Banded Now.. Researching the Sleeve

[Lisa B 0]

Hi everyone. My name is Lisa in April 2005 I self paid to have the lap band inplanted - It's amazing how quickly they can schedule a surgery if Insurance doesn't have a part in it. I decided on the Lap Band when the company I worked for SOLD the Lapband for Inamed- Actually we were a Telemarketing company answering their 800# calls. I was quite educated on the band and decided that it would be my surgery of choice. $14,500.00 later I had the band. I was so ELATED :thumbup: to have such a great and wonderful tool to help me with my weight loss!!! After my first fill I was choking and my saliva glands were producing so much saliva it was like a Water fountain going off on the inside of my mouth- The doc did a fluoro and said that the band was placed a lil higher than what he would like it to be but thought I would be okay- He adjusted my band and all was well for a while. Over the last 4 years I have lost a total of 70 pounds but I'm back up 20 of those........ I've had severe choking, Reflux, and countless fills and un fills all at $200 a pop.....

This last year I've only had 1.7 cc in my band - gained 20 pounds and still choked almost every night while sleeping:cursing:... and I'm not talking about normal choking... this stuff comes up from your stomach and just seeps into your wind pipe:blink: Your dead asleep and sit up choking for your life- after 9 months of this and another unfill I went to see a different doctor a few hours away to see about getting the band removed and to either have the Gastric Sleeve or to have the RNY done in it's place. The doctor is awesome- very nice, took his time speaking to me in complete detail about both procedures. The doctor said that from his experience from his patients that her reccommends the RNY over the sleeve because of the succees rate long term. I told him that I'm not sure about doing the RNY as I don't need further complications... This doctor wanted to identify the reason of why I was choking so much on so little of a fill..... He did a Fluoro xray only to discover that my band had prolapsed and right then and there had to remove nearly all of the remaining fill in my band...... It was a double edged sword for me... Happy to know that with the unfill I would not choke but sad to think that I would feel hunger again and possibly gain a little more weight back... But he was looking after me and my best interest.

So that's why I'm hear on this wonderful site to read your stories and to see how each of you like the sleeve.

Both procedures are the same price $18,800.00 which to me seems like the Sleeve would be cheaper since they are not re-routing the intestines. Again I'm a self pay and this will be the last surgery I can buy for myself for a very long time and I want to make the right decision for me....

So I look forward to reading your posts, and all of your success stories.

Have a great day!

Lisa B

Edited June 11, 2009 by Lisa B

[burnsun 27]

welcome.....I am choosing the sleeve after I lost my band! Very much hate the re-routing thought....but I have friends who love it! Good luck & welcome!

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

Hi everyone. My name is Lisa in April 2005 I self paid to have the lap band inplanted - It's amazing how quickly they can schedule a surgery if Insurance doesn't have a part in it. I decided on the Lap Band when the company I worked for SOLD the Lapband for Inamed- Actually we were a Telemarketing company answering their 800# calls. I was quite educated on the band and decided that it would be my surgery of choice. $14,500.00 later I had the band. I was so ELATED :thumbup: to have such a great and wonderful tool to help me with my weight loss!!! After my first fill I was choking and my saliva glands were producing so much saliva it was like a Water fountain going off on the inside of my mouth- The doc did a fluoro and said that the band was placed a lil higher than what he would like it to be but thought I would be okay- He adjusted my band and all was well for a while. Over the last 4 years I have lost a total of 70 pounds but I'm back up 20 of those........ I've had severe choking, Reflux, and countless fills and un fills all at $200 a pop.....

This last year I've only had 1.7 cc in my band - gained 20 pounds and still choked almost every night while sleeping:cursing:... and I'm not talking about normal choking... this stuff comes up from your stomach and just seeps into your wind pipe:blink: Your dead asleep and sit up choking for your life- after 9 months of this and another unfill I went to see a different doctor a few hours away to see about getting the band removed and to either have the Gastric Sleeve or to have the RNY done in it's place. The doctor is awesome- very nice, took his time speaking to me in complete detail about both procedures. The doctor said that from his experience from his patients that her reccommends the RNY over the sleeve because of the succees rate long term. I told him that I'm not sure about doing the RNY as I don't need further complications... This doctor wanted to identify the reason of why I was choking so much on so little of a fill..... He did a Fluoro xray only to discover that my band had prolapsed and right then and there had to remove nearly all of the remaining fill in my band...... It was a double edged sword for me... Happy to know that with the unfill I would not choke but sad to think that I would feel hunger again and possibly gain a little more weight back... But he was looking after me and my best interest.

So that's why I'm hear on this wonderful site to read your stories and to see how each of you like the sleeve.

Both procedures are the same price $18,800.00 which to me seems like the Sleeve would be cheaper since they are not re-routing the intestines. Again I'm a self pay and this will be the last surgery I can buy for myself for a very long time and I want to make the right decision for me....

So I look forward to reading your posts, and all of your success stories.

Have a great day!

Lisa B

Hi Lisa.....

You will find many here that completely and totally relate to your story. We really have been there/done that.

The sleeve, OMG... it's like a band that actually works without all the risks and complications.

BUT... you need to think about how close you got to goal with the band. Is restriction enough for you? When you had band problems did you head for the soft good foods or the soft bad foods? That is key, it tells how well you do with restriction alone. Were you at goal at 70#? If so, the sleeve is for you! If you didn't get to goal... maybe you need malabsorption?

Only you will know.

Welcome to our board!

[Lisa B 0]

With the loss of 70 pounds, I still had 50 to lose... and yeah I'm guilty of going to soft foods when I couldn't eat- so maybe that's my answer? It just scares me to do the RNY- same price or not.... I know many people who have done the RNY and are very successful- but I know some that have gained all their weight back to.

