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Hey everyone.. Had my revision about 8hrs ago and the pain is so uncomfortable. I have a bit of a concern as I'm trying to take teeny tiny sips of Water and it seems to be getting stuck, therefore I have to spit it up and it's coming out as a bloody spit. Nurses say that's to be expected and asked me to minimize sipping for a lil while,, of course I don't want to be dehydrated though. Anyone else heard of this?

I had a drain with my revision and even though I hated it, it is there to detect infection or signs of a leak. I had mine taken out before I left the hospital. It is mainly just an annoyance, but so worth it to have the sleeve!

How does the Sleeve compare to the VBG? Well..... most of my stomach was surgically removed is the difference. Did you have the mesh or silastic band? I'm doing fine so far, just be sure you find a surgeon with experience at doing VBG revisions.

***I LOVE this article. Almost every single person that I have heard complain about re-gaining their weight has done it to themselves because THEY EAT THE WRONG THINGS JUST BECAUSE THEY CAN!! It's totally ABSURD! Why would you put yourself through the discomfort of having the majority of your stomach cut out if you are just going to sabotage yourself?!?!?!? This is a fantastic article...It's about time we started getting real with ourselves and others! Let me know what you think.***-Liz My Two Favorite Words In Bariatric Surgery: Personal ResponsibilityDecember 26, 2012 by tammy My Two Favorite Words In Bariatric Surgery: Personal Responsibility Bariatric surgery will not work unless we resolve the issues and change the bad habits that got us to the point of being morbidly obese. People email me all the time regarding the topic of keeping the weight off and staying happy and focused on their weight loss surgery journey. We all know that regain is such a big problem for so many of us in this community, and it can be really frustrating. It is also leading to more and more people inquiring about revisions. And for the record, no, I am not one of those people who think revisions are bad and should not be done. I do think sometimes things happen medically that require a revision, but also we can undo some of the good things our surgeries have done for us, which can sometimes be fixed by a revision. Here is what I have a problem with. I recently met a lady who has had two revisions in the last three years. She is still about 80 pounds overweight. She told me how frustrated she is and how sad it makes her to see the weight keep coming back. I asked her why she thought it was such a problem for her, and really expected some story of complications and issues that were beyond her control. What she told me actually made me even sadder than the medical issues would have made me. This beautiful lady told me a story of how she just loves her carbs. Rice and butter for breakfast, cookies for a snack, crackers and butter for another snack, and the list goes on and on. Bariatric surgery will not work unless we resolve the issues and change the bad habits that got us to the point of being morbidly obese. For some of us it will take therapy and dealing with a food addiction to be able to maintain these changes. One of the hardest things for me to do after my surgery and initial loss was admit I had an addiction and seek treatment for that addiction. I can thank my good friend, Dr. Connie Stapleton, for that light bulb moment. I have to take personal responsibility for my disease, its treatment, and for my recovery, which is so very important to me. How many of us truly take proper care of the second chance at life we have been given? I really ponder that question a lot. I know there are days when I do not. I like to have a drink when my husband and I are on vacation or go out on the weekends. Is that good for me? No. I make a poor choice when I put anything into my body that is not healthy. I then have to live with that choice. When we agreed to go under the knife and have weight loss surgery of any type, we took on a huge responsibility and a personal commitment to a new healthy life. This is not something I can take lightly. And my passion is to show others what a precious thing their treatment is and how it should never be squandered. I feel like every time we as post-ops make bad eating choices, it is no different from a patient who smoked their whole life, got lung cancer, then had surgery to remove the cancer and was cancer-free, PICKING UP A CIGARETTE AND SMOKING IT AWAY. If your best friend had lung cancer and then had surgery and chemo and was cancer-free, what would you say to them if they started to light a cigarette? Why then do we not say this to each other when we are out and one of us chooses horrible foods that have no nutritional value and will do nothing to improve our health? I hear so many in our community fighting tooth and nail to have obesity regarded as a disease, which it is for sure. But then, when we now have this amazing treatment for this disease, why do we not all see it and treat it as a miracle and a second chance and a real blessing? I think our path and our resolve has to be even firmer than that of a drug addict or a smoker. Why? We can live without alcohol, drugs, and cigarettes, but we cannot live without food. The temptation will never go away. I in no way expect every bariatric patient to be perfect. I surely am not, and I will always struggle with bad choices. I am human as you are. But I would simply challenge you to make fewer and fewer of the bad choices and more and more good ones. When I looked at the Doritos, my mind went to all of the people I know out there who want and need the treatment I was given and will never be able to have it for themselves. For me, that is a thought that literally stops me in my tracks. I have to think of where I would be without gastric bypass and how different my life would be. I think of the amazing things I can do, feel, and experience now because of the newer, healthy version of me. Your weight loss surgery was so much more than just a way to get skinny. You have been given something so precious and valuable. Nothing makes me sadder than seeing people just treat it as if it were nothing special and squander the chance they have been given at a new life. And, yes, I know many are thinking, “But, Erin, what about those of us who had terrible complications?” I know that happens and it is sad, but it’s one of the risks involved with trying to save our lives and get healthy. I have had a few, and am thankful that they have been minor and my heart breaks for those who have had serious ones. Please, the next time you are tempted to eat that cookie, or donut, or piece of cake, or plate of nachos, or have that sugary cocktail, or whatever your trigger food was, the food that contributed to your disease, think of where you have come from and where you want to be. Think of the person sitting in their room, crying their eyes out and miserable because their insurance just denied them the treatment you have been given. You owe it to yourself and those who love you to be the best and healthiest version of you that you can be. Never expect perfection as it will only leave you frustrated, but strive for 95 percent good choices and for optimal health. You deserve it, and you have a responsibility to make good choices. It is your responsibility to care for that treatment and tool and to never find yourself throwing it away. If you are someone who has regained, and are exploring a revision, I would encourage you to seek therapy first. Only when we fix the emotional parts can we really be the total package of health we all long to be and deserve to be. We are all works in progress, and the best we can hope for is to keep growing and learning. I love this community, and I love all of the amazing and diverse people who make it what it is. I also want to see us all be as healthy as we can be together! That will show the world how wonderful weight loss surgery really can be! Through personal responsibility, we can all better convey that truth to the mainstream media and general public! Erin Akey, FNC, LWMS, CWFI is a Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach and a Certified Aqualogix Water Fitness Instructor. She is the host of a weekly radio show about life after weight loss surgery called Fit Living. She also runs a company called The Bariatric Guru and is hosting a national conference series in 2012 called The Bariatric Breakthrough Challenge. For more

