I had lap-band surgery 18 months ago, and have LOVED it!!! I changed my lifestyle to include eating right & exercising and have reached my goal weight! I started having problems about 6 weeks ago, after I completed a triathlon!!! I took some Advil to help with joint pain (which I had not taken since my surgery) and feel like it caused some irritation in my stomach lining. I don't know if this is the cause of my band slippage, but I have to wonder. I had thrown up maybe a dozen times throughout my 18 months after surgery when I ate some dry meat and it just seemed to "get caught" and not "go down". Maybe that was the start of the band slippage. Whatever the reason, since my Advil usage, it has now slipped to where I can only drink smoothies and have terrible gerd. I don't know whether to do lap-band surgery again -- only to have it slip again -- or do the "sleeve". My doctor says that once you slip doesn't mean it will slip again, but does it? I love the option of being able to adjust the band throughout my lifetime (which hopefully is at least another 20+ years), or is the sleeve the best option for maintaining my weight since I have reached my goal weight? Please help me with this decision.... Tell me the pros & cons....

Edited July 7, 201016 yr by DAdam

Does anyone have any thoughts about the gastric sleeve to maintain my weight since I have to have surgery anyway to replace my existing band that has slipped? I have the Realize band in place now...that has slipped....and my doctor's office doesn't even use the Realize band anymore because they were having so many problems with it!!!! Wish I would have made the 'other' lap band choice in the first place....maybe I wouldn't be going through this right now!! But I guess this is a HEADS UP for those thinking about the Realize band!!!

The sleeve is my backup plan, if I ever lose my band that is what I will do. If I had known more about it I might have even gotten it done in the first place but I was so into the reversible/adjustable aspect of the band that I didn't even consider it.

I know this, I will be banded or have a sleeve, I will never go back to original condition!

Does anyone have any thoughts about the gastric sleeve to maintain my weight since I have to have surgery anyway to replace my existing band that has slipped? I have the Realize band in place now...that has slipped....and my doctor's office doesn't even use the Realize band anymore because they were having so many problems with it!!!! Wish I would have made the 'other' LAP-BAND® choice in the first place....maybe I wouldn't be going through this right now!! But I guess this is a HEADS UP for those thinking about the Realize band!!!

DAdam,

I am having the GP's done 7/14. This is very similiar to the sleeve except it's less invasive and reversible. The reason I chose this over the lapband was for a few different reasons. This is considered the happy marriage between the Gastric bypass and the lapband. Pro's are you can drink while you eat, may have bread (but we all know we need to limit carbs), no slipage, fills, or erosion. Basically the sew up 80% of your stomach again reversible and you are left with 20%. You have the same fullness and you can still vomit if you eat too much. For me this was a better option. You do lose a little more weight with this procedure than lapband. The down side to this procedure is that they only have about 3 years worth of studies. However, I figured that in the beginning of lap band they to did not have the studies. There are some well known doctors in the States that are performing this procedure and have had excellent results.

Good luck on your choice!

I am having the GP's done 7/14. This is very similiar to the sleeve except it's less invasive and reversible.

What is the GP's? I have never heard of it and can't seem to find any info on the net.I also thought that the lapband was the only surgery that was reversible.

What is the GP's? I have never heard of it and can't seem to find any info on the net.I also thought that the LAP-BAND® was the only surgery that was reversible.

elcee,

The GP's is very similiar to the sleeve. What my doctor does is fold the bottom of your stomach, like gathering fold of material and he sews it together with two seams. The difference is he does not get rid of the unused part of the stomach both so you don't have malnutrition and so it is reversible. The down side is that they only have about 3 years worth of studies on it. The upside is that like the band it is less invasive and reversible. You also don't have to worry about slipage, erosion, or food getting stuck. You may also drink and eat bread. However, you still have the same fullness because you are only left with 20 % of your stomach. They say it is a happy marriage between the gastric and the lapband. Several individuals have gone from the lapband to the sleeve with better results.