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I had my revision yesterday from lap band (2014) to mini gastric bypass....lots of trapped gas and pain still .....very uncomfortable!

Hi everyone. My name is Tim and I was just sleeved Friday (about 48 hours ago). I had a lap band which was removed and revised to the sleeve. It may be taboo but I have a question about pooping. I haven't had a bowel movement since my sleeve surgery. I just got back home last night (spent one night in the hospital) and have only passed gas so far. I have started taking miralax because I got really backed up once after a surgery and I never want to go through that pain again. I'm a little stressed about getting backed up. What's the normal amount of time after surgery for a person to poop? What do you recommend to take that can prevent getting constipated? Thank you

I had a leak with my revision from band to sleeve. I had a 2nd surgery to repair the leak. My leak was 5mm, and I know exactly how you feel with the pain and nausea. I was on TPN from June 10 to June 25th. I was completely NPO during that time. Then started clears for 17 days. I was on Phenegran and Reglan during that time, and the Phenegran was my lifesaver. I've lost 74lbs (as of today) 3.5 months post-op. I never regretted my revision, but I know that it is frustrating. The only thing that kept me going is knowing that I was going to get better. Recovery is slow, and can wear you down. I was hospitalized mid-July, for one week, because they found 3 abscess/fluid pockets in my abdominal cavity. They believe it was from leftover bacteria from the leak repair surgery. I know it seems like a huge mistake, but once you get over this speed bump you will see the light at the end of the tunnel. I am so very happy with the sleeve, and have learned a completely different way of eating. It was a tough transition to solids, and some days are still better than others. I have found that my attitude definitely made all the difference in the world. You just have to fight through it all, I know it's easier said than done some days. But, don't give up. I'll keep you in my thoughts, and if you ever want to talk, feel free to send me a message on here, and we can chat.

Did what she say to you make you think twice about your decision to have the revision?

My story is pretty simple, had the band about 4-5 years ago, cost me a small fortune. Worked great for a couple of years and then loss all sense of restriction. I was either to tight or too loose. Drove me crazy. So now I have decided to go to ole Mexico for a revision. I am hoping its a great experience, though I expect pain pain pain, from what I read. Im also kinda wusey, so we will see. Anyway I am going to Mi hospital with Dr.Valenueza. Has anyone gone through and told that they wouldn't do the surgery? and also has anyone regretted getting the band out and going sleeve? I am also one of many that fear death. I have a young family and love them dearly, would hate to leave them early. Anyway, hope to hear form those who did a revision and can settle my nerves, or not, maybe you want to warn me to "stop the insanity" Thanks

Nazzy, The revision from band to sleeve is going to cost me $12,500. That's the cost in Calexico. This doctor has been used by many of the regulars on LBT. I've heard nothing but good things about Dr. Aceves and his staff. Cheryl __________________ Originally posted at www.lapbandtalk.com

The reason I would like to revise to a sleeve is because I don't like the idea of a band around my stomach. It sounds dangerous to me. When I think of a tight rubber band around my finger for a day, and what the end of my finger looks like at the end of the day, then I think about the band being there. Ultimately, I think it's dangerous. I would like to get the sleeve before I have problems from the band. I already have occasionally acid reflux, and I am afraid this is the beginning of problems to come. Plus I like the idea of never having to worry about another fill. __________________ Originally posted at www.lapbandtalk.com

I went to dinner with MissMonaAZ tonight, just got home. It took her an hour to get a bowl of Soup down. She's decided to get a revision in Feb to a sleeve. __________________ Originally posted at www.lapbandtalk.com

I am considering Dr. Nicholson as my surgeon to do my band to sleeve revision. I'm a self-pay patient from out of state. I've heard good things and he would be an alternative to going out of the country. I have a specific period of time that I would be able to get surgery since I'm a teacher. I could either do it during this summer, during Christmas break, or next summer. I really don't want to wait until next summer but I'm thinking that this summer might be unrealistic. I've asked his coordinator when they are scheduling patients but she hasn't answered me. I was wondering how quickly they were able to schedule your surgery. I was also wondering what you had to before surgery if you did not go through insurance. Thanks!

I was sleeved in Dec 2016, lost about 120 lbs in 6 months. Then I slacked off and put it almost all back on. Got revision to bypass in Nov 2021, down over 70 lbs so far and still losing - I feel great and my only two regrets are not sticking with the program the first time, and not getting the revision sooner.

What is a revision?

How much does it cost for sleeve revision?

