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Hello, everyone! I am in the starting phase of the process to revise from my band (2013) to the sleeve. Since getting the band, I've changed jobs so no one here knows that I've had WLS. I didn't have much success with the band and am now heavier than when I got the band so I don't exactly want to announce that I'm looking into WLS to fix what I couldn't make work from my previous WLS. But with the process to revise, I'm meeting with a nutritionist (every two weeks), getting blood work, getting an EGD, meeting with my PCP, and many other doctor's appointments. This month alone I have over 6 appointments. I always try to make them first thing in the morning or the last appointment of the afternoon as to miss as little work as possible but I can see my manager is wanting to ask if something is wrong (she genuinely cares, not just nosy.) but I'm just not comfortable disclosing anything quite yet. I will certainly have an honest conversation with my manager once surgery is definitely happening and is scheduled but until then, I'd rather keep this to only family. Did anyone else run into this? I feel like I need a generalized excuse to give her to explain the abundance of appointments. I know she'll never ask but I feel like I need to give her something. Ideas?

I was banded in 2013 and it slipped. Most like due to the fact that I continued bad habits like bread, rice and other junk. I had the band removed and revised to a sleeve on jan 23rd. I feel great. 1st week was the worst. Pain from where the port was. My surgeon was excellent. He said there was a lot of scar tissue but he was able to it. Weight loss is slower due to this being my second surgery but loss is a loss and I will take it. Not screwing up this time. Good luck!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

So...just like any surgery, there are risks. Some people like to talk only about all of the positives and then there are people who spend every post trying to discourage others and talking worst case scenario. I, personally have had a wonderful experience and a significantly improved quality of life after my revision. I am actually living my life with healthier foods, less acid, waaaaaayyyy less vomiting, more energy, etc. yes, you can lose your stomach to cancer, but you can also get in your car and have an auto accident or fall off of a ladder while hanging Christmas lights. Stuff happens and you can't live life afraid that all of the bad scenarios will happen to you. You can listen to some people on this thread who EVERY POST is why you shouldn't have surgery. Or you can weigh your options and live your life!! Hang those Christmas lights, drive that car, get that revision....my life is vastly improved. There are lots of others with the same story! I can just tell about my experience, I won't tell you about my sister's teacher's cousin's ex boyfriend! I'm open for questions and excited about the rest of my life!! Banded 2010 weight:327 Sleeved 12/28/16 weight:253 Currently 220.7 lbs 106 lbs down!! Heather in Texas

Switching from sleeve to bypass might be something to consider. If you have the means, you could go to Mexico and self pay. There are surgeons there that do revisions. The other option is to redouble your efforts at keeping to a restricted diet. Have you tried the pouch reset?

If anyone know of any doctors that approve the sleeve revisions. It has been 5 yrs since my sleeve. I cannot find a doctor to approve for a revisions. My eating habits is still the same. I am not sure for the weight gaining. I have severe arthritis in my knees & shoulders. So exercising is not fun for me. Are all doctors against revisions. Help!!!

Louisburg, NC Katy W- Louisburg, NC Lapband revision to VSG with DS HW- 297 SW-279 CW- 262.2

I am sooo afraid to have revision surgery! It's weird, because when I had the lap band done in 2005, I was so ready. But now, it's just not the same. I find myself thinking crazy thoughts about not being able to get anything down or suffering from malnutrition and malabsorption or what if I develop stomach cancer and there's no stomach left once the cancer is cut out. It's INSANE!!! The fact that there's no going back and the surgery is permanent really get to me. What happens if it doesn't turn out right and I'm just stuck with no way to reverse anything!? Like I said, I think crazy thoughts this time around. The lapband traumatized me for all other surgeries! LOL!!!

It appears that you had a lap band and are currently trying to obtain a revision to RNY gastric bypass. What happens to several individuals with lap band is a serious complication where the band erodes into the stomach. This is a dangerous condition and causes several individuals to transition to gastric bypass to correct the problem. I am over 3 1/2 years post-op RNY gastric bypass. One of the interesting things that happened to me was that after surgery I completely lost my hunger. When hunger is not constantly, continually gnawing at my bones, I found that it was not difficult to drop the weight. The experience after surgery was not akin to dieting. It was a totally different experience. Many people experience this effect (but not all). Generally you will not notice this effect take hold until you transition from the puree to solid stage of the program. Generally pre-op, the insurance requirement is to show that you are trying very hard to lose weight through diet and exercise. So make sure you document your attempts such as giving up soda, walking each day. Document your diet through a journal to track your food intake. Attend bariatric surgery support group meetings. And let nature take its course.

