I was just curious at how people reached their decision to switch. I am feeling a little bummed (and judged) because of the failure of my lapband. I am freaking out about another surgery, but I can't live with the pain of my band anymore. I always feel lifted when I hear others journeys.

Very few people know that I am sleeved either. I don't think it's anyone's business. It's on a need to know basis. My kids know and a couple of my very good friends. I eat pretty normally now, so it's not that big of a deal anymore to eat in front of people.

Ah I can't wait until this happens! No lie this first month is tough. But at least I'm half way through it, it IS going fast!!!

Hi,

I still have my band but it will most likely have to come out.

I am considering the Gastric Sleeve Plication but haven't quite decided which procedure

is best for me yet. My band dr. is pushing hard for the RNY but I'm almost

positive I don't want to do a bypass. I was considering DS but during research

I realized the sleeve is the 1st part of a DS and started looking into being sleeved.

I'm still not sure if I want the plication or sleeve. I'm leaning toward the plication

but there's not a lot of long-term information. I've had 2 surgeries already with

the band, so whatever surgery I have next is probably gonna be my last!

Good luck to you in whatever you choose and don't let others decide for you.

genepha

Im with you, my doc also offered bypass and i was to affraid to be that radical so his second option was the sleeve, i too have had two band surgeries and have now gained 40 lbs in 7 months. i hope the sleeve is every thing the band was not. i just want to eat smaller portions and not be hungry all the time, i hate the fills and un fills and the port pain and pb'ing etc. my surgery is scheduled on 11/1, i am so scared but just need to get to healthy weight and get on with my life...

I was just curious at how people reached their decision to switch. I am feeling a little bummed (and judged) because of the failure of my lapband. I am freaking out about another surgery, but I can't live with the pain of my band anymore. I always feel lifted when I hear others journeys.

OMG, I thought I was the only one who failed with the lap band. I am 10 months post op and I have lost 10 pounds. 10 POUNDS!!!! I have an 11cc band and am at a 10.4 fill. I feel almost no restriction, certainly not enough to assist in weight loss. I can eat a lot of whatever. Very few foods are off limits. All my fills were with flouro, and my band was perfectly positioned and my pouch was good. I have spent another $3000.00 on fills alone! The fill center took me up in such small fill increments that I have spent a small fortune in both time and money. I was so disappointed thinking it was my stupid bad luck that i had no success. But I am seeing that others had problems with the band too. How come it works so well for others and for me, almost no help at all? I am tempted to just jump right in and replace the band with the plication, but maybe I will wait to see if there are complications. I am so tired of being disappointed and blaming myself for failure. I thought by now I would have lost the 60# I need to lose.

OMG, I thought I was the only one who failed with the lap band. I am 10 months post op and I have lost 10 pounds. 10 POUNDS!!!! I have an 11cc band and am at a 10.4 fill. I feel almost no restriction, certainly not enough to assist in weight loss. I can eat a lot of whatever. Very few foods are off limits. All my fills were with flouro, and my band was perfectly positioned and my pouch was good. I have spent another $3000.00 on fills alone! The fill center took me up in such small fill increments that I have spent a small fortune in both time and money. I was so disappointed thinking it was my stupid bad luck that i had no success. But I am seeing that others had problems with the band too. How come it works so well for others and for me, almost no help at all? I am tempted to just jump right in and replace the band with the plication, but maybe I will wait to see if there are complications. I am so tired of being disappointed and blaming myself for failure. I thought by now I would have lost the 60# I need to lose.

Oh no, you're not the only one. I was banded in January and have lost just over 15 lbs. I am supposed to have 10.2 in my band, but actually only have 8.8. So either I have a leak or . . . I just had an upper GI and everything looks great! It just isn't working for me. I'm either PB-ing all of my food, or everything is sliding right down. Not what I was hoping for.

And guess what? I'm getting a revision on Tuesday the 19th. I'm tired of this thing! I thought I was crazy for even considering it when I first started investigating in June, but the more I researched, the more I just want this damn band out!

There are many with band issues. I did manage to lose 70, but put 25 back on when my tubing cracked. I will probably continue to gain all my weight back if I don't do something. I won't lie that I'm a little scared about this surgery, but I have a very experienced surgeon and the support of my sleeve friends here. December needs to hurry up so I can stop worrying and just do this!

Becca, well I'll be the first to tell you it is a struggle, especially the first few days. However, I'm also going to tell you that for the first time ever I love the surgery I've had! It's helping me so much!! I'd only wish I'd have done this from the get.

