Search the Community

Hello Converters, I asked the question of weather or not my band will still be full (as it is now) or will the fluid be taken out before having the band removed. I asked this question over the phone when I called the surgeons office about another matter. The assistant put me on hold and then came back and said "THEY SAID NO, THEY'LL JUST CUT IT OUT". She laughed and said "THEY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING". I thought it was a logical question but I felt dumb for asking. So is the real answer FILLED or UNFILLED? Has anyone been told weather your band would be filled or unfilled before surgery? I would love to know. Thanks!

Get ready to be motivated and inspired. Join us at the 1st SouthEast VSG 2 day Conference in Atlanta, Georgia on June 12th & 13th at the Wyndham Galleria Hotel. You will Celebrate your pre or post-operative weight loss surgery. No matter what point you are at on this journey come and get the tools needed to continue to get the weight off or maintain it for a lifetime. We have an awesome lineup of presenters and fun activities that are prepared to help you along the way and make the journey easier. We’ll discuss topics on behavioral changes, revisions, importance of exercise & nutrition and beauty tips. We’ll also talk about rebuilding self- esteem, have a live cooking demonstration, body contouring, and a Zumba session. Fun activities include Meet & Greet, Fashion Show made up by attendees, mini concert, vendors as well as fabulous door prizes. We will end the conference with a themed dinner/dance with a live DJ (Hollywood Glam is the theme) on Saturday night. You’ll also get to meet your fellow SouthEast FaceBook members and make new friends. All this for only $100.00 for the entire weekend and access to all speakers, sessions, and 4 meals. The keynote speaker is Dr. Guillermo Alvarez of Endobariatrics.com and you can also meet CEO Alex Brecher of Bariatricpal.com up close and personal. Pay and register at southeastvsg.webs.com until May 15th after that prices go up to $120.00 and you can purchase a one-day ticket for $60.00 but space is limited. See the website for a list of other awesome presenters and hotel information. The goal is to give you knowledge, motivation and inspiration to help make the rest of your life, the best of your life.

What caused you to have a port revision? What were your side effects?

I haven't ahead any acid reflux symptoms since my revision to RNY in May 2013.

I'm 5'6 and my doc doesn't seem to think I'll have any issues getting to a 'normal' BMI....even though I'm a revision, I guess we'll see!!! All I know at this point is that even 5 weeks out, it's easier eating post RNY than it ever was with a band! HW 312, pre-op (lap-band) 294, pre-op (RNY) 255, surgery date 2/11/13, goal weight 154, current weight 226.6

Hi fellow September 24th bandsters (well sort of). I wanted to just stop in and say hello. I was first banded in January 08 and my band had a leak and I was rebanded last week along with you September Samurais. Congratulations on being banded and I hope you will all be successful with the band! It's a life changing journey if you want it to be and if you work with the band properly. Each of you will have different experiences along the way. At some points it will be hard and you'll wonder if it's worth it, but just remind and encourage yourself to keep going because it is worth it (at least I think it is) and because you deserve it! If you gain weight one week, don't come down so hard on yourself and remember it's one week out of the entire year. Try to be positive and notice the small changes along the way because they help put things into perspective. And don't let people tell you that you took the easy way out because it's a lot of hard work! I forgot what it was like to be banded until I had to go through it again! My revision was not as invasive as the first one as all my dr. had to do was remove the old band and put in a new one (so there's not a tremendous amount of healing to do because most of the scar tissue is formed already to hold the band in place, but there is a small amount of new stitching that needs to heal). The first few days were just as rough as the first go-around though, but after that I have recovered a lot quicker than the first time. However, I'm still on the the post-op diet like the rest of you so I can empathize (gotta love them liquids! So happy to be on pureeds now!) Now that a week has gone by, it seems like most of you are feeling much better, which I'm happy to hear! It might feel like the first month or so will seem to drag on, especially with the post-op diet and you'll think you'll never get to chew real food again, but I promise, you will! It will pass, and before you know it, you'll be 2,3,5,8 months post-op and you'll wonder where the time went! If you have any questions please feel free to ask, and I will answer them to the best of my ability! Melody, I found out at the age of 20 that baby food is actually pretty good (who knew)! I'm a fan of the oatmeal and pears (or apples). I add some sweetnlow because it doesn't come sweetened and you would think you're eating the most delicious apple cobbler/crisp you've ever had. Cream of tomato soup is good and I add in some ricotta cheese to up the Protein, plus it adds a nice flavor. I also just microwave some ricotta (you could use cottage cheese too) with some tomato sauce and add basil and garlic and onion powder! It's like a good Pasta dish minus the pasta. I made some cream of sweet potato soup with babyfood sweetpotatoes (again the baby food). I did 1 jar of Stage 2 (I think like 3-4oz jar) and add a half cup of skim milk and like 1/4cup of Water and I heated it and added a bit of ricotta cheese and garlic/onion powder, salt and pepper and it was really good too. It had a nice sweetness to it too. The first time around I had butternut squash soup which I made from jarred butternut squash and followed the recipe on the jar. I also made a cream of cauliflower soup which was good too. I think I have the recipe if you want it. I think I found it here on LBT. Be well everyone! -Redtulips

