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I agree. I love my surgeon to pieces as a person. He is very compassionate and kind but that doesn't mean he's done a lot of revision surgery. I have coexisting Lipedema so I'm going to try to address that now instead. After learning more about it the Lipedema may be the reason for my weigh gain when I began menopause and is something I can't control through diet and exercise unfortunately. I've lost 27 pounds since I began working with the bariatric center and my legs have gotten bigger because of the fat disorder. It's a weird circle....chicken or egg? lol! Anyway I still haven't spoken to my surgeon but I have already reached out to 2 Lipedema specialists for consults to see what they say too Thank you so much and congratulations on your success! Keep it up!!!

Congrats on your wl, you are doing great. I’m 7 months post bariatric revision and have lost 79lbs to date. I’m officially stalling been 180-181 for almost 3 weeks now. This is longest stall I’ve had and starting to wonder if I’m done losing?? Got a couple more months to go to reach a year and my projected wl is 100lbs.. I hope this stall breaks this week!!!

StratusPhr, No I had a gastric sleeve on Nov 3. Best of luck with your revision. At least you are totally aware of what the next month will be like.

so I went into the hospital yesterday morning for my revision.. band to sleeve. I was so excited so when I woke up from anesthesia the surgeon told me he could not do the sleeve because my stomach was so damaged from the band. so I have been banned rebuild and he says we could try in 6 months and possibly be healed he said there was no way he was going to touch my stomach with staples. I would have leaked for sure. I'm home and disappointed but I'm glad that he took the band out of me.

Me too!!! this will be a revision for me- VSG to RNY because of GERD and because I'm fat again...

Oh I am so happy you posted Oregon !!! Glad your surgery went well - I had bad shoulder pain on day after surgery... How long will you be in hospital?? Did Wasa go with you?? Also - don't stop posting here just cuz of your revision ok - you are still in the 50 age bracket - and you are the only one from the original posters when I joined 5/07 - omg 2 yrs since I have been on lbt - 5/14 to be exact :0)

Hi there, Thanks for trying to find it for me. I looked at all the pictures at those sites and none of them looked like the one that I have. It's hard to tell from a picture though. The sides are made out of this really light weight material that is really comfortable. It seems like Warner's must have come out with a new "Friday Bra" As far as revision goes, I am doing great. I am going back to work tomorrow. I feel fine. I am a little bit hungry some of the time. I am not supposed to feel hunger, but being on Clear liquids for 10 days is going to be harder than I thought. My stomach just aches sometimes because it just feels so empty. I just called the doctor's office to ask if I could move to Protein shakes.

HI, I used Dr. Alexandro Cardenas in Monterrey. You can get in contact with him through Ready4Achange.com. I had a full face and neck lift with tweaks on my lips and ears. I had brachioplasty also. I paid around 7000 or so for all of it, it was a bit more but I can't remember exactly how much. I do know that his office staff will negotiate prices with you and he told me himself that the ears can be done as a part of the facelift without extra charge but the office staff charged me extra. We had a discussion about that and he ended up giving me a price break on the fat in my lips and face. So make sure you negotiate what ever before you go down there then if their are additional proceedures you want you will be sitting on your lowest price for the main work and negotiate the add ons. They take very good care of you. They have a driver that will get you back and forth to apts. but i think that he charges extra when he can. The nursing staff there is very welll trained. I met one who spoke perfect english as does the office manager. Dr Cardenas speaks excellent english and Dr Lozano who is the anesthesiologist went to high school in Houston and speaks perfect english with a southern accent to boot. The required stay for face lift is 10 days post. I stayed in the clinic one night and the hotel the rest. I hired a sitter through them named Angela who will act as your driver if you hire her. She is also a great nurse and tour guide. She charges $100 for 24 hours and $50 for a 12 hour shift. She does not speak much english but understands it quiet well. She is working on speaking it. She does not have a degree in nursing but gives excellent care for plastic surgery. I cannot say enough good things about Angela, she is skilled, smart and funny. So we had a lot in common. I have included her pics and the staffs pics in my plastic surgery album. You will want her services for the first couple of days unless you have someone who is a nurse accompany you. Just caring family is not sufficient support for a couple of days after plastic surgery. If you know anyone who needs banding the have a wonderful bariatric surgeon in Monterrey, Dr. Miguel Zapata. He did my rebanding. That was why I was in Mexico and had plastics there rather than in states. Although plastics are cheaper there, the cost of transportation, room and board and meals have to be factored in. I guess it just depends entirely on how it all stacks up in comparison to what you would pay in the states. I am not 100% satisfied with the work on my forehead. He was a bit conservative there and I am not crazy about the results, but he explained why he did it and we are talking about the possibility of him doing some revision next summer, but it is too early to say for sure that I will need it. Overall I love the outcome. I don't know that I would have liked the results if he had done a more drastic proceedure on my forhead. The difference in where I was and where I am now overall is amazing! I would defianately go back if I had it to do over again. Feel free to pm me if you want more specific information. If you contact ready for a change , tell Judy I reffered you. Good luck, Corliss

