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I've read (but have not experienced this!) that some patients have revised from a sleeve to an RnY (gastric bypass) to reduce severe reflux problems. Perhaps others who know more about this or who've actually undergone this revision can chime in with more info.

HEY PINKGIRL, WHERE IN JERSEY ARE YOU FROM. So you had a revision from band to gastric? hmmmm i take it you hated the band huh? Why did you go to rny instead of the sleeve? im just curious because our stats are very similiar. 5'9 240lbs goal is 175 the least (i think)lol i think 145 would be way too small for me and my height. What made you decide on 145 were you ever that.. i was, in the 9th grade.lolol.. Well congratulations on your weight loss. What was the lowest weight you went from and to with the band ...What were your complications with the band.? My doc is in Paramus, NJ Hospital he performs surgery is Hackensack Hospital..keep up the good work. Are you happy with the RNY are you losing at the rate you want to. Im sorry if i ask to many questions. i like to know and learn everything i can when it comes to WLS..

Willie (my band name for free Willy(fat)) lol Willie and i did great at the beginning we worked together and understood each other until he turned on me. I too was told this band can stay forever if there is no complications, slips, infections ect.. But after about 6 to 7 years he refused to get filled properly so insurance paid for fills and unfills more fills and unfills sometime 2 times in one day, xrays, barium swallows prescription omerprazoles, Over the counter TUMS, Endoscopy ect. ect. They could have paid for the removal of band and getting the sleeve done with that money. And to thing i was denied and had to resubmit (last week) while they (insurance) continued to pay for three back procedures in 2 months ranging from 4000 to 6000 plus a whopping 2500 for accupuncture lol and they (insurance ) think they are saving money by denying the revision. For crying out loud i have degenerative disk, sciatica, bulging disk slipped disk, lumber L2, L3, L4, L5 something that is getting worse with my increasing weight. Oh i'm sorry, i lost track of what we were talking about Yes sign me up!!

I am nine months out after my VSG and my reflux issues are very bad despite max doses of PPIs , Ranitidine and regular Antiacids. I now have Barretts Esophagus and Chronic Gastritis. My surgeon and GI doc and GP are all saying Revision is not going to be an answer, but the evidence I've read seems to indicate it is a viable option. The recent concerns of a possible link between use of PPIs and Dementia really worries me and I am going to try and push forward with the Revision. I've also been reading about and interesting surgical option, the Linx Ring. I'd like to hear from anyone who has had the Revision for Reflux and also from anyone who has or had Chronic Gastritis after VSG. Did it resolve itself eventually? Thanks, Pam VSG May 27th,2015. 90 lbs lost

I had revision from vsg due to reflux and obstruction Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I wasn't aware that a revision would help with that.

Is there anyone else out there looking at possible revision of the sleeve due to acid reflux?

This is almost identical to my story. I was banded in 08, and lost 90 lbs. started having bad reflux and inhaling stomach acid in my sleep, which resulted in a few hospital stays with aspiration pneumonia. Had to have band un filled and gained all the weight back plus and extra ten. Currently working towards a revision to gastric bypass.

Hi there! Your story is, almost, identical to mine! I was banded in 08, list about the same amount of weight, had the same issues, etc. My surgeon said the band is, basically, garbage and needed to come our. He also said that without something, I was sure to gain all of my weight back. I am scheduled for a revision to bypass on the 29th. I have UHC and no issues at all! Once submitted, it was approved in a little over one week. I am THRILLED!!! I hope yours goes just as smoothly.

