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Thank you all for your responses! I appreciate it! Please keep us updated on your revisions journeys and i will do so as well! I wish you all the best!

I know there is a forum here for band to sleeve revisions. Maybe check that out to see what some issues with the band vs sleeve are?

Yes the dietitian was especially focused on protein when we talked! Did you find it hard to get in all the protein you needed at first? I'm really curious how your diet and typical day is now, 10 years later? I've heard that about the 2 step DS being safer as well. I've also seen a lot of posts and discussions in the forums about doctors recommending the 2 step simply to make more money. I have no idea which is more accurate! I want the one step because I know getting insurance to cover another surgery will be a nightmare... If I do go with the sleeve I'm going to make sure I document EVERYTHING so that if it fails and I need a revision, I have plenty of evidence that I followed the rules. I could come to NYC. Do you have a recommendation? I don't mind travel if it means the best care. Thanks so much!! :-)

That's awesome. Keep me posted. I swear this is such an emotional roller coaster. One moment I'm excited the next scared out my mind of all the worst possibilities. Never imagined I would need a revision.

Wow! I'm not sure where to begin to comment on all of this. I think 1st of all I should say I had a banding done a year ago and i am about to have a revision to the bypass. I have had alot of complications. as far as bashing other types of surgery, the site i normally frequent does not do that. thinnertimes.com we are all very supportive and urge everyone to make an informed decision about what is best for them. most people that i know have researched enough to know if they can follow through with the diet of the band or not. because with the band if you are a compulsive eater you can drink milkshakes till the cows come home and with the bypass you are welcome to try but.... do it close to a hospital cause you are gonna get sick. with the bypass reversal ..it can and has been done, my surgeon has done them and they are very difficult and are prone to complications and are only done in extreme situations. Both surgeries have people that regain their weight! That is a fact and it is not just because of the type of surgery it is because people are addicted to food, afterall thats why we are or were over weight! It is a choice and while my experience with the band has left me bitter if asked i will tell it is their choice but i will be gald to tell of my experiences with it! With the pregnancy issue, there a lot of people who had children post operatively from bypass and all are doing fine. I have a friend that became pregnant 5 or 6 mos out and had a very healthy pregnancy. From the sites that I have researched (absa.org) and others the 25% statistic is actually a little low. A lot of people have to have the revision due to complications and the fact that if they had the will power to stop eating junk they wouldn't need surgery to start with. I have respect for the bandsters who are losing and doing good and I have respect for those trying to achieve weight loss. wls is a battle and it should not be argued amongst the ranks it should be argued on the field. If someone is putting your choice down that makes them the loser not you! You did what was best for you and your family. Who gives a crap about he said/she said we are adults fighting for our very lives. I don't need anyones approval but God, My Family, and the Insurance Co.! ( in that order ) Good Luck to you all and hope to have your prayers as I undergo this revision at the end of the year. Christy

I have been banded for over 3 years. The first year I lost from 350 to 230. Then I started having difficulties. Had a port replacement, couldn't get to a proper level for weight loss. Got pregnant, had a complete unfill due to hyperemesis, gained a boatload of weight and found out I have esoph. spasms, dialation and scar tissue choking my tubing which means no fill in, no fill out. I am now actively seeking approval for a DS/BPD. This is a Duodenal Switch. Sue, also on this board is also getting a revision to DS. In no means was this MY fault nor could I not "cut it" with the band. Stuff happens. DS is different than the RNY, as there is no pouch, no dumping, very slight chance of regain, and it has the best rate of success for long term weight loss. It will require extensive supplementation. I always thought I had the superior surgery, the "thinking persons surgery", and apparantly these people are thinking like I use to. Now I am eating some of my own words. My point is this, everyone is different. Each surgery is awesome in its own way. What would you do if your body started rejecting your band? Gain back the weight and say "oh, well?" Circumstances do change, and I had to change with them. And to tell the truth, I'm really tired of feeling filled to the gills and my stomach still growling. I have friends who have had surgery 2 years later than me and are at goal while I am still groveling along. After 3 years, I'm tired of fighting. In order to lose, I have to starve. In order to live comfortably, I gain. And now if doesn't even matter because the fill that is in there will stay in there until I have surgery to remove it.