I find that I never encourage or discourage a person in any one, specific wls. Everyone's situation is quite different with each surgery. I know several people who had the sleeve almost 10 years ago. Some have gained a bit of weight back, while some are continuing to keep it all off. After several years, there remain a few complaints about ocassional GERD and the extra 10 minutes added on to a workout due to overindulgence of a chocolate chip cookie. However, I don't hear many serious complaints overall. . On the other hand, I only know a few DSers. One can't keep up with the eating plan and complains that it's too much food to eat to keep her weight up and eating has now become a huge chore, not to mention her new "bathroom" issues. Another friend, is experiencing malabsorption issues despite taking all the required daily Vitamins. Another one has gained back quite a bit of weight and is just unhappy with the results of her surgery, because she was told by her surgeon that she wouldn't have to worry about weight regain with the DS. These comparisons are not to persuade or dissuade either way, just an example of how things work differently for each person. While the DS may be the best surgery for YOU, it may not be for the next person. My surgeon actually encourages his patients to try the sleeve first (due to its high success rate with his patients) and explains that the DS or "switch" (rerouting of the guts) portion of the surgery can always be added later if necessary or wished. That being said, I continue to research each surgery in an effort to decide what would be best for ME. I wish I was one of those people who could just decide already! It's becoming quite frustrating, because as you bring out, statistics DO show that regain with the DS is less likely, and we would all LOVE to lessen our chances at regain. However, the malabsorption issues REALLY frighten me, because I have other health issues which would only worsen with malabsorption. Hopefully, I will make a decision soon, because I am struggling with trying to maintain my current weight (I've given up on losing, as that has become impossible due to my different metabolism/hormonal disorders). I had the stupid crap band in 2005, which developed a leak in 2009 and is now broken inside of me in 3 different places (YUCK). I will be revised one of these days lol

Following this topic. I have kept an empty band for a couple of years now and now have to either get it out or revised. (My band was emptied due to its interference with the vagus nerve which was provoking atrial fibrillation.) I just saw my surgeon yesterday who has given me three choices: accept my weight where it is, diet the rest of the weigh off, or mini gastric bypass. She is not pro-sleeve for my situation, as she views the sleeve as the next "lapband" in that she has more and more sleeve patients gaining back their weight and doesn't think the longterm weight maintenance is proving to be the case with restrictive methods such as lapbands and sleeves. She has floated the idea of a mini-gastric bypass as her best recommendation for my situation. I'm researching this but I doubt I will do it. The potential complications from the malabsorptive WLS are rather scary to me. Enough that I will probably just go back to Weight Watchers and grit my teeth to get the rest of my weight off.

Good luck on your revision surgery.

I finally won my appeal and will be getting my revision on Tuesday the 7th. I had the sleeve in 01/13 with minimal success and immediate post-op and even during surgery I had complications. My recovery wasn't like others, I couldn't get up, needed help, walking short steps killed me and I couldn't sleep properly for over a month. To be fair, I've been sick since I was 8yo and am the queen of complications (I've had 3 in the last few months). Any thoughts on what to expect for the revision? How much different will it be? I was all in until class tonight and my brain started tweaking. I know I'll be fine, I know it's a necessity and I know I'll go through with it but I'm not sure if there's anything new to expect. Thanks in advance! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I would not be too happy with your doctor. I have not had surgery yet but I wanted the sleeve but have had gerd for years. In my consult I mentioned this to the doc. He said," yes gerd can get worse. He said I always can have a revision." I said No!!! Im not having 2 surgeries. He a littke later confessed to me the sleeve procedure is easier and faster.

My revision to Bypass is 3/28. I had a Vertical Gastric Banding done in 2000 and lost weight but have had tons of complications since and have gained some weight back due to complications etc. Upon losing the weight after VGB I had a 360 done in 2005 as well as a brachioplasty, thighplasty and breast lift. You can write me privately should I be able to answer some questions for you.

Hello. Has anyone had a Lap Band to Sleeve revision with Dr. Illan? How was your experience, recovery and weight loss? I see lots of sleeves, but not band to sleeve revisions with him. I would love to hear!

thank you for your comment. i thought i knew why i was doing this, and up until this week i was happy about it, despite some warnings and misgivings from others, i have a friend right now in kidney failure who was supposed to have revision surgery but the leak wasnt caught in time and he is now on dialysis. i know most wls stories are ones of success and happy outcomes. some arent. i just have been feeling depressed thinking others see me as a failure because i am overweight, and if i choose not to have surgery they are also going to see me as a failure, so either way i am feeling bad about which decision i make.

