I am seriously of thinking getting mine removed too, but for some different reasons. I had mine placed in 10/2005. I have done well, probably losing about 60-70 lbs. (my ticker's not updated) I had a funny phenomenon of getting TIGHTER the more weight I lost.

I also did change my lifestyle drastically. I have cut out any regular fast food (maybe few times a year) and several sandwiches at one meal. I eat well 90% of the time and also learned to eat slowly. I am also exercising like crazy - I mean, I am now doing marathons and triathlons.

Which brings up the weird reason - I am burning so many calories that I can not keep enough calories in! I am not the skinniest person ever, but I am eating ice cream just to get enough calories b/c I physically can not eat enough lean Protein and veg to keep up and the band restricts alot of carb intake (bread, crackers, rice)

I am completely unfilled now and still have restriction.

Do you think my doctor would remove the band for this reason?

I'm sure you could find a surgeon to remove it. The question is will you be running it through your insurance? If you are self pay you shouldn't have any problems.

Hi-

I've had many of the same issues as you. It does seem the more weight I lost, the tighter my band became. I was banded in June of 2005 to date have lost between 75-85 pounds. I've spent more than half of 2007 unfilled. Most recently (November) I was diagnosed with a slip. I am headed to the doc Thursday to check things out. I've managed to hold my own this year (that's why I mentioned the ten pound swing in the weight above)!

I guess I'll wait to see what the doc has to say. I must say I've enjoyed eating normally most of the time this year. I've got another 30 or 40 pounds I'd like to lose. I've been doing a minor about of research on switching to a DS or RNY. To say I'm in a quandry is putting it mildly.

Good luck

Does insurance pay for removal?

My removal was covered and the subsequent revision was covered 8 months afterward. Nancy

Nanook, I remember you saying you had complications and had to have your LB removed. I didn't know that you'd had revision surgery. Did you have a sleeve or mini gastric bypass? Are they one and the same?

How do the experiences compare? I believe I am going to have to do something, and I really don't want to, but this is honestly not working for me. (Or I'm not working for it.)

BJean

BJean,

I know you struggled with yours a long time too and I did end up having GERD some months prior to getting mine removed and just never lost any weight with it, not even a honeymoon period. Anyway so after about 14 months of being banded I had it removed and didn't even think about revision until it was removed for a few months and then I started to gain and got even more frustrated/depressed and decided to revise to the gastric bypass. My daughter had it also about a year after I was banded through my same bariatric team and had done well so I thought since we came from the same gene pool I'd give it one more shot.

Anyway I had mine last June and this is actually working and I can work with it. So there is hope out there for those that think that they are failures because one procedure doesn't seem to be working there are others. I suppose that's one of the reasons why I've stuck it out here because I was banded for a long time and I knew if I had issues I couldn't be the only one in the world with similar ones.

I forgot your other question about how they compare. I feel like from the start I've had true restriction. No working around that one! I'm also able to stay away from sweets whereas before it was really difficult maybe because I had diabetes. There are times when I have had them and too much and felt very ill, just a stomach ache basically which is what my version of dumping syndrome is. I can have some but not too much basically. I do try to eat my Protein first and wait on drinking after I eat and I'm able to follow those rules better now than when I had the band. Can't really explain why I'm able to be compliant more now but it just works out better for me. I don't think I've lost weight super fast either but with my age and all my comorbs I think I've done pretty well and part of it is the surgery and part of it is me. I really needed the "surgery part" for my part to work too.

Anyway I wish you luck with what you choose to do. I know it's a scary thing to think about but honestly I feel lucky to have been given a second chance at this and so far, knock on wood, I've done well. Take care, Nancy.

Edited October 12, 200916 yr by Nanook

Oh yeah, I remember now that your daughter was having GB and that you were considering it. I remember asking why you were doing that instead of the sleeve and then I learned that the sleeve is just a different version of GB.

