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I'm scheduled for a band to VGS revision on October 30, but will also be having my gallbladder removed at the same time. My surgeon (who banded me in 2006) said it will be an outpatient procedure just like my band was. After reading about all the people that went to Mexico for surgery and were in the hospital for several days, I'm wondering about being able to go home the same day. Has anyone else on this board gone home the same day? Any complications from doing so? My doc is right next door to a hospital and I do barium swallows, fills, etc. in his office which is not far from where I live (Dallas metro area). I'm not worried about having a problem and not being near medical help, but just wonder how others handled pain, etc. at home.

I just got off the phone with a nurse at my doc's office and had several things clarified. I WILL be staying overnight at the hospital - I'll be admitted as an outpatient, then he will sign for me to stay. I will also have a morphine pump that will last 3 days. He will do a leak test day of surgery and again before I go home. Then I will return a week after surgery for staple removal and follow-up. I also got all the pertinent info regarding quantity of surgeries he's done (sleeves, revisions, etc.). His overall complication rate is 0.04%, which I consider pretty darn good. The info the nurse originally gave me for going home the same day was because she thought I was only having my gall bladder removed. She had no idea I was having a revision. Boy oh Boy - this confusion caused me a lot of mental anguish. But things look good now. The only thing I'm concerned about is having to dish out all my savings if there are complications from the sleeve - but with my guy's complication rate I feel like my chances for success are very good. He's the same one that did my lap band and I've not had a slippage, erosion, or flipped port, etc. so I trust him. Thanks for everyone's input. It really helps to know what your experiences have been for those of us that have yet to go through it.

Yes, right here! While I lost 85 lbs initially, the complications I had with the band (inability to eat due to getting stuck on freaking Water, constant vomiting, hernia, constant pain, etc) caused me to have to get the band completely unfilled. This lead to a 50 lb weight gain. While my band was unfilled, I did three rounds of Insanity, Weight Watchers, South Beach Diet, T25, did 5Ks twice a month, and STILL gained all that weight back. Now that I've had the sleeve about two months, I've lost 57 lbs with very minor issues (reflux, but it's treatable with an acid blocker). I wish I'd done the sleeve the first time, but I always have to do things the hard way. Do what is right for you, but go in with your eyes open. I wish you the very best of luck! Heather

So basically my answer so far is a resounding "NO!". Boy, oh boy - do I need to have another talk with my surgeon. Oregon Rose, no - I don't know anyone in the medical field locally, so I have no one to call on in that area to help out. I'm actually even re-thinking the decision to have surgery again in the first place. I went in to the doc because I've been having abdominal pain and think it's probably from adhesions (after 2 C-sections I had tons of them, which were removed during a hysterectomy) caused by the band surgery. There was a report in my file from my internist showing I might have gallstones, so my surgeon jumped on it and and said we should remove the gallbladder, get rid of any adhesions and do a sleeve while we're at it. I had never even heard of a sleeve before he mentioned it. My husband thinks the doc just wants to get more $$ from me since I was a self-pay, and that I really don't need to get a sleeve. I'm afraid that I may have complications in the future, so why not get the band out now while I'm already being operated on? Since I'm prone to adhesions, more surgeries in the future will just make them worse. I know it's my body and only I can make this decision of what to do with it - but it 's just a lot to consider...

If your surgery goes as mine did, you have nothing to worry about. Obviously you'll be sore afterwards, but I was home in 3 days with no complications. Just don't try to rush things. As many on this site will tell you, it's the best thing you'll ever do. You won't look back. God bless.

Are you starting to get nervous? Im finding that im getting really nervous about complications the closer I get

Thank you Ada. I initially lost 23-25lbs with my band, then complications started, lost restriction, husband deployed, and I started gaining back my weight. I started off at 270 with the band, the day of my revision, I weighed in at 263. So, I technically only lost 7 pounds with the band. I've lost 114-115 with just the sleeve in about 6.5 months.

