finally know where I am up to with having my band out and getting the VSG. I will be booked into hospital over the next week or so for January removal and then 3 months healing and the surgeon says the VSG is for me. He commented that he is now taking out more bands than what he puts in.

Glenda :biggrin5:

I won't know what is going to happen until the actual surgery. I do know that the Band is coming out, but the condition of my stomach will determine what else happens. I'm hoping for the sleeve, but would be okay with a by-pass. My biggest fear is that I won't have anything.

I would not worry about that. You can have another surgery. My doctor has only had like 3 or 4 people that he could not do all in 1 surgery, and he has done a lot of band to sleeve revisions. For the one's he could not do all in one, he just removed the band, gave the stomach like 6 months to heal, and then they were able to come back and get the sleeve done after the 6 months. You can even go for the bypass but if the sleeve is what you really want then go for it. Either way you can have another surgery so don't freak yourself out about that. Best of luck to ya!

Yayyy!!!! Out with the old and in with the new. I had my band revised to sleeve 15 months ago. Best decision I ever did make, and I also had Dr. Aceves.

Best wishes!!!

I did not go from band to sleeve. Just sleeve for me but I can recommend a surgeon in Mexico. Dr. Miguel Zapata of Monterrey. He is wonderful and the hospital was great. I called about the band in October was educated about the sleeve and the surgery was booked for November. I was sleeved 3 weeks ago today.

Easy as the pie I'm not eating anymore.

That's wonderful!! I've had the band in now for over 5 yrs now. The past 3 I've had to eat standing up "literally".

It takes forever to get my meds down, food gets stuck, eggs?

I thought I was going crazy!! Lol...I don't do well with them at all...My familythinks I'm nuts..

The more research I do and the more threads I read the more convinced that removing this foreign, sewn object around my stomach will be the best thing for me.

Thanks fro sharing your story...

I have to agree with everything I've read on this board about the band, however, there are some people for whom the band works very well. My surgeon also states that he takes out more than bands than he puts in, but that he does have patients who lose all their weight with the band, and never have to return for any problems.

My surgeon also does the band removal and sleeve procedure in the same surgery. I pointedly asked about this, and he said seldom does he have to do the two procedures separately. He mentioned the risk of leaks, but said that there have been no leaks in his practice thus far.

I am still a bit nervous, and dread going through all the post op healing a second time! I've had the band just over a year!

Cheers to all!

Mary

I had my revision a year ago. I LOVE my sleeve because it works. The band never did. Congrats!

The time is getting closer to getting the band out. 16 Jan is the date - I cannot wait - I am so so over this. I agree with you Mary for some - the band is the perfect wls, but I just wonder how many people there are that are going to suffer like those of us who it didn't work for.

My erosion is bad so I have to wait 3/4 months to get the sleeve - but it will be worth the wait for me. I can have a few months of eating salad and harder foods (including chicken) that have made me vomit for 10 years! I have started exercising 40-50 minutes a day again to get into shape before my 16 Jan surgery, I just think it helps with the recovery.

This has been great reading thank you everyone again

Glenda

I've had a non-adjustable band for 17 years now and will have it out on January 6th here in Houston. I dont have an eroded band or anything, just placed incorrectly for all these years. I also had the all too familiar puking, sliming, having to stand up to let the food "go down", sitting by a bathroom at all restaurants, excusing myself to go throw up my meal (wasting money!!) eating and still feeling hungry..etc... I am scared to death to have this removed since some restriction is better than no restriction but I keep telling myself that six weeks later (I am scheduled for Mexico with Dr. Kelly on 2/22/12) I will be sleeved and that it is going to be soooo worth it!!!! My sleeve surgery is still considered a revision since this is my second (and last!!) WLS but Dr. Kelly was honest and upfront about his experience with my band so I am having it removed by a team that is familiar with it. (and insurance DID approve my removal)

Good luck to you!!!

Hi everyone,

I'm in the same boat....got banded about 21 months ago, and now it keeps slipping every time I get a fill, so it cannot be properly adjusted. Therefore, I have a useless band. I'm looking at revising to a sleeve. Seems to me that the band might be going extinct in a few years. If only I had known....

My husband commented on that, how odd the eating rules were with the band. For me, I was fine with giivng up rice and stuff like that, i just hated that it was so inconsistent. and that I was still hungry.

I have the band and after 17 fills I am still hungry all the time. Hopeing to be able to revise to VSG!

I've had a non-adjustable band for 17 years now and will have it out on January 6th here in Houston. I dont have an eroded band or anything, just placed incorrectly for all these years. I also had the all too familiar puking, sliming, having to stand up to let the food "go down", sitting by a bathroom at all restaurants, excusing myself to go throw up my meal (wasting money!!) eating and still feeling hungry..etc... I am scared to death to have this removed since some restriction is better than no restriction but I keep telling myself that six weeks later (I am scheduled for Mexico with Dr. Kelly on 2/22/12) I will be sleeved and that it is going to be soooo worth it!!!! My sleeve surgery is still considered a revision since this is my second (and last!!) WLS but Dr. Kelly was honest and upfront about his experience with my band so I am having it removed by a team that is familiar with it. (and insurance DID approve my removal)

Good luck to you!!!

Wow! 17 years with the band........and all the problems that go along with it! :-(

Good luck!

i had my band removed on Jan 6th due to it slipping. I was going to go with another band but the surgon said it would not work cuz it weakened my stomach wall. All of your storys of band removal suprized me I never realized that how many people had problems with their band. Here is to a happy future with our Sleeve !!!

i had my band removed on Jan 6th due to it slipping. I was going to go with another band but the surgon said it would not work cuz it weakened my stomach wall. All of your storys of band removal suprized me I never realized that how many people had problems with their band. Here is to a happy future with our Sleeve !!!

Oh there are tons of bandsters that have had to have bands removed! You'll notice that you rarely see a bandster that has made it 5 years with their band. The band is really just a short term "fix", that often doesn't fix anything! :-(

Getting it taken out, and hopefully revised at the same time. I am so tired of choking and acid reflux. I basically have to stand up to eat too.

It just amazes me to see how many people have problems with the band. I hope when new people are researching weight loss surgery, they are really looking at long term results people have had with it and see how many people are revising. If I had known then what I know now, I would have never had the band. I cannot and will not ever recommend it to anyone.