Search the Community

A revision from sleeve to bypass will get rid of the reflux according to my surgeon. It's a possibility for me because I had a hiatal hernia wild moderate reflux. He said that he still recommended the sleeve but that a revision could be in my future. A re-sleeve may not be possible. Once your insurance kicks in they'll be able to do a Upper Gi to see how big/small your stomach is Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Please recommend revision surgeons from VSG to MGB

That's great! Who was your surgeon? Was it done as outpatient? Mine will be done as outpatient and that's why I'm asking. My wife will be asking for FML to care for me. Based on your experience, how many days should she stay with me, if at all. I don't want her to miss too much work as we need the money. Thank you so much in advance. I had my surg in san antonio tx. My surgeon was dr Alvarez. It was a breeze. I was only in the hospital 2 days. My hubby stayed with me. I had my revision surg on a tuesday and went to work the following monday with zero issues. I needed help from my hubby for abt 4 days. Thats it! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Omg so happy for u. Thats amazing. My weight is coming off slow but im good with that. Weighed 174 at time of my revision on july 26 and now am down to 164 (2 weeks). Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I have mild reflux but im not sure if its significant. I take nexium in two week intervals when I feel it coming on strong. usually about every 3- 4 months I take a two week dose and it goes away for a long while. I have actually heard that a revision or a resleeve can make the reflux worse but I suppose it depends on whats wrong in the first place. I am hoping to get a doctor that notices the first surgery wasnt done properly and I get resleeved. Yes it is a revision but kaiser didnt have to pay for it the first time and this second time would to repair. But if the doctor doesnt find anything wrong with me then there may be no hope for insurance to cover it. emme.vee - I would live to take your info from the Santa Ana doctor as soon as I can figure out how to message you.. , Thanks so much

I had my band removed and converted to a sleeve 2 years ago. I was depressed because after 90 days I never lost any weight. The doctor gave me diet pills and that how I lost 15 lbs . The diet pills didn't work any more . So he agreed to do a revision of the sleeve what he calls a plactation. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G928A using the BariatricPal App

I'm just scared because when I had the original sleeve done I never lost any weight. 2 years later Dr agreed to do a revision of my sleeve (plactation). This is my last chance. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G928A using the BariatricPal App

I choose bypass because my gastroenterologist suggested it due to a combination of hiatal hernia and previous lap band. The weight loss is slightly better on average, and I like that it would make eating sweet foods harder. The biggest reason was the increased pressure in the esophagus that the sleeve has versus the bypass. I didn't want to feel that pressure I had with the band. I am pretty happy with my decision, but I have no idea what the sleeve would have been like. Type 2 diabetes and gastric reflux and excellent reasons to choose RNY. A sweet tooth also pushed me towards RNY. I definitely can't overindulge on sweets, but I can still enjoy the occasional small servings. My practice also seems to push the sleeve, so I figured the bypass might be a better choice (I was annoyed they didn't even suggest RNY at the initial appointment.) Sleeve is the new, hot thing. It hasn't been time tested the same way, are though all indications show it is comparable to the bypass in weight loss. I would just rather have the most studied surgery, and my surgeon was top tier so I didn't really face any additional surgical complication risk with bypass. Oh, the chance of me getting a revision with RNY is less. That is a big reason I went with RNY. This is my 3rd and hopefully last wls. As far as actual experience, my weight loss wasn't very fast, about 62 pounds at 5 months, from 282 to 219. I am on target, but it isn't as fast as some people. I am a woman and my metabolism has started to slow. I definitely think I would have lost weight quicker when I was younger. I have had minimal restriction issues for the past month. Sometimes I doubt they even did RNY and mistakenly did the sleeve (jk) except that I have mild dumping syndrome with sweets. Mostly just a little dizziness and sweating, enough to earn me, but not enough to compromise my function. My Vitamin levels/bloodwork were all fine. I take a lot of pills without any issues, although I only take chewable Vitamins. Vitamin pills made me feel sick pre surgery, so I am not going to risk it. I even take ibuprofen a few times a month, although I have to take it with nexium. I am able to eat most foods now, including pizza occasionally. I do tend to pick bypass friendly foods on a daily basis. It is just nice to know I can eat out socially without too much planning, although I did have mild dumping after Thai food yesterday. I think they used a coconut cream product for a Soup that had sugar. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Hi @@Nikkinee! Welcome! Another aussie here! I am also a revision patient... i am 3 months out now... I don't miss food, i have been able to eat most foods so far with no issues... much better than the band!

