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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

Ull get used to not drinking while eating. I was a band to sleeve revision and got used to it with the band. I physically couldnt drink cuz it would come back up. After living with the that for almost 4 yrs, Im too scared to do it now. Even tgo I know theres nothing blocking the way now, Im afraid if my stomach is full and I add liquid theres no where for ut to go but back up. And voniting now us a long, painful, drawn out process that I dont want any part of. Occasionally (especially if I eat something spicy) I will take a sip. But Im afraid of pushing it. 1 of the only rules I actually follow most of the time. Another is the no soda... Good luck...

Bratz, I just found out today that my revision surgery is the 28th! He said I will be under light anesthesia, without the breathing tube. He said it will be like when they knock you out at the dentist office. My surgeon was so apologetic, he said that he thinks its because he used dissolvable sutures for the port and they didn't hold. He said that he is going back to regular sutures for all surgeries. He said of course that I didn't have to pay a thing and even better, I will have the surgery at a center closer to my home. woohoo! Thanks for the well wishes everyone.

With MGB doctors usually bypass 5"-9" of the intestines. And I was just wondering what will happen if the doctor fixes a much shorter loop like 0.5"-1"??? The reason I'm asking is because I had a MGB at a BMI of only 33.. I had it done only after my doctor convinced me that it's a better option for me than VSG and I trusted him. Now I'm losing weight so fast that at 8 weeks out I'm only 5kgs away from my goal weight. I've consulted another doctor who surprisingly advised a revision to normal RNY!!!! I know a reversal of MGB (getting my stomach back) is an option but I had major bleeding complications following my MGB surgery and I'm thinking maybe just a revision to a shorter loop could be a better option! I'm currently having no problems in eating nor in getting 70 grams of Protein per day. I average around 1000-1200 calories and drink around 50-64 ounces of Water. I take in my Vitamins everyday. Yet I'm still losing so much weight and sorry for tmi but my stools are very greasy! So I assume I'm not absorbing any fat! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

The way I look at it , and this may sound terrible , but I’m not getting where I want to be as things are right now so why not try the revision. It can’t get worse than the mental hell I live with everyday spending another day unhappy. Good vibes to you and your new journey !!! Super early in your sleeve journey. I will be excited to see how things go for you.

I've heard mixed reviews about him. I heard his radio commercial the other day. I am from long island and I highly recommend Dr. David Buchin in Huntington NY. He just did my revision from Lap band (done by diff doctor in Aug of 2010) to Sleeve on Aug 15th. Where in NY or LI are you from?

There are a ton of people on the boards here who had the band first and then revised to the sleeve. As linked above there is an entire section on these forums just for that. Take a look there. Everyone here is always willing to answer any questions you have.

I work in the medical field and did extensive research in the medical literature when I deciding to get my sleeve surgery. I found peer reviewed research that shows that the complication rate with gastric bands runs at about 15% (I thought that was way too high to consider banding surgery) the complications are everything from reflux to slippage to erosion and embedding of the band in the stomach. The details were enough to warn me off the gastric band and point me toward the sleeve surgery. In my research on the sleeve, I found that the complication rate was less than 1% and that the morbidity statistics (complications so sever that it caused death) were almost negligible. So that is why I decided on the VSG surgery. The information on sleeve revisions is spotty because there just haven't been that many second sleeves done in settings that are being reviewed for the medical journals. I'm guessing that the nurse quoted you statistics about revision of Rouen X/Y surgery, and while it is useful information, what really matters is what your surgeon thinks about your personal situation. Do you have any other chronic health issues that make having a second surgery more complicated and risky? These issues would include bleeding disorders, lung issues, allergies to anesthesia etc (your doctor can discuss all the various contraindications). If I were in your shoes, I would have a very serious heart to heart with my doctor and ensure that the surgery is really going to improve your situation, and that you are clear on your personal risks. I also think that anyone who isn't nervous before surgery is not in touch with themselves. I had a ton of doubts the week before surgery and even after when I was in the hospital laying there feeling like crap and wondering "what did I do to myself!" But when the anxiety wears off and you are looking at losing the weight that will make your life better, and solving other health issues, I think you will be glad that you made an informed decision about your unique situation. Good luck to you, I hope the surgery is a really positive experience for you!

