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Well for one tomorrow the 20th is my birthday so it is going to be a great day, lol. For 2, I had a band to sleeve revision almost 13 months ago and I can tell you that you will not regret this. This has been the best decision I have ever made and life with the sleeve is 100000 times better than life with the band. Best of luck to you!!!!!

I revised from the band to the sleeve last year. I wrote about my experience on a thread yesterday: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/topic/163124-help-guys-band-or-sleeve-im-scheduled-for-band-feb1/ I had been at my goal weight for just over 4 years when my band was removed. I have excellent insurance, and it paid for my band removal in April 2012 and for my sleeve surgery in August 2012 because my surgeon's amazing insurance coordinator was able to use her skills and my medical records to prove that the surgeries were medically necessary. So if your band troubles have been well-documented (and surely a band slip and removal were well-documented), it's possible that your insurance will cover your sleeve even if you're no longer obese. Although I don't love my sleeve like I loved my band, I strongly believe that revision was the right thing for me to do because I knew I needed a surgical tool for lifetime weight management. I regained 30 lbs in the short time I was trying to wing it on my own. That is really scary, because I wasn't pigging out and eating stupid stuff (most of the time, anyway), and I was still exercising and generally a lot more active than I was when I was obese. Obesity is caused by our conscious eating behavior but also by factors that are outside our conscious control, like genetics, neurological and hormonal dysfunction, etc. etc. So however we lose weight (with or without WLS), weight management is a lifetime project. As for losing too much weight - I haven't seen that happen to a sleeve patient except for a friend who revised to the sleeve when she was at her goal weight, and then lost another 20 lbs she didn't need to lose. But part of her problem was the formation of strictures that made it hard for her to even drink Clear liquids, never mind eat real food. She had the strictures dilated and is doing much better now. Also, although the sleeve has micronutrient malabsorption, it doesn't (as far as we know) involve the macronutrient malabsorption that makes it so some calories consumed "don't count". If you can't eat much at one time, you can keep your calorie intake where it needs to be by adding healthy Snacks to your day. You might need to work with a nutritionist to do that effectively. I lost weight quickly after my sleeve surgery, so that for a while there I wondered if I was going to be able to stop losing weight, but my weight loss slowed because I was able to eat more (a normal consequence of the healing process) and because I was getting lighter so I needed fewer calories. I haven't lost any more weight in 3 weeks so I think I'm where I need to be. Good luck!

Can you go to another doctor without endangering your health? He should be willing to talk to you about what might have caused it (they don't always know) and discussed options with you, like a "revision" surgery to the sleeve, for example.

Very encouraged as I have lost 33 pounds to date and already weigh less than I ever did with the band. Do not like anything with sugar except G2 Gatorade. Took a drink of Coke and it was no good, my favorite ice cream and don't have any interest in. Meanwhile I am sleeping better - not sweating as much and feel good. A new wardrobe is headed my way soon. 264.8 on June 25th and 231.6 on August 9th.

I'm going in for a revision from sleeve to bypass soon. I can not do RTD protein shakes. They are far far too sweet for me. I do not have a sweet tooth at all. What I've been doing since my sleeve these past few years is just using fruit for flavor, like a few strawberries without sugar or artificial sweetener... Etc. So I feel like I'm a fix because after surgery, I have to go 14 days on liquid diet which includes protein shakes but I don't think I can add fruit even if blended well, right? Any ideas what I can add to my water (or other liquid) and unsweetened protein powder that will work post-op bypass? I know I can add my protein powder to broth but would really like to have some type of protein shake. Can I use PB2 (peanut butter powder) on the 4th day Post-Op? Is there such a thing as fruit flavored powder unsweetened that I can add to it? I don't know. I think I'm nervous and am overthinking things this time around. lol Thanks in advance!

I know 4 people I see almost daily who have had WLS within the past 3 years and I keep open communication with 3 others from my WLS support group from last year. The question of loose skin is a complex one, as someone already mentioned in a previous message there really is no consistent diagnosis, simply to many factors that are involved. So it’s nearly impossible to come up with a pre-surgery answer to the level of loose skin you may have to deal with, however you do have some options to consider when you do find yourself with that extra skin. Obviously, a man’s situation may be different then a woman’s when it comes to dealing with loose skin, also one’s financial resources will be a factor. If you think of it, you only have two options. You either deal with the loose skin and consider the weight loss a major positive over the negative of loose skin or you have it surgically removed. Here is a quick survey of the people I know and what they have done: Female - 46, lost 85 pounds, spent a boat load of money on plastic surgery. I must be honest and say it was money well spent, she looks fantastic, totally different person. Female - 62, lost over 175 pounds in 2 years, her plastic surgery to remove loose skin at the stomach level was deemed a medical necessity and was completed. However, the loose skin on her legs and arms was not and currently she is trying to save money for a future visit, she will be heading to Mexico to get it done I am told. Male – 55, lost 79 pounds year 1, gained back 45 pounds in year 2, struggling to get back on track, schedule to revise sleeve to bypass later this year, no loose skin issue currently. Male – 60, lost 103 pounds year 1, gained back only 20 in year 2, history of gaining and losing weight over the last 10 years, does not care about loose skin at the moment.

