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Hello, I guess this is my introduction to the forum. I'm a 46 Y/O guy, about to go in for a revision to my RNY that was done a while back (exact date when I remember...) My new date is this coming Tuesday, May 30th, 2017. My first surgery was somewhat successful, but I guess I got tired of the restrictions and requirements after a while, and I started cheating more and more in my diet. I dropped down to around 300 lbs after starting at 618, my heaviest. A few years ago I had an accident, where I was left in a lot of pain, and since I didn't have insurance I left it go untreated, and that was the beginning of my weight gain, to where I'm now, 504 lbs as of last Monday. Well, here I am, not as excited as the first time, and not scared either, more of a feeling of "whatever". Now, don't get me wrong, I will make it work, it's not as fun being fat and 46, like it was being fat and 30. Anyway, I'm an open book, ask away if you have any Q's, and I'm looking fwd to learning from ya'lls successes and mistakes, especially now that I found a forum dedicated to guy's issues, because my first time around, it was mostly ladies, with very few guys, and most of those guys were young. Best Regards.

My sleeve surgery is now behind me. Surgeon took 2.5 hours because of all the scaring my band caused. But the pain after this surgery was far less for me than when the band was removed. I'm now day 3 and reckon my pain scale is a 2 if even. I can sleep easily on my left hand side and am feeling great. Had my barium swallow to confirm there were no leaks before moving to clear fluid diet. Now on liquid diet and feeling great. Getting to know my sleeve still. NOt sure if it doesn't like lactose anymore or it's just the reaction to the liquid from the barium swallow, but slight runs when going to the toilet as from last night and again this morning. Happens after I have diary... but surgeon says give it a couple of days to settle. I'm having lactose free diet at the moment, just in case. I can't believe that the band cause so much internal damage to me, I wish i had looked into this revision years ago. Hope all the other May 25ers are doing well, as well as those about to be sleeved shortly.

Let's see -- what are some of my favorites? Swedish fish, peeps, pizza on day 3 post-op, chicken fingers and fries during the pre-op liquid diet, ice cream as a full liquid, putting protein powder in a milkshake, alcohol during the first month post-op, a pork chop in the first week post-op. And there have been countless others; these are just the ones I remember off the top of my head. (And most of these posts come in the form of yes/no questions -- can I eat swedish fish? -- can't ice-cream count as a liquids? -- etc.) Yea, I have sparred with some folks in some of these threads -- mostly because I want better for people. But probably 1/2 to 3/4 of the people I've encountered on this site really aren't making lifestyle changes, aren't changing their relationship with food, and aren't going to be successful long-term because of their decisions and their inability to get a handle on food. And those people will be blowing up these forums for a while, and then they'll disappear until they come back months or maybe even years later talking about how WLS failed them and they need a revision to one thing or another. And then the cycle will repeat. For those people who are super focused on what they need to do to be successful pre- and post-op, this gets really frustrating. Yes, it's probably better to just ignore these kinds of posts, but, again, many folks just want better for these people, make a comment, and then commence the next internet war. There are a handful of people on here who are successful and thoughtful. I stick around to see what they say. Everyone else can eat/drink/post/etc. whatever they want to. I'm just going to enjoy my 200 pound weight loss, and work on getting this last 17 pounds off by the end of the summer.

Hello, I guess this is my introduction to the forum, please point me in the right way if I'm in the wrong place. I'm a 46 Y/O guy, about to go in for a revision to my RNY that was done a while back (exact date when I remember...) My new date is this coming Tuesday, May 30th, 2017. My first surgery was somewhat successful, but I guess I got tired of the restrictions and requirements after a while, and I started cheating more and more in my diet. I dropped down to around 300 lbs after starting at 618, my heaviest. A few years ago I had an accident, where I was left in a lot of pain, and since I didn't have insurance I left it go untreated, and that was the beginning of my weight gain, to where I'm now, 504 lbs as of last Monday. Well, here I am, not as excited as the first time, and not scared either, more of a feeling of "whatever". Now, don't get me wrong, I will make it work, it's not as fun being fat and 46, like it was being fat and 30. Anyway, I'm an open book, ask away if you have any Q's, and I'm looking fwd to learning from ya'lls successes and mistakes, especially now that I found a forum dedicated to guy's issues, because my first time around, it was mostly ladies, with very few guys, and most of those guys were young. Best Regards.

