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I had my band put in in Feb. I am going in on August 3rd for a revision of some kind. I don't even think the Dr. knows what he is going to find. I have no problems except that I have never had great restriction. He said that nothing has slipped because I had the upper GI. He filled the band to max and still no restriction. I was told something about a phantom band, whatever that is. Has anyone ever heard of the band coming unclasped. I am hoping that is what they find. I am not looking forward to the surgery again. If my insurance covered it, I would get the sleeve.

If I were younger getting Sexy Back would be a prime motivator. But at this point I just want to be more physically able and not have people judge me because of my size. That happened for me initially at 200lbs and I want it back. I am dieting and hoping for a revision soon if my insurance will allow it.

Uhhh...ya. And I've heard some revision stories on here about the lap band scar tissue causing leaks in the sleeve....not good stuff.

Dr Ponce, TJ $5500.00 ($6000.00 revision)

I had my revision on Monday April 6. Today is Friday and I'm still experiencing abdominal discomfort. At times, while I'm drinking strange things are happening in my stomach. Sometimes it feels like spasm and sometimes it feels like hunger pains and sometimes it's gargling. Normal???? Last night I woke up with heartburn. I have anxiety and hate to get myself all worked up over something that's normal. Any advice out here????

I just had a band to bypass revision last week and my surgeon said the revisions she has done lost weight at the same rate as non-revisions. She also said the main weight loss period is a year to 18 months. Hope that helps.

Here was my life with the band: 1. I did lose 70 pounds the first year, but that was from working out 6-7 days a week. I still fought hunger and slimed up the good foods. I ate junk most of the time. 2. I lost ALL restriction due to a leak at about a year and gained 35 pounds back almost instantly. I was self pay so no luck in getting it fixed unless I had about 5 grand. 3. My tubing broke in half and caused me extreme pain. I could not sleep for months. The doctor had to go searching for all the broken parts. It's amazing to me that this complication was never brought up before I had lapband surgery. 4. I had a slip and could barely swallow days before my revision. Luckily the exclusion was taken off my insurance so I could have my sleeve! Life with the sleeve: 1. I can eat good healthy foods! 2. I am not hungry. 3. I don't feel controlled by food, and in fact- I'm not! 4. I lost 22 pounds the first month and I am so happy! I LOVE my sleeve. I am so thankful to the wonderful peeps on this forum for helping me make the wonderful decision to have the sleeve when my band failed! I wish I could have had the sleeve instead of the band. Who knew life could be so great!

Well, there is always the chance of any type of complication can happen. The port flip was not mentioned but Zi went into it with my eyes wide open. With my port flip I had gone into my doctor's office with a fill. My doctor could not reposition my port manually. I was in pain when he tried to manipulate the port so I had to have port revision surgery. I'm pleased to say I'm doing much better since the revision

Unfortunately you have to follow the food "rules" forever, not just the first 1 - 1 1/2 years....even with a revision. Have you tried going back to basics? How much Protein, carbs, calories and fluids are you getting? How are these numbers different than when you were losing? You sound pretty active and that can only help. If you feel you were not losing weight, despite eating high protein/low carb and getting 100+ ounces of Water and taking all your supplements, have you been checked for metabolic or hormone related illnesses?

Have you had a pouch test to see if everything is in tact? Also, good to have a good physical as there are many things that can cause tiredness and weight imbalance... low vit D, thyroid as you said and done drs dobt follow the updated values on what is considered hypothyroidism, anemia, autoimmune diseases, Cushing's syndrome, pcos, and more I do think going back to the basics for more then a week might be. Good idea especially if you do have anoyhet unknown issue in the way. You can document everything so you have evidence to show the insurance and new doctor that you tried everything and here are the results Maybe you do need a revision but if you have a primary thyroid condition, a revision is not likely to fix it help much...your body needs repair first with meds, than WLS can be considered. I have bipolar, and lithium has given me hypothyroidism but after a couple years on thyroid meds, it's better. I was just sleeved and I have pcos too and I notice my weight is slow to move off despite following the rules. Still tweaking things though... I have to get steroids from time to time and that makes me voraciously hungry, pack on lbs and store fat for the winter lol but I'm still loosing with the surgery just not as fast as my counterparts it seems.... So, having thyroid issues should not make you gain huge amounts and loose nothing with the sleeve in place unless something is wrong with the sleeve and it happens even though not often I have to be very strict about my meals bc I dobt lose as fast so maybe you need a diet reset for longer, document every crumb for yourself, the NUt, surgeon old or new and insurance. Also suggest getting a good exam..maybe you need a new gp!! Good fortune

