It was a long hard process to decide to get my sleeve versus bypass, or band, but after seeing both here and in my experiences in talking with fellow bypass vets, why are they still allowing the Band procedure?

I keep seeing alot of negative reports and alot of conversions from band to sleeve, or bypass, my preference was sleeve because I didn't want a portal under my skin and having adjustments made often, and I didn't choose the bypass because I was in fear of altering my whole abdominal system, so why the Band still????

I'd love to hear from Banders and would humbly listen to any point of view!!!

hope I don't see this about the sleeve 5 years from now!!

@@Elode

i have wondered about this too

now with your remark

one more reminder

lapband was wonderful for years

still is for some/many ie @@Alex Brecher

now "they" are performing "robotics" - (not sure what that is)

balloon???

what's next???

what if sleeve does develop problems down the road??? eeeeek

or new and improved sleeve appears

can't stop progress

but potential future problems with the sleeve??????

hopefully not

hubby works with computers

he exaggerates a "little"

...............but he says as soon as one computer comes out

new improved computer waiting to get rid of old

is that gonna be from one WLS to another

ie the sleeve

i am happy to live in the present

only place i can control

can't/shouldn't worry about things that possibly "might" happen

why look for trouble

then again..........

have to end this on a positive note (what else is new )

99% of us sleevers are thrilled with life

living the dream of becoming/getting/staying healthy and happy

one foot in front of another

one day at a time

their is that bright light at end of the tunnel

put your sunglasses on

kathy

I had that same concern worry - as a revision from band patient I really thought about this!

What I have to honestly say is that even in 2001 there were "early warning signs" that all was not well with the band. I lived in Europe where the band was already being done alot and while I didn't have any local support, I did belong to a yahoo group.

My first clue was that there was a general list and then there was a "secret" list where the veterans posted. Once i hit the one year mark, with very limited success and was permitted in the veterans area I came to realize how many people where having complications and very commonly not losing as much weight as they wanted. As most people do pretty well at first with the band - the complications tend to increase over time, the general forum gave a very narrow view of the band experience. There was also a great deal of shaming on that particular website. I had alot of trouble with vomiting more than I should have but there was a culture of blaming/shaming the patient so I never really got the counseling/advice/help I needed to manage the band better. At that time the stock answer "can't help you if you aren't compliant". I would be thinking "compliant with what? what can I eat that won't get stuck and make me vomit and embarrased?" but instead would keep my mouth shut and try to do better - without really knowing "how to do better"

At that time, there was less understanding about managing the right level of fill and lots of people had to travel for fills/unfills at great cost, including me, and so often lived with too tight of bands which led to oh so many problems.

Well, in truth, my first first first clue should have been pre-op was when my surgeon had me sign a document acknowledging that the band should be considered temporary and would most likely require removal with risk of significant weight gain. I had put on such rose colored glasses I didn't even remember signing that until I went through my paperwork in preparing for my revision to sleeve.

With the sleeve, I was looking for all the bad things - and surely found them (risk of leaks, etc etc) - but so far (will be 4 years in Dec) things have worked out as expected, or really better than expected and I feel like more was understood/ widely known about the sleeve in 2011 than was generally acknowledged about the band in 2001.

My surgeon and his associates won't band anymore.....Man, I hope I don't see this about the sleeve 5 years from now!!

My surgeon won't do bands and will try to educate candidates of the complications and the likelihood of them.

I knew I wanted the sleeve as I wanted something permanent and had heard about issues with the band.

My surgeon's practice still does bands.

I originally chose the band because it was reversible if there were any complications. It worked fine for the first two years and then I started not being able to get adjusted with the fills in the green zone. I was throwing up everything I tried to eat - even the slider foods and liquids.

I said I wanted a revision to the sleeve and my surgeon said okay.

I never had to pay for fills. The insurance company approved them a year at a time one a month.

I was originally interested in having the band done. My surgeon suggested the sleeve.

Seems to me that there is good and bad experiences with all surgeries. If I were to go back I might have chosen differently if I knew all the complications I and others that I have contact with have had with the sleeve surgery.

I wonder if someday the sleeve will be fazed out as they may say we used to do the "sleeve surgery." That that surgery might be considered barbaric. We just never know what the future has to hold!

As with science and medicine they are always moving ahead making strides in areas like these. I hope someday they have a pill that can be taken that will rid all mankind of their ills! Addiction is a difficult demon to live with.

wonder if sleeve will be fazed out??? - surgery might be considered barbaric???

As with science and medicine they are always moving ahead making strides

@RJ'S/beginning

you have always been on my hit parade

you have a bad/horrible history with your sleeve

i think i do remember one time you said you still would probably have had the sleeve (even after all your complications) am i right?? problems have been gone for a long time, right??

mention your case because there will always be that small% that have had problems with the sleeve

i can almost guarantee that changes will continue to happen

when/if improvements are made with WLS

hope sleeve will continue to be a good "assistant/helper" to weight problems

maybe not the latest and greatest

but will still be extremely successful, and we can be proud we have it

as RJ'S said , "I hope someday they have a pill that can be taken that will rid all mankind of their ills!"

wish my crystal ball was working

continued good life and success to allll us sleevers today and forever and a day

kathy

My surgeon and his associates won't band anymore.....Man, I hope I don't see this about the sleeve 5 years from now!!

