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Sorry to hear it didn't go as well as you hoped. It certainly sounds like you have had a tough time with the Band so you must be very glad to have it out. I did not have erosion and I'm no Dr. but I'm not sure that I see why he thinks bypass would be a better choice. I know there are a lot of revision patients here who did have erosion so it would be helpful for you to learn about their experiences. I have 'heard' that many surgeons now are trending towards doing sleeve vs. bypass due to the great success of the sleeve and less invasive surgery. Of course based on my own success I completely agree with that but ask 10 other people and you're likely to get 10 other opinions. You are in the right place to get more opinions and 'real life' experiences and input. I'm sure you can find people who have been revised from both Lapband and even Sleeve in gastric bypass forums. As we all know no one surgery is foolproof - I know people who have been successful at all of them and also people who have gained back a good amount of weight with all of them. The fact that you had physical complications is the thing I would worry the most about. A Hiatal Hernia is very common - I learned after surgery that I had a small one which they repaired during the my sleeve surgery. Did this surgeon look at the particular spot where the band eroded? I suppose depending on the location that could play into his opinion. What has your preferred surgeon said and, even though he has less experience with the sleeve than others has he consulted with other sleeve experts? That's the sort of thing I would be looking into. Ultimately you decide but it definitely sounds like whichever way you go it has to be better than your experience with the Band. I wish you all the best!!

I too had a port revision and I was told to treat it as original surgery, as far as exercise goes. What was explained to me, is it takes the 6wks for enough scar tissue to form around stitching to help hold it in place. I must say though, it was much easier than the original surgery.

Not being a revision case, I can't completely understand all your concerns. But, to address the "extreme" part: I think the process is fairly easy, unless there are complications. Most people don't have complications. I am seven weeks out and feel very good. I don't even feel like I have had surgery, I just can't eat like I used to. Overall, the surgery itself just seems like a blip in the big scheme of things. Of course, taking advantage of the processes leading up to surgery and readying yourself for this change will help you adjust better. Not preparing or living in denial of the changes that must occur may make things harder. I'll bet you'll be just fine!

This is extremely hard since you need to be signed off by your doctor to get the approval letter sent to your insurance. I found away around going to my primary doctor and went to my obgyn. she was caring, compassionate and sent in the referral for my revision surgery. Now I drive 2 hours away (4hrs round trip) out of network to get the proper care from my New surgeon. So there is an additional cost but I think I am worth it! Good luck!

I'm entering day 5 of recovery of my revision. Banded 11-2008, sleeve 11-15-16. I feel amazing, almost like I never had surgery, my incisions are starting to itch a lot so that's my reminder, lol. I was off prescription pain meds on day three. I can drink 64oz of Water a day and get in 60g Protein. I don't feel hungry. I feelin like I it's going to be the best thing I ever did. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

My Sleeve to RNY revision is in T - 2 hours and 20 minuets. Arriving at hospital. Please say a prayer for me

I went to Mexico for my band and then when I wanted a revision my doc is the only one I trusted for a revision since those surgeries are a lot more difficult to do and carry more risk. I'm completely sold on MX! I did go back to MX for my aftercare with a band because I'm driving distance but with my sleeve I have no aftercare or maintenance so it's a non issue now. But I could have had my aftercare with a band done locally.

I was banded in Jan. 2010 and did very well. I had my port revised in June last year..twisted, unfortunately it went down hill from there. He placed the port on my belt line. I have had nothing but pain and tenderness for the last 8 months and oh yeah, took him 7 months to convince him I had a leak. I know what restriction is and I never got it after the revision. Anyways, yes, my port incision for my port wouldn't close and I would have fluid poor out like a faucet. As long as it wasn't infected leave it alone they said..Its like a got a pocket around the site and it would fill up and poor out. Scared the crap out of me...My fills became so painful from them digging around I would lay on the couch with an ice pack and Tylenol and wishing I had pain meds. I felt all these months have been wasted and I gained my weight back. I fired my so called doctor and now am with someone who listens to me. I am converting to the gastric sleeve if my insurance will allow me. Please be strong and be your own advocate. I waited way to long to speak up to where he would listen to me...one time i asked my doc how many cc's i had, he said i don't know. so keep track of your cc's...I wouldn't change a thing but to be much firmer next time with my doctor. Lesson learned. So i feel for you and it does stink these bumps come up in the road. If you have a good doctor that communicates with you, you will be fine. If not, find another surgeon who cares..just my opinion..

I had an endoscopy done first. I was 2 months out and I was not even able to hold a sip of water down. I was admitted to the hospital for dehydration and malnutrition and the endoscopy was done there. The GI doctor found a large marginal ulcer that I am still having problems with. It was found in November 2015 and I will have a 3rd scope in 2 months and if it is still not healed then I go back to my surgeon. This scares me because I had the sleeve to bypass revision due to reflux, so I can not go back to the sleeve. I was told they would attach my stomach to a different portion of my intestines.

I am possibly looking at a revision from sleeve to RNY. GERD, and apparently I have a small ulcer and had a stricture. I was cash pay for the sleeve, any experience with insurance, specifically Anthem BCBS covering this if it comes to that? Thanks y'all.

