Needing Somw Advise!

[Journey2BNThin 62]

I am trying to weigh my options between the band and the sleeve. I'm scheduled for the band on 12/17/13 but I will be meeting with my surgeon for a final consult this Thursday and I'm having second thoughts. Can anyone tell me why they decided to remove their band and get the sleeve?

[girliegirl 49]

Hi, i am someone who was banded a few years back but had issues. i will say that the weigh tloss was wonderful for me, but after maybe 10 months out, i had a slip. the dr was able to do another surgery and revise it and replace it with yet another band but he did tell me that once the band slips that its common for it to slip again. well, about a year later that band also slipped (prolapsed). at that point, i ended up having the band taken out. i was sad and grieved the loss of my band, as it was the one thing that helped me to get close to my goal weight. my hopes were lost! i thought, as well as my surgeon that id be able to keep the weight off but after a few years it just all came back. at the time he did mention i could do a sleeve but i wanted to wait to see if i could do it on my own since i had 3 surgeries over the past 3 years and i was just tired of my bad luck.

my advice to you is to be open minded to the sleeve, dont be so afraid of it because it is more of a permanent tool. for me, i want the sleeve now but im so terrified because of my bad experiences that its holding me back. i also have some staples left in my stomach from the band removal that could be an issues if i were to get sleeved, so that has me more cautious. i have been on these boards for many many years and I read so many stories of people having problems with the band. they claim its a low risk, but im reading more and more problems with it.

just educate yourself on both surgeries equally then decide whats best for you!

[kklittl 9]

I am not an expert but have done extensive research. My surgeon DOES NOT even place bands any more because of all of the complications. Please think long and hard before you choose that option. I chose gastric bypass because the long term results were better than sleeve and more reflux and nausea with sleeve. Good luck to you!

[marfar7 1,528]

I had my lapband in 2009. It took 4 mths and 3 fills to get to the elusive "sweet spot" (almost impossible to get back once its lost, btw). Lost most of my excess weight over the next 18 mths. However, I think most of my loss was due to the frequent vomiting that occurred with the band (normal with the band). I became a very proficient vomiter. And I prided myself on losing 104 lbs eating anything I wanted, just less of it.

The frequent vomiting finally caught up with me. The severe nightime reflux was horrible. Suffered for 4 mths with it every single nite cuz I was scared my dr would unfill me. Finally I couldn't take it anymore and went in. I had a minor slip. After numerous unfills/fills/tweaks (and mind u my dr was 3 hrs each way and $170 each time I said hello) it couldn't be fixed. The frequent vomiting continued even totally unfilled. My slip became worse. I needed it taken out. I knew myself and that there was no way I could keep it off (and I gained 30 lbs in the year it was unfilled) without another tool. I looked into revision.

Since I needed to lose 44 lbs I felt the bypass was a little extreme for me. But so was taking out 85% of my stomach. After much reswearch, I decided to get sleeved. My dr does all of his revisions all at once (many do seperate surgeries) so 4 mths ago I had it done. It took my dr an extra 30 mins to actually DIG my band outa my stomach. So glad I didn't wait any longer. While I've only lost 22 lbs (have another 22 to goal), im no longer vomiting daily. I enjoy everything in small quantities. I know I could speed up my weightloss by counting every calorie that goes into my mouth but that's the reason I had surgery in the 1st place. To stop dieiting.

So I know ill eventually get to my 130 goal. Im a size 8 now and if I never lost 1 more lb, im happy. So glad to be rid of my band. Not sure what would've happened to my stomach if I had left it in there. If I were u, not only would I research the band more extensively but also research the high occurrance of band complications. My dr doesn't even like to do band anymore but will do them on those that insist. I've heard (not sure if its correct) that sleeves done on prebanded stomaches don't work as well as virgin sleeves. In my case it is what it is.

Good luck with ur research and decision. If u have any questions, pm me...

[VSG AJH 499]

I've not had a band, but I will echo that my bariatric surgeon is in partnership with the chief of surgery at my large local hospital, and they also refuse to place bands. He said they deal with bands a lot, but only to remove them or revise them into the sleeve or bypass. Also, I have two friends who have bands, and while both have had some success with their bands, neither of them have come close to their goals. Clearly, the choice is yours, but I encourage you to research fully and go into surgery with total peace.

[Journey2BNThin 62]

Thank you all for your advice... I am really leaning towards the sleeve, I think long term it's going to be what's best for me. I was talking to my mom about it & she's not supportive she is with the band since its a permanent surgery. She keeps saying u can't reverse it, they not going to put that part of ur stomach back. I said good, it's too big anyway! Well, I'm meeting with my surgeon tomorrow so I'm going to discuss with him thoughts & hope he can assist with giving me some more assistance in making my final decision since my survey is coming up soon.

[KimJ384 46]

Sleeve for sure! Trust me you will more than likely be miserable! Yes there are success stories about lap band but more disasters than success! I had my band placed in July 2011 and I am going to start my process tomorrow with my doctor for the sleeve! For 3 years the most I've lost was 60 pounds and that was only because I got stuck on everything I ate and would throw it back up and everything I ate that day after I threw up once would get stuck because your stomach would swell making your band tighter! I at one time considered myself as balemic because I would eat then throw up! I have been miserable with my band and no not everyone is and some people I have noticed are very defensive on this site when someone "bashes" the band but it is what it is we are here to share our experiences and if the bad out weigh the good then that's what it is! You can't get upset with someone that Is telling their story! Anyways if I could go back then I would have never got the band I would get the sleeve! I can't even Sit down at dinner or lunch with my family without my food getting stuck and having to run to the bathroom or the sounds my throat makes when something won't go down! My 3 year old would ask me mommy you have to throw up now I'm just tired of the everyday struggle! Good luck in the decision that you make!

