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My surgery is a week from tomorrow, July 9th. I too am excited. I'm on day 7 of my liquid diet and it's going well. Each day gets better. I've stuck to it...haven't cheated. I also had to complete all pre-op testing prior to a surgery date. My surgery is a revision. I had a lap band in 2009 and lost over 80lbs until I had a complication and had to have it removed. I thought it could be replaced but that wasn't the case. After a year, I gained most of the weight back. My surgeon suggested the sleeve and feels I will have better success. I think I could have lost a lot more weight from the band if I didn't have complications but I'm so grateful that I have a second chance. Good luck to everyone here! God Bless you all! We're all in this together!

Unfortunately, i did not lose much weight as anticipated. The day of surgery i was 335 and my lowest was 260. That's with adhering to the diet given (low fat, low carb) and moderate exercise. My weight fluctuated for years and i met Dr. Roslin at a seminar where we talked revision options. I can't say i have any comorbidilities that prompted the 'need' for a revision, i just wanted the best tool to help fight this battle of the bulge Sent from my LM-Q710(FGN) using BariatricPal mobile app

Oh no...food backed up....must be bad...glad you did the revision...me too...I am not loosing too much...body was already used to less food and high Protein.. But I am hopeful...with less food more Water and exercise we will loose weight.

Here's my input (for what it's worth)... I had the band for 7 yrs and my revision is coming up on the 1yr. mark. I discovered (after the nerve healing time mentioned) that my interpretation of restriction was skewed by my experience with the band. With my band, what I thought was restriction was really food backed up into my esophagus instead. Now, I have a better understanding of how restriction is supposed to feel. Give yourself some time to focus on that feeling. Eat slowly, pause, and wait. The full feeling (at least for me) ended up in a different place compared to what I experienced with my band. Good luck!

Hi there, I am new to this forum, and I am considering revision band to sleeve surgery. I've watched multiple youtube videos, some good and some horrible; therefore, I am very nervous to meet with the new surgeon tomorrow. I like this forum and it is very helpful. Because the band did not work out as well as I thought it would, my biggest fear with the revision is failing. I appreciate how you all give your feed back and encouragement. so so nervous!!

That's interesting about they make garments differently based on size. I am still wearing the same clothes I did the day I had the revision surgery but they are VERY loose. The tops I can get away with a little longer but the dress slacks will need to go after another 10 pounds is gone.

Have you found your insurance company's bariatric policy yet? It should list what their criteria is for revisions. Some policies are kind of buttheads about it -- won't pay if your weight is below 35 BMI, for example. But most of them will pay if the revision is medically necessary. With your band problems, you should easily qualify on that score.

Having had a band in MX means nothing regarding insurance today. It's all a matter of if your insurance covers WLS, revisions, and sleeves. The only thing that does matter is that some of the really bad doctors have pretty horrible reputations with US doctors and they won't take on their patients. But it's not because it's MX, it's because of the doctors that did their surgery. Same holds true for really bad US doctors, nobody wants to take over their cases either.

Hi Dr Schulman I had an armlift in March this year. The scars are at the back of my arms (I wasnt given any reason for this but had expected them to be on the inside of the arms) and the arms themselves are not as slim as I would have liked given the extent of the scarring. The measurement pre-op was 15 inches and post op is 13 inches. The scars are positioned at the back but close to the inner side. In such circumstances where there is still a significant amount of excess skin, do you think a revision op might be possible to remove the excess and reposition the scar on the inner side of the arm so that it's not immediately visible from the back? Thanks for your advice. Ellen

A boxy shape can happen sometimes after a TT. Plastic surgeons have many "tricks" to minimize this - including liposuction of the waistline during a TT. Sometimes it is unavoidable in certain body types. A midline vertical incision (fluer-de-lis) with a TT can be a very powerful way to narrow the waist and get a much better shape. This adds a major scar, but can improve the shape so much that many don't mind. Here is a picture of fleur-de-lis With this said, it has only been about 6 weeks since your surgery - this is very short, and you have a lot of healing to do. You are still very swollen, and it takes months and months (6-9) for the swelling to resolve. This means that your shape will get better and better over time. If this does not improve, the TT can be revised (with or without the midline incision) - but this is usually unnecessary. Regarding the wound healing problems, this may indicate that you are a "poor healer". The most common reasons are smoking and poor nutrition (low Protein, low iron). This is why proper nutrition, and ongoing relationship with experienced nutritionist is so important. More likely, the problems were the result of this particular surgery - since you have had smaller surgeries in the past without problems, probably means that you heal fine - "poor healers" usually have delayed healing from even very small procedures.

