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Nancy, I think I've been kicked off more boards than Sandy. Well, I'm banned more often, that's for sure. I'm here...I'm not thrilled with my tummy tuck, but I was warned in advance that a revision was likely. So, it's a few months off. Lipo, they tell, to even things out. But they don't want to do it until everything "settles." thank you for asking. Neicy, It's never a good idea to encourage me. I'm outta control enough on my own...but thanks for letting me know that I'm not alone in my thinking on the topics at hand! Sue And I'm closer to 60 than 50...way closer. So, I think I'm gonna start saying that 60 is the new 43. ;-D

I had this procedure done in may of 2013. Was at OCC with Dr Ortiz. The whole thing was a waste of time and money, in total I lost 6lbs was doing a whole lot better on my own when needed support or understanding they just wanted you to return to Mexico and undergo another surgery to restrict the plication more. My current dr in the states said No No don't go back to resolve this problem there only taking your money with no hope for a change that may not happen. Totally depressed about the whole thing..I gave up till 6 months ago, on 9/21/17 I am having a revision RNY. My nutritionist current says this has really messed with my metabolism (plication)-hopefully this current surgery can finally get me the results (tool) I'm looking for and be successful. Just be cautious on the choices you have...

I used Mederma exactly as suggested faithfully for 4 months and feel like I wasted my money. Now I am using a face sunscreen with Retinol on my body scars and see a difference...plus my skin is very soft!!!! Time is your biggest factor, I think. I just got rid of my original port scar and had a port revision last week...as soon as my incision is healed I am going to start the cream with Retinol. Mimi

I'm talking to my surgeon about this right now as well. I've had my band for a long time and I've hit a plateau that just won't budge. You have 3 options really. Removal with no revision. Removal with revision to a sleeve (if your surgeon will do that, mine won't) and Removal with revision to bypass. I was told that going from the band to the sleeve won't have the same effect that going from nothing to the sleeve would. Because you have already reduced your intake through lap band restrictions. So the effectiveness isn't the same. The bypass would add the malabsorption to mix increasing effectiveness. Now, here's why my surgeon won't do band to sleeve revisions. With the band, you will have some scar tissue build up (unless you've only had the band for a very short while) and the cut they make for the sleeve differs from the bypass. The cut they need to make for the sleeve, passes right through where the band, and scar tissue is, so, this greatly increases the risk of leaking and in a location that's tougher to work in due to it's location being higher up in the stomach cavity. Scar tissue doesn't heal to scar tissue quite the same way that healthy tissue heals to healthy tissue. Do doctors do band to sleeve revisions. All the time. Do some people have no issues with this, sure. But... it does increase your risk, so you should be aware of that risk. I went into my follow up / revision discussion appointment, pretty much set on the sleeve. I left leaning towards the bypass. And after doing my own research, review of both procedures, factoring in the different prospective losses with each. I'm pretty sure I'm getting revised to a bypass. Just my inputs, but worth sharing.

I am having my surgery on April 30th. I am having a 360 degree tummy tuck, fleur de lis, liposuction, hernia repair, muscle repair, and port revision. Surgery will be around 6 hours and my PS is sending me home the same day. I'll have a 45 minute drive home and then another 45 minute drive back the following afternoon to check the incisions. I'm a little worried about going home so soon, but he says most people do really well and are able to go home the same day. I hope this is the case. Congrats on your surgery. It sounds like you are doing really well. I will be anxious to see your pictures when you are able to post them. Take care and get lots of rest. Cathy

Rush, while I am new to the sleeve, I'm not new to counting protein as I had to do so with the band prior to my revision. Some helpful ideas if you can't get the texture tolerable might be to use a blender and make your own shakes. One of my favorites has been vanilla powder with skim milk and add a banana and some peanut butter, but you can mix and match, add ice, use some water instead of just milk, use Greek yogurt, or try all kinds of different conglomerations to suit your preferences.