First time starting a thread -- a long time coming! My lap band journey began just before my Senior year of college back in December 2008, I have a dense family history of morbid obesity and was finding myself headed in the same direction tipping the scales at 240 lbs my Junior year of college (I'm only 5'2"). I opted for lap band as I was young, worried about a permanent procedure, and excited to be able to control my restriction. My lowest weight was 135 lbs and although I definitely wasn't always good to my band, I found it to be an overall positive experience and certainly life changing. There are so many things I was able to do, feel and experience because of my weight loss at such a pivotal time in my life. At times I've wondered what the fate of my band would be but as the years went by the restriction and presence of my band became a part of me (UNTIL IT ACTUALLY BECAME A PART OF ME...lol...read on). The only major side effect besides the occasion "stuck" incident was debilitating gas pain. I would get gas so bad I'd become totally bloated and doubled over, but like the band, I learned to live with these episodes...and stopped eating Beans altogether. Three months ago I began to feel a faint "airyness" in my tummy, similar to the gnawing sensation that you might feel with an ulcer (I'm guessing). It wasn't painful but a noticeable difference. As weeks went on, other symptoms began to appear -- two or three isolated feelings of nausea, slight chest tightness/esophagus pain, slight heartburn (never acid in the throat though), upper back pains, NEW pain when food passed through the band, and as a result of all of these: randomly rapid heart rate! I've come to believe the heart rate was anxiety and/or my bodies' reaction to these symptoms. I knew it was time to get some tests done... After a visit to my surgeon and near-perfect upper GI (no slip), we took all of the saline out of the band (I had been at the same restriction for a good while) and waited to see if symptoms improved. A few did, a few did not. I began to wonder if it was even band-related or maybe just new stress-related gastro issues. Needless to say I was falling down a deep, scary WebMD hole of worry. I made an appointment with a wonderful gastroenterologist to rule out other causes, he had me get an ultrasound and endoscopy. Ultrasound: perfect! Wonderfully placed organs. Then finally the Endoscopy: your band has eroded! Yep. Lap Band erosion, there it was, poking through my tummy. It wasn't as severe looking as some I've seen so I'm hoping/thinking it hasn't been like that for too long. After the test results I immediately went into see one of my two phenomenal surgeons (both have been practicing bariatric surgery as a team for years - they are amazing humans). He said there was definitely a hole in my tummy and that both the band would need to come out and that my tummy would need to be repaired. He assured me that although I had been maintaining at 165-170 lbs, I would surely gain the weight back once the band was removed. So he offered to revise to a sleeve -- basically free of charge. He concluded that because I would need repair anyways, they might as well just take a bigger chunk out of me. Although, I wasn't quite ready for the conversion, I trust my surgeons and knew that my insurance would not cover a sleeve down the road. My brother and aunt have both had the sleeve with great results and I started remembering where I was when I had first elected to get the band -- I would love to avoid going back to that weight. In the back of my mind though, I wondered if it might be a fight with insurance for "band removal," low and behold -- IT IS. Although I am on track to get the surgery on April 26th, insurance has already messed everything up. HELP! Questions... 1) My insurance (which is supposedly AMAZING) doesn't cover ANYTHING related to bariatric surgery or weight loss (ugh). Not removal, not fills, nothin! However, there is a hole in my stomach. As the doctors have said, this is not a sustainable situation. If I don't get it fixed now, I will end up in the ER. Today, I received the initial denial letter. Has anyone else found themselves in this situation? I'm not "electing" to have the band removed -- IT JUST NEEDS TO COME OUT, my stomach has a damn hole in it! 2) My surgeon seems confident in a one-stage revision. In fact, both of my skilled surgeons will be performing the procedure. Has anyone else with erosion done a one-stage revision? How'd it go? Any help is much appreciated and thanks for reading my long-winded story. These forums have been a real help as I've gone through these many symptoms. Currently, the only real pain I'm experiencing is sometimes when eating, intermittent back pains, and at night -- hoping it doesn't get worse before surgery... Cheers!

Hello! I am new to this forum and I am looking for some help/insight. I was banded in 2010 and lost over 90 pounds my first 15 months. Felt great and then I started having the same issues and problems that many people have, terrible reflux, vomiting, difficulty with solid food. Reflux so bad I can't lay down or eat. I am also having pain in my port site. Slider foods are the only thing I can eat and not get sick or get stuck. I get stuck on eggs!!! I am so over this lap band and deeply regret my choice. Several fills/Unfills/adjustments and I am still not where I need to be. My weight is creeping up close to surgery date weight and I am miserable most days. Anyone have the same issues? I have an appointment with a new surgeon next week (the surgeon that did my surgery is no longer in state) and I don't know what he will say. I am hoping and praying I can get a revision because I am miserable and uncomfortable daily. Any tips? Insurance issues? I am so appreciative of any support and insight. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I am a 29F from NJ but my surgery is not until 3/25/16 so I am a few weeks behind you. I somewhat get where you are coming from I only have one friend I talk to (she is working towards a lap-band to sleeve revision) other than her I have not told anyone because I do not want to deal with the lack of understanding she experience with our mutual friends. . . How are you going so far? I am excited about it but nervous about silly things like losing my hair, how am I going to hide it when I go out for dinner with people or when I bring it up with a new guy I am dating. coco

I've posted my story several times in other threads which you can find by clicking my name. To make the long story short(er), I had my sleeve 8/22/2013 & then on 12/29/2015 a revision of the (dilated) sleeve & the single-anastomosis duodenal switch. I also had my hiatal hernia repaired at the second surgery. A hiatal hernia can certainly be a cause of reflux symptoms. Personally, I would not have a gastric bypass. I don't like the artificial opening from the stomach pouch to the intestine. The duodenal switch (classic or SA-DS) has the sleeve gastrectomy that leaves you with a fully-functional stomach, just much smaller. I chose not to have a DS at the time of my original sleeve because the amount of malabsorption scared me. But 2 years later I was still at a BMI of just over 35, on 4 insulin injections a day, Metformin, atorvastatin (Lipitor) & 3 blood pressure meds so I decided something more had to be done. I am now 2½ months post-op & am off all insulin & the atorvastatin. One blood pressure med is discontinued & the other (a combo) is half what it was & I will probably be off of it by the end of the month. We did try decreasing the Metformin, but that didn't work - yet. And - drum roll - as of today, my BMI is below 30! I am no longer obese.

