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Has anyone had a revision from sleeve to rny? How long was the procedure? How has the process been so far? I didn't see a board for this, just from band to rny. TIA!

I was banded in 2013 and it slipped. Most like due to the fact that I continued bad habits like bread, rice and other junk. I had the band removed and revised to a sleeve on jan 23rd. I feel great. 1st week was the worst. Pain from where the port was. My surgeon was excellent. He said there was a lot of scar tissue but he was able to it. Weight loss is slower due to this being my second surgery but loss is a loss and I will take it. Not screwing up this time. Good luck!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Correct, I have never had a problem with reflux before the sleeve. Like you, I also had a hiatal hernia fixed during my band to sleeve revision surgery. I plan on having follow-up scopes to make sure the damage has been stopped. I pray this is doing the trick.

I had lapband to MGB revision in late 2014. It is the best thing you can do, much better than the classic bypass. I am at my ideal weight and lost 112lbs in 16 months.

I was a revision which means weight loss is slower, but I am 5'4" and started my journey at 286 lbs and today I am 246.3. I am 1-month post-op. I'm using the 3 patches that the bypass patients use plus one multivitamin.

I had a lapband revision - to sleeve - done two weeks ago. I can tell you EVERYTHING about sliming, and copious amounts of saliva . . . . I lived with it daily for 5 YEARS! The sliming is actually your bodies way of trying to "wash down" something (food) which is stuck, The longer it's stuck, the more saliva your body produces (it thinks you may choke on the food). The reason your getting is stuck is a bit trickier. For me, it was almost always due to me not chewing my food until it was liquified. Also, if/when you over eat, your food will begin backing up your esophagus, Just slow down. I know it seems hard, but you're not doing your sleeve any good with regurgitating. Don't force yourself to eat more. Like "Spatters3" said, take a bite, put down your fork/spoon, chew, chew, chew, swallow, look around, chat a bit, or read a page of a book or magazine, then take another bite. Most importantly - DON'T GET TOO DISCOURAGED -- you'll get there.

I am a band to sleeve revision. Got my sleeve almost 3 1/2 yrs ago....never really lost what I gained back and am sure I have stretched my stomach since then. I really want to get my restriction back and get this 30 back off. Can it be done? Any suggestions? Words of encouragement?

I had the revision to sleeve all-in-one and I was out of it for about 2 weeks....in pain and walking slow, like an old lady, I felt like the world was moving at lightning speed, while I was inching along. To make matters worse, a lady who was sleeved the same day as me, had her one week appt. on the same day and while I was moving at a snail's pace and sitting down very gingerly, she was zooming around the doctor's office and feeling fine. She had driven herself home from the hospital, she said. We are all, definitely, different. I stopped taking pain meds after about 9-10 days and at 2 1/2 weeks, I, was getting around pretty good. It gets easier. Hang in there.

Ok...first, be glad for the posts that talk about the negatives. When I was doing my research, nobody was talking about these things so I went into surgery with a whole different perspective. Knowing then what I know now...I might (stressing might) have made a different decision but at least I would have had the full story. I read an article (I swear I need to print these off or bookmark them) that said only 4 out of 10 banders are successful...success being determined as only losing 50% of their excess weight and that's only of the percentage who don't end up losing their band from erosion or other medical complications and I can't remember whether these problems were 60% or 40%...sorry. I had my band out two weeks ago due to chronic phrenic nerve pain. My insurance did not have to give prior approval since it wasn't elective...it was due to a 'complication'. I'd guess most insurance companies work that way. My surgeon wanted to do a revision to the sleeve. I would have had to go through the whole approval process (psych eval mainly) again for that one. My insurance company had no problem in approving the sleeve (I didn't get it by the way) because the band was being removed because of a complication...not because it didn't work. Even then, the surgeon said they know how to word the paperwork so insurance companies will approve. Oh, and according to my surgeon, the band is not considered 'restrictive' but the sleeve is so again perhaps it's just in the wording? You can read about the experiences of others...good and bad...but it still won't tell you how you'll do. Ask yourself this...if you don't get the band, then what will you do? Yes, there's a risk you'll be one of those who fail at the band *or* are failed by the band (and it happens more than the manufacturers would like to admit)...but you could also be one of those who are successful. Personally, I wouldn't give up without trying. .

