CarlsbadDS

I'm sorry to see that people on this thread have not all been treated with the respect and dignity they deserve by their doctors. I know it's not always possible, but if you are not happy with your doctor, find another one. You can also leave a review on Healthgrades.com when you're not happy. A few years ago I felt like I was bullied by a sleep medicine doctor. Luckily I was able to find someone much better. I also wasn't satisfied with the group that did my lap-band, because they made me see my PCP and a dietitian before I could see a Bariatric doctor. I now drive 2 hours to see my current Bariatric doctor, but it's worth it. Anyhow, I've been approved by my insurance company for DS surgery, and I'm scheduled to have it early next month. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

With bariatric surgery, it is important to look at the needs of the individual patient, because each patient's needs are unique. The one-size-fits-all approach to medicine is not good medicine! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I am also a Band-to-Sleeve failure - thank you homeesiick for starting this thread. I got a band back in 2010 when I weighed 330 pounds. The band worked great, because I lost 85 pounds, but I was throwing up each time I ate anything. I would even have slime come out of my nose! All the vomiting put a lot of strain on my esophagus and the part of my stomach above the band, where the strain ended up tearing a hole in my stomach. I saw another doctor and he revised me to a sleeve in 2015. The sleeve worked for a while, but I slowly started regaining weight and I am now close to my pre-band weight. My doctor recommended I get duodenal switch, and I am now waiting for approval from my insurance company. My doctor thinks a contributing reason why my sleeve didn’t work is because of all the damage done to my esophagus by the band. I would be curious to know how many other people have had a Band-to-Sleeve failure. Thanks

My experience with my band was that it needed to be REALLY tight or it didn't work at all. The way the band works it that you are forced to eat tiny amounts, otherwise you will overeat and gain weight. A band won't work if it's comfortable! Also, ask if you can get your band adjustment without a fluoroscopy. A fluoroscopy is the equivalent to dozens (hundreds?) of chest X-Rays, so be careful of the radiation you are getting exposed to.

I'm also a band-to-sleeve patient. My band was working great until last December (12/14), when I got a tear in my stomach from the stitches that held my band in place. I got my band-to-sleeve revision surgery last February. So far I've only lost 5 lbs, but I really haven't been trying hard to lose weight either - I'm still eating cheeseburgers :-)

My recovery from surgery was very fast, so I think it might have been only a month after surgery when I had pizza. I'm not much of a wine drinker, but I think I was drinking beer at about the same time. I should emphasize the difference in the quantities of pizza I consumed before and after surgery: before surgery I would eat 3/4 of a large pizza, after surgery I only can handle about 2 slices. I'm still enjoying the same amount of beer :-)

I've lost 80 lbs - 30 lbs were lost while I was on the pre-op liquid diet, and I've lost 50 lbs since getting my band. My weight has been stable for the past 2 years, but my PCP says I should loose another 60-70 lbs.

I'm 4.5 years post-op, and I get slimes every day. It's my new normal. Slimes are useful - they keep me from over-eating too badly :-)

I eat pizza 2 - 3 times a month, usually when I'm out with friends. Before WLS I would eat 2/3 of the entire pie, but now I eat at most 2 slices. To eat pizza, I have to take my time to really chew so nothing gets stuck in my tiny stoma. But, I can eat all kinds of pizza (pepperoni, veggi, meat lovers, etc.) For hot dogs, again, I have to take my time to really chew so nothing gets stuck in my tiny stoma.