I had my revision to sleeve done 14 mths ago. I'm about 10 lbs from goal. I loved my band till it slipped and caused pain and nightime reflux. Lost almost to goal. Gained 40 lbs back during the 1 yr I was unfilled after my slip. Hafta have a tool to keep my weight off. Wish the sleeve had been offered to me in 2009. WHile it was out, I guess my dr didn't offer it yet. Any questions, feel free to ask. Good luck!

Does anyone have recommendations to start out with purée food I can start with I'm a week post op on a revision? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I didn't feel shame but I think it's only because I had gotten to the point in my life that I was desperate for any type of real help. That was back in 2009. I got the lap band, and that helped tremendously for many years despite it being finicky. After that surgery, it gave me the hope and willpower I needed as far as weight was concern. Within 6 months, that feeling of hopelessness and hitting my rock bottom disappeared. When I was told that I should have a revision to sleeve, I saw it as an extension of that help that I know I will continually need to be successful to stay healthy.

I have a sleeve and am looking to revise too, I'm pretty sure I'm going with the MGB, have you looked into it at all ?

Hey Friends, I saw a few posts about sleeve to RYGB but not as much discussion as I thought there’d be. I’m having revision this month due to some weight regain (partly my fault and partly due to having a baby). In addition to the the regain I also have a twist in my stomach which is cutting off blood supply to that section of stomach (due to previous sleeve surgery) this has to be rectified. My surgeon says while weightloss is slower he believes I will loose more than my original sleeve surgery. Anyone that has been through this with good or bad results I would love to hear your story. I’m worried that I won’t have the weightloss I’m looking for within a reasonable timeframe. Looking for support, thank you!

I have loose skin on my arms, breast, tummy, and inner thighs. My arms, and tummy are still really flabby, and I'm trying to resolve that issue now. You can work out, lift weights and tone as you lose weight to help some. I couldn't work out for 4 months so I was late getting started. Plus, I skipped the entire month of December. I just started back today, and will go to the gym for 3 days of strength training/weight lifting, and 1 day of cardio. On Wednesday, I go bowling so I skip Wednesday. I want to get back into my Hip Hop Abs routine for core/ab workout. Crunches just aren't doing it for me. I also dropped 113-114lbs in 6 months so I lost pretty fast with my revision. My cellulite doesn't look any worse than it did when I was fat. I know that now that I am toning up at the gym that the skin will bounce back to some degree. I'll probably be riddled with stretch marks, but I'll keep them instead of the fat rolls.

In 1983 I had WLS. it failed miserably in that I lost no weight. I did not gain any either because not a day passed where I was not throwing up I lost hair got diagnosed with osteoarthritis etc. While i was able to carry 4 lovely chikdren to term weight loss seemed forever out of my reach. I have been 305 lbs for over 30+ years. Finally two years ago I persuaded my GP to refer me to the Bariatric program in Canada. I waited months to see the doctor only to be told some people never lose weight, he was just the first step and it would take another 3 years minimum for approval for a surgery date IF I GOT APPROVED. SO I started the process and started researching my prior surgery and revisions. Turns out only two doctors do the type of serious revision I needed. One via our healthcare plan at a hospital in Hamilton, Ontario with a 5-8 year waiting list and a self-pay in Montreal that charged min. of 25g with outpatient status. I turned to Mexico and out of all the coordinators I chose Bariatric Pal and I researched the holeee double hockeysticks out of the doctors recommended. You can see who I chose in my profile. What made the difference in my gruelling 4 1/2 hour surgery and my recovery? Not only my gifted medical team but the unwavering determination of Bariatric Pal Team not leaving my side. They spoke for me, fed me, contacted my loved ones, made sure I walked, ate and rested once I was discharged from the hospital and even waited at the airport to make sure I made my flight after a delay at the border. I haven't thrown up in a month. I am 25+ lbs down and loving this new gastric bypass life. I LOVE dr. Ponce de leon If you want to talk to me about going to Mexico. Hit me up. I will be happy to listen and answer any questions you may have.

