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Thanks pnw218 and Stacy. I hope you're right and things are better today. I know this, reading your posts makes me feel a lot more confident that there's nothing wrong and that what I'm feeling is normal. goodlife, I too am having heartburn/acid. My doc said no prevecid or tums but said I could take a little mylanta, which even a tiny bit did seem to help calm that area right in my mid-section. Funniest thing... yesterday when I came home from the hospital, I weighed just for giggles, wondering how much that band added to my weight and lo and behold I had gained 4 lbs. since the morning of surgery. Bizzare! I'm sure that will change. I'm sure it is all the IV fluids and stuff that myh body has been retaining. I didn't expect much loss but sure didn't expect a gain. I need to install a ticker but I will worry about that when I feel better. Goodlife are you a revision from the band? Where my port was now has a pretty big protrusion. With my penchant for hernias I hope there isn't a hernia there. Maybe it's only swollen from the trauma. Hang in there goodlife and thanks for your support you sweet peeps!

Hello! I will be 52 this Month. I started my journey yesterday with meeting my surgeon. I would be having a revision from the lapband to gastric bypass. Sent from my SM-G960U using BariatricPal mobile app

Hello Everyone! I now 53, I had revision done from lapband to gastric bypass 12.10.18. Thus far I have lost 100 lbs. Sad to say i wish it would stop. Lol. No major complication, now I am dealing with a lot of snagging skin, butt look like elephant legs, breast look like IV bags and arms look like a turkey neck.🙄. Health wise I feel pretty good. Wishing everyone the best of luck, please, please follow your doctor instructions.

Hi! I'm 52 and had ROUNY in March. My starting weight on surgery day was 235. I'm 210 right now. My doc says that due to my age and that I'm a sleeve revision, I will most likely lose slower than average. Yay me...lOL. The surgery was perfect and I was back at work in 4 days. Mo complications so far.

Good afternoon. I just joined the forum, and I was wondering if anyone has had the TORe procedure done? Thoughts? Weight loss after? I have an appt this coming Monday for a consult. I had gastric bypass 9 years ago and lost 110 lbs but never got to my goal weight, plus I've gained about 20 lbs since the bypass. I'm just trying to weigh my options before I commit to anything. Thanks Amy

I had a revision from band to sleeve on 10/17. Recovery has been very smooth since I have already had experience with the full liquids diet and transitioning to soft foods. I get the same "soft sign" to stop eating as I did with the band, a hiccup. Haven't vomited or been nausested at all. I chew my food to smithereens! I haven't had any reflux and continue on carafate and prilosec. No problems getting about 70 Gm of Protein in with one Protein shake and the foods I consume. Have lost 27# since my pre-op diet and am at 184 # now, 4 weeks out. I think my weight loss will be much better with the sleeve than with the band, and no more fills and unfilled! I'm so glad I made the conversion! I was having reflux at night and aspirating with the band, couldn't have much fill in it, therefore no restriction. Sent from my SM-G930V using the BariatricPal App

Revised not reviewed.

I am at my goal weight of 175~180. I have to revise to RNY due to intractable GERD. Has anyone else reviewed at their goal weight? What I really want to know is how much weight loss should I expect. If you have revised, how many pounds did you lose. Thanks in advance for your answers!

Thanks for the replies. I do have about 20 - 30 more lbs I would like to lose. I was at my goal but got to goal in a bad way. I lost my last 30 lbs by vomiting constantly. I needed a surgery on my esophagus to remove excess scar tissue from the band that was on my esophagus. My first surgeon placed my band ON my esophagus and after almost 9 years, I'm still paying for that! It was discovered when my band was removed and my revision was done. Any who, I couldn't keep anything down. Since my surgery to fix my esophagus, I've been able to eat and I've gained about 20 lbs. The surgeon that did my esophagus surgery told me that I was very malnourished and that I would probably gain weight after the surgery and would hopefully lose it later. Well, I'm still fighting with that! I'm sure you're right in that I am better off than if I had all that extra weight and I need to look at the bright side. I am already on 2 medications for the high blood pressure, but not yet on anything for the diabetes. My doc is having me watch my blood sugars. I'm sure the next time I see her she will put me on something because my sugars have been running higher. I'm just bummed out about it! I'm on meds for thyroid, high blood pressure and now diabetes? I will rattle when I walk!!

Cajun, thin, chancie, and katt, thank you all so very much. I love ya too thin, you've been right beside from the beginning, along with cajun and chancie. It's been a crazy year, but we're all doing it, and doing it BIG ! ! ! lillita, don't let my leak worry you. I was a revision, had tons and tons of scar tissue from the band slowly destroying my stomach tissue. I knew going in my risks were way higher. If you have faith in your surgeon, and he has positive stats for complications, please know you are doing something fabulous not only for yourself, but your family. My son(12 yrs old) has admitted that he loves that I'm not fat anymore. He loves that we go, go, go, go and I'm not sleeping all the time, hurting, and not being able to do certain things because I was too fat. Kids love us, but our obesity and inability to participate in certain activities affects them tremendously. Thank you for the sweet compliments. Leaks are very rare. My surgeon is extremely skilled, and truly an amazing surgeon not only in the bariatric world, but as a combat surgeon as well. I mean, he puts troops back together overseas. I do not blame him for my leak. I knew that I was more likely to have complications. I wasn't shocked when I had a leak, honestly when I passed the first 2 leak tests, I was amazed. It was that stinkin' final leak test that got me LOL. Go in positive, if you believe in a higher power, pray, talk to him/her, and ask for grace, peace, and for them to guide your surgeon. You'll love the life that the sleeve affords you.

