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I'm not sure if I am posting in the right place. I was banded in 2007. It worked well at first but after having my son 5 years ago, I cannot get this thing under control. Multiple fills. If I have even a little bit in it, i have terrible reflux. I empty it, I gain weight. I am strongly considering the revision but have some questions... I was told the band would make me feel "full". I never feel full, just pressure and "stuck". Then, I either vomit or close eyes and wait for food to go down. Does the sleeve just give you a full feeling? No pain? No vomiting? How slow do you have to eat? What happens if you over eat? Do you get problems with reflux? I really appreciate any advice or caution moving forward. I need to know what to expect this time.

I weighed 308 in November 2011: 300 on the day of my revision to sleeve 12/11/11 I hit my personal goal of 158 in Feb 2013 Today April of 2014 I weighed 145. I feel very successful with the sleeve after 10years of poor results with the band....never got under 200# when banded.

I had similar experience with the band more pain versus satisfied. I think it takes relearning with the sleeve. Eat till no longer hungry (this applies once you ate 6 plus weeks out before that eat according to surgeon guide). Over time you learn that full is too much and uncomfortable. So eating till no longer hungry keeps a good restriction feeling. I Am 2.5 Years From Revision AND Maintaining.

After seeing my surgeon about getting a sleeve revision (had my band removed 12/10) I was told I would need to lose 25# before he would schedule surgery. So...after I got mad, and cried a bit...I put on my big girl panties and got serious! He wanted me to eat meat and veggies...no sugars, grains, or dairy AND 1200 calories a day. Well, I am doing that...sort of. I cut all sugars and processed carbs out of my diet. I did keep the dairy (mostly cheese and half and half in my coffee) and I'm averaging closer to 1500 calories... BUT.... I lost 5 pounds this week!! I changed my ticker for my FIRST goal...lose 25#...then I'll start on the next goal! Happy Monday Everyone!

I will have to self pay for my revision, but I know I need the tool to help me maintain weight loss. Good luck and keep us posted!

I will be following your progress :) I think my revision will be in March tbd exact date. To be honest, I know I need to just relax, but I am terrified of gaining weight in between the removal and the revision.

It's now come to this: after months of nutrition classes, doctors appointments, and a psychiatric evaluation, I will be having a sleeve gastrectomy tomorrow. As I sit writing this I am both excited and a little nervous. I know what it's like to be put to sleep because I had my tonsils and adenoids taken out when I was seven, but still, this is major surgery and I've not surgery for a long time. I'm having this done at a young age (I'm 19) because I have a bad family history when it comes to heart problems, blood pressure, diabetes, and so on. I'd like to avoid all that. I also don't know what it's like to be thin, so that prospect alone excites me about having the surgery. As of today, I have lost 133 pounds pre-op, but I want to lose about 140 more or so (the BMI calculator says I should be 150-160). The hospital I'm going to is very nice and I have a great surgeon and nutritionist. I do have to stay for two nights, but that's ok, though I kinda wish I could go home the same day. I hope I get a private room. My surgery is scheduled for 7AM and I'm the first of three surgeries my surgeon is doing that day - one sleeve and two bypasses. He told me he's done seven sleeves, so I'll be his eighth. This doesn't scare me though, as he's done countless bands and bypasses, as well as many revisions (he told me he had recently worked on a woman who had her stomach stapled back in the 1980's). He did tell me he had leaks in two but that was because he was using a different type of staple. The hospital has wi-fi and will let me have my cellphone so I won't be disconnected from the world. I've read so much on this site and know what to expect, so I'm ready. I'm hoping my age and the fact I've been exercising for several months keeps the pain and soreness at a minimum. You guys are great, I love this site, I'll try to post more, and look for me in the chatroom that night, as I'll try to be in it (if I'm not too out of it!) Well, I think it's time for this train to load up and await his departure for a whole new station

4 1/2 yrs ago, when I was banded, my dr suggested those little Dixie cups. I was to drink 1oz of Protein shake every hr and it makes it very handy to just fill 1/2 of 1 of those little cups, chug it down and toss them. I did the same thing for my revision 9 mths ago.U can get them for like $2.49 for 200 of em. The less dishes u have to do the first couple weeks, the better. SO I would recommend to those looking for ideas for post op items, that u buy these little beauties at ur local store.