I'm going to copy and paste something I wrote a couple weeks ago explaining my reasons for choosing the RNY over the sleeve. Hope my perspective helps in some way. I did consider sleeve and would have happily gotten one if my surgeon had had some reason for me not to do the rny. But rny seemed like a better option for me based on a lot of different things. - There is much more long-term data on it. - It's considered the "gold standard" of wls. - My bmi was very high at the beginning of the program... about 67. From everything I've observed/researched and learned in the surgeon's seminars, those with higher bmis tend to lose more during the honeymoon phase and continue to lose more/easier in the maintenance phase. I had a looong way to go to get to my goal. - I wanted the accountability of the rny. Many sleevers I talked to simply didn't have dumping, or were able to tolerate slider foods even in the weight-loss phase. I wanted the most strict accountability either surgery could offer, and that meant the rny. - Many sleevers I talked to years out that had started very heavy as I did were not really happy with the larger amount they were able to eat, how easy it was to eat bad foods they should not eat, etc. The rny offers more restriction. True, I can stretch out my pouch just like a sleever can stretch out their sleeve but it seemed to me (and statistics back this up) that rny-ers had more restriction farther out than sleevers, and I wanted that. - I also knew a lot of sleevers who, for whatever reason, wanted revisions years later and couldn't get them because of insurance, etc. I could mess up my rny too, of course, but I wanted the smallest chance possible, and the biggest bang for my buck. - I saw many sleevers, particularly ones with high bmis, entering maintenance with 50, 60, 80 pounds left to lose to reach goal. Of course, this wonderful tool will help you reach goal after maintenance has started with enough work and dedication regardless of the type of wls, but since I had such a long way to go and I wanted to lose weight as quickly as possible to give me a good head start on my life-long road to health, the rny seemed a better option. As it is, I'm not yet in maintenance and I'm about 45 pounds away from my goal. Chipping away. - The only arguments people had against the rny did not really matter to me at all. I have to take Vitamins for the rest of my life? Okay, no problem, most people probably should be anyway. There's a slightly higher risk with the rny? Okay, it's really a tiny extra risk, and with all the added benefits, entirely worth it. It didn't scare me at all. I may deal with malabsorption and other complications? Well yes... but so may the sleeve. The different percentages of risk were so close anyway, it didn't worry me at all to take that leap for what I perceived to be my best chance at getting the best head start I could, which would not only greatly improve my health (it has!) and greatly improve my self-esteem (it has!) but also greatly reduce the difficulties of everyday life (it has!!) as soon as I possibly could. I'm 24 and I left college two years ago because I was so sick. I've been sitting here fixing my body and essentially saving my life, and I really don't want to and can't wait another second to start my life. I'm enrolled and going back to school in about 3 weeks, and I look and feel pretty much normal now. I've had no complications, and I've lost 172 pounds since the day of surgery less than a year ago. This was my dream, and it felt like a silly and ridiculous fantasy before. But here I am, and everything I could have possibly wished for has come true for me. AND BONUS! It only gets better from here! For all these reasons and many more that are more personal and harder to explain, I would choose the rny all over again, and again, and again...

Had my sleeve in 2013 now it's 2016 I had a second option dr said it didn't look like I had a sleeve at all now I want a revision but I'm scared I also have pcos which surgery would have been best help

I was revised to sleeve on June 6 th they removed the band in the same surgery ! I can't even tell you how awesome this is ! I can eat grilled chicken haven't had that in 5 years ! The sleeve allows you to eat healthy food so sorry that I spent so much wasted time with that ! I am 10 weeks post op I have lost 30 lbs ,I started at 212 and hit 182 today wahoo ! You will love the difference no episodes of being stuck or vomiting and recovery was really a breeze! Best of luck to you it was the right choice for me !