Houston I'm waiting for approval for revision from lapband

These r mine I am still pretty swollen and bruised my revision RNY was on 8/20. Great thread! Oh and my dermabond is still on. This is were my drain was on top of my tattoos ear and my surgeon cut around the owl head to make the fifth incision.

Hi, I had the band in 2007. Lost a whole 40 lbs in 5 years, probably from throwing up and not being able to eat chicken, shrimp, vegetables, the usual healthy foods got stuck, so I ended up eating a lot of slider foods and drinking alot of pineapple juice to help get unstuck. Total painful nightmare. So last Oct 2012, I went in for surgery for revision from band to sleeve. When I woke up from the anesthesia the doctor said there was no way he was going to sleeve me because the band did so much damage to my stomach. We waited 9 months and I had my sleeve done July 8 2013 so far so good except for the stalling. But I love the restriction and I love that I'm able to eat healthy food without it getting stuck. I feel like I'm a slow loser but I'm losing and the scale is going down slowly, and I'm very happy I had the surgery and I'm so glad that that dreaded band is out of my body!!! :-D No more pain!!!!! Yaaaaaayyy! !!

I went in for a revision 6/10 but woke up without a sleeve. There was too much scar tissue for the doc to want to do both in one step. I was so so disappointed. But... On rescheduled for 8/29! I'm ready to get it going!

My port flipped about 3 months after my original surgery. I dealt with it for a long while, about 3 months, before my doctor and I even knew what really happened. I had gone for a fill under flouro which is when he noticed that the port turned because he couldn't get to it. He did revision surgery on me in August. I had to have emergency surgery just 2 weeks ago because my band for freakishly tight and I wasnt eating. When he went to unfill me he realized that the port flipped AGAIN. So it has been 2 additional surgeries, but insurance covered both. However now my port is almost directly under the skin and can be felt and even seen. Before all these surgeries I couldnt feel my port at all...but ugh, now it makes me ill. That's why I am trying to find a low profile port now

It's nervous to have second thoughts with any type of weight loss surgery, it's a life changing event and comes with it so much responsibility. And the lap band has MANY responsibilities in order for you to accomplish your weight loss goals and minimize any complication risk. Here are some things to ponder: 1. Have you thoroughly researched your surgeon? Being self pay you REALLY need to make sure you are in good hands, have you asked about his complication rate, how many revisions has he/she has done from Band to Bypass or Sleeve? If his rate is very low, you are OK, if he/she revises a lot of his lap band patients to Sleeves or Bypass BEWARE. 2. Have you asked about his aftercare? Does he fill the band and follow your progress? Does he perform dynamic fills this is a good method where you drink liquids while the fill adjustment is being perform and it helps you detect the sweet spot more quickly. Can you get fills when YOU need them, or when they be on some sort of schedule. Or will he outsource this to another fill giver, or does he have a qualified PA that assists in surgery to do fills, VERY IMPORTANT, you don't want any unskilled nurse or fill giver performing your fills. Aftercare also includes checking or identifying any lap band problems, Upper Gi's and ordering EGD, when and if necessary to check the health of your band if you have issues. 3. How many lap bands has he/she has done? If over 500 you are ok, if not I would seek another lap band surgeon (especially if you are self pay). 4. If you are financing the lap band will you have money for future upkeep? You have to be realistic here, if your insurance will not pay for the band, fills can get really expensive depending on where you live, they range from $10 with co-pay up to over $1,500 per fill, so you need to ask your surgeon UPFRONT what the fills will cost for you as a self pay at least for a year. Some surgeons will include free fills for 6 months to a year in their package for self pay patients, because it can take up to 3-5 fills or more before you get to the green zone and be prepared if it takes A good YEAR before you get to a restriction level where you don't need any more fills. But many people reach a good fill level fairly quickly. 5. Just because you are self pay NOW, does not mean if you have a complication your insurance will not pay for it, usually MOST insurances that don't cover bariatric surgery WILL cover a complication if it is deemed medically necessary, but again, you should check your insurance policy, and if does not, you need to be prepared for any unforeseen complications, whether if you need a Upper Gi, or EGD or have to have a port replaced, or tubing or worse band replaced, these are things you need to think about because they CAN and DO happen with the band. I will give you an example, I got my band replaced last year, my first band was paid for 100 percent, 7 years later I had a new insurance plan, and it did not cover any bariatric surgery, BUT -- it paid 100 percent to fix a hiatal hernia which was required to remove the old band and place a new one, because I had a complication, it as deemed medically necessary because of the hernia to remove my old band and replace a new AP band because it was medically necessary. Honestly whether you get the Band, Bypass, or Sleeve you can run into unforeseen medical costs from unexpected complications, but again, many people do not have any issues, and sail along fine, but again you need to be prepared especially if you are going to be self pay. The risk is worth it for many people because you end up with a healthier life and better self esteem. Good luck

Had revision from band to sleeve on June 15. With my band, I could hardly drink water for most of the day & it took FOREVER to get my tiny pills that I have to take daily down! I guess I got so used to that "stuck" feeling after every drink/bite, that I have that expectation still with my sleeve--but nope! Not stuck here!!!!! And it is WONDERFUL!! Plus I just started full liquids yesterday and I can definitely feel restriction already! I can't wait to see what solids are like! Plus I'm down 12 lbs woohoo!!!

