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Revision Recovery Timeline - Band to Bypass



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Question for anyone on here that recently went through a revision from band to bypass. How is recovery? I have read many positive recoveries for bypass, but is there a difference when it includes a revision from band? Some people were ready to conquer the world at one week, others needed 6 weeks to get back into work. Obviously different work duties will dictate, but how long until you felt you could go about a normal day following surgery? I am having surgery on February 8th, a thursday, and had hoped to be up for light duties the following Monday.

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Four days later? Well that might be pushing it!

From my experience, what the Dr said and reading here, the two issues are gas pain (like the band surgery - they pump gas in to separate your organs) which seems to be highly variable in intensity, and fatigue. I think the bypass is more fatiguing - with the band, when they installed mine it wasn’t very inflated, so I could eat normally pretty quickly. With the bypass, a week in I was still struggling to drink enough clear liquid (water, clear broth) because of the swelling of the newly cut stomach - which means I was very tired...

I am a fast healer. Was eating yoghurt, cottage cheese, soft food within a week. That helped the energy levels noticeably.

Be careful with yourself my friend. Bypass surgery did ‘feel’ more major for recovery...

Edited by Biddynz

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I had band to bypass revision on 12/22. I was fine by the next day and went home from the hospital. Had no problems with liquids. Was walking around. Only needed pain meds at night before bed and the occasional Tylenol. Was off pain meds by the first week post-op. I had a little soreness but nothing too bad. No nausea. Gas pain was gone by about day 3. I took off 3 weeks from work bc I do 12 hour shifts that require physical activity. I could have gone back at 2 weeks. The first week, the main problem was fatigue and weakness. I took a nap every day. Once I could start eating more real food, I had more energy. I have young children and was able to take care of them the first week. Recovery from this has been better than the band for me.

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2 hours ago, spealex said:

Question for anyone on here that recently went through a revision from band to bypass. How is recovery? I have read many positive recoveries for bypass, but is there a difference when it includes a revision from band? Some people were ready to conquer the world at one week, others needed 6 weeks to get back into work. Obviously different work duties will dictate, but how long until you felt you could go about a normal day following surgery? I am having surgery on February 8th, a thursday, and had hoped to be up for light duties the following Monday.

It's going to be different for each person because each person's body is a little bit different. I go for surgery in the middle of February and I fully expect it to be difficult because I already have a sensitive stomach. After I lost my gall bladder in 2002, my stomach has never been right so I am afraid that my recovery may be long and unpleasant. Nevertheless, soldiering on!

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I had the revision from band to Bypass on 12/18/17. Due to scar tissue from band surgery, it took the doctor 5 hours to complete surgery. I got out the next day. I’m 56, was pretty tired and took naps everyday for almost a week. I slowly added in activity. Give yourself time to heal, your incisions might be an issue if you go back too early.


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I also had band to sleeve. 1/4/18. I was doing fine on liquids. Now it’s soft foods & I always feel I’m full, but hungry. I know that makes no sense. The full feels like it goes all the way up to my throat. All I’ve had is smoothies, cottage cheese, Protein Drinks. Just frustrating! Anyone else feel this?


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    • LeighaTR

      I am new here today... and only two weeks out from my sleeve surgery on the 23rd. I am amazed I have kept my calories down to 467 today so far... that leaves me almost 750 left for dinner and maybe a snack. This is going to be tough for two weeks... but I have to believe I can do it!
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    • Doughgurl

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      1. Selina333

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
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