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Hi! I am pretty new here, too, as I am approacing my 2 week sleeve-a-versary. I wish I could guarantee you and me that this would be the answer, but the proof for me is yet to be seen. Your Band story is very similar to mine...I was hungry most of the time and would eat the "wrong" things in order to satisfy my hunger...healthy foods just didn't stay down. So far, I am very happy to have my band out and my tummy trimmed down. Recovering nicely. I am sure that you will receive many replies from this group as they were nothing but warm and helpful to me as I prepared for my revision. As I move through my recovery, I'll keep you posted on how things go. Wish me luck! Cheers~ Barb

I was not a revision either; but the doctor explained that when the stomach is removed so is the hormone that makes you feel hungry...I couldn't wait as I was previously ALWAYS hungry! It's true- I am not hungry, although I do have "head hunger" - times where I want something just because that used to be the habit. Some days I do not eat enough and I am positve that that is why I keep having plateaus and I am loosing slowly. But any loss is good loss, so I just try to be happy that it is going in the right direction. Good luck!

Me! I only lost about 30 lbs with sleeve and gained half of it back due to maladaptive eating to avoid the symptoms of severe GERD. I just had revision to bypass on the 18th and am down 20 lbs from the start of my liquid diet 10 days prior to surgery. My doc said he expects me to lose about 60-65% of my excess weight, so a little less than I’d bypass was my first surgery.

You will get varying answers but it has for me. I do feel "full" after eating 3-4 oz of food, particularly Protein. A lot of times I could go longer without eating but I eat so that I get enough calories for the day. (However I was not a revision).

Why did you have to have your band revised? Slippage? Is there anything we can do to avoid this?

Hi, I am posting my story because during my "research stage" I have found other low BMIers hard to come by and I want to help someone else like myself out there looking, hoping to find someone with similiar stats. My story: I am 36 years old, 4'11" and my BMI is about 32. I have 3 kids (2 biological, 1 adopted). I am married and my hubby is 12 --count em, 12 yrs younger than me! I have struggled with my weight since I hit my 30s but after my 2nd child it has been completely unmanageable and I can sell you a bunch of other reasons why I am doing this but its irrelevant at this point because now that I have researched everything sleeve related NOTHING can stop me LOL I am obsessed. I was initially researching TT and lipo because I am "not that big" according to everyone (except myself). You see my body type has always been "thicker than a snicker" and it was cute when I weighed about 125 lbs. My bottom had always been my my best asset lol but now that I am over 160 umm it aint cute! If i was to just have TT and lipo my hubby would probably be like dammmmmmmmmmmmm a$$ for days but honestly it would look unnatural and I would STILL be unhealthy and overweight. I would still yo-yo diet and per genetics, keep gaining. So I let go of that idea and started looking into the lap-band because at that time even I thought these other procedures were too drastic for me cuz im "not that big." well that didnt work out because i found too many complications and revisions so i set my sights on the sleeve. YAYY SLEEVE YOURE GOING TO BE PERFECT FOR ME!! Next, I was like ohhh yeah Tijuana here I come because eff paying full price here in the US so i spent countless hours reading up on going to Mexico. But when I told my husband my great idea he said HELLNO. Okay fine. More than likely (depending on my endoscopy next wednesday) I will be paying full price here in my hometown, approx 10k. I dont care about the price at this point, I am so excited and so looking forward to this i can barely think straight. Oh i got sidetracked by my excitment but i do want to say that the certified world national board of whatever says you qualify for surgery at a BMI of 30 or higher. In fact the lower the BMI the better the sucess rate and less complications (for sleeve). That is something a lot of people are not realizing when someone like me is getting this done. I have found some negativity from both wls vets and non-wls. All those other requirements are for insurance purposes. My surgeon said that I am the perfect candidate and he wish everyone would spare themselves the misery of waiting until their BMI is morbid. If you are low BMI and you have the means, do it. I am. You are not alone.