[mattj28tx 1]

I had my band placed in 2007 and only lost about 50 lbs. I hated the band for the entire time I had it. With my band I could sit down and eat a bag of chips with no issues, but I could not eat chicken, steak, eggs, and many other high protien foods. I travel a lot for work and am costantly doing business lunches and my band hindered every part of this. My surgeon told me a had a very bad first bite symptom which I think is something he key termed him self. Basically everything I ate I would get the first bite of it "stuck". Stuck food will eventually go down or back up with the band but while it is stuck you end up spiiting up a lot flem. It is not throwing up at all, it is "preductive belching".

Actually with my band I couldn't vomit. I had the stomach flu one year and I busted the vessels in my eyes from dry heeving so hard.

My surgeon worked with my insurance company and was able to call my device faulty, they paid to have it removed and for me to be revised to a sleeve. My band was placed perfectly and my upper GI test showed that liquid moved through it correctly. When my band was removed it came out flawlessly and I have very little scar tissue. The day following my surgery was absolute hell. The area where my band was placed has a lot of swelling and the hospital staff could not control my nausea. They tried zofran, phenergan, and finally the combo of reglan with my pain meds did it for me. I am 2 weeks post op tomorrow and 12 lbs lighter since my surgery. 30 lbs overall with my preop diet. My recovery has been easy peasy, I was up on my roof 7 days out cleaning gutters and this morning at 13 days out I was back on my mountain bike.

My only regret is not having the sleeve done in 2007.

Matt Jones

[AuriP 420]

I lost 30lbs of the 100+ I needed to lose with the band. The only reason I lost so much was due to an only liquid diet. I couldn't get anything else down. I was miserable and my husband thought I looked sickly. I would try to eat chicken breast and it would come back up or hurt when it finally went down. I was banded in 2009. Now when I eat I have anxiety. Will it go down, will it get stuck,why can't I eat properly? I ammore focused on food now than I was pre band. I hope your surgeon let's you change to the sleeve if that's what you want. I am in the process of getting a revision and I can't wait until I don't have to fear food anymore.

[Journey2BNThin 62]

Met with my surgeon yesterday and he feels that it will be a better fit. He actually said if he was to get WLS, the sleeve would be his choice procedure. I am SUPER EXCITED!

[girliegirl 49]

thats great news. im glad you decided on what you will get. thats great that its the surgeon choice as well. good luck

[Lady VS 1,147]

I had my lapband in 2009. It took 4 mths and 3 fills to get to the elusive "sweet spot" (almost impossible to get back once its lost, btw). Lost most of my excess weight over the next 18 mths. However, I think most of my loss was due to the frequent vomiting that occurred with the band (normal with the band). I became a very proficient vomiter.

I'm sorry but this is not normal. I have had my band for almost three yrs and has never vomited not once. If you are vomiting then that's a sign that you're too tight and should be seen by your doctor immediately.

[Nickimac 2]

I would never do the band again. I just got approved for a revision. I also became bulimic. It was so stressful. I couldn't eat anything healthy like chicken salad vegetables etc. I vomited almost daily. It was embarrassing and made me so anxious I went with the band cuz I was too afraid of a more invasive surgery. Never again. In the 14 months I have had it I only lost 24 pounds. Good luck and be confidant with your decision!

[socalfosh 17]

Thank you all for your advice... I am really leaning towards the sleeve, I think long term it's going to be what's best for me. I was talking to my mom about it & she's not supportive she is with the band since its a permanent surgery. She keeps saying u can't reverse it, they not going to put that part of ur stomach back. I said good, it's too big anyway! Well, I'm meeting with my surgeon tomorrow so I'm going to discuss with him thoughts & hope he can assist with giving me some more assistance in making my final decision since my survey is coming up soon.

Hi journey, my thought on the "you never get it back" thing is this, if someone were to have a Tummy Tuck they never think "what if I want it back, u will never get that excess skin back" we don't want it back! Its an adjustment going from eating endless amounts of food to being restricted but you get use to that. I'm scheduled for my sleeve 11/26, band was removed 8/27 . I've found in my research that about 60% of those banded need it removed due to the damage it causes. Someone I know with the band, get liver was adhered to stomach over time. Glad you choose the sleeve.

[luvzpitbullz 41]

In my experience, the band was like an ex boyfriend that you had a volatile love hate relationship with. When it was good, it was REALLY good. When it was bad, it was awful.

I had my band placed in 2006 and lost 124 lbs in 18 months. I adored my band. I praised its work to anyone who would listen. I was in commercials and print ads advertising the wonders of the lap band. And then our relationship went downhill fast. I started getting food stuck and vomiting a lot. I had lost my insurance and couldn't afford to see my dr. I realized if I ate softer, easier to get down, "slider" foods, that I wouldn't get stuck. So I ate. Still had horrible acid reflux every night and woke up choking on it every night but I lived with it. 3 years and 80 lbs later, I ended up in the er not being able to even swallow saliva. They did an upper gi and saw my slip with a huge prolapse . My band had almost turned all the way upside down. So the decision was made to have it removed and revise to another surgery.

I'm now 2 weeks out from being sleeved and so far I'm really happy with it. But going from obese and unhealthy to thin and healthy and then back again is probably the worst thing I've had to endure. I know probably 20-30 people that have gotten the band. More than half have had it removed, a few have had smaller issues, port replacement, etc. And a few never had measure able success. I can only think of 1-2 that have not had an issue...yet.

And even when the band works right, it's a lot of work to get it there. Fills...finding your "sweet spot"...etc. I so enjoy not having to live around my surgery. The sleeve is no maintenance. I wish I would have gone this route the first time around.

Good luck with your decision.