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Ooh my, I'm so sorry you are going through this I've had mine for almost 10 yrs. Never had any complications, till some regurgitation a few months ago. I only got it if I ate anything after 7pm. Got all the liquid out and slowly adding it but in that process I've gained 15lbs. I can't even loose what I gained and have no issues now but want to do a revision :/

If you have had a chance to read some of the threads on here you will hear lots of revision stories. In summary, no food intolerances, little portions of healthy food. I love it that I can eat a bit of salad and so far no problems with any veggies. Sleeve is just a whole different experience. You are wise to seek a surgeon with lots of revision experience.

Hey Kate33 Like you I had the band in 2007, but I had very little weight loss an average of 15 pds in which I eventually gained double the weight. The restriction with the band was terrible I no longer enjoyed foods I loved and was consistently blosted, felt gassy and felt pain at my port. I finally decided it was time for a revision to the sleeve in which I decided to do in Mexico (which made me very hestiate) but it has been the best decision I've made towards becoming health. My surgeon was Dr. Ponce de Leon, him and his coordinator Trish were great and very attentive. While its only been about 4 Weeks I'm feeling great I'm down 35 pds and have yet to have any negative reactions to things I could eat. The only thing I would bring to your attention is the healing process. When I had the band I was back at work within 4-5 days, but now its been a little different. My healing process has been slower since most work was done out of my bigger incision where my port once was and after I got home I drained for about a week out of that incision. I'm taking my full 5 weeks to return to work making sure I'm fully recovered and my incisions have healed. Granted everyone is different and not all bodies react the same. But if I had the choice to do it all over again I would have taken the same road. Hope this helps.

I had my lap band for 7 years and felt similar to you. I wrote about it in blog here just recently if you'd like to read it. I was mortified of having it unfilled and removed at first because it served me so well. I had my revision on Sept. 2, 2016. I was worried about the slower weight loss too but I am delighted with the speed I'm losing, especially because although I had gained some back due to being unfilled, I was still down the majority of my weight loss from my lap band. Think of it this way, if one eats 800 calories, and exercise a bit, they are going to lose weight, no way around that . I've lost six lbs a week in my first two weeks, total of 12 lbs. Sending you a *hug*. Hang in there and listen to your doctor. Sent from my SM-N910V using the BariatricPal App

I will be having revision from the LapBand to the sleeve on 9/17/12! Holler!

Hi! help!!!! i am new to this group. I am hoping for my sleeve revision this December. I had the Lapband emergency removed in August and keep gaining :(. Metabolism shot! I haven’t eaten any Pasta breadeating the same just more., not much.. less exercising because I am recovering and depressed from having it removed . My BMI lower than start so it’s been a struggle to get this done.. I have the other conditions to support the need in my opinion.. just waiting on insurance. Any low BMI ers 30 ? Anyone out there to give me insight on your experience and if this is a good decision for a revision. Since it’s permanent unlike the Lapband. Any input on your stories or advice on insurance .. lapband revision to sleeve.. success rate?? Etc Thsnk you.. I don’t want to go backwards ., didn’t want my Lapband Out was doing great keeping weight at a good place . i can get this done next week if I want to go it ., hopefully insurance 🙏🏻

That's great news BJean, there's a lot of happy post bandsters here. I also think its prudent to keep up with what's what in WLS. Bands probably ARENT forever, even when they work as well as mine have. It might be me seeking revision one day and there's no better way to be informed than following the long term journey of people who have experienced it.

Hi all! Last year I had Roux-en-Y surgery at age 61 with no complications from that surgery. May 19th 2016 will be my year and I've lost almost 100 pounds and I am looking forward to actually getting to 100 pounds before the 19th. I need four or five more pounds to get to my third revised goal. All my comorbidities gone that of high blood pressure, pre-diabetes and high cholesterol. My blood work looks absolutely fantastic I feel good I exercise almost every single day some days I walk 8.5 miles and will increase that to 10 miles per day at least three times a week. I drink a lot of Water and pray each each and every day! Be encouraged the future is very bright!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I have 5 small scars 4 you really cant see at all anymore only one visable is from my port its maybe 4 inches long. I believe it would probably be lighter by now to but ive had a couple port revisions so its been reopened and had to reheal

I am a sleeve to bypass revision. When I had my sleeve I went from 260 to 220 within 6 months. I followed my program to a tee. I then developed extreme GERD. At the time I had no idea what it was but it got so bad that about 2 years ago I was burping up water and feeling gross from the GERD that I asked for a revision and got it almost a month ago. i honestly don’t know why I regained my weight back. No one knew I had the sleeve but everyone knew me as the dieter: I did Atkins, Keto, you name it. You would think I would feel full from Keto cause of the heavy protein, but nope. I felt no restriction. But I felt myself slowly losing the restriction as time went on. I had my sleeve for 7 years before revising. I have also seen where some sleevers develop GERD and the only food that seems to settle is the bad food. That didn’t happen for me but I have read it on some forums.