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

with the bypass you may have more food restrictions (sometimes only for the first while but sometimes for life), but other than that I think the recovery is much the same, provided you don't have any complications. it's a more involved operation with more steps, but I don't think your recovery as a patient differs all that much? from everything i've seen, rny people follow the same diet progression as sleevers and have to take the same amount of time off work on average. I think they do spent a couple more days in hospital at the beginning, though. you will not lose "too much" weight with either surgery, not unless something has gone wrong. your body loses the weight it has to lose, then gains a little to find its new set point. I "only" have around 50-60lbs to lose and my doctor considered the RNY just as good a choice for me as the sleeve from that standpoint, so I'd say 100lbs would also be fine. the # amount of weight lost by procedure depends on the starting weight and bmi of the patient. it's not a matter of "every bypass patient loses 150lbs and every sleeve patient loses 100lbs no matter their starting weight". the 400lb person loses more in numbers than the 200lb person, but the percentages of excess weight may work out to be very similar. the average seems to be that bypass patients lose about 10% more weight overall than sleevers, and they lose it faster after their operation. we don't know yet longterm how the permanent weight loss and chances of regain are with the sleeve vs the bypass. the main things are that the sleeve has the risk of making gerd much worse, and the rny has the risk of dumping and malabsorption of Vitamins. neither one will starve you until you are a skeleton when it's working correctly and you are following dr's orders and taking good care of yourself. the rates of complications are pretty comparable, although I think you are right that the RNY is slightly riskier on account of it being the more complex procedure. what I would do is write a list of pros and cons for both operations, and also write a list of questions for your surgeon (the "what is the downtime for each procedure" one is a really good one!) your surgeon will be able to look at the whole picture of your situation and your health and your goals and be able to advise you on what procedure will be right for you... and also take into account your opinion on the matter, too! but ultimately, both operations will get you where you want to be. my personal advice to you is that you really need to think long term. will having a shorter downtime with the sleeve be worth it if it means a lifetime of depending on heartburn medication or needing to have a revision? what is the most important thing to you? because that's where the true answer lies: in your own priorities and your surgeon's medical knowledge.

I revised earlier this year from band to sleeve. My experience has been good so far and recovery was a breeze. I went back to work about 2 weeks later, but probably could have returned sooner. My energy was not great during the first month, as I regularly went to bed at 8 or 8:30 at night. Other than that, I experienced very little pain. There was some discomfort the first couple of weeks sleeping on my side, but my band was removed at the same time the sleeve was done, so this may not apply to you. Luckily, I have not experienced any complications and so far love my results. To answer your question, you will probably be ok to go to Disney 4 weeks after surgery. Is someone going with you to help with your son just in case you need to rest a bit?

All the best :). I think that most ppl revise the sleeve due to complications and rarely due to poor weight loss.

I'm 55 years old. I'm in good health. My Surgeon is a specialist in this procedure. Often times the sleeve needs revised. This surgery is more efficient and will benefit me the best in the long run. After 40 years of yo-yo dieting. I'm ready to commit myself to a new lifestyle and to be a healthier me. I have no choice after this surgery. The success rate is high and the complications risk is worth the success rate.

I just had the same revision 3 days ago and they did it at the same time -- I will let u know how it goes in a month :-)

I was worried about having lifelong malabsorption issues. I also wanted to live as close to a "normal" life as possible and I didn't feel like the increased chance of food restrictions fit into that vision. I also like the fact that, since I'm only 31, if something happens down the road where I have substantial regain, the option of revising to an RNY is there. (Although I'm hoping I never ever ever get to that point!) I don't have as much weight to lose and think a slower, less drastic weight loss would be just fine for me. It somehow seemed less invasive as a procedure than the RNY. I did have some time there where I seriously doubted my choice (mainly because my surgeon brought up some compelling reasons for having the RNY!) but ultimately I went with my gut... and I want the sleeve.

The band isn't the greatest thing either, and most surgeons don't do it because of crazy complications like eroding. As for your complications they could get better. I have a friend I didn't even know was sleeved before she told me she lives a normal life eats pizza and more stuff, moderation is what works for her. Idk how far you are, but give it some time, and if your GERD is that bad you can't live with it revise to Bypass. On the other hand I appreciate you giving a different outlook because everyone needs to know what they're up against, but the way you do it doesn't make sense. You try and turn people away as if WLS is sooo horrible which it isn't it's life saving for many, and of course there are complications, and something else you should add if you're going to talk about complications is the percentage of them that happens. I'm sorry that you're going through them, but maybe change your approach to how you do it.

We have a revision clinic here in AB. If you don't have one there, maybe you can get referred to this one? I know people come from SK for their surgeries.