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It takes several days for the bloating and swelling to go down... I am day 12 and I am still a little bloated. My other incisions look amazing. I am a revision from the LapBand and the incisions with this surgery are almost invisible. The only one that is going to be visible is the drain site for me. What is ugly about your incisions? Sometimes there is a collection of bloody drainage under the tapes and it apears they look bad... but once the tapes fall off... they look fine.

My surgeon has not given me a goal weight, either. His PA just gave me the average "excess weight lost" percentage range (60-70%) as an idea of what I could expect to lose. That would have put me between 165 and 175, which is still obese for my height (5'2"). Initially, I chose 145 lbs as my personal goal even though I would have still been in the "overweight" category, because it's a weight that I felt OK at in college, and I simply could not wrap my mind around being any smaller than that. But once I really started losing post-op, I revised my goal to 135 lbs, which put me at the top of the "normal" weight range. I'm now at 128.8, just a few pounds heavier than I was in high school! I had to postpone my 6-month follow up until after the holidays, but I'll see what my surgeon has to say then. @@WL WARRIOR - Where did you find the info about working towards a "set point"? Does Dr. Weiner have a website, or has he put out a book? I'd be interested to learn more!

I noticed that there hasn't been any activity in this forum since 2014. So, if any of your 2011 bandsters are still around. Sound Off! I was banded on Friday, Nov 18, 2011. I was 370 before the whole process. Right now as of Wed May 24, 2017. I'm still between 300 and 310 (ish) and I'm in the middle of getting revision to bypass surgery.

What was your approval process like with Aetna? I'm just starting my journey to get rid of this awful band giving me reflux and only lost 25lbs since 2008. Were u made to do a 3 month diet again? I would love to hear your approval stories and how long it took you!

Hi Everyone! I just wanted to let everyone know my blog is hosting a giveaway from Lane Bryant. 2 winners will receive a $30.00 gift card from Lane Bryant (mailed personally from me). I know with weightloss it is hard to purchase clothes. I thought this might be of interest to you. I don't have many entries right now so wanted to give you the heads up. I won't post my link here, I am not intending to spam anyone. But if you are interested in this just send me a email either here or to my email Kysweetheart2007@gmail.com and I can send you the link. On a different note my revision surgery went great. I am getting restriction back and almost to that green zone. I am debating on getting another fill this week or waiting until after Christmas. I don't want to be too tight but then again I don't need to be gaining weight either. Egg Nog is goin to slide right down either way I look forward to hearing from you! Tabby

I spent a year in anguish over the decision to revise from band to sleeve. It was not fun, but I think that helped me really come to grips with how important this is. How big this decision is. I never had any regrets post op because I KNEW I had no real choice - that my very life was on the line. I have been shocked at how well it turned out! I am 4 1/2 years post revision to sleeve and still a hot ole lady - ha! I am loving life.

Hey Kate33 Like you I had the band in 2007, but I had very little weight loss an average of 15 pds in which I eventually gained double the weight. The restriction with the band was terrible I no longer enjoyed foods I loved and was consistently blosted, felt gassy and felt pain at my port. I finally decided it was time for a revision to the sleeve in which I decided to do in Mexico (which made me very hestiate) but it has been the best decision I've made towards becoming health. My surgeon was Dr. Ponce de Leon, him and his coordinator Trish were great and very attentive. While its only been about 4 Weeks I'm feeling great I'm down 35 pds and have yet to have any negative reactions to things I could eat. The only thing I would bring to your attention is the healing process. When I had the band I was back at work within 4-5 days, but now its been a little different. My healing process has been slower since most work was done out of my bigger incision where my port once was and after I got home I drained for about a week out of that incision. I'm taking my full 5 weeks to return to work making sure I'm fully recovered and my incisions have healed. Granted everyone is different and not all bodies react the same. But if I had the choice to do it all over again I would have taken the same road. Hope this helps.

If you have had a chance to read some of the threads on here you will hear lots of revision stories. In summary, no food intolerances, little portions of healthy food. I love it that I can eat a bit of salad and so far no problems with any veggies. Sleeve is just a whole different experience. You are wise to seek a surgeon with lots of revision experience.

