My band has slipped, I'm having surgery tomorrow. My doctor comes to talk to me and throws me for a loop by suggesting I switch and go for a gastric sleeve. I was banded in 09 and have lost 106 lbs. Any advice? I'm in maintain mode now at 149lbs. In the long run, will the sleeve be better? I don't want another band slippage? I'm really confused!

If you're not comfortable with getting the sleeve then you may want to look into getting the band with plication (iband). Plication is a relatively new WLS but initial studies show that plication can help to prevent slippage and erosion. Here is the site of a doctor in the LA area that preforms the procedure http://blog.marinahospital.com/l-a-bariatrics-to-perform-first-banded-plication-surgery/

Remember the old saying: Fools Rush In ... " & another "Act in haste and repent at leisure." How unfair of your doc to throw that at you at the last minute.

My 2 cents? Get another band ... since that has already worked for you, it's removable, and fixable if it slips. Second choice is the sleeve, which has been around longer than the pcilation. The sleeve is very popular right now and you can lose a lot of weight with it, but most of your stomach will be removed. I think it's 90%, Pcilation is only about 1 year old, so it's still experimental.

I followed a pcilation group for a month or so and some reported no weight loss, others loved it, and docs were talking about how they are just tracking it, warts and all.

The danger here is in changing to a more drastic procedure from which there is no going back. Once they cut out your stomach with the sleeve or pcilation, it's gone for good,. Personally, that's way too risky for me. We know the band works. Sure it has it's problems, but it does work and you don't have to have your stomach cut out.

Good luck whatever you decide.

My 2 cents? Get another band ... since that has already worked for you, it's removable, and fixable if it slips. Second choice is the sleeve, which has been around longer than the pcilation. The sleeve is very popular right now and you can lose a lot of weight with it, but most of your stomach will be removed. I think it's 90%, Pcilation is only about 1 year old, so it's still experimental.

I followed a pcilation group for a month or so and some reported no weight loss, others loved it, and docs were talking about how they are just tracking it, warts and all.

The danger here is in changing to a more drastic procedure from which there is no going back. Once they cut out your stomach with the sleeve or pcilation, it's gone for good,. Personally, that's way too risky for me. We know the band works. Sure it has it's problems, but it does work and you don't have to have your stomach cut out.

Good luck whatever you decide.

The sleeve generally removes 80-85% of your stomach

While plication for weight loss is relatively new, the plication procedure is based on a technique that has been used to treat GERD for over 40 years http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissen_fundoplication

With plication your stomach is not removed unlike the sleeve. Like the band. plication is also reversible. The benefit of the iband (band and plication together) is that they serve as a back up to each other. The combination can result in the need for fewer fills or even no fills at all, however if there isn't adequate weight loss with the unfilled band, the band can be filled for additional restriction.

I will grant that the procedure is new but it there are few to no additional risks when compared to the band alone.

If I remember correctly you are the same person that posted not that long ago about wanting to have an unfill before going on holiday so that you could eat more. I am wondering if you have had you band too tight for a while which may have caused the slip or if maybe you kept pushing the limits because your head and stomach were no longer in sync.

And i may have also read in another thread that you throw up daily but again I'm not sure.

You could get another band, you know it has worked for you previously but it seems as though you have some issues that you should be sorting out first. The sleeve is also a good option but you won't be able to take a holiday from that when you think you want to. That is permanent and once it is done there is no going back.

This would be a tough decision to make at such short notice. I hope you manage to make the one that is right for you.

Excellent Point about it being permanent !

I'm guessing that this is the same Surgeon that put athe Band in that slipped !

Are you sure you want him cutting you up ?

My band has been in sinse 06, and it is stitched into the stomach to avoid slippage.

You might want to look around, and see if you can get someone to put the band in that way.

It is there for good, unless removed.

The sleeve also has alot of problems with Malabsorption. I would give that alot of thought if I were you.

i would do the band unless you are trying to lose more weight but seems to me thatyou are maintaining..