The people I know that have had a second or third band have never managed to achieve the same level of success they did when they first got banded. Potentially you may have lots of scar tissue and adhesions. At some point in your future this band is probably going to stop working or cause issues that require a revision. Why put yourself through that, especially because as Matt says bands are being phased out as they have been proven over time not to be the successful tool that they were initially thought to be. I would be considering my options and looking at something that hopefully won't need another revision 5 or 10 years down the line

Hello everyone - I am a newbie to this site and am looking for some help with Aetna Question for those of you with Aetna seeking revision from LB to VSG - how did you get Aetna to pay? My band has a severe prolapse (documented with GI, showing that barium just sits on my espohagus causing reflux and spasms. Originally had lost 130 lbs and have regained 30. When I got banded in 4/2010 Aetna approved the proceedure in 48 hours. And I was very happy with the band and my weight loss. Flash forward to 5/2012 when I began being unable to eat solid Protein, but could eat things like saltines with out any problem! Made an appt for a my first ever fill 3cc and have been so unhappy since. The doc removed the fill completely in 6/2012 and then sent me for an GI in 7/2012 and called me last week and doctor is suggesting revision to sleeve. Think it would be best for me as I have battled nausea and reflux, for quite sometime now. Thinking that he must feel that my case is valid and Aetna will approve, but I am worried. So - those of you with Aetna who were able to revise, please tell me your experience and what your approval process looked like. Did Aetna treat the revision from LB to VSG as a new surgery? Meaning did you have to requalify for the surgery or were you able to just get the revision to VSG approved with proof of the problem? Hoping that they will approve soon as I have pain and the doctor is concerned about my needing the procedure done as an emergency. Also, were you able to have the LB removed and the VSG done at the same time? How long were you in the hospital for? Appreciate any feedback or advice from those of you who have been there and done that! Hoping for the best and preparing for the worst when it comes to dealing with Aetna!! Tori

I had my final meeting with the surgeon today. My surgery date (removing lapband and revising to sleeve) on July 19th. My doctor said that there will be a drain tube in place and should be removed right before I am discharged. Has anyone had a drain tube immediately after surgery??? If you did was it to prevent the port incision site problems everyone is discussing???? Had my band since 10/2009 and my port flipped and band slipped. I opted to have it removed and revised to the sleeve instead of repairing the band.

In my case, i did it as two separate surgeries, but there are advantages to having a single surgery. I am glad I did what I did as it confirmed my decision to get the sleeve - but - I was so hungry in those months between. My insurance approved it either way, and I was an "revision" either way - whether seperate surgeries or the same.

Does anyone have any idea or stats on if the risk is higher for Lap-band Revision to Gastric Sleeve?

