Search the Community

Didn't know that, @Sai. I thought they'd just do the revision. I would probably gain half back in 6 months without any fill. SMDH. Thank you for the heads up. I hope you are doing better after the car accident. Thank you for you input. Big decision for me. Thank you, I'm leaning that way after all of your input.

Hi, I've been banded for one year now. I am fighting the band. I can still eat more than my surgeon says I should BUT I have a hard time getting down meat no matter how much I chew. I am TIRED of getting stuck and throwing up. Also, because of the stress from all of this, I've fallen off the diet wagon. What do I do? I'm considering having a revision to gastric bypass, but I don't know if that will help. I'm feeling like I'm a failure.

I had a revision done on the 18th and spent 2 nights in the hospital

Hi everyone! I had the lap band in 2015 and thought I would be completely different within a year. I initially started to lose weight but even at the beginning felt like I shouldn't be able to eat as much as I could. I was constantly hungry and felt like I was starving all the time. I had several adjustments and even got to the max allowement then had to have it drained because I couldn't even drink Water.. It was aweful! My heaviest weight was 289.7 and I didn't even realize it! I seen a picture of myself and had no idea who that person was. I am 5'8 and have always been told that I'm curvy and look "good" so it never occurred to me that I was actually that big since I carry my weight well. Don't get me wrong, I knew I was a big girl but still felt like I wasn't that bad. My horrible motto and cop out was, "You can fix chubby but you can't fix ugly!" How horrible right?? Smh.. Well, I had pain, brusing on my belly button and could no longer hold down real food. But let me tell you that chips and candy went down super easy. I ate the big Reece's cups everyday! I felt like a complete and total failure and started feeling like everyone who loves me was being nice to me and telling me I was beautiful because they knew my heart. I am currently 33 and was 17 when my beautiful mother died and 19 when my amazing father died. I raised my 2 brothers and 1 sister when that happened and worked 3 jobs to make sure we had a roof over our heads. I sang in a band for many years and always felt like the fat girl. I even had a miscarriage 5 years ago that devastated me to the core. I was tired, and tired of being tired. Last week, October 19th I changed my life!! I had the revision to sleeve!! Let me tell you the honest raw uncut truth... I NEVER EXPECTED THIS! My amazing, supportive fiancé got me a scale yesterday as a surprise. I almost felt like maybe my doctor didn't actually do the sleeve since I don't notice any changes. I went into surgery at 281.7 and I weighed myself this morning at 262.4!!!!! I AM IN AWE!! I go to the doctor today for a follow up and am honestly in pain (mostly super tenderness) and man oh man do I want a cheeseburger.. Lol.. But this has been all worth it! I know that if I stay focused, stay connected, stay honest and give my all.. I will have amazing results! This site has been so inspirational. I have literally been reading stuff all night!! Haha.. I had to tell everyone a part of my story and really stay accountable. Thank you for reading my extremely long story. I hope that someone out there can relate and feel encouraged. My new motto is, "Live the life that you want to live and live it well!" Bee Sent from my LGMS550 using the BariatricPal App

I had my band out and revised to sleeve in one procedure recovery was tough but I wouldn't have it any other way. Same issues as you got banded 2009 had port replaced 6 months later had issues with being too tight had my band emptied numerous times gained and lost same 50 lbs I've been sleeved for 2 months now and I'm down 30 lbs post op.. I tell you what I don't miss that port or the stuck feeling I can eat everything just a lot less now

I had 6 drainage bulbs on my first surgery, so two will be a walk in the park for me although I am a bit older myself ! And thank you for the update , I was told you can expect to lose 30 pounds with revision ? Curious if you were told the same ?

Wow that is a dilemma. Congrats on hitting your goal weight! Great job!!! Its good that you have not developed a false sense of security and know your Achilles tendon. You are right to be concerned and considering your options to maintain at goal... and I understand not wanting to go under goal. I say trust yourself for now give yourself a weight range to maintain on your own and if you're struggling (you'll know if you are) just know that options for revision are on the table if you should decide to go that route.

