I'm considering getting VSG surgery done soon and I've been reading a lot of posts here and elsewhere lately. I'm wondering how common revision surgeries are. If I have the surgery, I'm going to have to pay for it myself (with financing) and I don't want to have to spend $14000+ on surgery now and then have to have a revision surgery down the road. Are revisions really that common or is it possible to go through the VSG surgery and follow the diet & not need a revision in 2, 3, 4+ years later? I'd really appreciate any comments or thoughts about this.

What do you mean by revision surgery? You can't really undo the VSG, it's permanent (you can add bypass or DS to it, tho).

I think she sees a lot of people on here talking about revisions. A lot of people are going from lap-band to the sleeve. your sleeve will work for you as long as you take care of it. dont stretch it out and you'll be good. As an ER nurse, to me, this is the safest of all the weight loss surgeries with the least complications. Remember, I see ALL the screw-ups and I had a sleeve

I went from lapband to sleeve, doing well. I like the sleeve better, I feel full and satisfied. Onderland today. I had the removal and revision at the same time at a military hospital. They did a great job.

Most of the things I've read about "revisions" is when people stretch out their sleeve and get it re-stapled so it's smaller again. There are a few I've read that have gone from the lap band to the sleeve, but others who have actually mentioned getting the sleeve revised. I understand the people who have to have some type of surgery if there are complications, but this is different.

Maybe I'm just misunderstanding what some people have written, but some have been quite specific about the fact that it's because they've stretched the sleeve and want it smaller again.

I basically know this is what I want, but I'm also scared that I'll be in that 1% of people with horrible complications. I know I have a food addiction & I know this will be a long road ahead still. I just don't want to spend so much if it's so easy to screw up! About 95% of me feels it's the best thing for me, but it's that 5% that keeps pushing doubts especially since it is major surgery.

Most of the things I've read about "revisions" is when people stretch out their sleeve and get it re-stapled so it's smaller again. There are a few I've read that have gone from the lap band to the sleeve, but others who have actually mentioned getting the sleeve revised. I understand the people who have to have some type of surgery if there are complications, but this is different.

Maybe I'm just misunderstanding what some people have written, but some have been quite specific about the fact that it's because they've stretched the sleeve and want it smaller again.

I basically know this is what I want, but I'm also scared that I'll be in that 1% of people with horrible complications. I know I have a food addiction & I know this will be a long road ahead still. I just don't want to spend so much if it's so easy to screw up! About 95% of me feels it's the best thing for me, but it's that 5% that keeps pushing doubts especially since it is major surgery.

First time i heard about a re-staple, but I thought the same thing about the complications. I am doing fine, had my surgery on 2-27. I started at 230 before preop and post op. down to 198 in 6 weeks. You will be fine, and you will not be hungry, you will want to eat more at times. I just tell myself i can eat later.

First time i heard about a re-staple, but I thought the same thing about the complications. I am doing fine, had my surgery on 2-27. I started at 230 before preop and post op. down to 198 in 6 weeks. You will be fine, and you will not be hungry, you will want to eat more at times. I just tell myself i can eat later.

I read someone's comment on another site that said she had to have a re-staple because she hadn't lost enough in 12 months and had stretched her sleeve too much - that's the one comment that really got me thinking about the revisions.

Thanks for the vote of confidence! From what I've read here, the nervousness is normal. I've tried a bazillion other things for the last 12 years and haven't lost more than 30-40 lbs total before going back up again. My kids have never seen me thin since the first time I started gaining was when I was pregnant with our first daughter. I gained 75 lbs then & never lost it & then gained more & more. Now I have about 130 lbs to lose to get to where I'd really like to be. I know I have a food addiction & I know this will be a long road. I sometimes fear that I won't succeed just like all the other things I've tried. However, from everything I've read, I know this is a much more drastic change than anything I've tried before. I wish I could just eat 4 oz of food on my own without surgery, but I know that's not gonna happen! Besides, if I spend this much on a surgery, I dang well better make it work!

I'm considering getting VSG surgery done soon and I've been reading a lot of posts here and elsewhere lately. I'm wondering how common revision surgeries are. If I have the surgery, I'm going to have to pay for it myself (with financing) and I don't want to have to spend $14000+ on surgery now and then have to have a revision surgery down the road. Are revisions really that common or is it possible to go through the VSG surgery and follow the diet & not need a revision in 2, 3, 4+ years later? I'd really appreciate any comments or thoughts about this.

I just celebrated my 2 year anniversary. I also paid for the surgery myself. I am 5'9" and started at 279 lbs and a size 22. I am now at 150 lbs and a size 8. I don't plan on needing any additional surgeries and not talked to anyone here locally who has had to have a revision. If you do what you are supposed to and listen to your body, you should be fine. Exercise is also key, but for me, it was the best money I ever spent. You need to realize this is a life changing experience. Don't assume that you won't have success after this surgery. If you are committed to changing your life, you WILL!!