Katydid, when I was researching the band one thing came up about this WLS in Europe. The Europeans were going back to gastric bypass because of issues with long term bands. My fill doctor even said that it's a foreign object in your body and sometimes your body just wants it out of there. There is a lot to the band with the port and tubing and all that so it is definitely something to think about. I believe there are doctors that will do band to sleeve revisions, but from what I've read from you, you still have a lot of healing to do before that can happen. You don't have your band anymore do you?

So long to your GB. Hope recovery is quick.. let us know how things went. I had full TT done. totally around, as well as thighs. slow moving still, 3 weeks post-op, but going back to work Mmonday, for half days. Wil have revision on my thighs in about 6 weeks.

Hi all...I'd like to find a link to enter my weight loss into...such as a graph I've seen on other posts. Can't seem to come up with my own in Excel since I'm not a wiz at it. Anyone know where to find a good template? Hit a 3-month pleateau over the winter, but weights moving again...(signature has not been revised...down 47 lbs as of this morning...kept track of everything on fitday.com for a couple of weeks. Really seemed to help discuss the slump with Dr. Snacking was up on carbs..no bread, but other...one more fill to make 16, now 3.3 in my band. We'll see if this makes all the difference! I swear in the cold months our bodies hold on to every ounce of fat like chipmunks! Thanks!

Apples, I want to go to the lake with you. I love the water. I am most relaxed when I am near the water. Oregondaisy...If I ever need to have a revision it would definatly be to the sleeve. I love my band, but kinda wish I would have gotten the sleeve. That way I wouldn't have to deal with getting fills. Or being loose or tight. Or anything else band related. But without the band I wouldn't have met such great people as I have found here on LBT. I thought the sleeve was another name for gastric-by-pass. So I didn't even look into it.

Katy - I had the same trouble with my ticker. Alex had to help me get it into my signature block. I was following all the directions, using the correct "BB" code, but kept getting an "invalid file" response. Once he fixed it for me I've been able to revise it and bring it back in with no trouble. For pictures in your note - I clicked on the "go advanced" button in the quick reply screen. It gave me the option to attach files (under "additional options"), "manage attachments" - then it allows you to browse your pictures and select one, then upload to the note. I hope that works for you. The picture I have uploaded is of me holding my brand new grandson - 23 months ago today. DD is in the background wanting him back... (I sure hope this worked! When I previewed the post I had to click on the link to see the pic...)

Finally down a little this week. 174.0 now. I am thinking of having a third fill since I am not losing at 1-1.5 per week. At least it's moving in the right direction again. John I am glad to hear you are on the other side of the revision, and feeling better. 114lbs, you are amazing!

Down 1 lb. Slow but sure as I get nearer my goal. Two lbs. from my original goal. 17 lbs. from my revised goal. I must say, I'm happy!!

Ann - Thanks for the encouragement. My exercise consists of walking every day and going to the gym 3-4 x p/w. A little cardio and weights. No golf. We're boaters. So during the summer, working and cleaning the boat is my exercise. Now I tinker with my 55 Chevy that I take to car shows once in a while. My port revision is still on for 10/26/09. I should only be out from work for a few days, Will weigh in the morning. Hopefully I am able to maintain. Certainly eatinga little more at lunch and dinner.

I'm disappointed that there is only one response here. I have a band (slipped), and would love to know whether the sleeve or bypass would be better or has worked better and why. Once you leave the land of the Banded, you really only have a few choices. And they're not reversible, anymore input would be awesome ???? I was a successful bander until it eroded .. Last year I revised to bypass . Sleeve wasn't even an option for me. Reason being I wasn't going to have "another wls surgery again" I wanted this to be the last one and my doctor said the sleeve is sometimes the first step to bypass.. I wanted the gold standard.. It's so much easier than the band was and I am wayyy healthier now than I was then. I can eat chicken and veggies no problem!!!!!

I based my decision on revision rate. I decided that if I had to undergo surgery, I only wanted to do it once. Not repeat it with a revision on a revision on another revision.

