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I am also a "real" person and have never been paid anything or been asked to post comments about Dr Aceves. After LOTS of research I chose Dr Aceves to do my band to sleeve revision due to the large amount of revisions he has done. Also was scared to go to Mexico so it was a requirement to stay in a hospital in case there was some problem. Was pleasantly surprised at how little pain I had after surgery. Had no gas pains which was great since they were really bad after my lap band. Self paid for both surgeries but I had the lap band done in Florida. Good Luck.

Hi, I am Angela I am scheduled with Dr. Kelly on 7/13.. I will be flying in San Diego on the 12th and then picked up the next morning for surgery.. I also booked with Sandy so yes my deposit went to Bravo Development..I am having a revision from band... My band was removed in 2008 but the still consider it a revision..I am coming from SC.. I am sure we will cross paths during this... Angela

GOALLLLLL!!!! Actually I have revised it to 169 so I can hit the 100 lost mark. 170 as of today. Thanks to all that took part in this!

I haven't told a whole lot of people as yet, but that needs to change within the next few days. My husband and kids know and 2 close friends know. Now that I've come through surgery in one piece, I need to start telling people. I don't think it's fair to not tell people the truth who ask how the weight is coming off. We all know how desperate we were to find "the key," to losing weight and telling people that we've cut out soda and bread isn't altogether true. We've cut out far more than soda and bread and not telling the truth is misleading, IMHO. I'm a very private person, so "going public," is hard for me. Nevertheless, I don't want anyone wanting to lose weight to cut out soda and bread and think they're going to lose the way I hope to lose (I had a band to bypass revision, so my loss will be slower than yours). For me, it's about being honest and accountable now that I've had the surgery and am starting on this new part of my life. Just my opinion, but there you have it.

Ok, and I finally have a definitive answer to this question. I have a line from my elbow to the bottom of my armpit (from the arm lift), and then another line down my trunk with the starting point at the highest part of my side-boob and along the under-boob (from the breast revision reduction/breast lift)....so two unconnected lines. ...though I still haven't seen it myself. My surgeon used his finger to show me where the beginning and end lines were.

Well im atheist and I am having the bypass done on November 16th. My reflux is too bad and the sleeve is not an option. Many people revise from the sleeve to the bypass cause the sleeve tends to give you bad reflux. Can't go that route. I already had my gall bladder out earlier this year.

After reading all of these posts, I am wondering if getting the sleeve will be worth it! I lost about 50 with the band, and kept off 40. Will the sleeve make a difference? I have a 14cc band that has slipped. It's been filled almost to max capacity. No one ever told me that my band could cause difficulties with my sleeve! The entire point of the sleeve is to have restriction, correct? I'm paying cash for my revision surgery, and it's a lot of money to shell out if the sleeve will make no difference! I'm really bummed out, and I'm wondering if I should just get my band removed, and no sleeve on Wednesday. I only had band restriction for one year after band surgery in 2009. Please let there be more band to sleeve success stories out there!! Thank you, Lisa ????

I am scheduled for an upper Fi with Barium,Endoscopy ...had a CAT scan that showed a mild hiatal hernia....sick all the time especially at night I feel the band clenching...I awaken in pain or gasping....I need this revision to sleeve or bypass...not sure if it is the sleeve because I have to see what the results of these tests unveil....the band is a nightmare...it will cause mild to severe damage long term...believe me....

When I decided on the sleeve vs rny I think the difference was like 13 lbs I think sleeve people average loose 60% and bypass people usually lose about 70%. Depending how I am feeling in a few months I will probably talk to my doctor about switching to a bypass, but for me its because of reflux. I had pretty severe reflux before, but I let the doctor talk me into a sleeve, and now it is the same or worse than before so I might be one of the revision people too. I'm down almost 40lbs but my weightloss has slowed this week. I think that people who have the bypass lose faster, but from what the doc told me by 2 years everyone is about the same.

I took my drains out last night-what a relief! I’ll be putting on my faja today for the first time-excited to see how my waist looks in it. Will post an update pic after my shower today. My TT, breast, and right arm incisions are looking good. I had a little complication during surgery. When my surgeon started to suture up my left arm my hand started turning dusky-meaning it wasn’t getting good circulation. He ended up leaving about a 3 inch open wound to allow for swelling. It will heal, but will need a scar revision at some point. I’m dressing it each day and it seems to be doing ok so far.

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!

