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Mine is a 36F and I did fine. Smaller sizes are associated with more complications like leaks and strictures. Also, bougie size is only a guide to the end size of the stomach. If your surgeon oversews the staple line, your stomach will be smaller than the bougie size. As long as your surgeon uses a generally accepted size, say 32-40, I wouldn't worry too much. We are talking millimeters of difference here.

As others have said, the band is no longer the "miracle tool" it was once thought to be. In recent years it has been understood that 1/10 of bandsters will experience SEVERE complications and need it removed eventually (usually as an emergency surgery, which is scary). I am not talking about mild things like a slight slip, or some tightness and reflux... I am referring to erosion into the stomach, permanent damage to the esophagus (in the form of gastroparesis), phrenic nerve damage, vagus nerve damage... It all comes down to this one question: Do you want to be constantly worrying about this 10+ years down the line? Yes, this surgery is "reversible" and it's the least risky option at the OUTSET... but unlike with other WLS's the complication risk INCREASES the longer you are banded. Also, I don't know what your insurance situation is, but remember that for the health of your band, you will need to constantly be seeing your doctor/getting fills/barium swallow tests, etc. - this can add up very quickly - and that's with NO complications.

Great idea! I'm just so full as I write this because over the last 10 months, I'm down 108.7 lbs. I had a revision from the lap-band to SIPS and I couldn't be more happy. I did have some complications in the beginning which required a month long stay in the hospital, but even with that, I don't have any regrets! My life is on TEN!!! Even though I have not shared publicly my WLS experience with friends, people seem to be genuinely happy for the new me. I've always socialized, but I'm even more eager to hang out with my friends, go on couples dates, business social settings, etc. because I can easily find something to wear and feel even more confident in myself. I'm feeling great physically. No more back and knee pain. Off of all meds (blood pressure, cholesterol, symbicort breathing treatment) and off of CPAP machine for sleep apnea. Also, since having the lap-band removed as part of the revision, I no longer have acid reflux. While the vanity is great, the health benefits have me over the moon ecstatic! I'm sooooooooooo happy!

Are you showing any complications or ill effects like malnutrition or do you think you've lost too much for another reason?

As lapbandster mentioned above, I would recommend fighting this one. I can't think of any insurance that would deny removal of an implanted device for which you are having complications. If the GI doctor is recommending removal, I recommend consulting with a bariatric surgeon. Bariatric offices have staff that specialize in this, so they'd know how to show "medical necessity" of the procedure.

That makes no sense to me. If you have had "years of complications" and the doctor recommends this, then insurance should cover it (slip or not!) You will need your doctors office submit the necessary authorization forms to your insurance company with the proper codes

Quick question: I've been advised to have mine removed by a GI doctor following 10 years of complications, but the doctor also said that unless the band slips, it won't be covered by insurance. Have any of you had to cover this expense out-of-pocket? I'm bothered that I have medical complications from a foreign object and cannot get it removed as medically necessary. Thanks in advance for any help with this.

So..... My surgeon has decided he is moving out of state. I am post op 12 weeks. I haven't had any complications and have been doing great. He says I can get referred to another surgeon to continue my postoperative care but I am thinking on just want to go to my family doctor. She has been super supportive of my journey with bariatric surgery as her mother had RNY also. Would it be irresponsible of me to switch from a surgeon to my family doc? I can always be referred back out by her if down the road I hit some road blocks. Any advice?

Who has gotten pregnant shortly after gastric sleeve surgery...and did you have any complications Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J727AZ using BariatricPal mobile app

As I remember the do remove part of your intestines when they reroute them, that's what cause the malabsorption I think. So technically they're removing something. And I do agree, both are major surgery, I think there's more risk of leaks with the sleeve but more complications (kinda?) with the bypass. Either way, it's a personal choice. I chose the sleeve. My mother had a bypass 12 years ago and has had so many complications and issues so I said "no thanks" AND her GERD is NO better with her bypass than before, so it doesn't always cure it like almost everyone says.

