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How is it less invasive? With bypass things are rerouted. Nothing is removed. With sleeve 80% of the stomach is removed. i had a hard time deciding too back in 2017. I went with the sleeve but almost changed my mind to bypass right up until surgery day. Mid 2019 I got pretty severe gerd and hiatal hernia. Had to revise to bypass. My only regret is that I did not choose the bypass and ended up having to do the surgery twice. you are the only one that can decide what is right for you. Do your research and make the best decision for you. Good luck!

I’m so sorry ur experiencing this with the LB n it’s unfortunately cuz u’ll continue with all those symptoms until u make the right choice in removing it n instead settling for a revision. I can fully relate to ur experience/symptoms cuz I too had the LB for 11 yrs n all my symptoms started a few months after getting it. So, I just put up with all the symptoms n tolerated the band cuz it was a nice little tool that DID the JOB in helping me loose weight by not OVER EAT or able to eat anything at all. I was 210 lbs when I got it. I went down to 135/40 lbs n loving/liking the way I LOOKED even though the symptoms SUCKED. I became ANEMIC n at one time got an AWFUL BACTERIAL infection that I DON’T wish on anyone. Believe me it was a SACRIFICE having the band. But unfortunately n cuz I had no other choice; in 2018 I had the band removed due to LOTS of problems with the port after getting a tummy tuck n too was tired of all the TERRIBLE/AWFUL symptoms that came with it. If I would’ve FULLY RESEARCHED n known of all the LB symptoms; I would’ve instead OPTED for a bypass. Unfortunately I did gain ALL my weight back but that was only due to lots of medical issues once I entered MENOPAUSE n being put on medication. So now, due to all my weight gain I REFUSE to let myself go n NOT EXHAUST all options for OVERALL BETTER HEALTH. Therefore, I’m currently being monitored by a nutritionist n dietician along with my bariatric doctor for a possible GASTRIC BYPASS that was recommended by my doctor. Hope my sharing helped n u make the right choice for ur OVERALL HEALTH. May God illuminate/bless you in DOING THE RIGHT THING.🙏🏽

I had a revision to RNY and it’s like the difference between day and night. No more getting stuck, no more chest pain and I can eat a lot healthier. Steak, chops, chicken, salad etc. I still have to be careful of sliders and grazing but those are issues that we have to take individual responsibility for , they are not something any WLS will sort out. Bands have fallen out of favour as they cause too many issues and also trying to find the correct balance between reducing hunger yet still being able to eat healthy foods is too hard.

I have had a gastric bypass and am considering a revision. I was not sure what the option are or if it was even possible. I have had a concern ever since my surgery with a section of my bypass that is where the stomach was connected to the intestine. It has always caused me pain and I am concerned that it is not correct.

Thanks for the information. I am trying to determine if I may need a revision. This is helpful!

i was watching the latest episode of my 600 pound life and a woman whop had a sleeve 8 years ago.. and regained weight had a sleeve revision to a sleeve again.. that something you don't usually see...

I don't know...it sounds like your band is doing what it's supposed to do. It is supposed to limit the amount of food you can eat by slowing its movement into your stomach. Think of it as a sort of hour-glass where the sand (food) is held at the top and trickles down into the larger portion of the stomach to be digested. The kinds of foods you're describing that you can eat "gobs of" are considered "slider foods" that slide right through. Visualize the hour-glass again. If you pour liquid foods or semi-liquid foods, they slide through the opening. I would think you've had similar experiences with smooth soups, ice creams, puddings, etc. The key is you're not supposed to be eating those items and if you do, you should be limiting yourself in quantity and frequency. When you're foods are getting stuck and causing you pain, have you chewed them to a pulp? I saw an article today that we should be chewing to applesauce consistency. I don't know if I could do THAT, but you should be chewing so there are no "chunks" trying to get down. Again...visualize the hour-glass. Chunky food clots up the works. The band isn't supposed to prevent you from eating things you shouldn't. It's a tool to help you feel fuller, longer and therefore eat less. It's still up to you to eat the right things and eat mindfully, meaning chew well and take breaks. All other WLS have the same issues with slider foods. My advice: before you consider a revision, start tracking everything you eat. Be honest with the types and quantities of food. Call your doctor and or nutritionist. It sounds to me like you need to get back on track, following the rules. No WLS is the magic ticket out of fat-ville. They're all just tools. Best of luck!