Glad you are on the mend. 20 pounds in two and half weeks is a great number and I think you are a low BMI'er like myself so that is even better. I lost 15 pounds the first two weeks and I was excited. I think I have lost 2 more pounds this week but I am only doing official weigh in's every other week so I will update my ticker at that time. I have another 40 or so pounds to lose but two pounds a week is healthy and it will probably be better for sagginess etc to lose slow. It took me a couple years to initially put this weight on. We can't expect to lose 50 pounds in two months like heavier folks. But it seems it takes us all about the same 7 months or so to be pretty close to goal, from what I have seen. Who did your surgery and how are they responding to all your complications and the follow up you have needed at home?

I had complications, and know it's scary. I wrote out my issues in your previous post. Just hang in there, and please know we're all thinking of you.

Sorry about the complications I hope you find the help you need to get well soon:crying:

My surgery is scheduled for December 19. I've never had surgery either and am scared, too, but to remind myself of these things: 1. My doctor absolutely knows what he's doing and will be able to handle any complications that arise. 2. My doctor will choose an anesthesiologist who is just as good. 3. He will make a few incisions and place the band around my stomach and then place the port. There will be no "rearranging" of my insides ... there should be very little cutting! (Especially if I do my part to try to shrink my liver.) This is fairly minimally invasive procedure. I'm just really trying to focus on trusting my doctor ... that's why I chose him! Being nervous is normal, though. Just know I'm sure you'll be just fine. :grouphug:

I am 6 weeks post op, lap band imbrication, I was 240 the day of surgery and lost 17 lbs in 2 weeks. Then over the last 4 weeks I have lost 6 more. A total of 23lbs. The biggest misconception for me about weight loss surgery is that I would not be hungry, boy was I wrong!! Lately I have been so hungry I could just EAT!! Like the old way, but I don't my weight loss is going slow and steady I guess, but I sometimes wonder if I could have just done this without the surgery since it is SO hard still, I thought it would be a little easier. I am grateful for the weight that I I have lost and very happy that I have not had any complications anyone else hungry? Anyone else have lap band imbrication?

I am with you CrazyCatLady, I thought of Dr. Aceves but he is also too high priced for me. My health is my priority, so if I don't do it with someone else I won't be able to afford it for at least one more year. I have always heard great things about Dr. Kelly, and yes I heard all the bad rumors out there too. I am a medical student currently, and thankfully I know what kind of questions to ask, I just called Dr. Kelly and spoke to his assistant, he should be calling me soon (he is seeing patients who recently had surgery). According to his secretary the rumors have been sent out by the people who used to represent him, I have looked and read a lot of those posts and they do seem to have something against him. I know that if those things where true he would had lost his membership to the american associations and he has not (I looked). If someone is that serious about him being dangerous they would had reported him (specially since most of his practice is for american patients), I have not found any reliable negative information about Dr. Kelly. I am hispanic and I know for a fact that most Mexican and other hispanic hospitals has well as facilities are manipulated by money, even more so than here in the USA. A doctor might loose his privileges in a hospital if he refuses to pay what they want (regardless if he is a good or bad surgeon). Here in the USA is very different, they do background checks and the like. I don't know if he has lost his privileges in hospitals or not and honestly its pointless to call a "hospital" in Mexico and ask (there were some numbers posted in another forum) because you don't really know where you are calling and what they have to gain/loose from their info. There are great risks associated with this and any other surgery and even just any medical treatment, and there are so many others that we just don't know about because the VGS is so new. For me I know the risks (and trust me when I say most surgeons here in the US kill, and have great many complications all of the time, we are human and even the best can and will sometime in their career have complications). I am doing my own research and if at the end I feel I need to wait a year to have the surgery here in the states (I actually think most surgeons in mexico are better qualified to perform this surgery since they have had much more practice) or else where then I will, but so far I am really leaning towards Dr. Kelly, unless I find something scary in my continued research. I will keep you posted if you would like.

