DAdam

Does anyone have any thoughts about the gastric sleeve to maintain my weight since I have to have surgery anyway to replace my existing band that has slipped? I have the Realize band in place now...that has slipped....and my doctor's office doesn't even use the Realize band anymore because they were having so many problems with it!!!! Wish I would have made the 'other' lap band choice in the first place....maybe I wouldn't be going through this right now!! But I guess this is a HEADS UP for those thinking about the Realize band!!!

I had lap-band surgery 18 months ago, and have LOVED it!!! I changed my lifestyle to include eating right & exercising and have reached my goal weight! I started having problems about 6 weeks ago, after I completed a triathlon!!! I took some Advil to help with joint pain (which I had not taken since my surgery) and feel like it caused some irritation in my stomach lining. I don't know if this is the cause of my band slippage, but I have to wonder. I had thrown up maybe a dozen times throughout my 18 months after surgery when I ate some dry meat and it just seemed to "get caught" and not "go down". Maybe that was the start of the band slippage. Whatever the reason, since my Advil usage, it has now slipped to where I can only drink smoothies and have terrible gerd. I don't know whether to do lap-band surgery again -- only to have it slip again -- or do the "sleeve". My doctor says that once you slip doesn't mean it will slip again, but does it? I love the option of being able to adjust the band throughout my lifetime (which hopefully is at least another 20+ years), or is the sleeve the best option for maintaining my weight since I have reached my goal weight? Please help me with this decision.... Tell me the pros & cons....