My surgery is in 15 days. My surgery is in 15 days. All the research I have read says that "procedure volume has been shown to be an important predictor of adverse outcomes in bariatric surgery". As such I looked for the most experienced surgeon I could find and afford. I think in your case it is important to know your surgeons experience as well. The more revisions he has done, the less likely you will experience complications. For a virgin sleeve I would not go with a doctor who has done less than 500 sleeves. For a revision I would want someone who has extensive experience in that.

Got my surgery September 1 in Long Island. Band removal gastric sleeve revision. If I feel like something might be a little slow going down I just take my three fingers and tap on my chest and that gets rid of it right away. Protein drinks of going down I find that for else's is the max in one shot I can get down everything seems OK though.

Hi everyone! I'm Heather and I'm a lapbander that is considering revision to VGS. I've been banded since 12/07 and have a possible (probable) slip. I had a CT scan July 1 and go for the results on the 14th. My doctor and I have discussed (briefly) revision to the VGS as opposed to repositioning my band. This was all done prior to my CT scan so I don't know how bad my slip is. He is 100% sure I've slipped and since I spent the entire month of June barely eating anything solid, and most days not even being able to tolerate liquids, I'd tend to agree with him. Since he removed 5cc on the 29th I've been able to eat normally for the first time in nearly 2 years and have gained 10 pounds! I am down about 72 pounds since being banded. I've been less, but have been re-gaining over the last year even as I fight to keep my weight in check. I'm happiest under 200 but have not been there in the last 12 months. I'm hoping if I revise to the sleeve I will be able to finally get to my goal weight (160ish) and not have to keep fighting myself all the time. The band was the only reason I have no re-gained to my highest weight, it's been just enough to slow my gain but I'm tired of not eating until 3pm, not being able to drink much earlier in the day, throwing up, having complications like a month of not knowing if I can eat from day to day etc... BUT I'm scared of the revision. It's such a major surgery. The fear is the main reason I shied away from RNY before getting my band. Now I have those same fears with the added concerns of what happens to my body after the band and port are removed. I look forward to reading more of your posts, and hope you'll share anything you want with me to help me make this decision as informed as I can be.

Just my observations/research/opinions... The band as a long term solution - sometimes. Beyond the 4 year mark, I know, and have seen, and have read about, and have been told about a LOT more people who have it removed than who still have it. I personally do not have faith in it as a long term properly functioning device. I think people who keep their bands for more than a few years, and are truly complication free (not to be confused with have unknown/undiagnosed complications), are the exception rather than the rule. If your plan requires a supervised diet, you probably can't get around it. Having a history of going to the doctor and being weighed for your visit doesn't count, they want it to be doctor's visits specifically for the purpose of supervised diet. I had my band under UHC and they did not require the supervised diet, nor did I have comorbidities, and I was approved in about 3 days. But that's all so specific to your particular plan, take it with a major grain of salt. I've recently submitted my paperwork for revision surgery and my current provider (no longer UHC) requires a 6 month diet for all bariatrics. We're trying to see if the fact that I've had a lapband for going on 5 1/2 years, and have technically been under the surgeon's care during that time, will count. They are also trying to see if there's a waiver for revisions, or if it's truly required for all bariatrics. The office staff are more optimistic about that than I am, but we'll see.

Hi Charlene, I am in the revision process. My band is still in place. I actually just had the EGD done yesterday - insurance co requires one for removal. My surgeon told me yesterday that he requires 6 - 8 weeks between procedures. I'm very glad to hear he requires time between, but kinda wish it wasn't to slong of a time.