In December of 2009 I had lap band surgery. My finance drove me to surgery center for what he thought was a knee surgery. ( I really was having knee surgery two weeks later so I told him it was a part one preliminary surgery). I had at that time only told two best friends. One who drove me to pre-op appts and one who I stayed with for 2 days post op after my finance drove me home just so I could get through the worst of it without actually having to gimp and fake like I had just had knee surgery. I had some issues 3 years later and ended up in hospital and told him in strictest confidence because he was thinking way worse case scenarios for my issues. We'll within a few days he blabbed to everyone including his and my friends and family. I broke up with him a few months later because there was no trust that he would honor me which was my fear from the beginning. I'm now married to a wonderfully supportive man who has been by my side through the lap band removal and VSG revision and I know he will only disclose my information to anyone in specifically say is allowed to know my secret. I have also told two of my children and a couple of my best friends. The same ones who knew about the lapband and my supervisor (so she won't think I have cancer or something and worry to much and I know that due to HIPPA she won't tell anyone). Sent from my XT1635-01 using BariatricPal mobile app

Bayugirmrsc, Thanks for sharing Jake.... by the way, Jake is one of my fav. names....js. anywho... My friend and "lapband" mentor had to have her band removed last month and she opted for the sleeve. I talked with her yesterday as a matter of fact and she is SOOOOO happy with the sleeve. I hope and Pray that you have great results also. Please keep us posted. _________________________________________________________________________ As of May 4, my band is out and I was sleeved during the same surgery. My sleeve doctor will do both removal and sleeve if there is not a large amount of scar tissue and if the band/stomach is in good shape, where other surgeons will not do two in one. All went well for me. What I can say is that for me, this one was quite a bit more painful than the initial lapband install surgery, but, my doc warned me. The incision where he removed the port was the worst as far as pain! But then, It was like over night and the pain got better and manageable. I'm down 23 lbs. already which includes the 2 week pre-op diet til today. I'm at the gym again at turtle speeds and feeling great! I needed to tell someone and you asked if I would keep you posted and I went forth, Thank you for that. BTW, Jake is my middle name and I use it because I also like it very much. If you noticed I've changed my display name from jakealta to NoMoBand making it an official name change, but, jake is out of the name :-( So, so far so good, Thank God!!!! Should you ever find yourself in a predicament with a possible revision and have questions, please do ask. I'm here to help. God Bless and thanks again. Jake

Actually, you can revise a sleeve to bypass. They take the remaining portion of stomach and treat it as if there was no sleeve, and turn that into a pouch, and create an anastomosis to the intestine. I would imagine this might work if the leak is in the portion of stomach this sewn up and bypassed, but the surgeon can answer that question. The sleeve was originially intended to be the first surgery before a duodenal switch, not the first step of gastric bypass. They are two different procedures. To the OP, so sorry to hear this! I have heard one other person on the boards report a leak a year out, so I know it can happen. Wishing your husband a speedy recovery.

So many of us feel the same way. I was banded in 2006 and was scheduled for a revision to the sleeve in May 2016. I woke up bandless and sleeveless due to adhesions. I have a new surgeon who will be doing my sleeve on Oct 2016. I'm so very scared but more scared not to... It's normal...ask as many questions about HIS mortality rate, research online what you can about him and most importantly compliance is key... I told myself the same things I'm saying to you All the best! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

