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I was reading on port pain after a revision. My port twisted and where the port use to be and still after 3 months it hurts like a #!@%#!! 3 months of weight gain and still no relief. Finally a CT Scan on Monday. I have had enough of hearing this is normal. This pain in not normal. I can't even bend over or cough without it hurting. Talk about my doc blowing me off. I had a lot of serous fluid after my revision. I mean a lot!! I was told no concern. See what happens on Monday. I am ready to remove my band. Its been costly and aggravating. My first 1 1/2 years went great then the port flip. I knew something was wrong from the start. NO ONE LISTENS!!! Thank god for this site....

The band is placed on the outside of the stomach so what goes on inside your tummy stays there and doesnt touch the band The band is meant to last a lifetime nowadays .. but as with all things .. maybe it will maybe it wont, .. how long is a peice of string ... Whatever weight loss surgery u choose theres complications that can occur with all of them, to me the laband had the least invasive surgery and the complications were more of a minor nature. At least if something happens the band can be removed .. to me the surgery was no worse than having a wisdom tooth out .. I would be more scared of having my intestines rerouted in a bypass op

Stacie - I'm so sorry for what you are going though. Your posting about you leak is freaking me out as my surgery is this Wed 3/3. My Dr has not had a leak with the sleeve and only 7 with 2500 bypass surgeries so I'm hoping I'm not his 1st sleeve leak!! Did you Dr. test for a leak during surgery (before he closed) or later? How did he test? I'm curious because my Dr said he clipped off below the stomach and applied pressure on the esophagus and did air testing using more pressure than any cough I would have. I had not found this type of testing mentioned on the boards so I thought I would asked about you leak testing. Hang in there and best of luck.

Sue, excellent idea! I've heard a lot of people do that. I went to visit a friend of mine who just had a gastric bypass, and she swears by it. Thanks ... any suggestions on which is the best? I like the Lifesaver popsicles. They don't taste like lifesavers, but they're really yummy. I go through about 4 boxes a week.:frown: Enjoy!

Hi guys, I'm so excited! I'm having surgery in 8 hours.. My story is a little different from most as I have just had my last big meal. I was allowed to eat up to 10pm tonight and no pre-surgery diet. It's midnight here. I'm in Amman,Jordan, coming from London, met my surgeon for the first time today. Also had all my pre-op tests. this afternoon. Everything was quick and smooth and easy. Tomorrow morning surgery. He said it would take half an hour 40 minutes. I was considering either mini gastric bypass or sleeve and he convinced me to go for the sleeve, even though it's much cheaper. Surgery is cheap and my surgeon seems fantastic. This is all he does and pretty laid back. Originally I was going to stay in hospital only one night but I asked him whether I could stay longer as I'm alone in this country , no companion and he said I could until I fly back to London at no extra charge, and they will be my companion :-) The only problem is there is no Wifi in the hospital.. I'm so looking forward to it and I'm so positive!!! I just know its going to work! Well... I'm 90% sure :-) I guess it's a lot to do with what I do.. and I'm pretty determined. Good night!

Hi All, I hope I might be able to find some help in a decision of whether to have my band removed or have it converted to Vertical Sleeve. (I can't bring myself to do Bypass and my husband is VERY against Bypass due to a friend having severe complications.) My band has slipped three times and I am facing my fourth surgery. For some reason every time I get the stomach flu and get sick... my band slips. I have had my band for two years and most of that time it has been unfilled due to a slip, unfilled due to post op or minor fill due to going slow on fills. I have managed to lose 55 pounds and keep it off, but I can't keep having slips every time I am sick. I have two children at two different schools and my husband and I both work so there are lots of opportunities for germs to come into our house. Do others that have the band slip so easily? I liked the fact that the band was relatively unintrusive, but I have feel it is time to do something that will not cause me to have surgery every 9 months. Luckily my insurance has covered the cost to date, but I see them refusing if this keeps happening. I have had two different surgeons (both work at the same practice) and both are in a Center of Excellence and have a good reputation. I am beginning to think there is just something wrong with my stomach and it doesn't like the band. Any help or advice is appreciated! Donna