Do you by chance have acid reflux? I know in some cases insurances will cover a revision from sleeve to gastric bypass If there is issues. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I couldnt agree with you more. I had my band since 2007. I had my revision surgery removing the band and revising to sleeve on 7/26/16 and its the best decision ive ever made. It is amazing being able To eat little yet anything healthy you want without worrying about it coming back up. Or being unable To talk due to sliming...so so happy now. Totally worth it!!!!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

From what I read Kaiser doesn't cover revisions. BUT I also know that every Kaiser is different and every situation is different. It sounds like you had an entirely different procedure . I don't know if I would even mention WLS to the doctor but I guess you kind of have to to figure out what really happened. I'm so sorry you're going thru all this. I am with Kaiser OC & I see a doctor in Santa Ana. Only seen her once and I'm pre-op right now, so I don't have much advice. Let me know if you want her info. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I agree with the person that said to ask for a referral to have your anatomy looked at. If there is something wrong, that can likely be fixed. I'm Kaiser NorCal, and they generally do not do revisions due to lack of weight loss or regain. Get checked out, but don't count on it. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Has anyone had a revision where they were re-sleeved to a smaller pouch, that can explain the hair loss or anything that differed from the first recovery? Do you lose the same amount of hair, less, none at all?

Thanks for the kind words. My insurance wont kick in for another 2 months. After that my main goal is going to be my medical needs. I haven't been to a doctor in almost 10 years besides for the 2 days I got Gastric Sleeve Sugery and he said my labs were just fine at that time and of course the dreaded Gyno which I pay out of pocket for.. Oh and one $15k trip to the ER from a Gall Bladder attack, that was before the Sleeve. Believe it or not I have not had a single gall bladder issue ever since the surgery and I was having regular attacks before that. The sleeve surgeon said he looked at my gall bladder and said it looked good so he left it in. Im 39 and I feel 59. I am miserable back at this weight, my ankles, and back from such heavy breasts, and my blood pressure feels like its through the roof. I am short 5'1" and I feel like a beach ball with legs. The depression took an all time low this year. Ive had so many issues starting with my fathers death, my aunts death, my step dads death, and coming to realization I was raised by a narcissistic mother who is also an alcoholic, all of this happening in one year. I also have this overwhelming feeling of guilt I spent the only savings I had to get the Sleeve surgery in Mexico and lost my job over it too when I had to take too many days off work for recovery time. I haven't had a decent full time job in 4 years and im now broke as a joke. That surgery money could have came in handy right now and it was a failure adding to my guilt. I have felt the depths of depression this year that I don't wish on anyone. This new job and insurance is my saving grace. That and I am moving 1600 miles away from the negative family members. I hope this is a new start for me and I really hope I can get some decent insurance coverage out of this. Even if I cannot get covered on a sleeve revision at least I can have all my other issues looked into. But I would really love a sleeve revision so I can have a chance to do it right.

Great post, thank you. I finished all the tests and the last thing I need to do is the pre-op testing which includes, blood work, urine test (for nicotine), chest xray and ekg. Now I'm wondering if I'll be going through an anesthesia evaluation as well as I was determined to have mild sleep apnea (no cpap yet). Thanks again, I'll give the nurse a call. For those who haven't started their hoops... I had to go though ekg stress test with a bicycle, as well as the nuclear stress test with imaging, echo,respiratory testing/pulmonary function, cardiac clearance appointment, sleep apnea test, two nutrition classes, and the dreaded endoscopy. All of them were alright, nothing too painful but some were annoying. The hardest were the stress test on the bicycle lol, and the endoscopy left my throat feeling sore (and a week or so of acid relux which I didn't have before). The nuclear stress test was a breeze. I prefer that over the bike/treadmill stress test. P.S. Having a band to sleeve revision, after years of the band.

Sept. 2 is my revision date: Band to Sleeve. Starting my pre-op liquid diet tomorrow.