Thomas and wynellgray, My hubby weighed over 500#'s. Way back 17 years ago. He presued WLS back in 2000. His Surgeon convinced him that he needed the Lap Band. He lost 100#'s but had nothing but problems with it. In Sept 2013 he went in for a revision to the RNY. The band had eroded into his Liver so they removed his band and gallbladder then told him in 3 months after he healed they would do his RNY. He ended up with abcesses and was deathly sick for 9 months. (3 of them he doesn't even remember!! So after that he found out he has Cancer in his Kidney (which Tuesday he goes in for a ebalsion to kill the Cancer. He weighed to much for them to do anything, this was a huge reason that he needed to lose more weight. Fast forward to June of 2016. We went to Mexico and again they gtried to do the RNY not happening!! His total eft side was solid scar tissue!! So he got the Sleeve!! Now he has lost 135#'s. We are so excited!! Like I said earlier he gets his Cancer zapped like POPCORN in the microwave. LOL That is what his Dr said. thought it was a great metaphor. Any how I wanted to share some of his walks in the fast lane. Both of you KEEP ON KEEPING ON!!!

First of all best of luck on your revision surgery! You are absolutely doing the right getting rid of the band. It will only get worse with time. I am having my lapband converted to RNY in July also. after 6.5 years I couldn't stand the pain and had to eat a "bunch" of Tums to only sometimes ease the horrid pain that would last for hours. This happened nearly every time I ate. I am also scared and very nervous going through this as an "older" woman. An EGD showed inflammation that nearly closed the opening from pouch to stomach, gastritis and esophagitis. The UGI showed the barium not going through well, a band slip and a flipped port! Oh, and I've had the night coughing for years since the band. I HATE this thing! My Dr. Said that 95% of band patients that have had them removed with no revision gained 100%* of their weight back. This was a non-starter for me. I originally asked for a sleeve but the gastric reflux that I developed after the band would get worse so the Dr. recommended RNY. I am on Medicare. The Dr.'s insurance girl said they would pay because it has made me so sick I must have it removed and I guess they've paid before in these instances. If they don't, they don't. I can't live like this anymore.

Just went sleeve to rny revision.. hope I get results like you. Very very nice!!!

I am currently 10 months post op band revision to RNY . What a journey it's been ! My expectations was to lose weight but I was told I would lose weight extremely slowly and not that much because of previously being banded . Well I hit my 100# loss and couldn't be happier ! HW 285 SW 265 CW 165 GW 140

Thank you for the great tips and advice. I'm 4 days post op now. I also had the revision (2 surgeries). While I expected the gas to be bad, luckily it never really was. Maybe that was due to my pre op loss of almost 20#. I will keep your advise going forward and hopefully I will have the same amount of success you have.

Same here. I got my band in January 2011. I've had terrible complications for several years and will hopefully be having a revision to RNY in July 2017. I do not recommend lapband to anyone! I'm nervous about the RNY because I am "older" but it has to be done. My BMI is 29.5 now but I still need the revision because of my health problems cannot afford to gain all of my weight back. Best of luck on your surgery. It's got to be more effective and safer than the band.

They could be referring to a stricture, which can happen with malformed sleeve. A good surgeon can correct it and a so-so surgeon will revise it to a bypass because he doesn't know how to correct it. (Always go for a second and preferably third opinion before revising for a defective sleeve, particularly if the first choice is the guy who did the original sleeve.)

Does anyone know any data on this? I'm a big YouTube wls follower & I have seen a few ladies need revisions because of partial digestion? Like their sleeve stopped passing food through properly or something.