Hey guys! Been a long time. Things have been tougher with me in the last 6 months or so. I haven't been able to eat solid Protein without difficulty and had a tight fill from July through February. I should have gone back to have fill taken out but just didn't find the time. Finally got back to surgeon in 2/09 and he removed .20cc's. I thought this would aleviate some of my issues which it did loosen but still problems with solid protein. I have been so tired of fighting my food down and being in pain. I am gun shy to eat...so I reverted to foods that would slide down easier and have gained about 20lbs. I guess I have gotten physcologically impaired...LOL! Saw surgeon today, and he indicated that in a small % of people the band is just is too tight for some. I only have 2cc's in a 4cc band, so 1/2 full and too tight go figure. I am having an Upper GI in two weeks but he is recommending a revision to RNY. I am not sure how I feel about that but I know that I want to eat solid protein without pain. Oh yeah, did I mention the Gall Bladder has to come out too! So that is what Hollyberries has been up to...glad to see you all still hanging out.. Cindy

Good luck! The trouble with the 4cc band (which I have, working perfectly) is that there IS a lot of slippage with it. But its fantastic for finding quick restriction and not needing constant fills. The newer larger capacity bands dont slip as often but they're often really really difficult to adjust well. I wouldnt remove my band just because, it has and IS serving me very very well. But I sure want to be ready to move and know exactly what I'm doing if and when that day comes. I've often wondered about the weight loss thing though with a revision surgery, I'd look like a walking skeleton if I dropped much weight in a revision surgery!

It's case by case unfortunately. I've heard people with severe reflux insisting on VSG over RNY and reflux was cured, I've heard people with no history of GERD developing it out of the blue, I've heard people in the clear for years and years only to develop it later and now need the revision with no weight regain problems (all tales from my team) Generally if GERD is an issue a surgeon will suggest RNY and depending on the outcome of testing it may be the only option. But if all things are equal the decision will be yours, you have to decide if you want the possibility of another surgery if the need arises.

Nooo, I wouldn't get RNY. It's just not a surgery type for me. Way too much regain and your options for a revision after bypass are limited. Once you stretch out your pouch/stoma you are done for life without a revision. I am one that would have failed with bypass. With bypass in the beginning you just sit on the couch and pounds melt off. After the honeymoon stage you are back to diet and exercise and that would have been me. I wouldn't have taken that time to change my eating habits, etc. I would have been one to lose well and then regain well. ;o) I see too many people that several years after bypass they really are doing things the right way, eating well, exercise, etc. Yet they are regaining. I think part of it is that they stretch their stoma over time and the food just pours into the intestine and they really are hungry all the time. After I had my band removed I opted for a sleeve. It has the fewest long term complications of banding, sleeves, bypass, and DS. Weight loss is as good as with bypass just not as fast. At five years you lose as much as you do with bypass but without all the risks. Inamed came out with their long term stats on banding and they are showing 55-60% of your excess weight will be lost at the end of 5 years. Sleeves and bypass are 80%. Bypass is loaded with risks and complications (potential), sleeves are not. Not long term.

I am seeking a revision from the lap and.I initially decided on getting the sleeve.I was sure for the last few months.I did my research and really thought about it And now I have decided on the RNY.Just changed from a dr that only does lap and and sleeve to his associate who does it all.Do your homework ,ask a lot of questions and change if you need to.Do what's right for you!