I know you probably feel sad but might think of this way. 1 lb is one stick of butter etc 45 sticks is ALOT something to be VERY VERY proud of! I havent had a revision yet. Just starting the insurance process. BuT i just started weight watchers this week to help me loose some of the 45 lbs i gained back. My insurance also wants us to loose 10%. So Ww will help with that also.

I promised myself when I lost 50 pounds I would post a success story, I still have a ways to go, but that was my rewards for a 50 lbs weight loss. Hopefully I can inspire you and if you need a buddy, I'll try to help! I was banded in January of 2007 at 322 lbs. The first six months I was the model lap-band patient. Once I started a new job and new life, I basically blew off the whole process and I had a book of excuses. I'm looking back now and I was sooo not emotionally prepared for this (I was banded at 26 years old). Eventually I got into a very abusive relationship, the only thing he "loved" was my cooking, so I just kept gaining weight. I stopped weighing myself when I saw that I was up to 280 (my lowest per the md was 268) Finally in December 2010 he left and in January 2011 I met the dbf that I have today (who I love to death). I finally realized that I met someone that I wanted to get healthy for so we could have a long future together. In August of 2011 I was presented to the emergency room with a massive gall bladder attack. In September, I had it removed, at the time I was 288 lbs. After the removal it felt like I could eat anything and eat I did! One day after complaining to my mother about how my pants don't fit, she says to me "you work at a hospital there has to be a scale somewhere" so I go down the hall and weigh myself....314 pounds!!!! I was so disgusted with myself that when I went home I threw out all the junk and bought tons of healthy food (chobani was my drug of choice for a while!). I went back to the md for a fill, they had me do an endoscopy to see if there was erosion (thank god there wasn't) and basically I have started all over again. Since December 2, 2011 to today I have officially lost 53 pounds. I can't believe it, I'm still in shock. I have a long way to go, but I literally take it day by day. Also my doctor suggested I go on Adipex which is a prescription appetite supressant. I really don't notice a difference from before I was taking it, for all I know the pharmacist is putting tylenol in the prescription bottle. Some people will get on me about this bit of information, but it's my choice and I'm following doctor's orders. Food wise, I eat less than 1000 calories a day. I eat three meals a day and don't snack. I drink tons of Water....tons lol. Honestly I only keep track of my calories 4 days out of the week. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays I don't write down what I eat, but I make sure to pick healthy options and not to over do it. Once and a while I do have something extra, but it doesn't taste the same anymore lol Excercise wise I walk 2 miles a day or 40 minutes back and forth from my job to the train station. For anyone out there that is a long term bandster, don't give up. Heck, even go get a complete unfill and start all over. That was the deal between the doctor's office and me. Try it all over again and if I don't get down to my goal weight (220) they will start submitting the authorization for a revision. Today was the first doctor's appointment where I didn't get a fill because they were impressed with my weight loss. I never thought that would happen. I really never thought I would lose weight. I guess I've "grown up" and realized that this band isn't going to do all the work for me, that I have to do most of it. I also realized I'm not doing this for vanity purposes....I want to be a healthy wife and mother, and I want to grow old with the dbf I have now (I think he's the one lol). I will try to post pictures soon. I don't have any current pictures of me now, but I'll be going on vacation to Mexico with the dbf and will have pictures from that. Anyone who is reading this, keep up the good work, you're an awesome person, and take it one day at a time!

Don't get discouraged. I started out thinking I wanted the band because it is reversible, then learned the downsides. Next I looked at the sleeve, but reading some studies that pointed out some concerns with the long term effects. I know many people are happy with their sleeves, but I am older and a revision would not be an option for me if the sleeve didn't prove helpful. In the end, I chose RNY for its track record. Initially, I was put off by the plumbing rearrangement, but my surgeon has done about 6,000 WLS, so I figured he has this all down pat by now. I sailed through surgery and my first months of recovery. I'm very glad I had this done and only wish I'd had it six years earlier when I first looked into it. All things in due time, I guess. It helps to read the posts on various forums about the different surgeries to learn what issues may arise. You just have to keep in mind that most posts are from the small subset of people with issues--the thousands who haven't had problems are out living their lives. Best wishes on your journey!