Hello, I had a lap band in January of 2006. I lost weight very slow but steady and all was good for about 2 and a half years. I got food poisoning and had to have all of my fluid removed. After that I was never able to get my restriction right. Ok maybe that sounds crazy but thats what happened. Also in the last two years I have been v'miting and acid reflux, no eating in the morning, can't ever get full blah blah blah. Oh did I mention weight gain. Recently I went and had another fill and explained that I had been feeling worse than usual but some days I can eat way to much and others nothing. My doc sent me to have an abdominal scan and an upper gi. Well I have gallstones and my band was so tight that the barium would not go down. My doc then told me I had to have some fluid removed, and then told me that I should consider the sleeve because he thinks that I won't be able to tolerate any more fills. So I had the fluid removed and now of course I have zero restriction. This is scary I can eat whatever and big portions. I'm sorry for being so winded I just wanted to give some background. I am going on 7-8-10 to get a surgery date hopefully at the end of July for the sleeve. Ok finally my question is has anyone had the band to sleeve revision and the gallbladder out at the same time and what type of recovery should I be expecting. Any feedback would be much appreciated. Thanks so much.

Here is an alternate view. I had to remove my band due to complications also. It was removed in april and my sleeve was done in June. During that brief time I gained a huge amount of weight. i do believe that weight loss is slower and restriction is less as a revision patient. For example I could easily eat 1500 or more calories now at 3 months out. I do not know why that is but the sleeve is working for me because I am full very quickly but I don't have any problems eating anything. I don't know the answer to your question but please don't let yourself gain back too much weight. I also lost 100% of my excess weight and am now back to square 1 (although I am losing weight steadily). It just REALLY sucks to do this again!

Me too!!! Lapband revision to gastric bypass on 12-14-2016 Highest weight: 353 lbs Weight day of surgery: 308.2 lbs Current weight: 298.6 Total weight loss: 9.6 lbs

Hi all, Glad to be part of this section of BariatricPal since previously spending it on the Lap Band forum! To give a bit of background: My highest weight ever was 357 and I underwent lap band surgery on May 2013 - four days after I turned 21. I found great success with it for the first 18 months, losing 156 lbs before having a body lift (tummy tuck/butt & thigh lift) and arm lift in late February 2015 where an additional 11 lbs of excess skin was removed, making my total loss 167 lbs and my lowest weight to date being 190 lbs. Last summer, to put it as simply as possible, my band pretty much "stopped working" and I ended up gaining 30 lbs back. It was torturous and I worked tirelessly with my surgeon's office to resolve it (multiple fills which all did nothing, the highest being 6.75; anything above I couldn't swallow water) and even went on Phentermine for a few months - which helped me lose 10 of the 30 lbs I'd gained back - before my body became immune to it. After expressing for a long while that I felt helpless and would like to have my band removed/revised to a sleeve, my surgeon's office helped me apply for insurance approval which was a success! My weight pre-revision surgery was 209 lbs and I had the revision done just this past Wednesday, August 24th. I am recovering well although I'd forgotten how miserable the 2 week liquid diet is! Two questions I currently have are: 1) I am very bloated from having IV fluids for 3 days and saw my weight fluctuate to 214 and then back to 210. I don't plan to weigh myself knowing it will just upset me in the meantime - when can I expect for this to resolve itself? 2) My goal weight is 165 lbs (being 5'8 tall and 24 years old) but realize that I've already lost a large amount of weight; is this a realistic expectation? I've suffered so much heartache as a result of the past year that my fear (probably irrational) is that I won't lose any more weight or be able to see weekly progress. Thanks all for reading - any advice/comments are appreciated!

I recommend that you talk to Lori Wrights who is a coordinator with Dr. Ortiz's office. Lori was my coordinator and she is a patient as well. She had the band and opted for revision surgery to the sleeve. Her surgery was the same day as mine... April 16th.. She is a wealth of knowledge as well as a good friend and will answer any questions that you may have. All the best!!!! Emily

What are you chasing? Are you chasing a sensation that stops you eating? A band is not about restriction in that way it is supposed to make you satisfied on smaller portions of healthy food, the tighter you are the less likely you are to be able to eat those healthy foods and the more likely you are to eat high calorie non satisfying sliders. The other thing is that bands after a while seem to become ineffective. It may be that your band has come to the end of its useful lifespan and you may need to consider a revision

Hi. I had the revision to the sleeve on 10/31 and I too feel pretty blah and just want to sleep. I think every day gets better. You are not alone. What I am hating right now are the gas pains.

I am new to the forum. I am looking for information for a good revision surgeon in or near AL. Most the doctors in Alabama do not perform revision surgery. However, they will take your money for consult and then tell when you're in the office, "oh we don't do revision surgery" . I have travelled as far as ATL and have a surgeon. However, because constant trips and not the ability to accommodate out of town patients, this was not a successful path. I know there is a listed Bariatric Surgeon who specialize in revision and are able to accommodate out of town patients. I just need the list so I can begin again. Thank u for any help.