Thank you Sharpie for your response. I am going in on Wednesday. I am a bit nervous but this is my last resort to fix my stoma. I already had it surgically repaired in 2013 and it did not work so this will my 2nd revision. It is nice to hear you and your friends have done well with the band. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I would think if it were an option to fix the reflux, more people would be getting DS. There are a lot of people revising to RNY (Gastric Bypass) because it does cure the reflux. The only person who can answer that question for you is a surgeon.

I am with BCBS and going through revision from band to bypass. I have to meet all requirements as if I haven't had WLS before, they require 3 month diet which I am finishing up this week.

At the beginning of the process I talked to my insurance company, Anthem BCBS of Michigan. They told me that there would not be a 6 month diet wait program requirement. With 40 BMI, revision I need for bad vertical band, and co-morbidities, my Dr. did not expect any problems either. Insurance just came back and said medical issues of band has nothing to do with WLS. If I was having band replaced, then they would approve now. But since I need revision to bypass, they want the 6 month documented weight loss trials. I have been admitted in hospital 2 times in last 4 months due to banding problems, and cannot see waiting another 6 months? Anyone else has this baloney? Any appeal on this that is possible? THX

Hi sleeved 2/3/14, dealing with reflux and regain of 20lbs (never got under 200 lbs with the sleeve) Surgeon predicted my goal weight as 222 SW: 297. I've never felt my sleeve was done correctly. Looking to revise due to reflux and regain. Being directed toward roux en y, but I do not have a gallbladder, so wouldn't it make more sense (since I'm already sleeved) to go with the DS? HELP, I need some input.

I actually can relate. I had my band emptied and I still can't eat most foods like salad or Proteins that are not drenched in some sauce or dressing. Right now as I type this I have Hard boiled egg stuck I my band...it's always been an issue since I had it placed in 2007. I am currently in process of going through revision to RNY due to insufficient weight loss and heartburn. I still have to go through all of the insurance requirements same as first time around. We will be submitting to insurance in about 2 weeks so will see if I get approval. Insurance does need to see you have been compliant with the post op requirements etc. I would start looking into it more.

I had my band removed in 2013 due to slippage resulting in GERD I wanted a sleeve but surgeon said it isn't suitable for me and suggested bypass instead. After reading multiple threads on this forum of sleeve to RNY revision, I think it's a wise thing for me to do. Sent from my SM-G920F using the BariatricPal App

I was thinking of PB2 in terms of varying shakes, but I don't even use shakes. If I end up having revision surgery, I'd hope to need them only for a short time, but it may turn out to be for the long haul, since I'd be revising to sleeve. There may have been another topic where I had cause to mention something, but I'll say it now as an aside. My very first taste of Peanut Butter occurred when I was approx mid-20's. The first thought was, "Eureka! I've found it. I shall call it 'peanut butter'." So you all can thank me for the real thing. Oh, almost forgot. I googled "pb2" earlier and found something not thrilling. Never heard of the site or the babe before...no idea if she knows her stuff. http://foodbabe.com/2012/09/16/the-truth-about-pb2-powdered-peanut-butter/

I got my band removed in December 2015 and am revising to RNY the end of the month. Due to the extreme GERD and esophageul spasms, I was not a candidate. I know a gal who is 6 weeks post op with the Sleeve and she's having horrible GERD. Sadly, she will probably have to revise to RNY.

Hi @@kstein01 I just had band to sleeve revision surgery on March 2nd. I had complications from my band for about 8 months before I made the decision to go with the sleeve. I went in for an EGD and my doctor unfilled me completely and I ended up gaining 25 pounds in 2.5 months. I was so disappointed in myself. My surgeon does the removal and revision together if possible. And luckily he was able to do mine together. I am so happy with this decision and looking forward to not feeling horrible all the time like I was with the band. I know the weight loss can be slower with the sleeve but this is a journey not a sprint for me. Good luck with your decision, remember this has to be what's best for you and your future. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

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 am a 2 step revision. My band was placed in 2010 and was a problem from the start. My surgeon is removing it this week. We will wait 12 weeks for things to heal and revise to bypass in June.