Got another technical question. How can you change your tagline...the phrase that appears below your user name on your profile? I joined this forum as "Natasha" back in 2008 with the tagline "Post Op Lapband Newbie" I just changed my Display name to Nologoz...but am unable to change the tagline. I want to change it because I no longer have a lap band. It has been revised to RnY. Is there a way to change or delete the old tagline? ................................................................................................................................................................. EDIT: OK.......never mind. Somehow the tagline just defaulted to "Senior Member". I dunno how or why....just glad it's fixed...ask and you shall receive. Many thanks to the gods of the internet.

I thought about DS when my lap band wasn't working and was considering revision. I had heard that with DS there would be no question that I would lose weight. I don't know that much about DS or BPD-DS but I know many people have definite opinions on the matter and probably a better crowd to discuss might be found at www.obesityhelp.com My surgeon wouldn't reccomend a person for DS unless they were in the 400-500 lb range. There was a surgeon north of me who I was going to see and discuss it with but he was 2 hours away and I didn't want to be that far from a surgeon in case I had complications which can happen with any weight loss surgery. Anyway wondered why you were considering the DS route as opposed to RNY? Good luck with which ever surgery you choose, Nancy.

I would listen to your surgeon. I never even considered the band because I known a few people in the family one had a few slips and they both gained some of the weight back. Then I come on here and see so many revisions .

I'm waiting to be sleeved, but a good friend of mine was revised from the band to RNY because of complications. My surgeon does a lot of revisions and said he doesn't think the band will be around in 5 years. Who knows if that's true or not but on these boards, it seems like a lit of people are considering revision. Good luck to you in whatever you choose:)

lots of people revise to the sleeve. I'd caution you though, that if you have any reflux with the band (as many do) your best revision option will be bypass.

So I have been really quiet on here because I was just trying to get rid of the last of the health issues I had going on. Polyps are gone and uterine fibroids are gone. I had an appt with my bariatric surgeon today and we discussed getting the revision now that I have a clean bill of health. Looks like it'll be mid July sometime. BUT...my revision is a little more complicated. Here's what I was told: Normally they leave the bottom part of the stomach when they do the bypass because there might be a need for a feeding tube at some point, or something like that. HOWEVER, with my situation, the part they would normally leave is where all the polyps were. So the surgeon is going to completely remove the bottom part of the stomach (making my stomach about 2oz instead of the 4-5oz it is now) during the bypass surgery. He said that's not ideal, but given my situation, it's the best course of treatment for the GERD, esophagitis, gastritis, and getting me back to being able to work out and live a normal life again (which is really all I want). He said it does present a problem later on if I need a feeding tube or whatever, but that's a big "if", and considering all of my issues right now, it's worth the risk, if I agree. I agreed with him and I'm waiting for the coordinator to call me to schedule the surgery officially. I'm so close to this being over. I can see the finish line FINALLY!!!!!

Yes I was not quite prepared. I had my first appointment to discuss my band to sleeve revision and then 2 weeks later I was in surgery. And I had to make an unexpected trip across country for work in that 2 weeks. But I was determined to do it so I just went with the flow.

Hello All, I am a second time poster on this board. The first time being 3.5 years ago. I guess one stays away as long as things are going well. 40 years old male. I had the lap band surgery almost 9 years ago now. I am posting now because I am wondering whether I should have my lap band removed and if so, how to go about it. Weight loss wise, the band has not failed me. I have lost about 90 pounds with it and have maintained that (despite some yo-yoing in the middle). In fact I am now at my lowest weight ever now because of having to adjust my eating (see point #1). But I am considering removing the band for a number of reasons. 1) Acid reflux. Had it bad for a couple of years (and gained weight on those years) until I changed my eating habits (lower volume, not eating close to bedtime) about a year ago and the problem is now gone (and gone with them the extra pounds). 2) Gas/ bloating/ indigestion. Gas has been a problem from day 1. When everyone usually complained about trapped gas for a few days or a week or two at most after surgery, I remember having trapped gas for a month and half after surgery! And since my surgery, most gas has tended to come up (through my mouth). But I have noticed recently that gas (which I assume comes from indigestion) is becoming a real problem and that I have been spending sometimes hours after a meal suffering from excruciating abdominal pain because of trapped gas that needs to be released. 3) lack of follow-up support/ care. I live in Canada and because I was considered a low-BMI at the time, I had to go the private route for it. A year following surgery, I moved provinces and was thus thousands of kms away from the clinic where I had my surgery. 5 years later, and my surgeon no longer practiced at that private clinic and only now works in the public system exclusively. There are no private bariatric surgeons in the province I live in, and all attempts to follow-up wit a local surgeon through the public system have failed miserably. For fills, I used to either go to my original surgeon or to a fill doctor I know (flying thousands of kms away for both). In the 9 years, I remember I had my band checked once with my original surgeon about 5 years ago, and once at my local hospital here (where they do the public weight loss surgeries) only through x-ray when I thought something was wrong with the band. 4) the increasing stories on the forum and elsewhere about people opting to remove their bands. Very sad and depressing but understandable. I feel I am living with a ticking time bomb that will go off at some point in time (and maybe it already has and I don't know!). So it's a question of when rather than if. I am still debating when and how to go about this. Do I do it ASAP or do I wait a bit more until things are worse? Do I pay for it privately and fly again thousands of kms away to have it removed? or do I try to remove it locally? Is it even possible to do it locally without having to wait until I am dying for the public hospital here to remove it for me? I should mention that my family doctor retired a year ago and so I am now with a new doctor who I haven't had a chance to discuss all of this with at length yet. One thing I know for sure is that I am not revising to any other weight loss surgery privately because I will not repeat not having proper follow-up care locally like I did with the lap-band. This is very hard to live with and I guess I am now more risk averse now that I am older (and hopefully wiser with that lap band experience). Many thanks, Seldom

