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I started with a BMI over 60, and nobody even brought up DS as an option for me. To be honest, I thought DS was an outdated surgery that's not really being done anymore because of all the risks. I didn't realize it's still popular for high-BMI patients. The surgeon who did my RNY doesn't do DS. He recommended RNY to me rather than sleeve because of my high BMI, since RNY patients statistically lose a bit more than sleeve patients. My understanding is that the sleeve is basically the first step in DS, and that's how the procedure was developed -- surgeons would do the DS in two separate surgeries for high-risk patients, and a lot of them didn't even need the second surgery because they lost enough weight with the sleeve alone. So, that is one option: get the sleeve first and have it revised to DS if necessary. You could also have a sleeve revised to RNY. I remember seeing a bariatric surgeon on YouTube say that he recommends the sleeve to all patients because you can always get it revised, but to me, that's crazy because I don't want to have more than one surgery!

Scheduled for a band to sleeve revision with Dr. Garcia (Ready 4A Change) and getting excited/anxious/nervous. Was scheduled for 4/25 but had to switch to May 3rd for my husband's work schedule. It's wonderful to hear SO many people who had a great experience. I can't say much for the experience quite yet, but to say that Alma is a rockstar!!! She is like lightening returning emails and always has all the answers!! Love her!!! Did anyone on this thread have a revision from band to sleeve with Dr. Garcia? I'd love to hear more about your experience if so!!! Either through post or PM, I'd just like to hear from someone who's had a revision with him since there's a little more involved Thanks!!!

This is so sad! I had the sleeve on 5/21/12 and have been having issues with GERD and acid reflux, bile reflux and esophageal spasms. I was told by my surgeon that the only solution FOR GERD is to convert to bypass. NO WAY. I told him no and I mean that. Only way I will do anything is if I get an ulcer or something. As of now, I don't have one. I will take my chances with the sleeve. Seems Gastric Bypass surgery just brings on more and more problems. Even years after having it. I am 18 months out from the sleeve on the 21st. I see a few people on there that are doing revisions from sleeve to bypass and I pray it works out for them. I feel for you ladies. I feel sad reading your post. I pray for you to get better and be able to gain weight and have your life back. So sorry this has happend to you. God bless you!!

Wow... I didn't know there was a forum for us reversed peeps. I had rny in 2001, reversed due gi bleeds primary, as I was going to die, secondary was long term nutritional deficiencies that caused irreversible neurological/cognitive disabilities, but would've died in 2010 without reversal and I probably was the heaviest person to ever need one and had the labs of a person starving to death. My surgeon who is brilliant didn't give me a hard time at my heaviest when I gained almost all my weight back back due to meds, starting at almost 7 years post rny. I was a size 24 again in early 2010 when I begged him for a revision, because if I had to be that sick for so long, I didn't want to be that heavy, even though I had a technically performed perfect rny. He refused saying that I was sicker than Obesity could ever be a threat to me and 5 months later when he brought up a reversal to save my life , I was ready and was going to die by then after living with complications for 7 + years that just were getting even worse. And that were going to kill me . Reversals ARE a dangerous and risky procedure, by the nature of why they are needed. I am not anti-wls and I'm not even anti gastric bypass. But I am around for support which is crucial, when going through this. I didn't know anyone who had a reversal at the time of mine. And even while my wls peeps tried to support me, they didn't know how not knowing anyone else who had one, either..... As "L Colendrea" said there is a support group on Facebook, started by my FB bud Misty (who also blogs and vlogs "life in my in my frankenbelly) and I blog , too about my reversal, as well....

Yes I had popped a stitch too. My circumstances were a little different though. I had plication done with OCC march 2012 and got pregnant May 2012, popped the stitch at 7 months pregnant. Had my baby c-section feb 2013 and stomach collapsed and cause an obstruction June 2013. Had to have emergency surgery to reverse plication and spent a week in the hospital. Not fun at all but I don't have any regrets or blame Dr. Ortiz. Had a upper GI done Nov 2014 and everything is normal. Signs of esophagus scaring, the X-ray tech asked if I had lots heartburn but I do not at all. Could of been due to the tune they put down my nose to my stomach to drain the blood during the ordeal. Today is a new day, new year actually ????and I am starting my journey once again. Going back to dr. Ortiz and getting revision in 15 days. Started my pre-op diet today.