1. My insurance covers either procedure as long as I'm approved for wls. 2. At only 27 I am concerned that lapband is not permanent enough since I would have to rely on a foreign body lasting inside me for hopefully 60+ years. - Even the manufacturers and FDA knows that the band will not last a lifetime. It's only listed for 10 years, I'll try to find the specific links for you. 3. The sleeve is totally permanent (scary). In my humble opinion, the band is not reversible. It can be removed, or unfilled, but once that thing is suture around your stomach, your anatomy is forever changed. 4. One of my biggest factors is that I plan on having more kids and I'm worried that the sleeve will not be compatible with pregnancy. There are successful pregnancy patients on Obesityhelp that have had the VSG, and have delivered healthy babies. Once you hit goal, your surgeon will help you determine when you can TTC. 5. I am a huge puke-a-phobe (this is a concern with both surgeries). Puking with the band is horrific and so uncomfortable. Puking with the sleeve isn't the same, it's like this creeper piece of food coming my esophagus, and I spit it out. That hasn't happened in months because I've learned how to eat with my sleeve. With the band, things get stuck and you never know when or what is going to cause you to puke. It's especially an unpleasant experience when eating in public and you have to rush to the bathroom because on that particular day, mashed potatoes didn't go down, and then you can't eat anything else because the stomach tissue swells. 6. I am totally ok with eating tiny portions, but the lapband seems way more restrictive on the kinds of food you can eat. With the band, some days I could stuff, and the next Water wouldn't go down right. meat always had to be slathered in a condiment or gravy of some sorts because my band didn't like meat, and it didn't matter how it was cooked or prepared. I could not eat any bread products with the band that was total trainwreck with my band. With my sleeve, I can have about 1/2 of a fajita size tortilla with cheese on it, or the inside of a super light yeast roll. I'm not a sandwich person so I don't eat sandwich bread. I do enjoy pita bread, but it's about 1/4 of a pita pocket with cream cheese and deli meat sometimes. Some other information about the band vs. sleeve. With my band once I lost restriction (the initial swelling with the band surgery), I never felt full, I was always hungry, but couldn't eat things some days so I ate slider foods which is completely counterproductive, but I had to eat. I had a flipped port, and could only get 2 fills post op, and then in February, my surgeon could not access my port. I was miserable, and in constant pain with band because the flipped port caused the tubing to actually tug on my stomach which in turn damaged my stomach. You won't get restriction with band until you get enough fills, and that could take months. Not to mention the unfills you may have to endure to find the "sweet spot". It's a lot of maintenance. With the sleeve, it's instant restriction, plus with ghrelin hormone out of the equation, the ravenous hunger is gone. I'm 8 months out and still have zero hunger. I still have to remind myself to eat. The risks with the sleeve are more common immediately following surgery such as leaks. But, with the band, the list of complications is long and can occur fairly early out, or a couple of years post-op flipped ports, esophageal dialation, stretched pouches, erosion, slippage, and those are the most common. Some have asked me why did I have the band. It was approved by my insurance, my mom has a band since Nov 2007 (and now she pukes 2-4 times weekly), I really thought I would be one of the lucky ones (so not the case), I needed surgical intervention, and I was so against RNY. I knew all the complications, but honestly thought I could be successful. Luckily, when I decided to revise, I found out that a military base close to us did indeed perform the VSG. I left my civilian band surgeon and transferred all my stuff to a military surgeon. My insurance (Tricare Prime) approved my revision immediately. I am not the type of person to really regret anything I've done in my life. I don't regret my decision to get the band. It taught me a lot about myself, and I did pick up some good habits with it. I do wish that I would not had of complications, and I wish I would of known that the VSG was approved at our neighboring base. But, I see a civilian PCM, so I get kicked to civilians for all of my referrals. Just my ramble. I hope that helps.

Hello today is the big day . I am getting a revision from the lap band to the sleeve , I go in at 9:30 am . I had the band put in twice the first time I contracted h pilorie or what ever it was which caused a lot of vomiting and acid . Which Inturn caused the band to bend the stomach. So they took it out but before they did I lost a 100 pounds I was 430 when I had the band drop to 330 . Then they put it in again but just maintained it . But then I started having problems , they now are saying it is bending the stomach and some of the fluid is missing .so now today I will get the sleeve I gained 20 pounds unfortunately .so I am up to 350 ..looking forward for the new lifestyle and hopefully no more constant hunger pains that never seem to get satisfied .

I am sorry that you are going through this what is your surgeon saying, is there nothing that they can do to correct this issue besides a revision, can they recheck to see id perhaps something is preventing you to hold down food, or perhaps your pouch needs to be open? I do hope that you get relief soon. Best of luck.

That sux!!!!!!!!!!! I have the part in my Medical SPD highlighted and book marked for quick reference in case I have to go through this someday... Ours pays for revision (thank goodness)

I understand what you're saying- and nothing anyone can say here is going to change the decision I've made to follow through with this. I KNOW I can't go back to where I was. I know this. It's just disheartening to hear from your surgeon that although you're removing half your stomach, you "might not lose a lot of weight". How is that even an option to NOT lose weight?! My fear is that since I'm a revision, I won't be successful as if I was a WLS virgin. I've gained weight. None of my clothes fit me. I'm back on BP meds. I KNOW what needs to be done, and I'm doing it on 2/19. I guess I'm just looking for those success stories from other successful banders who have gone on to be successful sleevers.

