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When will I be thin?!?!? I joke, I joke . I guess I'd be most interested in the differences in recovery and post op diet between your sleeve and the RNY. Also any particular complications you are at an increased risk for since you're a revision. How many revisions has he performed? How often does he see strictures? What supplements will you need post-op? What does he expect your weekly weight loss to be? Is this the same surgeon that did your sleeve or are you going with someone new? Good luck!!!! HW 312, pre-op (RNY) 255, current weight 204.2

I am currently in the same boat as you! My band failed in December, had to have emergency surgery to take it out. After going form 223 down to my lowest of 145 I have now crept back up to 172! I am so frustrated and I have seen a doc for revision to sleeve, my insurance won't pay for it however because I am also not considered "obese"! I will probably be self pay, but Im frustrated with the insurance as it was a failure and I should qualify for coverage of revision! LMK how you make out!

I haven't had revision, but I've been hanging out on bariatric sites for the last 5-7 years. It does seem to work for most people, but of course you'll find outliers. Sorry to hear about the above responder's complications, although fortunately, as with virgin surgeries, those seem to be pretty rare.

Hi my name is honor I'm from utica ny and Ive been over weight all my life! I got the lap band 3years ago and lost about 80lbs and felt pretty good but was unable to eat food got stuck all the time and due to food getting stuck and getting sick my esophagus swelled up so the dr had to unfill the band and I gained all my weight back and feel so uncomfortable. Well I decided to have a revision and get the bypass I am currently waiting for insurance approval. .they are deciding if they will just approve it due to complications with the band or if I have to do a 3month supervised diet. I am so nervous since I hear some bad stories about the bypass and I feel that my family is not happy about my decision but I need to do this for myself!!

I hope I am only in this infamous stall phase too...... I am 4 weeks out today.from band to bypass revision.... and have lost a total of 1stone 5 1/2 pounds... but of that only 1 pound this week and 1 pound last week... I have a shake for breakfast.... a small low cal high protein lunch and dinner... around 60___80 protein... not quite making my fluid target... but very disappointed the last two weeks..... recovery wise I feel fine...

I did the same thing in 2009 with the lapband. I'd read a few things on the internet, made an appt with a dr and within 2 weeks I had completed my nutritionist and psych appts and was in surgery. Had no idea what I was getting myself into. Not sure why my insurance didn't require at least a time of consideration, but they moved quickly. While I loved my band - until I didn't and I lost most of my excess weight with it, it finally ahd enuf of my destruction to it. I couldn't figure out how to eat slowly, making me vomit frequently. Causing a slip. When I was facing a revision, I did alot of research on the RNY and the sleeve. I had gained 30 lbs in the year my band was unfilled after the slip so all I had to lose was 40 lbs (bmi was 28 at 174 lbs). I felt the RNY was a bit drastic for my purposes. But I knew if I just had the band removed without a revision, I would be back up to 250 soon. So while I did virtually NO research on my first wls, I did tons of research for my sleeve. WHile I'm 13 months out I still have 15 lbs to goal. It's going very slowly now, very slowly. The first 100 lbs is easy peasy compared with the last 15. But do I regret surgery? Never. Not the lapband or the sleeve. Comparing the 2 would be another whole post so I won't bore anyone with those details. Do ur research tho. U can't back pedal afterwards... Good luck!

So it turns out that they could do the revision in my case once they were in there and checked out the tissue. Surgery was done on 2/6/17 however due to some complications I was just released yesterday. Also Ended up getting a gout flair up starting yesterday that currently hurts more than any of the surgery locations. Supposed to get staples out tomorrow. I gained quite a bit of weight in the hospital which should come off pretty fast as it is excess fluid, then I can start actually tracking how the weight loss is doing.