Hello, I’m brand new to this forum so forgive me if I post in the wrong place or anything. I got Lapband back in 2013, and due to some recent issues with the band and less-than-stellar results in general, I am looking into having a revision to the sleeve. Long story short, my band no longer holds fluid, so it’s essentially just a foreign object sitting in my body and providing no real use. However, I have some concerns when it comes to potentially switching to the sleeve... In all brutal honesty, I was/am guilty of “eating through” the band. At times, I would drink too much liquid during meals thus negating the point of the band (disclaimer: this is not what caused the band to no longer hold fluid). Even though the band and sleeve are very different surgeries, I worry my bad habit will cause me to fail with the sleeve. Anyone gone through this and have advice?

Wow, sorry you had to have that reaction from your mom. But CONGRATS on staying positive and getting your revision approval! Do you have friends and family who are supportive?

I was just told by my surgeon that they will be removing my band on 11/18 because this is my second band and they do not give their patients a third band. The first band failed within two weeks of my surgical date. I kept trying to tell my doctor that the protien supplements he insisted on me using were making me sick and making me throw up. He decided I was just being a whiney baby and pretty much told me to keep doing what I was told to do and not question him. The current band (my second) recently slipped. I ate some undercooked Pasta and it continued to absorb Fluid after I ate it. Since it was really gummy, it formed a plug and I wasn't able to eat or drink for four days. On the fourth day, I tried to flush it through with a bunch of Water and ended up ripping the band out of place and throwing up the gummy pasta plug. You'll probably ask why I didn't go to my doctor and have him unfill the band. Here's some background info. In a presurgical seminar, I was asking some questions about things I've read here on Lapband Talk. I was trying to ask him what typically caused stoma blockage, but he interrupted me thinking I was asking about what to do if mine got blocked. He told me and the rest of the people in the room that if any of his lapband patients got stuff stuck in their band, "don't come running to me, I won't unfill your band and you can just suffer the consequences of not following my instructions, maybe you'll learn something and not do it again." Frankly, I wanted to bolt from the room and find another surgeon, but the procedure deposit was non-refundable and I was just stuck with him. Two weeks after the pasta incident, I had an myleogram. The guy who did it also did lapband fills. He told me it had slipped and he contacted my doctor's office. Instead of calling me in, my doc just looked at the pictures and told me he'd put it in at an angle for whatever reason he had when he did the first revision. Since I wasn't having any eating problems, I didn't argue with him (not that this guy is open to any kind of opinion that differs from his). I started noticing my meds were getting stuck and started forcing the pills through the band. After three more weeks, I was unable to eat or drink anything without having to force it through the band and was aspirating stomach fluids in my sleep. So, now I am only given the option of a bypass or band removal. I'm quite torn as to what to do. I'm asking for feedback. Should I just let them remove it and try to maintain the weight I've lost (108 lbs in the last 20 months) or should I find another doctor and give it one more try? All opinions are welcome, even if you agree with the doctor. Thanks for any input, Charlotte

I'm very new here and trying to research my options. I know absolutely no one with a band -- but many people who have had RNY. One of my coworkers mentioned his sister had the band done in Mexico and lost some weight but in his opinion didn't utilize the band as a tool but thought it'd be an easy fix. The main reason I would prefer the band to RNY is that every person I've known who has had an RNY for more than 10 years has had at least one complication requiring hospitalization, and because I've seen that your gut is never the same again. My mom has had to have two hospitalizations -- one for stretching out the stoma because she had a tendency toward bulimia (the stoma ulcerated due to too much acid on it, she couldn't hold down anything), and then they had to do a revision because apparently her gut started twisting on itself, they said it was due to the specific procedure they were using at the time she had hers done that they learned was not the best about two years after her surgery. I've known others who have had severe gastric motility issues. Now, even with all of that -- not a single person I've known who had RNY has said they would have changed their mind, even with the complications. I would rather go through what every person I have known with RNY has gone through combined than die like my grandmother did, in a nursing home unable to walk at 600 lbs. I think the weight loss would be worth it. My thought with the band is that if there was a complication it could be removed, and if there was no other way, it could be converted to an RNY. Soooo.... for those of you who have had to have the band removed, did you convert to an RNY?

