shark23

My story is a complicated one, but I thought for those of you deciding about this surgery or who were nervous, I would share it here. Please forgive the long post. I was banded in 2008. My band gave me complications about 2 years in. I lost 40 pounds with my band (wanted to lose about 80) but over the years it became a struggle sometimes to eat at all. Other times, I could eat as much as I wanted with no issues and I gained 20 of that back. Even with a couple of Upper GIs and being told I was okay - I still had issues. A couple of friends had sleeves and seemed to be doing well. So, I decided to have a revision. I went to my original surgeon and we planned it for May 13 2015. Same day band removal and sleeve. I was totally up for this and went in feeling great. However, when my band was removed, I was told my band had eroded into my stomach and caused some major damage. Thankfully, my doctor did not do the sleeve at the same time. He wanted to give me a chance to heal. At the time I was frustrated, but in hindsight I'm glad. So we reset the date to 3 months out. But I began to have misgivings and sought a second opinion. I found another surgeon who I absolutely love and trust, and reset the date again. This time we set it to September 23. I did a 2 week pre-diet like I did before. However, my Mother, who had been sick a long time, was declining and I was worried she might pass so I rescheduled to October 28. My Mom died on 9/23 (so glad I moved the date). That was hard and because of that I think I began to be so anxious about everything and was feeling really worried about the surgery. My doctor was so helpful and kind and his staff were patient and very helpful, and I decided to go through with it anyway. I just made myself do it. I went through another 2 week pre op diet, yes, that means I did three of those in 6 months.... My surgery was on 10/28. When I got out of surgery, I was told that due to scar tissue, my surgeon had to change normal procedure a bit and use a different template for my sleeve. He said my sleeve was a little bit bigger than he would normally use, but still small enough to get good restriction. That first day home, I felt so bad - I was nauseated a little bit and had some trouble drinking. I wondered if I had made a mistake. But every day I improved. I was on full liquids and drank 1-2 ounces every 30 minutes. Each day I was able to get a little more in. I'm now on the 3rd week and just stared the liquid pureed kind of foods, like beans/oatmeal, etc. I can probably get 4 oz. down without restriction, but as soon as I get a little bit more, I feel full. I'm having to watch out for head hunger, and reflux - which mimics real hunger. But overall, I'm learning what it feels like to be full. That didn't happen with my band, I was always hungry. I'm so glad my 2nd surgeon made sure he put the sleeve staples in healthy tissue so that the risk of leaks was minimized. Even if I lose weight more slowly, I did not want a leak. He even knew that if there wasn't a safe place to put the staples, he would stop and just close me up. I have lost 25 pounds since the start of my preop diets in September, and I feel amazing. So far I have had no real complications <knock wood> and I'm following the post diet pretty easily. I go back to work next week and will have to manage working and taking food, getting my Vitamins in. But I'm looking forward to that. My advice is, find a surgeon who listens to you and who has a staff that listens. Don't spend hours on the internet reading about complications. Understand that band complications may complicate your sleeve, but it's still possible to get a sleeve and have good results. I'm sure I'll hit stalls and plateaus and even though the sleeve helps enormously, it's really only a tool. If I fill that 4-6 ozs with ice cream and Cookies I will not lose weight. SO be honest with yourselves about stuff like that. I'm very glad I did this. Your mileage may vary. But so far so good.

@WLSRe My first surgeon who did my original band is excellent and highly recommended. He advertises and has a huge amount of patients. After my band removal - which went very well - I wanted to talk to him about my band complication and about what he found when he did my surgery. I kept getting put with PAs and when I finally met with him, he was kind of flippant, and I figured that he didn't remember me. I was also unsuccessful in getting the surgery report - my new surgeon was unable to get this as well. All in all, when I met my new surgeon, Dr. Henke - Dallas Medical City, he took time to talk to me, he was kind, his staff was amazing, and I just felt right about having him to the sleeve. I think I would have had a successful sleeve with my original surgeon, but I'm afraid I would not have felt the same security and compassion. That is the only reason I switched. I hesitate to name my original surgeon because he did nothing wrong, really - it's more of a preference.

Band removed 5/13. Sleeve on 9/23. Excited and nervous!

Was a band to sleeve revision on 5/13 - Band erosion - only removed the band. New Surgeon and sleeve scheduled for 9/23. Scared and excited!

How long did your doc make you wait? My doc said 2 weeks but I wanted at least a month

Went (5/13) today for a one day revision but my band had eroded and attached to my liver as well. Rescheduling surgery for the sleeve in a month to let the inflammation heal. Any of you had a successful sleeve surgery after the removal of your eroded band?