I am a band to sleeve revision. I would NEVER normally tell any one what to do but I say it now in regards to the band. DON'T! 1. my surgeon actually doesn't even DO them anymore and he was all part of the initial whole band thing. 2. Out of about 30 people that I know, only a few are NOT having problems. The rest of us, mild to serious and a good many of us are having to have them out and those of us who can, are revising to the sleeve. My band slipped and was riding up towards my esophagus. My surgeon told me on May 9th that it needed to come out and he advised me that the sleeve would be the best option for me. I had my removal/revision surgery on the 4th. Do your research. Read everything you can, where ever you can find it. Good, bad, whatever. Be sure the sources are good tho. There's a lot of garbage out in the Wide World Web. Your mom is worried. Understandable. Get her on board helping you find a surgeon and/or program. Attend some seminars and classes together. You are an adult and make the ultimate decision but it would be nice and helpful if she was on board w/your plans. Just makes things icky if she isn't or can't manage to be your advocate. Talk to her. Tell her your reasonings. The sleeve doesn't stop you from carrying on with your life. It helps you carry on with it! Best wishes!!!

I had my band for 5yrs, sick & miserable for 5yrs lol. Slips, dilations, you name it. I was revised dec 10th 2012, they removed my band and sleeved me all at once. My band made it easy to remove, since all the sutures had broken and the damn thing decided to wrap around my esophagus. I had esophageal spasms for 2 weeks because of it but I'm doing good now & feel so much better

Im june 23. Band to bypass revision. Sooo excited but cant wait to get rid of this band so i can get a good nights sleep again. Reflux sucks

Melissa, I live in Australia. Bit far away to travel for a revision for you

I'm on Pantoprazole also. I'm almost six weeks post op revision, and I have to only take it for three months and then I can discontinue it. I don't want to continue on a PPI any longer than I have to due to their side effects.

Hi all, I had my band done in June 2010. I did well for the first 2 years lost 85lbs. All of a sudden I started having problems with my band, not being able to keep food down, not able to get the nutrients I needed. My doctor ended up taking out most of my fill and I was fine for a while. I started gaining my weight back slowly but surely. Currently I have gained most of my weight back. I have been miserable with my band not being able to find my "sweet spot", fluctuation of my weight, and not able to keep my food down. I am meeting with my doctor next Friday to discuss having a revision done to the sleeve. my main concern now is I dont want to make a wrong decision with the revision. I'm newly married and my husband and I also want to start a family someday. Im worried about those future pregnancies and how the sleeve will effect my baby. Any advice or experiences are appreciated. Thank you!

I'm sorry for all you have been going through. I also have a sliding haital hernia, by the way. Makes it possible to eat well some days and some other days, I can't get anything down. Since you had a hernia before the sleeve and it is back now, if repaired again without converting to the bypass, according to my surgery, the hernia will likely return in 3-5 years, unless your diaphragm is supported with a mesh filter. Making the decision to have any WLS is difficult enough, let alone having to decide on a revision. It really comes down to quality of life, from what I've experienced and heard in support group for months now. If you feel you can manage your reflux well enough with medication, then maybe surgery is not worth the risk but acid reflux could lead to other things down the line... In my case, there is a plethora of reasons for revision, so that in a way, has made it easier to decide (scheduled for 9/9/19). Also, regarding your main concern (dumping), I actually have that now with the sleeve (maybe 3-4 times a month). It happens when I make poor choices (high sugar or high fat). Yes, it's more likely to happen with the bypass, but I think managing our intake regardless of surgery type is key to preventing uncomfortable dumping situations. I'll have surgery just 10 days before you, so if you'd like, let's keep in touch and I'll let you know how it goes! I am most likely to have an open surgery (surgeon will try laparoscopic first) due to an obstruction in my sleeve, ulcers, and scar tissue buildup being 7+ years out, so my recovery may be a bit different/lengthy.