I paid cash for my lapband many many years ago, and I only had to take a blood test. I just had the sleeve revision 6 wks ago, and had insurance but I'm going to guess that they would require much more than blood tests since it's a major surgery. Maybe you can call and ask different bariatric centers to get a better answer.

I'm Friday August 1st and very much the same...nervous and excited most likely for different reasons than most. I had complications and this is a revision that is supposed to let me heal and feel better so I'm very hopeful for that!

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

Has anyone had a tummy tuck revision? My PS wants to do one in the Winter. He said he would lippo and remove more skin, moe the port, etc. I am not going to use him though since he did a poor job in April. Any advise? I am going to lose another 20 lbs before the procedure.

I also had this same concern. Having done plenty of research, speaking with my surgeon, and reading on these boards, I became comfortable that it wouldn't be an issue. I have a fair way to go to goal yet, only sleeved 12 days ago, but I was aneorexic as a teenager and initially my family were terrified I am going to go too far again. Knowing that this was a HEALTHY option for me and not just a super quick method of weight loss was just as important as anything else. Some people do go below their target, but I am sure that given time to adjust the amount which is eaten and the type of calories consumed, this can be rectified. I have already warned my family that I may go a little underweight until I get used to how much I should be eating to maintain my goal. A little bit of trial and error. I would also try to sway you away from the band, having read plenty of complications and seeing how many revisions there are here. I just don't believe it is a good option for anyone. Best of luck with whatever you decide. xx

Anyone else headed to TJ for Dr Ortiz this week? I was sleeved by him last November but have not lost any weight. Because I had a revision from a band he thinks I had too much scar tissue to get a small enough sleeve. So, I am going back. He said this is ony the 2nd time he has had this problem. and, NO cost to me.

Ok this is the story, I am three years out and I have lost 80lbs.I have had one fill six weeks after surgery and a complete unfill two months ago. My current weight is 155. I have a slipped band and I will require surgery soon. I am a self pay and I have not even paid off my last surgery yet. My husband will probably divorce me because we can’t afford another surgery. My band was completely fool proof until three months ago. I loved it, after four or five ounces of food I felt like I had eaten a thanksgiving dinner. Occasionally, I would overeat, eat to fast or be too hungry, the result was vomiting. People call it purbing, “productive burping.” Perbing is the dirty little secret of having a Lap-band. Perbing is vomiting and ultimately it can cause a prolapsed stomach. After a bout of what I thought was stomach flu, I vomited more than usual. The symptoms were the onset of reflux, stomach pain and more vomiting. The night time reflux became so bad that I aspirated and contracted pneumonia. I have been on anti-biotics, Nexium and Carafate. I now have ulcers and my barium upper GI showed that I am damaging my esophageal sphincter. I had an endoscope under fluoroscope and the bottom line is I have to have surgery and have my band fixed, revised or removed. I have an appointment with my original surgeon on Friday. I am not sure how this will all turn out but I want others to be aware that you can slip your band years later, after no problems and a good weight loss. I you eat until you vomit, you are eating too fast or too much. I have pretty good insurance, but they will not cover the Lap-band. If I have any more complications with my second surgery I will be bankrupt. I never considered these possibilities when I had my initial surgery. Would I have the LAP-BAND surgery knowing what I know now? Yes, absolutely I would have the surgery again. I love the result, losing this much weight has changed my life. I will figure it out, I will figure out how to pay for it, my husband will not divorce me. I will keep you all posted…….Jennifer

I'm desperately looking for some advice...I really don't need negative feedback, please. A little about me--I was banded in May 2007. I lost 10-12 pounds on the PRE-op diet and NOT 1 POUND since then. I admit, I have not followed all the rules. I have made poor food and drink choices and I've not exercised. However, I can honestly say that the band has done its part in controlling my portions, which brings me to wonder why I haven't lost ANY weight. I am not perfect, and I don't ever plan to be; however, I have made enough changes that I should have seen SOME loss by now. I am very depressed and frustrated about this. I have recently made some changes - I am now making healthier choices (not perfect ones) and I am exercising 3-4 x per week. According to the scale and my clothes - I am GAINING weight! WTH? I'm at a loss here. I am seriously considering checking into either the sleeve or a mini bypass - neither of which I know a lot about. I know quite a bit about the gastric bypass - how does the mini bypass differ, if at all? Or is it just a terminology thing? I know very little about the sleeve, as well. I don't know what the likelihood is of insurance covering a "revision" WLS. I'd have to check into that too. But, for now, I'd just like to get information - and I really like getting firsthand info from those that have actually "been there and done that". Again, save your negative comments. I KNOW that the band is only a tool, and does not work alone. I KNOW that I haven't always "done my part". But, I also KNOW that the band isn't for everyone - and I think I may be one of those statistics.:biggrin: Thank you in advance for any help, advice, comments you can offer. Have a Safe, Happy, and Healthy New Year!:tongue:

I had 2 C sections and my revision surgery was almost like not even having surgery. I was up walking immediately. The next day, I was walking all over the hospital,nd outside. Trying to get up after a C section was A LOT more painful.