I was banded in 2002. I had my band removed July 2016 and was revised to a sleeve during the surgery. I haven’t lost any weight as i am constantly hungry and suffer greatly with GERD and severe gastritis. I will be having yet another revision May 3rd, out of state, to RNY. I am very anxious about the recovery 😕. I started my 2 week pre-op diet today and always feel the first 2 days are the hardest. Anyone else starting pre-op today?

EKG/ECG is a standard test pre-op. Had to have one back in 2011 for my band and had to have another one for my revision this past March.

I'm so sorry you are going through this. It sounds terrifying and painful. I had a revision from vsg to rny in August. My recovery was same or easier than with the vsg. I chewed Mylanta mini tabs to get rid of the excess gas after surgery. Physically, I don't feel different either except that my appetite is much less after RNY. All my issues were resolved after the revision (acid reflux, hunger problems... Etc.). I don't have any issues anymore, not bowel related or stomach related. So far (knock on wood ^^), it has been the best decision I've ever made concerning WLS.

Gosh I'm sorry your fills are so painful. Thats stupid that they cant give you some sort of freezing. My doc uses something called lidocaine I think and it works basically right away. My port is under my muscles and I just had a tummy tuck revision so I am super swollen. Fills are so painful I nearly pass out and that is even after my doc freezes my stomach. Thankfully my doc has a fluroscope machine thing that he uses now when I get a fill. Last week I got a fill using this machine and it didnt hurt at all and I didnt even need freezing. Maybe you should ask about another method of getting fills. I hear ya with not wanting to go back. Even after my last breeze of a fill I am still afraid to ask for another!

Not to freak you out, but when I lost restriction suddenly, and could eat whatever I wanted the bands latch had come undone from "scar tissue". I had to have revision surgery which was done just last week and now im back to liquids for a while. i hope that its just a phaze of tight and loose for you! good luck!

Fedz, We need to talk ASAP!! You and I almost have the same exact story!! Dr. Geiss banded me in July 2007 and I have lost 56 lbs. He implanted the 4cc band at that time. That 56 lb weight loss came with exercise, weight watchers, weight gain and loss, etc. I'm not going to give up so I decided to have a revision done in November because my band is maxxed out to 4cc. I got fill after the fill with some restriction but I never got that "sweet spot" feeling that many banders talk about. There's no room for anymore fills with my current band. We REALLY need to talk. I want to give you my phone number.

I'm not sure when my port "flipped". My first fill attempt was unsuccessful - couldn't access the port after going through 4 needles. (not fun, btw) My second and third fills were a challenge even under flouro. At my third fill appt, the doc injected dye to check for a leak in my tubing.(I never had much restriction and weight was yo-yoing) Sure enough, a leak - most likely from him poking around to find the port. I'm currently working with ins and the doctor figure out how to pay for the port revision. Did you have to go under general anesthetic or just a local with sedation?

My port revision was really easy. I had it done under "twilight" sedation and a local. I was up and about and felt great 30 mins after the surgery. It was strange to feel him tugging and messing around, listening to the surgeon and nurses chatting it up. Interesting experience. The "twilight' was kind of fun. I would say the soreness-wise, it was like after the initial surgery minus the first few days. I took the heavy duty painkillers and slept in the recliner for 2 days, and then just general soreness. The most painful part was paying for it! I had it done on a Tuesday, and I actually put in a few hours at work on Thursday and Friday. Best of luck, and let us know how it goes.