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I would either reschedule or try the pill route if that would work. Having just been through revision surgery this week it is very fresh in my mind and I would not want to deal with that situation myself on top of everything else!

Hello All, I’m have a revision from Gastric Sleeve to Gastric Bypass on August 16… I’m nervous and excited at the same time. How are you all feeling? I had the Gastric Sleeve 9/2015 SW 347 LW 239. Now I’m having a revision due to GERD and regain. CW 299… the first time around I didn’t follow-up with my doctor after having complications with GERD early on. I’m so looking forward to doing things the right way this time! Who’s having their revision in August? Also, what are some mistakes you all made that you plan to do differently this time?

So I have been very good for past few weeks on my insurance required diet (month1 of 3) but recently I started noticing pain under my right rib radiating to side and to the back, especially after I eat meat. One night few weeks ago it was really bad after I ate something fattier for dinner. I am going to see my surgeon next week to empty my band due to all of the heartburn I'm having, but will also bring this up... Have you had your gallbladder removed prior or during revision surgery?

Good afternoon all, Prior to reading further, if you are going to judge me and tell me that it's my fault and that I don't have any self control...spare yourself the time typing and just move on. I had the Gastric Band procedure in August 2013. Did ok but that last year and a half just could not find the "sweet spot" and either it was too restrictive or not restrictive enough. After numerous discussions with my surgeon, we decided that the revision from band to sleeve was the way to go. In June 2016 my Gastric Band was removed, gave my stomach a couple months to recover and in August 2016 I went in for the Gastric Sleeve procedure. I find that there is very little restriction to the amount of food or liquids I can consume. I am absolutely a "stress" eater and many times (most times) I eat whether or not I'm hungry. I was under the impression that since my stomach was going to be 1/8th the original size, that I would have NO CHOICE and be unable to eat when full. That has not happened and I'm very disappointed. I don't know if I unintentionally stretched my stomach or what. Has anyone else have these issues? Many thanks!

i had mine out 15 days after revision,,, never had attacke in my life til then.

I think that anyone who has not had a band to sleeve revision won't feel what we feel. Alas...you are in luck. I know exactly what you are feeling and seeing and feel that I have adequately navigated through it. I was banded for 6 years. Lost 75 lbs, gained 50, lost 60, gained 10, etc. I had to have a revision because I couldn't eat foods that are good for me because of the restriction. If you are looking for the same feeling of restriction with the band and sleeve, stop now. You won't get it. It is so different. I can drink plenty of fluids, eat all of the slider foods, and anything liquid or soupy that I want without ever reaching that full feeling. I know my satiety depends on what I am eating. If I am doing sugar, carbs, dairy, fruit or anything like that in anything other than really small quantities, I never reach a "full" feeling. I know it is hormonal and blood sugar related. If I eat mainly protein and veggies with the occasional taste of sugar, I have to force myself to eat. I'm never hungry. I don't know if this helps, but it is my experience and it is a tough road to navigate! You can do this!