It is my understanding that there is a gland or something that they remove when they do the sleeve and GB that is normally a trigger for appetite. Without it, people are generally more successful.

I do think that for some people the LB is the perfect thing for them. I don't know if it is because I am older and have had too many years of binge eating that I haven't been able to get it to work for me. That, coupled with my inability to do strenuous exercise because of my arthritic knees.

In the beginning, I just knew the band would work for me. I've always been able to stay on a diet religiously. The problem was always that once I got off a diet, I would regain the lost weight and more. Well, this has been no different. I initially lost about 45 lbs. and of course, that did not take me to my goal. I maintained that weight until I had emergency surgery and had to have all the restriction removed. After a year without restriction, I have regained most of what I lost.

I am also one of those people who has always felt a little creepy about having the band in me. I know other people who think of their band as their friend and would never want it removed. I only wish that were the case for me.

I am so happy to hear that your revision is working well for you! I can't help but be a tad envious. Maybe I will bite the bullet and do something soon. At least I should level with my doctor and get his advice. I'm pretty sure he's knife happy, so I imagine he'll think I should get the sleeve or something. We'll see.

Thanks a bunch for answering my questions.

I never thought of myself as focusing on having the band inside me but I realize now that in a way I did. It was mainly the port because physically I could feel it. Now that I've had RNY I don't really think of things in those terms anymore.

I really don't know that much about other surgeries but I do know that with RNY they are bypassing and many people don't like the idea of that for a variety of reasons. For me I knew I needed that part and didn't want to take a chance that the sleeve wouldn't work for me because of that. But we're all different and if you revise the sleeve might be your best solution and it appears there are many more revising to that in LBT than to what I had. I also found the revision section over at Obesityhelp.com very helpful to me. They've revised from every surgery out there to every surgery out there and it gives you a since of calm and a group that understands you're not a failure because such and such didn't not work out as you expected etc... You'd be amased how people have revised. I also know this isn't the answer to all my problems but I'm more prepared now than I was with the band.

Anyway enough rambling and talk to you doctor, there is still hope out there for you whatever you decide to do take care, Nancy.

Thanks for the link, Nancy. And I hope you continue to have really good results from your RNY!

To Anyone out there and to All:

I have made the decision to go back to Mexico and have my Lapband Removed. Many varied reasons.

What I want to know from all of you if what is like to have it removed ?

How long does your tummy stay sore and swollen ?

How long before you can have a sleeve plication procedure ? (I am seriously considering having the gastric sleeve plication done as soon as I heal from the Lapband removal.

I guess what I mostly want people to comment on is this: What was the removal like ? How long was the healing ? Did you or are you going to have another procedure done ?

How long does it take to heal from the "Removal of the band?

Please respond......patiently waiting.......

My band removal was pretty easy and was an out-patient procedure. There was much less pain having it removed than having it put in. Plus I really didn't have any dietary restrictions afterward. Just the day of surgery. It didn't take long before my stomach felt it's normal size again and so a few months down the road I revised to RNY. Good luck with your removal, Nancy.

Nancy,

pardon my question, what is RNY ? thank you for your comments on the Lapband removal.....

stands for Roux en Y and is the gastric bypass procedure.

jilfinny, I had the band to sleeve revision April 28, this year. I am elated!! I have never been so happy. It has been just exactly what I needed and I am confident that I will reach my goal. In fact, with the band, my goal was 140 but with the sleeve my new goal is 130.

Why go through 2 surgeries? If you have a competent and experienced doctor, there is no reason why you can't have one surgery - thus one set of risks from surgery instead of two. And it should cost less than having two operations.

Do check up on all your options, but I highly recommend the sleeve.

Nanook! it's great to see how far you've come since your band removal. I haven't been posting here at LBT as much and I had missed seeing that you actually got the bypass and how well you're doing! Congratulations! I hope your daughter is continuing to do really well too. I'm very proud of you. I remember some pretty depressing times for both of us.

How do you update your ticker?