I am new to this site and im not sure where to post this so please excuse any double postings. I had my sleeve done in Mexico in Nov 2012. I had a BMI of 40 and weighed 215 pounds. The surgery went good I think. I had nothing eventful that happened. The surgeon was ok, but nothing to brag about. The process was strange but I suppose the norm for mexico. I did not have any complications like others I have read about. In fact I was able to eat fairly fast after surgery and I only did a week of liquids and soft foods. I never felt very restricted from the very beginning. I think I could have done much better had I researched what steps to take after the surgery. But my reality is I never felt like it was a success because I could eat quite a bit from the beginning. When I first started eating soft foods I was able to eat 2-3 measuring cups before getting full, and a couple months out from surgery and I was eating a whole steak like 10 ounces. I did lose some weight but I think thats because I only ate Protein and took Vitamins and drank Water. I was always able to lose weight on all protein diets before but they are hard to maintain. I only lost 35 pounds total after the surgery. Fast Forward 4 years later and Im right back at the exact weight I was on surgery day 215. So it took 4 years to gain back 35 pounds but I exercise a lot and I am a major water drinker. I have also done this pouch reset thing several times and I used HCG and Atkins and B12 shots and other methods to try to get back some control and lose weight. I never lost anymore but all that effort slowed down the gaining. In the beginning I tried hard to stick with what I learned on my own like protein first and not drinking while eating. Thats a hard one because I had no restriction. I now drink sodas and beers and anything I want while eating. I graze all day and I have major major hunger pains. Not acid but hunger pains just like before especially after eating empty carbs. I wake up starving and I feel like I could eat all day long. I have pretty much given up and back to my old habits. I can eat a whole Big Mac Meal if I want to. I may not be able to eat 100% as much as I used to but damn near 85%. Like I said from day one when I didn't feel the restriction or anything that I read about and researched, I already considered my sleeve a failure from the get go. Once I stopped losing weight after the 3 months it really started to sink in maybe I didn't get a small enough pouch, maybe the Dr messed up, maybe I messed up.. either way I lost all motivation. anyway.. I now have a new job starting next month and they offer some pretty good insurance plans. I want to try this thing again the right way, with doctors to help me, and I want to do it in the U.S. According to the Kaiser info I meet the BMI and comorbidity requirements. I have not chosen my insurance plan yet but when I do I will make sure that Bariatric Surgery is on the list. I guess my concern is getting someone to do a revision if the original surgery was in Mexico. My other issue is I now have some left side pain that comes and goes and it hurts right over the main incision scar. It definitely feels like its my stomach area. I need a doctor to check me out and see if something is wrong. I have not once been seen by a Dr. or had any follow up care what so ever. Does anyone have advice or experience in getting a check up at a bariatric center and a revision to a smaller pouch if the original surgery was in Mexico. I live in southern California and I would like a place near by in the OC or LA area. Is my first step going to a general doctor and having a referral to a bariatric place? Does anyone have any advice on a specific Dr that I should try to see? Will I get turned down since I had a previous surgery in Mexico? I have zero documents or paperwork provided to me by the Mexico Dr. No matter how many times I emailed and called I got no where on that subject. I even sent money for a so called video of my surgery and never received anything. The only proof is my surgery scars. What are the steps should take to work towards a revision in the U.S. I would even take advice on which plan to choose. Any help at all.. Thanks in advance.