I used Dr. Illan for my sleeve surgery. I had prior band surgery that went all wrong. (See my story). So when I had my sleeve my band was already gone. The doctor is amazing and I know has done many band to sleeve revisions. None have woken from anesthesia without a sleeve. I had a ton of scar tissue from my previous surgery and he cleaned it all up and did a wonderful job! I would surely call the patient care coordinator (Omar) and talk with him about it. He can answer every question and you can even speak with Dr. Illan.

Hi all. I'm a 34-year-old mom of 2, dd is 10 and ds is 7. I was banded in August of 2006. Immediately after my port flipped and needed to be repaired. THat should have been my first clue I made the wrong choice! I managed to lose almost 100 pounds with the band in the first 2 years, but it was s-l-o-w. At the end of 2008, my band surgeon said I should get a consult with a plastic surgeon about my huge apron of skin. It was horrible, hung down past my girlie bits, made me look a lot heavier than I was, my skin was constantly tearing and it gave me rashes. So, in Feb of 09 I had a tummy tuck and breast lift. Holy crap what a difference! He took off 16 pounds of extra skin and the surgery took 11 hours. The recovery was horrible. Because of the band, I've had problems with medication working right and it took a bit before we found an oral pain killer that actually worked. I was off work for 6 weeks and the recovery was horriblle. I managed to mess up my knee the day after surgery so it was always going numb and giving out on me. No one knew why. Then I got a stomach virus and puking after a tummy tuck, with a lapband, is it's own special kind of hell. Just as i was starting to feel human again I got scarlet fever. Which I thought went out of style with hoop skirts and mutton chops! Evidentally not though. My pcp said because my system was so screwed up due to the surgery, a strep infection just went haywire. That took another 2 weeks to recover from. I'd finally gotten to a weight that, while it wasn't as low as I wanted, I was happy with my body. I looked good, felt normal for the first time in my life and liked the way I looked in the mirror. I no longer walked into a room and got that horrible feeling of "Oh no, I'm the fattest person here". I felt like people noticed me and not my weight. A couple months ago I started having restriction problems, bouncing between too loose or too tight, and waking up at night with horrible reflux and choking on my stomach contents. Yuck! Had an upper gi done last week after an unfill didn't help matters and surgeon says the band needs to come out. It is extrememly tight, which he said makes no sense because it's empty and I don't feel like I have any restriction (which is why I've gained some weight back ). So, now we start the process of getting insurance approval for the band removal and revision to the sleeve. He said he'll push for the sleeve instead of bypass because bypass does not appeal to me. I'm already deficient in B12 and vit D and take injections and supplements for that. I'm afraid of what would happen if I had the malabsorption issues to deal with too. If insurance (Anthem Blue Cross) wil only cover the removal but not the sleeve, I'm hoping it will be cheap enough for me to self-pay for the sleeve. And I really want to get this done soon! The idea of being on a liquid diet over the holidays is not at all appealing. I've been reading all your stories since finding out I might lose my band and have gotten so much help from them! Thanks for sharing your stories. :001_smile:

I had my surgery Feb of 2013. At first all was going well, I never felt any restriction, I didn't have any complications. My progress went great at first, until I started back on solid foods. I didn't have problems adjusting to a solid food diet afterwards, and little by little I started eating a bit more, and a bit more. I guess I've pretty much just hit a wall as far as the surgery is concerned. I didn't follow through like I should have, so instead of the usual "surgery failed me" posts, this is my "I failed my surgery" plea for any assistance. I had surgery with Dr. Kim in Colleyville, and after recent contacts from his staff as well as their "awesome" support group leaders, it appears unless I have a revision surgery I'm on my own with getting back on track. I've put on about 30 pounds back, I started at over 400 and I'm sitting around 330 right now, so there was some success, I'd just like to get back on track and get to my overall goal weight of 260. Anyone been in this position before, and what did you do to start things back up? I'm working out, I hike about 10-15 miles a week, and I mountain bike 20-25 miles a week (just started back up). I carry a pretty good amount of muscle mass from my powerlifting days, but have recently retired from competitive lifting so I'm not lifting as heavy weights, or as often.