Well to all of you who knew me as "BrandyII" as well as the current "Nanook" I have finally been approved for my RNY surgery. I wish all of you continued success with your lap bands and those that haven't had success and revised to sleeves or RNY or DS I wish all you all continued success also. This was the first forum I've ever joined and have made some good friends and learned a lot about everything from issues with the band to some things I can't even say out loud in the powder room! I'll probably keep a lurkin' as I doubt even if Alex does make a "revision" or "RNY" forum I'd go there as this was my home for such a long time. Anyway just want to say thanks for all your support you all have been fun! Thanks Nancy.:frown:

Nanook Congrats and good luck. You know you can still post. You don't have to lurk. their are others who have had revisions of all types and they still post. I think the info from ya'll is very useful. It might help someones else who might be needing a revision or might have symptoms that they don't realize are problems until they read ya'lls post. So keep us posted.:redface: lol

NEW NEWS I DID TALK WITH A REP. FROM BCBS MI AND THEY HAVE MADE REVISIONS TO BARIATRIC CRITERIA NO LONGER 12 MOS. PCP SUPEVSD. DIET. IT IS NOW 6 MOS. YEA!! wtg BCBS MI!!!:tt1:

Well, I still have a long way to go until I hit my first true goal, which is my lowest weight with the lap-band being 214. However, I had my revision surgery on September 17th. My start weight was 312, Surgery Weight 293, Current weight 256. That is over 50 pounds lost and I am extremely happy with my progress. I feel better physically already. For instance, my feet, ankles and knees are no longer throbbing and my engery level is finally starting to increase. I know this is way too much info, but TOM is visiting me once again and that is an fabulous NSV for me, because I see my body is getting back to "normal." With all of that wonderful news above, I still struggle with my body image. With the lap-band, as the weight fell off (my highest weight before the lap-band was about 330), I would look in the mirror and swear I saw each pound that melted away. I had a very positive outlook on my body image. I knew I was still a "big girl," but I was a "smaller big girl." Each size that I went down, I would jump for joy and go on another shopping spree! It was wonderful and exciting. Now with the VSG, I can't say I am feeling the same way. I have lost over 50 lbs from my highest weight and I am down two sizes (depending on the cut), but when I look in the mirror, I just don't see the "changes." My closest family and friends have paid me compliments and I don't know how to respond, because I just don't see it. There is also a part of me that is skeptical to Celebrate my progress. It is like I am almost afraid to celebrate this part of the success, because when I started to put the weight back on with the lap-band, the dispair of buying the bigger clothes and hiding from cameras again as I gained the weight was overwhelming to me. It is like I have this annoying little voice in the back of my mind reminding me that failure is around the corner, so I best not celebrate or feel too good just yet. I can't believe that my attitude is so different about my WLS this time around. I posted this for two reasons, I figured it would help me to get it off of my chest, but also to see if any other revisionistas ever had similar feelings. If you did, how did you deal with it? What did you do to turn that frown upside down?

It seems awfully quick to give up to me too. You may be one of those rare people who are really sensitive to fill, I was like that with my band too. Have you done a Fluoroscope or endoscope to make sure the placement etc is ok with the band? Are you truly hungry or is it head hunger? Are you eating Protein first? What is your diet like? Did you talk to your surgeon about the placement of the band and how big your pouch is? I think vomiting is bad and you increase your risk of slippage with vomiting which is scary enough. Have a long talk with your surgeon and get an 2nd opinion but I honestly don't think the sleeve is easier than the band, it is just different. I was banded for 12plus years and in those years I had at least 12 revision surgeries and I was incredibly sensitive to fills with my last band I was never over 4 cc' s in 12 cc band. Before you jump to another major surgery consult and make sure a change is the right way to go.

AdvancedMom - My revision surgery took 3 hrs I had a realize band placed in 2009 never worked for me. I would recommend the 2 step procedure - first have the band removed then wait until the stomach has a chance to get it's shape back so that the vertical sleeve can be done correctly. At my 10 day follow up my stomach is so mis- shapen it doesn't even look like I had gastric sleeve surgery - it's shape like an hour glass. I can drink 14 oz of liquid in one setting and have stomach pangs. The dr left too much stomach because he eyeballed the amount he took off due to the shape of the stomach. I am not happy about this whole issue I need to lose 100lbs. I go back to dr on the 23rd and will ask him to correct his mess - don't know how that will go over.