I have been around goal weight plus minus 5-10 lbs for some time. I got my band in 2008. Had issues with dilated pouch/esophagus. They remove my fill liquid for 4 months, I gain weight. They put it back in and it's twice as hard to get back down the 20, 30 lbs. I do it but without some liquid in my band, I'm like an alcoholic but with food. I know this. Food is my weak point, my comforter, my vice. I try not to gain weight during that phase but so far I have lost the battle. I'm at goal weight and now I hear I might have to have liquid removed yet again. I have the opportunity to change to the sleeve. One doctor says do the revision, another says I may go underweight. What would you do if the band served you so well for many many years?

First, congratulations on surviving breast cancer! Secondly, I was sleeved December 4th, no dumping for me however I do have terrible GERD. There's no malabsortion srestriction but I do keep up on my Vitamins, vitamins are important!! Its a "tool" I still make the daily decisions however best choise I ever made. Im on ppi for gerd, I think if that doesn't correct itself I'll probably have to have the revision to bypass. I don't know the waiting period, does anyone else know? Good luck!!! Thank you in advance :-)

With my band surgery (trying to revise to sleeve). I only took the narcotics for two, technically 3 days. Third day was really only because I had bad cramps from TOM. But a year later I threw out a more than 3/4 bottle of the stuff. I think I did take Tylenol a few times after though Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

This same thing happened to me while I was in Mexico working (my company outsourced and I was training others). Because I was there on business I had to stay for 6 weeks. These 6 weeks were the most miserable weeks ever. I had gotten where I couldn't eat or drink anything. Even with no eating or drinking I still had acid reflux and it was the worse at night when I was trying to sleep. I stuck it out the full six weeks (lost 30lbs). I got home and the first thing I did was call my surgeon. He had me come right in that same day I called and guess what, I had a full slippage of the band. Well he immediately took out all my Fluid and I was to return in 4 weeks. Since he took out all my fill I was finally able to eat and keep everything down. That night I slept very well. I went back in the 4 weeks like he asked me too and he put a third of my fill back in. I was doing ok with going back and getting small fills, then one night 3 months later I have acid reflux really bad again. I made a appt with my surgeon to have some fill taken out and my worst fears were confirmed. I had another slip. He told me that when you have a slip you are at a higher risk of having another. I told him I could not live this way with having a slip every three months or so. He scheduled me for another surgery to go in and either replace the band I have or revise it. A few months later I had the surgery again and I was happy to learn he was able to revise the band instead of replacing it. I have been doing so much better this time around and am not real aggressive with my fills. I am losing weight the right way. Once in a while I will get too tight and have to go in to get some of my fill taken out but for the most part I am doing much better and am on track again. During this ordeal I did gain 20lbs back when I didn't have any fluid in my band but since the surgery I have been able to get it back off. Don't wait too long before you get your fluid or some of the fluid taken out of your band because it will cause slippage if it is too tight for too long of a time. The regurgitation and throwing up is not good for it and will cause it to slip. Because I was in Mexico and was unfamiliar with any doctors there I did not want to go to the hospital and suffered through my pain. I did pay dearly for waiting. Good luck to you and I hope you get well soon. Cynthia Texas

Well here I am, losing weight and seeing this port starting to stick out. Well, went in on 10/26/09 for a Port Revision. All went well. Went home and dealt with the pain as I didn't take the pain meds that were given to me. ( The same one gave me a bad reaction for the lap band surgery) So I just dealt with it for a few days, then worked out of the house for the remainder of the week. On 11/2/09, I went i to the Doc for a post op visit and found that I was down to 5 cc. Lost 1.45 cc due to the revision. I had a 1.3 fill and couldn't even drink water. The NP removed .3 cc and I felt better. HOWEVER< when I got to the office and had soup......my trouble began.....I was sliming soup just after 3 oz.....Same for dinner. Had chicken broth and after 3 oz I was sliming. Caled the Doc's office and am scheduled for an unfill this afternoon. Probably .5cc -.7 cc. Need to find that sweet spot again. I need to maintain now. Lost 114 lbs. Down to 223 which is where I wanted to be. I think what happened ( just guessing) was the new port is alot smaller so to fill me up to my old restriction would really require less volume to give me the same effect. In other words with a smaller port, 5.5cc would get me to the sweet spot. We shall see...........

