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Hello, I had a lapband inserted in 2008 and removed in 2010. It just did not agree with my system. My advice: Do NOT get another Lapband! I have read tons and tons of current research. The Lapbands are being removed like mad and revisions are being done to mini gastric bypass or vertical sleeve procedures. I have decided to wait another year and see what the research is proving on the Vertical Sleeves and the mini bypass procedures. No Lapbands. This is NOT to say that there are not a percentage of people out there who have been quite successful with lapbands. But after 5, 10 years, what is their experience ? The majority, are not successful. Read the Research. peace and blessings, sara

Hi, I see youmentioned if you were at goal you couldn;t have the band removed and have ds but I am NOT at goal I actually weight more now than pre-lapband from 5 years ago. Do you know if the DS is possible then? Why did you opt for the sleeve instead of DS? Is that because you were at goal? Do you have an limitation with foods you can eat? Or any vomitting? I have always had major roblems with vomitting with the band but have had tests done & they say there arfe no problems with the band. From what I researched the DS surgery is the only one where you could eat almost all foods with no dumping, vomitting, etc. Any insight/advice you can give would be greatly appreciated. Thanks SO much!

Getting advice from someone who never had any luck with the band may sound funny but here goes. You did lose weight with it in the beginning so you did something right. Then it sounds like you had a lot of stress in your life and to compensate for larger amounts of food you found a way to eat around the band and did and gained it back. If you feel you can get back on track and are able to avoid doing that then you should be able to lose weight again with the band. If you're too tight and chewing your food well, Protein and other healthy foods don't go through then you may need some removed. Otherwise see if you can psyche yourself into eating healthy again and eat as you did in the beginning. If you don't find this to be possible you may want to discuss revising but I wouldn't rush into it without a good try first. Take care Nancy. And I did have mine removed and am trying to revise to RNY in June!

Port revision surgery may be done because the port flipped, got infected, had a leak, or protruded too much after the patient lost their excess weight. It's not done because the port wears out after a few years or anything like that. At 8 weeks post-op, I think it's too soon for you to judge how your port's working out. Have you had a fill yet? As long as your port is accessible for fills, I wouldn't worry about it. Even after your port site completely heals, the surrounding muscles may complain from time to time. My port flipped when I was about 2 yrs post-op. I had no symptoms from it, but suddenly fills got hard to do. I asked my surgeon if my workouts could have caused the flip, and she said yes, but that's not a good excuse for avoiding exercise!

I am just being curious when it comes to the port. I read a lot of people have to go in and get their port revised is that pretty normal after having the band on for so long? I am 8 weeks post op don't think mine has flipped but I do always have pain if I sit to long, sometimes my jeans bother me, and can't sleep on my stomach and that's my favorite position. I constantly thinking if I bend to much are strain myself its gonna flip.

I met a nice couple at our last Bandster support group dinner. He has just been banded and she is scheduled for December. She mentioned that the nurses at their doctor's office said they don't mention exercise to the patients. "Why ever not?" I asked. The answer was, "Because it makes them MAD." It would seem that some people think the band should do all the work for them. They maintain that if they had wanted to exercise, they wouldn't have gotten the band in the first place. I'm wondering if this is a common thing, and is the doctor to blame, for not giving his patients a more in-depth, realistic idea of what band success really is? I think (and this is just my opinion) that those who are unwilling to put forth ANY effort - revise their food choices, exercise, etc - should consider a different type of WLS. Is that "wrong thinking" on my part? I just hate to see people fail and blame the band, although I know that sometimes it is the other way around.

I knew this whole trip was going entirely too smoothly. My insurance went through without a thought, the appointments lined up perfectly (band date two weeks after school was over ... I am a teacher), and I had the whole summer to heal and begin this process. Now, I receive a call from my surgeon's office this morning telling me that they just found out he would be at a conference for two weeks in June. UGHHHH!! My surgery date has been pushed back until July 2nd. I know, I know, in the grand scheme of things this is only a week. But to someone who has been searching for a tool to aid what seems like impossible weightloss, another week might as well be a century. Now I have to go about adjusting house sitters, dog sitters, my mother's schedule, my partner's schedule...all to the new surgery date. It may seem little, but the disappointment is huge. Any words of encouragment would be appreciated.........I am going to attempt to stop my self imposed hissy fit here shortly! - Jennifer Surgery date (revised) 7/2/2008:huh2:

I had my band removed and revision to RNY with one surgery.