Hello! I am looking to introduce myself and possibly get some advice or insight from others! I had a VSG in October of 2016. Weight DOS was 288, lowest weight I reached was 198 within about 6 months of the procedure. I developed terrible reflux that I managed with OTC medications, and maintained this weight loss almost effortlessly (I did go to the gym 4-5x weekly and ate small portions - stuck to the rules as best as I could) until the end of 2019. But to backtrack a little - I was diagnosed with breast cancer in May of 2018, so by the time I was through with chemo, steroids, horrible lethargy...you get the picture... the weight piled back on within a year of finishing treatment, and by the end of 2019, I had gained 60lbs back. I am in no way trying to play the "cancer card" or blame it on that, I know I am fully responsible for the way my weight journey has turned out, but if I had to pinpoint when it started to go downhill, I'm pretty sure it aligned with that. Presently, I am at 261 and am seeking a revision due to the reflux, a severely dilated fundus that was seen on both a CT and an endoscopy, and the weight regain. I guess I am just looking for others who are also seeking a revision, or others who have recently had one who may have any words of wisdom! Lastly, I have Harvard Pilgrim and my authorization has been submitted by my surgeon and is now in the "pending medical review" stage. Anyone else with HP, roughly how long did it take to hear back? My program coordinator said anywhere from 1 to 2 weeks, but I was just wondering if anyone had any personal experience. Thank you for reading and I'm looking forward to "meeting" more people on here!

typically in Texas any marketplace plan will not cover any kind of bariatric surgery. SO its a lot of the southern states that do not cover it due to the fact that the majority of people there are overweight and eat poorly. (Which is what one insurance agent told me) So the only way to get it covered would be to move to a state that does cover it, get your surgery and move back. I thought about that if i ever needed a revision because here in Florida its also excluded. I paid cash for my surgery

Sleeved in my mid 50s, revised to RNY in my 60s.

I want to say that I think that the lap band is a good tool for weight loss. I have seen some successful people with it and have personally known quite a few. I've realized, though, that the lap band really is a temporary device. I have never met anyone that has a lapband after 10 years. They either had slippage, erosion, or other complications from the lap band such as infections and hernia or whatever else and etc. My friend told me that when she signed the paperwork...it was listed as a temporary device. One of my friends had such bad damage and scar tissue from the band that she was unable to get a revision surgery. That got me concerned. Does the band cause damage to the stomach from having it for years that makes the person incapable of getting a revision surgery? Does the person then simply just hope and pray that they have learned new lifelong habits to maintain the weight loss? There are so many what ifs. So who still has it after 8-10-12 years? Does it still work or is it unfilled and simply just sitting there without being in use? Is it really a permanent solution to weight? I want to say I think it's a good temporary tool. But I do wonder what people do when the temporary is over...

I just had my surgery with dr Ortiz on Thursday . My weight is 185 and BMI of 31. I had a lap and since 2005 that did me no good. So I just completed the revision. I'm drinking apple juice and water this am. Last night ate chicken broth and Popsicle . I have no hunger. I'm feeling a little gassy but that's it. I'm crushing my pills.. Levaquin( antibiotic ) nexium, zofran (nausea) and I take sublingual pain med..my drain is still in and prolly will stay for a few more days .. I will leave here wed morning after the leak test...

Hi Kelly and kpardisek. I was scared also so that's why I did lapband. Was going to do the sleeve for the revision but the dietician I was working with talked to me about gbp. Boy am I glad we talked, best decision.

This is an excellent topic!! Earlier this year I had weight loss revision-gstuc bypass reviison and only lost like 10 pounds !!!! What ??????? My first surgery in 2010 I lost like 120lbs. I was 333 the day of surgery. A year later I was 243. Ii am now on Qsymia and after 30 days on it I have lost 15 pounds and went from 233 to 218. I hope and pray that I can keep this up until I am at least 150lbs,then I will be satisfied. Maybe I can shrink my pouch and better control my weight because of the weight loss surgery tool. I will try and keep everyone posted. I wished that others would also share their experiences with this aas well. I wished that I had found doctors who would have allowed me to immediately get on the weight loss pills post op and this weight would have been off a long time ago. But anyway, I am doing what I can right now so...if nothing else, I will go and have another surgery......

Welcome fellow Oct! There are many revision folks on the site. UK-RNY also had a revision in October, if I remember correctly. There are many factors that govern how quickly or slowly we will lose- gender, how much needed to lose, movement , etc. I didn't have a revision and have lost about 33 lbs post-op. That plus my pre- op loss of 30 lbs= 63 lbs gone forever! Molly

Challenge start 288 Last week 282 This week 279 -3 I think it might even be a tad lower then that but TMI I'm a bit 'backed up' lol So I made my challenge goal of 280! I would like to revise it to 275. I've lost 9 pounds so far with this challenge and I know ill probably hit a little stall since I've lost so much, but think 275 is doable!