You are doing swell! As for the tummyache issue, it might be lactose intolerance doing it to you. Try mixing Almond Breeze milk into the Protein powder to see if that won't help; soymilk might also work but it has more calories in it than the Almond Breeze--I get both at costco for reasonable prices, and also my protein out there is good, too. I use Muscle Milk lite in vanilla flavor to make my shakes with. Sometimes, I will add half of a banana to flavor it with--tastes very good! You could also try frozen blueberries in the shake which also is a nice tradeoff from plain vanilla. I think as you get farther along postop, you will do much better! I am 5-6, and right now weigh 186. I started this journey as a revision surgery patient from RNY to sleeve in May of this year--a first for the doctor I had. Normally, they do band to sleeve revisions. My bypass failed 5 yrs ago and I had developed hypertension that I cannot be treated for with meds due to severe allergies to all of them! Weight loss is my only intervention--I feel better than I have in years! My goal is to maintain at 145-150. My weight at the onset of sleeve surgery was 223.5 pounds--at the time of bypass surgery in 2001, I was 264. I never wanna see those 200s EVER again!!! It is great hearing from you, Dawn! Wishing continued success and keep me posted on your progress! Ronda I agree about the carbs, I try to avoid them for the most part and concentrate on the Proteins also. I saw the doctor for my check up today and I've lost 10lbs since my surgery. The doctor was happy with that and said slow loss is better for me since I have less to lose. I can't do the protein shakes. For some reason they give me a stomache ache. The doctor said to get my protein from my food instead. He also said that I can cut down the total protein from 75 grams to at least 50 grams. I am short only 4'10' and he said I don't need 75 grams of protein so I can stop stressing about getting so much protein. That was a relief for me as I have been feeling really worried about not getting enough protein. I also think that since I am not going to be eating constantly to consume so much protein I will see a better weight loss on my next visit. It is all a learning experience, but one that I am so glad to be working on.

What you're feeling is perfectly normal. I'm feeling it too. I was banded in 2009, was successful, but this year I went in for a fill and they suggested for me to have a revision to sleeve instead. I think that's the new way doctors are handling band patients these days, regardless whether they are having problems or stalls. They unfilled it and of course, I gained about 20 lbs. while waiting for my revision surgery. I had Dr. Martinez for my band but have since moved, and am going to have my revision on Sept. 2, 2016 with another doctor. I wish it was with Dr. Martinez as I always had faith in his capabilities and judgment... I guess it's just a long way of saying "I'm scared too." *big hugs* You will do just fine, and so will I, let's just keep reminding each other hehe.

Anyone who has military affiliation know if tricare will cover this?

I've had some pretty intense bouts of gastritis but lately it's been hard to control. I take 40mg omemprezole daily, 150mg ranitidine with meals, tums in the morning, and carafate drink with flare ups. I currently have a flare up and none of its helping. The pain comes in burning waves and sometimes is so intense I wanna cry. I also get "hunger" symptoms like irritability, shakiness, and dizzyness. I used to mistaken this for low blood sugar but know now it's just stomach acid. Anywho... has anyone had stubborn gastritis that hasn't responded to the above treatment? Any idea what can be added ? I know that they do a revision to bypass for stubborn gerd, but I havnt heard much about gastritis. And only being 11 months out I don't think docs are even considering it. I'm curious what other treatments are available.

I have a 10cc band and right now I'm at about 6ccs. I lost like crazy after my first fill and then it kinda dropped off. When I went in for a second fill we found out that my port had flipped so I couldn't get filled. I was able to get some more in during my port revision surgery but still don't have restriction. NONE AT ALL...I am hungry 24/7 if it weren't for knowing how hard I had to work to get this band in I probably would have gained at least 20 pounds already. I am awaiting a second port revision (that bleeping thing flipped again) hopefully after that I will get back on track.

They are both good procedures. I weighed 308 when I revised from band to sleeve 4 years ago and am maintaining in the 150s now. Here is what I think, if a person thinks any WLS is going to keep them from making"bad" choices over the long haul, they are likely to be disappointed. I have read that not all bypass patients "dump" and that extra help offen goes away over time. You must be committed to a lifestyle overhaul with either procedure or you risk regain. The sleeve helped me change my relationship with food for several reasons, but I think the key was the elimination of the 24/7 drive to eat, constant hunger. Years later, My hunger is now what a normal person experiences and that period of time of no hunger helped me figure out how to keep it in check and how my choices dictate my hunger drive. They each have risks, and benefits. The bypass has a much longer proven track record. I had my , probably somewhat irrational reasons for avoiding the bypass, but I guess in the end I came to "believe" that the sleeve would help me and i proceeded to make sure it did. Research, and decide which seems to fit your life better and go for it!

