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I have read so many posts about people getting the sleeve and many having to do a revision to bypass because of GERD. From what I understand and what my surgeon said (I had originally though about getting the sleeve but he quickly recommended a bypass because of my GERD) if you have GERD before surgery it may not take it away after getting the Sleeve, and it could even be worse after. I just talked to a friend of mine who is wanting a Sleeve and also has GERD but didn't know that. I know there are probably some who had GERD before their Sleeve and now don't but I wonder what the percentage is of those who got the Sleeve with GERD and still had it after, if not worse, and also had to get a revision because of it. And especially why Doctors aren't advising their patients of this. (I'm xposting this in the Sleeve forum as well to get input) If you had GERD before surgery/or pre op did your Dr let you know of this? Did it change your decision?

Sface1963...you're one day after my revision! Good luck!!

Glad you're feeling better Elizabeth. So sorry you had such severe problems that the band had to be revised then removed. But VERY glad you had the option to have the problem fixed.

He has mentioned that everywhere he reads, the band either has to be replaced or revised to a different surgery. I think I have read where he said, when the time comes, he will get a revision to a sleeve surgery.

I had revision at age 73, 30 years after my RNY. I was on the bariatric clinic’s program for eight months prior to the revision surgery. I lost 70 pounds pre-surgery by cutting out all sugar, flour, white potatoes, rice, and processed foods. I’ve lost a total of 106 pounds to date. There were complications from the revision surgery so it did not result in any consumption restrictions. The additional weight loss is due to sticking with the plan above. I encourage you to do some reading about sugar and food addiction. I recommend the following books. Food junkies: recovery from food addiction, by Vera Tarman Why Diets Fail (because you’re addicted to sugar), by Nicole Avena & John Talbot Weight loss surgery does not treat food addiction, by Connie Stapleton

Aside from the nutritional changes, the trauma of surgery also affects hormones, and emotions. I've also read something about fat "holding" hormones, so the actual fatloss, will affect hormones and emotions. That's part of the reason why overweight women have trouble conceiving. Hillmama, I hope you will continue to feel better as you heal. I'm curious, about what kind of surgery revision you had? I've never heard of concentric pouch dilitation before. Did they give you a new band?

Congrats to you for being prepared mentally. I am very similar to you, I weighed 222 when I started the preop diet. I will be 48 tomorrow. I am thinking 125 but I have revised to 130-140 based on my body shape-125 might be to skinny for my build. I always made sure I had something to drink and when I had to cook for my husband-I drink some chicken broth prior to cooking so I did not get hungry. Also my husband let go out shopping a lot so he could eat while I was gone. Good luck - before you know it you will be on the other side.

Hi all. I am getting my band out on the 31st and then will be sleeved on June 16th. I just have a question: How hard is the time between the removal and then the revision in terms of appetite, nausea, weakness, pain, recovery and ability to work? I'll be on the pre-op diet during that interim. Thanks!

I'm getting my revision done the 1st week of October. I have confidence that I will lose, but once I'm at goal I'm scared I will regain and the whole thing will be pointless....this thought just keeps entering my mind and I can't shake it. I don't want to be a failure again like I was with my band...

I would suggest you read all the revision threads on here.. From band to sleeve from sleeve to rny.. If I had to do it again with the numbers you have I would not hesitate to go with rny. I'm 8 weeks from revision from band to rny and even though I had a low bmi of 35 I am down 32 pounds since surgery day. No complications.. Look on the forums and it could help you make a choice.. I would not recommend lapband at all. I was successful with mine lost all my weight 120 lbs in 9 months and loved it for almost 6 years and then it eroded and I had to have it taken out .. No fun!

I can say from only my personal experience that I wouldn't choose the lapband. I was a huge success and advocate of it.. Banded June 2008 beginning weight 305 was down to 170 (goal weight) in 9 months. Kept the weight off for almost 6 years then bam it eroded. No fault of mine, I followed all the band rules.. No bread, no rice , no pasta, no soda.. My doctor said most lapbands are failing after 5 years. Some have been lucky and a lot have not with it failing. A lot of physicians are not even doing them anymore because of this.. So from my personal experience I suggest not getting the lapband. I was a self pay and wish I had gone the tried and true route the first time around.. I am 8 weeks out from my revision and down 34 lbs (had to gain 50 to be eligible for the rny). Do some research on the percentage of revisions being done from band to sleeve and sleeve to rny and band to rny. It's shocking! Just my personal 2 cents..

I was 335 at my heaviest and 312 when I started my surgeon's program. Was 294 on the day of the surgery. We're the same height, but I also had Type II diabetes and borderline blood pressure. I chose the sleeve because I was not interested in the plumbing reroute and malabsorption. My surgeon has a lot of people who are really heavy do a sleeve then revises them to a RNY, but I have no intention of doing that. I'm still a work in progress since I was sleeved in May. Double check with your insurance if both surgeries are covered. I had it in my mind I wanted a sleeve but needed to make sure it was covered. Sometimes since it is newer, it is not covered.