My only support system is this forum and a FB group. My mother is adamantly against this surgery (which I recently went through with) and my now ex bf wasnt understanding. I kicked him out last week, one week postop, yay. I live alone. It's me, myself, and I. And I've had complications, so I am coping alone. It is what it is. Didn't do this for anyone but me so... I don't need anyone else but me. Sent from my SM-G930R4 using BariatricPal mobile app

I'm sorry your husband isn't being supportive. It's a decision you have to make about your body, for the betterment of your life, but naturally you want your life partner to be at your side encouraging you rather than discouraging. My husband was initially opposed to the surgery, incredulous that I even wanted it. I looked on PubMed, which is a database of medical research, and found studies about bariatric surgery - its safety and efficacy, how those who had it were substantially more likely to keep their weight off, and ones specific to women with my own health issues (PCOS and hypothyroidism) having it. This was significant to having him change his mind because it wasn't just my words, my emotions, but facts before him. I think you should pursue the surgery if you truly believe will better your life. I definitely count the surgery as being the best medical decision I ever made. It's transformed my life. I would continue to try to get your husband on board. The surgery is challenging physically and emotionally for the first month or two out. I had no complications and didn't have to follow a strict pre-op diet, so I had easier than many, but there were still struggles. I think while in that vulnerable state having to deal with any marital issues would have been really hard. Some things that helped in my situation were - - The money for the surgery did not come from our joint funds. I was self-pay to Mexico patient since my insurance wouldn't cover it, and so it was a lot more affordable and easier to take on the expenses without his contributions. I was the one who assured him of this. - Planning. In our household, my husband and I divide up the chores / tasks pretty evenly. We both are young professionals who come home wanting to get the chores out of the way as fast as possible, and relax. By choice I do more things like laundry, vacuuming, grocery shopping, and he does the yard work and takes care of the cars getting washed. I didn't want him to have to do all of my tasks while I was recovering. I cleaned the house top to bottom prior to surgery, and arranged for house cleaners to come in once a week for the month following the surgery. I used a grocery delivery service, and made the point of getting things that he likes even though I couldn't eat them. There was little inconvenience for him. - I understood that I was the one having surgery, and taking on the changes it required like the post-op diet. I never made him feel like he couldn't have whatever he wanted to eat for dinner, or keep foods that would be tempting to me out of the house. He was good about being considerate, but I think him knowing that he wasn't encumbered by my surgery helped him to not feel resentful of it. Best wishes to you. I hope your husband gets on board, and you have the surgery and fantastic results from it. I have never for a second regretted my surgery. I'm three years out, have maintained my goal within a small fluctuation zone for two years, and feel more vibrant and healthy now than I did as a teen.

Wow...I logged back in to this platform as my journey continued and forgot this thread was here. I can’t believe I’ve been in this band nightmare for over 12 years!!! In 2007 I finally got the port removed. My doctor very nonchalantly said “it tested positive for MRSA infection”. I had NO idea the implications. He handed me a card for an Infectious Disease doctor and told me to go across the street to their office. Again, NO idea what was ahead. Suddenly I had a nightmare of a PICC line (took 2 excruciating days to insert) for Vancomycin and a wound vac system. I had both of these for weeks, my home was a virtual hospital. I even took that show to work a few times. Crazy. That was over 10 years ago. In those 10 years I had just the band. I’d never been able to get it removed because it wasn’t presenting obvious negative effects and my insurance wouldn’t cover it. After a decade I finally started the path to revision to a sleeve. I had the band removed on 10/26. It was very complicated. My outpatient procedure turned into 6 days in the hospital. The band had eroded into my stomach (common) but also had RAVAGED my small intestines. The new surgeon said he had never seen anything like it. He had to get the band out of several spots in the intestines and do a lot of repair work. While recovering, about 24 hrs after surgery, things went south. BP low, breathing shallow, heart rate up, fever...ugh. Many tests later and we determined that my chronic Diverticulitis had flared up and was causing the additional pain and infection. It was a very long 6 days, and the fevers kept coming. After being released and on a better coarse of oral antibiotics, things are finally better. It’s been 3 weeks and I am almost not in pain. It was a miracle I didn’t have a blockage, or major infections with that band. I now think my bowel perforations and infections may be related to the band. I had no idea and I guess the band was never visible in the CT scans. Anyway... I wanted to finish my 12 year saga. I’m almost second guessing the sleeve surgery. I feel like I am 4/4 with bad surgery issues...but the reality is that a lot of things (if not all) were caused by that awful band. I may have the surgery, but it will be after the New Year. That bums me out because it will very VERY expensive with out of pocket costs...but realistically I need more time to heal...and I am unable to miss a wedding on Dec 29th. Not sure anyone will read this...but that’s where I am. Xx

Me, too. However, I was afraid of the bypass surgery and years ago it was kind of complicated to get the revision (and no guarantee you'd get it at all!!). Nowadays there are quite a few hospitals in Germany that perform revisions because of reflux without the patient having to get permission from insurance first!