Hi, I just found this thread - and I wonder how you are doing? Its been awhile since this post but it really resonated with me. First of all - opening yourself up on this forum takes a huge amount of strength and I give you kudos. As for me, I LOVE my chardonnay.....all my friends and family joke about that is my fav thing. (at my big birthday last year, every single gift had a chardonnay theme :-)) Everyone's drinking has their own level of what is "too much". I had a revision 5 years ago and lost 80lbs...on cloud nine, felt great and had an amazing experience. Four months after surgery, I started drinking again. I was able to "drink through" my sleeve and starting gaining the weight back year 4. Drinking for me leads to very bad food choices especially late at night. I also developed severe GERD and a hiatal hernia that were both so painful, and what felt best was comfort food. Today, I am one week out from a revision from a Sleeve to RNY. My surgeon suggested it as the only way to get rid of the GERD. If I could pass along what I have learned this past week - is that the challenge of not being able to reach for a glass of wine is real. It has shown me how much I was drinking. I won't say it is harming my daily progress to meet the protein, water and exercise needs. However, I will say it is making it more difficult mentally. Like a fly swarming around your head reminding you - "you can't drink right now!" Not a good distraction. Only you will know what is best for you - but I do wish I had stopped drinking all together at least a month or two prior to my surgery. This is a marathon not a sprint, and I am here to support you if you need it. I know exactly where you are coming from!

I went to Dr. Aceves in Mexicali. I was a revision from band to sleeve and that is a more complicated procedure than working on a stomach that had never been operated on before. The risks and potential complications are greater for a revision vs. a newbie sleeve. Thus... the only doctor I wanted was Dr. Aceves. OMG NO! Not Huacuz! Adrianne is just one example. I'm still trying to find out if Marty, his DS patient survived or not. I can't find anyone that knows one way or another. By the time Huacuz was done with Marty he had a lacertated liver, had to remove his spleen, his intestines were necrotic, and he was bleeding out. He was in an induced coma in a San Diego hospital trying to undo the damage Huacuz did. Last I heard he has about a 20% chance of survival. Adrianne, if she would have stayed in Tijuana with Huacuz for one more day she would have been dead. She signed herself out of his clinic AMA and got to a US hospital where she too, was in an induced coma for 3 weeks fighting for her life after Huacuz was done with her. The US docs did not believe she would pull through it but thankfully, she did. A sleeve is more invasive than a band, this is all the more reason NOT to have surgery in a clinic! Only a hospital and only by a surgeon that knows what they are doing.

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 learned to eat fast in Army basic training over 15 yrs ago. If u didn't eat in 5 mins, u didn't eat. I brought that gem into my everyday life (not the running or pushups, but eating fast). I was banded for 4 yrs before my revision 4 mths ago and I blame my eating too fast for my band slipping. I never learned to slow down thus often vomiting my meal. After 3 yrs, my band had had it. You'd think I would've learned after that fiasco. I haven't. I still eat way too fast. My husband is even faster than me so when we eat with others, we're done before them and just look around the room Still working on the slow technique. I'm usually the first one done. But then again, I only eat about 6-8 bites!

