After reading all of these posts, I am wondering if getting the sleeve will be worth it! I lost about 50 with the band, and kept off 40.

Will the sleeve make a difference? I have a 14cc band that has slipped. It's been filled almost to max capacity. No one ever told me that my band could cause difficulties with my sleeve!

The entire point of the sleeve is to have restriction, correct?

I'm paying cash for my revision surgery, and it's a lot of money to shell out if the sleeve will make no difference! I'm really bummed out, and I'm wondering if I should just get my band removed, and no sleeve on Wednesday.

I only had band restriction for one year after band surgery in 2009.

Please let there be more band to sleeve success stories out there!!

Thank you,

Lisa ????

So far I am. I haven't had the throwing up issues I had with the band. The gas is horrible but when I walk or stand up it gets better.

Oh good. I have a desk job so might be walking around a lot

I am scheduled for an upper Fi with Barium,Endoscopy ...had a CAT scan that showed a mild hiatal hernia....sick all the time especially at night I feel the band clenching...I awaken in pain or gasping....I need this revision to sleeve or bypass...not sure if it is the sleeve because I have to see what the results of these tests unveil....the band is a nightmare...it will cause mild to severe damage long term...believe me....

Yah it's the DEVIL!

I keep reading stuff online that the band to sleeve doesn't have as good a success rate as Virgin gastric patients that get the sleeve.... maybe I should quit reading stuff cause I'm getting a little discouraged

Hellcat- I am a revision and at 7 weeks I have already lost more than I did with lap-band. No way I will ever be able to eat the way I used to. Lunch was about 6 bites and I was full. I am now worried about losing too much weight.

This is a post by one of our fellow members in another post..I must say she makes a lot of sense and I am keeping my options open.....to revision to bypass....it is something I have to consider because the lapband has done a number on me.....endoscopy and upper GI will tell me all I need to know

I had the exact same experience as you. I had my heart set on the sleeve and was told and shown all the data on revisions because of redux/Gerd. I had a little more time than you so I ended up going to see another gastroenterologist for a second opinion.

My fear had everything to do with the idea that bypass might be more invasive and the malabsorption concerns. Everyone tried scaring me out of moving forward.

My bariatric specialist asked me the following questions:

1. Why do you have the opinion that bypass is more invasive that sleeve. I responded be caused of the rerouting. She reminded me that to remove 85 percent is very invasive.

Bypass is the gold standard of WLS. People who go thru the sleeve and suffer from Gerd after usually end up revising to bypass.

Bypass is in fact reversible. Once your stomach is gone, you cannot get it back.

2. What about the malabsorption scares you, after all it is designed to help you lose more weight.

I responded with some of the horror stories about people who didn't get their proper Vitamins.

She educated me about why malabsorption is a good thing and as long as I take my supplements: multi Vitamin, Calcium, Vitamin D and B12 and follow up with labs to check progress, I won't have any problems.

By the way, with the band and the sleeve you have to take supplements and go have labs regularly as well.

After that one session with her and lots of time on line, I was feeling so much better about having WLS overall. I got excited, I was not scared any longer and I knew my success was completely up to me.

By the way, I have not had 1 episode of reflux nor have I had to take any meds for it since 30 days post op, no more type 2 diabetes, no more high cholesterol, no more high blood pressure, no more sleep apnea, and last but the most important, no more stage 3 kidney disease.

Don't be afraid, do some research if you need to. See if you can get in sooner and talk to a bariatrician if you are worried.

You have worked way too hard to get to this place and you have to already know that the diet yo yo thing will only cost you more time lost down the road. Haven't you been there already?

Hellcat- I am a revision and at 7 weeks I have already lost more than I did with lap-band. No way I will ever be able to eat the way I used to. Lunch was about 6 bites and I was full. I am now worried about losing too much weight.

I would love to have that problem

i was 262 when i had my revision. I had it on 03/13/2014. I had a breast reduction on 12/23/2014 and I just had my complete abdominoplasty on 08/11/2015. I am currently 189. so i feel like I am a success story

Do you plan on losing more weight? Why did you do an abdominoplasty so quick? Just wondering

My goal weight was 180. I am happy with 189. The skin was cause to many issues and my insurance covered it

Oh nice. I hope if I lose a lot my insurance will cover skin removal cause I know I'll need it

if it is medically necessary they will. I an theb insurance specialist for a bariatric center

Oh cool! Well you lost a lot!! Congratz!!

Edited August 20, 201510 yr by HELLCATT81

I already lost 110 lbs with the band but the band needs to come out now because of problems and nothing passing through even after removing all fluid. My surgeon recommend bypass but I am more for a sleeve.

The insurance just came back and approved removal but not revision since my BMI is 28. How shortsighted. They did not even pay for my band initially since I was overseas and that insurance covered it. I am not going to be able to pay for the revision out of pocket.

I do not really want to loose that much more weight since many people already ask me if I am sick or anything since I have been loosing so much in the last 4 years, and especially the last 2 years.

If I could maintain my weight without the band I would be happy but I am not sure I have the willpower and most stories I hear or read say that people will gain back their weight even between removal and revision.

The question is whether I would loose a lot more after bypass or sleeve revision.