I disagree DS I think all the wls are bashed equally. I agree that we should only be talking about our PERSONAL experiences with the wls . Not others experiences. I have had lapband and rny .. Each has there own pros and cons. Each work and don't work. No one needs to get upset when the choice they choose isn't the choice someone else chooses. I was very successful with my lapband and would still be a huge advocate for it if it hasn't eroded. I'm sure I would have had success with being sleeved as well. I am self pay and after seeing the sleeve to rny revision board decided I didn't want to take the chance I would have issues with GERD. Each wls is awesome and each has issues. The point is talking about your personal experience to help others make the choice that is best for them. It's all good people we are all working towards the same goal to be healthy!

Due to complications with my band, my doctor is recommending revision to the sleeve. However, my insurance company requires a BMI of 35 or greater even for revision surgery (I also have to do the doctor supervised diet program again). I am 8 pounds below a BMI of 35 so I can either have the band removed in which case I will automatically get fat again and then have the sleeve done as a second surgery or I can use all the tricks in the book to gain the 8 pounds necessary to get to a BMI of 35 so I can qualify to have the revision in one surgery. If I couldn't lose the weight before the band and the band helped (albeit with complications) does it make sense to force me to gain back weight I worked so hard to lose so I can qualify for a revision and hopefully get to my target weight? Does this make any sense????

Getting insurance coverage can be difficult. Generally the hospital and surgeon have staff that can assist you. Cost is generally a major concern. There are several different forms of Weight Loss Surgery (WLS). These different forms have different outcomes. In some you lose weight faster and deeper than others. Some have a higher probability of requiring revisions. (I decided that when I underwent this surgery I did not want to undergo it again.) Some forms of surgery are better suited for any co-morbitities you may have. For example I had GERD. If I got the sleeve it would only compound this problem and RNY was better suited for this condition. You might want to get briefed on the various steps you will need to go through - psych evaluation, classes, pre-op tests etc. You may want to start to attend Bariatric Surgery Support Group Meetings. They are free and generally occur monthly. Depending on the requirements of your insurance, you may need to go through a medically monitored diet and exercise program to qualify.

I was denied because BCBS said the revision wasn't medically necessary. I've had the Psych, and the Cardiology, and I'm going for the sleep medicine MD tomorrow. BCBS also stated that they only cover 1 bariatric procedure per lifetime, though my MD office said they've seen that reversed. I'm getting even more frustrated because since I had to have all the fill removed from my band, I've gained like 30 pounds back. The best part is, that my eating habits are better now (not eating as much junk) than when the band was filled and I've gained so much weight back.

Hi all! I just found this site a week or so ago - I have been on OH mostly but really like this site as well - nice and organized! So, I don't have much of a "story"... yet. I am having a revision from a slipped & eroded band to VSG on 3/12. All at the same time I am nervous, excited, scared out of my mind, hopeful... well you know. Most of you have been here already. A little background on me: I'm 37 and as most, have fought my weight my whole life. At this point I need to lose anywhere from 80 to 110. The BMI chart says 125 but I know that is way too much. I have never been thin - I honestly don't think I am meant to be and I'm cool with that. Even at my most athletic in high school (cheer leading & gymnastics mainly) I was still not skinny. At my thinnest (during my clubbing days) I still had meat on my bones. I think back to that time and laugh because I thought I was fat!! Well, 30's me has sure shown 20's me what fat is! :001_tongue: Anyway, I gained a ton in my late 20's and had the lap band in Jan of 01. I lost about 70# but In Feb of 02 it slipped and my stomach prolapsed up through it so I had to have emergency surgery to have it replaced. Ever since then things have just not been right. I gained it all back, pain every day, throwing up all the time, now have high bp & cholesterol, etc. The last year has been pretty bad where the pain and throwing up are concerned and the last 6 months have been sheer hell. I ditched my old doc because he is a f***ing idiot (ya, I said it), and found a great surgeon who is going to fix me (his actual words). I'm not afraid of the actual surgery even though anesthesia makes me ill. I'm not afraid of the pain that comes with healing even though I can't take most good pain meds. What I am afraid of my weak will power, but I have already started fighting that battle. I am completely and utterly terrified of looking like Jello under flabby skin after losing the weight though. Even though I know I'll be a madwoman at the gym once cleared for exercise that is in no way a guarantee I wont look like a big mess and I have no clue where I will find the money for plastics. I know I'm getting waaay ahead of myself and I'm sure it will all work out in the end. I guess it's just the anxiety of the unknown! :001_tongue:

@bs19gal I had sleeve April 14 2014 and I was told to not to take any NSAID's. I am being revised to RNY April 11th but I would suggest to confirm with your surgeon just to be sure. NSAIDS can cause problems down the line but even more so to the healing tummy. Please just double check with your surgeon.

I would think yes. Revisions don't usually result in lightening fast results. But additionally, you also are dealing with the inflammation from the surgery, plus the fluids you received via IV. So it will take time. Additionally, some people don't really start losing until they are able to eat normal food rather than protein drinks. Some people find protein drinks actually slow their losses. I was one of those people, so I do have a bias. Protein drinks were very insulinogenic for me. Congrats on your surgery!

