Hello. I've recently been approved and will set my date today. Id like to hear from anyone who had the band and went to sleeve. I'm extremely concerned about the pain. I know everyone is different just would like to hear your experiences.

Is the pain and recovery time comparable?

How would you compare it to the band?

Are you happy with your decision?

Thanks,

E

hello.. I had the band in for about 6-7yrs was all good, then one day just stopped working , i started to regain and didnt matter what i did could not get the scales to move back down... I had my band removed 8 weeks ago. then exactly 2 weeks ago today I was sleeved.. i know its early days but so far I am sooo happy with it, down 7kg in 2 weeks .. pain wise i honestly thought the lapband in and out is more painful, but seriously not that bad,, the sleeve has given me no discomfort at all except obviously the first day but more in the wound site that the stomach it self.. was up and about the next day and still have no pain at all... but then i have a mind set that because i have chosen to do this to myself then I really have no right to complain about pain .. however i guess if I was really in sever pain then I would be crying like a baby lol.. for me it was easy and painless and best move I have done.. good luck with your surgery x

I actually thought band removal was worse that having it put on. I'm concerned about pain when eating and never feeling normal on the inside. Do u feel the staple line? Is being full uncomfortable? I'm having thus surgery bc I just can keep this weight off alone its just one day I'm fine about having the surgery and the next I'm not. I feel like maybe I will mourn my missing tummy I'm a ball of emotions

I actually thought band removal was worse that having it put on. I'm concerned about pain when eating and never feeling normal on the inside. Do u feel the staple line? Is being full uncomfortable? I'm having thus surgery bc I just can keep this weight off alone its just one day I'm fine about having the surgery and the next I'm not. I feel like maybe I will mourn my missing tummy I'm a ball of emotions

Below in blue.

Hello. I've recently been approved and will set my date today. Id like to hear from anyone who had the band and went to sleeve. I'm extremely concerned about the pain. I know everyone is different just would like to hear your experiences. My sleeve was more painful than either having my band put in, or taken out. But it wasn't horrible. I was also, for the sleeve, given a less effective pain medication through my IV. No idea why, but undoubtedly that played a role. Recovery was... I started to say more painful, but I think I'd have to revise that to differently painful. During band recory it's all about that ghastly port placement/incision. With the sleeve, it's all about the gastly left side incision (seriously hurt for weeks, but not constantly and not severely).

Is the pain and recovery time comparable? My band recovery was easier in some ways. In other ways they were comparable. I was out & about equally quickly (i.e. with both procedures I went shopping the next day). With the sleeve, from about week 2 thru about week 4 I had mad fatigue. I didn't have that with the band. I could bend. raise, sleep in my own bed, etc. more quickly with the band. The residual/incision pain was longer lasting with the sleeve. Band was outpatient, sleeve was inpatient.

How would you compare it to the band? They're kind of comparable in some ways. The sensation of restriction is similar, but it's in a different location. And mine is actually starting to change to more dissimilar... at first they were much closer to the same. You have restriction right away, versus having to chase restriction with fills. Good in a sense, but you also lose the natural "learning curve" that came with the band. This is much more trial by fire. My restriction is much more stable than with the band, though I do still have more restriction at night. I can't tell you how nice it is to be able to drink Water whenever I'm thirsty, or take a pill if I need to -- never know when I could/couldn't with the band. And almost everyone with a band had days, or at least meals, when they could manage to eat to their heart's content. Can't do that now. You also have to get out of the mindset of "eating around the band" -- e.g. when your band pouch was full, maybe you could take a drink of water and flush it through & get relief. You don't want to do that with a sleeve.

Are you happy with your decision? So far yes. I lost more weight with the band (short term comparison, I'm only about 2 mos out from getting sleeved), but always knew it was most likely not permanent. It was so liberating to think that once you're sleeved, you're done.

Thanks,

E

Below in blue.

I actually thought band removal was worse that having it put on. Was for me too. I'm concerned about pain when eating and never feeling normal on the inside. You didn't have pain when eating with the band? If not, then you were a rare population. Once you're healed, the sleeve only hurts when you overeat (for the most part, some people have some intolerances that can cause pain, and there are some complications that can cause pain, but generally speaking...)

Our insides do not have the same nerve setup nor sensations that we have on the outside (or other places on the inside). You will not feel something "missing". You may be sore, but you will not feel the specific line where the stomach was cut. You won't feel the staple line. Our bodies don't have the sensory mechanisms for this. You didn't constantly feel a silicone ring around your upper stomach when you were banded, did you? Same here. You won't feel like you're partially empty on the inside, (no, you won't feel your staple line), you won't feel like you're eating through a tube, etc. You'll probably not have much hunger, you'll get full REALLY fast, especially freshly post-op -- and I mean as in you may struggle to eat 1 teaspoon of food, or drink 1/2 an ounce of Water. It quickly gets easier. Do u feel the staple line? Is being full uncomfortable? Being full is not uncomfortable. But you don't really want to be full, you want to be no longer hungry. Being too full can be uncomfortable. It can hurt. Being satiated is normally comfortable, to slight pressure (not pain, just pressure). I'm having thus surgery bc I just can keep this weight off alone its just one day I'm fine about having the surgery and the next I'm not. I feel like maybe I will mourn my missing tummy I'm a ball of emotions The idea of it being permanent was a bit scary to me... that it can neverbe undone. I don't do well with comittment. The reversibility of the band is its greathest strength, and its greatest weakness. I haven't mourned my tummy once, but admittedly -- the thought of NEVER having a gluttonous meal again was a but... intimidating? Like I said before, even with the band, there were still meals/days when I could eat whatever, however much I wanted. I liked those occasional days - they were nice. That "intimidation" lasted until maybe 1 wk post-op. I haven't had any such thoughts/feelings lately... as a matter of fact they were completely forgotten until I replying to you, trying to put myself back 2 mos ago and remember as much as I could about what it was like when it was still new.

I was also wary of the complications. I knew they were improved since I had a madatory waiting period, but I also knew there was still a risk. There's not really any risk with the band outside of generic surgery risks, but there are risks inherent to the sleeve, and to a revision. So I just informed myself as best as I could, talked to everyone I knew who knew anything about it, and made a calculated decision.

Thank you for your response, I feel Better at the moment. I'll be seeing my Dr today aftet work to schedule surgery. I guess anxiety is normal and I need to focus on the positives and just have as.much info as possible so that I will be prepared.

And yes the band was painful most of the time and would ache sometimes for hours. I don't miss that one bit.