I know this is post op I'm in a way post and pre op . Let me explain I was sleeved 6 months ago. In that 6 months I only lost 35 lbs that's 5.8 lbs a month. I was told I need the metabolic reset of the RNY. I'm scared that it won't work that I will be the same as the sleeve. Has anyone had a revision at a low BMI and then done okay. I was 244 the day of my sleeve and 208 today. I eat right an workout 5 days a week so I was not slacking or not following my plan. It is 80/128 oz water, 80/100 protein, 800/1100 Cals and 50 to 100 carbs I have been and am doing this but my weight stopped coming off well after 3 months. My original doctor started to avoid me and my my questions why wasn't losing I had to find a secondary surgeon. The second surgeon told me that this wasn't normal and that I should think about a revision to RNY. So I'm here looking for anyone that has thoughts and information from people who have had a revision and done alright and people with a low bmi that have done alright. Any info you can give would be helpful.

I had to go through a psych eval for my band, and my revision surgeon required me to have another one before he would schedule my revision. The additional counseling will help. I didn't have any major head hunger, or really any issues in letting any of the old habits go early on. I was too focused on my recovery, and losing weight. Best wishes for with the orientation, and just be positive. The counseling sessions will help you find new coping skills to deal with the emotional ties we have with food. Keep us posted on your progress.

I'm 13 days post op and also had a hiatal hernia and scar tissue removal (lap band revision to sleeve) and can relate to your experience. Each day seems to bring improvements, small or big, so I'm glad about that.

My surgery is 9/21 and I'm shocked about how calm I am. Mine is band to sleeve revision and I'm in Dallas????

Wow a lot has happened since your last post but it seems like things are moving in the right direction. I know I had the saline removed for about a month before the band was removed and there was still GERD pain and restriction. So hopefully you will know what is going on in there after your procedure tomorrow. That's wonderful that your endoscopy will be covered. Please let us know how that goes. I didn't have mine performed until after my band was removed so it sounds like they're doing something right! You're not the only one who is going through this or has gone through this after having smooth sailing for a while with the band and then suddenly "major comps". I'm sure there are plenty who can share their stories with you. I had no intention of revising to any other surgery but hadn't done as well as you had with your band. My 20 yo daughter had RNY done less than a year after my lap band and lost 150 lbs and after I put on a few lbs after my removal I started thinking maybe there was something out there that would help someone like "me" who seemed hopeless especially where the band was concerned. Anyway 8 months later I revised with the RNY. I hope things go well for you and that you are covered by insurance but that they fix the problem so that you will be healthy again. It can be a scary thing to be in a situation like this and there are a lot of people here to support you and wish you well! Good luck and keep us posted on how things go, Nancy.

NaNa, thanks for the info, thats great to have. Deb, maybe Check with your doctor about his/her stats on slippage (gastric prolapse) and revision. It should be in the 1-3% range. My experiecne is unusual. But I had slippage immediately after being banded, in recovery. I went 4 days in the hospital with extreme pain. They went back in for a 2nd surgery 4 days later to find the slippage, they didn't know about the slippage until they went in again. I totally trust my surgeon & am confident in his ability. He is very well known, lots of experience. Shit happens. For 5 weeks post-op I couldn't say I'd get the band again. Recovery was very slow. But now almost 7 months post-op, I can finally say, I'd do it again, even with all of the pain and slow recovery. I feel so much better. My energy and confidence is back. I rode a bike for the first time in 8 yrs. Life is good. The complications were awlful but for someone looking into a band, I think it is healthy to at least know it can happen, even if it is rare. Complicatoins happen and did in my case. I recovered. Being obese was so painful both emotionally and mentally. I'm still obese but now I have hope. What I did right was to find a Doc that had lots of experience, that I trusted and talked to me openly about the possible complications. I talked to 30 of his patients pre-op to be sure he was good. I considered Mexico and I am so glad I didn't do that. I want a Doc who is close and a hospital that knew him and knew what a lap band was, just in case.

Thom and Lynne, look into the sleeve plication, where the stomach is folded into the stomach and stitched, twice. The benefits are that there's no possibility of leaking and it's reversible if needed. It had all that I needed to feel secure about doing it. Problem is there are only 3 Drs. in the US that do it, look on Youtube at the video of the procedure, it's more difficult as a revision, with that in mind, I paid for it myself and Had it done down in Mexico with a Dr. there that's done 60 of them, just look at all the possibilities as it's a big step.