Awesome I'm having a revision also can't wait to get the band out

Tell him to research band complications. I had the band put in April 2008, I didn't want anything permeate. I have had nothing but pain and complications since. At my highest was 230 only got down to 189 with band. Going through a break up lost 40lbs but was not band related, and gained it all back. Counting calories workin out and taking phentramine was able to lose 30lbs but would put it back on soon as I stopped diet pills. Always had chest pains from the band, had pouch dilation, band slipped, apple lodged in it ect. Was revised from band to sleeve Monday, doctor said the band had become unstitched from my stomach, was in wrong place and I had lower esophagus dilation. My mom is looking to have hers removed too from similar problems. All the doctors and nurses I've talk to at the hospital said most doctors will not even discuss band as an option anymore

Yes that's strange! Lol. But really, I could be wrong, but most of us take two multi vitamins a day, calcium citrate daily, b12 once or twice a week. Could it be because your a revision?

So just went in on Monday for the results of my band issue and submitted my revision to Gastric and just found out that it got approved. So next step is I go in on Monday and we set surgery date. Im so excited

Sorry: revision!

I am revising from the lap band (BCBSIL), I guess I want to prepare myself for additional out of pocket costs I may have. Thanks for letting me know.

Let me paraphrase what I think the "FDA Lab Rat" expressed elsewhere in an earlier post. (I hope I get it right.) Everyone who has any variety of WLS has to learn new habits and new behaviors. With the bypass surgeries, patients lose the weight and if they learn the new behaviors, the weight will stay off. If they don't learn the new behaviors, the weight comes back. With the band, it's learn-as-you-go. Band patients have a small intital weight loss, but then the rest comes off as we learn. Band patients who don't adopt new behaviors never lose any substantial weight. So, two or three years out, here's what's left: 1) Bypass patients who lost it all within months and kept it off; and, 2) Band patients who took two years or so to lose it all, and are at about the same place as the bypass patients; and, 3) Bypass patients who lost a lot of weight, but regained all or most of it; and, 4) Band patients who lost little or no weight. Two different roads, each splits, leading to only two final destinations, "the loser's circle" and morbid obesity. IMHO, learning new behaviors is the essential issue. I didn't need a speedy weight loss and then the devastation of "failing" yet again. I need to learn as I go. It is only human to compare, and when I read that Jane Doe, RnY patient, has lost as much in six weeks as it has taken me a year to lose, of course it seems a good thing to accomplish the same thing in less time. Then I read about the toll it often takes on Jane's body...the gall bladder, the impacted colon, the malabsorption of essential nutrients, the dumping (which is a bad thing being promoted as a good thing), the "revision surgery" (which means "we screwed up and you need another surgery,") and the rest. I don't need those problems. And besides, maybe I'm a slow learner who really does need a couple of years to incoprporate everything I'm learning into my daily life. I hope that didn't further confuse anyone. Sue

Thanks Sue and CoffeeWench for giving us newbies reassurances from the long term post op perspective. :cool: I definitely agree that the lap-band seems to make it easier to learn good habits. It's easy for me to see what works and what doesn't for me, since my loss (or lack thereof) each month depends solely on what I'm doing and what I'm eating - rather than intestinal malabsorption doing all the work for me. That is, the malabsorption helps in the SHORT TERM. In the long run, malabsorption doesn't really help you. Eventually the intestines adapt to being bypassed and they start absorbing more calories. Then what? If you haven't learned good habits along the way, you start regaining all the weight. Either that or you have to go through the whole thing again with a revision surgery. Not something I want to have face!

Hello Everyone, I know it's been a long time since I posted. But i'm mad. I went for my 1st fill today and it did not go well. It seems that my port has flipped somewhow. So I wasn't able to get a fill. I have to go back in a week or so to have revision done. But, it's going to take longer than that since i have to wait on referarral from insurance. I am just so discussted (excuse spelling). It just seems that if it weren't for bad luck i wouldn't have any. I'm just destined to be fat for the rest of my life. Ok that's one story, I went back to work last week, things were fine, but now i'm off another week already my back went out on me, my doctor says it's a pulled muscle. I really don't think so. I have been sleeping sitting up in my recliner chair for 3 nights now. I can't lye down it I do I get excrutiating pain in my back when i try to get up, and then my back starts throbbing. I am not having a good year so far. And to top this off on jan 1st my brother and I took my sister and her 3 kids back to minnesota and on the way back we were caught in a bad ice and snow storm and my brother's van broke down on the interstate, neither of us had a cell phone. we managed to get the van to a gas station which was open 24hrs. and luckly i had my AAA card we were 77 miles outside of whenre my brother lived in Millwaukee, Wis so they towed us there. I then had to take a greyhound bus back to chicago the next morning, and the ticket agent had a bad attitude. Ok i've blown off enough steam. So as you can see i'm not having a great year so far. But I do that God for another day. I hope all is well with everyone else. Sincerely, Fran banded12- 02 - 04 Dr. Horgan University of Illinois, Chicago

hiya blossom my surgeon says that as long as i can have fills that there is no need for a revision. This is because mine has only gone sideways and not done a complete flip. I think that because it just needs to be massaged back to the right place for the fill it shouldnt be a problem. he did say that another doctor might not want to fill me as it would not be a straightforward procedure but im fine with that as i had planned to have all my fills done by him anyway.. He also said that i would find it near impossible to have it filled with out it being with flouro because of how it was positioned. On a lighter note he also said that as i lose weight it may even flip back so i will keep you posted. I got to keep the xray pics they took from the flouro and its kinda neat to be able to see my band and port and have a look at them from time to time to remind myself what a brilliant tool i have inside me love tracey