If you've had this pain since the beginning, it almost sounds like the port was placed in a way that is irritating a nerve. Once they rule out infection or any other acute problem, maybe they can move the port to a different spot? Sometimes I'll have sensitivity around my port, but it goes away. Like Lisacaron, mine is placed right where my desk and the waist of my pants hit it. Every time I sit down, I have to pull the waist of my pants up over the port. I considered revision surgery (lower profile port placed on the underside of the muscle), but didn't want more surgery at this point. If I lose anymore weight, I may bite the bullet and have it done. Good luck to you... I hope your surgical team is able to figure this out.

I'm a RN so I'm a little nervous about Mexico!!!! My mom had a lap band put in in Mexico and had a awesome experience! I'm hoping it will go smoothly. She is actually getting her band revised to the sleeve on the same date I'm having mine! They will even room us together which is awesome! Our date is June 8th and I'm counting the days! My BMI is only 31 so I barley qualify so I'm trying to maintain weight not gain or loose between now and then! But even though 5'8 and 200 lbs doesn't sound that bad I get asked if I'm pregnant several times a week and I'm over it! I carry my weight in my stomach and boobs! It's awful. I can't wait to be little again! To go shopping again and get dressed up and feel good about myself. Since gaining 50lbs working night shift I've stayed depressed! All the diets and working my but off in the gym hardly does anything!! I'll work my butt off eat clean boring foods loose ten-20 lbs then eat a cheat meal or two and gain it back almost immediately ! I'm so ready to get this done!

I'd decided to have the sleeve even though I knew I had an issue with GERD. It did get worse in my case. So much so, I'm looking into a revision to bypass.

I can’t answer exactly what you are asking, however I may be able to offer some helpful information. I first had the sleeve in 2015 and my GERD improved due to the weight loss. However, when I gained some of weight back last year, my GERD returned with a vengeance. Today I am 13 days post-op Revision-to-Bypass. So we shall see for me. As for you, only you know of your situation...how much weight you need to lose, diet plans, medical conditions that may alter that too. Or, it could be just weight/pressure off that will improve your GERD.

I too had a lot of UTIs post sleeve! Isn’t that weird? And with the antibiotic restrictions post weight loss surgery they were hard to treat! Post revision I haven’t had one yet so yay! I’m glad I’m not the only one who experienced that with the sleeve…I thought I was just gross 😬

That's right. So strange. I had the most difficult time getting treatment because how often they occurred. "Too soon for another prescription for antibiotics..." Etc. Over 1 yr. 2 months now, not one UTI (I would've had 3 or 4 in that time frame pre-revision. I have no idea why the sleeve gave me constant UTIs. Never heard of it nor read about it so at the time, I didn't think it was connected. I honestly didn't think it was the sleeve until a couple of months after my revision, I was like... Wait, what happened to my constant UTIs? So glad there is someone else out there that can identify with me.

God bless you, Irene! You have been through an awful lot in your Quest to achieve a healthy life. My story is similar to yours, just not the sleeve part. I had the band put in 6 years ago, and went to see my dr wanting it OUT after years of trouble. The nurse asked if I had considered a revision, and here I am 3 weeks away from my bypass surgery. Like you, I suffer from reflux and heartburn, so the sleeve was not my best choice. I feel like over the years it has become more documented that the sleeve can cause heartburn or reflux to increase, but perhaps it just wasn't a common side effect when you had yours? Either way, like you said, what's done is done. I wish you success in finding relief. This board is a fantastic place for advice and stories.

I have the sleeve and I am scheduled to have the mini Bypass on the 25 th .., with the sleeve I did not loose more than 10 pounds and I have bad acid reflux. It has been 2 years since I got sleeved ... I have hypothyroidism so I think that is what made me not have weight loss

I'm a revision and I have hypo-thyroidism. I'm 4 mos post op and have lost 52 lbs total and 48 lbs to go. I don't lose as quickly as some, but I also think it's because I have less to lose. This makes a huge difference.

I am about a month post-op band to sleeve revision and am having a horrible time with GERD. I started off with one prilosec a day and quickly figured out that that wasn't going to be enough. Moved on to two prilosec a day and that was working but I was going through a bottle of Gaviscon pretty quickly. I was still getting some acid in my throat every day. So my PCP gave me some dexilant samples and for about four days I thought that was the answer. No symptoms of GERD at all. On the fifth day, though, I was taking the dexilant in the morning and getting some acid at night. Yesterday, I got acid burps in the evening and today, in the afternoon. It's like even the dexilant isn't working like it did at first. I've been tracking my food and haven't been eating anything that would offend. I've cut out coffee, even though I used to love it. Staying away from tomatoes and potatoes too. I am really scared that this will get worse and then what do I do? What I'd really like to know - especially from sleeve veterans - is there anyone who had a big problem with GERD at the beginning and then got better? I hear so many of the other kind of stories - the ones where the GERD got so bad that conversion to bypass was the only option. -Anne

