I have the realize band for 4 years I haven't lost much just 30 pounds back and fourth my weight was 210 to begin with but do to severe upset stomach and gerd my doctor suggested I revise to sleeve. I wanted to remove the band and try on my own because I didn't want to go through all that again. I have vitamin difficencys but I take vitamins on and off. I was approved for revision however upon reading the threads I see that sleevers get acid reflex. I am scared that I will have acid reflex that can't be reversed and that Sometimes it doesn't help with meds. But there are a few people who wrote that they don't have gerd anymore after the surgery. Sometimes now I get sore throat from reflex and my doctor has removed all the fluid. Can you please give me advise my surgery is scheduled for the 14th of April? I am

Almost thinking to just remove the band and not revise since its permanent I'm afraid. I have 50-60 pounds to loose. Any feed back is appreciated! Thank you

I'll tell you my experience. I had acid reflux/GERD before surgery and I knew it could worsen. I was worried about this so I talked to my surgeon and he said if that did happen, it could be controlled with medication. He's been a bariatric surgeon for 16 years, he should know, right? I was fine with taking medication because I did not want to have bypass surgery.

So here I am 7 weeks post op and had painful acid reflux immediately after surgery and I'm on three medications that is not controlling it. I have it 24/7. At times it is worse than other times.Just Water hitting my stomach causes the burning to accelerate. I am waiting on another endoscopy to be scheduled.

Will you have a similar experience? Who knows. You may not have any problems at all. Basically it is a crap shoot if you will have problems or not. Statistically I can't say whether it's likely meds will control yours or not but I have seen many people who the meds work wonders for...I'm just not one of them. I am miserable.

PS I did have a hiatial hernia fixed during surgery and that did not help my acid either.

Thanks for your response I really appreciate it! Can you please keep me posted on how you feel after the endoscopy? I am so scared to have the surgery because it is irreversible and I

Don't want to do the bypass.

I had got a band in 2005. I lost 85lbs the first year and then started getting horrible reflux. I couldn't sleep at all. They took most of the fluid out which helped greatly but not with weight loss. I yoyo dieted for eight years and then finally did a revision to sleeve at the end of last April. This was the best thing I ever did! Night and day from that horrible band. I did get some heartburn in the earlier months. But no reflux. The heartburn was easily controlled with OTC meds and now seems to have past. Good luck!

As you already know everyone is totally different i can tell you my experience with the band i had it for 10 years 2 months 10 days and 6 hours yes i counted down the days i couldn't wait to remove it . about 5 years in i started getting burning acid reflux on and off then it got worse as the years went on getting fill unfills fills unfill throwing up acid reflux waking up in the middle of the night from almost choking with hot acid creeping up to my throat. ok you got the visual... before i got it removed last week my doctor had unfilled it 4 weeks prior because thats what he does before getting sleeved. i was suppose to get the sleeve. but anyway during those 4 weeks no burning no acid reflux NO MEDICATION NO TUMS nothing removed the band last week but couldn't do the sleeve because the band had slipped NO problem scheduled for sleeve in may (to let stomach heal) im am beyond happy because i have no burning acid reflux pain in my chest whether i eat or not (yes i gained weight) so im getting the sleeve and i dont foresee any acid reflux problem but we had no indication that the band had slipped either.

Did you do xray with barium swallow at the doctors when you were getting checked on the band? The reason I ask is my doctor always does the X-ray checks tells me it looks fine there is no slippage. I wonder if I have a slip too. I am so lost don't know how the sleeve will differ from the band. My surgery is 1 day away.

Yes i had all my pre op done even the barium swallow and Upper GI xray everything looked good. that is why he was surprised too. But i think we both agreed it happened after the barium swallow and xray it had to have happened when he unfilled the band as he required 4 weeks before the band to sleeve revision. Did your doctor unfill you before surgery?? THere was no indication no pain in my chest not even acid reflux since i unfilled the band completely.