My mouth wants crackers with my soup,but my head reminds me that I can cause serious complications Sent from my SM-G930V using BariatricPal mobile app

Frustr8, I had one suggestion. I am not really familiar with your case but I wanted to make sure that one more base was covered. According to the internet: Nausea and vomiting are the most common complaints after bariatric surgery, and they are typically associated with inappropriate diet and noncompliance with a gastroplasty diet (ie, eat undisturbed, chew meticulously, never drink with meals, and wait 2 hours before drinking after solid food is consumed). If these symptoms are associated with epigastric pain, significant dehydration, or not explained by dietary indiscretions, an alternative diagnosis must be explored. One of the most common complications causing nausea and vomiting in gastric bypass patients is anastomotic ulcers, with and without stomal stenosis. Ulceration or stenosis at the gastrojejunostomy of the gastric bypass has a reported incidence of 3% to 20%. Although no unifying explanation for the etiology of anastomotic ulcers exists, most experts agree that the pathogenesis is likely multifactorial. These ulcers are thought to be due to a combination of preserved acid secretion in the pouch, tension from the Roux limb, ischemia from the operation, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use, and perhaps Helicobacter pylori infection. Evidence suggests that little acid is secreted in the gastric bypass pouch; however, staple line dehiscence may lead to excessive acid bathing of the anastomosis. Treatment for both marginal ulcers and stomal ulcers should include avoidance of NSAIDs, antisecretory therapy with proton-pump inhibitors, and/or sucralfate. In addition, H pylori infection should be identified and treated, if present. I just wanted to make sure you were tested for Helicobacter pylori infection. This is a fairly common infection. About 50% of the worlds population has it. The symptoms are exasperated by gastric bypass surgery. It is a simple tests. But if you have it, it will be a little difficult to kill this bug. It will take a cocktail of antibiotics to treat and the initial treatment may not kill the infection and you might have to take a second round.

So, some may have seen some threads where I was complaining that it hurt really bad to swallow. I am 15 days out now and get about 20oz of water a day. I just got back from my surgeon and he is 95% sure I've developed an ulcer where my esophagus meets the pouch. (I am not a smoker) He put me on Carafate 4 times a day and asked me to resume Percocet. It really really hurts to swallow. Even spit hurts to swallow. They are doing an endoscopy Monday to ensure it's not a stricture, but nothing ever comes back up or gets stuck... it just burns like the fires of hell, lol, which is a massive deterrent to swallowing. They also put me back on liquids. I was on soft foods. Anyone else here get an ulcer? How long does it take to heal? It's really painful and really inhibiting my fluid intake. My everything intake, really. They don't want to put me on IV fluids yet though because my electrolytes are fine. Hopefully this Carafate soothes things! Sent from my SM-G930R4 using BariatricPal mobile app

Hi all! Soooo my story started a few years ago (I think 6). I was morbidly obese and felt disgusting. HW was about 244 lbs (and I'm only 5 feet tall!!). I didn't have the willpower to lose ALL that weight on my own and began to realize that I needed help. My mother had RNY a few years earlier and, while she DID lose like 75% of her excess weight, she never looked healthy to me. She suffered with anemia and vitamin deficiency, never worked out, had very saggy skin etc. When deciding on a bariatric prodecure I felt attracted to the lap band due to its reversability and low operating risks. The first surgeon I went to was VERY pro the LB- in fact I think he only performed this procedure. The second surgeon I consulted with was vehemently against the band and strongly advised me against it. This was years ago when then "anti band" sentiment was just starting. I ultimately decided on the lap band because I'm a nervous person in general and wanted the "easiest", lowest risk, and most reversable procedure performed. The surgery went well and there were no problems. I was able to go back to work within a day or two. I've heard some people say they have a "love hate relationship" with the band. For me it was a "want to love, yet fear relationship" meaning I WANTED so BADLY for the band to work. But I was constantly afraid of it slipping... Or eroding.. Or food getting stuck (in public!) ... Or suddenly feeling tight when traveling and I didn't have access to a doctor... Or not being able to afford the fills and fluoroscopys... Esaphageal dysmotility, distended pouch... Etc. My doctor had a strange way of doing fills. Unlike using fluoroscopys to help me find my "sweet spot" he would just put in the needle, fill the band, have me sit up, chug water, and then release some fluid. Once I felt the water go down he would remove the needle and tell me that im in the perfect zone. Boy did that cause issues! Getting lukewarm sink water down is simple... But getting in proteins and/or veggies down was much harder! I was constantly running back and forth to the doctor for fills/unfills (which wasn't cheap or easy! He was located 1.5 hours away from me and fills we're $50 plus insurance copay. So i was constantly taking off a half day of work and shelling out $80 for this.) When I'd see him he was thrilled! After all, I WAS losing weight... And getting fitter... But it sadly it had nothing to do with the band. I was just too ashamed to admit it. Rather, I worked out every day, ate under 1200 calories/day, and carb cycled. I was on a mission to prove to the world that I COULD lose weight, and that I didn't get cut up and have a foreign object placed in me for nothing. It was sad for me, and I really did feel alone... But I made it work and got used to chewing my food up a ton, taking tiny bites, drinking a lot to get the food down. I went from 244 to 178 and was happy. I was far from skinny... But I really felt good. Fast forward about 5 years!!... I got married, moved to NY and mostly forgot about my band. I actually gained some weight back after the wedding, but started Medifast/optavia and lost 40 lbs. I was good... Until the heartburn started. My previous doctor warned that any heartburn can either be the symptom OR cause of a slipped band. I went to a new NY surgeon the next day to get all the fluid removed. A day later I felt mostly better but still tight. Foods were getting stuck and being that there was no fluid in there I was nervous. Bands that are too tight can cause a slip. My husband and I are trying to get pregnant and when I asked my surgeon what happens if the band slips/erodes during pregnancy, she just said "things can get complicated and more risky for both you and the fetus" That's when i just realized that I'd HAD IT WITH THE BAND!! I could no longer live with device that caused me so much stress, fear, and didn't even work in the first place!! (that night I went to a wedding and took a bite of chicken which got stuck and had me dashing to the bathroom and vomiting. This was simply no way to live, yet a common occurrence for me). Long story short, today I got my band removed and I FEEL SO RELIEVED! I am in practically zero pain and feel like a massive weight was lifted off my shoulders. I'll do another post about the removal process because this is already wayyyyy too long!! TLDR: Didn't have any MAJOR complications with the band, but very relieved to have it removed! It may be a less risky, reversable procedure on the outset, but the long term risks of complications are fairly high and can be nerve racking. Sent from my SM-G960U using BariatricPal mobile app

