I'm brand new to sleeve talk, and I just found out within the past month that my band is slipped beyond use. It's a long story, but not atypical, as I have come to realize after reading and reading and reading. Some day I'll explain, but I have what seems like a more pressing issue.

I did well with my band, lost 90 of the 100 lbs that I wanted to lose. Over the last three months, with my band slipping, unfills, trying to refill, another slip, another unfill...now totally empty, I've gained back about 20 lbs. So, as I type this, I weigh about 172 lbs.

I'm terrified of committing to what seems like such a drastic surgery, but I'm equally terrified of gaining back up to the 240 lbs I was banded at. Like many of you, I have a lifetime history of losing and gaining, over and over and over and over again.

So it is completely ridiculous of me to go in for major weight loss surgery when, in reality, I am only about 30 lbs overweight? For those of you that were sleeved after being banded, did you tell yourself that you could keep the weight off, fail at it, and then go for a sleeve? Or, did you do the sleeve when you were relatively small? Or, is it that everyone that went from band to sleeve seems to belong to that group that never really lost with the band, THEN went to sleeve? Are the people out there that did great with the band weight-loss-wise, but had to go to the sleeve for some mechanical problem, like the slip that I keep having?

Thanks in advance. I'll have lots more questions.

I'm brand new to sleeve talk, and I just found out within the past month that my band is slipped beyond use. It's a long story, but not atypical, as I have come to realize after reading and reading and reading. Some day I'll explain, but I have what seems like a more pressing issue. I did well with my band, lost 90 of the 100 lbs that I wanted to lose. Over the last three months, with my band slipping, unfills, trying to refill, another slip, another unfill...now totally empty, I've gained back about 20 lbs. So, as I type this, I weigh about 172 lbs. I'm terrified of committing to what seems like such a drastic surgery, but I'm equally terrified of gaining back up to the 240 lbs I was banded at. Like many of you, I have a lifetime history of losing and gaining, over and over and over and over again. So it is completely ridiculous of me to go in for major weight loss surgery when, in reality, I am only about 30 lbs overweight? For those of you that were sleeved after being banded, did you tell yourself that you could keep the weight off, fail at it, and then go for a sleeve? Or, did you do the sleeve when you were relatively small? Or, is it that everyone that went from band to sleeve seems to belong to that group that never really lost with the band, THEN went to sleeve? Are the people out there that did great with the band weight-loss-wise, but had to go to the sleeve for some mechanical problem, like the slip that I keep having? Thanks in advance. I'll have lots more questions.

I have never had the band just the sleeve. But in my heart I know if I had never had the sleeve I would still be fat. I don't know about the band but with the sleeve - the day I woke up from surgery - my obsessive "hunger" all the time was GONE! Now I have to remind myself to eat. Some one posted it was the hormone ghrelin sp? that since the surface area of the stomach is smaller less hormone is produced that gives you the hungry feelings. Did the band surgery take away the hunger? The sleeve sure did for me anyway.

Good luck on your journey.

Hello I am 22 years old I had the band done in 08 and like you it slipped and was horrible I was at goal then gained fifty lbs! It was horrible that made me rethink the permanent aspect of the sugary. I loved what the band did for me however it slipped and the chances of that happening again wasnso devastating to me. The sleeve long term was the healthy and rifght choice for me my journey to this point was scary and very sad because I wanted the band to be permanent in my life but the stats show now that it justnis notnso then comes the question of forever. When I gained my weight back even though I knew what to eat how much and exercise I truly saw the reason for my choice of sugary this was something that I need in place forever I can not do it alone. That is a really hard reality we are not like skinny people we can't just lose the weight or why would we be doing this in the first place. My sleeve has been amazing and a lot healthier then my band was I am so blessed to have had thisnchance to try again.

Kimmr, I think that you are very wise to be researching your options and getting the benefit of the experiences of others. I hope that you will be as diligent in selecting a good doctor as well. I never had the Band, but was going to until I read about the sleeve. It was a little terrifying to think that 4/5's of my stomach was going to be permanently gone This procedure, however, has been around for about 75 years, just not exclusively for weight loss, so there is a lot of medical litterature about it for other problems. It is the Lapband that has a shaky history. To answer your question about BMI, I was a 35, but at 63 years old and permanently gaining at least ten pounds a year with HBP, type two diabetes, extreme sleep apnia, etc. etc., the future was very dim. This is not even including personal relationship problems. So, I went self-pay to Mexico over my wife's objections, and now she and I couldn't be happier that I am down 70 pounds at six months with NO HBP or developing diabetes - and a MUCH better sex life, let me tell you.

Keller, thanks for the reply. I think my BMI is just now crossing 30. I don't have a high BMI, but only because I've had the band for the last two years. My weight is most certainly coming back, and I have no disillusions that I'll actually be able to keep it off on my own. Plus, my doc told me there she wouldn't recommend leaving my slipped band as is, as there is no good that can come of it. Therefore, if I have to go under the knife again to have my band out anyway, I'm doing a sleeve.

My situation is similar to yours as far as the current weight. My band never worked, but I did lose weight from just dieting.

Now getting weight off and keeping it off is two completely different things! However statistically I think 95% of those that just diet and/or exercise fail to keep of a substantial amount of weight long term. So although I am a size 12 now I would gladly revise to VSG if I had the opportunity to (no insurance/insufficient cash).

Good luck!