Hi Lucymae, That's what I'm afraid of ... the discomfort in that area. I really feel sorry for you! I hope that in time it will get better. When were you banded? I spoke to my doctor's office assistant yesterday, and she told me that while he's happy that I'm really motivated to lose this weight, my plan to lose some weight first so he can reach my port will not work. She explained that the adipose tissue is too deep. My rationale is that if I can lose some of this abdominal fat, won't the port be easier to access? Since I don't understand fully, I am going to make an appointment to see him next week to get a better understanding. Anyhow, it appears that I will have no other alternative other than to have a revision surgery.

I'm scheduled for revision from band to sleeve on Thursday 12/20. Anyone else?

I will attempt to keep this short and kind of the cliffnotes version for you. October 1st 2008 - LapBand placed October 2nd - recovering in the hospital, one of the nurses made me pull myself up into the bed, and I pulled something at my port site. An enormous hematoma developed that spread from the mid-abdominal line and extended down about 6-8 inches down my belly towards my belly button and stretched to the right side of my body. 7-8 days post op - The hematoma is still present and continues to spread across my abdomen. My surgeon "diagnosed" the condition as Heparin Induced Thrombocytopenia with no blood study being ordered. My bloodwork including my platelets and RBC was normal pre-op. They can't remove my sutures because of the swelling at the port side and the enormous hematoma that is present. At one of the lap sites, the sutures can not be removed because there is a "scab" of some sort grown over it, the nurse "digs" around in the lap site and determines she can't get to them, and tells me to come back in a week. 3 days later, a disgusting dark brownish "cottage cheese consisitency" substance starts coming out of the lap site that the nurse dug around in. I go in, he "cleans it out" and I have an open wound and can see into my abdomen. I saw nice pink tissue, not a layer of fat, it is gross, and takes another 3 weeks to heal properly. That is only after, it seals up then gets infected and I demand to be put on antibiotics. All of that healed by the week of Thanksgiving and I got my first fill. 2cc's, still no restriction. I wait until January 21st to go back in for another fill because my doctor refuses to give more than 1 fill every 2 months even though I call mid-December questioning my fill schedule. January 22, another fill, 1cc in, for a total of 3.5cc in a 10cc band, I was miserable. I had no restriction, was hungry all the time. He told me to call him back in 3 weeks for an update. I did as I was told, and he told me to come back in. Oh yeah, I was down 30 pounds from October 1st to December 18th. I weighed in today and have gained 8 pounds since December. I am extremely "thick" through my abdomen, I carry the majority of my weight in my abdomen, and have always had constant port pain. Well, today he could not access my port. We are doing a fluoroscopy (spell check on that one), he dug around in my port site for several minutes and could not get in the port. He drew back blood on a few tries, it was beyond painful, it was more than pressure, I have a huge pain tolerance and I was almost in tears. I have a large amount of scar tissue around the port site due to the "popped" port suture (this is my assumption). He does NOT use fluoroscopy on a regular basis, and my port has always been "Weird" (almost inverted) since I came home from the hospital. My band has never had restriction except for immediate post op swelling. I also want to mention that I was given a total of 5cc of heparin during my hospital stay (over a 30 hour period), and had a horrible recovery. My blood pressure dropped dangerously low, I have never "thrown up" and only gotten something stuck 3 times and it was microwaved meat. Anyways, I am scared out of my mind and need some direction, help, guidance. I can not change surgeons as I am married to an Air Force member, and our surgeon choices are very limited. There is only one other surgeon in our area and he won't take me for at least 1 year. Changing surgeons is not an option due to insurance rules with Tricare. I am so upset, I've had nothing but problems with the band since having the surgery and now this. I truly feel like it isn't my band, it's been my after care, and my surgeon. I know the band works, but I think it may not be the WLS for me. If I have to go through another surgery, I am considering a revision. I do not have the emotional fortitude to continue with this, and it's been emotionally draining. My husband is about to deploy, I am a mom to a wonderful 10 year, and have a career that is being affected by my appointments and constant issues. . I have not really had issues with the band, but just not getting the results that I feel I should be getting. I have occasionally cheated, and have 'eaten around the band' on occasion, but for the most part, I have followed the band rules, yet am left feeling like I am not getting the results that I would like to get. I do not know what to do anymore. I'll take any advice, support, or direction you are willing to give me. Thank you for your time and input.