I think it's reasonable to assume there's a big difference between the sleeve and the band in long term results without being a doctor or having decades of research.

What I really mean is that I think it's obvious that the band WILL have long term issues just by knowing the basics of how it works. There's so many things that can go wrong and let's face it it's a large artificial object, operating under pressure, that is subject to movement and other issues.

The sleeve on the other hand while a significant change is also a "set it and forget it" type of operation. Assuming it is done properly and there are no initial complications there's not much that can go wrong long term. I think that if there's ANY risk it's in long term changes to intake, which from everything I've read in the limited research we have is that long term nutritional issues are minor and much better than the Bypass.

So I'm not too worried.

I don't mean to be a nitpicker, but I want to be sure that newbies researching get accurate information.

When I was researching the sleeve in 2011 it was clear even then that there are some long term complications associated with the sleeve. #1 is reflux/GERD. in fact, it seems to peak about 3-6 years post op - I recall reading that about 30% are impacted. Most people can manage it well though... a few have to revise to bypass because it is so bad. I had to ask myself if I was willing to risk this.

#2 regain. This is a risk of all WLS and the sleeve has very comparable stats to the bypass, but it is still a long term "risk"

#3 Less common, but real problems like: ulcers and other "problems of the stomach". This seems fairly uncommon, but there is a person on this forum who developed a "leak" a year or more post op from an ulcer. Reactive hypoglycemia, vit B deficiencies and other very uncommon type problems can show up.

I don't say any of that to scare people - just go in with your eyes open. I, like most sleevers, have no complications and am very happy with my choice, but there are long term concerns to be aware.

I don't mean to be a nitpicker, but I want to be sure that newbies researching get accurate information.

When I was researching the sleeve in 2011 it was clear even then that there are some long term complications associated with the sleeve. #1 is reflux/GERD. in fact, it seems to peak about 3-6 years post op - I recall reading that about 30% are impacted. Most people can manage it well though... a few have to revise to bypass because it is so bad. I had to ask myself if I was willing to risk this.

#2 regain. This is a risk of all WLS and the sleeve has very comparable stats to the bypass, but it is still a long term "risk"

#3 Less common, but real problems like: ulcers and other "problems of the stomach". This seems fairly uncommon, but there is a person on this forum who developed a "leak" a year or more post op from an ulcer. Reactive hypoglycemia, vit B deficiencies and other very uncommon type problems can show up.

I don't say any of that to scare people - just go in with your eyes open. I, like most sleevers, have no complications and am very happy with my choice, but there are long term concerns to be aware.

Gee thanks @@CowgirlJane that's the only thing you mentioned that I haven't got yet. Reflux/ Gerd! Thanks I look forward to years 3-6 now! lol

If you don't have humor you have nothing right!

Ok, now I haven't had my surgery yet, but, I have a question.

How can one regain the weight lost after sleeve surgery? I can see where, after the band, gaining the weight back. After all, the stomach is still there.

With sleeve surgery, about 85% of the stomach is removed, taken out, no longer there.

The remaining stomach, if surgery was done correctly, cannot stretch back out to the size of the original stomach.

It seems to me, IMHO, that in order to regain say 100 lbs, one would have to consume nothing but empty calories, and eat all day long.

Can someone explain it to me? How, after sleeve surgery, the weight is regained? Am I missing something?

@@toler48 I can see why you might assume that regain is impossible but let me tell you, i don't eat very much and I am about 10# over goal. You don't need to eat all day long, you just need to have a few hundred extra calories a day to regain.

It's also worth noting that the FDA is considering revoking their approval of the band

@@CowgirlJane

I guess you're right. Anytime you eat empty calories, you will gain. That's pretty much what got me where I'm at. Not eating right, having no control.

I don't mean to be discouraging. I have NEVER been able to maintain a significant weight loss for any length of time - but post sleeve I lost almost 170# and have kept most of it off quite well. I am still in single digit clothing etc.... I am just saying that it is quite easy to regain and you must approach with the mindset that this is a tool to use, but it is your committment to your results that keeps you successful. The sleeve at first seems like magic (For most people they lose weight pretty easily at first) but if you don't accept permanent changes into your life, you risk regain... even without eating huge quantities.

Yes, correcting a lifetime of bad eating habits needs to be addressed. I do mean a lifetime. I was never taught how to create menus for good health eating when I was growing up. Then after getting married, I didn't create healthy meals, but I was able to keep my weight down running after two little ones, housework and an outside job. No energy to eat LOL

My son and daughter, both, are healthy eaters now (both in their mid 40's), but they learned by themselves. Neither has ever had a weight problem, thank goodness.

Anywho, back to the subject, I am slowly learning, pre-surgery, to cut some bad stuff. Like no more carbonated beverages, no buying a loaf of french bread and eating the whole darn thing myself. Oh yes, I am a carbo-holic big time. I can pass up the sweets, but oh my, bread and pasta are demons!!