VerticalSleeveTalk News This is it! We’re launching our VerticalSleeveTalk News, a regular newsletter to keep you up to date on our community. We’ll tell you all about our exciting new features, programs and anything else you need and want to know about VerticalSleeveTalk.com. Our goal is to make sure you know everything This is the first edition of VerticalSleeveTalk News, and we have a lot to talk about. In this edition, you’ll find information on: The Alex Brecher Founder VerticalSleeveTalk.com Apps Have Launched! Now take VerticalSleeveTalk.com with you wherever you go. The fully functional Celebrate the release of our Mobile apps, we’re giving away a brand-new iPod Touch. It’s a drawing, but we want to reward our active posters, referrers, bloggers, members with completed profiles and new members. The more you participate in VerticalSleeveTalk.com, the better chance you have of winning. Here’s how it works. Eligibility and Chances of Winning Forum members must make at least one post in any forum on VerticalSleeveTalk during the contest period of 30 days from your receipt of this newsletter. Members must have a completed patient profile. You can increase your chances of winning by making more forum and blog posts, uploading more photos and referring members. At the end of the contest period, one of the forum administrators will find all of the eligible forum members – remember, you have to make at least one post and have a completed Gastric Sleeve profile. We’ll make a big spreadsheet with the Username of each member who is eligible, and assign points based on your activities. The more points you have, the better your chances of getting the iPod! Point Structure 1 point: each forum post and each uploaded photo 2 points: each forum post from our mobile apps and each blog post 5 points: join a group 10 Points: complete My Surgery, My Surgeon or My Gastric Sleeve Story; upload before and/or after photos 20 points for each successful forum referral; and 40 points for a fully completed patient profile Get Involved Again If you’re an old-timer who hasn’t been around much, this contest is a great opportunity to bring you back to the boards. You have tons of experience and advice to share with newer gastric sleeve patients. If you’ve fallen off the wagon, don’t be shy. It’s never too late to get back on, and we’re here to give you the support and confidence you need for success in your lifestyle goals. Some Reminders and New Features Create or update your own Gastric Sleeve Patient profile. Your information encourages other members and helps you connect with members that have your same interests and struggles. It also gets you 40 points for our iPod Touch giveaway. We've recently updated our surgeon database; now, every bariatric surgeon in the world is included. Check it out and find a local surgeon who can help you. You can locate and read reviews on gastric sleeve surgeons to help you choose an expert for your care. Our social and support groups are up and running. We know that you all have special interests and identities, and our social and support groups provide more specialized platforms than our general community. Just of the few types of groups we have are Regional groups of people from your city or state. Surgery Buddy groups with people who got the Gastric Sleeve at the same time as you. Medical Condition groups with people with a particular condition, such as PCOS Eating Support groups with people who struggle with eating issues, such as emotional eating Check them out and join one or start your own. Be a Good Friend Be sure to mention VerticalSleeveTalk.com as a source of support and information for any your friends, family members or associates who are considering gastric sleeve surgery or have had it. Also, don’t forget that VerticalSleeveTalk.com is a member of the WLSBoards.com network. Recommend our other four communities to anyone you know who needs them, and please stop on by and introduce yourself if you have had a weight loss surgery revision. LapBandTalk.com for LAP-BAND Adjustable Gastric Band RNYTalk.com for Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass SleevePlicationTalk.com for Gastric Sleeve Plication RealizeBandSupport.com for Realize Adjustable Gastric Band We Need Your Help When you come here, you can depend on support, encouragement, sympathetic ears and expert advice from surgeons. But we need you to let community be able to continue grow stronger! Over the years, I’ve found that many bariatric surgeons and their staff don’t even know we’re here. Help us out by asking your surgeon to hang a couple of fliers in the clinic. They can go the waiting room bulletin board, at the reception desk and in patient consultation rooms. I’ve even gotten the fliers ready for you in color and black-and-white options. Print them out and bring them to your next appointment, or email them to the office. So please, support us and ask your surgeon to post these fliers in their office and hand them out to their patients. It helps you out because our community will benefit from more patients and surgeons with valuable advice. Remind your surgeon and clinic staff that it helps them out because it gives them more exposure to patients. Stay in Touch Feedback forum - we're always open to members ideas and feedback. Please use our feedback forum to let us know how we’re doing and send us your ideas on what you’d like to see at VerticalSleeveTalk.com. We always want to know what you’re thinking and how we can improve! We're now on Facebook and on Twitter. Like us and follow us to keep track of what's going on in our communities and show your support! Don’t forget to support and celebrate! Our upcoming surgeries list tells you which members are about to get their bariatric surgery, so stop by and wish them luck! Come by the surgery anniversary list to congratulate members when they hit their annual anniversaries of their surgeries. Your name will be automatically entered onto the right list as soon as you update your patient profile. Coming Soon… We're releasing customizable health trackers and tickers within the next 90 days. We'll include more info in future newsletters, so stay tuned for information on those and the other latest happenings around VerticalSleeveTalk.com. Thanks for reading, and talk to you soon! Sincerely, Alex ============================================================== If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, you may unsubscribe by going to your Control Panel and clicking on the Newsletters tab, or clicking on the following link: http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/index.php?app=core&module=usercp&tab=newsletter