https://www.barilife.com/blog/secret-complication-after-bariatric-surgery-2/ Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

I was sleeved on the 13th without complications.. but being home has brought more challenges. Drinking/sipping anything is quite painful. I sure hope this is somewhat normal.

This thread got way out of hand. There are usually two types of responses you will get here, the soft cushy supportive ones and then the harsh deal with it ones. I think some of the vets are just jaded from hearing the same complaints all the time and it shows in their response. I took some time off from here because I got burned out pretty quickly, things are essentially the same as when I left. I don’t mean to come across as a dick, but we are talking about major life altering surgery here. Of course it is not going to be easy and there are going to be issues and complications. So, I apologize if I offended anyone as that was not my intention. I just don’t like to sugarcoat things anymore either. Sounds like the OP is still having some issues but showing some improvement hopefully everything will continue to get better.

Hi everyone, it's been eight weeks today since I had surgery. I've been reading the forums but I've been pretty busy lately and haven't had much of a chance to make any post. I'm so thankful that I decided to have this surgery, I've had absolutely no complications at all, no pain no nausea nothing at all. I have been able to get between 80 and 90 g of Protein every day, and anywhere from 68 to 75 ounces of liquids everyday, I'm maintaining approximately 1,000 cal a day. I have lost a considerable amount of weight, I've went from a 4XL shirt to a XL and from a size 56 to a size 38 in pants. I have truly been blessed!

Thanks for the reply, Matt! So, here's where things get a little complicated. I've always been more confident and comfortable than most obese folks, I think, and as a result I don't think my obesity has held me back in many ways. I'm in sales, so it's more of a "you get back what you put in" type gig. Again, I'm good at it but pretty unenthused by it. At my current gig, I also work remotely (which is nice for continued recovery!), so I don't have to worry about different reactions from my coworkers, spare my two cats being like "don't care...where's my food?" as I walk by. I've definitely heard to brace myself for the unsavory reality that the entire world will start treating me as more of a human though, so I've already been in talks with my therapist about that. You bring up a good point though...even though I don't feel held back in my current career path, I wonder if a new one might reveal itself to me once I'm in my new Phoenix-y form!

If you take any meds bring a list of them. You may want to ask the surgeon how many surgeries s/he has performed, complication rates, and be prepared to discuss any comorbidities and GERD. Good luck! I met with my surgeon in May and was also so excited to get the process going. Next week is my final nutrition visit then they submit to insurance!! Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

Thank you all for your comments. I am honestly surprised so many people favor the bypass. It’s something to think about for sure. We all have different goals too I think. I’ve been over 300 pounds since 9th grade. I’ve always been what I would call very active for my size until the last couple of years. I’m not trying to look good in a swimsuit or anything like that, I’ve always been a big guy and I am happy with that. I just want to be able to take my sons hunting and prolong this wonderful life I have a little longer. For me complications, cost, personal feelings and goals all play part in my decision.