I've had my lap band since 2015, and I HATE it. It does what it should do, stops food from going into my stomach. But I get stuck a lot and it hurts, I end up vomiting it up, and anything unhealthy slips right through the band without a problem. I can eat gobs of cake, cookies, chocolates, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, casseroles, the works but it is painful to eat fruits, lean proteins, vegetables, etc. due to them getting stuck. It's like it's doing the opposite of what I want. When the food stays in the pouch, all I need to do is burp a couple times and boom, pouch is emptied. In short, It. Just. Does. Not. Work. I want a revision but I'm not sure what to do. I need to talk to a doctor, I realize, but I'm nervous. I thought the lap band would be the ticket out of fatness but it's absolutely not. I'm scared if I try something else, that won't work either. I love to eat and I can't stop. I've tried all kinds of diets. It just sucks, my appetite is insatiable and I need to do something about it. I'd love to hear from people who have had revisions and share what's different about their new procedure (whether sleeve or bypass). Sleeve makes me nervous because I've heard a lot about GERD. My spouse's grandfather died of esophageal cancer, due to years of GERD. But bypass makes me nervous because it seems like such a severe surgery... and I don't want to look like a skeleton in a bag of skin 😕 Any shared experiences would be appreciated!

@Aodhanmom that's exciting!! I'm in Kansas! I'm soooo excited. My insurance kept telling me I would need to do the whole 6 month diet thing but it had been removed from their policy that was just revised so my surgeon office decided to just send in the prior authorization just to see what they would say. I'm so pumped and ready for this new life!!!!

I was hungry after my sleeve back in start of 2018. It was real hunger and I am sure of it. just got revised to bypass 6 weeks ago. Thankfully this time around I am not hungry anymore. head hunger can be hard to deal with though. My dr told me that if it is real hunger you are hungry for anything. If you get hungry for something specific, it is most likely head hunger. hang in there. It does get better.

I've never had experience with this, but I know a lot of people who've had revisions from the band are REALLY happy they revised.

Hello All, I am not a frequent poster on this forum. To make a long story short, I have had my band for 10 years. Up until 4 months ago, I was what I considered to be a successful bandster. Had lost about 95 pounds (41 years old male, highest 270, lowest 175 lb). Maintained a 90 pound loss but was having serious issues with my lap band: 1) acid reflux, 2) gas bloating and abdominal pain, 3) port pain, 4) no follow-up doctor as my out of province surgeon had retired years ago, etc... I am in a difference place now. I FINALLY found a GREAT weight loss surgeon locally who agreed to take me on as his patient and have been following up with him since then (he does the fills himself which is also great). He did xrays on me. Band appears to be good. He removed 2cc as I had been experiencing excruciating gas bloating and abdominal pain attacks that were becoming more and more frequent and then filled me slowly over 4 months to a more comfortable level. I am now at a lower level (0.3 cc lower) where I am no longer experiencing acid reflux, gas bloating, abdominal pain or port pain which is a HUGE relief. The only symptom I still have is random low-grade nerve pain (left shoulder, head, leg) that is gas related but I can happily live with that if I do not gain further. Funny enough, even that pain disappeared when he removed the 2cc so I know it's band related. Unfortunately, I am gaining weight FAST! In those 4 months, I have gained 25 pounds and am unable to stop it. I really don't know what to do. Last week, I decided to really go back to basics. Eat very very slowly, tiny amounts, No sugar ...basically dieted...and all I lost in that week was 0.3 lb!!! I don't know how long I can keep that for. I really feel that years of banding wrecks havoc on our metabolism so that if you lose it, or just go to a lower fill, you just end up gaining weight very fast. I am not sure where to go from here? I do not want more fill and I am not mentally ready for a revision. Worried about side effects of these surgeries (in particular bloating, abdominal pain. NEVER want to go back to this) and the fact that they're not reversible. I am also in Canada so if I do revise using public insurance, it would be years assuming I get approved (which I very well may not considering I am not high BMI at this point yet). And not sure I can self-pay at this point. Even if I did, I would have to go out of province for this as my surgeon only works under the public system. I don't want to be in the same position again of not having a doctor to follow-up with where I live. I know that's a discussion I need to have with my surgeon but I am not even sure I am ready for it yet. I just want things to work with my band as I am so relieved to be finally following-up with a doctor locally and to not be experiencing terrible pain with it. Any words of wisdom or advice would be most appreciated as I contemplate my next move.