i keep a blog of interesting articles about wls, interesting posts, etc. it is on obesityhelp.com search angelarias you may "friend" me here and on obesityhelp.com Hi All: I was banded in July 2004 and will be banded 5 years. I check the board monthly and am so glad there is so much more information available today than there was when I was researching weight loss surgery. I chose to be banded because it was a reversible procedure and I thought in 10 or 20 years, with medical technology as quickly as it is progressing, banding would no longer be done, RNY, DS and VSG would be long gone as viable surgical options and instead replaced with true, safe, non-invasive procedures. My band is just fine (Thank God) but I have never believed that it is a lifetime implant. For example, my dad's pacemaker has already been replaced and my mom's hip replacement from 10 years ago needs to be revised. These are lifetime implants. Hopefully, our bands will last 10-15 years-let us pray! For newbies out there, no matter how good insurance you have, never asssume emergency surgery for you is going to be free or lowcost. For those of us thast have insurance (with a wls exclusion), an emergency medical fund is essential. I have been thrilled when I read about one you being able to save enough for plastics but I have never read anyone mention that they have money set aside just for a wls emergency. IT IS essential. I travel extensively for work and wherever I go, I have the name of the local band surgeon and where to go for a fill. Here are my stats. I am 35 yrs. old, 5'5" and started at 260. I lost 10 pounds on the pre-op liquid diet which took me to 250. I lost another 30 pounds on the 6 week liquid diet which took me to 220. In the next 2 years I lost an additional 40 pounds which took me to 180 in 2006. I am now 200 so i have lost and maintained a 50% weight loss. Was weight loss surgery a good investment? I think so. I like to do a cost per pound analysis. I have currently spent $3500 for fills and $8500 for the surgery. $12000 for 60 pounds or $200 a pound. For those of you bandsters that paid out of pocket divide your pounds lost by your surgery and maintenance visit costs and you'll get a cost per pound. I would love to see posts on this forum from patients 5-10 years out of surgery--what ever surgery type you had. Share with us what the "weight loss real world" is like. More importantly, the questions I'd like to pose to everybody out there. What weight loss surgeries will we be discussing on this forum 10 years from now? Will our bands be still in place? Will the DSers have a modified new DS? Will the RNY still be the gold standard in the U.S. I'm not looking to start a debate about weight loss surgery methods or inspire negativity or drama. Just posing a straight up question to look 10 years into the future. As you can imange 10 years ago, we were discussing phen-fen and had no idea what a RNY or a DS or a VSG or a gastric band was! So 10 years from now guys, what do ya think? Will peple have gastric stimulators, a revised TOGA procedure via endoscopy, biodegradable bands (yes, gastric bands that do their job and break down in the body with no surgery), brain electrodes to lose weight (like recently featured on Oprah), a weight loss pill. I am not a medical person but I love to discuss technology. So chime in everyone. What new wl technolgy will we be discussing 10 years from now on the OH boards? By the way, I am filled to 6cc in a 4cc band and I have little restriction. I do like my band and am not thinking about a revision. I'm happy with my 60 pond weight loss and will try to lose 60 pounds in a year's time. ALL the best, Angel Banded July 2004 Drs. Ortiz/Martinez Tijuana,Mexico band filled 6cc in 4cc (band still in good position but little restriction) cannot get any more fills--band full 260 starting weight 250 surgery weight 200 plus or minus 5 pounds current weight 50 percent weight loss goal weight 135-140 :wub:

I had my revision on 12/9 (three days apart!). scale has not moved much (1 pound) since I got home. Tracking everything diligently. I had to go back in 2 days after surgery as I had a blockage/twist in my intestines (not stomach) and had to have an additional surgery. I have found that I am progressing through the post diet almost too easily, keep my Protein up, my calories at about 800, and have not felt sick or over-stuffed at all,so that worried me... why am I not having the issues others have had? But I will consider that a blessing. But, I am not losing weight. I think this requires a lot of patience ( my weakest attribute) and logic. There is no way I will not lose weight (you, too) when I am taking in less calories, exercising, and eating more nutritiously. Here's the thing. With the band, I got used to disappointment and problems for over 10 years. So, I am afraid the by-pass would be disappointing, too. But it won't... my attitude and determination are different than what they were. I read somewhere that I need to think of my pouch as "my little friend", and we need to take care of each other. That set well with me, so I insanely talk to my little pouch and might even name her ! Patience! Keep in touch since we are close to the same timeframes and surgeries! Gail