I too had dilation in my esphogus....my doc said it would not go away, and the way he made my sleeve I can eat just a little more than the typical sleeve patient because of my dilation.... I also had my lapband unfilled 2 weeks prior to my procedure....I too was self pay because my insurance refused to cover any revision....he told me that I may have to have 2 surgeries but was able to do it in one procedure (which I am thankful) I honestly dont think there is much difference between either waiting or having a all in one....I think it has more to do if you had any major complacations like erosion or abnormal slippage...

Awesome thread very close to my story! So happy you are doing well! I just was revised from band to bypass may 21. Already down 16!!! I've been a lucky one no real pain and haven't had pain meds since may 22. Sore yes pain no. I threw up day of surgery but no nausea since.. Glad to see you are doing so well!!! Keep posting! ❤️

did they you lose more weight after you graduated from the options program? I have 4 more classes, and only lost about 7lbs. Also, I had the lapband removed in Dec.8 last year and im awaiting a revision.

Personally, I do not put a lot of stock in studies. By the way that article was published in 2006 and not only have surgical techniques have improved but so did patient education. There also have been newer and better revisions of the bands themselves put out by the manufacturer. Don't take this personal but this type of post is the kind that will bring out the Anti-bandsters causing defensive backlash by pro bandsters. I am sure that is not your intent at all but I have seen these type of threads go south time and time again.

In our case, the fundus is the stretchy part that makes up most of the greater, or outer, curvature of the stomach, and is what is removed when a sleeve gastrectomy is done, or is folded up and tied back in a sleeve plication. It looks like with the endoscopic procedure, they suture it up internally to make the fundus inaccessible, leaving the reduced "sleeve" like path open for restricted food flow. Being a fairly new procedure, one is fighting the learning curve - both for the individual surgeon and for the industry as a whole. The guys that did the first heart transplant were the best in the business, but the patient still only survived a short time; it takes time, practice and experience - both individual and collective - for a procedure to mature into a routine, everyday therapy, so your doc may well be exceptional, but they are all still working out the kinks in a new procedure. Where to go from here? A bypass was suggested, and this is very common, as most bariatric surgeons were raised on them, so to speak, know them well and tend to be very comfortable with them when things get complicated as they can with some revisions. You note that a SADI has been suggested - was this by the same surgeon, or someone else? If the SADI is a possible, then a regular sleeve gastrectomy should also be workable, as the SADI normally uses the sleeve as its basis, and presumably that would be most attractive to you as that is what is most similar to your originally chosen endo sleeve. Whether you need the malabsorptive component of the bypass or SADI is an individual decision. When things get complicated like this, it is usually best if one can get a second (or even third) opinion on the problem and possible solutions. There are often several different alternatives available, but individual doctors will prefer, or have more experience, with one over another, while another doc may have different experiences and preferences as to how to approach this problem. Good luck in working this out...

Had revision from band to sleeve yesterday. Going home today. I feel amazing. Very little pain. Walked a mile and a half on the unit before I left!

This is helpful. I was sleeved in 2018 and never had adequate weight loss no matter what I did. My insurance approved my revision after having 6 nutrition visits and my Dr stating it was medically necessary. My revision is scheduled for this upcoming Monday

I just got back my blood test and everything was good but my AST was almost out of range and my ALT was out of range at 35. I noticed it climbing every blood test. I'm at 1 year 7 months after my RNY revision. I was so concerned so I did a search here and found this. Thank you. I don't drink or do any of those "don't do this or it'll hurt you liver" things, even the diet no nos are not foods that I normally like, so I wasn't sure what is causing this. I have a check up with my bariatric team in a couple weeks but seeing this calmed me. Thanks again!