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?

I am also interested in someone answering your question. I am scheduled for a revision from band to sleeve in a few weeks and plan on this being the last surgery I need. I know and have been told that I can regain weight if I do not work with my sleeve, I know this but I am hoping the sleeve will be just the tool to help me keep on track. While searching for my revision surgeon I ran into several people that had the sleeve redone so I know it can be done.

I had my lapband revision on June 10 and had zero complications. Easier surgery than the lapband surgery in my opinion. I only took the pain meds for two days and didn't need them after that. Today I am down 20 lbs!

We all have fears close to the surgery date, I too had my revision on June2nd and there were some issues in the operating room due to scar tissue but it worked out and I was able to be sleeved. My surgeon did informed me that if there were issues due to scar tissue I may have to just get the band out and then wait for my stomach to heal before doing the sleeve. I will keep you in my prayers Good Luck

I just read through the info in your post in more detail... the thing I had going for me is that I did lose 70 pounds originally with the band and regained after a slip, and continued night choking even after revision surgery... so I may have passed the rules about having complied with my first surgery, where that might be more of a fight for you... but talk to the office and see if they have suggestions for you - they just might! Perhaps your great commitment to the medifast diet will help. I hope so.

I self paid for both my "crap" band 3 years ago in FL. Still took so long about 3 months. One week for the blood work, one week for the next test and so on. My band surgeon was very good and at that time I thought about going to Mexico but was too scared. Forward 3 years and so much research. Emailed Dr Aceves office and 10 days later had my band removed and revised to a sleeve. He is a great surgeon AND has a really great manner about him. Dr Campos is also great. Much "easier" than my band surgery and other than the cleaning lady always mopping the floor I can't say enough about my experience with him. My husband and I are self employed and pay very high health insurance premiums. No weight loss surgery in the policy. My husband has/had skin cancer and by the time we get the bills in we still pay $1000.00's out of pocket. Our system is broken, takes too long, and too much red tape. Back to Dr Aceves!!!! HE ROCKS and so does all of the kind and those who work with him. This is coming from a very BIG chicken regarding surgery! Good Luck.

I was banded in August 2010 and had my revision exactly one year ago today. My weight loss has been extremely slow but I am still happy with my sleeve. I am down 30 pounds from a year ago but I also had a lower BMI going into the surgery. I have another 45 to lose but I feel much better to reach my goal weight! I do have to work harder at losing weight because this is a tool but I love that I am full at the end of dinner and have no room for dessert

I am not sure what the prognosis of this was, but I started having pain in my left rib cage after I ate, or took a deep breath or laid on my right side. I also had pain in my left shoulder blade area (which is from the band/banding rubbing against the vagus nerve, and I have gotten off and on since being banded 2 years ago, but more so now with the rib pain). After dealing with it for a few days I call my bariatric surgeon's office and told them what was going on. They immediately got me in for a barium swallow eval and some x-rays. My surgeon called me later that day and told me my band has slipped. Back in May 2014, I had bad gastroenteritis which sent me to the hospital because I couldn't throw up, yet I was wrenching and super nauseated. Two weeks later I got stuck...and I couldn't get it out. After hours of trying and not being able to swallow my own saliva, I went to the ER for an emergency un-fill by my surgeon. Since then, I have take my fills very slowly. The last one was in August 2014, and I am not in the green zone for fear of getting stuck again, so I honestly don't know what, how or when my band slipped. Since yesterday I have developed severe reflux and nausea. I go in today to get un-filled yet again and let my band settle hopefully. I also asked about getting a revision to either the sleeve or bypass since having this band has caused me a lot of pain and multiple ER visits and once it slips, it has a high chance of it happening again, so if I'm going to need surgery to fix it, I may as well try something that will work better...I hope you all figured out what the problems were and got them fixed. Best of luck!