I had the band for 2 years and did a sleeve revision in January 2013. I vomited several times a day with the band and would wake up to reflux and vomit all night. My band was so bad that it was not productive burping it was full on massive amounts if vomiting. I have only had 2 episodes of vomiting with sleeve. Both times were my fault for eating bread to fast and then becoming terribly full. I had a lot if nausea for first month with sleeve but it goes away.

I've heard that slips are caused by over eating or by vomitting a lot ... I've never had one so I have no idea. Im sorry about your predicament. Have you been able to keep the weight off during your revisions? Best of luck!

Whatever you decide, PLEASE make sure your insurance company does NOT have a 1 weight loss surgery procedure per LIFETIME, or policy period exclusion. With the recent study out in 2010 showing 1 in 3 band patients need another surgery and it's typically a revision, you'll be stuck with a band. I have appeal letters, and there are SOOOOOOOOOOO many people on obesityhelp.com that had the same rule with their insurance, they appealed it and WON for the sleeve. I had the band because VSG was not available when I had to choose. So, believe me, I do understand in choosing the band, BUT VSG was NOT even offered in my area, along with government ran insurance through the military, I had to tackle 2 hurdles to get VSG. I say do NOT give up, do not settle for the complications that come with the band lifestyle.

I was wondering the very same thing! I have 2 cats.. spoiled rotten. I'm having the Lapband removed & revised to RNY on tues 8/11. Thanks for asking that question & to those who replied. Good luck to you!

I had my band for 16 1/2 months and lost about 45 pounds. Had my revsion on May 6th and at my apt. today went from 164.5 to 148.5. Don't think I have been in the 140's since I got pregnant with my now 15 year old. I feel amazing and had no complications, a very easy recovery, and I am eating with very little problems. I am so happy I decided to revise.

That was fun!!!!!! I got to the hospital and they were all ready for me! This part was just like the banding surgery in March. This is the tale of what happened next! First of all what is a Port Revision? Most of you already know but for the few who do not......it is when there is a leak in the port itself or the tubing going to the band! It is possible for the port to be damaged when the Doctor is doing a fill or adjustment. When there is a leak the doctor must go back in thru the belly button and fix the leak or replace the port. He finds the leak or problem with the port with a dye that is put into the port/tubing. This is all done with a local anesthesia so you are awake the whole time they are working on you and what ever is broken gets fixed, done, it was really quite fun......but then you hear the words of the Doctor, "Cheryl, The port has detached itself from the tubing and the tubing has gone up inside of you and I can not get it without doing it laparoscopically!", okay cool here we go on a nice trip to who knows where for a little while, I told them all night night and thanks for the great job and out I went! I woke up in the middle of a cartoon version of The Road Runner, it was really funny! I only had to stay at the hospital for a few hours, then I went home. So now today, it is almost the same as when I came home from the initial banding! I have three cuts from the laparoscopic part and the belly button cut! A bit sore today, feels like a Mac truck rolled over me a couple of times. BEST OF ALL!!!!!!!!! even though I am only on liquids, RESTRICTION, SWEET RESTRICTION! Oh how great it feels to have my old friend back in my body! Doc Feiz gave me a fill yesterday also just a little one. I can not say this enough, This young Doctor Feiz is amazing, kind, caring and very very special. Even my husband thinks so! So now back to loosing the tons and back to eating small portions. Just a side note! I was without any restriction for over 2 weeks, I ate a little more in portion size then with restriction and officially at the hospital yesterday I had only gained 2 pounds which I am sure is already gone with being on the liquids! This says to me that even with my band not being tight, I stayed in control of my hunger, the band was still doing its job, I still one night got food stuck eating too fast! I love my BAND!

YAAAASSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!! I couldn't eat anything healthy with the band, but Cookies were no problem. WTF?? Now I can eat veggies to my heart's content without getting stuck. I had this weird dance I'd do in my seat to try to get stuff to go down, and I'd always have my hands over my head because it felt better to be stretched out...but it looked ridiculous!! I can eat more than a typical bypass patient, but I can eat very normally with other people and not have to make a quick escape to get something dislodged. And sleep is wonderful now. I have several band friends and most of them are jealous of my revision. We all had our surgeries around the same time. One made it past goal, three are still struggling through it, and I'm now revised. So it does work for some people (though the one who made it past goal did it by being so tight all she could eat was soup and she takes Nexium twice daily and still has issues, but she's willing to put up with it.....I wasn't). I wish I'd had the foresight to know I wouldn't be one of them. I had the same issue! Any junk food was no problem but give me a salad and I'd throw up!

Best of luck! I'm 4 weeks out from revision. It's very different this time around. My recovery was honestly much better for this procedure, not sure why. I feel so much better having that darn port out of me, too!!

I had revision from band to RNY on January 23, 2015. I stayed 2 days in the hospital. I was off heavy pain medicine the next morning. I walked right way and kept walking. I sipped water every 15 minutes. I know I am very lucky and thank god for a relatively easy recovery. I had very little pain, quick recovery and I'm down 26 lbs. already. I have been following my doctors orders to a "T". I wish I had done the RNY the first time, but I was too scared. This has been one of the best decisions I've made! I wish you the best of luck!

I am considering the same thing you did for the same reason. I see this post is from 2017. I'd love an update about GERD/reflux and also weight loss. How much did you lose after the revision, and how are you doing at maintaining? Any regain? Thank you in advance!

I'm curious if you did the sleeve to RNY revision. If so, when? I had it done the day after Thanksgiving 2021. Reflux was gone immediately. I've lost 60 lbs. I lost it pretty quickly, I'm maintaining for over a month now. I was a little freaked out having problems with stopping the weight loss. I did the same thing with sleeve surgery in 2010. I can eat often, but very little at a time. I struggle with meat, an ounce is safe, maybe 1.25 oz, after that, it will end up 'sitting' between my ribs and 9 times out of 10 I'll have to throw up to get relief. Surgery was in Nov, then after a sonogram and endoscopy I had my gallbladder removed in March. (They also discovered a very large marginal ulcer. (What the heck is that?) I had to take a liquid medication 3xs a day and they did another endoscopy 6 weeks later. Ulcer went from very large to large. Six weeks later another endoscopy showed it was healed. Now I'm just focusing on trying to not lose more weight. Gaining 10 lbs would be fine. I'd like to stop there and maintain just under 150. How realistic is this, maintaining from now on. Sadly, sweets and some fried meats (catfish, chicken fried steak) are easy to keep down, mashed potatoes too. I have to weigh meat, and sometimes then it still gets to me. What's up with that? Any advice, insight etc would be greatly appreciated. Share you story with me if you've had the sleeve to bypass revision.

I feel bad for you, to have had to have the revision really sucks! I got the mesh (or whatever you called it) in the first place to give it a good base to scar to to prevent the flip (I have Allergan) so I hope that works. I always wonder if I have a complication like that do I have to pay because I self-payed the first time! Anyway I hope you feel better soon, its a bump in the road (a long road of life I guess) but you are doing great!!

I was just approved for revision from band to sleeve. I've never had a problem with GERD or reflux (except when the band is too tight). Reading this thread is making me a little bit afraid of the sleeve! Yikes. I don't want to have that kind of problem all the time.