Thank you for the warm welcome!

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

With the loss of 70 pounds, I still had 50 to lose... and yeah I'm guilty of going to soft foods when I couldn't eat- so maybe that's my answer? It just scares me to do the RNY- same price or not.... I know many people who have done the RNY and are very successful- but I know some that have gained all their weight back to.

Thank you for the warm welcome!

Bypass is something I would never get. If I had to go the route of malabsorption it would be DS. I don't want DS enough to keep me on track with a sleeve. ;o)

One in five bypass fail, but then one in four bands fail. Bands and bypass were yesterday's surgeries, sleeves and DS are tomorrow.

I think I need to go visit my treadmill so I can think about how much I do not want DS. Heh...

[MacMadame 81]

My surgeon only charges 17,000 for the sleeve and 23,000 for bypass. That's because the OR time is shorter and you tend to have a shorter hospital stay too. He also finds his sleeve patients lose as much as his bypass patients, but have less trouble with regain.

[Oregondaisy 2,020]

I would never go for an RNY. I know so many people that had it done and gained all or most of their weight back. The RNY does not use the same part of the stomach that they make the sleeve from. The sleeve stomach does not stretch because they use the muscular part of the stomach.

I was banded for nearly 2 years before the vomiting in my sleep began. it didn't take me long to want that band out as soon as possible to get the sleeve. I am really glad I did.

[susan42 0]

Greetings everyone! I just wanted to share my experience. I was banded first time in 2006 with a 4cc band. Everything went well aside from sliming, food getting stuck & vomiting. I figured this was just the price to pay to finally be able to lose weight once & for all. I lost 50 lbs (not quite goal) but I was so happy to lose weight successfully. At my lowest weight I started having horrible reflux at night. I would wake up choking on burning stomach acid (sorry for the gross factor). It was not only painful, but scary. Apparently my band had slipped. From what I understand this is common for the 4cc band. So the process of removal of Fluid over months began until I had no restriction. The hope was the the band would correct itself which it did not. The decision was a new band. I got a 10cc band a little over a year ago and have since gained all of my weight back!!! I can't begin to tell you how discouraging this has been. I know that it isn't totally the band to blame because as my disappointment in my new band grew

I stopped exercising and ate "bad" foods. Since may 2009 I have had several fills. At one point I was too restricted and could barely keep anything down. For some reason I cannot find the sweet spot with this new band like I did with the old one. I go in for yet another fill and I am going to talk to dr. about a sleeve. My insurance has been very good about everything so far, but we know how insurance companies are ;0. I know that there isn't a perfect surgery, but from what I can tell the sleeve offers the benefits of a band yet without complications of bypass (which I would never consider). Thanks for listening!!:thumbup:

[Maddie 9]

I hope the ins. comes through for you and that you find a solution. Best of luck.

[mila1013 0]

hi all,

similar stories here, I just had my band removed last week, I was going into my 8th year with the band. the first 5 years were like a honeymoon, the 6th started w/some light heartburn-no big deal, the 7th ok here comes the bad stuff (erosion, severe esophogeal dysmotility, band slippage, megaesophagus, hiatal hernia, pseudoachlachia, 3 interabdominal surgeries-extensive adhesions) no matter what we did including another band, repositioning, band emptied for 5 months nothing worked, hence removal. My EG junction is so damaged that at this point that it will need to rest for a few months before any surgery could every be done. I was down to a goal weight of 126lbs so for me the restriction of the band worked, if it was not for the late complications I would have had the band for life. So I am looking into the sleeve as it seems to offer good restriction and hopefully not all the late complications. I am excluded from the RNY or DS due to disease state, so this is pretty much it for me. I am currently trying to find a good high risk revision surgeon in NY, referrals wouldl be welcome, as my leak complication rate hovers around the 25% range due to my complications. high risk revision surgery is not to be taken lightly, I wish everyone great success in whatever surgery they pic, as no one weight loss surgery is perfect for everyone. I am one of those that loved her band, and I do miss the restriction.....

Mila

[Gracey 7]

Wow - lots of names I recognize from LBT! I'm SickNTired for Wasa and Mac. MommaMac - I didn't realize that you had lost 115 pounds; that's awesome!!! Wasa - are you at goal and hanging tough!?! :-)

and yeah re: DS - I'll pass but thanks anyway!

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,282]

Wow - lots of names I recognize from LBT! I'm SickNTired for Wasa and Mac. MommaMac - I didn't realize that you had lost 115 pounds; that's awesome!!! Wasa - are you at goal and hanging tough!?! :-)

and yeah re: DS - I'll pass but thanks anyway!

Aha!! So THATS where I know you from Ok, no shout outs for me huh? That's ok, I'll live (maybe) LOL

In the interest of all the DS'ers out there that love their WLS, I WOULD do it if I had to. Again IF I had to... but like WASa, I will surely do all I can to prevent that. :crying:

[Oregondaisy 2,020]

Diva, I am so excited to see you have a surgery date. You will not be disappointed with your experience in Mexicali. i wish I could go with you just to say Hi to everyone that changed my life!

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,282]

Hey Daisy! Haven't seen you around in a few days! :001_tongue:

So far everyone has been EXCEPTIONAL with the advice, comfort and assistance for someone whose nerves are already a wreck. Thank goodness for them because I would be so lost!

I have made an excellent choice by far!!

I have also decided to do any follow up there from my surgery. I know there won't be a whole lot because this surgery does not demand it but I know I'm going to love it and won't mind the few times I have to go at all.

[DogBone 1]

I think that the most great about the sleeve is the hungry supress, with the band do you still have hungry?

I'm 4 days out of the sleeve and I have no Hungry. For me hungry is what made my decision. And with RNY you will still have some hungry.

Edited August 24, 2010 by DogBone