There is a lot going on with your post so I am only going to try to touch on a few points. First, I am only an expert in ME and I realize that my comments do not apply to everyone so take it with a grain of salt. My background: Second, I was overweight (but not obese) as a teen, got to about 220 by my late 20s (I remember because I was pregnant and strictly ordered to gain NO weight during pregnancy. Back in those days 220 was considered HUGE for a 5'5" woman, times have changed a bit on that). My weight stayed in the mid 200s for most of the decade of my 30s. I had a lapband when I was 37 - I weighed 272 - my lifetime high at that point. I lost some weight, but didn't do well overall. I got to my lifetime high weight of about 350 with a lapband and no fill Band was removed in 2011; revised to sleeve in December of 2011 at 308 pounds I got to my goal of 158 by Feb 2013 and maintaining... During my overweight, obese and morbidly obese years I tried every diet under the sun, went to YEARS of counseling as the thinking at that time that overweight was essentially a mental or character flaw. Counseling helped with some stuff, but I clearly just got heavier and heavier...I was diagnosed with a zillion medical conditions: fibermyalgia, depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, fatty liver and according to my family, a less happy personality. Oh, PCOS was thrown out there too, but i was never formerly diagnosed. Fears: I was terrified of gastric bypass in 2001 which is why i picked the band. I can admit now, but didn't then that I had huge denial. Somehow in my mind, the band wasn't really bariatric surgery.. it was just this little thing I did to try to lose weight. I was deeply committed, but did not have the support and frankly picked the wrong procedure for me based on that fear and denial. I really didn't understand the SHIFT required from me for long term success. I was a basket case over my decision to revise to the sleeve. I think my list looked alot like yours... but I think i can summarize the fear like this: "what if i go through hell and I fail AGAIN and am still obese? i don't know if I can go through that again..." by the time I was sleeved, i was so "over" food as entertainment because my over indulgence was literally KILLING me. When I was banded, i was in complete denial on that point. I highly recommend that you face your worries over not enjoying food in your presurgery timeframe as this is a very tough topic - even for those of us that were relatively speaking "over it" Truth of the matter is that years out, you can eat pretty normally... but the first year or so, you really do eat tiny portions and a sensitive person won't like that in social settings. And in the years out, just because you "can" eat normally doesn't mean you "should" in order to maintain your losses. Education on obesity: This is a huge topic but obesity is a disease state and i think it is really important to understand the grip it has on you physically. There is a good reason that for people who have gotten quite heavy, the chances of maintaining a significant weight loss without surgery is about 2%. That isn't because we are all neurotic messes - it is because your body changes! I saw a "weight loss" expert counselor who was convinced I had deep dark secrets I was repressing - I had a crappy childhood and there were no secrets there! After years and years of counseling there were no secrets left but she thought I was lying. It was this forum here that made me realize there was something else - like I was FREAKING HUNGRY 24/7 - this is related to understanding the disease process of obesity. Other health stuff: At some point presleeve i decided that alot of my diagnosis were irrelevant (especially the ones that couldn't be treated like fibermyalgia). I decided to focus on the primary problem which was my weight. It was a good call because most (not all) my health problems disappeared when i lost weight and became very active. sometimes i think all those medical diagnosis can be ... paralyzing. It is almost like focusing on the leaf on a tree instead of the bigger forest fire heading my way... Age: On the one hand, your youth is a real advantage in the weight loss world. I could lose weight pretty easily in my 20s/30s, just could keep it off. By my late 40s, I couldn't even lose weight anymore on all sorts of crazy diets and programs.... in the end, that is what forced my hand to getting the sleeve actually. On the downside, one advantage i had in my late 40s was to be more selfish/focused on myself. My kids were older, they could buy their own Snacks and keep them hidden from me etc. When kids were little and wanted to do normal things like go to restaurants, have treats and stuff - it was killer for me as that junk food stuff is like a sirens call... BTW, I never put my one "heavier" (not obese) kid on a diet. He did slim down over the last several years. i feel a great deal of shame realizing that it was ME providing the diet and lifestyle that was making him chunky. I thank the stars everyday that i was able to model these changes for him while it was still time for him to learn from it. I should also share that he confided that he never "feels full" which is exactly how I was pre sleeve so I do wonder if there is some sort of imbalance genetically in some of us! I think you should go for it, but i highly recommend a strong support system (both professional help like nutritionalist and in your personal life), get really educated on life post surgery, seek counseling and support for your fears. You can do this and I hope you get a chance to enjoy your 30s, 40s and many decades to follow without carrying around essentially the weight of a grown man around on your body! It is hard for me to imagine how I even functioned at 300-350# when I look back. It takes a lot of strength both physically and emotionally to do that. i should also share that i am 51 and looking at hip replacement probably 20-30 years before is typical. Cause? Most likely the DECADES of being morbidly obese. I want you to avoid those kind of problems that can show up even after you lose the weight.

Did the tube disconnect at the band, the port or is it in between? Any idea why this happened? If you can have it revised I'd go for that? Seems like a small incision and scope to reconnect the tube would be easy?

GoddessMoon, this is the first time Ive been on any forum and I've never experienced rudeness like this. If you read my post, I had a lapband years ago and this was suppose to revise that (which was $1000 more) and do the sleeve. In regards to you question, its hard to tell what difference it would feel. What finally happened is the lap got more and more constrictions that I had to have fixed. My gastro dr ordered the upper GI and CT which showed no sleeve before he had to start doing EGDs.

My only concern is that he goes in and says WAY TOO MUCH SCAR TISSUE and doesn't do the revision... all I can do is pray

Hey Cathy!!! Big hugs for your surgery tomorrow. Everything will turn out excellent and you absolutely *will* have as good an experience as others (such as me) who have had the revision. Let us know how you're doing when you feel up to it.

I lived with a band for 3.5yrs and was miserable. I lost about 50lbs right away, then stopped and gained about 10 back. My surgeon told me that "most" band patients end up having complications with it eventually 3-5 years out. The area where they sew the port into your body is never the same. You can feel it under your skin and it can get caught up under your ribs after you lose weight. Lots of the people that are revised to the sleeve end up with hiatal hernias in the area around the band. That happened to me. In my opinion, bands are bad news. I love my sleeve and have had nothing but successful weight loss since I got it in January.