I saw this thread title and I thought - Hmmmm, definitely a PreOp poster. Not just this thread, but the rather-naive posted response on the other "what size do you want to be" page that you quote in your own thread. And I was right. I don't mean that in a harsh way, but this is one of the things that absolutely consumed me before I had surgery, and now it doesn't really vex quite as much. I'd love to do it, but I have more bottom-line concerns now - like getting to the right fill level, not PB'ing, making good food choices - the basics of being Banded that we all deal with daily. Just an observation. Once you get "into the thick of it" after surgery, you sometimes find yourself concentrating more on the day-to-day process of losing weight and sometimes focusing a bit less on what the ultimate "fairytale ending" goal will be. Great - Count me in. Make me a Size 8. (Not after being sick, or just temporarily, but for the next say, 10 years of my adult life.) What do you want? Money? OK, sure, I'll get it somehow. Just tell me where to mail it. I don't know what I'd have to do to get it, but if you could guarantee me I'd be a size 8 - I promise you I would get it to you someway, somewhere, some how. Trust me! I'm willing to work, willing to work hard, willing to pay - and it hasn't happened yet. I am so willing, that I'd have a revision to a bypass tomorrow if I thought it'd get me there. Of course the insurance company won't pay (a BMI of 30 is acceptable to them, those dirty pennypinchers) as they don't think I'm obese enough, and my own original LapBand surgeon has resigned himself that I'll never get any thinner. Pfffft, I don't lack motivation but as someone who's been banded 5 years, trust me when I say not every single person will come out of this process in "bikini condition" no matter how hard they work, or how dedicated they are. It's a fact. After a lifetime of obesity if there is a Size 8 inside me, she is WELCOME to emancipate herself and take center stage. She has my permission, I promise. I care. I don't want to be chubby, a little bit chubby, and certainly not fat anymore. I don't know what normal standards are, and I reject normalcy as a desirable option. I would love to be at any weight/size that would allow me to wear upscale fashion brands, overpriced designer jeans and of course, adorable little swimsuits. Me too. But 1 and a half LapBand surgeries, and an Abdominoplasty later, I don't see me getting into anyone's bikini in public, unless there is some sort of cool prize being offered in return for sure public humiliation. No but seriously, no one wants to see me in a bikini - I'm just not there yet. At this weight, I could wear a one-piece swimsuit without the authorities being called or without raising eyebrows. But nobody wants to see a size 14/16 shoehorn into a bikini. Now, Check me out later on - after I get some real band restriction and some weight loss, a Boob Lift and some Lipo later - and we'll see. But right now, it ain't gonna happen. Do you guys ever go back and forth on this too? I'm never back and forth. I seriously want to be a Junior Size 9/10 or a Misses Size 8 or 10. If you know another way to go about it other than diet, exercise, surgery, prayer, and more - let me know. I was hoping I wouldn't have to trade my mortal soul for a single digit size but after some dark days I've had after surgery, even that thought hasn't been such an appalling thought. :eek: But take it from a post op Bandster: Don't think people who aim for larger goal sizes aren't lacking in dedication or hard work. And they aren't necessarily selling themselves short - some of us just don't know how to do it, and have begun to think it might not be possible. Thanks and Happy Band Journeys To All ...

Juli and Lellow, I'll be keeping tabs on both of you as well as it sounds like we are all having similiar surgeries. I am scheduled for April 30th for tummy tuck with 360 degree cut, vertical incision, liposuction, hernia repair and port revision. I wanted to have the surgery at the end of March or 1st of April, but trying to schedule the plastic surgeon and general surgeon together was difficult. My surgery is supposed to be around 5 1/2-6 hours. I am going home the same day and following up with my plastic surgeon the following day. I am going to be optimistic and try to get back to work after having 3 weeks off, but we'll see how that goes. I am not at my goal weight either, but this timing is right for me. I don't know if I'll post pics or not either. I am extremely modest!! It kills me every time I have to stand naked in front of the plastic surgeon! Cathy

I am debating on whether or not to get an unfill too. Does a port revision mean that the Fluid will be drained from the band automatically? If that's the case, I'm not sure I want a low profile port, but I will still need the port moved as it is sitting next to my belly button and the hernia that is going to be repaired. As for the unfill, I don't wear my band tight either, but I have problems every single month that I have my period. The band gets super tight and I can't eat anything but liquids or I'll PB. I certainly don't want problems after the tummy tuck, but I like my restriction where it is now (except for TOM). Cathy

Hi my name is Kim. Had revision surgery band to gastric on August 16, 2013. Feeling GREAT!

So is the revision to sleeve what you are aiming for.... I forgot! Scared me today when I had the dry heaves because every time I started wretching the pain in my upper left chest was excruciating. I thought I was having a heart attack. But then when I thought about it, wondered if it was my port. Had about 3-4 episodes of that today and broke out in a sweat.... drenched by the time it was over. First couple of times, I had nothing in my stomach because couldn't even bring myself to sip on water. But later Earl made me some iced tea so I decided I should try to take at least my Rx meds... BP, etc, but NO vitamins, etc. Well, BAD idea!! That was the wrse! Earl was just getting ready to go to Walmart for groceries that we HAD to have with Tracy & Jim coming in the morning.... and I almost told him to stay home when he asked me if I was going to be okay. Cuz sure didn't feel like it then. I guess I'm feeling better because I'm typing, and sipping on the latte he brought me~! Keep us posted, Karri! We love you , and WE CARE!!!