Good luck with your decision and possible revision. You're a success!

Hi! I am in the Seattle area, and would love to start a support group for people either considering surgery, revision surgery or is post-op. I believe there are not enough of us to support each other through this time. Unless you have been in the situation, it is hard to understand. It is so hard in the Seattle area to create friendships, I thought that this would be a great way to begin. It is about common ground, support and trust. I am 10 years, post op sleeve surgery. I have been recently approved for revision surgery, however, the surgery would be a sleeve to bypass. Completely different. I would love to hear from you all and hear your stories. Maybe we can get a little group together once a week and share over coffee? Yes, I am an addict, a slave to the coffee bean. Jolynn

Hi! I am 10 years post sleeve surgery. I had my sleeve back in 2010, when the procedure what relatively new. I had the procedure done as an outpatient. I was cash pay and had no follow-up. Everything seemed to go well. I started at over 350lbs, and made it to 219lbs. I was ecstatic! I was no longer a diabetic, I no longer had high blood pressure. I no longer had an appetite. Being a cash pay, I was unable to afford a plastic surgeon, so I carried and still carry a bit of skin. So, here I am, 10 years after. My weight today is 251lbs. I still believe I have been successful. I can still shop at Macy's and not have to order everything online. I gained weight, yes, but I have also gained confidence. After so long, my struggle with food is slowly returning. I am so afraid, that I started the process of looking into revision surgery. The surgeon that I have, at the hospital that I work at, will not revise a sleeve, but will revise a sleeve with bypass surgery. She states that there is a 100% complication rate, from things as small as a UTI to death. I would love to know more about this. Insurance has approved the revision. I have already had the medical testing, upper GI, and will be meeting with the psychiatrist and dietician next week. I would love to chat and hear stories from anyone who is considering revision surgery. I want to hear all of the good, bad and ugly. Please feel free to reach out at any time. I am new to this forum and would love gain support, information and be of support to others going through the same battles. Thanks! Jolynn Let me know if you would like to chat further, I can be reached by email also. If anyone is in the Seattle area, let's start a group!

Sadly, I am in this situation as well. Lap bad in 2008. Lost a good amount of weight but that was because I was sick an d non stop vomiting. Could not tolerate any restriction in the band at all. Revised to sleeve in 2014. Have battled severe reflux for years. Main reason for another revision is REFLUX. Sure, I hope to lose the rest of this weight, but if I can get some relief from constant bile and acid in my throat, this will be a success for me.

For some of us with GERD (acid reflux) caused by a VSG sleeve, the alternative to re-routing intestines is Barrett's Esophagus which carries like a 1% per year risk of Esophageal cancer. Sleeves create a pressure system where acid is much more likely to spew up and out. I really wish I had done RBG in the first place vs. having to get revised to it, although I kept off my weight with the sleeve the reflux, which was new after I got it, was a miserable situation for 7 years.

I had my band placed in 2009, lost and maintained 89lbs for 7+ years. then in 2017 i got the flu and slipped my band.... So out came the band. I looked on and off for years for someone to revise.... but keep getting NOOOO you don't weigh enough. Over that time i put on 30lbs of the weight i lost. Went from 143 to 173.5. I was so depressed that i was doing everything i could and i was still gaining.... Crossfit, starving my self, diet pill.... nothing worked. I was weeks away from going to Mex to get the MGB when i happen to call a local dr. He agreed to see me. We talked and he said that because i had had the band that he could do a revision even though it was 2.5+ years out. He just had to note it in the file that i was a previous bander. So Aug 28, 2019 i revised to the sleeve. I had to pay out of pocket 14K. Worth every penny. As of today... down 38.5lbs in 19 weeks. 5'1" (now 51 y/o) 2009: SW: 232, LW: 135, but my most consistent weight was 143. Size 20 to a size 6 2019: SW: 173.5, CW: 135. Size 4-6 Pros of the band, i had total control of my diet. What i ate and didn't eat and if i ate too much, i "got rid of it". Sleeve, no maintenance. I can't eat nearly the amount of what i ate with the band. 2-3 bites and im done, but i'm hungry again in about an hour. I've only had two episodes of vomiting in 19 weeks. If your dr. will do a revision at the same time as a removal..... i would do it. Look into the Mini GB. Its what i really wanted, but my dr doesn't do them. So i choose to go with the sleeve and be 10 min from his office..... vs having to fly to Mex.