I'm curious as to how you and your doctor made the decision for revision to bypass?? I'm a revision from lapband to sleeve....and I too lost the bulk of my weight the first 6 months....now I'm 13 months post op and I've lost 13 pounds in the last 7 months..... I'm praying that I'm a slow loser, but my doctor wants to see me again in sept to see if I've lost any more weight, but my scale hasn't budged in weeks

Hi all. I have had a lap band since 3/2009. Although I have maintained a 70 pound weight loss, the band has been progressively tightened to the point that now I have esophagus irritation so it has been determined to be "failed" and now I need it removed. I started my journey at 320 pounds, and now I am at 250. Goal weight 180 pounds. On Monday I head into surgery to have the band removed (it has been released for two months) and a gastric bypass performed. My question is how many that have has this procedure done were unable to do it in one surgery? The surgeon only gives it a 50/50 shot as apparently the underlying tissue associated with the band site may not support correctly creating the new pouch. I would really hate to have to do this in two separate surgeries several months apart, and apparently I won't know until I wake up how it turns out. All pre surgery checks including a barium swallow and an endoscopy all indicate the band is still properly placed, but apparently they have to be inside during the surgery to know for sure if there has been any erosion. Thanks in advance for any input! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I can't offer much, I'm only 10 days post op but originally that is what I wanted. After research I decided against the band due to complications, always getting fills, and having a foreign object. The first doctor I went to was opposite as yours. I wanted sleeve by that point he suggested band but was willing, I found a new surgeon as the only reason was band was that surgeon's specialty. I researched alot on here and after my initial thoughts band was never an option. Keep reading and be sure to ask the people who had band to sleeve revision Also to had there are success stories with the band for me though sleeve was the better option.

I went into my surgery with the understanding that if my stomach was not too damaged from the removal of the band, my Surgeon would proceed with the Sleeve. I am fortunate to say that the revision took place during one Surgery.

If you find any studies, please share. I'm interested also. Having my revision at once on July 16th (if my stomach isn't too damaged). Hope I'm making the right decision. I wasn't really offered a choice. My dr just said he was gunna do it that way

I had my revision in January 2013. I have gained 10 pounds since then. I feel like I can eat a lot. In the beginning I couldn't tolerate anything but now I feel like I am always hungry and can eat a lot. I'm confused about wether you can stretch your sleeve out or not. If so could I have done it in this short of time? How do you know if its stretched? I have a hard time knowing when I am actually full because it doesn't feel the same as with sleeve and I get over full easy. I exercise daily so it is totally a nutrition issue. I am hungry constantly and food is consuming my thoughts. I'm so mad for gaining ten pounds but I literally am thinking about food all day. I have also introduced foods back into my diet that I couldn't eat with the band (carbs). I was at goal weight when I had my revision. I just can't seem to stay full all day on limited calories. Anyone else have this problem? Suggestion?

I'm a week out from revision. I can't tell you how much better I all ready feel. The lapband was a total nightmare for me (yes, I followed all the rules to a "T". I did not enjoy all the pain, vomiting, inability to drink even Water, etc). I would NEVER recommend lapband, not even to my worst enemy. I have felt better this week post-op than I have felt in the last 10 months of my life. By the way, I totally agree with the above poster about why surgeons continue to perform the Lapband "money maker".

http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/77969-sleeve-revision-to-gastric-bypass-tomorrow/page__fromsearch__1