You will be ok and you will especially be happy!

Hello my name is Sasha, and iam going from band to sleeve on Nov 2 . I had a lapband done done 2yrs ago and had weekly complications until my dr. deceided to do a revision and i cant wait i have been with out a fill for about 5 months and has gained about 20 lbs im doing pre op testing now so keep me in your prayers...

Prayers to you Sasha... and welcome to VST! Please let us know how you do with it.

I never seemed to get to that 'sweet spot' banders go on about and I think I was overfilled which led to chronic reflux and indigestion, which in turn led to daily retching and vomiting and by the time the band was adjusted it was too late and the damage was done. I lost a lot of weight but the pain was horrendous and in the end it had to come out. My friend who had her band a week after mine has just had hers out for the same reason - severe slippage - as it couldn't be repositioned due to the scar tissue. Revision wasn't an option for her as the NHS wouldn't cover it so she is in a bit of a mess now

Im with you, my doc also offered bypass and i was to affraid to be that radical so his second option was the sleeve, i too have had two band surgeries and have now gained 40 lbs in 7 months. i hope the sleeve is every thing the band was not. i just want to eat smaller portions and not be hungry all the time, i hate the fills and un fills and the port pain and pb'ing etc. my surgery is scheduled on 11/1, i am so scared but just need to get to healthy weight and get on with my life...

Hi Vicki,

How are you enjoying the Sleeved life :-)

Hi Vicki,

How are you enjoying the Sleeved life :-)

Hey BG, have you made a decision yet? im ok, got out today and drove and went to wegmans, came home and went back out to walmart...need to move around. even walked the dog...

Hey BG, have you made a decision yet? im ok, got out today and drove and went to wegmans, came home and went back out to walmart...need to move around. even walked the dog...

Hey Vicki,

I strongly believe that I will take the plunge into the sleeve life. We'll see though... Have to talk to Dr. H. first to see what he says.

Hey Vicki,

I strongly believe that I will take the plunge into the sleeve life. We'll see though... Have to talk to Dr. H. first to see what he says.

I hope everything goes well for u BG you deserve it!!

I was just curious at how people reached their decision to switch. I am feeling a little bummed (and judged) because of the failure of my lapband. I am freaking out about another surgery, but I can't live with the pain of my band anymore. I always feel lifted when I hear others journeys.

I lost about 40 pounds with the band, and gained and lost and gained and lost. It was very hard for me to eat the things I should be eating and too easy to eat the things I shouldn't eat. It was so frustrating. I felt like such a failure. Sometimes I could eat anything, and sometimes almost nothing. I couldn't predict either. I just wanted to eat a chicken breast or salad, but forget it, I had the hardest time with healthy food. Long story short....I was banded almost 5 yrs ago. I weigh almost as much now as before the band. I am getting my band removed and converting to VSG, I just got my date too, Jan 12! I am beyond excited. I look forward to meeting others in my same situation. I finally decided to quit feeling like a failure and take action. I too have felt like a failure or felt judged about the failure of the lap band. VSG here I come, I don't care what anyone thinks anymore.

New to forum, just found it. Had lap band in 2005. Went from 240lb to 120lb in about two years. In 2008, I started gaining weight back, my dr that performed procedure moved. Found new dr not far away, WRONG DR!!He treated me like I was the biggest pig, because he saw me at 120lb. He suggested exercise, like I wasn't. I kept going to him sparingly for 6-8 months. He done multiple fills with no restriction at all.Finally, I told dr office to switch me to different dr in thier office. I seen him once for fill, it was over full with saline. He sent me for upper GI, found that my band had slipped and eroded. He suggested surgery, I asked about sleeve. He said he would do it if my stomach was in good enough shape. My insurance oked sleeve. I had revision on Dec. 29,2010. I had to be opened up all the way. 45+ staples, two Jackson Pratt drains, epidural for 4 days. I had complications from all scar tissue from previous surgeries. I was in hospital for 5 days, surgery lasted 5 hours. Dr said that only one-forth of the band was NOT ERODED.I like the sleeve so far...alot better than the band. I had good results with the band until it slipped and eroded. I wouldn't recomend the band now that there is the sleeve as an alternative.I am now able to go to gym daily, not back to work yet.Just got rest of staples out this week..they took them out in two seperate phases.I have lost a little more than 20 lbs since surgery.