Thank you so much!!!! I am seriously considering going to Dr. Aceves for my revision surgery. I won't lie, there is alot of apprehension simply for the fact this surgery will be out of the Country. However the more wonderful posts I see like this, the better it makes me feel. So... THANK YOU!! And especially thank you for taking your time and being detailed. I prefer detail when I'm making such a huge decision. It's stories like this that clear the air and get me ever more ready!

Good luck Soli31! Remember your journey is "yours" we can all just share or not share our experiences but no one can tell you the right decision for you. When I had my sleeve last year my Surgeon did a very small sleeve but she has reminded me ( even though I have lost 81 LBS in my first year and likely will lose a few more)on every one of my followup appointments that I can stretch my sleeve/pouch if I don't watch my portion size. So I keep in mind that all these procedures are tools to help kick start our weight loss and reduce or eliminate our illnesses but WE must make the decision. Every day to follow thru on nutritionand exercise. All the best! quote name="Soli3l" post="3931941" timestamp="1440722473"]Endoscopy confirmed the doctor's suspicion...I have a big sleeve, it's also dilated w/ a bulge, he said it's not my fault, but it could be revised...now the waiting begins.

I had the lap band July 2010 lost only 16 pounds, Lap band was removed Oct 2012. Had the sleeve done Nov 2012, lost 24 lbs only. I now have an appointment with a new surgeon to consider revision. I don't know which procedure he will recommend. I am still a diabetic with hypothyroidism being treated by endocrinologist. I have been seeing a WLS Nutritionist since 2011. Frustrated, I think I made the wrong decision two times. Was it the surgeon that did both of my surgeries? Is it me? Am I destined not to loose weight? Thanks for your support.

Endoscopy confirmed the doctor's suspicion...I have a big sleeve, it's also dilated w/ a bulge, he said it's not my fault, but it could be revised...now the waiting begins.

Hi there, I went from a lapband to a bypass. Prior to surgery I was 264 pounds as of January 2013. I lost 28 pounds by the time I had my surgery on Aug 1st. So surgery weight was 236. I now weigh 211 (27 pound loss at about 3 pounds a week. I think I lose slower because of the revision, but also because of other challenging health issues; however, I am pleased with losing something. I do worry if I will make it to my goal weight, but what I think will help is some sort of exercises or swimming in the pool as a regular form of exercise. Keep in touch with me if you like, because once I am able to afford to go the pool regularly, I will let you know if it helps. Good luck to you!

Great, great, great decision! You will love the sleeve. I am so happy after having my revision!

Congrats on your upcoming surgery. I had lapband to sleeve revision surgery on 6/23. Good luck. I'm sure you'll do great.

Your surgeon is correct. I previously had the lap band, it failed me & I regained nearly all the weight. This past July, I had a revision done to remove the band and get the gastric bypass, in two months, I've lost 84 lbs and I feel absolutely great! Not to say I didn't have a few complications, which worked themselves out, but I'm very happy I had it done because I feel confident I won't gain it back Good luck to you & everyone embarking on this journey!

What kind of options are there if insurance won't approve a band to sleeve revision? Like where can I go where it is inexpensive to self pay?

I don't want to scare you but your symptoms sound very similar to the ones I had and it turned out to be a slip. I wasn't losing weight because I could eat more, yet at night I'd have night coughs and I'd never digest anything...it didn't make sense so I went in and sure enough I had to get a revision surgery. Good luck.

I called when I was having troubles awhile ago and asked about the Gastric Sleeve and they said they do cover it, as far as revision not sure! Yes they covered my band, twice actually. I had problems one month out my first lap band, and they covered putting it back in 6 months later, the sleeve was not even an option at that point. I am just anxious, the surgeon says he is going to try and rush things along, but the insurance lady that submits everything, says it will be atleast a couple of days because she just got back from vacation.

Granted it's only been 6 weeks since my revision to bypass (because of reflux) but I've only lost about 5 lbs and I was 10 lbs from goal at the time of surgery. My doctor said the same thing as yours. Actually what he said was "you're not going to dwindle down to nothing." Weight loss is slower with revisions especially if you don't have much to lose. If you haven't had any issues regarding eating disorders, I wouldn't worry about it. Yes there are people who develop this problems after surgery but you are near your target weight.

It really depends on what the insurance companies cover. Like Frust8 stated, some insurance companies have a 1 bariatric surgery per lifetime coverage. If the insurance company gives the patient/doctor a problem about coverage, more documentation and/or test work is needed. But your surgeon will let you know. I feel as if revisions are becoming more common and less people are having to fight for them