After being overweight my entire life I decided to get the lap band in dec. 2012. I really wanted gastric sleeve surgery at the time, but my insurance didn't cover it and I felt bypass was "too extreme".

My band never could get in the "green zone" and because I traveled for work, often times would be in horrible pain because due to cabin pressure the saline in my band would get tighter. I was miserable! After continually vomiting, uncontrollable acid reflux and weight gain I decided to switch surgical programs and seek new advice.

My new doctor advised me on having a revision done and now my insurance approves the sleeve surgery. I thought about it a few months as I was hesitant with feeling like such a failure with the band.

In fact I was quite open with my first surgery but people would say later "I thought you were supposed to lose lots of weight?". It just added to my feelings of failure and this round I'm being much more protective of who I talk to about it. I've not gotten a lot of support for my choice but hope by joining this group others will be able to understand my journey and share their own. I'm now going through the approval process and hope to get my sleeve at the end of June.

I too have a lap band. My band slipped last year and I am having it removed and converted to a sleeve. I have never regretted having my band even though I am having problems with it now. My only regret is I didn't make myself maintain my weight loss when all the saline had to be removed from my band so next week I begin this journey all over again. I am so afraid of weight gain again once I get the weight back off with the sleeve. I am wondering should I have went for the bypass?

I think that too sometimes. But I'm trusting my doctors recommendation, research and 4 people I know who have gotten surgery to guide me. Good luck!

Factory - really research the pros ans. I had the lap band in 2005 then converted to the vertical sleeve in 2008 .... and here I am now trying to get what I was so afraid to have....the bypass.

Granted, we are totally different beings and your path is yours alone. I would just make sure the sleeve is absolutely what you want before committing to it.

All the best~

I also had the lab band and now have a sleeve. The Lap band initially worked then stopped or I was less committed. Now I have a sleeve for 6 weeks and have only lost 20 lbs. I should've lost much more. The surgeon does not understand why