I dumped in the first 6 months with the sleeve. I did it twice making dumb choices. I haven't dumped since. Also most RNY people only dump in the beginning also. Dumping isn't an always thing for most people. There is no reason to choose a surgery on dumping. A lot of people that are sweets lovers and choose RNY are disappointed to learn long term they have eat all the sweets they want. Nothing will stop you from eating cake but you. What surgery you want is a personal choice. I picked the sleeve because it just seemed more logical to me. I'm single, live alone, not near family and I needed something with fast recovery, the least amount of long term maintenance and the lower complications rates. @MarinaGirl seems to really hate the sleeve for reasons that don't even make sense. She had an experimental surgery that has little data to back up that isn't even widely performed. No one rags on her about that, but she makes a point to show up in every thread she can and bash the sleeve. If you really listen to Dr Weiner he says every WLS should be considered a one time shot, and the reason is because you only get the metabolic reset once. Revisions don't give people the same metabolic reset as the first time. Plus with the exception of the band, because the band is just a terrible product, the reason people need revisions has nothing to do with the surgery and every thing to do with their food addiction, which he also explains. If someone is a food addict, surgery is not going to save them, no matter how many times they have it done. GERD is at a 20% in the general population and 10% in sleevers. If you already have GERD prior to surgery then getting the sleeve (unless the cause of your GERD is a hiatal hernia) is not a smart option. @Terri70 You just have to pick. The weight loss in the end will be about the same no matter what surgery you choose, because how much weight you lose and if you maintain depends solely on you and your choices. Weight loss surgery after about 6 months won't do the work for you, you have to. So the surgery you choose just depends on what you are most comfortable with.

You can absolutely have dumping with VSG. In fact you can have dumping without any WLS at all. Are RNY more prone, sure. But saying it isn't a potential problem is just incorrect. Terri, you say you want to lose 120 lbs. VSG reports 50-60 (some 70)% loss of your total overage. RNY is upwards of 80%. Yes there are more potential complications with VSG over RNY. As someone that was banded 5 and a half years ago. I wish I would have went RNY off the bat. The band had all these amazing results reported. But the truth didn't follow the marketing. Sure, I lost 60ish lbs total already. But I'm stuck at around 300-315 lbs. Have been for 4 of the 5 years I've had the band. I'm currently in the progress of revising to RNY. Look at all your factors, how much you have to lose, etc. Understand that restriction alone will ONLY get you so far. That's why the RNY has a greater long term success rate, because of the malabsorption. I figure, I'm almost 40, over 300 lbs. If I don't do something to drop 100+ lbs now, I might not see 50.

Statistically, less complications with VSG vs RNY. Gerd is the biggest concern for VSG and can lead to needing a revision. RNY has the malabsorption aspect as well as other possible risks. I am not against either, I chose VSG because imo it was best for ME. If I need to revise in the future (a percentage of wls patients end up with a revision) than so be it! Even RNY patients get revised sometimes, so there really is no right or wrong, just pick best for you & health. My mother had RNY 10 almost 11 years ago & is doing well!

Dr Matthew Weiner, a bariatric surgeon in Michigan, who has very informative videos on YouTube (check them out), says that Gastric Bypass has more durable weight loss long term than Sleeve Gastrectomy. He also talks about how you should have just 1 WLS in your life and not "plan" for a revision from VSG if necessary. But the biggie, imo, is the increased risk for GERD (aka acid reflux) with the VSG; to either develop it for the first time or for it to worsen for someone who already has it. GERD also puts you at increased risk for esophageal cancer, which doesn't have good survival rates. And taking PPIs long term increases your risk for dementia and/or osteoporosis. I would talk to your surgeon about the actual risks of RNY vs VSG as statements that non-medical people may make that VSG is so much safer may not be accurate. Base your decision on sound data and guidance from professionals so you make the right choice for YOU. Good luck!

I can relate to this. I was banded back in Nov of 2011. Whereas I did lose about 60 lbs in total, I only lost 38 or so after the band. I tried my hardest, tracked all intake and expenditures. I just couldn't break 300. I'm currently floating between 300 and like 315. I felt defeated. I felt like a failure. I stopped going to my surgeon for check ups. I just kinda gave up on the band. Recently I decided that I have had enough of the getting stuck on good for you foods and was just done with failing at weight loss. I was nervous, anxious, and a bit scared to step foot in my doctor's office. But with my wife in tow, I did just that. I was relieved to find out that my experience, wasn't abnormal at all. I wasn't a failure. The band was over hyped and typical results were WAY less than promised. My doc told me that some companies have stopped making the band or replacement parts all together. One is in the process of selling their part of the company that does bands altogether. So, please do NOT take all the blame! I'm currently working towards revision to bypass. I thought about the sleeve, but my doc will not do band to sleeve revision due to scar issue build up under the band being directly in line to where they staple when they sleeve. Scar tissue doesn't heal to scar tissue the same way that healthy tissue heals to healthy tissue. So, if I wanted the band she would refer me to another surgeon in her office, but she wouldn't do it because the increased risks of leaking were just too great for her to justify doing the procedure. That and going from a long term band installation to sleeve will *not* have the same outcome as those going from nothing to sleeve. As I'm already used to the restriction, it won't be as effective. So, I'm going to revise to the bypass. Just understand, that the band was not the product that it was reported to be. You are not alone in the failure. The band failed you, not the other way around. Stay strong. Stay positive. Stay focused.