I am new to this site and im not sure where to post this. I had my sleeve done in Mexico in Nov 2012. I had a BMI of 40 and weighed 215 pounds. The surgery went good I think. I had nothing eventful that happened. The surgeon was ok, but nothing to brag about. The process was strange but I suppose the norm for mexico. I did not have any complications like others I have read about. In fact I was able to eat fairly fast after surgery and I only did a week of liquids and soft foods. I never felt very restricted from the very beginning. I think I could have done much better had I researched what steps to take after the surgery. But my reality is I never felt like it was a success because I could eat quite a bit from the beginning. When I first started eating soft foods I was able to eat 2-3 measuring cups before getting full, and a couple months out from surgery and I was eating a whole steak like 10 ounces. I did lose some weight but I think thats because I only ate Protein and took Vitamins and drank Water. I was always able to lose weight on all protein diets before but they are hard to maintain. I only lost 35 pounds total after the surgery. Fast Forward 4 years later and Im right back at the exact weight I was on surgery day 215. So it took 4 years to gain back 35 pounds but I exercise a lot and I am a major water drinker. I have also done this pouch reset thing several times and I used HCG and Atkins and B12 shots and other methods to try to get back some control and lose weight. I never lost anymore but all that effort slowed down the gaining. In the beginning I tried hard to stick with what I learned on my own like protein first and not drinking while eating. Thats a hard one because I had no restriction. I now drink sodas and beers and anything I want while eating. I graze all day and I have major major hunger pains. Not acid but hunger pains just like before especially after eating empty carbs. I wake up starving and I feel like I could eat all day long. I have pretty much given up and back to my old habits. I can eat a whole Big Mac Meal if I want to. I may not be able to eat 100% as much as I used to but damn near 85%. Like I said from day one when I didn't feel the restriction or anything that I read about and researched, I already considered my sleeve a failure from the get go. Once I stopped losing weight after the 3 months it really started to sink in maybe I didn't get a small enough pouch, maybe the Dr messed up, maybe I messed up.. either way I lost all motivation. anyway.. I now have a new job starting next month and they offer some pretty good insurance plans. I want to try this thing again the right way, with doctors to help me, and I want to do it in the U.S. According to the Kaiser info I meet the BMI and comorbidity requirements. I have not chosen my insurance plan yet but when I do I will make sure that Bariatric Surgery is on the list. I guess my concern is getting someone to do a revision if the original surgery was in Mexico. My other issue is I now have some left side pain that comes and goes and it hurts right over the main incision scar. It definitely feels like its my stomach area. I need a doctor to check me out and see if something is wrong. I have not once been seen by a Dr. or had any follow up care what so ever. Does anyone have advice or experience in getting a check up at a bariatric center and a revision to a smaller pouch if the original surgery was in Mexico. I live in southern California and I would like a place near by in the OC or LA area. Is my first step going to a general doctor and having a referral to a bariatric place? Does anyone have any advice on a specific Dr that I should try to see? Will I get turned down since I had a previous surgery in Mexico? I have zero documents or paperwork provided to me by the Mexico Dr. No matter how many times I emailed and called I got no where on that subject. I even sent money for a so called video of my surgery and never received anything. The only proof is my surgery scars. What are the steps should take to work towards a revision in the U.S. I would even take advice on which plan to choose. Any help at all.. Thanks in advance.

Hi all I will be having band to sleeve revision around November this year but have also been planning a 1-2 year overseas holiday, leaving in March next year. It'll be roughly 4 months post op when I leave. (Going to Japan, India, Sri Lanka & Nepal in the first few months then settling in Mexico). I'm worried that going travelling will interfere with what I see as the most important first few months of my weight loss 'journey'. My concerns are: * that I will have trouble finding the right foods to fuel my body. * that I won't be able to exercise or tone my body the way I would if I stayed at home * that other travellers will notice how little I eat and comment/judge. I would be so grateful for any advice you could give me. Am I worrying about nothing? Or should I postpone my holiday? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Hi all. I know I'm a bit late to the party but just stumbled across this thread and thought I'd say hello from Brisbane. I'm getting band to sleeve revision in 2 months and am crapping myself. Any words of encouragement? How is everyone going with their weight loss? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I was banded on 5.8.12 and we'll my progress stalled. The surgeon who did my adjustments made it way too tight that nothing stayed down even when he told me I still had room. When I complained he would tell me that in order do see if it was or if it slipped that I would have to be placed under imaging and that would cost me a lot of money and after some visits later suggested I do sleeve. Also the nutrionist would never properly respknd to my any of my emails thus no follow ups with the nutritionist even when I asked about it. I stopped seeing him because I was getting no where and my former employer, Starbucks, made it difficult for me to designate certain days for medical appointments. So after a year and a new job I decided to seek a second opinion earlier this year. It was with the second dr that we found out that the band was too tight and they removed Fluid. So, right now we are working with what I got,but I am wondering about revision surgery. When I got banded I never thought I would stall like this for so long and a part of me is wondering if it is also because I have pcos or something I might be doing wrong because I am not losing as much as should be losing with the lap band from what I was told by the new dr. She also suggested bypass more than sleeve,but I don't know which would be better for someone like me Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using the BariatricPal App