Hello all,

I had lap band in 2008 and lost ~250 pounds, from 433 to 178 pounds. I thought the band was a miracle. Then the band went from being my friend to my nemesis. Trying to manage severe GERD has led to almost 100 pound gain. Long story short, I have a doctor appointment tomorrow to see about getting the band out and convert to RNY. (Sleeve is out of the question due to GERD). I have Kaiser and they will only do it in two steps which I am bummed about, but I just want to get the process started.

Anyway, the reason for my post is I have been re-emerging on this forum to find others who have transitioned from lap band to RNY. My main question is, for those who have gone from band to RNY, how was the transition for you and did you find that the RNY worked well for you after your band? I read a lot of these stories about people losing a lot of weight quickly on RNY but they are talking about their first bariatric surgery. As a second bariatric surgery I want to know more about what I can expect. Are there forums on here for revision patients?

Kathy

I went band to bypass in one op in Jan. I have lost all my excess weight and am sitting around goal. My diet is much healthier than with the band. It is lovely to be able to go out to eat and not spend the evening in the bathroom throwing up.

Elcee, thank you for your reply. How much did you lose on the band in the first place? How long were you banded? How was the recovery from band to bypass in one surgery?

I had the band in 2009 and lost 38 kg. After I lost my weight I wanted to have skin removal and the surgeon insisted that the fluid had to be removed from my band. Since then I could never find the right balance again and either I was too tight and couldn't swallow water or too loose and could eat everything! Ice cream and chocolate and chips became the few things that went down without too much trouble. Chicken, fish, most vegetables would get stuck and I would be sick. Soon I had gained back all of the weight I lost and could no longer lose no matter what I did.

I had my band our in July 2018 and then 8 weeks later in September had RNY. I have now lost 39 kg and have never felt so good. I don't even think I felt or looked so good when I lost weight the first time. My surgeon explained that they do it in a 2 step process to ensure that your stomach heals after having the band removal. There could be scar tissue and swelling that needs to be dealt with before they can do the RNY.

I had absolutely no pain after either procedure and now 8 months on I can eat pretty much anything except sugary (I get huge blood sugar spikes if I try to eat sugary things) or broccoli (which is a PITA because I love broccoli). RNY was the best thing ever for me.

I went from lap band to rny. Lost about 80 with lap band but it was mostly from vomiting. Band slipped and I gained all the weight plus 20 back. I had my rny. I've lost like 75% of my excess weight. They say you lose a lot slower with a second wls but I've been working my ass off, literally, so I do ok.

It may be too early for me to chime in but I had a revision from band to bypass in May. I had the band 13 years and went from 232 to (usually) the 140s. But when I had a complication (esophageal dysmotility) I was unfilled and (no surprise) gained about 45lbs in the 5-6 months until the revision.
So new high weight was 185. Surgery weight was 177. It’s been 7 weeks and I have lost exactly 20 lbs to 157. So I cannot comment on long term effects...

BUT
One thing is that this is sooo much better than the band. I recently had the first meal out with my husband where I ate a “normal” amount and didn’t end up in the bathroom. Normal being a miso soup and a fish appetizer at a Japanese restaurant.
With the band I would often have two bites and not be able to eat which was embarrassing and people would always ask why I wasn’t eating (or sneaking off to the bathroom).

Small portions make me feel good and satisfied. Unlike the band where it was usually painful or uncomfortable.

Hope this helps!
S

Hi, I had a Lap and done 12 years ago. It was amazing until it wasn't lost all excess weight except 20+ still to go. I regained it all when the band slipped. All those foods I had missed I went crazy. Wow a big Mac had never tasted so good. So conversion done on May 23rd so I can only give you a 1 month opinion. It is so different in a better way. I don't have that constant choking pressure like with the band. Drinking and eating is harder. I'm 4 weeks out and still on liquids I can't advancement 1 bite of anything eggs,yogurt,etc and it feels like a turkey dinner. They said with 1 step there is a lot of swelling and it takes time. So maybe the 2 step for healing is a better option. They did barium studies and everything looks good just moving and healing slow. Lots of meds go with RNY. At present 2 omiprazole a day you open capsule and take the granules. 2 zantac a day, 1 bariatric complete MVI, A Med to stop Gallstone development, Vitamins for hair. I vomited a lot with the band not once with this. Also no fills needed I won't miss that. So the right choice for me no regrets at all. My loss isn't normal because I am not on track with the program yet stuck in phase 1 with fluids. So with 2 week liquid pre op diet and 4 weeks out so a total of 6 weeks fluids I have lost 34 lbs. To be honest I was 80lbs over weight not the 100+ needed for insurance approval. I had these procedures for medical issues that is how I was approved. Good luck on your procedures.

On 6/22/2019 at 7:06 PM, always said:

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On 6/22/2019 at 7:06 PM, always said:

Lots of meds go with RNY. At present 2 omiprazole a day you open capsule and take the granules. 2 zantac a day, 1 bariatric complete MVI, A Med to stop Gallstone development, Vitamins for hair.

This is not true for everyone. The only ones which are generally non negotiable are multivitamins for life. I take 2 per day plus Vit D and Magnesium which I used to take prior to the surgery anyway. Anti reflux meds are usually recommended for the first couple of months post op for sleeve and bypass patients. Hairloss doesnt happen to everyone but it can happen to anyone who has had weightloss surgery regardless of the type.

Hi Kathy,

I think you and I are in the same both - I am also in Kaiser and having to go in 2 stages. I'm just waiting for the office to call to schedule the lap band removal and working on losing weight. I'm hoping that timing works out that the RNY surgery won't be too delayed since I'll be healed and lose the necessary pre-surgery weight at about the same time.

Lor