I'm right at 16 months out. 1) How fast are you able to eat now, in comparison to being newly sleeved (solid foods)? I can eat a full meal, meat, veggie, starch, a little bread in 20-30 minutes. I've figured out if I stretch my meal out over any longer period of time, I can fit more in. I've noticed this especially to be true in social settings, like lunch with my girlfriends, you know those "lunches" that turn into 2 hour gab fests. I can technically eat my meal, then wait 20ish minutes, drink a little something then let the grazing commence. Yeppers, I admit it, I don't follow the rules as closely anymore. 2) How much can you eat now, in comparison to being newly sleeved (solid foods)? I can eat double the amounts I could at 2-3 months out when it comes to solid foods. I was stuck at 1-2 ounces of meat at 2-3 months out. I can now eat 3-5 ounces of meat depending on the texture, how the meat is cooked, and how much food lube I use when eating. I developed a really bad habit of using condiments with my band. I haven't been able to kick that habit completely, but I do not "NEED" condiments for meat to go down, I just flippin' love A1 thick and hearty sauce LOL. 3) Just for reference, please tell me what size sleeve you have. 32Fr, and I lost additional tissue at the top of the stomach because of the band. 4) How dense of food are you able to eat? (ie, steak, chicken breast, etc) Chicken breast, sirloin steak are the dense foods that I can eat only about 3oz, but give me ribs, filet mignon or sea scallops, crab meat, I can get in 4-5oz easily. Scallops are my new love affair because I can fit 3-4 scallops in my sleeve if I eat nothing else. 5) Are you able to handle bread of any kind? Yeppers, and I eat bread, tortillas, bagel thins, crackers, pretzels, chips, big fluffy yeast rolls at steak houses work really well, I can eat about 1/2 of those big rolls, 1 crescent rolls with jelly, biscuits don't work that well, pizza crust (thin and crispy), olive garden breadsticks are "okay" a little too dense for my liking, 6) Is there anything at all that still gives you trouble to eat this far out? Stupid scrambled eggs, and pork chops both sit heavy in my sleeve. I'm not a fan of either of them so I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything. 7) How is your energy level now? It truly does vary. If I eat carbs, I feel kind of blah, but bounce back quickly. If I Protein load, then I feel like a 4 year old on a 12 pack of Mountain Dew LOL. 8) How do your scars look now this far out (for those who were Lap)? I have a lot of scars(16 between the band, revision, leak repair, gallbladder surgery all in a matter of 16 months, plus the 2 different occasions of having multiple drains placed during my recovery), and I'm pastey white so my scars are still visible, but they are just pretty little pink polka dots now. 9) What is the one thing you enjoy most now since surgery? (Can be anything, not necessarily food related) Just living a normal life, food is literally an afterthought, I love going, going, going. I love shopping for new clothes, I enjoy getting attention for how I look now instead of how huge I was. 10) What is the one thing you regret most being this far out? (Again, anything goes) I literally have zero regrets. I'm asked privately quite often how I do not have buyer's remorse, or why I never really got depressed during my recovery. At the end of the day, every single struggle or hurdle I endured taught me something, I grew stronger, and simply saw every day as a new challenge. Some days brought huge victories, and some days brought huge challenges, but at 16 months, there is NO doubt in my mind, heart or spirit that I made the "right" decision. I reflect a lot over last summer's events, and wonder how the heck I made it, I don't know what my driving force was really other than a pure faith that if God had brought me to it, He'd bring me through it. I struggled for a solid 3.5 months post-op, it was not easy, but it was totally worth it. I can honestly say that I would do it all over again, complications and all, to be living the life I live today. Hope that helps chickee! ! !