So I am just over 5 months post op revision to Bypass and I am coming to a block/stall/halt..... whatever it may be in my weight loss. I only lost 2.6 lbs last month. I do great during the day but in the evening and night my cravings and hunger/head hunger are out of control, which makes me snack and crave sweets. But, I really think that the sugar free tea that I am drinking in the evenings is causing my cravings to be worse. I only have water during the day, but after work and at night I drink this tea (which I have a bit of an addiction to) It is sugar free, calorie free, carb free, but when I drink it I seen to have really bad cravings for sweets and sometimes salty snacks. I believe it has splenda in it. I don't know if it is the time of day that is my issues or the tea triggering an issue. So lord help me I am going to go cold turkey. No tea for one week and see what happens. I dearly love my sugar free tea so I am a bit panicked but I have to get the scale moving again!!!!!

Please study all my threads - please. Infected ports can and do lead to erosion. An infected port won't give you a fever (well, it might but I never had one.) I had 2 port removals due to infection, and I was diagnosed with erosion this week. I started a thread the other day about the importance of an endoscopy. Is your port inflamed, hot, red? If so, it's most likely infected and needs to be removed. But please don't get all worried because maybe the port just shifted after losing weight. If there's no infection and it bothers you a lot, they can do a port revision. But if it's infected, that means you should keep an extra special watch on your band. You're very smart to have paid attention to loss of restriction, which could be a sign of erosion, but again it just might be a sign of "time for a fill." PM me if you want to talk and I'll give you my number. Don't let all this worry you. I've been accused of trying to scare people with my infection and erosion stories but that's not what I want. I just want everyone to have the greatest band experience possible. Good luck and PLEASE keep in touch with me, k?

The band is supposed to be a permanent fix. You should not think that it is temporary. The only times the band needs to be removed is if it errodes, slips, etc. I believe some of the people who had to have revision surgery was due to complications. I know for me if anything happens with my band I will have no second thoughts about getting a revision and keeping it. I love my band and I'm so glad I have it.

I think some doctors are overly cautious because of fears that the extended release meds will release too quickly after the sleeve is done. I could see that as an issue with a bypass, but it seems a bit off when talking about surgery that did not monkey with the actual digestive process, just the size of the stomach.

I have told my boss and a few people that I work with. There are quite a few nurses that in Critical Care where I work, who have had the gastric bypass but I will be the first with the lap band. I tried to keep it quiet at first, but once a couple of people knew, everyone seemed to know.

This is such a personal decision for people. Obviously everyone needs to do what makes sense in their life. Only a few people know - My husband knows, a couple of new friends I met via surgeon's office and 1 colleague from another state who I see 1 time a year at a conference. I told her because at the conference in June she told me she had bypass (which was obvious by dramatic weight loss). I am not telling anyone else. My weightloss is slow and it is just now about 25-30 lbs that people are actually commenting. I work out 5-6 times a week and keep calories low. I can honestly tell people who ask about my work out and change in eating and not feeling like I am lying. The band does not do the work, I do. Good Luck with your decision!

Ditto - 3 WLS first a band in 2013 lost all the weight but complications set in and could not eat or drink and the band came out in May 2015. Gained 30lbs and different surgeon did sleeve on 21 December 2015. Complications and blockage due to scar tissue from the very start, never moved from clear liquid stage. Weight 46kgs but had revision to bypass on 9th May as could not eat or drink. Think I will make the Guinness book for bypass at the lowest weight ever (lol)

They may, but it's not a big deal. The incisions are really small. Your muscles don't feel sore afterwards. Im 5 weeks out from my RNY gastric bypass and muscles are fine. Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

yes I have gone to the seminar that is required here. I have also completed my first nutrition appt. I just keep hearing things against the banding, which is also my first choice. My BMI is 38, and I feel i need to loose 80-100 lbs too. The more I hear from actual people who have had the surgery, the better i feel. I just think that maybe bypass is so drastic. thanks for the advice!