When things are questionable, second opinions are a useful thing. But, I can understand the surgeon's concerns from a couple of different perspectives. One is that the bypass is predisposed to ulcers (typically marginal ulcers which would be of a different cause of what you have,) so as with the VSG which is predisposed to GERD and they often shy away from doing them with patients that already have GERD, I can see the reason to be apprehensive about doing a bypass on you. The second is that the bypass leaves the bulk of your stomach in a blind limb that can't easily be inspected by endoscopy, and as ulcers can be a pre-cancerous condition if left unchecked, it is something that you want to monitor; waiting until obvious symptoms such as pain or bleeding occur is seriously bad news. The marginal ulcers that are common with the RNY are typically at the anastomosis between the pouch and intestine, so is in a place that can be monitored; anything happening within the remnant stomach that has been bypassed is out of reach. As others have noted, not all bypass patients dump (maybe 30% or so?) so according to Murphy's Law (if something can go wrong, it will....) those who are looking for dumping as a form of aversion therapy will be amongst those who don't dump. As FluffyChix, the bypass is something of a one shot deal - it is difficult to revise to something else if it doesn't work for you, either on weightloss or regain or due to medical problems (such as your ulcer problem) and even a reversal is no walk in the park (we have seen a couple go through here the past few months due to intransigent ulcers) while the sleeve is more readily revised if necessary. So there is some additional "margin of safety" or "plan B" available with the sleeve when things are questionable. Overall, the results of the bypass and sleeve are very similar - whatever difference there may be in the intrinsic "strength" of each procedure is overshadowed by the initiative and habits of the patient - there are many successes with the sleeve (8+ years out here) just as there are those who fail to do well with the bypass, including going back to junk foods because they never dumped. There is plenty of work on your part whichever procedure you get. good luck....

I would do it again in a heartbeat (even though I had a complication and had to have revision surgery). The band helps you stay on track, which is different when you are just on a diet, you can revert back to your old ways, but the band keeps you in check. Also, 1-2 is the norm they communicate, but everyone is different. I know one guy who lost an average of 20lbs a month. I have been averaging about 12 lbs a month (3lbs a week) and that was with a month of not losing bc of complications!

Ya know I had that feeling! My doctors office told me on day 1 it was covered now by them as of just a few months ago but something is just not sitting right with me. I had a feeling it wasn't. I don't want the bypass. Now I'm really bummed ???? So did you pay for your sleeve out of pocket? I may end up just doing just that myself. Thanks for your informationHello Cladd, my husband is active duty Navy. As you know, we have Tricare prime. I had the sleeve done Dec 30, 2013. And BC of almost 2yrs of a stricture and acid reflux, I had to have a revision to GBP on Dec 4, 2015. Unless something changed recently, they pay for the sleeve. Hope this helps and sorry if this is a repeat answer, I didn't read the entire posts. Good luck:)Thanks so much for your answer! It was not a repeat post and thanks forctsking the time to answer me. Sorry you had complications with your sleeve! That's terrible. Hope you are doing well now

Wow it sounds like UHC SUCKS!!! Sorry to hear that. It makes no sense to me at all why they would do this. Inamed, or what ever there called now should really get off there butts and get some proff to insurance companies and employers about the band! What is wrong with them! I went to a support meeting today for WLS and half the room was bands the other half bypass. So many bypassers have had to go back in for revisions! How scary is that! This just make me so MAD!!!

How many pounds did it take for you to finally go down a size? I know it varies from person to person, so I'm wondering what's about the average. At the same time, I'm trying to remind myself that it's not always POUNDS, losing inches are way better. Ah. The joys of bandland. It's a serious rewiring of the brain haha. So, revised, how many pounds/inches did you have to lose before you went down a size?

Ya know I had that feeling! My doctors office told me on day 1 it was covered now by them as of just a few months ago but something is just not sitting right with me. I had a feeling it wasn't. I don't want the bypass. Now I'm really bummed ???? So did you pay for your sleeve out of pocket? I may end up just doing just that myself. Thanks for your information Hello Cladd, my husband is active duty Navy. As you know, we have Tricare prime. I had the sleeve done Dec 30, 2013. And BC of almost 2yrs of a stricture and acid reflux, I had to have a revision to GBP on Dec 4, 2015. Unless something changed recently, they pay for the sleeve. Hope this helps and sorry if this is a repeat answer, I didn't read the entire posts. Good luck:)

I am 5 weeks out from surgery doing great! I had revision from a lap band to bypass. I am so glad to be free from the band after 9 years! I also have a high tolerance to pain so once I was home I did just fine. I needed no pain meds after week 2 and then I was just taking hydro codone at night. I have lost 30 lbs! Go for it! I was worth it!

Hi all! I just got sleeved on 4/30! I had a gastric band in June of 2012, had a band revision in March 2013, band removal in Feb of 2014 and finally sleeved on 4/30. My starting weight with band was 317lbs. My weight before sleeve was 274. Pre op got me down to 264 and today I am 263! I thought that 5 days post op would have showed a little more in the scale but I guess not. Is this normal?