My doctor told me revisions lose slower. I'm just happy to be losing again Sent from my XT1254 using the BariatricPal App

Just like with everything else everyone has their own reasons for which surgery we decide to do. For myself, I figured that I would get just one chance to have my WLS. I went with the RNY. I figured that I would go BIG or go home!! Another thing that I don't understand is when peeps say "I went with the SLEEVE because it is less invasive" what is taking out 90% of your stomach "NOT INVASIVE". Also, I would never go into my WLS with the idea if it doesn't work I can get revised to another surgery. TRUST ME!! My poor hubby has been thru the ropes!! You DON'T want to think it can be done. He has suffered terribly with few results! Now about my WLS, I did have problems with strictures ( kind of like scar tissue) I ended up having 5 ENDOSCOPES with 4 DILATIONS. I started having problems within my first 4 weeks. It felt like my food set on top of my pouch and then slowly go down. When I went for my check up the PA said we should take a look but of course I told him that it was just me learning about my body. (I had my RNY on July 2, 2013) In NOV of 2013 was my 1st Endoscope w/dilation. Again in DEC 2013, again Jan of 2014, July of 2014 with my last being in Jan of 2015. All has been great since. My Dr told me that no one knows who will have strictures. Now for my STATS: HW 249 (I did weigh 285#'s but managed to lose 36#'s) SW 232 LW 117 CW 125#'s. I got to 117 in 6 months but gained 8#'s but I have maintained my 124#'s for 2 and 1/2 years. Having my WLS is one of the very best things I did for myself. Only you can decide which surgery will work for you. Good Luck in whatever you decide to do. I look forward to following your journey!!

I had my band converted to a sleeve 6 mos ago. The only weight I've lost was during the "prep" leading up to surgery. I do not feel restricted in any way and am able to eat more than I ever did with my band. I'm hungry even after having finished a meal 15 minutes prior. I'm nauseated from trying not to eat more "than I should be able to". My question is related to revisions after having a lap band to sleeve conversion; have any of you had a band out over your sleeve? If so, do you feel restricted?

I have just started my research on revision surgery in Mexico! My head is spinning I'm looking to revise a failed RnY of 14years. I think I've decided on RnY to DS now to find a surgeon and start things on it's way! Any info on a good surgeon for revision would be so appreciated!!!

Have you sat down with him and tried to get to the real bottom of the story? Is he scared he's going to lose you in surgery? Or is he scared he's going to lose you when you lose the weight and look and feel better? Ask him why he drives a car, when he could walk. Driving is taking the easy way out. Does he use power tools and not hand tools? Using powered tools is the easy way out. Surgery isn't the easy way out. It's a tool, just like that car, just like those power tools. Sounds like he's got some feelings / emotions that he's dealing with that he doesn't know how to express to you. He should want you to be healthier so you can live together longer. Hell, even just the fact that this is something you want to do, and it will make you happy, he should be happy and supportive. My wife was very nervous when I went for my Band to Bypass revision. And rightfully so. But she told me that she'd support me no matter what her opinions were of my choice. I asked her flat out if she wanted me not to get it done, and she told me she wouldn't give me an answer, because it was my choice and I needed to what was right for me. And I got revised because it was what was right for my family. I turn 40 this year, I've got 2 kids, This is my 20th wedding anniversary year. I decided that I didn't want to be the fat, slow, burden, and I certainly didn't want to die before I got a chance to see my boys have kids of their own and grow up and become adults. I hope you two can drop the walls and get to the root cause of his concerns. Good luck!

I'm not sure about the liquids for some reason Iv never been a big drinker of anything so the band just increased what was already a struggle with the whole don't drink and eat thing and wait 30 mins. I didn't revise only because of reflux, It was managed with Prilosec well enough but more so because of just sick of the whole lifestyle that came with the band. Yes I could have loosened or unfilled but only with weight gain. Iv not had even a slight bit of reflux since removing the band but I also had a hiatal hernia repair during the revision. I had many barium swallows over the years since I worked in the surgeons office, a few dilated pouches that I would refill for about a month to correct but they never fully corrected. My esophagus is still dilated even in my recent X-rays.