Long story, short: I was having a lot of reflux and my doc unfilled me lat week. I spent a week on liquids and had a UGI scheduled for Monday for him to check that the swelling and dilation had gone down. It didn't. He admitted me to the hospital and scheduled for me revision surgery. I went into surgery understanding that he wanted to reposition the band... but came out of surgery hearing that he needed to REMOVE the band due to the inflamation in my stomach.

I have to be bandless for at least 90 days - he said that will allow my stomach to heal and the inflamation and swelling to completely go away. They we can talk about my options for getting it replaced.

In the meantime I have so many questions. He has me on full liquids for 2 days during recovery. What did you first eat? Did it go down OK? Stay down OK? Did you find that your stomach shrank any and that it took less food to feel full than before you were banded?

I know after reading many of the threads in this forum, many do not want their band back - but I DO!!! I was banded for just shy of 2 years and had many more GOOD times than BAD with my band. I've lost 93 lbs. and don't want to gain any. Luckily, my doctor is going to work with me and prescribe an appetite suppressant to help keep me in line during the interim... Right now, I'm just concerned with starting to eat like a "normal person" again. What did you eat? How long were you on liquids before eating? He didn't say anything about a mushy stage - just liquids, then do my own thing. Help???

I had my band removed this week due to erosion (in which I was not experiencing any pain). I lost only 40 lbs in a year and 9 months. Now I am extremely nervous about regaining. I cannot be rebanded and I am not sure about having WLS ever again. Any recommendations on how to deal with the loss of the band. I could always trust it to work, it was better than having nothing at all.

Cyndi

I had my band removed this week due to erosion (in which I was not experiencing any pain). I lost only 40 lbs in a year and 9 months. Now I am extremely nervous about regaining. I cannot be rebanded and I am not sure about having WLS ever again. Any recommendations on how to deal with the loss of the band. I could always trust it to work, it was better than having nothing at all.

Cyndi

I was a little gun shy of another WLS as well. I revised to a sleeve.

But... Maybe restriction alone isn't your thing? If you lost 40# in under two years with a band maybe a malabsorptive procedure is a better bet for you?

We really do not do well losing/maintaining without a tool. Stats show about 3-5% of obese people can lose weight on their own or maintain after losing their WLS tool.

You can try to maintain or even lose but don't be too hard on yourself if you can't do it. You might want to start researching other options? You don't have to do any of them but use this time to consider what else is out there.

New2Tch,

Sorry you went through that with your band. I did not have erosion but had mine removed last October and it took me a good 5 months before I was even thinking about revision as I had lost faith in myself and WLS in general. I've chosen to revise to RNY due to the malabsorption properties and also my daughter who lives with me had it and has done well so far.

After my band was removed I did lose a bit of weight until my stomach went back to it's old size and I put on some poundage. I think it was that weight gain that made me realize that I still had a problem and just needed to find the right procedure for me. I wish you luck in your healing process, Nancy.

I am wondering what is a malabsorptive procedure ? Would that be like having a sleeve? If so, could you tell me what the surgery was like and recovery time.

When I had the band put in, I was back to teaching in three days and felt great. Now that it has been removed, it seems to be taking a longer time to heal. Which it makes sense, because the doctor had to undo all of the work that was done.

I just didn't like having the tube in my nose and the drainage tube inserted. Where my port was is now stapled. It is sore, however all of the other incisions have surgical glue which seems to work well.

Thank you all for your responsive kind words and information!:wink2:

Cyndi

I am wondering what is a malabsorptive procedure ? Would that be like having a sleeve? If so, could you tell me what the surgery was like and recovery time.

When I had the band put in, I was back to teaching in three days and felt great. Now that it has been removed, it seems to be taking a longer time to heal. Which it makes sense, because the doctor had to undo all of the work that was done.

I just didn't like having the tube in my nose and the drainage tube inserted. Where my port was is now stapled. It is sore, however all of the other incisions have surgical glue which seems to work well.

Thank you all for your responsive kind words and information!:wink2:

Cyndi

Malabsorptive is something such as RNY or DS. It's where they reroute and bypass intestine so you do not absorb calories consumed. Bands and sleeves are restrictive only. I am one that is good to go with restriction only so when I lost my band I revised to a sleeve. The band was hard, the sleeve is easy.

When I revised from band to sleeve the hardest part of recovery was where my port was. That hurt like a buggar for two weeks. Felt like a bon fire going on in there.

I never had any pain when I got the revision to the sleeve. The first night of the surgery I had pain in my left shoulder but it was gone the next day. I went back to work in less than a week.

Well all I can say is, its been since Bef 2008 since I had my band removed here in San Diego, and started jogging 4.5 mile a day,, building up to this after 6 months and I attend weight watchers weekly and I started at 178 before the band and then went down to 118, got it repositioned and then I had tohave it removed and have been band free for 15 months. I am holding my weight down to 140 and I hope with wieght watchers I achieve and hold my weight at 132 or so.. I love jogging and I love the fact that I get alot of support from Weight Watchers, I have attended them over the past 30 yrs.. I thought the Band was the answer for me.. GOT deopressed when It got removed, but I moved forward and I no longer beat myself UP..I am much happier and healthier person without the band and I can do this on muy OWN.. LIFE GOES ON WITHOUT THE 12000 LAP BAND I PAID FOR OUT OF MY POCKET....