I have mild reflux but im not sure if its significant. I take nexium in two week intervals when I feel it coming on strong. usually about every 3- 4 months I take a two week dose and it goes away for a long while. I have actually heard that a revision or a resleeve can make the reflux worse but I suppose it depends on whats wrong in the first place. I am hoping to get a doctor that notices the first surgery wasnt done properly and I get resleeved. Yes it is a revision but kaiser didnt have to pay for it the first time and this second time would to repair. But if the doctor doesnt find anything wrong with me then there may be no hope for insurance to cover it. emme.vee - I would live to take your info from the Santa Ana doctor as soon as I can figure out how to message you.. , Thanks so much

I agree with the person that said to ask for a referral to have your anatomy looked at. If there is something wrong, that can likely be fixed. I'm Kaiser NorCal, and they generally do not do revisions due to lack of weight loss or regain. Get checked out, but don't count on it. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

My blinds are open when I wake up but it is 400 in the morning so there is nothing to see. The sunshine won't be around for three hours. Luckily the windows of my job site open on the east and we see the sunrise every morning. 1. My personal goal is to get down to 150 and stay there. 2. I am having RNY to SADI revision. I am pre op. My operation is on Wednesday the 5th. 3. my weight is 246 Lbs. 4. My favorite winter activity is piling on the blankets or standing in front of the heater with a kitty cat by my side.

When I originally started my journey, my heart was set on getting the sleeve surgery. It wasn't until I met with the surgeon the first time that he thought I would benefit from gastric bypass. I was a full blown diabetic at the time, who had to take insulin at night as well as meds, and had high blood pressure. The surgeon mentioned that I could go with the sleeve, however if I am not happy with my progress, I would have a sleeve to bypass revision. I only wanted to go under the knife once, so I eventually decided on bypass. Its been almost 7 months since I had surgery and I cant tell you how happy I am with the results. I was almost400pds when I started, and I am now in the 200s. I still have a long way until I meet my goals, however I am no longer diabetic by medical standards, they even took it off my medical chart. I say good luck to you in whatever journey you decide. You may want to make a list pros and cons for each, and see what you come up with. You are the one in this

I don't think I am scared of the bigger band and I look at the band as being a tool to loose weight. However, I just think that you may get to your goal faster and can maintain the weight easier with a tighter/smaller band. If that is what your anatomy needs. Only the doctor knows what you look like inside when he/she opens you up. My doctor has been banding people for about 8 years and he says he uses the smaller one with most people, men and women. He also says that he has only had this swelling issue with one other patient. I tend to trust his opinion that based on my anatomy the smaller one is better but if my body swells then I will have the same problem again. Therefore, when he opens me up again he is going to see how much room I have and may change it out for a bigger band. I am between 5' 2" and 5' 3" feet tall and weigh 211.6 as of today. I was 230'ish pre op and was about 222 the day of surgery. I am not big boned, nor am I small boned. My doctor says he reserves the larger band for larger people and was very surprised at my amount of swelling. In fact I still feel swollen. I would love to see the stats on maintenance based on band size. That would probably give a more accurate perspective. Also, the reason for attempting to keep this band in me is that my doctor feels that I will have better results over the long run with this size band. Your doctor is the one with the experience and if one size versus another is not right for you he/she will tell you. That is one of the things you are paying him/her for. I am hoping to keep the smaller band because it is the one he though was best for me when he opened me up. However, I am aware that he may change it for the bigger one if the swelling has not gone down. Ultimately I will not know until I wake up after the revision. You need to talk to your doctor and be willing to work with him/her as to what is right for you. Your doctor has the experience and the stats both personal and from the manufacturer. If you do not have faith in your doctors judgment you should find another doctor. I am not a doctor and am just sharing my opinions and experiences with those who are interested. I wish everyone well in this journey and I hope us all great success.