Hi, all.. I've had several inquiries and got lazy about answering them, so I hope you don't mind my making a lengthy Sue-Post. (Okay, not lazy, loaded, Vicodin...just let me say that you NEVER want to hear the phrases "urethral stenosis" and "urethral dilation" coming out of your urologist's mouth.) For the innocent...My band surgery was October 15th, 2002, in Monterrey, Mexico, with Roberto Rumbaut Diaz, a band pioneer surgeon and a band patient and a really nice, down-to-earth guy. Prior to banding, I went from my all time high of a BMI 52+ to about a BMI of 48 on the day of surgery. For the first several months, I did okay. I recall that for my mom's 80th birthday, I finally hit a BMI of under 40...I was not morbidly obese! But shortly thereafter, I started dealing with reflux. I had to sleep sitting up. I took various drugs, but they merely lessened the problem. One day, I was having Breakfast with my cousin (an RN) and her husband (an MD) and was able to eat only about two tablespoons of oatmeal at 10:30 a.m. and realized that THEY were looking at someone with a bizarre eating program...maybe an eating disorder. I hopped on a train (I just happened to get to the station seven minutes before departure) and went to Tijuana and had Dr. Kuri unfill me. My reflux immediately resolved. And my weight loss began to resolve. So I eventually went in for mini-adjustments. I had unfills for my panniculectomy surgery and for my breast reduction surgery. In between, I had small re-fills. In two or so years, I had a dozen adjustments. But then I started to feel like my food was bouncing around in my esophagus. It would happen once in a while, and then more often. Not every time, and not just after I had eaten too much. Sometimes, I'd be having a cup of coffee before dinner and the coffee would bounce around. Other times, it would be Water. One day, I could eat a considerable amount of foods. The next day, one stupid bite of oven baked fish, and that was all I could eat. Well...after you do that for a while, you tend to get a little nuts. Especially when well-meaning people start telling you you just have to "work your tool." And when a doctor who doesn't have a band wants you to go to a support group meeting so that you can hear other successful banded people telling you they ALL go through that, with every meal. (Yeah, right.) I finally got to the point that most of what I was eating was Soup and ice cream. Because it would usually go down. I decided that, since I was within ten pounds of my pre-op weight, I wanted to consider the DS. I had an upper GI done. My esophagus is widened. In doctor talk, it's "esophageal dilatation." I went to Dr. Ara Keshshian in Delano, California and told him my story. He said, "Are you expecting me to look surprised? This is NOT the first time I've heard this story." He told me that I needed to have my band emptied...but that he didn't have the needles because he didn't DO bands. So I went to Tijuana and saw dr. verboonen, as he was available right away. He, his partner, the lab tech and my husband watched as I drank the barium and it just sat there in my esophagus. Didn't move. When stuff that isn't blocked just sits, the additional diagnosis is "esophageal dysmotility," in other words, the esophagus is NOT moving the food toward the stomach. (Ignore doctors who tell you that EVERYONE does this.) So, I'm scheduled for an endoscopy, to make sure that I'm not dealing with erosion as well. If that checks out, I'll be having the band removed and DS surgery within the next month or two. So...wisdom? I learned when checking with European surgeons that band removal is a booming business there. One surgeon said that 20% of his practice is revising bands to Rny or DS. (Remember, bands have been there longer, so more people have had more time to encounter problems.) That doesn't mean I think they are a bad thing. I just think that the band is good for whomever it's good for...but that certainly is not everyone. In fact, my insurance began covering the band after I self-paid, but is no longer covering it for people with BMI's in excess of 49...because they lose the same percentage of excess weight which leaves them still MO. And older people have more problems. I was 55. Esophageal dysmotility or "dysperistalsis" is more frequent in older people. Adding the band may just make the problem appear sooner and with more vigor. Not here, but at another site where it is mostly newer people, the band-enthusiasm is not tempered by experience or reason. Here, there are old timers who have been through problems. For many, the band is the answer. For many others, it is not. I am one of the latter. Thanks for your time, Sue

The trend is that doctors are doing more and more revisions from lapband to RNY.I think the more you have to lose the better choice is the RNY,just my opinion.

Revision 8/14. Apparently my body was allergic to my lapband because I always had so much gunk in my throat and nose I could barely eat and when I did it came right back out. I’m 2 weeks post-op and I haven’t had sinus issues AT ALL..... until the Texas wind blew in and now I am throwing everything up. UGH!!!! And this is the week I could finally move to purée foods DANG IT!!