Doable or no? I'm going to MX for band to sleeve revision. Since we have to stay several days post-op, I'm wanting to treat it a bit like a vacation...if possible! LOL I usually heal pretty quickly from surgeries...and gosh, I've had a few! 2 C-sections, gall bladder, LapBand, TT/BA, ablation, appendectomy. So I'm wondering how it might feel to be on my stomach for a massage. Right now, there's no way...the band is causing so many problems that I'd be throwing up if I stretched out on my stomach. But the band will be GONE...so I'm wondering about soreness, swelling, etc from the surgery itself. What do you think?

Chronic GERD treatment is challenging for patients who have had a sleeve gastrectomy (SG). In some patients, GERD is resolved after SG, but in others symptoms remain Nissen fundoplication surgery is not an option for SG patients due to altered anatomy Revisional surgery from the less invasive SG to Roux-En-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) has been the standard alternative for this challenging patient Patients who chose the SG, may want to avoid a revision to RYGB to control their GERD GERD medications (PPIs) if taken long-term may have a risk of significant side effects, including: osteoporosis, c.diff infections, kidney disease, heart disease and dementia For some patients, GERD symptoms are not completely controlled by PPIs Leaving chronic GERD uncontrolled can lead to Barretts Esophagus There is a clinical study currently enrolling patients on the management of reflux with stretta in patients who have had a sleeve gastrectomy. Email Rebecca Meli rmeli@montefiore.org to be referred to a study site. Please let her know that you heard about it on BariatricPal! For complete study details go to: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02637713. What is Stretta - and why may Stretta be appropriate for GERD after bariatric surgery? Stretta is an FDA cleared device that treats the muscle between the stomach and the esophagus with radiofrequency (RF) energy - it is indicated for the treatment of GERD. Non-surgical treatment delivered through the mouth, that does not alter the anatomy Delivers low levels of RF energy to the muscle between the stomach and esophagus Studies show Stretta results in a thicker muscle, improved barrier and fewer reflux events More than 40 clinical studies show Stretta to be safe, effective and durable Having a Stretta procedure does not complicate future surgeries when necessary A study of Stretta in GERD patients after RYGB showed 71% with resolved symptoms (Mattar et al 2006)

In Sept 03 I was banded I weighed 262 within 9 mos I was down 70lbs with no fill, my doctor was thrilled I wanted more I started running and took on a very strenous job, then I wanted a fill. There truly was no need for it I may have hit a plateua but who knows. I started vomiting 3 times a day then found out I was pregnant so no upper gi could be done. I vomited for 18 mos 3 to 4 times a day. Life was hell I hated my husband for enjoying the food I cooked knowing that I would be in pain from just taking a bite. Finally after moving to a new state and not being able to find a bariactric to see me my old dr found me Dr Needleman at OSU. I cried in his office the 2nd time I saw him I didnt have the energy to lift my son yet I weighed 255 lbs. He had tried a egd and it hadnt worked so on June 22nd he went in, I wanted it GONE!!! When I awoke the first thing i remember is crying 'is it still there', It was.... I found out that I had an ulcer right beneath the band which had also slipped. Everytime I ate the band held true to my pouch and beared down on my ulcer. Relief only came when the pouch again was empty and as quickly as possible. So here I am starting over are my odds shot??? Heather B. intial sept 03, Pamela Foster Mills CA 262/185/260 revision june 06, Bradley Needleman OSU OH 255/247/170

I used Dr Swain at Scottsdale Healthcare, now HonorHealth Scottsdale Shea (?) -- not for a revision, but for gastric bypass - he was terrific for me --

I got sleeved on the 5 th i am a band revision. Honestly going well other than Bad heartburn. I did not have it before. For most it goes away after a couple months , hope I am one of lucky ones. Was very weak on clear liquids and now way way better on full liquids. . Minimal pain maybe just with certain movements and mainly on my removal of Port. Lost 8 since morning of surgery and since started full liquids on Thursday scale has not moved and I am ok with that. .

weight loss after revision is almost always slower than it is after a "virgin" surgery, and on top of that, you're starting off at a much lower weight than most of us, which also means slow weight loss. And...you're about three weeks out. Just in time for the infamous "three week stall" to boot.

I'm not sure I know what you mean, general sleeve info? Revision info? Little experiences here and there? Anything specific you want to know? I LOVE my sleeve, I absolutely love it. I was afraid to do it for a long time, I was afraid it would make my problems permanent. Instead it has been the very best thing I have done in a very long time!