You might need a port revision. I think they can be rather common and are a somewhat simple surgery compared to the lapband itself. I'd talk to your doctor about it. Sometimes the port can be placed weird or there could be a problem where the tubing goes through the abdominal wall. Either way, I'd talk to doc about it.

I get port pain sometimes when I exercise. Since I have had my port revision surgery as mine flipped, I am VERY careful about trying to avoid this! I stopped doing pilates because I think that it was a major contributor. I sometimes feel pain during crunches, but haven't during planks. Make sure that your core is tight and pelvic is tucked in during those and see if it helps...

Welome to VST. You will be in very good hands with Dr Aceves. I had my sleeve done in Jan. and haven't had a regret at all. I plan on having the Tummy tuck and what ever else is needed when I get to goal. They have a good plastic sergoen there also. I am 50 and started this journey at 335lbs, So I get the feeling the sagging is inevitable. So far the bat wing on my upper arms are getting flappier. Good luck with your revision. Brenda

Hi Debbie. It is natural to be nervous and be reflective about this life changing event. I don't regret my decision one bit. As far as VSG goes, in my case my insurance didn't offer it as an option only lapband or RNY and I was sure I did not want RNY so this was good for me. Now that I know more about VSG, if I ever lost my lapband due to some reason it had to come out, and I can't see it happening now, I definitely would talk with my surgeon on what was the next option for me and I know there are lapband folks on this board who got to goal with their lapband and their tag line is "lapband got me to goal, my sleeve is helping keep me there" so it definitely is a surgical option to revise later to VSG. Hope you find peace this weekend. Here is a list of some mind distracting things and others can join in and give you ideas to keep busy and Monday will be here real soon. 1. Read a good book 2. Take a long walk 3. Take a bubble bath Sunday night 4. Do your craft projects - if you do something like scrapbooking, knitting, etc. 5. Read your Bible 6. Call a friend 7. Give yourself a manicure/pedicure - I painted my toes green on the day before my surgery since it was on St. Patrick's Day. I figured it would give someone a laugh if they took those surgical sockies off and saw the green polish! 8. Post on LapbandTalk.com -- your friends will be here for you. 9. Sort out your sock drawer (but only if you are really bored!) 10. Clean out the refrigerator or pantry of all foods you don't want to see while you are on full liquids or mushies that might tempt you (that is if it isn't somethin your family needs). 11. Start a journal - sit down and write out your thoughts of how you are feeling, what your dreams and hopes are. You'll be glad to have it to look back on a year from now and however long into the future.

If a leak scares you, then think of erosion, losing additional stomach tissue (like I did with my revision), constant fills/unfills that you will face trying to find the ever-elusive "sweet spot", and the esophagus damage that you might face in the future from the band. I do not regret my band time, it taught me a lot about myself, I endured hellacious pain on a daily basis because of that thing, and I can tell you that the band has the most long term complications out of all of the WLS options. This is a group on obesityhelp.com for some long time bandsters that have revised, or have failed bands, and can't revise because of the damage the band did. http://www.obesityhelp.com/group/failed_lap_bands/discussion/ I admit I am biased, but with good reason. I would hug your surgeon and your husband. Keep researching.

Wow... it does sound like the band then. I know you don't want to have your band removed or revise to another WLS, but look at the bright side: You can have the band removed and revise to a new surgery (if you choose). Your problem is then gone as well as your risk for future issues as a result of esophageal irritation and reflux. That is a A LOT better and easier to "fix" than something far more sinister and unrelated to the band, you know?

