Search the Community

I think the technical reason u cant drink at the same time cuz it washes food thru and makes u hungry earlier. However, I physically can't drink when I eat, as it makes me vomit immediately. The food makes a cork inside and when I add fluid to that, out it comes. Everytime I try it. I no longer do that. I also don't time my drinking (the 30 minute rule) I can actually FEEL when my food has left my stomach (or pouch) and I'm ready to drink. Depends on what I eat and it can take 25 mins or 40 minutes, depending. I started with the lapband in 2009, it slipped in 2013 and I revised to sleeve. LAst 2 yrs I had severe, raging reflux and revised to bypass 4 months ago. I'm now 3 lbs from my 135 goal (when I get there, hopefully soon) I may make it 130 as my goal, as I still feel a little fat (my bmi is 23.4 so I know I'm not fat, but getting there in my brain is something else). So, I have a little experience with wls, drinking and eating. So please know that u WILL vomit the liquid (and food) u just put in if u drink right afterwards. When I eat something spicy, I swish water in my mouth then spit it out. I'm sure 1 sip may be ok, as I've also done this on occasion. Just don't make it a regular thing u do Good luck!

I have posted in another thread in the ESG subforum a link to an article for regarding successful ESG revision to sleeve, but there seems to be some talk about surgeons not wanting to do sleeves due to the suture anchors and they seem to prefer doing bypass revisions for ESG. On an ESG facebook group I belong to, there is a surgeon who posts occasionally and it was something he mentioned when someone asked the question. I will see if I can find it.

I don't know whether to laugh, cry or raise my fists to the heavens. My story is I had a lapband in 2009 in Australia which never worked. I have/had Type 2 diabetes so my Irish diabetes doc referred me in 2016 to Irish Bariatric Doc to look at having revision surgery. Long waiting list (Ireland only does 150 bariatric surgeries on the public list, a year) , but I finally got at appointment with him in Feb 2018 (two and a half hour drive to see him) and he suggested revision to sleeve and put me on waiting list for surgery (I even have that letter that says I am on the waiting list for SURGERY in capital letters!!) In the meantime, I try again with lapband although fills bring on reflux. I hear about the EU cross-border directive (EU law says any EU citizen can get needed medical treatment and home state reimburses cost) and think yippee. At June appointment with Irish Bariatric Doc's junior team member I ask them to write referral for overseas and they say no they don't do that. Disappointed I do bit more research and discover if I'm already on waiting list I can use that as my paperwork. Because Irish medical system is so bureaucratic they make it seem like you really need prior referral from your Irish doc (even though EU law doesn't require it) I google Irish Bariatric Doc's email and email him directly to ask if he will sign prior approval application. He rings because email got garbled and I should send it again. On phone, he cryptically replies he doesn't think overseas surgery is "best way forward for service" (what the hell, does that mean? I can tell you what it sounds like: "I don't want to lose all my patients and funding for our research projects to overseas because its quicker and cheaper"). But he never replies to my email request. So I give that option up and decide to have the surgery and just put in the paperwork for reimbursement and hope it works because I fulfil all the EU law requirements even if the Irish want to make things hard. The Belgium experience goes off without a hitch ONE MONTH LATER (up yours waiting list) and my diabetes instantly resolves, I am 16 kilos down and counting. Loving getting thinner, can move more easily etc, helloooooo better health. Didn't bother telling Irish Bariatric Doc because he never got back to me. I put in a Freedom of Information request to get all my medical records from Irish Bariatric Doc so I can show I needed to have the surgery and I was already on waiting list etc etc etc. They give them to me, lots of lovely referral letters and discussions about lapband not working and reflux problems etc and being referred for sleeve etc. So, today I get a letter from Irish Bariatric Doc to say he is not going to fill in the prior authorisation form because he doesn't even know whether I need surgery, I'm on waiting list to see bariatric surgeon for appointment to discuss but that's a very long list, and let's talk about it at our next appointment (which will be June 2019). What. The. Hell? Seriously. I don't know whether to laugh uproariously or spit in rage. AYAAA! Sent from my SM-G930F using BariatricPal mobile app

🙋🏼‍♀️ I had the band in 2008 but didn’t loose significant weight until 2013. I stopped thinking of it as a solution and started using it as a tool as intended. It was hard but I lost 100+ pounds, kept it off for 3 years and had my tummy tuck. Late 2017 I had a full slip and it had to be removed. I chose not to revise at that time because I thought I could maintain on my own. I couldn’t and I gained most of my weight back. 10/22 I had the sleeve done. I am down 36.6 lbs so far (20.22% of my excess weight)

I chose the sleeve for the exact same issues and it worked great for me. I lost 100 lbs. in 8 months. It's all about the best solution for your personal issues. Best of luck! (I revised to RnY later because of reflux issues, but that's a whole other issue. I'm finding it very hard to adapt. I think the sleeve was easier for controlling amounts.)

