy or saucy). I just woke up from revision surgery yesterday and was told I would need to wait 3-6 months for my stomach to heal before i can get the sleeve because the band had so badly eroded my stomach. It is not just a piece of crap, it is a dangerous medical device which should be taken off the market. I know...admittedly, I'm feeling a little bitter right now so forgive the rant.

Hi everyone! Ive been reading through this forum because Ive seen a lot of people in other areas comment about having revisions from band to sleeve. I was sleeved in April, but had seriously thought about the band before. I decided against it just because I was leery of something that had to be adjusted all the time. Im wondering WHY theres so many revisions though? Did it not work? Or are there a lot of problems with it? Just curious to know

Oh yeah and the band... that port they do the fills from sits on top of the muscle and underneath the skin. To me, that translates to "you can totally feel it!" So I wasn't okay with that! Lol My surgeon said he thinks the band is "on it's way out..." My surgeon also said bypass is good for people who have severe acid reflux issues, if that pertains to you. But I really feel like the sleeve is the only option for me! And about plication not removing the grehlin... I asked my surgeon if bypass patients still experiences grehlin-related hunger and he said no -- since food isn't passing through the stomach, grehlin production more or less shuts down. Just a random tidbit... Good luck with whatever you choose. =)

Had my revision surgery this morning and now recovering. Managed to go for a small walk his evening which was amazing! Will have a swallow test in the morning and if no leaks I get to start sipping Water. I have never been anticipating a drink of water like I am right now! Pain is minimal, treating with Tylenol suppositories. I can have morphine if it gets bad but it reat hasn't been bad at all. Good luck everyone with your journeys!!

Because of my history of crohn's disease and feeding tubes my Dr. will only to the sleeve. I was hoping for bypass. I am disappointed. I also have a hernia and an enlarged node on my pancreas. I'm irritated.

I can tell you from my own experience that the hospital process was incredibly smooth. It was kind of like hanging out. Got a beeper when I checked in. Beeper went off, went to the pre-op room, met with one nurse to go over medical history again. Told her I am a tough person to get an IV going and she called a different IV nurse into the room. Changed into the hospital garb, and then talked to the bariatric coordinator (who had been sleeved herself), until the anesthesiologist came in and put me in happyland. Woke up 3 hours later and it was over. The first week was not a lot of fun...the first full day home was the worst as I now had to get my own fluids in. Only pain I had was at the large incision point, no nausea at all. After a week, pain virtually gone. Averaging about 5 lbs lost per week. You will do fine. Complications are extremely rare in this surgery. My surgeon has done thousands of these operations and has never had a leak. Worst case if you have a leak is they do a bypass...not the end of the world.

My revision is scheduled for January 25th. I will have the band removed and then have RNY done at the same time. Please keep us updated on your progress!

Hang in there 2boys---there are some serious Disney Addicts on this forum---they can answer your question!!! I know a couple of friends from here, that go with regularity, and are both getting close to goal, and have had no adverse reactions from going. As for your port pier, I would discourage direct bouncing on it, let it be sure it is healed good and strong in there. But also as you lose weight, and it is closer to the surface, your kiddos will be growing up, and less likely to be bouncing on you----sad as it is! As for your direct question about rides--if you don't get much response--try reposting it with "rides" or "disneyland" in the title. A lot of people will see silly question and think someone is wondering about PB's again!!!! And while they need to know, some bypass those questions! Have fun in Disney, and enjoy those little ones while they are little!!! They grow fast! Kat

When I went for my psych evaluation, the Dr. suggested 2 books: Eating Mindfully: How to End Mindless Eating and Enjoy a Balanced Relationship with food and The Beck Diet Solution: Train Your Brain to Think Like a Thin Person. They also have this on CD and there's a workbook you can buy that goes with it. He said they are both good since they don't focus on a specific diet but on changing the way you think about food and yourself. I have both but have only started reading the first one yesterday. I also have The Sleeved Life and that was a good book, depending on how much research you have already done. If you are far into the process, you may not learn too much but it's still a good read. I also ordered recipes for Life After Weight-Loss Surgery, Revised and Updated: Delicious Dishes for Nourishing the New You and the Latest Information on Lower-BMI Gastric Banding Procedures. I reviewed it and have begun to mark recipes that I'm going to test. The best part of this book is that it associates each meal with which phase you are in. So it has liquid, puree, soft, mechanically soft and regular meals. It also gives you eating tips for the type of bariatric surgery you are getting. This is one of the few that specifically discussed The Sleeve. Hope this helps.

I got my revision surgery yesterday. The hardest part was my dr was running 3 1/2 hours late. I'm so grateful that the band didn't cause any damage or major scar tissue. Pain is really only bad when I move and get up. I started walking 3 hours after getting to my room and it feels good. Also man never thought water tasted so good by the time I could have it I had gone 24 hrs since the last I could have any Tuesday because of the delay. Good luck to the upcoming revisions.