I'm 5'9.5". My start weight was 278 in June 2015, my goal was 175lbs. Now I'm sitting at 169lbs. I'm pretty happy with where I'm at (size 10 on the bottom, medium on top), but I have revised my goal to 165lbs because I fear the "bounce" of regain! This is the lowest weight I've been since my teens and I couldn't be happier. I'm still at the upper end of my BMI, but happy to be "normal"

I have UHC (coca cola) and even though my plan states I am covered for the band or bypass they found my revision medically necessary and approved it. It was approved in less than one week and I had my revision on aug 21st.

I have no problem with disagreement, I can speak for what I know. I never said anything about noxious gas or discharge etc from any other surgery. I wouldn't try and scare people from another surgery. I just know what worked for me, I know what I have seen with the people I know, personally. All our experiences in this world are shaped by what we know. My knowledge is enhanced by my surgeon knowledge and discussions I have had with him. In his experience he has found patients who revise to RNY from the band do not do well. (He doesn't do DS he finds it too risky a surgery) And he does do the sleeve so far those patients he revises from a band to a sleeve seem to be doing well from what he told me, . I actually just reccomended a sleeve to a patient whose body is reacting badly to the band. My comment was specifically to revised RNY patients, nothing else. The ones I know are still morbidly obese, are are still no where near any of their goals and are struggling with a variety of areas. I actually believe that anyone can lose weight, hell just about everyone on this board has lost weight and gained it back over time hence we resorted to WLS. The band is nice for weight loss but it is amazing for long term maintenance. It helps you maintain, if you have a good fill level letting you eat reasonable healthy amounts, if something changes you can de-fill or go tighter. I do honestly believe that with all the complications I had with my band if that had been another other surgery I would be dead right about 3 years ago. At least with the band a slip is fixable, with other surgeries a complication may result in complications that are not as easily fixable. And no the band won't magically change your brain, neither will any other surgery. Dealing with why you eat, how you eat, what you eat, when you eat and where you eat is tough work no matter what surgery you get. No matter what choice you make it is hard work that can take a lifetime to master for some.

I had my band removal and VSG done all in the same surgery; however, my band had been unfilled for several months prior to my surgery. I have heard several people able to have the removal and revision done in one procedure but have heard others that required some healing time after the removal. I guess it will depend on her specific condition. I was sad when I first decided to do a revision and realized my band wasn't ever going to work the way I thought it was going to...but now I couldn't be happier! I hope all goes well and she gets that band cut out! Best of luck!

If there is swelling she will not be able to get the sleeve until the swelling goes down. My doctor unfilled my band 3 weeks before surgery and then took it out and revised to sleeve in one operation. I hope all goes well with your mom.

Well, I am officially approved for band to sleeve revision on Oct. 24th. My doc wants to do it in ONE surgery. My band has been drained for 2 years so he feels one surgery would be fine. I pray that is the right decision. I am having a bitter sweet moment... I am excited for the new journey and praying it is the best decision for myself and that I am successful especially since I was NOT on the band. But the biggest struggle to me is having a 15 month old son that needs me. The thought of not picking him up for 6 weeks seems like eternity and I am sure will be so hard on both of us. I can't really afford to put it off because insurance approved it and I my deductibles are met for this year. So I really hope and pray this decision works out for both of us I think having an active mom in the future will pay off. So I'm joining the Oct new band to sleeve revisions