I was suffering from January 2019 after a round of steroids, until my revision from sleeve to bypass on 9/11/19. I will honestly say I am very thankful I had made the decision to proceed with the surgery regardless of any possible drawbacks. After 9 months of progressively being able to eat less and less food, sleeping in a chair, to not sleeping at all unless I was at an almost 90 degree angle; the surgery has given me back my life. 1 week after surgery I was able to sleep at a 45 degree angel and 2 weeks after surgery I was finally able to convince myself to try to sleep at an almost flat position. I am now 6 weeks out and I have finally had a week of real sleep after 9+ months of "naps". Like most of everyone who opts originally for the sleeve, I was worried about the bypass dumping syndrome, which unfortunately I have learned the realness of, and how to avoid it at all costs. ( quick lesson - avoid all sugars real and artificial), but I still have the fear of losing too much weight, malabsorbtion, and osteoporosis. I still haven't started solid food for fear of the GERD coming back, but I was told if I were to stay on the high dose pantoprazole for long term it would contribute to osteoperosis, which was my absolute defining calalyst to finally agreeing to the surgery. If you are on the fence, determine what kind of quality of life you wan, then if you are willing to make the changes to achieve it. I knew I wanted to be able to walk independently and not need to be using a cane or wheelchair when I retire, especially if I could make better food choices and take vitamins after surgery to prevent it now. Good luck with your decision.

I was banded October 1, 2008, flipped port happened soon after. I was ignored for months by my first surgeon about the flipped port and abdominal pain. After 6 months, I started looking at getting a revision to the sleeve. I found a surgeon who agreed it needed to come out, and was able to have the revision covered by insurance due to the tubing of the band actually tugging on my stomach and causing increasing pain. Plus, I had 2 fill attempts under fluoro that were unsuccessful due to the flipped port. I had my revision on June 3rd. On June 5th, a leak was found during my last leak test with gastrographin and the cat scan. The top portion of my stomach was damaged by the band, and had weakened the tissue. I was immediately sent to the OR for the leak repair. After the leak repair, my lungs would not recover. I landed in critical condition on a ventilator for 3 days, and spent about 4 days in ICU. Finally moved to a regular surgery floor, and was released on June 12th with a pic line (kind of like a central line catheter) in my left arm, and went home on TPN for the next 10 days. The TPN was discontinued, and the line was pulled on the 24th of June. I started Clear liquids. I left with 2 JP drains in my abdomen, and while at home I had a home healthcare nurse come in every few days to change my pic line dressing. I had a follow up on July 9th where a UTI was detected. Levaquin antibiotics, and I went home. I had family over during that week. They left on Saturday July 11th. On the 13th, I was taken to the hospital again because of severe abdominal pain, cramps, and I knew I was dehydrated. They did a leak test again, and there were 3 Fluid pockets/abscesses found, no leak. 2 in my abdominal cavity, 1 in my pelvic cavity. Unfortunately, I was admitted for treatment. I had to go to a interventional radiologist so they could place a different type of drain in my abdomen. Unfortunately, they could not reach the one in my pelvic cavity. In hopes the antibiotics would resolve them, I was hospitalized for 1 week then released. I went home on 2 antibiotics, 2 anti-nausea meds, and pain meds. I had follow up appointments a couple of weeks later with more ct scans, and the drains were eventually removed. I have been off all anti-nausea meds for about a month, and have had no further set backs in my recovery. The most challenging aspect for me has been eating and getting in my Protein. But, every day has gotten a bit easier. I am now able to eat 3 small meals a day, and protein is still my arch nemesis, but it's getting better. Even with everything that I endured with this surgery, I have zero regrets. I know that the band would of continued to damage my stomach. Every day brings a new challenge, but I know that I made the very best decision to have the band removed.

I wonder how much he's lost vs how much he needs to lose? My mom only lost about 60 lbs with her band - which is why she revised to the sleeve.

Don’t weigh yourself for at least a week after surgery - it is often higher (5-10 pounds) than your pre-surgery weight because of the reasons listed above. Even if you can drink liquids easily, don’t let that fool you. First, your stomach is extremely scarred and healing, so it probably can’t tell you that you are overdoing it. Second, just because you can drink more, don’t. There’s a reason why we are given strict limits - it’s not only for our healing stomachs, but to get used to constantly measure/weigh our food so that we stay on track. My sleeve failed for that reason (I had my revision on 3/3) so I’m being extra careful now.

super upset here. I'm a revision patient. got my approval denied. going through appeal now. BMI is 39.8 and they're denying it based on a BMI below 40 and that it hasn't been 2 years since surgery. (15 months isn't enough I guess). super upset!