I agree with everyone else, the shoulder pain sounds like gas. After my revision of sleeve to bypass, the shoulder pain was unbearable. For me, walking did not help my shoulder pain. For others, it does help, so definitely give walking a try. My shoulder pain lasted for 2 stinkin' weeks....it was bad. Was so glad when it finally went away. So sorry to hear about the staple issue....hope you feel better soon, hang in there.

Nurse Nattie - We are surgery twins! I had revision from sleeve to bypass 9/10 also, and i am also a nurse! How is your progress going?

Everyone is different. Not all foods that bother one will bother another. I had the revision 7 months ago and I am able to tolerate every food I have tried under the sun. Dairy bothers me sometimes but only straight milk. The revision for me was fine, no complications. I lost weight at a faster rate but now I have stalled for quite some weeks. But I am also working out more and weight lifting.

So much has changed in the overall process with the Bypass, those scary statistics are throwbacks to the open surgery version of the bypass. Now that they are almost all done laparoscopically and all the advancements in materials, the bypass is just as safe (for the most part) as the sleeve. Yes, they leave the whole stomach in place, the portion that's no longer attached to the esophagus is called the "excluded stomach", it still produces stomach acids and those acids mix with the food a bit lower down the small intestines. Between the Sleeve and the Bypass, contrary to popular misinformation, the Bypass is reversible under certain circumstances, and we actually had a member this year have reversion. The sleeve however is a done deal, once that 80+% of your stomach is cut out and thrown into medical waste, that's pretty much the end of that, there is no reversal option for the sleeve. You *CAN* be revised from the sleeve to bypass, but it's not the same as their is no stomach to convert to the "excluded stomach". Mini bypasses are performed with only 1 reattachment instead of 2 and typically the adjusted limb is a tad shorter than with the typical bypass. "RNY" is just short for Roux-en-y, coined for the doctor that first outlined the surgery, César Roux. It's the same thing as saying "Bypass". The Duodenal switch is different, and is also know as "biliopancreatic diversion". The portion dealing with your stomach is almost the same as a sleeve, but then they detach the sleeve from the duodenum leaving your gall bladder and pancreas still attached to the duodenum and then they attach that sleeve lower into the small intestine. It's almost a hybrid of the 2 surgeries with a few subtle differences. Hopefully that helps you some.

Not in the same extent but yes. When I was in the process of getting my band removed, I was going to get the sleeve. However my surgeon ( the same doc that installed the band ) told me she doesn't do band to sleeve revisions due to greatly increased risk of leaking where the scar tissue from the band is. So, my plans got changed and I'm a bypass patient now. And I wish I had gotten the bypass back in 2011 when I got the band.

Hello!! Just snooping around for January Surgery Twins My op date is January 16th - going in for a revision from GS to RNY due to the "usual" complications - Hernia, Acid Reflux so bad it makes your head spin and a general lack of any real progress. I am 3.5 years out from my sleeve and while it worked wonderfully for the first 2.5-3 years, the GERD and its friends have me back tracking. Nervous in general - normal to be, I suppose, but overall, very excited to have this surgery as I hear it almost immediately takes care of the acid reflux. and WOW, is that ever a drain on your energy and your life. So that's a little about me. Looking forward to hearing more from all the other January People!

I have Anthem BCBS with employee in Cali. I know the policy by heart. Req 6 mos weight loss (regardless if you are having a revision). No nutritionist requirement except one visit. You must have BMI of 40 (min) or 35-39 with two co morbidities. If you don’t have any co morbidities then you need to have 40 BMI Md must do required testing based on your health and after the 6 mos monitores weight loss, submit. You will need a referral letter from your general practitioner referring you to a gastric specialist and some documentation by your md showing at least 3 years of attempting to lose weight. Like something giving your back story on challenges with weight loss. WW does not count as a monitored program. However, if that’s something you tried, be sure to have that documented. You can actually download the anthem policy online. Do a google search for it and I can’t recall what site it is but you can find it for your state etc.

I know there is a lot of people that have had this revision, can anyone let me know what to expect. I did the sleeve surgery with ease, I struggled after like every else does but it was worth it. Just wondering what foods will irritate me and how much I'll be able to eat because I heard they make the pouch even smaller, is this true? Sent from my N9560 using BariatricPal mobile app

She say she has agreed to let you convert to the sleeve, did she have any input , ask any questions, give any kind of advice? Do you have any symptoms of reflux? There are a lot of surgeons that will not revise from band to sleeve because of the increased risk of reflux.