Lynn, I'm going through exactly what you are . Like you, my dr. says after 2 EDGs, the band has to come out, be repaired or go with sleeve - I'm leaning towards sleeve and hoping to read more about those that have gone the band to sleeve route . I had great success with the band and although there were days I hated it, learned to live with it. I thought the weight loss (120 plus pounds and being almost too thin) was well worth it. I also liked that it could be reverse/removed. This is my fear with the sleeve, there is no going back. Well, if insurance company approves the revision - right now, I've convinced myself, I'm going for it. Don't want to be heavy ever again!!!

Has anyone had to have a revision from the sleeve to the bypass and if so did you suffer any complications??? I would love to hear your experiences I'm scheduled for March 16th and would really love to get some advice from anyone who has experience with this subject. Sent from my LG-H634 using the BariatricPal App

Welcome to the forums. There are a lot of people on here who have been revised from band to sleeve, so you should be able to get a lot of advice and experiences from those folks. I'm really sorry to hear that you feel like a failure. From what I've read from others, the band just doesn't work for everyone. Some people have tremendous success with it. In fact, it sound like YOU had some success with it yourself. But it's not a long-term solution for everyone and many many people have undergone revision. I hope you are approved for sleeve and that you find it to be the long-term tool you need for sustained weight loss.

Sounds like you are NOT enjoying life as normal if you are in constant pain from your GERD. Has your doctor explained that constant GERD can make changes in your lower esophagus that can eventually turn to cancer? And you may be able to put off GERD with your "double dose nexium", but studies are suggesting that long term PPI use is being implicated in problems such as osteoporosis, kidney disease and vitamin deficiencies. And your GERD is not likely to improve without some sort of surgical intervention. And once you get through the post op diet, you should be able to eat the same food you feed your family, just a smaller portion. I hope I don't come across as being harsh, but your health will be affected by your GERD, and I know the thought of a revision seems daunting, but in the long run you might be much happier if you address it soon. Whatever you decide, good luck! Keep us posted.

So, 13 years ago, I weighed 350 pounds. I made a commitment to change, and lost 100 pounds through dieting. After that, in Sept. 2013, I had a sleeve procedure and hernia fix (without complications) and went from 250 down to 155 (my lowest) in 2016. That's when the problems began. I have been suffering with terrible on and off gastritis, constant GERD and reflux, stomach ulcers, and my hiatal hernia needs repair again. I have had two recent endoscopies,including one with a Bravo probe, and the surgeon claims the only way to permanently fix the problem to to revise from a sleeve to RNY. The problem is, I do NOT want full on bypass. I am terrified. I like my life as it is, and I can't imagine going through the surgical recovery process again. I am remarried now, and have a ten year old daughter, and I can't imagine what our family meals/vacations/birthday parties are going to look like post-RNY. I am at the point with my sleeve that I have reincoporated most foods, and eat relatively normally. All of this decision making stress has made me go off the rails with my eating plan, and I have regained almost all the weight I lost (back up to 230 pounds), partially because I have been eating everything in sight, preparing for the moment after which I will "never be able to eat normally" again. I approach every meal with a "last supper" mentality. I enjoy food and beer and traveling, and I don't want to constantly be the odd man out at functions. I am tempted to have the revision for purely vanity reasons - a quick weight loss fix for what I've regained. Nothing I am currently suffering is imminently dangerous, nor is it constant - I have excruciating flare ups. My surgeon will not fix my hernia without doing the whole conversion, because he claims it's "useless" to fix one without doing the other. So, here's what I ask everyone...to anyone who's had the revision...is it worth it? I'm tempted to just keep taking my double dose nexium and drinking my Gaviscon, and enjoying my life as normal. I have a husband who loves and accepts me, and I don't want to do this and risk my life for a surgery simply for appearance's sake. If I can live with my current pain, can't I ride this out with my little sleeve which worked so well until depression made me abuse it? Do I just get back on track, or go under the knife? I have never been so torn. Please help!!! Thank you for listening

My doctor is having me do Optifast for one month prior to the revision surgery. I start optifast on may 14 and am scheduled for surgery on june 12th. I am not scared to do the one month of liquids prior because I have done it before. My doctor is very conservative and works for the Mayo Clinic so I am really confident in his skills. I am anxious that he wont be able to do the removal and revision in one surgery tho. Luckily I have never had blind fills and my band is in position so no issues there. Does anyone know if the surgeon can tell if he will have to deal with a lot of scarring etc. By the results of an EGD? I had one two weeks ago as part of my approval process. Id like some assurance that there is a chance it will work. Thanks!

