ChrissyHeart

Hi all, After two failed lab bands, I am scheduled to have the band removed and revised to a sleeve. Despite my best efforts, my surgeon insists that I have the band removed, allow 3 months 'rest' time for my stomach then have the sleeve procedure. Has anyone had the same experience and how did you manage/control your weight over that time? I'm terrified I will gain back majority, if not all of the 60lbs I've lost this far in that 3 months. Any story's or tips from fellow banders/ex banders/current sleevers would be appreciated! Cheers

Hi all! Yes, the band had originally proved very effective for me - the first time around. I'd say it was about 2 years after initial placement that I was diagnosed with the first slip, the band had moved down my stomach and the only thing I was able to keep down was milk. I had the bad repositioned and since then I have has minimal success and maximum trouble! Every fill was either to tight or no restriction. I began having to have refills quite regularly as the band started leaking and loosing effectiveness. Originally my surgeon thought it was 'in my head' and there was nothing wrong with it, I was just bring paranoid after what had happened with the original lap band. Eventually I convinced him to send me for a swallow which showed a pouch dilation above the band. Dr.D removed all liquid and told me to come back in 2 months after the pouch had time to rest and hopefully slip back through the band. This seemed to work for a while but all it did was resolve the heart burn I was having - there was no weight gain. In recent months I've been unable to eat solid foods. meat is absolutely off the menus! And I have been unable to eat more than 3 hours prior to bed - any later than that and I wake up chocking on reflux and have to make myself sick to remove any reflux from my chest. I'm piping antacids like candy! Fast forward to today and the most recent swallow shows pouch dilation above the band and again, a slippage down the stomach. Apparently it happens to some people and you stomach begins to accommodate the band. My surgeon says that the band was not really meant for long term usage and most have about a 10 year lifespan on them.

Hi all! I was banded back in 2003, and it took me 2 years to reach my goal weight. Then came the great lap band slippage of 2005. I went for the corrective procedure and was told all was well, since then I have had nothing but trouble - I've regained 60lbs and can't seem to loose any of it. It's as though EVERYTHING I eat causes me to gain weight - even though my diet consists mostly of veggie Soup (cause its about all I can keep down) and I wake every night choking on reflux, not to mention the constant pain at the port site. So today i went back to my surgeon and as suspected, the band has slipped again. I've discussed my options with Dr.D and have decided the best plan for me is to remove the band and have the revision to a sleeve. Dr.D tells me that I have to remove the band, wait 3 months for my stomach to relax then have the sleeve done. I've tried to argue with him re; the 3 month rest period but considering he is the surgeon, and I have no idea about surgical matters, I didn't get very far in my attempts to get him to do the removal and sleeve in one surgery. Has anyone had the same experience - Band out, few months wait then sleeved? I'm so worried about the weight gain in those 3 months - can anyone share their story? Did you gain weight? How rapidly? Or how did you maintain your weight loss over that time? I'm not going to lie, this is terrifying me - so I thought I'd reach out to fellow banders for support!