"I think there are a lot of people out there who opt to leave the band expecting other WLS just to be that much easier to lose the weight and maintain... and from what I have seen from the people I know that just isn't true. All the people I know who switched from the band to the RNY are still morbidly obese, the second surgery didn't help them lose more.. they weren't ready to change their patterns and behavior. " I would have to respectfully disagree with you here. Personally, I believe the band is more of a tool for weight loss, where other malabsorbtion proceedures are a method. Bottom line is, I've done both. The band will hold your hand, but the hard work is squarely on the patients shoulders. They do surgery on your belly, not your brain. Compared to a band, the rny or ds weight loss is easy. If I were in a burning building, I want the easiest way out. I tried the hard way, and got burned. I believe it takes an exceptionally motivated, strong willed person to get to goal with a large amount of weight to lose with the band. It is tough, tougher than I was! But even some of those people have been faced with their worst fear, losing their band. Some have been successful in maintaining their loss after removal. Alot have not. It's hard when you're a food addict. Even those who believe they have their demons tamed find them sneaking back out with no restriction or removal. "It is individual, I just hope the people who are on here after lapband removal are just not on here to say how unhappy they are but on boards that support them and give them the information that they need to cope with the alternate surgery they opted for. Personally I would have just left the band boards behind if my band was out and not going back and joined things that supported my choices rather than a board that obiviously will be proband." My journey and experience with my band and revision validate my choice to post on this board. If I can bring something to the post that I deem important, I will. Especially when I see misinformation, fingerpointing and cherry picking. Facts are facts. Experiences/journeys are priceless. If I can help one person from thinking they are a failure or reassure them their intestines will not fall out, and they won't explode from noxious gases if they decide to have another surgery beside the band, than I'm happy. There will be people who want me to go away here, Simply because I didn't have the same experience they have and they don't agree with me. That's just silly. Reading back, yes, I would seem negative toward the band, actually I'm trying to get people to see the whole picture. You can see alot more with a few views than just one, and you can also see alot more with an open mind than a closed one. I frequent many boards, the best one being www.wlsforum.org I have been involved with that community since 2002 when it was Spotlight Health. Why is it the best? Because all surgeries are represented there, and we learn as a community, yet still small enough that you are not "LOST" in the crowd like obesityhelp. If misinformation is posted, someone will be quick to point it out, even if it wasn't their surgery of choice. There are far less misconceptions about other surgeries, because as we get to know and support each other, we are also educated. Our destination is the same, although we may have choosen to take different paths. As far as band revisions go, there are 3 band to DS, 1 band to sleeve, and 2 band to rny (and one in process). Oh, and none of those have failed to lose weight with the revisional surgery. And one cannot have another surgery because of nerve damage during her band surgery. Her name is Nicci. There are more than a handful that have reached goal and maintain. There are many frustrated people who haven't. And as Forest Gump would say "That's all I have to say about that."

Boy, Heather! You have been through the grinder with your band. But my experiences in observing which wls surgery is the most effective don't match yours. Mine more closely match what all the medical research says. A group of us--about 40-50 wls patients--got together a couple of years ago. Someone asked, "Which ones had the DS?" I--inadvertantly, because I was still banded--said, "Just look around...it's the skinny bitches." And it was. I've been researching wls since about the time you were banded and I haven't met anyone--not one person--who had a DS and was unhappy with the way the surgery had performed. I *DID* encounter a person with a drug and alcohol problem who returned to drugs and alcohol and regained about 50 pounds, but even she didn't regain everything. OTOH, many of the banded people I know have had to have revisions and many are still MO, even after years of trying to make the band work for them. I really think that, especially for someone who has had all the problems you have had, your success is really outside the normal range of results. But bravo to you for achieving it! Sue

I'm waiting to be sleeved, but a good friend of mine was revised from the band to RNY because of complications. My surgeon does a lot of revisions and said he doesn't think the band will be around in 5 years. Who knows if that's true or not but on these boards, it seems like a lit of people are considering revision. Good luck to you in whatever you choose:)

I've been reading through this thread and have a question. Im having revision surgery next week. Went from sleeve to MGB and now to RNY because i have horrible reflux. I had excessive weight gain in the years of trying to get to a solution, so I'd love to lose some weight with this as well, but it is not the reason Im having surgery. I see a lot of people asking for stories of success and mostly Im reading that "it's just not as fast" or "I miss my sleeve" but you guys still lost weight right? Just took longer, so had success, but not as fast as you wanted?