"30 days smoke free' is your real issue, my dear. That's a huge life change, every big as big and drastic as WLS. First no ciggies, then a liquid diet for weeks? Who could cope?! No wonder you are depressed! You have lost 2 very important coping mechanisms within weeks of one another...I'd be schitzo. Seriously! Give yourself a break. This is YOUR journey. You are comparing apples and oranges with RNY folks and honestly, what the heck are you gonna do about it NOW? There's nothing you can do right now. It's too soon to revise. You are wasting good energy being envious. Quit looking at RNY sites for a while. Find some good relaxation techniques that will work for you. Seek counseling, or start your own NSV thread and journal your pretty little head to death...spill it all! And are you exercising or at least walking? Your poor fiance. Tell him you are working on pulling your head out, be patient, tell him to give you a few extra hugs a day, you'll be okay. You just need to get over this hump. We are here for you! BTW, well done on the smoking. You are doing great! You really are!!! Healthy new you is emerging. Yay!

I am 64 years old and started my weight loss journey over 10 years ago, when my husband was still alive (he will dead 10 years this fall). I started with the pre-op testing, etc.. but as his health failed I couldn't take part in the demanding schedule so I gave it up. Two years after he died (2007) I started the process again, but this time at a local hospital with a local surgeon because I would have to do all the driving to all the appointments and I didn't want to drive into the city at the university hospital. MISTAKE NUMBER ONE. This surgeon and his partner were new to bariatric surgery. They were general surgeons who took over the practice of a retiring surgeon. My theory is that they were going to use up the existing inventory first, which is why he put in an outdated 4cc band. MISTAKE NUMBER TWO.* I was only his 23rd patient and while his surgical skills were okay, his knowledge about the complexities of obesity as a disease were nil. MISTAKE NUMBER THREE.* I had already lost 60 pounds on my own prior to and right after surgery - 6 months of dieting and 2 weeks pre and 2 weeks post surgery - liquids only. But still he wanted me to lose 10-15 pounds in 3 weeks with no fill. MISTAKE NUMBER FOUR.* When I didn't - I got the "Come to Jesus talk". He had told me I had the 10cc band. So, when he filled me with 3cc I couldn't understand why I was having so many problems. I couldn't keep anything down. He was blaming me, telling me to do this, not do that, blah, blah, blah. I was thinking - Why would 3cc cause so many problems in a 10cc band? So he ordered an upper GI which showed not much was going through. When he got the results of the upper GI- THAT GOT HIS ATTENTION!!!! He called me in immediately and removed 1.5 cc. MISTAKE NUMBER FIVE.* It was then that I asked for all my test results and operative report that I had sent to another doctor for a second opinion. He was the one who told me I had a 4cc band, it had slightly slipped and my weight loss in 6 months was what is expected in a year. First time I heard anything positive from a doctor. However, 9 month later I had a horrible stuck episode that took me to the ER where all the fill was removed. Oh, and right after surgery I had terrible left shoulder pain that he knew NOTHING about. MISTAKE NUMBER 6*. When I found this forum - It was just the lap band forum then - THEY HAD WHOLE THREADS DEVOTED TO LEFT SHOULDER PAIN!!!! Now to the part about the band itself: I lost 75 pounds but only 15 from the band. It never did one thing it was promoted as doing. It didn't decrease hunger, it didn't provide satiety, it didn't improve any of my medical conditions. It just made it difficult to eat - pain and pressure. So, it was the worst of both worlds. Couldn't eat but still felt hungry - like my bottom stomach was saying "hey, feed me- I'm still hungry" but I couldn't. I did not fail the band, I was a very compliant patient. The band failed me. I have been over in the sleeve forum - was contemplating getting a revision but decided it wasn't for me. I don't want to be the one who has daily diarrhea 2 years out and still can't drink plain Water, or who had pain for 2 hours from a crouton. Or has increased GERD, can't take NSAIDs for life (I have arthritis) and a whole host of other reasons, not the least of which the surgeon said I could lose "as much as 45 pounds". All that for MAYBE 45 pounds?? No thanks, I am in onderland, a place many on these boards Celebrate after surgery. So, I am going to live with this thing unless it causes a complication that requires removal. So, that's my story, sorry it was so long. Hope everyone else is doing well. *CAN BE INTERCHANGED WITH "RED FLAG NUMBER TWO, ETC.."

I was revised sleeve to bypass the day before you. How do you feel?