HI, Add me to his list of happy sleevers. He did my revision about 4.5 months ago. I understand it is different for everyone but this was easier on me than my band surgery. Self paid in Florida for my band and self paid for the revision with Dr Aceves. Was very tired of puking with the band and all the side problems I had with my band. We do have insurance just doesn't cover WLS. Decided to email Dr Aceves and within 10 days had surgery. Flew out from Florida and back within the 4 days with NO problems. My husband did go with me. Currently living in Maui and have lost about 60% to my goal. IMHO, he is the best revision surgeon for me. I also love Dr Campos who works with him. Good Luck on whatever you decide.

It costs more for a revision, though. Call his office to see if there is a special price.

I was not a revision but I can say that my recovery was uneventful and I am really pleased with my weight loss. They really know their stuff there and the hospital was nice.

🙋🏼‍♀️ I had the band in 2008 but didn’t loose significant weight until 2013. I stopped thinking of it as a solution and started using it as a tool as intended. It was hard but I lost 100+ pounds, kept it off for 3 years and had my tummy tuck. Late 2017 I had a full slip and it had to be removed. I chose not to revise at that time because I thought I could maintain on my own. I couldn’t and I gained most of my weight back. 10/22 I had the sleeve done. I am down 36.6 lbs so far (20.22% of my excess weight)

I am 4 yrs out and my experience with esophagus dilation, also called pouch dilatation, is the exact same as yours. This is very important information for you to take to your doctor. My doctors are at Emory in Atlanta, GA, highly experienced with hundereds of these cases. Dilation can fix itself from and unfill and patients can be refilled again sometimes with success. The most important thing is that my surgeons told me that it is almost impossible for even the most experienced surgeon to detect a true slip on a barium swallow test. I had dilatation also but have also been confirmed with a slip. The doctor says corrective surgery for revision and/or replacement is mandantory as this is an "unhealthy band" situation and I am at medical risks of serious complications. He said that when the wall is weakened there is usually always a slip involved and that revision is necessary to correct this situation. By the way, my niece also had pouch dilatation after 2 yrs and is now being refilled. I'm waiting for her to have a fluro or 2 down the line to see if she also stretches out again. I have had 2 surgeons now say I have slipped in addition to the pouch and esophagus dilation and must have surgery. No one wants to but at least now I understand what is wrong and they are going to do everything they can to revise it. There is a chance of losing the band when trying to revise due to difficulty in securing in back into place but the surgeons are confident that can do it. Do not be fooled into thinking that this is all your fault. Good surgeons know not to over fill nor to allow patients to go too long too tight and also to look at patients regularly under fluro or barium swallow to look for signs of dilatation. I would absolutely get another opinion form a very experienced surgeon. Do not fool around with a chance of losing your band with a surgeon that does not seem committed to helping you keep it if this is what your want. Most are willing to tell your their success rate with revision and whether or not they are confident with your case. I'm sorry this has happened but I've been there and did not give up and was extremely happy when I got such a tremendous load of great information from 2 very experienced surgeons at Emory in Atlanta plus one amazing senior surgical resident who explained how slips cannot be always detected on the upper gi. Please let me know if I can help your further with more info. I have gained 45 lbs . this last yr due to this situation and was also going from one extreme to the other too tight and throwing up to too loose with only a .25 cc change.

Just looking for some moral support and encouragement: I am unfilled and awaiting my revision surgery on March 14. I was unfilled on February 3 and have gained 13 pounds. I know how I did it. EAT EAT EAT...... However, The last week before the unfill I lost 10 pounds in about 6 days due to keeping nothing down. I know that is a very bad, unhealthy loss. shakes and Water were coming back up. I start each day with the best intentions, (LOL) but fall off the wagon in the evenings. It is like Bandster hell. Only I know it will last for quite awhile as it took me over 6 months and 5 fills to have restriction last time. I am worried and have stepped up my physical activity a bit. My friend said I should look at it as only a 3pound gain since the last 10 were a crazy loss. Is that making excuses?