A slipped band absolutely is a big deal! My band slipped after 15 months and I had surgery last month. When it slipped it occluded the opening and I couldn't keep anything down. I have never been so sick in my life. Because I could keep nothing down I had to go thourgh the ER and be admittied for surgery in the morning. The surgery took about 45 minutes and it went well. I was discharged after about 24 hours of first walking into the hospital. My insurance denied payment so that made me a self-pay and I got my hospital bill this week. It's $28,000! And that doesn't inlcude the surgeon's fees, the anesthesiologist's fees or the radiologist's fees. I also got a statement in the mail saying that if my insurance had paid, the hospital would have settled for $1998.00 but since they didn't pay, I am responsible for the entire $28,000. This is because my insurance company has a contract with the hospital and I don't. I was barely overweight enough to have the lapband with a BMI of 30. I have reached my goal weight and am very thankful for my band. But if you figure I have lost 54 pounds and after I get all the bills from the revision surgery that will put me at nearly $50,000 spent on the band and just under $1,000 a pound. So the band slipping IS a big deal, not only because it jeopardizes your health until it is fixed but because it can leave you financially devastated.

A slipped bad is a BIG deal! I have had to have fluid removed once and 1 1/2 years later have a revision. I am better since, but if the revision didn't work, it would have had to be replaced! Best wishes to you! Karen

