Lap Band Revision - Sleeve or Bypass?

[Loriey 20]

I have been thinking a great deal about my lap band and the struggles I've had for the last few years.

I had my lap band surgery in 2013. I lost 60 lbs and everything was great until 2017, when I traveled to Hawaii. The flight messed with my lap band and since then I can't seem to get it right. I had another surgery to fix the placement of the lap band because it slipped but that still hadn't gotten me back to my original success. Since this time, I've had fills and defills and nothing seems to work. I travel allot (before Covid) and the flights always mess with my lap band. Right now, I am waiting for another fill but can't get it because of Covid. However, I'm having issues with the band. Some days I can't eat anything, not even coffee, the next day I'm starving and everything goes through, bread, Pasta, chicken etc. I checked in with my Dr, and she says that stress and hormones are a factor in the band tightening. Well, I'm hitting menopause so my hormones fluctuate ALLOT.

I have diligently tried everything. I have been following all the rules, eating protein; small bites, chewing etc. I'm getting tired of this constant back and forth. And to top it off, I'm gaining weight again.

I am considering having the band removed. A friend suggested revision surgery to gastric bypass. She had it done and she doesn't have any problems anymore. I also heard that some have the gastric sleeve.

What does this group suggest?

[catwoman7 10,922]

if you have trouble with GERD, go with the bypass. If not, then it's up to you. They're both good surgeries and you'll find people on here who've had great success with both.

[Loriey 20]

I have had problems with GERD / reflux. Thank you

[Tracyringo 503]

1 hour ago, Loriey said:

I have had problems with GERD / reflux. Thank you

Bypass for sure then. You don't want to have to have another revision. Good luck

[INEEDABUDDY 46]

lapband went in 4/2009 lost 55 before 6 after .lots of pain gas vomiting the last straw was gastric paresis...lapband out 2016 gained back 80 ..Surgery next month doing sleeve. I pick that so I could have less concerns for me about Vitamins replacement life long.

[Ann777 16]

I'm sorry that you are having these problems. They mirror what I went through with the lapband. The first years were fine, lost 70 pounds but somewhere along the way, the fill was too tight, too loose, vomiting, slider foods just to eat. Finally decided to get an unfill, gained all the weight back. My doctor said that some people just can't handle a foreign object being inside their body. I recently revised to sleeve, so far -so good. Good luck on whatever decision you make.

[Loriey 20]

14 hours ago, Ann777 said:

I'm sorry that you are having these problems. They mirror what I went through with the lapband. The first years were fine, lost 70 pounds but somewhere along the way, the fill was too tight, too loose, vomiting, slider foods just to eat. Finally decided to get an unfill, gained all the weight back. My doctor said that some people just can't handle a foreign object being inside their body. I recently revised to sleeve, so far -so good. Good luck on whatever decision you make.

Thank you Ann777, i, glad to see things a better for you

[anxiousme03 1]

I didn’t have lap band, but while in the hospital my nurse said she felt like there was going to be a Class Action Lawsuit over all the issues.

[JRT Mom 919]

Add me to the list of people with lap band failures. Mine was 12 years old. It slipped upward around my esophagus and caused a large hiatal hernia. I had no fill in it and still was throwing up every other meal I ate. The surgeon I saw recommended a bypass--he said it was easier to do the revision in one surgery (which I preferred instead of two separate surgeries) and I also had a history of GERD. So I went that way and the only regret that I've had is that I didn't get the bypass instead of the lap band 12 years ago!

Get that dang band out and save yourself a lot of woe!😁

[INEEDABUDDY 46]

jrt mom we did the same thing. I was so scared when I was having my band removed I just wanted to heal . and now almost 4 years later I am 40 lbs heavier. I am trying to take the approach ....I did what I did because I though it was best for me at that time. I try to be more enthusiast about my furture. I am being more proactive about my eating. I made a vegetable of the week club. last week was eggplant. I did three greaat things with it. I made and eggplant omlete, slice eggpland with sweet peppers over jasmine rice and slice and fried with hummus .all very good . who knew! we have this !

[Loriey 20]

On 6/22/2020 at 9:39 AM, JRT Mom said:

Add me to the list of people with lap band failures. Mine was 12 years old. It slipped upward around my esophagus and caused a large hiatal hernia. I had no fill in it and still was throwing up every other meal I ate. The surgeon I saw recommended a bypass--he said it was easier to do the revision in one surgery (which I preferred instead of two separate surgeries) and I also had a history of GERD. So I went that way and the only regret that I've had is that I didn't get the bypass instead of the lap band 12 years ago!

Get that dang band out and save yourself a lot of woe!😁

Hi JRT Mom, I feel the same way. I so regret going this route and now having to go through two surgeries instead of one. But it is what is and I can't change that. Just move forward and hope the bypass will fix everything. Thanks for the reply.

[Loriey 20]

23 hours ago, INEEDABUDDY said:

jrt mom we did the same thing. I was so scared when I was having my band removed I just wanted to heal . and now almost 4 years later I am 40 lbs heavier. I am trying to take the approach ....I did what I did because I though it was best for me at that time. I try to be more enthusiast about my furture. I am being more proactive about my eating. I made a vegetable of the week club. last week was eggplant. I did three greaat things with it. I made and eggplant omlete, slice eggpland with sweet peppers over jasmine rice and slice and fried with hummus .all very good . who knew! we have this !

Hi INEEDABUDDY, did you have gastric bypass after removing the lap band? I can't live without some form of resistance. I need to have bypass after my band removal.

[Loriey 20]

I lost 60 lbs with the lap band, have slowly regained approximately 20 - 25 lbs. I am 5'4", I went from 225 lbs down to 165 and I felt fantastic and very happy at that weight. With the regain I am now around 190. I am hoping gastric bypass will get me back down to 165-160.

What is your weight loss after revision?

[JRT Mom 919]

23 hours ago, INEEDABUDDY said:

. last week was eggplant. I did three greaat things with it. I made and eggplant omlete, slice eggpland with sweet peppers over jasmine rice and slice and fried with hummus .all very good . who knew! we have this !

STOP!!!!! You're making me HONGRY!!!! Seriously, as a vegetarian I LOVE new ways to use eggplant and the one with peppers and rice and hummus sounds delish!

[JRT Mom 919]

2 minutes ago, Loriey said:

I lost 60 lbs with the lap band, have slowly regained approximately 20 - 25 lbs. I am 5'4", I went from 225 lbs down to 165 and I felt fantastic and very happy at that weight. With the regain I am now around 190. I am hoping gastric bypass will get me back down to 165-160.

What is your weight loss after revision?

Loriey, you will hear people say weight loss is difficult after revision surgery. I didn't find that true AT ALL. I started at 240 and only got down to 160 with the band. Then after I had trouble with it I got back up to 200. Seven months ago I got my revision and I am now down to 140. I found it much easier to eat small meals with the bypass than with the band. With the band, if the first bite didn't land just right in the pouch I'd feel nauseous and NEVER had that "ahhhh...I'm perfectly full" feeling. With the bypass there is NEVER that sickly lap band full feeling. It's just a nice "That's just right" feeling of fullness.