LOVE JOGGING AND WILL CONTINUE IT DAILY

LIFE AT 56 ................IS GREAT.. EVEN WITH A OCCASIONAL GLASS OF WINE.

DIANE IN SAN DIEGO....DOING IT ON MY OWN..

This is my second week without my band. I lost weight right after due to the liquid diet. The doctor told me Thursday he does not recommend anymore weight loss surgery, but to try weight watchers (again). I want to thank you for the post, because it proves that we can lose weight without the band. It's is a shame the tool did not work for us, but as you said Diane, life does go on. I am in the process of finding an exercise activity that will work for me and for me to commit to it. Thanks again,

Cyndi

The very BEST weight loss surgery is.......NO weight loss surgery. I say that only because it IS best if you can do it without WLS. You've lost 40, that's a great start, just don't eat anything you couldn't eat when you had the band.

I went on to have Gastric Bypass (which is the malabsorbtion process WasABubbleButt mentioned), and I have lost all the weight I needed to lose, and more. But I do wish that i had been able to do it without WLS....it's not possible for some people, but you really need to give that your very best shot!

HH

Did anyone have a revision done at the time of band removal? That is currently my plan.... The surgeon wants me to have another endoscopy first to make sure all my ulcers are healed then wants to proceed with a revision. What was recovery like - specifically switching from band to bypass?

Did anyone have a revision done at the time of band removal? That is currently my plan.... The surgeon wants me to have another endoscopy first to make sure all my ulcers are healed then wants to proceed with a revision. What was recovery like - specifically switching from band to bypass?

I didn't have bypass done but a sleeve. I did have it done at the same time he removed my band. It's the best way to go when it is possible to have it done all at once. One more surgery instead of two, less surgical risk having one surgery vs. two, etc.

Hi, I'm new to this site. I was banded in 2003, lost 82 pounds the first year and a half, then got pregnant (yeah!). After my son was born, we found out that he had a rare congenital heart defect, so the past four years, we have concentrated on getting him through

4 open heart surgeries and a stroke. He is doing pretty well now. Anyhoo, with all

that going on, my band was the last thing on my mind. I had a couple of fills in that time, but always had to have the saline taken back out b/c of nausea/ vomiting. Now that my son is doing better, I decided to give the band one more honest try. Weeelllll....having the same problems. My doc did a swallow study in April, then pulled all of the saline out of my band because he said I had a dilation. Still having problems, even with saline out, had another swallow test on Tuesday, and I have a slipped band. I think it has probably been that way for a while. I am hoping to have my band out, and leave it out. My question (after all of that...sorry for the length of this!) is, how much pain is involved with removal, and how much time off from work should I need to take, If everything goes as planned? Thanks!

Hi, I'm new to this site. I was banded in 2003, lost 82 pounds the first year and a half, then got pregnant (yeah!). After my son was born, we found out that he had a rare congenital heart defect, so the past four years, we have concentrated on getting him through

4 open heart surgeries and a stroke. He is doing pretty well now. Anyhoo, with all

that going on, my band was the last thing on my mind. I had a couple of fills in that time, but always had to have the saline taken back out b/c of nausea/ vomiting. Now that my son is doing better, I decided to give the band one more honest try. Weeelllll....having the same problems. My doc did a swallow study in April, then pulled all of the saline out of my band because he said I had a dilation. Still having problems, even with saline out, had another swallow test on Tuesday, and I have a slipped band. I think it has probably been that way for a while. I am hoping to have my band out, and leave it out. My question (after all of that...sorry for the length of this!) is, how much pain is involved with removal, and how much time off from work should I need to take, If everything goes as planned? Thanks!

I had my band out and revision at the same time to a sleeve. (Sleeves ROCK! Bands SUCK!) I found the most discomfort was the port. That muscle hurt like a buggar for two weeks. Standing up, sitting down, getting up from bed.. that hurt. It was like a mega bruise. Totally doable.

Please consider a sleeve, it's like a band that works without all the complications.

I'm also a new poster here, but have been following this site for a few weeks because I knew band removal was inevitable. I'm two days post op from having mine removed (after 7 1/2 years with it, so believe me we were attached to each other). I've lost 110 lbs and am terrified of weight gain BUT... in the end, I didn't just lose weight because of the band. That was just the starting point. I've also learned to eat better and exercise regularly. And those things aren't gone just because the band is. I've got to trust that I'm a different person than I was when I had it put in, and not just physically. And hold onto the thought that I refuse to be THAT person again. : )

Thanks kslexi and wasabubblebutt (luv that name!).

I am ready to get this band out of me. I looked up the sleeve, and I am so glad it is working so well for you, Wasa, but it's not for me. I'll just have to go back to weight watchers and the YMCA. Kslexi, great job losing your weight! That is awesome. May I ask why you had to have your band out? Just wondering. THanks for your responses. I am just trying to figure out how much time I will need off from work. I am an ICU nurse and only work on weekends, so I am hoping I can just miss one weekend. Is that reasonable? THanks again!