Those that are arrogant in the sleeve forum or groups, I wonder how they will feel in a few years when all the research studies come in. I thought I had done the right thing when I had my band. The only thing I actually knew could happen and what worried me was erosion. How that I have researched this further, after the fact, I wouldn't have done it. So, since it will be removed in May, for three weeks I have been doing research on both the RNY and sleeve. What I have found long term RNY is the best and this is based on studies done. As far as the sleeve, they are basically saying it is too new and not enough studies have been done regarding complications. And for the band it is basically failing in the studies. So I would probably walk away from the ignorance with a smile knowing I did the right thing. RNY for me.

What kind of problems? People generally don't get long-term complications from sleeves. It's not like RnY where people get reactive hypoglycemia and have to have part of their pancreas removed to fix it or get ulcers from the surgery that have to be treated. It's even very unlikely that the sleeve would stretch enough to require a fix. If you mean, what if I don't lose all the weight, it would depend on how little I had lost. If I was 10-20 lb more than I wanted to be, I'd lump it. If it was a significant amount, I would get some kind of intestinal bypass, either RnY or DS. I don't know which one because I haven't looked into the nitty gritty details of either. I'd probably go for a DS but I'm not sure I could eat enough fat to make it work. (I don't like greasy food.) I doubt I would put a band over it because the odds are just too high that I'd have to have yet another surgery to remove it some day and be right back where I started. Plus, the only thing a band would fix is if the sleeve had somehow stretched and was too big and you can fix that by having it tightened instead. Not to mention it rarely happens -- you really have to abuse the thing to get it to stretch. I don't know where you heard that people are putting bands over VSG. I don't know anyone who has done that -- it really hasn't been around long enough to know a lot of people who had revisions. Most VSGers will get a DS if they have inadequate weight loss because they figure they need the malabsorption after all. __________________ Originally posted at www.lapbandtalk.com

Thanks, girlfriend. When it comes to this business of third term abortions there I must admit that I would like to see access to this option blocked except from those who fall in those special situations, the ones which I have described in a previous post. The trouble with this is that the state will, by blocking all those careless women, the ones who wish to claim the right to a last minute change of mind, also produce a hedge of legal obstacles when it concerns those women who do a) find themselves facing the birth of a child/soul/creature - call it what you want - a baby which demands deep pockets and promises little in return or find themselves in the medical situation, a rare one in the medically proficient western countries, where there is the ugly choice between saving the life of the ma or the kiddy. Though I find the idea of third trimester abortions to be deeply repellent, I am afraid that if we enact stringent rules regarding this we may well find that those women who really do need last minute abortions will inevitably find themselves sliding between the beaurocratic cracks. I also suspect that statistically speaking there will be very, very few women who will opt to seek abortions during that final trimester, women who will employ the argument of oops my bad, I have changed my mind, eh. This is why I have voted for option A, eh. I am not comfortable with this. Any and all issues which have to do with these questions of parenting, sexual activities and parental attitudes, the fertilization of an egg, all of these issues are awfully complicated.

Hi there! I am in the same boat as you. My band also flipped and was removed in emergency surgery when I went into shock about a month and a half ago. It was so scary and I felt so bad. I could not swallow anything, not even my own saliva. Crazy! I did put on some weight though, about 10 pounds right after surgery. I think that this was mostly Water since I was so dehydrated. So far I am maintaining the weight I am at now. I do miss my band and might get rebanded. Are you planning on getting rebanded? I just do not know if I could go through all the complications again if it happened. It took alot out of my family and friends. How are you feeling now? Is there anything I can help you with. At least we were de banded around the same time! Keep in touch!

I had my band done in August. It was awful waiting but it honestly was a breeze. No nausea, no pain, absolutely no complications. Ask them for a drug "cocktail" before surgery. You'll go into the operating room singing.