Thank you. He didn't say scar tissue but that my stomach and liver were inflamed. He thinks he can go back in a month and do the sleeve

Disappointed and also relieved. My band had eroded into my stomach and liver. He was unable to do the sleeve at this time. He thinks enough healing will take place in3-4 weeks. I have a yucky drain but very little pain

I'm having band > sleeve w/ hernia repair in the morning at 7:30 am

I am going in to see my doctor tomorrow, but thought I would post here. Friday, I went to a work function, and I drank with my meal, and was able to eat more, of course. I felt no restriction, though I have been feeling good restriction when i follow the rules. Saturday i went out to eat and again, drank with the meal (non-carbonated) and ate more than I usually can. This time I was super uncomfortable afterward. For about 2 hours the pressure was really bad. I had light pain on the left side in across my back near my left shoulder blade. After I had a few large burps, I felt much much better. I've still been feeling some twinges of pain in the same places, especially after I eat. I just felt it was best to go and check it out. I haven't been nauseated, or had any reflux. OF course, I'm worried about a band slip or stretched pouch. I am on liquids until I go in for the check (I'm going to drink something and get under the fluro-thingy. I've been really active lately and my band is working really well because I almost always follow the rules. I'm really mad at myself for not doing that and I'm just praying that everything is okay - as I'm self pay and cannot afford a lot of procedures to fix anything. Anybody else had these symptoms? I also have been working around my house a lot and thought it might just be fatigue. Anyway - keep me in your thoughts! Shark

If I ate at 12:30 and Im scheduled for a fill at 2, will that be okay?

Good to know. they had to cancel my fill due to some emergency surgery they needed to do, so it's rescheduled for Friday. I will make sure I eat 5 hrs prior to the fill. Thanks for the answers!

Greetings all, I'm a little over 3 weeks out. At my 2 week check up, my drs Phys Assistant told me I could have mushies and some solids with restraint... lean meats well chewed, etc. chicken with cooked veggies, no raw stuff. I have been following that being very careful to chew and go slowly. But the last couple of days, I would be eating something for a meal, and noticed that I had been mindlessly eating too quickly or taking bites that are too big. Overall, I've been keeping it at 1400 cal a day as I don't feel too much restriction so I'm just using old fashioned will power. So I woke up this morning with a feeling of pressure in the chest area... just a tiny bit of discomfort. However, being new at this I freaked out and got up and walked, drank Water and coffee, burped, burped some more. I took Gas-X. 2 things bother me, 1) I feel guilty because I slipped back into an old habit of eating too fast and taking bites that were too big and 2) I'm worried I've screwed something up. Since then I've eaten some cottage cheese and it all seems okay, though I feel like I did a week out with a full feeling I didn't have yesterday. I'm not in any pain, I feel no nausea. Worst case band slip (though no nausea or pain) best case gas... since I've been burping that seems to be a possibility. I ate my last bit of food pretty late last night and that may be part of the problem. One of the worst things is the anxiety. I think I'm going back to full liquid mushies (grits/mashed pototoes) for a couple of days... I think it could be gas, I hope it's not a band slip, though I guess that's my biggest overall fear anyway. One good thing... I've gotten up to where I can walk one mile at one time which is major for me compared to what I was capable of 2 months ago. Thanks for listening....sorry about the long post. Shark

huh? nobody said anything to me about not using a straw... I use one all of the time. I burp too. I have no pain though sometimes I do have gas, though I'm only a week and a half out so I figured that was okay. I guess I'll just stop using it now... I have a doctor appt on Thursday and I'll ask them about it.

First 2 nights I fell asleep on my right side, kind of, with a body pillow supporting my left side - made me feel like I was on my stomach. On the third night, I started out that way but woke up flat on my stomach with my port area pressed into the mattress. I had some pain when I moved but not too much. I have been sleeping on my stomach every night since then. It's tender, but once I get settled, it hasn't bothered me at all. I've slept on my stomach my whole life and I did this even with a full incision hysterectomy, so I was pretty sure I wouldn't be able to sleep any other way. The body pillow did help though....

Hi- I was just banded by Dr. Nick last Thursday the 26th of June. He is really great. He talked with me about where to put my port, and my surgery went very well. My Mom and best friend were really impressed with him and his staff. I had the surgery in Garland since I was a self pay and I felt like they rushed me a little bit since they were behind. One of the staff at the Garland center had had a lap band and came back to talk to me (let me feel her port and see her scars, etc. which was really really nice of her). Good luck to you!!! I'm sure you will do really well. The main pain is the gas, but it's not constant and can be relieved with GAS-X strips and walking around a bit.