I'm one of the lap band 50% failure rate statistics. I had mine over 10 years, and then had a slip and developed a hiatal hernia. 6 weeks ago I had the band removed, the hernia repaired and a revision to a RNY bypass. I dropped 20 pounds in three weeks. The weight is s-l-o-w-l-y dribbling off now, but even only 25 pounds down my knees hurt less and I move around a lot more. I haven't regretted it once. Check around and find a surgeon that will do the removal and revision in one surgery. My surgeon recommended the bypass because he said it was easier to revise to a bypass after having a lap band for years-scar tissue issues-and what catwoman7 said, many people who have NEVER had GERD develop it after a sleeve, and I had it terrible before I got my band. Good luck--don't be afraid to "doctor shop" until you find one. I had to go 4 hours away to a large urban area to find one, but I LOVE the one I found.

a TON of people have had lapbands revised to sleeve or bypass for the reasons you mentioned. It's either that or risk being miserable the rest of your life. I'd go with a revision if it were me. Either of those two surgeries would be a good option, although if you're suffering from GERD, you may want to consider bypass. It often improves GERD, if not outright cures it.

I had my lap band put in 2012. I lost 80 lbs the first year, maintained and then in 2016 had a prolapse and all my fluid removed. I never regained restriction from fills, just random days when my band would decide to be tight and I couldn't eat. By late 2018 I had gained all of my weight back. Mid 2019 I started to have reflux that lead into really bad chest pains. I even went to the ER thinking I was having a heart attack. After trying meds, and having an ultrasound I just had an upper GI yesterday. I still have a prolapse and irritation and it was recommended that I have the band removed. I am on the fence about having a revision....I don't think the doctors in my area will offer a revision within the same surgery as removing the band, and now that I have children I am more hesitant to have additional surgeries. Anyone have a good pro-con list of doing a revision?

I am so sorry for the loss of your mother and the other things you are going through. I had my revision in Sept my weight at surgery time was 213. I also had severe GERD and a fistula,which is why my BMI didn't really matter. You and I are the same height so you may not have any issues getting a revision at your current weight. As far as the Alcoholism goes have you tried talking to your regular DR? Most bariatric surgeons also have you see someone, and they may be able to help. I also agree with the diversion therapy that AJ talks about. I wish you all the best!

Sorry to hear that you've been going through a lot. Likely the alcohol is causing the GERD and you'd have to detox completely before undergoing another surgery. Your BMI might be too low at this point to qualify for a revision. But you have the opportunity to work on both issues if you focus first on the drinking part, have you tried AA? I don't think you're going to get your weight under control until you get your drinking under control. My surgeon's office has behavioral counselors as part of the program, does yours? Perhaps you could talk to them.

Hello peeps, I had my revision from Lap-Band to Mini-Gastric Bypass on Dec 29th in Mexico at Mexico Bariatric Center. Today I'm 9 days Post-op and I feel pretty good. Still on the Full liquid phase which is fine for me because I have zero hunger and have no desire to eat anything. Yesterday was the first day I actually had some dizziness and nausea after I showered but I think it's my body adjusting to my vitamins. I'm using Patch vitamins from PatchMD. I went back to work yesterday (desk job) but only worked until noon due to the nausea. Took a zofran, slept all afternoon and when I woke up the nausea was gone. Today I feel much better.

I was doing great with the sleeve. Then my husband started beating me, my autistic son became a "teenager".... insert dramatic scary music here.... and my mom died on Dec 21. Oh, and I have an amazing 4 yr old girl. I have been hitting the bottle. A lot. In the last 6mo I have regained 15lbs. I'm currently waiting for insurance to approve a revision surgery for my sleeve. I went from 287 lbs to 215 and now 228. My restriction is still pretty good, but I am so stressed out that I have to believe my excess calorie intake is my alcohol intake. I'm not sure what I am even asking, but does anyone know a good way to battle alcoholism and a good type of doctor that is knowledgeable about bariatric issues as well as alcohol issues? Not specifically looking for a particular doctor, but any ideas would be great. Sent from my moto e5 supra using BariatricPal mobile app