Jill, No one can tell you what to do... not me & not your friend. I can tell you that I was certain that this would work for everyone but me... in fact, I felt sure that I would probably die during surgery. In the end, I decided that I would rather take the risk of death or yet another failure than to keep my life in the miserable state that it was. I have been amazed at how well this surgery has worked for me. In the beginning, you will be pretty restricted as to what you can eat... but after about 4-6 months out, there is nothing that I can eat... in small portions. I feel better now than I ever have in my adult life. I can't tell you what to do & maybe you should talk to some people who have revised from lapband (Miss Diva comes to mind). But if you are genuinely that unhappy with yourself, what are you really risking? If the surgery doesn't work for you, then you are no worse off than you were before. Just my 2 cents. Best of luck with your decision!

Hello group! I was banded on May 19, 2004 and have lost 125lbs. I am currently at goal and am now thinking about plastics. I will have to self-pay for my plastics because I don't meet the criteria for medical necessity. That means I have lots of options in selecting a surgeon. Here's my question. Is is unwise to have my TT done in a hospital that doesn't have a Bariatric program? I'm concerned about having to have my port moved by a plastic surgeon. (and mine will HAVE to be moved... I can already see it poking out when I look at my profile in the mirror). When a band patient has a TT in the hospital where I had my band placed, the bariatric surgeon comes down and does the port revision. However, the plastic surgeon in that hospital is the MOST expensive in the area... sheeesh. Do plastic surgeons have the expertise to move a port? Is it wise to even consider going to another hospital to save a few thousand dollars? I would love your input! Thanks, Julie banded 5/19/05 296/170/170

Mandi, you'd have to talk with your doctor about this. There may be scenarios in which the doctor makes certain guarantees within a time frame (like if there's a surgical error he'd fix it at no charge), but if you're banded for any length of time and have a complication treatment for that would most likely be treated as a separate event. Your insurance carrier can't exclude coverage for emergencies, even if they are the result of an elective procedure (at least, not if they don't want to end up in court). But if they didn't cover the initial surgery they aren't likely to cover fills or non-emergent repairs or revisions (like a flipped port, for example).