Right which is bypass. Do you think revision bypass is the same. Or is that not a thing? Revision just means another procedure?

Where do you do your revision surgery for gastric sleeve

I would listen to your surgeon. I never even considered the band because I known a few people in the family one had a few slips and they both gained some of the weight back. Then I come on here and see so many revisions .

@Bri_Guy Thank you so much! I am very happy! Good luck to you in your surgery! @Jen727BF Thanks! @ckfaith Thank you!! @Pea523 Thank you! Insurance has approved it! The revision extra skin surgery I might need when I get to goal will not be covered though. @Pazza Aww! Thank you so much! @melskee55 Thank you so much!! @beege Thank you! I can't wait to get to goal! @Sweet as peaches Aww! I'm glad I could share my story with you! It is so hard to be so big! I wish you the best of luck in your journey! For reference I am 5'10!

Hello to revision from lapband to sleevers. I’m 22 days out and just wondering how everyone is doing. I’m having a lot of heartburn no matter what I eat. I’m still very fatigued if I do something for more the two hours straight, like housework. I actually feel faintish. Sometimes I’m hungry sometimes not. When I eat I have to be very careful because I don’t feel full until it’s to late then I’m sick, I’m trying to measure out food but I’m so hungry at that moment that I feel that one more tablespoon is not going to make a difference..wrongo! Otherwise I’m feeling great, no pain or soreness anymore I never took pain meds so that wasn’t and issue. Sleeping is getting better can lay on my side now without discomfort!! Just like to know how everyone else is doing and stage they are in?

Hi everyone! I just got approved to get the band out and the sleeve ASAP. I really haven’t spent a lot of time researching what to expect and it just dawned on me to come here! My band was a disaster and never was viable. The port came out after 2 revisions and I had MRSA. 12 yrs later it’s coming out. So excited for that. Did everyone have the revision to sleeve in multiple surgeries? Reading about the intolerance to artificial sweeteners has been interesting ...I’ve been trained since WW in the mid 80’s to have fake sugar. Any major advice for someone who is about to start this journey again? allison

Hi. I had my gastric band removed after 10 years with revision to sleeve just 3 weeks ago. How can I help?

Have you tried Dexilant ? That sleeve will give you restriction with all foods. That wont be the case with the bypass. ( at least not for me and others posting on this page) If you read through this thread there are a couple of ladies who have posted how much weight they have lost and how much harder it is . I am sure if your Dr. feels you need a revision you will lose the 30 lbs but something is telling me it will be harder to keep off if you are using the sleeves restriction to tell you when to stop eating. I am only a week in but that is what it is feeling like to me at this time. GL

Summerset thank you so much !! You hit the nail on the head on so many things. I don not feel as crappy or wore down as I did after the sleeve. I can drink just as I did the day before the revision and I asked the surgeon about that and he said it was okay just a mouthful at a time. Chobani yogurt is 5 oz and I just ate one for breakfast different brand with 15 grams of protein, no problems. It is very scary because I have no idea of what I am living with now and how this is going to work. I will say I have not gotten sick and thrown up on anything yet, but I didn't with the sleeve either so I am hopeful there, but what is this gas thing and is this something that is forever with the bypass ? Thank you for making me feel not alone, I really do appreciate it.

Dr. Matthew Weiner has a lot of informational videos on YouTube. He covers a wide range of topics, I’ve learned a lot by watching him. This first video on metabolic thermostat/set point was a lightbulb moment for me. How bariatric surgery changes your hunger, metabolism and even your tastes for certain foods. Metabolic Thermostat This one is titled: Bariatric revisions, Will they help or not? Bariatric revision As always, listen to your own Doctor