Hi everyone! I got the lapband back in 2012 and have since had little to no success. I've just been back to see my surgeon for the first time in over a year after becoming fed up with constantly being stuck, to the point where I couldn't even get Water down some days. He said I had a slight prolapse and removed all the Fluid from my band. He suggests that I switch to the sleeve. I just want to do my research before jumping into another surgery. I was wondering what the sleeve is like? What are the more common complications? And my biggest concern, do you get food "stuck" the way those with the band do? Getting stuck constantly was very difficult and uncomfortable and I would not want to feel that ever again, and knowing the sleeve is permanent I am scared that if getting "stuck" is a possibility that it is something I could be dealing with for, well, ever. Just for some background info, I got my lapband done at the hospital my dad works at in NJ (August 2012) because I'm on my dad's insurance and his covers the bariatric stuff, whereas my mom's insurance does not. But I live in VA where I just finished college and am starting a new job, and my dads insurance is not accepted anywhere but in NJ because it's an employee insurance and is only used in NJ. Due to convenience issues I was unable to get to NJ to see my doctor regularly and therefore believe I did not have the most success I could have had had I lived closer to my surgeon. Any and all input is much appreciated! Thanks!!

Hi everyone, I was banded in 2005 and I really believe it slipped early on as I never really had a time where I could eat and feel secure that I wouldn't be sick afterwards, it was always a gamble. I eventually took it out and now two years later I weighed more than before I got the band (part of that was that I thought I would put another band on so wanted to enjoy the forbidden foods before I did). I then heard about the sleeve, then the sleeve plication. That seemed to be the answer for me as I work for an airline, some of the security sensors are sooo sensitive I know the metal staples would set off the alarms, then I'd have to show paperwork or explain it everytime I went to work. So that, coupled with the reversible nature of the plication seemed great for me. I flew down to Tijuana this past week and arrived at my hospital (gorgeous and sooo much nicer than anything I've been in here in the states and I have great insurance) by mid morning, by later that afternoon, the surgery was done. There were no shortcuts, it's just that it is all done seamlessly with no wait time, very well orchestrated. I was accompanied by a concierge type lady, extremely bilingual, through the paperwork, bloodtests, introduction to all of the Drs. etc. My understanding is that there are only around 3 surgeons in the US that do the plication. So I was lucky to have found Dr. Corvala, he is a terrific surgeon and he even admitted it was a tough go. Apparently with mine, there was lots of scar tissue where the band was that needed to be cut, this caused some bleeding so a 5" tube was run into the abdominal cavity to allow it to drain out. I had no idea that our cavity was full of this golden Fluid, which drained out with the residual bleeding. Having had the band, I was at work 3 days later, with very little pain. This revision was much more tender on the inside. I couldn't really catch a deep breath on my heart side, where the work was done. This persisted until yesterday (4 days out). I rested today and plan to not do anything really strenuous for a few days as I don't want anything to be pulled or stretched or torn. I am being very strict with myself on this as I don't want to go under the knife again (this was #3 on weight loss) so I'm really being a good girl. There were many gals in the hospital getting banded and it was hard for me not to be kind of down on it (even though I would have done it again if no other options were available). But I didn't, I took total responsibility for the slippage and warned them about it so as to take care. I wished them all well and do sincerely hope that it works for them and truly hope that this sleeve works for me. I would say the difference between the band and sleeve is that the band is like food going through a toll booth and having to have the arm raise to pass, whereas the sleeve seems to me like three lanes have been narrowed to one lane where we can go, just slower and the lanes fill up easier. Let me know revisionists, if I'm seeing it right or whether I'm seeing it the way I'd like to see it. I don't share this with too many people (don't want it to become my identity) so I'm really grateful to have this group to come to for their wisdom and advice. Anything you can offer me will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.