I am a bit of a hypochondriac so I was inspired to read this as well! I have hope that a revision won't be needed and that I can keep my weight maintained!

HI Victoria! Thanks for taking the time to respond. This is what I read about him over and over. And that he is very good with revisions that have scarring.

I can understand that. I'm 11 weeks post op and I have lost 34#. It's seems slow and I have yet to drop a size in my clothes (I have tightened my bra, but that's it). I was hoping by now I would be in smaller scrubs. They are definitely looser, but no size change yet. It's tough. I am a revision from lap band and I was slow then too. You just need to think it didn't come over night nor will you lose it over night. I am just keep doing my thing. Going to they gym 4 days a week for an hour. I'm trying not to go crazy, because I think that's what knocked me down last time. (I was going 6 days a week and sometimes twice a day, which isn't sustainable for me). I figure this way if I start to really stall I can bump it up. Just keep working it and it will happen.

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.

Hello Brandon, Your story isn't far off from my own. I hit an "unofficial" 370 lbs at my largest, and I'm only 5 foot 9. I grew up in a large Italian family where eating was just what you did, all the time. If you didn't have seconds then the food must not have been good enough. I've had my band for 5 years, 6 months and 7 days now. I lost 60 lbs total, and that's it. I'm currently working with my insurance and surgeon to get a revision to the bypass. The band just isn't your best option, in fact a lot of places won't even do it anymore at this point. Even lap band companies are selling off product, selling whole sections of their company and a few, won't make new parts at all. Overall, it wasn't the worst decision I made. But I do wish, in retrospect, that I went with the Bypass first. (Didn't have the option for a sleeve when I had my band installed) I would recommend not doing the band. For your height and weight and eating situation, you'll see more benefits from gastric sleeve surgery. With less issues as well. If you are still hard up on getting the band. 1. I personally do still feel hunger, no different than pre-band. 2. I eat about 1/3 to 1/2 as much as I used to before being "full" 3. The band can erode your stomach lining and penetrate into your stomach wall. You will get stuck on foods, I get stuck on most of the foods that are supposed to be good for me. Leafy greens suck, lean meats are tough, fibrous fruits and vegetables hurt. If you can't keep water down, then the band is WAY too tight and needs to be adjusted. I can't take a good portion of pills or vitamins because they are just too big and will not pass through my band opening. Something to take into account. The band can slip too. 4. Pain before surgery? whatever you are feeling right now. Pain after surgery. Wasn't horrible. I had a tough time for a week or 2, you don't realize how much of your upper core you use for basic things. But put 4 one inch holes and a 3 inch hole in there and you'll feel it. Band adjustments weren't all that bad either. They will put a special needle that has the opening on the side into your abdomen and then into the port itself to insert or remove fluid as needed. 5. My opinion. It doesn't sound like the band is "for you". You'll get more out of a sleeve without having to deal with intestinal changes. But you won't see as much weight loss as with the bypass. Hunger, it's going to still be there, so far only the sleeve and bypass change your hunger sensitivity. Binge eating, dude, doing anything too much or too quickly with the band only leads to throwing up, and I will tell you, throwing up with an object around your stomach pouch preventing things from the lower area getting into the upper area, sucks bad. It's hard to describe, but I get afraid I'm going to pass out when I do have to vomit, the pressure in my head caused by the band is scary when actually vomiting. Purging from being stuck isn't that bad if you can control your gag reflex and not let it turn into full on vomiting. I've gotten good at that part, still sucks but not as bad as a uncontrollable vomiting situation. So all said and done. The band is MUCH better than nothing at all. But at this point, it's not the best option for weight loss surgery either. Hopefully this helps. Feel free to message me if you have any other questions.

I have had my band for a couple years now and I have had very little success and feel I eat worse than I did before I got the band. I wish I had gotten the sleeve instead and now Idk how to getting a revision done. I always feel deprived of food with the band and only eat slider foods so I feel satisfied. Idk what to do I am disappointed in myself and the band. Any suggestions?