I have an aunt that had GB and she eat pretty much whatever she wants. But she had sooooo many problems. Yes, she lost the weight, but now she is gaining back slowing. I decided to go with the band because i wanted to take ownership of my weightloss. I know I have to work with the band. I know I am in control of my destiny. And yes, with all WLS there can be complications. However, with the band, it can simply be reversed, removed...bypass is not! That was my other biggest deciding factor. You can succeed or fail on either. Bypass is a guaranteed, larger weight loss, but long term you can gain it back. I was told by 2 different surgeons that the band is a better tool for long term maintenance. They are 2 very different surgeries and I think you have a lot more thinking and research to do. Good luck to you in whatever you decide.

I just want to second some of the other people's advice here with my story. My family doctor suggested gastric bypass to me, he hasn't had a lot of patients do weight loss surgery. He did have one recent one who had the Roux en y gastric bypass and had success. I told him later that I thought the gastric band looked good to me. He researched it, called me in to the office and told me that was the way to go - less risk, slower weight loss (safer), no malabsorbtion, and the same results as gastric bypass 5 years out statistically. I think he'll be recommending the band, rather than bypass to other patients now. The only disadvantage where I live is that gastric bypass is covered by provincial insurance and banding is not - self pay unless you have really good private insurance. Anyway, when I seen costs - bypass costs more than banding - perhaps your surgeon is steering you to the more profitable surgery for him/her. I'd check that info you're getting because it doesn't match with what I've seen. I don't get the part about the band not being permanent - it will still be there indefinately. It has the advantage of being reversable, but I can't even imagine choosing that. I felt I needed the surgery because I know I would regain the weight otherwise. Only you can judge what might work best for you, but I have no regrets about choosing the band for me. I could eat more at a meal than many others around me, so I figured portion control would be a big help. And I do love my sweets too - just have to keep them portion controlled too.

I can tell you what I know about gastric bypass surgery. My friend has has this procedure twice within a four year span. To date she has almost regained all of her weight back for the second time. Ultimately, success depends on the efforts of the individual. I chose lap band surgery as a weight loss method because there is less down time and I didn't want the atrocious scar on my stomach. I believe either of the procedures demand commitment.

height: 5' 7" weight: 277 BMI: 64 It is crazy to me that I am putting this out there for whoever wants to read it and yet my husband doesn't even know exactly what I weigh. He has a real good idea but not the exact digits. Like by my not telling him it isn't as bad as it actually is. Kind of like how my drivers license says I weigh 200. I haven't weighed that sinse around 1994. It's been awhile. But it is time to face reality and own up to the fact that I am morbidly obese- I have let myself go further and further each year. I have been a pretty regular dieter the past 13yrs or so. I can lose 20-45 lbs befor I crash. I either get sick of no carbs, or tired of shakes, or quit excersizing, or quit counting calories because I want to eat. I have used food for comfort- to fill a void and I have created a vicious cycle in my life that needs to be broken. I am ready to begin the healing process. I am ready for my butt to quit being the thing that grows and instead have things like spiritual growth,confidence and self-worth back in my life. I have begun tackling the mental reason behind my eating. I really believe that will be a huge key to not only losing weight but achieving the internal happiness that I have been lacking. I began researching gastric bypass and banding about six months ago. At first I really wanted to bypass. I wanted the finality of it. I wanted to have no way out of losing weight. I was taking the wrong approach at that time. Even if I had chosen bypass- my mind still needed to make a shift. It took time and a lot of reading journals online to see that surgury is only a tool. I believe it is a powerful tool if used properly. I've made the shift and actually after a lot of research the band just makes so much sense. And I am so excited.... as well as a little nervous and scared.:phanvan The company I work for recently got bought out which was a huge blessing for me. My previous insurance didn't cover any kind of weight loss surgury. I was prepared to find a way to finance it- I and my health- are worth it! But luckily our new insurance overs everything. Yippee! So today I had my psych evaluation. There were 5 tests- 4 of them were not bad. The other one was almost 600 questions. Not terrible, but time consuming and can you say hand cramp? By the way I am not afraid of the dark (they asked that question like 6 times). The Doctor said after our 10 minute talk, that I am a perfect canidate and he has seen this surgury help a lot of people. First step down..... it has begun. I have an appointment with my primary doctor the 9th to get a refferal for a sleep apnea test. Then the 17th I have my appointment with the dietician. On the 27th I go to the required support group. I am on my way. :car:

I had RNY three months ago and have now lost 76# (pre and post op). These are the reasons I chose the bypass: -- Surgery has been done for 50+ years and has a long history of success. -- Is considered the gold standard of WLS. On average people lose more weight with RNY than any other WLS. -- Eliminates acid reflux. The sleeve can make this worse. -- BP instantly normal after surgery. -- "Disconnects" the hunger hormones. My hunger is nothing like it was before surgery. -- Old stomach is still intact and part of my system. I have had no complications. My recovery has been amazing. I was off my pain meds three days after coming home from the hospital. I can eat anything I want, although I don't because I don't feel good afterward. I am losing an average of 3 pounds a week. I've had no stalls.

I was gun-hoe on getting the sleeve until me doctor told me that bypass is the better option for women. Women and men metabolize differently. It was a long discussion, but I'm having bypass tomorrow!

I think you hit it right there - I think it has a lot to do with jealousy. I remember when my bro-in-law had RNY gastric bypass 3 years ago thinking and saying "Wow, it must be nice to be able to afford a quick and easy way to lose weight, why the rest of us have to struggle" Man was I WRONG! I have watched him struggle a lot more since his surgery than ever before. It's ignorance and jealousy.

I am in the process of ordering my Vitamins so I have them all here when I get home from surgery. There are so many options!! For those of you who have already had bypass, did you have trouble with any of the chewables? I think that would be easiest for me, but there are so many different ones I have to take that I just wonder if it will be hard to manage. Some of my options come in a powder to be dissolved, but I don't know if it is worth the trouble. I would love to hear your stories and also know what brands you prefer for each type. My dr wants me to take two multis, 1 Calcium citrate with D, 18 mg Iron, and sublingual B12. Thanks!

So, I am nearly 15 years (yes years) postop. I started at 315 and plummeted to 142 within 10 months of surgery. I was super happy but I was also sick. I didn't have energy, I looked sick...but I was SKINNY! For the first time in my adult life, I wore a SMALL! I loved and hated it at the same time. Then I was told to gain weight because due to all the excess skin, I was really underweight and it was NOT healthy for me. Well, long story short...I can eat pretty much anything and not dump. Then my portions started growing and my snacking came back. I gained, I lost, I gained, I lost...you all know how that goes. I got back up to 230 and was miserable again. I started doing VERY well earlier this year and lost nearly 25 pounds of regain, then COVID-19 struck and has me working from home. This led right back to horrible habits and not as much movement (I didn't even have to walk to my car!). The company I work for has wonderful programs to help get motion and nutrition back on track. Well, that is if you are able bodied (I have bad knees and am just trying to keep replacements at bay as long as I can) and can eat like a normal person. The PT and nutritionist had me doing things that just didn't work for me...not once but TWICE. I told them over and over I couldn't exercise on my knees nor could I eat the portions they were assigning to me. Frustrated, I started researching revisions. I found one I was seriously contemplating, regardless of insurance coverage (I was THAT desperate). I was on the verge of calling my GP for a referral when I thought, "What about going back to basics"? So, about two weeks ago, I found some sites (this is one of them!) with bariatric specific meal plans, food, vitamins, gadgets, etc. I took the plunge and ordered protein powders, protein snacks, meal replacements and changed my vitamin routine to the 1 A Day on here. I bought shaker bottles for my shakes, 15 minute increment water bottles to make me drink my water (if you knew me, you would know I HATE water), and I also cleared two shelves in my pantry for JUST ME. It's now been just over a week and I am down 4 pounds. I have so much more energy that my husband was like "who are you and where is my wife"! I have already noticed a difference in some of my clothes - no more dancing routine putting on my yoga pants! It's not easy, but I have to remember where I was and where I want to be once again! Sorry this was so long but I started typing and couldn't stop!

Ive had a band since 2009 and you never really stop feeling hungry. Its just that ur new stomach is small so it feels full. But the hunger is created by hormones in the lining of your stomach and theyre still there and active all the time unlike with sleeve or bypass. I lijed the vand at first but am having a revision to bypass next week because i cant stand the hunger feeling any more. Sent from my GT-I9505 using the BariatricPal App