I just celebrated my 2 year anniversary. I also paid for the surgery myself. I am 5'9" and started at 279 lbs and a size 22. I am now at 150 lbs and a size 8. I don't plan on needing any additional surgeries and not talked to anyone here locally who has had to have a revision. If you do what you are supposed to and listen to your body, you should be fine. Exercise is also key, but for me, it was the best money I ever spent. You need to realize this is a life changing experience. Don't assume that you won't have success after this surgery. If you are committed to changing your life, you WILL!!

Fancypants - thanks so much! I'm about where you were..... I was 280.6 today & have been fluctuating between 274-280 the last couple months even with watching my diet and exercising at the gym with a trainer. That's really what started me thinking more & more about surgery. I would love to get down to 150-155 again - that's when I remember myself the happiest with me in the past. Oh, and I'm 5'9" too! I'm in size 22-26 now depending on the style and such. Back when I was 155 before, I was in 12/14 clothes. It'd be amazing if I ended up smaller than that, but I don't really think the actual size of clothes are that important because I know that can vary with hip size and all that kind of stuff. Anyway, thanks for the encouragement! I really appreciate it!

A PA at my surgeon's office was telling me that some people are wanting to get their stapleline redone due to being stretched. But I'm thinking, even if there is a little stretch in our stomach, the if we continue to make the right choices in food, then we wouldn't really be able to eat that much more. It's all about the choices we make. Oh and making sure we are totally hydrated.

I am 1 1/2 years out - no revision needed. Think you need to talk to your surgeon. When you get VSG - the portion left of your stomach does not have the elasticity to stretch back into normal size again...you can't grow a new pouch. This is not the old stomach stapling surgery of decades ago.

Now I can eat more than I did at three months out. But I know how to trick my stomach with slider foods (not recommended) But in no way can I eat a lot of gorge as I did before as a volume eater.

Talk to your surgeon, you will be happiest with a medical response. Good luck - I love my sleeve even today.

A PA at my surgeon's office was telling me that some people are wanting to get their stapleline redone due to being stretched. But I'm thinking, even if there is a little stretch in our stomach, the if we continue to make the right choices in food, then we wouldn't really be able to eat that much more. It's all about the choices we make. Oh and making sure we are totally hydrated.

Thanks! I think the people I've read about getting it done again are ones who haven't made the right food choices. I know if I spend this much on a surgery, I'm gonna want to make it work!!

I am 1 1/2 years out - no revision needed. Think you need to talk to your surgeon. When you get VSG - the portion left of your stomach does not have the elasticity to stretch back into normal size again...you can't grow a new pouch. This is not the old stomach stapling surgery of decades ago.

Now I can eat more than I did at three months out. But I know how to trick my stomach with slider foods (not recommended) But in no way can I eat a lot of gorge as I did before as a volume eater.

Talk to your surgeon, you will be happiest with a medical response. Good luck - I love my sleeve even today.

Thanks! I haven't actually met with the surgeon I chose yet. I have my initial consultation set up for 4/28 if all my financing goes through (which I'll hopefully know about today or tomorrow). I've just been looking at things online and reading a lot to find out more about the diets and everything before I go in to the doctor so I can have a list of questions ready & everything. That's why I wanted to ask here too.

This is interesting to me because my surgeon told me that's it's next to impossible to stretch a properly constructed sleeve. He told me all the stretchy part of the stomach is removed and the sleeve is made up of the part of the stomach that doesn't stretch. I don't remember any of the proper names of the stretchy and non-stretchy parts even though he told me.

He also told me that in the case of gastric bypass, stretching is much more likely because the pouch is made up using some of the stretchy part of the stomach as well as the non-stretchy part.

Cherrybomb - interesting info. Thanks for sharing!

Yes, the way they do the sleeve makes it hard to stretch. I mean, this would take EFFORT on your part. Not just overindulging occasionally but actually eating to the point of pain and discomfort and sickness on a daily basis to stretch. Honestly, I'm nearly 2 years out and if I eat two bites too many of Pasta it HURTS and I get sick. I can't imagine doing that enough to make the sleeve stretch permanently!

So no, I've seen no talk of revisions from VSG to another surgery, unless someone got VSG as a first step of the DS and wanted to wait a year to see results before finishing their operation. This is for much larger patients that have a bigger amount of weight to lose and I've only seen people talk about it once or twice in the nearly three years I've been following the boards here and on ObesityHelp. I did see a lady that was going to do the DS one year post VSG but lost enough she opted to just stick with the sleeve!

I'm 21 months out, started at 242 pounds (high weight 280) and I'm 5'1" tall. I was wearing sausage casing 18/20s prior to surgery and I'm now in a size small (sometimes XS, sometimes M) and I wear a size 6 (sometimes 4s!) so I can honestly say that even though it took me a bit longer to reach goal (17 months) I would never have revised to another surgery. I also self paid (10K with flights from Germany to San Diego to see Dr. Aceves) and it was worth every single penny!

With your stats you can easily do this with the sleeve.

~Cheri