sleep apnea (i.e., patient meets the criteria for treatment of obstructive sleep apnea set forth in Aetna CPB 004 - Obstructive Sleep Apnea); or 4. Medically refractory hypertension (blood pressure greater than 140 mmHg systolic and/or 90 mmHg diastolic despite optimal medical management); and 2. Member has completed growth (18 years of age or documentation of completion of bone growth); and 3. Member has attempted weight loss in the past without successful long-term weight reduction; and 4. Member must meet either criterion 1 (physician-supervised nutrition and exercise program) or criterion 2 (multidisciplinary surgical preparatory regimen): 1. Physician-supervised nutrition and exercise program: Member has participated in physician-supervised nutrition and exercise program (including dietician consultation, low calorie diet, increased physical activity, and behavioral modification), documented in the medical record at each visit. This physician-supervised nutrition and exercise program must meet all of the following criteria: 1. Nutrition and exercise program must be supervised and monitored by a physician working in cooperation with dieticians and/or nutritionists; and 2. Nutrition and exercise program(s) must be for a cumulative total of 6 months or longer in duration and occur within 2 years prior to surgery, with participation in one program of at least three consecutive months. (Precertification may be made prior to completion of nutrition and exercise program as long as a cumulative of six months participation in nutrition and exercise program(s) will be completed prior to the date of surgery.); and 3. Member's participation in a physician-supervised nutrition and exercise program must be documented in the medical record by an attending physician who supervised the member's participation. The nutrition and exercise program may be administered as part of the surgical preparative regimen, and participation in the nutrition and exercise program may be supervised by the surgeon who will perform the surgery or by some other physician. Note: A physician's summary letter is not sufficient documentation. Documentation should include medical records of physician's contemporaneous assessment of patient's progress throughout the course of the nutrition and exercise program. For members who participate in a physician-administered nutrition and exercise program (e.g., MediFast, OptiFast), program records documenting the member's participation and progress may substitute for physician medical records; or 2. Multidisciplinary surgical preparatory regimen: Proximate to the time of surgery, member must participate in organized multidisciplinary surgical preparatory regimen of at least three months duration meeting all of the following criteria, in order to improve surgical outcomes, reduce the potential for surgical complications, and establish the member's ability to comply with post-operative medical care and dietary restrictions: 1. Consultation with a dietician or nutritionist; and 2. Reduced-calorie diet program supervised by dietician or nutritionist; and 3. Exercise regimen (unless contraindicated) to improve pulmonary reserve prior to surgery, supervised by exercise therapist or other qualified professional; and 4. Behavior modification program supervised by qualified professional; and 5. Documentation in the medical record of the member's participation in the multidisciplinary surgical preparatory regimen at each visit. (A physician's summary letter, without evidence of contemporaneous oversight, is not sufficient documentation. Documentation should include medical records of the physician's initial assessment of the member, and the physician's assessment of the member's progress at the completion of the multidisciplinary surgical preparatory regimen.) and 5. For members who have a history of severe psychiatric disturbance (schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, suicidal ideation, severe depression) or who are currently under the care of a psychologist/psychiatrist or who are on psychotropic medications, pre-operative psychological clearance is necessary in order to exclude members who are unable to provide informed consent or who are unable to comply with the pre- and postoperative regimen. Note: The presence of depression due to obesity is not normally considered a contraindication to obesity surgery. 2. Vertical Banded Gastroplasty (VBG): Aetna considers open or laparoscopic vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG) medically necessary for members who meet the selection criteria for obesity surgery and who are at increased risk of adverse consequences of a RYGB due to the presence of any of the following comorbid medical conditions: 1. Hepatic cirrhosis with elevated liver function tests; or 2. Inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis); or 3. Radiation enteritis; or 4. Demonstrated complications from extensive adhesions involving the intestines from prior major abdominal surgery, multiple minor surgeries, or major trauma; or 5. Poorly controlled systemic disease (American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) Class IV) (see Appendix). Aetna considers VBG experimental and investigational when medical necessity criteria are not met. 3. Repeat Bariatric Surgery: Aetna considers medically necessary surgery to correct complications from bariatric surgery, such as obstruction or stricture. Aetna considers repeat bariatric surgery medically necessary for members whose initial bariatric surgery was medically necessary (i.e., who met medical necessity criteria for their initial bariatric surgery), and who meet either of the following medical necessity criteria: 1. Conversion to a RYGB or BPD/DS may be considered medically necessary for members who have not had adequate success (defined as loss of more than 50 percent of excess body weight) two years following the primary bariatric surgery procedure and the member has been compliant with a prescribed nutrition and exercise program following the procedure; or 2. Revision of a primary bariatric surgery procedure that has failed due to dilation of the gastric pouch is considered medically necessary if the primary procedure was successful in inducing weight loss prior to the pouch dilation, and the member has been compliant with a prescribed nutrition and exercise program following the procedure. 4. Experimental and Investigational Bariatric Surgical Procedures: Aetna considers each of the following procedures experimental and investigational because the peer reviewed medical literature shows them to be either unsafe or inadequately studied: * Loop gastric bypass * Gastroplasty, more commonly known as ?stomach stapling? (see below for clarification from vertical band gastroplasty) * Sleeve gastrectomy * Mini gastric bypass * Silastic ring vertical gastric bypass (Fobi pouch) * Intragastric balloon * VBG, except in limited circumstances noted above. * LASGB, RYGB, and BPD/DS procedures not meeting the medical necessity criteria above. Cholecystectomy: As a high incidence of gallbladder disease (28%) has been documented after surgery for morbid obesity, Aetna considers routine cholecystectomy medically necessary when performed in concert with elective bariatric procedures. Notes: Calculation of BMI: *BMI is calculated by dividing the patient's weight (in kilograms) by height (in meters) squared: BMI = weight (kg) * [height (m)]2 Note: To convert pounds to kilograms, multiply pounds by 0.45. To convert inches to meters, multiply inches by 0.0254. or For a simple and rapid calculation of BMI, please click below and it will take you to the Obesity Education Initiative. *BMI = weight (kg) * [height (m)]2 See also CPB 039 - Weight Reduction Medications and Programs.

I'm sorry to hear this. So, are you able to do the self-pay route then? I feel fortunate that I have Aetna, they seem to have a rather generous WLS part of their coverage. I know that my revision will be covered when I decide on the right doctor for me. Although, I don't take anything for granted with the changes with the Healthcare reform- who knows what benefits will be cut next year so I will get the revision done this year one way or another.