I had lower body lift and both arms done last Aug 25. It was tough for the first few days, The arms were painful but the lower part not so much...I had a nerve block for that. I only used one dose of narcotic once I got home. The combo of gabapentin and robaxin on a round the clock schedule is being used more and more post op for pain control and has been effective for me after my RNY, my hip replacement and now plastic surgery. I was in surgery for 12 hrs for all 3 procedures and spent 2 nights in the hospital. I recovered at home alone except for my brother would come over every day at lunch time and bring me food and change my arm dressings. The first 2 weeks I didn't do much except sit in my recliner with my arms elevated. After that, recovery became much easier. I had 4 drains for my LBL and I managed them myself and even was able to wrap my own arms and then get into my compression garments once I got them. My brother drove me to my first post op appointment but after that I drove myself to my weekly appointments. I have now scheduled my next surgery, breast lift and back lift and scar revision on left arm, for Aug 2. I'd love to do it sooner but that's when I could get enough time off from work. My third surgery will be a thigh lift and scar revision on right arm, hopefully in January (depends on work schedule). I wouldn't change anything other than wishing I had done it all sooner! My arms are 10 inches smaller and my hips are 33 inches! I wear a size 2P and will probably be a size 0P after I get my thighs done. I never dreamed I'd have this kind of success when I was at my highest weight a few years ago! Good luck with whatever decision you make and you can do it alone with a lot of planning and determination!

never really heard of people going from bypass to a sleeve revision. dont really get how that works because a sleeve is basically getting rid of 85% of your stomach and giving you a sleeve. Bypass is even more restrictive with a smaller pouch but the other part of the stomach remains. So they just removed that other part of the stomach i am guessing?

A bypass is usually revised to a sleeve if the bypass fails: weight gain, unmanageable vitamin malabsorption issues, excessive dumping complications,... Much like a sleeve can be revised to bypass because of weight gain, GERD, etc, As others have said, any weight loss surgery can fail if you don't make permanent changes to how, what & why you eat. Post surgical benefits like loss of appetite & your restriction don’t last. They should help you to kick start your weight loss & give you time to assess your eating & establish new eating habits. Sounds like you relied on the side effects of your bypass to influence what you ate. I’d expect your bypass would have failed sooner if you didn’t experience dumping (50-60% don’t with bypass). You mentioned your tummy has stretched. It does because it is a muscle & stretches & contracts. Can’t believe any doctor would say it can’t. Consistently eating larger portions will cause it to stretch more & contract less. But is your tummy as large as it was before you had either surgery or about the size of someone who never had a weight issue? The success you have with either surgery is dependent upon you, with consideration of any complications you may have of course. We all have our reasons for choosing the surgery we did & the effort we put in to make changes are reflected in the success we have or didn’t have. Excluding the life changes that can sometimes sabotage our intentions. I chose sleeve because of the lower risk of malabsorption & dumping. I lost all my weight & more. I don’t eat like friends & family who carry weight. I don’t eat exactly like friends & family who never carried weight either. I have to work a little harder & listen more carefully to my body (what it needs, how it reacts, etc.) because it’s easier for me to gain weight. I’m sorry you are unhappy with your revision.

It's unusual to go that direction, but sometimes necessary if the RNY needs to be reversed - something needs to be done to help keep the weight off, though what I have seen done more (though much more complex) is going beyond a sleeve to the DS. Both the sleeve and RNY are similar metabolically, so one doesn't usually work much better than the other if weight regain was the problem. What the OP seems to be referring to in her dissatisfaction is the matter that dumping is rare with the sleeve based procedures but more common with the pouch type procedures such as the RNY, and some surgeons use that as a marketing point for the RNY - a form of aversion therapy. Unfortunately, dumping is not universal with the RNY (maybe 30% or so) so it's nothing to depend on as a weight maintenance tool - those who need it most will likely not dump; it sounds like the OP was one of the "lucky" ones who did. Perhaps the OP should look into a DS, as that is fairly straightforward to do once the sleeve is done, and most any good DS surgeon should be able to put her sleeve right - it doesn't sound like it was done right in the first place. While a straightforward procedure, the sleeve does take practice to get consistently right, particularly if the surgeon is having to reconstruct the stomach first as with such a revision.

I was 243 the day of my revision. After reading your reply, I am not drinking enough water and getting all my protein in on a daily basis. I will need to incorporate those two things as best as I can. Thank you so much for your input.