The sleeve is by far superior to the band. The band, is temporary and for people who can't get the sleeve for some reason. Or for some reason just won't do anything else. I'm not allowed to get a sleeve by my profession yet, but soon they will approve them and I will revise at that time. I know better then to think I will somehow beat the odds and never need a revision.

Hello All, I had the lap band put in five years ago, and it hasn't been the best journey. I've had two revisions due to the band being punctured at fills, one in which it snapped and was poking me all over inside. We've never been able to find the sweet spot...it's either no restriction or so tight I can't get good Protein down. So in the past 5 months or so I have had unexplained swelling in my feet, ankles and calves. My regular physcian says it's due to sitting at work. Long story short, I had my band released a little bit (like .5 cc) and it was so loose that I had no restriction. She put more in, no restriction filled it back to where it was too tight at one point and still no restriction. I am now scheduled for an endoscopy to see if I have band erosion. Honestly, I feel like my body is rejecting the band. I'm holding Fluid everywhere...my belly feels like I have a bowling ball in it, my shoulders ache and my chiropractor today confirmed that he can tell my body has changed..he said my body is much tighter indicating to him I am full of fluids. My body hurts, my feet, ankles and knees are the worst...I can hardly stand to walk. I can't get comfortable when I try to sleep So I am wondering, have any of you been through this, and if you have, what did you do to help yourself? I cut out as much sodium in my diet to see if that was an issue, but it hasn't made a difference. TIA!

What staples did you have? Did you have an open procedure? My understanding is that with a lap revision there would not be staples? I am concerned with them getting this port out aka a tumor. Take care of your wound and follow the directions in its care!-wash hands and keep the dressing in place!!! (protein helps the body to heal..) Did you get another antibiotic???

I had surgery Feb 1st, lose 21 lbs so far, had my port flip, got revision surgery on March 28th. Got my first fill of 3.5 during that procedure. Went for second fill April 11th and got 3.5 more. Finally felt restriction but gained 2 lbs in a month from eating too much ice cream and not exercising. Got back on track and lost 3 lbs in 10 days in may! Went for my 3rd fill yesterday and Dr again thought my port had flipped but he got fluid in. He couldn't get it back out and 4 sips of water sent me into a puking fit! HORRIBLE!!! if I ever felt that after eating I'd never eat it again! I was filled to 10 ccs in my 11 cc band. I find out my line has a kink but if u push down on my fat roll the kink goes away and fluid can be taken out. I am filled to 7.5 now and it takes me about an hour to eat a normal sized plate of food. I go back in 6 wks and will have to get fills by x ray until I lose enuff weight to loosen up my kink!

Yeah. I got my revision to bypass last week. So far, this has been easier than the sleeve, and I’m just exhausted, but nothing hurts. I had horrible GERD, so they corrected a large hernia and cut my prior sleeve even more, to make it look good (it was enlarged). After all, the surgeon said everything looked great, and I felt ok. I’m hungry, but I think this is more mental than anything. I need to lose around 50 pounds to meet my goal. I was around 20 pounds short with the sleeve, but I could not do it.

My doc used to do band removal and then wait for healing and do sleeve. Now if at all possible he does the removal of the band and the sleeve in the same surgery. He said it seems easier on the patient then 2 surgeries and he can usually get the band out pretty fast. My surgery was 3 hours. There is no way I was going to have it in two surgeries. I was only wiling for them to do their best to do the revision in one. And thankfully that is how it went.

Hi! I am pretty new here, too, as I am approacing my 2 week sleeve-a-versary. I wish I could guarantee you and me that this would be the answer, but the proof for me is yet to be seen. Your Band story is very similar to mine...I was hungry most of the time and would eat the "wrong" things in order to satisfy my hunger...healthy foods just didn't stay down. So far, I am very happy to have my band out and my tummy trimmed down. Recovering nicely. I am sure that you will receive many replies from this group as they were nothing but warm and helpful to me as I prepared for my revision. As I move through my recovery, I'll keep you posted on how things go. Wish me luck! Cheers~ Barb