@amy6152 @GirlShrinking @Hrsnjs Thank you all for your support. I know it came from the very best place. I don’t think I communicated myself properly. My surgeon was in no way being mean, rude, or demeaning. He told me I was ahead of schedule and told me what we should expect out of my tool by the next appointment. I believe the point of having a weight loss goal for the next appointment is so we both have a benchmark to measure that periods success against. I Met and exceeded my weight loss the first 6 weeks. If I don’t come close then that might indicate that I’m developing some self destructive habits again. He doesn’t want that and I certainly don’t. My Surgeon is part of a private hospital that only does Bariatric surgery. That means the nutritionist work closely with the surgeon. They are both contributors to an overall weigh loss program. In my experience, they are both on the same page. While 5 lbs a week is daunting, if that’s what my tool is capable of, I want to meet that goal. If I don’t, I won’t beat myself up but I will be forced to be very honest with myself and reflect on the things that were within in my control. I appreciate the target that he set even though it’s daunting. I’m confident that he will not shame me if I don’t meet it, he will only brainstorm how to course correct. I’m a revision from a band and although he was not my original surgeon, he was in charge of my fills and maintenance the last 4 years. Under his guidance, I lost 110 lbs before my band failed. It’s really hard to talk about weight when you have spent your whole life overweight. I didn’t handle my banding like I should have in the beginning. I told myself I was doing everything right but I was lying to myself and others. I was seeking out slider foods more and more until my weight stalled completely. Then I was ashamed that I wasn’t loosing so I didn’t go back for follow up appointments. It took several years for me to go back and be real with myself and my doctor. I ended up gaining a lot of my weight back when I had my band removed because I thought I could battle my disease without a tool & the help of my weight loss team.

I’m a 2009 bandit but not for much longer. My band is no longer helping, I have regained quite a lot of weight and there is a concern about the probable damage that the band has done so I am revising to an RNY in Jan

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry at your story. Bless your heart and you are so brave having all of this done at the holiday. Your surgery date echoes your determination. My date for my revision is in Feb. not sure of exact day yet. I have decided to follow the Doctor recommendation and go with bypass. So many emotions crop up. Do it or don't do it. This is my second time around and I just pray that this is the right tool to help me. Please stay in touch and let me know how you are. Don't hold back anything after your surgery and let us know how you are doing.

Band is basically medical malpractice. According to research, it worked for less than 1 in 20 patients! But it was pushed by surgeons because it was easy and they could charge a lot for it. Personally, I gained 35 lbs while banded Sleeve has better results - I think I read 60% somewhere - but still, if you look around on these boards you'll find a LOT of posts from people looking to revise their sleeves.... For me, things looked good initially. Lost about 30lbs in 6 months, but then it all started coming back...and fast. I regained 20 in just a few months. SIPS is the newest kids on the block - some would say it's still experimental - but it's basically a simplified (and therefore the argument goes safer) version of DS (Duodenal switch). DS has been around for a long time and is widely regarded as having the best LONG TERM WLS results. Meaning, you'll lose the weight and it stays off. I'm down about 50 lbs in 6 months and still continue to lose weight. BUT - and this is important BUT- DS comes with some significant "life-style" issues that you will have to deal with the rest of your life, most of which revolve around the restroom. Do a search for my posts in the DS forum on this site and you can read some of the smelly details. Something else to keep in mind, each procedure loses effectiveness which each previous WLS. My surgeon who sleeved me said I had to lower my expectations with Sleeve by 50% because I was a revision from Band. Similarly, I was told to lower my SIPS expectations since I'd already revised from Band AND sleeve. So I would be better off in the long run - and with hindsight that I probably was going to fail with the sleeve - if I had gone straight to DS.

Hey there! Great Loss you are not far after me. I had my revision to bypass 9/10. Was all you weigh loss after surgery? Or was some of the 70lbs preop? If you don't mind me asking. I have lost 47 lbs but 15 was preop and 32lb has been post op.

http://columbiasurgery.org/news/2017/08/14/when-revise-weight-loss-surgery

I'm still so confused. Why do you keep posting pics of Ed Burns? But serious proppahs dude!!!!! Congrats and so happy you shared! Can you believe you are the same guy that started your journey or even your revision journey? And don't you think IF has been a game changer on the loose skin front? (and yet, part of me is still saying...and STILL no di*k pics all up in heah for us...I just don't get it...)

Yes it would be nice to get a refund , that would at least help cover the revision costs but its unlikely to happen

Just a quick update, possibly to give hope for healing- Had my repeat EGD on 11/16, 5 months after my marginal ulcer was found so that I had to take that yucky compounded immediate-release omeprazole w/ sodium bicarbonate & Pepcid & Carafate. I still have gastritis (stomach pouch irritation) but my ulcer has healed! I was really afraid I would need a revision or worse, a reversal. I am able to eat now without pain-yea! I have stopped losing weight which has been a huge concern for my family & friends; my mother says I look "gaunt." I am so glad I did all the online research I did on marginal ulcer healing; Bariatric Times is a great resource, geared to the medical profession so the terminology might be a bit difficult. Keep the faith, everyone. You could be as fortunate as I have been. Good luck to all.

The sleeve will mean risking worse reflux that can turn into a more serious condition, then you will have to revise to a bypass anyway. SKIP THE EXTRA STEPS. I suggest you speak with your team again but stick with the original plan

That's exactly what my doctor told me! I am doing a revision from Band to Bypass. He will not do a sleeve on me. He said, "I will not set you up for failure again."My surgery is on Dec. 12th. Jacie63