I too had a revision from sleee to bypass (due to GERD & not losing weight). i truly don’t feel hungry now but I am almost 6 weeks post op. When I see something delicious or what I use to eat before, I crave it for that moment but when it’s out of sight, my craving goes away. I am still on soft Foods so I can’t speak much about eating. Some of those with bypass have dumping syndrome when they eat an abundance of sugar which is positive for some because they no longer want to feel that pain/discomfort again so they stay away from sugar; same for greasy/Fatty/fries Foods I believe

Oh wow, Saddy... that is awful. You have my absolute sympathies - I know what you're going through. I had a stomach leak with my sleeve back in September of 2017 and was in hospital for 3 months. Had 6 surgeries, had the picc line in, etc, etc. No food or water passed my lips for 3 months. The TPN they give you is full of nutrients and has calories in it - I too didn't lose weight in hospital, in fact I gained. It was galling having to weigh in and see the number go UP. The only comfort is that you will have ALL your nutrition and be pretty healthy in that respect! But, the whole this is nightmare I know. Did they say why you had a leak? I know mine was just 'bad luck'. The reason I came on to this section of the board is because I was thinking of getting a sleeve to bypass revision. I might have to rethink that one - I don't know if I can go through that again. I've lost 80 lbs but have stalled, so right now I'm trying some weight loss meds. We'll have to see... I am so sorry for what you are going through. If there's anything I can do, let me know. Do you have a good support network where you are? By the way, are you in the UK or from the UK? Just asking because you sound like you are and I'm British (living in the USA since 2003).

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 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!

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.

band worked and is still working for me and all my friends that had LB are still going strong, except for my sister in law. She got her band in Mex and had nothing but problems. She just revised to GB. I hate to be a debbie downer... but three weeks ago i had supper with her. We stopped at Taco Bell (yuck) but that's what was available at the time, anywho.... i had pintos and cheese and a scoop of ground beef... she had the new smothered burrito and ate the whole thing... I don't see this surgery lasting long either... Just saying. Three friends had the sleeve, one had it done 5 years ago and has gained about 50lbs back of the 100 she lost. One only lost about 50 of the 100 she said she needed to lose and the last friend just had it done in Feb and ended up in the hospital in March and had to have a stint put in due to complications. I know this is not related, but, four of my friends had the GB done. Two have gained all the weight back, one is on her way and the other is doing great.

Hi, thanks for letting me join. I have been a VST member for quite awhile, I currently post mostly on the vets and band to sleeve revision forums. I had the lapband in 2001, removed in 2011. I was sleeved in Dec 2011 and made it to goal in about 14 months, losing 150+ pounds. That is about half my starting body weight! Maintenance has been going okay, but I had a small regain and used 5:2 to get 5 pounds off. I have been following it for around 4-6 weeks, but noticed that in recent weeks (probably due to work schedule) the fast days are getting hard to follow - I could use the support! I plan on getting plastic surgery Oct 15, so I need to maintain good health and nutrient levels, but would like to drop another 5# if I can!

Hi, There is a sub forum which is Revision - Band to Sleeve, that has a lot of great info. I am having my band removed and sleeve done in 12 days! Good luck to you! Cheers, Dottie

Hello New Friends, My name is Sara. I got the band in 2003 in Mexico and liked it too tight. I lived on liquids and tiny amounts of food, which caused sliming and puking every day for years. I lost 100 lbs in the first year and slowly regained it all with liquid calories. My band was so tight and I ate a quantity of food that caused esophegial stretching. So my lower esophogus has become a pouch that stores food until it makes its' way through the band. I have now had all fill removed and the gastro surgeon in my doc's medical group wants to remove the band but he says I would not succeed with a sleeve revision because the ways I cheated with the band (liquid calories) I can also cheat with the sleeve-- mochas, wine coolers, ice ream, etc. So he will not approve me for further surgery. Also, of that hundred pounds I've lost 70 lbs again, by using Alli daily for 3 years, so my BMI is too low for insurance to pay for WLS for me. Do you agree I am not a good candidate for the sleeve? I am having an upper endoscopy in a few weeks to see if there's any tumors or cancerous disease process in the esophagus. Then the surgeon wants to remove the band and thats it. No more surgeries for me, according to the surgeon. Do you agree? I'm thinking about going back down to Tijuana in 6 months, so my anatomy has time to rest after the band's removal. I'd like to give it another shot to do it right with the sleeve. Eat protien first, then veggies. No abusing liquid calories. I'm ready to try to obey all the sleeve rules for success if my stretched esopgegus can tolerate and not sabotage my new sleeve. What do you think? Please be frank. I need the truth, even if it's ging to sting when I hear it. Thanks, Sara