Hi In need of, I had a tummy tuck almost a year ago (Oct of 08) and I am very happy with my results. However, I don't look like a lot of the before /after pictures. I have stretch marks that the surgeon couldn't remove. In addition, I need a revision because the Dr. couldn't get all the skin the first time. Having said that, I would absolutely do it again in a heart beat. I have a belly button, and it's not covered by a flap of skin. ~Lori

I am starting my pre opt diet tomorrow. It’s a full liquid diet. My doctor said I can have cream of wheat which I like. I made some today however I am guessing it needs to be a little more thinner. I can have chicken broth God help me. I brought sugar free popsicle, sugar free pudding and protein shakes. If I can’t make this cream of wheat thinner then I am not going to do it. I gain almost ten pounds since my last visit. I am determined to lose at least 12 pounds before surgery because I am determined not to cheat one day. I am moving this weekend and I am in school online so I am very busy. Mind over matter, I had the sleeve in 2015 and wasn’t successful. This revision is my last chance and plus I am older now, I need knee replacement surgery on both knees so you can only imagine how I walk. I know these two weeks are going to be hard but everyday that I am in pain reminds me of why I need this bypass surgery.

I'm a month ahead of you (July 16th) and have only lost 17. I knew I'd lose slower (started at 174 - band to sleeve revision) but this is ridiculous. While I'm on track for Weight Watchers (about 2 1/2 lbs a week), I'm nowhere near wls losses. I'm going to start going back to the gym tomorrow to see if I can jumpstart my loss again that way. it'd be really hard to eat less. I'm amazed that somebody can live off such little food everyday! I only have 26 lbs to goal and I've heard the last 20 lbs were the hardest. I keep bouncing between 157-156-157 for the last 2 weeks. Wish it would go down just 1 lb and I'd feel a little better! I have lost 2 sizes since surgery so thats something I guess. can't wait to haul out all the winter clothes that fit me the winter of 2012 (gained 30 lbs after lapband slipped) but not last year. Already fitting into some jeans that previously fit but haven't fit in about 18 mths. Good luck. Slow and steady wins the race (or I've heard, anyway!)

Anyone have a similar story? Had my husband rush me to the ER on Saturday because I thought I was having a heart attack. Just out of the blue I had severe chest pain right below my xiphoid process/sternum with shortness of breath. (I was on FaceBook and drinking a cup of coffee.) It lasted about an hour then just vanished as quickly as it came on. All of my tests and EKG were normal, so the ER discharged me and sent me on my merry way. I called my surgeon and he thinks it sounds like a possible "internal hernia." I questioned rather he thought it might be gall stones, but he said I didn't have any of the classic symptoms. Going on Monday for "laparoscopic exploratory surgery" and whatever they find, they will repair it while they're in there. Anyone have a similar experience? If so, what did they end up finding? P.s. I am 5 months out RNY revision from Lap Band.

My surgery is scheduled for 8/30. I've been on vacation for about 11 days and still have 7 to go. I figured a longer vacation with my family would be just what I need before I undergo this big change. I had my lap band removed after 12 years on 4/26 and had to heal for 3 months before having the conversion surgery. During my pre op appointment, my surgeon went over the risks and benefits of the surgery and there was on thing that he said that hit me in the head and now has my questioning if I'm making a mistake. Apparently band to sleeve conversion patients tend to have less overall weight loss, sometimes as low as 40-50% less, than us non-banders. On top of this, there's like a greater than 50% chance of developing medication resistant GERD, even if you've never had it, and that may have cause to have another revision to RNY or DS in the not so distant future. I've asked this question before and didn't get any answers, so I'll try again now because I'm running out of time to change my mind. Can you please share your positive/negative band to sleeve conversion stories with me. Can you include your age, surgery weight, current weight, goal weight and length of time since you've had surgery. I'm very nervous that I may not be making the right decision and just need some positive reinforcement stories, please. Thank you in advance! Amy

Yes, I am still overweight and I am in my range but the way that it has been explained is that I have hit this point too soon and should not be losing weight at this fast of a pace. I journaled on my own after my Dr. told me that I would most likely need revision surgery. All of my blood work, which is done every 3 months, always comes back great. I kept a food journal on my own and I was able to slow it down to a loss of 2-5 pounds per month. I was blessed enough that insurance paid for my surgery.

Yes, I had a sleeve to RNY revision on 2/11/20 due to GERD.