Hello all, sorry for the long post. I am new here and was hoping for some feedback. I was banded in 2001 and initially did very well and loved my band. Started having bad shoulder pain about 5 years in and saw three different band doctors who all told me there was no way it was band related. I was on a forum back in the day in which several banded folks related the same pain.

Around 2008 I started vomiting a lot and had several fills with a doctor who is very aggressive in his fills. I would often leave the office spitting up and had to turn around on two occasions to have some fill removed. He was not too pleased so I stopped my follow up. Developed heartburn and imaging studies in 2011 revealed esophagitis, gastritis, and a hiatal hernia. I had a complete unfill in either 2011 or 2013 and just gave up and have gained most of my originally lost weight back.

I am now considering switching to sleeve. I keep putting it off because I am terrified of any surgery and also about how bad the band might be in there. I went back to my original band surgeon two months ago who in no uncertain terms told me the band has to come out. He has not done any more bands since 2004. I will most likely be self pay and I am very worried about complications, how I will feel, and not losing.

Can anyone tell me how it feels to have sleeve restriction versus band restriction?

Do you vomit with the sleeve or slime up?

Do you still have GERD if you developed it with the band?

Thank you all in advance for any responses and for all the information you have posted in this forum. I look forward to reading the other posts and getting to know you all

I'm new here I got banded in 2011 I'm 5ft & my weight was 199lbs. I had a lot of difficulties, throwing up, spitting up etc. my weight got down to 126lbs. I had band removed a year ago this June. My weight has came back to 188lbs. I have my revision surgery for sleeve 10-07-2015. I am scared we are paying cash, I'm worried about losing too much weight & im worried about leakage from the staples. I'm just scared. I'm back on blood pressure medicine & cholesterol medicine & I feel terrible, no energy. I want the weight off, but I don't want to look sick. My surgeon said he wouldn't do the kind of sleeve on me that would make me lose 100lbs. Is it stupid to ask has anyone lost to much weight? I want to lose 60lbs but I'm scared I will keep losing. My surgeon said since I had the band for 3 years the sleeve will just take the place of the band & I won't lose 100lbs. I guess I'm just worried I will not have any control if the weight starts falling off & I can't stop it. I hope I don't sound ridiculous ????

I understand all your fears except losing too much weight. That is extremely rare. You would be lucky at your bmi to lose 60lbs.

@@Halfagain our stories are the same! Banded in 2001...removed Sept 2011...sleeved Dec 2011. Been at goal for awhile. Revision was the BEST decision ever.

My port area was very sore and then weird for weeks. I got a little depressed after band was out... maybe the sense of failure? Anyway here I am years later with no regrets about my revision.

Thank you Cowgirl Jane. I really appreciate you sharing your experience. I'm glad you are happy with the revision!

I got my band in 2007 at my highest weight of 249 (self-pay was $17K in Ft. Lauderdale). I got down to 205 the first month, then developed a terrible cough. They totally unfilled the band and put me on Nexium, and I gradually gained back to 245. I never lost the cough, and I recently went in for an EGD and was told I have polyps in my stomach from the Nexium. My insurance has approved a revision and my surgery is scheduled for October 19th. I'm pretty nervous, and this board has really helped me. I am really scared that this won't work either. I have researched as much as I can, joined a gym, and I'm trying to stay positive, but even my family is asking why I think this will work when the band didn't.

Best of luck to you all, and thank you all for your posts.

3 of my coworkers have sleeves and I do know for them it was horrible. Out 3 weeks and had to wear bags.

What kind of bags? I was sleeved in 2011 and have never worn a bag of any type...

My experience was I had problem vomiting with the band, but I have only vomited a few times with the sleeve - and it all happened within the first 3-4 months and was always caused by eating too fast.

However, the first 1-3 months post surgery were tough in terms of getting Water in, getting used to eating small, getting used to solid food again, etc etc.

3 of my coworkers have sleeves and I do know for them it was horrible. Out 3 weeks and had to wear bags.

I had a revision from band to sleeve on 9/3/15. I would strongly recommend anyone who has had the band for 6 to 8 years to have it removed. There life span is not lifetime as I was initially told. Scaring is a major problem with the band.

I will admit I had more problems with the sleeve than with the band but I attribute that to the problems the surgeon encountered. I had everything done in one surgery. Band removed, scar tissue removed, large hiatal hernia repair and sleeve.

Most surgeons are reluctant to do band surgery anymore. Most insurance will cover revisions to sleeve as a medical necessity, mine did. I have lost 37 pounds and am back to normal food. The main difference between the band and sleeve, for me, is gas with the sleeve. Initially the sleeve caused a lot of saliva reflux but that stopped after a month.

I would never do anymore weight loss surgeries. I am so excited to eat and drink together. To not feel thrown off with that foreign object I'm 5'8 180. I have a dietician and things are great. I will be at 155 in no time. Don't do it. They will discover 10 tears from now at the things they don't know or won't tell u. I absolutely regret the band.

I was banded in 2010 and was sleeved on 9/29th. My band just stopped working. I had an upper GI test to reveal nothing was wrong but I knew it was because I was eating way toooooooo much. I am looking forward to the no more fills, vomiting etc. Of course I had scar tissue but the main thing the band was not eroded and I was able to have one surgery.

I am on full liquids and sooooo looking forward to pureed foods

I never did the band. I had my sleave performed almost three years ago. Had it done right before Thanksgiving and I had to cook to Thanksgiving dinners. Ugh! I digress, I've never had GERD. But I did throw up a lot. My fault, not the sleeves. I had two really bad habits. I ate to fast. I didn't chew enough. Once I got them under control everything has been smooth sailing.

Well I did it! After 14 years with the band almost to the day, I had the band removed, a hernia repaired, and the sleeve on October 1st. The first few days were rough due to pain but today I am two weeks out, back at work, and feeling pretty good. I am still on full liquids and start pureed foods tomorrow. I am glad to have the revision behind me and look forward to life with the sleeve

Congrats!

Congratulations! I'm not far behind you. I was banded 12/2001 and had the band removed last month. I have sleeve surgery in December. I hope you will share your progress along the way.