The dilated poach happens when you have the band for a long time & over eating along the years & vomiting. It's happens a lot with the band after years of having it . I had my band for almost 14 years & I helped me in the past lose & maintain my weight but I always had to put effort & diet when I gained a few pounds . It was the only available procedure at that time . I am revising to sleeve in two days , I hop the sleeve works for me .

I was happy to read that you are working with a therapist to address your continuing issues with food. Though your weight loss has progressed impressively, your relationship and beliefs about food do not seem to have made the same rate of progress. Revising your thinking about food, and the requirements for your diet with your band has to happen before you can truly be in a different place emotionally. I have never felt that having to chew many times, taking small bites, and restricting the type of foods I can have were an imposition, or that I was "missing out" with the changes I chose to make with eating. These action items were part of what I still consider to be the opportunity to have better health. I had to wait an extra year for my surgery for a variety of reasons, none of which were planned or avoidable, so when I was finally cleared medically, I had no reservations to proceed. I believe that most bandsters have some pre-op questions to themselves about if they are making the right choice. There is no easy answer, but I believe that the answer is tied to one's priorities. At the Southern Woman's Show 2 summers ago, I had the good fortune to encounter someone who had been banded the previous fall. She helped me place my concerns in the proper perspective: which is more important to you? Being able to eat anything you want to for your meals covering several minutes a day during meals, or having some rules for those meals which require attention and mindful eating? It was a no brainer after that for me. We should eat to live, not the other way around. The longer you hold onto your flawed thinking, the more of a negative attitude towards diet compliance you will have. The things you mentioned that you disliked are the same things which got most all of us to the point where we had bariatric surgery. You cannot expect a sustained weight loss without increasing resentment towards compliance unless you redefine for yourself what your relationship with food needs to be. You have done so well with your weight loss...I hope you modify your beliefs about food. and let go of the ones which got you to your band surgery. Food is not your friend...and in many ways one can be addicted to food in the same way as one can be to drugs or co-dependent relationships. Wishing you continued success with your weight loss journey.

I had my bypass on 7-7-17 & had a complication that led to a revision on 7-19-17. I have been doing well on my post op program outside of another complication(collapsed lungs).Lately, I been talking more about food that I had in the past(good food&bad food). When I saw a pizza hut commercial I saw the cheese&tomato sauce and it kind of perked me up to where I started discussing with my father how I loved cheese pizza with extra tomato sauce. Then later my dad asked me about oatmeal and honey and I was like oh I love oatmeal&honey and that conversation continued on with me telling him that adding butter to oatmeal & even steel oats are the best. Then I sat back in my recliner and just thought about how great oatmeal is. Then peanut butter & jam came up later in the day and I was like oh yes I love it. This has been the theme in the past 2 days. Im not tempted to have them but it is refreshing to talk about them. Is that weird? Has anyone else liked to talk about food they ate in the past? Im sure its just a phase iamready4this

Hi Eddie! Welcome!!! I'm not a revision but I'm several months out and I have lost 63 pounds. I believe the sleeve is by far the best decision I have ever made. I Hope your revision journey is a smooth one. Keep us posted. Deb

Doubtful that it is a stricture this far out from WLS. You need to see an experienced gastroenterologist to get a proper diagnosis. They may perform a variety of tests, such as EGD endoscopy, upper GI, Bravo pH, manometry, etc. GERD/heartburn/reflux is a known risk of VSG and it can occur even in people who didn’t have it pre-op. This is one of the main reasons people have revision surgery from VSG to RNY, to resolve or improve GERD/heartburn/reflux. VSG is contraindicated in people with pre-existing GERD. Because of my history of GERD prior to bariatric surgery, my surgeon would only perform gastric bypass on me, not sleeve gastrectomy.

sounds like me with the band too. mine slipped about a year after i had it, i then had another surgery to revise it but the doctor warned me that once a band slips it usually always will slip again. well about a year after that band slipped as well. since i was pretty much as goal too, i had the band removed . here i am 5 1/2 years later and my weight is all back. im considering the sleeve for the past 2 years. im just very nervous especially since i had problems and i was also told i would have a lot of scar tissue which mean im at a higher risk for leaks!!!!! im scared!! any advice or words from anyone???

Eddie! I love the quote from your mother!!! LOL I hope your revision goes smoothly. Let us know how it goes.