I am three weeks out from surgery. And yes I can eat regular food without any problems and eat 1000 calories a day easily. A meal is 5 oz of Protein and a salad no problem. I do have a nutritionist but she's on vacation. I'm thinking I got a bigger stomach after the surgery. I have had zero problems with eating anything and I can chug a glass of Water easily too with no problems. I see my surgeon next week. I'm not eating crap food - I'm eating lean protein and veggies but I can still eat more than I should be able to at this point.I think MANY conversion folks feel that way. I know I did. This "I can only sip 2oz of water and I feel like I am drowning " never happened to me. There are as many after surgery diets as there are doctors. Everyone thinks their doc is the most right. But if none of them agree then my thought is there is no scientific answer and they are all GUESSING. SO, just be aware of that when people start judging you and what your doc has you doing. MOST people on here mean well, and they may come off as being harsh but they are providing helpful information along the way and they do care. Others are just food shaming and do nothing other than that...not actually offering any usefulness in their post. Ignore those ones and try not to let it get to you. Most docs do not have people on solids at 3 weeks but I have read the post diets from 3 different hospitals who do. So I am not totally suprised. That being said. It still hurts for me to eat meat. But that is me. If you are 3 weeks out and able to eat 1000 calories of solid food then you might benefit from a 5 day pouch test. You can look it up online but pretty much go back to liquids for a couple days, then mushies, softs, then regular food again. Some people say that helps them get some better restriction. Eating solids...and too much solid too soon and put stress on your staple line. I have also read that it can cause you to stretch out a but more...making it hard to fill up. I don't know how much of that is "bro science " and how much of that is proven science but it can't hurt to do a reset and see how you feel. Also, when you are eating normal food. Make sure you are not drinking with or too soon after. Conversion surgery people already seem to have their food make its way into the lower gi a little faster so don't speed that process up. Eat slow, BUT don't eat so slow that it takes you more than 20 min. I wad doing this very thing!!! I wad taking about 45 min to eat...and could eat a lot. But I sped up just a little bit and started stopping after 20 min and I am filling up on less calories. 1000 calories can add up fast. And really...in the long run....it is what we should eventually be eating. The idea that we live on 500 calories a day for ever is absurd. The point of this honeymoon phase is to help you lose weight WHILE retraining your system to eat healthy. NO ONE GETS FAT ON 1000 CALORIES A DAY OF VEGETABLES AND chicken....unless you are 2. So.... Hang in there. ..listen to your body....and just keep making good choices. Much love!!! Thanks! I saw my surgeon 2 days ago for my post-op follow up and he said he took off about 70% instead of the usual 80% because of the band. He didn't want leaks. He also said that 1,000 calories a day is fine and not to worry about what the NUT says. He said they are more used to dealing with straight sleevers and not revisions. He said revisions can sometimes eat more and I'm doing fine. He told me to just stick to Proteins and hit the goal and then fill in with the non-starchy veggies and not to worry about it. My surgeon's normal plan is for people to start solids between day 10 and day 14 depending on how they feel. Lean proteins and non-starchy veggies. He keeps reminding me every time I see him not to eat mashed potatoes. I hate, loathe and despise mashed potatoes. I told him I'd rather eat canned cat food - at least it has protein. Hahahahahha you go girl! I was eating similar to you...went to liquids 2 meals a day and just eggs for the 3rd meal. Now I am filling up on a lot less. Didn't even take 5 days. But I am losing again. Do what works for you...but if it stops working. ..try mixing it up a little. Remember. ..marathon...not a sprint.

I asked my Dr. and his very good nurse about the same thing and I was told yes stress can cause the band to tighten up. I asked my friend a nurse this same question she said that when we become stressed and I mean very stressed our internal organs can swell up. I get stressed and boom the band tightens up like a vice..I was told if this happens to go back on the clear liquids for a few days until things settle down. I ahve had so many fills and then un fills as I call them it is not even funny anymore due to this. The last one was about two weeks ago. I seen a new Dr. in May and he did not fill me, he just checked me out. I started to cough at night and get reflux my last fill was in mid March so I know what I was experiencing was not from the last fill. The new Dr. said that I am a crammer a packer that I eat and gulp my food, well I ahve never done that not in my entire life. I eat slowly and chew very well more so since I ahve been banded. He also told me I had a mega esophagus well without the upper GI unless he had x ray vision there is not way to diagnose that and well my esophagus had been dialiated a few times in the past but it was diagnosed after the swallow test was done. He started talking about how the esophagus could rupture and I could die and how I needed to have surgery and a revision well I don't think so. He took out 1 cc and well I have been fine ever since and am I going back to him?? oh heck no I am going back to my original Dr. that did the band and I should have never left his practice and di the other Dr. ever order up the GI test? no he did not I have not heard back from him or his office. So don't let anyone tell you that your doing stuff that your not doing at all.