Dr. Aceves banded me and then did a revision to a sleeve later. He's great! I would (and did) go back to him. Sleeves are fantastic, I love mine so far.

I don't see why you would consider Mexico for a place to do your surgery? I understand the pricing, but,,, what if anything ever happens like a leek? What will you do? I mean you must go back to your original surgeon for repairs or revision. I have a 4 cc band, I went to a Center of Excellence in Michigan. My Doctor put 2 cc;s in and by the time I got home it blew!!! Now how can a 4cc band blow with 2 cc's in it? Well it did... What would you do if something like this happened to you? You would have to travel to Mexico. No one hear would want to touch you. Even if your food gets stuck ! When you tell a E.R. that you had it done in Mexico, "this is why you are not at the hospital that did your band" They will not be comfortable with it. My band failed, and I will not get another. The sleeve is doing what the band is suppose to do. I will check into that, and yes I have to go back to the same Doctor, because no one will touch anyone else's work. I suggest you think twice about Mexico, and twice about the band. More and more are coming out that they are defective. To all of you that love your band "been there". I wish you all luck.

Hi! Just wondering if anyone has any success with getting a revision with BCBS TX! I am hoping to have a revision in April. I have my first doctors appointment in March. My insurance does not require a waiting period. The only qualifications is BMI over 30, psych eval, and to prove that the band has failed. When I talked to the office, they need to prove that my band has slipped, eroded, or the port is no longer where it should be. I would love to hear from anyone who has had success with this insurance!

My nutritionist is part of Smart Shape weight loss centers in canada. Specifically for bariatric surgery. Vsg, mini gastric bypass, lap band, and revision surgeries. I would hope she would know.... but I am not so confident. Everyone says follow the plan your dr has you on...... what if you dont want to? I paid almost 20 grand out of pocket to have this surgery....I dont want to fail Sent from my SM-G965W using BariatricPal mobile app

Ok. My story is kind of long. To make it short...I had lapband surgery in 2009. I had a bad experience and ended up with atelectasis and was in the hospital for four days. Also, I wasn't given a lot of education about the band before hand. I now refer to my previous surgeon as "the chop shop." I had my band removed after having far too many complications from it. It was removed by my current surgeon in March 2013. He tried to convince me to revise to a sleeve during the band removal but I didn't feel like I knew enough about it to have it done. I didn't want to make that mistake twice! He was super understanding and said we should take the band out and if I wanted a sleeve or bypass I could come back anytime. Nine months later I went back after doing a lot of my own research and consulting with my GP, OB (had a baby five months before my band was removed), and my endo (type 1 diabetes for 23 years). They all supported or suggested the gastric sleeve. I have been approved and done all the necessary steps to have surgery. I am scheduled for Feb. 13th. My question to everyone is how anxious/nervous are you/were you before surgery? I can't tell if my anxiety stems from the awful experience I had the first time around or if its normal. Last night I had a full panic attack and told my family I couldn't go through with it. Of course as soon as the attack ended I felt like a fool and today have felt completely at peace with the idea of surgery. I have had WLS before. I know how eating will be different and how it may effect my relationships. I just can't figure out if the anxiety is typical pre-op jitters or the fear of failing again? Possibly a mix of both? Anyway, enough of my story. I would love to hear how you might be feeling or did feel pre-op and maybe your (healthy) coping mechanisms. Thanks for taking time to read this!

Welcome to the forum! Any surgery is a spooky thing but once you have it you look back and wonder what the big deal is. ;o) It's not a horribly dangerous surgery and as a matter of fact, as far as surgery goes it is pretty safe. When I was losing I was banded. I revised to a sleeve at goal. I was doing 1-2 hours of hard cardio daily and keeping calories at 600. I was able to get all my Protein in with no problem. In the beginning you can't really get all the protein you need in solid food but you can supplement with Protein shakes. Protein is not a problem while doing muscle work. And besides, if you don't get surgery you can't do the muscle work, right? You have to be ready for a life style change, you can't just jump into WLS. If you aren't ready it won't work, you'll learn to eat around your surgery type. I totally relate to your feelings about not wanting a band due to all the problems, I lived it! ;o) I relate to not wanting malabsorption. I don't remember to take a Vitamin daily let alone a fist full of supplements. I am just not bypass material, never have been. I'm good to go with restriction alone. When you are ready you'll do it. Don't let anyone push you into something you do not want to do. On the same token, please do remember you get your life back with WLS. You'll hear everyone saying that. It's a great feeling to be able to lose weight and know it is staying off this time. Good luck to you!

I had my sleeve done September 2016. I lost 145lbs. I now weigh 165lbs & my acid reflux has not gotten any better. I know I need a revision but I’m scared & my doctor moved away😭