Hi Abigail! I know you don't want to hear this, but you have to make an apt to see your Dr., or in the very least, talk to your NUT. This person will have the knowledge to help you & suggest what you can do to get back on track. More importantly, do NOT be ashamed of yourself. This is a tough journey & we really need to work hard to make it work BUT IT DOES WORK!!! You didn't mention what you're eating or how much. That's the first thing I'd look at. I had my surgery done on Jan 16th, so I'm about 5 1/2 weeks out. I had my band removed & revised to the sleeve. Here's an example of what I eat at this point. Keep in mind, everyone's food menu is slightly different the first 6 - 8 weeks. It all depends on the Dr's office: Breakfast: 1/2 - 3/4 cup of egg whites mixed with feta cheese, turkey crumbles and spinach or 1 egg feta cheese, turkey crumbles and spinach or Protein drink (Greek yogurt, Pure Protein vanilla creme shake w/ 1 scoop of Pure Protein vanilla powder). I actually don't like chocolate that much lunch 1/2 cup - 3/4 cup of tuna fish blended with low-fat mayo 1/2 cup - 3/4 cup of leftover dinner from night before Dinner 1/2 - 3/4 cup of any lean protein (like homemade ham & navy bean Soup in the crock pot) 1/2 -3/4 cup of turkey chili (in the crock pot) tonight I'm making Lemony Lentil & Spinach Soup (yup, in the crock pot again, LOL) *No, I don't use the crock pot all the time, but it does help) I hope this might help you. But, I really think you should call your NUT. They're job is to help you. Do NOT be ashamed. Nothing to be ashamed of. You are NOT alone my dear. Most of us enjoy helping & encouraging others. You CAN do this & you WILL be successful. Best of luck & hang in there!

To make my long story as short as possible. I was diagnosed with high blood pressure and high cholesterol in 2008 the onset was an extreme weight gain that I had no idea how to control. So I started going to mediplan weight loss clinic got me some diet pills too curb my appetite and a B12 shot. I began to lose weight but after awhile the weight began to come back even though I was working out regularly but the pills no longer suppressed my appetite. I kept trying different diets but nothing seemed to work. So in 2010 I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at the age of 25. So again I changed my eating habits continued to workout but the pounds kept adding up until I was almost 300lbs. My diabetes was completely out of control so for the next 5 years I stayed in and out of the hospital battling my diabetes and my weight would drop 20lbs and I'll gain 20lbs back. Until November of 2013 I was crying because I had been once again hospitalized for my diabetes and I was truly afraid I wouldn't live to see the New Year and it was right around the corner. I went to see my PCP for a follow up visit and was talking to the nurse and she suggested weight loss surgery to me she said it would help with getting all of my medical problems under control. I began to do research on WLS, I talked to my mom about the benefits and risk of WLS and my mom told me she'd rather see me trying to do something about my condition instead sitting around waiting to die because she was not prepared to bury another one of her kids. That conversation with my mom encouraged me to go through with WLS. SO I went to two different weight loss seminars that informed me about the Lapband, Gastric Sleeve and the Gastric Bypass. With both seminars I knew right away that the Lapband wasn't the option for me. So I was left to choose between the sleeve and the bypass. I heard so many good things about the sleeve and so many scary things about the bypass until I chose the Gastric Sleeve. Which was really the wrong choice for me. I was sleeved May 2014. So I'm now 14 months out from my original surgery date and has been very unsuccessful with the gastric sleeve. The morning of surgery I weighed 268 and I'm now 215lbs. I've followed my diet exactly as it is in my binder. I've been dealing with a lot of vomiting and my acid reflux is 10times worse than before I was sleeved. My diabetes is still a major problem. After 14 months of struggling with my sleeve my doctors have now just decided to scope me to see why I'm having issues with my stomach. I still exercise 3-5 times a week and I have yet to have a significant weight loss my sleeve hasn't helped as promised. Now I'm looking into a revision to the RNY bypass hoping it will fix my issues and assist with my weight loss. My gastric sleeve was an epic fail..... Am I the only person that hasn't been successful.

Thank you, but noooooo, you don't want to imitate me! Due to esophagus issues, I was on soft foods for 8 months! Then because of reflux I had a revision from sleeve to bypass on Halloween. It's been a long year. Hope you have a smoother journey 😁 Do you still have a lap band?

I'm so very nervous about my VSG to RNY revision tomm afternoon. Yes afternoon. I'll be starving all the way to 3pm Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App