Hey friends - I have not posted on this site in such a long time. I have had a year of pure hell. And that's putting it lightly. I had my lap band placed November 13th, 2009. In the first 4 months I lost 45 pounds. It will be 2 years since I had the band in 2 days. Since then I have not lost about 8 more pounds. I worked my butt of trying to lose this weight. I was very cautious about what I was eating and following the lap band diet. I even joined Gold's Gym and hired a personal trainer for an entire year. Even though I could only afford to see her two times a month, when I saw her, she worked me to the bone. I managed to lose about 8 pounds. My lowest weight was 192. Before at 250 pounds Resized to 81% (was 640 x 423) - Click image to enlarge After 199 pounds Fast forward to 2011. Starting in January I had to stop my membership and personal training because it was way too expensive. I then went on to joint a gym called LA Boxing where you used boxing gloves and hit the bag and worked with a class tought by a trainer. The fun didn't last long. In march I started having severe pain. I found out that I had more ovarian cysts (i have a long history of ovarian cysts) that were pretty big. I was on birth control but obviously it wasn't working too well. Usually when you are on birth control you not supposed to ovulate which causes ovarian cysts. On April 28th, I had to have an Ovarian Cystectomy. The doctor was actually thinking about removing the whole entire right ovary because I constantly had ovarian cysts on that side. But they ended up saving it. I had what was called a hemorrhagic cyst that was actually inside my ovary. They removed the cyst. I went home and recovered. As I was getting ready to come back to work I started having really bad pain in my stomach and my stomach was really distended. I called my OBGYN and he told me to take a beano and assumed I had gas. It didn't seem right. I went to the ER. The doctors found that I had what was called a hematoma. It was about the size of a softball. I was hospitalized for 5 days and was given antibiotics and a PCA machine that distributed pain medicine Dialuded to me .I was out of work for a total of 7 weeks. Here is a picture of my Hematoma. Basically the left side is me right before I went to the ER. You can see my stomach is severely bloated and on the top you can see where the hematoma is. On the right is me after 5 days in the hospital and you'll see that the stomach is less distended. They went under a ultrasound and drained the 7cc's of blood out of my stomach. But I'm still distended: I wanted to get back on track with my weight loss so I went to my surgeon and got saline put in my band. I found out later that my band was way too tight. Tight enough where they had to remove all the saline for a few weeks because my band was causing my esophagus to almost dilate. Now keep in mind that this is the second time something like this had happened. This was getting old. Here is a picture of my band. The picture is my band under a fluro xray. As you can see it's extremely swollen and too tight: So I went back to my doctor and he barely put any saline in there so I didn't feel any restriction at all. I just dealt with it and tried just counting my calories and working out. My lap band was pretty much useless from that point out. I still had to deal with acid reflux. During the summer I had to deal with recurring ovarian cysts and then I developed kidney stones. FUN! Not. So because of this crap I was unable to work out. Let me tell you aside form the health issues I had I felt like I never had the restriction I wanted. I lost the estimated 50 pounds with a combination of the weight I initially lost straight out of surgery from the liquid diet, and then dieting on my own and working out with a personal trainer and working out on my own 5 days a week for 2 hours a day. I'm starting to get frustrated with this band because I feel like it isn't working. I'm following all the rules, I don't understand. I feel like I regret getting this band. I've been going in for adjustments like 10 times each year. And 5 of those times I've been told that I'm already tight enough so I wasted $30 for them to tell me I'm fine. I would walk out of that office in tears. So that summer I had a conversation with my surgeon expressing that I'm looking into possibly getting a revision surgery to bypass. I was sick of the bullshit. He told me to come talk to him about that in November. I would of been 2 years out, and he felt I should wait until 2 years out to talk about this. By this time I have already gained 10 pounds. Lets fast forward to Friday 11/4/2011. I was feeling extreme stomach pain all week. I already had to visit the ER once because the pain was so severe. It felt like a burning pain in my upper stomach right above my belly button but kinda off to the left. The pain was very constant. Never went away. Earlier in the week I saw my bariatric surgeon who prescribed me a medicine called Carafate. It works mainly in the lining of the stomach by adhering to ulcer sites and protecting them from acids, enzymes, and bile salts. It's main function is for ulcers. He also prescribed me liquid oxycodone. I had to take double the dosage for it to help with the pain. So here I am Friday going back to the ER because the pain meds they gave me isn't working. I'm in agony. 10/10 pain scale. The doctor in the ER calls my surgeon and they decide to admit me to investigate what's going on with me. So that Saturday I saw a GI doctor who looked at my CT scan and Xrays and said that I was severely constipated. He felt that constipation was the diagnoses to why I was in so much pain. He was the one telling me I'm full of **** literally, when I was thinking the exact thing about him figuratively because I knew I was having normal bowel movements and there was no way that constipation would of caused that much pain. So his solution.. he wanted the nurse to give me an enema. Ugh...not fun.. not fun at all. They literally had an IV pole that was holding this substance that was going to be my enema. It took the nurse about 5 different times for all the Fluid to "go in". SO after several bathroom trips, I was finally cleaned out. I didn't feel any different. I still felt that severe pain. So I was right.. that GI doctor was really full of ****. So he comes back on Sunday to see how I'm doing. I told him that I felt a lot of pain still. So, he wanted to do an endoscopy. So I had an endoscopy scheduled on Monday. So they brought me to the endoscopy. I don't remember anything. Which was good considering they gave me anesthesia to knock me out. It came back that I had what was called gastritis. Which is pretty much inflammation of the stomach lining. I couldn't accept that this was the cause of my pain. I just didn't seem right. My surgeon came in and we spoke about what they found out. He felt that it is very possible that my band was causing this pain. It felt that I may have some adhesions stuck around my band. It's also very possible that after 2 years of having a lap band in my body that my body is rejecting this foreign object. He told me that he was going to discharge me on that Tuesday and I should call and make an appointment with him to schedule surgery to get my lap band taken out. So here it was Tuesday, I went home. I was so happy to be home. I spent the rest of the day sleeping mostly. Wednesday came around and that morning I was in severe pain. The oxycodone wasn't helping at all. By 5:00PM I called my husband and said I need to go to the ER. As soon as I got into a bed, the ER doctor called and spoke with surgeon and the surgeon wanted to talk to me so he brought the mobile phone into my room and I spoke with him. He asked me if I would like to be admitted and on Friday they take the lap band out. That was the best thing I have heard spoken to me in a very long time. I was 90% sure that this was the cause of my pain. So here we are on Friday 11/11/2011. I'm sitting here in my hospital bed typing this long story about the reason why I've decided to take out this lapband I now call a CRAPband. I'm mad that I chose lapband instead of gastric bypass. I'm mad because I was trying to be safe and avoid invasive surgery with gastric bypass. After much education on the gastric bypass from talking to other friends who have had it and going to a seminar, I'm confident that this is what I want to do. Unfortunately, I will not be able to get the bypass when they take the band out. I have to wait 6 weeks or so for my stomach to heal and then I will be getting gastric bypass. I also have to go through the entire insurance requirements again. I'm fine with that. It's 9:00AM and I'm very nervous about today. Here is a picture of me in my hospital bed typing this to you: Resized to 81% (was 640 x 480) - Click image to enlarge At 4:30PM today I will be laying on that OR table and I will be saying goodbye to something that has done almost nothing for me but cause me emotional and physical pain. I will update you on what happens. I will update you as in the next 2 weeks I recover from this. Please keep me in your prayers and thoughts. I'm really nervous. Until next time, Jessica Here's a picture of me when I'm not in a hospital bed:

My dr here told me he would put in a feeding tube after revision to help reduce the risk of a leak. So for 2-3 weeks after surgery there would be nothing by mouth until healed. this sounds like a good idea, has anyone every done this. Also, I still cant afford my dr so have researched all Mexico drs, but have never asked them about feeding tubes bc I had never heard anyone doing this. does anyone know if mexican drs will put in a feeding tube to help with the risk.. Also, I didnt know there were differenct kinds of feeding tubes. I assumed it would be insertd directly into stomack (never thought about how it is removed) but then I saw the news where brides are having feeding tubes up their nose to lose weight, so now im wondering what kind of feeding tube it would be. does anyone know anything about all this. Im still terrified of a revision, I dont want to be financially devistated if something should go wrong.

Hi all. I am getting my band out on the 31st and then will be sleeved on June 16th. I just have a question: How hard is the time between the removal and then the revision in terms of appetite, nausea, weakness, pain, recovery and ability to work? I'll be on the pre-op diet during that interim. Thanks!

I was unfilled last May, due to alot of heartburn and jsut simply not being able to eat at all. I have now found a place that will fill me w/ floro for $50.00 (Forest PArk Medical Center). I was banded in 2003 and revised in 2005. Any advice for me being that I am so far out being unfilled?

Honestly if you have gerd now, the sleeve can make that much worse. I would spend sometime with your doctor and go on line and read about the statistics of each surgery before making a decision. You will get a lot of opinions on here but you still may be left with confusion over what to do. I was originally scheduled to get the sleeve done. After meeting with my surgeon and going over my history, he suggested that I change to the RNY. I was absolutely devastated because I had my heart set on the sleeve. For some reason I was scared about the rerouting that happens with RNY. Then, I went to see my gastroenterologist who told me that if I had the sleeve and my gerd got worse, there was nothing he could do with medications as I was already at the max. He suggested that I go on line and do some additional research but his recommendation to go to the RNY was very clear. He was concerned I would be looking at a revision down the road. I only wanted to do this surgery once. After spending many hours reading on line and books I decided to go with the RNY. I have not regretted it for one second. I can eat anything I want, I do not have to take meds for gerd/reflux prevention and I have never had a single episode of either. Research until you feel comfortable...... good luck!

Im getting ready for revision 2 im a band to a sleeve now going bypass the gerd is unbearable even with 3 medications ive5been dilated 7 times didn't help

Hi I am in a similar situation. Band fitted 2007, lost 120 pounds, life was great... Sort of. My band would self tighten on a regular basis requiring an emergency unfill and then it would take many fills to try and get back to anything like a sweet spot. I persevered, but 18 months ago I started with A persistent cough, then things just went down hill. I have silent reflux, GERD gastritis. My throat was red raw and I was hoarse. My band had been checked and it hasn't actually slipped but it does have a fine tipping point between restriction and total closure. My sugeon advised me against the sleeve due to having reflux. I am now due to revise to an MGB in June. If you have not been tested for H Pylori I would suggest you get this checked. I was positive and it magnified my symptoms. Good luck with whichever route you take.

I've not had a band, but I will echo that my bariatric surgeon is in partnership with the chief of surgery at my large local hospital, and they also refuse to place bands. He said they deal with bands a lot, but only to remove them or revise them into the sleeve or bypass. Also, I have two friends who have bands, and while both have had some success with their bands, neither of them have come close to their goals. Clearly, the choice is yours, but I encourage you to research fully and go into surgery with total peace.

I've used fitday.com (no good phone app, just on laptop) every day since 2009 (lap band surgery was in 09), and I just recently had a sleeve revision. I wish it had a good app, but I like it because it has graphs, pie charts and stats that I love to "study" through the years. I track everything I put in my mouth: Calories, carbs, fats. They have a really good database and I input all the foods I buy at the grocery store. I also put in my exercise, and in my journal there I put in any changes of my day (like if I have a cold, if the dr. changes my meds). It's really an invaluable tool and I find it to be "calming", strange maybe?