I'm sorry I can't offer any insight to the revision aspect of your question, but I had my sleeve done on an outpatient basis! I walked into the hospital at 7:30 AM and walked out at 6:00 PM (with some help). I was able to go to the restroom by myself within hours of waking up from surgery. From my experience, a hospital stay wouldn't be out of the question. You'll be uncomfortable and possibly having a hard time getting/keeping liquids down. Having people to help is very important. My boyfriend was with me almost at all times for the next 4 days or so, making sure I get in liquids, helping me get around, and making sure I walked and used the incentive spirometer every hour for maybe 12-14 hours each day. I can assure you; it's very nice, possibly necessary, to have people around who care.

I'm planning on band to DS revision. Doc says no overnight stay if at all possible because he believes we heal faster and have less risk of infection while at home.

I am currently in the process of trying to get approved by Aetna for revision surgery from sleeve to bypass. I have GERD, regain and a "deformed fundus" (which looks like an addition pouch up top/ shaped like the letter "P") from my pouch stretching abnormally. My surgeons office submitted the pre-cert to Aetna on Friday. I am just wanting to hear people's Aetna revision experiences. Thanks!

In Sept 03 I was banded I weighed 262 within 9 mos I was down 70lbs with no fill, my doctor was thrilled I wanted more I started running and took on a very strenous job, then I wanted a fill. There truly was no need for it I may have hit a plateua but who knows. I started vomiting 3 times a day then found out I was pregnant so no upper gi could be done. I vomited for 18 mos 3 to 4 times a day. Life was hell I hated my husband for enjoying the food I cooked knowing that I would be in pain from just taking a bite. Finally after moving to a new state and not being able to find a bariactric to see me my old dr found me Dr Needleman at OSU. I cried in his office the 2nd time I saw him I didnt have the energy to lift my son yet I weighed 255 lbs. He had tried a egd and it hadnt worked so on June 22nd he went in, I wanted it GONE!!! When I awoke the first thing i remember is crying 'is it still there', It was.... I found out that I had an ulcer right beneath the band which had also slipped. Everytime I ate the band held true to my pouch and beared down on my ulcer. Relief only came when the pouch again was empty and as quickly as possible. So here I am starting over are my odds shot??? Heather B. intial sept 03, Pamela Foster Mills CA 262/185/260 revision june 06, Bradley Needleman OSU OH 255/247/170

Well this was my little weekend project I did while I was recouperating from port revision. Its a cross stitch kit from DMC. Quick and fun.

I'm also a band to sleeve revision (slipped band) and I'm 7 weeks out so eating regular foods now. I honestly eat about 7-8 times a day cuz after 4-6 bites, I can't eat anymore - but then I'm hungry 90 minutes later. My dr said I should be eating 3 meals by now but how can I live on less than 450 calories forever (and thats including my Protein shake)? I've added up my 4-6 bites x 3+ my Protein shake and it totally less than 450 calories. That can't be right that he wants me to eat so little. So I eat when I'm hungry, which is more often than with my band. I've been bouncing between the same 1 lb fr 2 weeks now. Maybe I'm eating too much? Plan on kicking my cardio up on Monday and hoping that helps cuz I can't eat much less. So I understand why 3 meals sounds so daunting. not sure someone can actually live by eating 5 bites 3x a day??? Good luck!

Hello Everyone!! Today makes two weeks since I had my Revision surgery from lap band to VSG! When I started my weight loss surgery I weighed 250 lbs. The day of my revision I weighed 208.6 lbs. Today two weeks after surgery I weigh 197 lbs!! That means I lost 2lbs this week... I went on a weekend cruise and it was very relaxing. I couldn't do much or go on any Water slides in Atlantis but it was still great to relax and heal. I was advanced to a soft diet last week so I'm glad I didn't actually gain weight and I'm ok with just a 2lb loss. Anyway, hope everyone has a great week! Stay safe & be healthy Ohhhh yea I have a question- does anyone get shoulder pain when they eat? I get it almost every time I eat and it's quite uncomfortable. Cris

I'm am very excited to go to Dr Aceves next Friday! I did a lot of research not only on number of surgeries, but on complications, after care and real results. Dr Aceves does a lot of sleeve revisions from doctors who don't quite do it right and peoples stomachs stretch a lot. I was he very encouraged by the number of people who not only got down to their moderate goal weight but even below it and had to learn how to stop losing weight because it was done so well. I'm very excited and feel totally comfortable. The fee is $8750 and includes a night in the hotel and 3 nights in the hospital and transportation to and from the San Diego airport.