I assume you are probably at purees or just starting solids. I did not feel restriction/full till I was eating solids...meats like chicken provide the most feeling of fullness. I was told to measure everything so didn't really go beyond a 1/2 cup portion. If you are looking for restriction make sure you avoid sliders like sauces etc with your meat. I assume you had similar instructions to eat meat first then vegetables and carbs if there is room. One thing to keep in mind is as a revision patient we can end up with a bigger pouch than normal because the Banff stretches your esophagus. So an ordinary bypass patient has i hunk a 30 cc stomach. Mine is 55 cc.

The scale will move... I had complications with my revision so I didn't lose anything for a month because of all of the IVs etc. just concentrate on doing what you need to do and to heal after surgery, the weight will come off. I am 7 months out and down 72 lbs + 15 lbs loss more before surgery. I thought I would be that person that will not lose but my dr is saying I am making great progress, I do go through stalls very often and it gets frustrating... I am learning to just concentrate on doing what I need to do and being patient, the scale moves eventually. Keep up good work! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Hi all, I was revised band-to-sleeve on June 15. On this passed Tuesday, a couple of my incisions began to get infected from the inside, so now I'm on a heavy load of antibiotics. Anyhow, I have this one incision (not one of the infected ones) that just keeps oozing, oozing, and oozing! I'm so sorry to be gross! I have to clean it, put fresh gauze, and a huge bandage every few hours or it leaks through. The oozing is a kinda pinky-brown color, there doesn't seem to be any odor. Anyone else have this issue?? It's so gross!

My consultation is in 2 days! I hope I click with this surgeon. I had a consultation with another surgeon a couple of weeks ago, but I didn't like how his office was run. It felt like a surgery mill, honestly, and left me wondering what kind of support I'd be getting after my revision surgery. When I tell a bariatric surgeon that I've been having issues with my band and that I'd already had replacement surgery once, I shouldn't be left on my own to find a radiologist that is familiar with the band in order to get an upper GI series done. About a week before that consultation, I had a severe sliming/PB episode while I was at work (I made the mistake of eating a raw carrot). It was the last straw for me. I'm having more issues with my band since then, and I'm honestly starting to think I've had another slip. I hate to say it, but I'm actually hoping I have, since it will make getting a revision approved a little easier. I'm having acid reflux (with which I only had issues when my last band had slipped), my esophagus and chest aches off and on, and my port area has been a lot more tender. I'm sick of not being able to know what I can or can't eat until I try to eat it, and then getting painfully "stuck" and suffering projectile sliming. Always having to know where the bathroom is when I go out to eat, so that I can rush there if my band has decided to be restrictive. I want to be able to eat fresh fruit and vegetables and not have to spit out the fibrous parts. I want to be able to eat at work without having to wonder if I'm going to have to run to the bathroom (really embarrassing when you work in a very small group). I'm just so tired of this.

Best wishes on your final decision. It took me over a year and a half of deciding to finally have my lap band removed and revise to the Sleeve. Lots of my friends from another website were doing it, and I didn't want that to be the reason I did. I needed to make that decision for myself. I struggled for almost 3 years with my lap band. I'd lost about 50 Lbs with it and once that was off it slowly crept back up to within Lbs of my surgery weight. No bueno. I was just miserable and unhappy. I was never able to find my "sweet spot" others talk about. I'd had well over 20 fills/unfills. I had terrible night coughs and would PB constantly. The band and me just didn't work. I was revised to the Sleeve on 9/15/10. That was my new birth as I now look at it. I'm nowhere near the same person today that I was on that day. I'm happy, I'm thin, I'm healthy, and I don't have to worry about what the future holds anymore with the band around my stomach. It's tucked nicely in half (thats how the surgeon had to remove it!) in a box in my closet. There it rest in pieces. LMAO! If you'd like, feel free to friend me, send me questions or simply look around and read many of our stories. There's a great deal many of us amazing band to sleeve folks here and I don't think there's one I've seen that isn't glad at some point they did it.