I know for me the hardest part was not stress eating, and I'm scared that will be the same thing once I have it out... and I am determined to have the dang thing out. Per the doctor I tried a solid food (small frozen bean burrito), and it ended up getting stuck/I got sick, even with no Fluid in my band. So it's back to yogurt and tea for me at this time... I did indeed have a fantastic weekend though, so that didn't get me down at all. Husband was out of town, so I had my best friend over and we did nails, updated my Etsy Shop, and I did about 16 hours of yard work! Spring is finally peeking its head out, and that is thrilling I'm not sure about revision to the sleeve. I have two friends who have done wonderfully with it. I'm just scared of the prospect of another surgery - they (the doctors) were initially wanting me to do a bypass, but I have friends and coworkers who have had nothing but trouble with that, so that's why I opted for the band figuring it was less invasive and therefore less problematic. We'll see, though. I hope you have a fantastic week. I'm on track for 20 hours of Overtime this week, so at least being busy keeps me from being overly emotional and freaking out about my band

Hi all, Well i survived my revision. I was in the hospital for 4 nights. There was scar tissue from when i had my gall bladder removed 35 years ago and working with the gastric bypass i had 15 yrs ago made it a 5 1/2 hr. surgery. I have a slight pain going on yet and still move a little slow. So, i am on the mend, listening to everything my doctor is telling me. I see the doctor and nutritionist august 26. i will finally go on to pureed food on Monday and i can't wait. i'm kind of tired of eating the same stuff on this liquid diet stage. Taking one day at a time. Thank you to all who have thought of me going into this surgery. It was a little rough at first, but each day gets better.

I was 287 when I had sleeve surgery 0ct 2016 went down to 199 and back up to 237.9 ,just had RNY revision surgery on July 16th due to severe reflux getting worse with the sleeve. I am 4 weeks post OP and I am down 24 lbs. You look awesome and I am wondering how you got rid of any excess skin and no batwing arms. Mine already flap in the wind and I just hate it. You look so happy and confident. Congratulations. Allie in SC

Hello, everyone I'm new to the gastric bypass forum.... Long story short I had a few terrible complications with the sleeve that I received May 2014 and was just revised to the bypass March 16th. So I'm four days post-op and have some many questions and would really love some input and support..... Sent from my LG-H634 using the BariatricPal App

I had a similar situation with my esophagus. I have a precancerous condition called Barretts Esophagus. I also had a band implant about 10 years ago. Everything was good for about 8 years. I lost 100 lbs and was feeling great. The band was adjusted right but I started throwing up all the time. I couldn't eat anything and I could barely drink. The opening at the band almost sealed off completely. The Barretts tissue had become irritated and swollen and closed up the opening at the band. My esophagus had dilated like a big balloon. They found all this because of a routine upper GI, that I have to have yearly. They removed all the liquid in the band. I had to drink a medicine for ulcers because I developed an ulcer in my esophagus. After a few months I had another upper GI and we found that the esophagus had returned to it's normal size except that now it was stretched out but the ulcer was healed. It was longer than normal because of the stretching and this caused a hiatal hernia about a year later. Your esophagus will shrink back down but it won't be normal again because of the stretching. I didn't adjust the band after I was healed so I put the 100 lbs back on. I love to eat and drink beer and talk with my friends and unless something stops me from doing that, then I will continue to do it.When I finally went in for an adjustment we found out the band was leaking and it slipped and would have to be removed. I had the sleeve revision surgery last March. My doctor removed the band, repaired the hiatal hernia and performed the sleeve surgery all at the same time. It took 4 hours. I was miserable for the first 5 days but by the start of the second week I started feeling good again. I am now 3 and a half months post-op and I feel great. I am down close to 50 lbs. I am not losing fast like some of the people on this site. I have back problems also. I am averaging about 2 to 3 lbs a week. I do not exercise at all. Just walk and sit in the sun when we have sun. You won't feel that plugged up sensation after the band is removed and it is nice to not feel the port anymore. I can eat more than I could with the band but it is not enough to keep me from losing weight because I am losing weight. I have had a stall but I didn't change anything that I was doing and after about 3 weeks I started dropping weight again. When I feel full I have a tightness sensation in my chest. It is not painful but I know that it means to stop. Even if I don't want to stop I have to. I have thrown up once because I ate too much. It was painful. I think that the sleeve is a much better tool. I don't throw up. I don't feel plugged. I can eat anything that I want, it's just not very much. I can still have the things that I crave. If I fill up on mostly meat like steak, the full feeling lasts a long time. If I fill up on salad or fruit then I get hungry again sooner. This is great. All of my suits are fitting again and my regular clothes fit good. I would recommed the sleeve surgery to anyone. I know there are people on this site that have had an awful experience with this, but I can only speak for myself and say that I think that it was very much worth it. I am wondering what my weight will be at Christmas this year. Good luck to you and keep us updated.

Hi I currently have the band and am trying to decide if I should have the revision to RNY or sleeve. I struggle with constipation so need to know which one will be better for my constipation trouble?