THe last thing he said to me and my husband who asked what is the worse case scenario, and he said well the worse case would be that the band slipped and there was a lot of scar tissue ect ..that he would just remove the band and schedule for sleeve in 6-8 weeks but "i dont foresee that happening because she shows no symptoms of anything wrong"

wake up one hour later (it was suppose to be a 2 hours surgery) and no sleeve.

You will be fine actually i will be jealous and just wait my turn make sure you come back and let us know how u did?

My doctor unfilled my band 3 months ago when I was having lots of issues with acid reflex. My tongue felt raw and I would get soar throat often it felt horrible. I started to eat after and gained 20 pounds very fast. I wanted to remove the band I was so tired of all the symptoms but the doctor insisted I get the sleeved he guaranteed that I would gain a lot of weight after the band removal. He said trust me I see patients everyday. It took me 3 months to decide on the sleeve I was scared to have all the symptoms that I had with the band and it is permanent. So here I am doing the sleeve but I am very nervous about it. I hate the liquid diet part and I don't know what to expect with the sleeve. Also this last week all of a sudden I had restriction I called the doctor and he said you are unfilled all the way. He said just wait you have a few more days left to get you out of your misery. So today and tomorrow liquid diet Thursday surgery. I wonder how much scar tissue I have... Also I rarely threw up with the band but when it was completely unfilled I drank while I ate. We will see what happens hopefully the good will happen. I see good and bad reviews on the sleeve. I only have 50 to 60 pounds to lose my thyroid is kind of slow I'm on 50 mg synthyroid. I will defined keep you posted.

I know you will do well.. since you unfilled the band have you gotten relief from acid reflux gerd burning ect. ? That should give you an indication how you might do with the sleeve. I would be highly surprised if i got acid reflux and burning back after sleeve. But who Knows..

As far as the restriction part now it is a maybe that your band slipped i think that is what happened to me. (i think it slipped after the unfill) so if that is the case the worse case scenario is removing band and getting sleeve later but he might be able to do both anyway depending how bad the slip was and or how bad damaged if any. Just be prepared for the worse.

I have no regrets things happen and i do know that i cannot do it by myself (with no tool) NOT AT ALL. Hell i gained 30lbs in about 3 months ( a disaster) i have no years to be wasting on yo yo dieting... no way.. cant wait for my surgery date. when is yours..?

Mine is tomorrow... Ummmhhh nervous

Mine is tomorrow... Ummmhhh nervous

ThinnerS

SPEEDY RECOVERY TO YOU!! Please Please relax you will do just fine make sure you dont leave all of us waiting. Hope to hear from you soon!

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I will keep all of you posted. I just drank that citrate and yuck it's disgusting. I have to be there 5 in the morning. I am exhausted from the liquid diet I had to do for two days prior to surgery.

I've never in my like had problems with acid reflux - even before the band.

I'm 2 months out from band to sleeve revision. With the band I had for 6 years. The only time I had reflux with the band was when it was too tight, which seemed to be anytime there was anything in there to give me restriction. Once the bad land was unfilled the reflux went away.

I've been having mild reflux after the sleeve. I take protronix which is working just fine to keep the reflux under control.

I was told it would probably even go away and actually I'm wondering if it is because I used to wake up feeling it and took my medicine right away. Now when I wake up it doesn't seem to be there, but I'm still taking the medication. I may just stop taking it and see what happens.

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How are you doing with the sleeve. I have my revision to sleeve on 6/21 any suggestions or recommendations

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I have to tell you...I backed out last minute and took out my band and didn't do the sleeve. I read both good and bad about the sleeve but didn't know exactly what to expect. I was afraid to get the acid reflex and weakness that I already had with the band.

Now that a few days passed by I feel guilty as if did I make the right decision. I didn't lose much weight with the band just 30 pounds. The doctor told me that I will regret it later but I was too afraid to do it.

Edited April 18, 201610 yr by thinnerS

thinnerS don't feel too bad you have to do what's best for you. I wish you the best of luck.

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