I also never heard of any deaths directly related to the band, I'm sure there were plenty of people that died from other health issues that happened to have the band, but that's not the same as saying the band caused the death. I know one man that had a complication and had to have the band removed, but that was the worst of it, and it also underscored the advantage of the band...it can be undone if there's a problem. Gastric bypass permanently alters your digestive system...get a problem and your screwed.

Hello I am still looking into having Lapband done, but I want to be prepared for anything so please tell me any complications you had while in surgery or after! Thanks

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/forum/70-lap-band-complications/

It's been a long while since I first posted these questions and received so many helpful answers. For my insurance to pay, I had to get to and remain at a bmi under 35 for a year. I was able to get there and remained for longer than a year (plus had to wait scheduling with two surgeons, etc.), but it's done now. HolyMotherOfPete was the pain bad. Not all the time and not the incision, seriously, all numb there, but the abdominal pressure and spasms. Coughing/sneezing are murderous for a few days. I had some complications with a few things, but also a big reaction to the bandages--blisters everywhere. Apparently, I'm allergic and didn't know it. Anyways, as so many great people have shared theirs, I'm sharing my results. Thanks again to everyone.

My husband wasn't too keen on his family finding out either. They already think I"m a stuck, high maintenance bitch (well they've come around a little over the 5 years we've been together LOL), but none the less, can you imagine their thoughts on me having surgery to get skinny? Because that's the ONLY reason some fatty would have surgery, right? **Insert stupid comments from ignorant people** Well, least to say, I told his parents, and they were supportive. Grant it, I've heard "you're starting to look sickly" "you're starving yourself aren't you?" To my husband via a phone call while he is on duty "Son, please feed Tiff, she's lost far too much weight, she's anorexic and you need to get her help!" Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh I've heard it all. It didn't help when we went "home" for Thanksgiving last year and because of their food and preparation methods, I literally lived on Protein bars, yogurt, and those little packets of prepared chicken salad. It was horrific because I couldn't eat anything they cooked so it definitely compounded the issues of me being "skinny". I still weighed in the 160s when we went home, you can only imagine the comments now at 125lbs LOL. For me, it's not an option to withhold information from family, even in-laws. The only thing we do not discuss is finances and our sex life. Your husband needs to support you, and defend your decision to his family if they give him or you flack because of your decision to better your health. When my mother-in-law realized they were physically removing my stomach tissue and the freak out commenced, I said "IF I had a mass in my breast, and it needed to be removed to prevent the cancer from spreading would you be trying to convince me not to do the surgery?" Well of course NOT, but that's cancer was the reply. I explained if I don't lose weight, I'm going to end up with diabetes, lose a foot because I can't reach them to wash them properly when the diabetes effects my circulation, or I'm going to stroke out during pregnancy, and you want a grandchild from your only son, correct? Least to say, this little conversation put things in perspective. My in-laws came down for my surgery since my husband was deployed, and my MIL stayed by my side through my complications while I was hospitalized, and we grew closer because of all we had gone through. Tell them, get it out there, let them process the information, and tell them to suck it if they give you or your husband hell. They don't have to live with you, you don't have to answer to them, and at the end of the day, unless they aren't going to fronting you the money for the surgery, they aren't going to be there to count out your 15 pills a day if your obesity isn't resolved, so they get NO SAY in how you live your life.

Christina, I don't think you're alone in becoming sensitive to the eating habits of others. I couldn't have cared less what others were eating pre-band. Now, I look around at the people who are eating appetizers, entrees sized for 3, and dessert and I find myself (a) grateful for my band, ( shocked that I used to eat that much, © a little disgusted if they're really packing it in, and (d) sometimes even a little envious, depending on my mood. It sets off a complicated string of emotions for me.

Hello! I should be getting sleeved by mid-March. I am excited and nervous. Can some of you please share two things with me: 1. What (if any) complications did you have and were they remedied? 2. Any NSV's you have had and about how long into the process you had them?