I had my gb out in February. I had some discomfort, but I was also scoped, and had additional scar tissues/adhesions taken down from various parts of my abdomen. I was up and walking within a couple of hours of waking up from VSG revision. I wake up super slow, and need a lot of time. The quicker you're up and walking the better you'll feel. You'll do great ! ! !

Carrie...let's break it down here. What about your sleeve are you unhappy with? Your surgery went well...you've recovered perhaps a bit slowly but you are recovered/recovering. You should be on to soft foods by now..mushies, and whatnot. Maybe even more than that. That's more than you've been able to do for how long now while you were on a mostly liquid diet? You wanted the band out and you didn't want to regain all the weight you had lost plus some. You now have a tool to keep that from happening and you will lose more weight and become more healthy. What about any of that makes you unhappy? Try to separate the issues...because they are totally different. The how's and why's you ended up having the surgery when you did has nothing to do with the reason why you initially decided on having the revision. I read in another thread where you said if you had been given the option you would have had the plication done instead. Do you think THAT would have given you a different outcome or a different attitude? The post op stuff is all still the same. There are no benefits of having that procedure over the VSG except you're left with a lot of useless (probably dying) stomach tissue in there. Sorry...that just creeps me out. Many of us have suggested to you that you need to see someone professionally to deal with all these different issues you have. You've not responded in any way (that I've seen) to that advice. Why is that? You're mad at your husband, you're mad at the anasthesiologist, you're mad at your body, and that is just not healthy. You HAVE to deal with those issues... I also read how you're on several different medications...some prescribed by a pain management doctor. So basically you're taking narcotics to deal with a pain issue..you didn't say how much you're taking or how that affects you, but perhaps that could be a contributor to your mental state as well...especially coupled with likely out of whack hormones following surgery. How are you spending your days? Are you staying in bed all day feeling angry and sorry for yourself? Are you spending time with your children...taking care of them...taking them outside to play...taking them on outings, whatnot? If you want to leave the boards and take a break...then do it. But support isn't about just saying poor poor Carrie...she's a total victim here. Support and friendship is about saying the tough things that maybe you don't want to hear but NEED to hear. You say you did this for your kids, because you want to be healthy for them and be there for them. Well....what are you waiting for? Deal with your issues so you can move on and BE healthy for your kids. Because you know what? They deserve to have a WHOLE mom. All of us here truly want the best for you....I hope you believe that.

Love these challenges! I have goals for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. I'll be revising the other two based on this one. Pre-surgery Wt: 235.8 Surgery 7/9/12 Weight at Surgery: 208.5 Current Weight: 166.4 (bouncing around this week) Challenge Goal: 155 Aggressive, but I've got a plan For NSV, Water and Protein will be my focus. Also continuing to work out 6 days a week. Good luck to us all!

Hello all! My surgery date is June 3rd, I’m having a revision Lapband to RNY. I’m 48, married and an empty Nester. My weight now is 258 and I’m 5’5”. I started my pre-op diet one week early so I can get used to just liquids for the liver shrinking diet. I feel like I’ve lost weight already but I have not been on the scale. I’m really excited and I know these two weeks will go by fast. I have a personal training session today because I joined a gym with a pool because I am a swimmer. And I want to get toned as I’m losing weight so that’s why decided to start a regimen. I actually don’t want flabby arms or flabby thighs so I’m trying to get a leg up on it.

Hello fellow January sleevers, I'm having a band-revision down January 27 at OCC with Dr. Ariel Ortiz. Getting pretty excited as it's only 3 weeks away.

January 13th for me! I'm a revision from the Lap Band Can't wait to get that out of me!

@@AvalonNeeCee So because you say your surgeon doesn't do lapband anymore, you think that's a reason not to get one?????? Who is your surgeon? Why doesn't he/she do them? I find it almost comical you would post such a reply to someone who is asking for advice on HOW WE. ...THOSE OF US WHO HAVE IT, selected our surgeons. Some of us are very successful and HAPPY with our lapband results. I think it's relevant because if the OP dismissed out of hand any surgeon who no longer does lap bands, just because he or she is considering a lap band, he or she may not get the best surgeon/procedure for him or her. If you narrow the pool you skew the results. BTW, I was sleeved April 20, my surgeon does not do lap bands (that I am aware of), but does revisions. Also, the Lapbanders I talked to said that if they were to have surgery now, they would go with the sleeve.

The lapband is "no walk in the park" It takes months to get the fills to the point where you have any real restriction. I had the most fill allowed before I could feel restriction. After a couple of years I finally lost weight and got to where I wanted to be 110 on 5ft frame. Happy happy...until....lap band slipped and I had to have it removed...lots of quick weight return.. I have read so many comments from so many people on the sleeve as it is my next surgery. I think if you read the lapband to sleeve revision forum you will better be able to decide if you want to waste time on the lapband first. Many doctors do not even do the lapband anymore due to its failure rates which are becoming more and more apparent as more people are having to do revisions. At the time I wanted the less permanent option because that feels safer, but in the end you may have to deal with a revision, have slippage, have indigestion, have erosion, and many other things that can go wrong with the band. If I can spare you that I would because I have been there and done that. I read that the weight loss with the sleeve is much more immediate and you really start to see results quickly. In my experience with the band I lost during my pre surgery diet, then the first couple of weeks after surgery because swollen and sore, but then I could eat and I did. It took over a year for the fills to be tight enough to restrict my eating and finally stop gaining and start loosing. They only can put so much in each time they fill you. When I finally was at a point that I loved my weight I had the vomiting issues. I put up with that for months because I didn't want to gain. Had regurgitation, indigestion etc. Finally had to get band loosened as I couldn't keep anything down...turns out band had slipped...removal...... You will read of many people that still love their band and have been successful, as there are many. But please consider that this is something that they may have to have removed at some point and there are complications with removal of bands, especially that have been in the body for a long time. Please take the time to read up on revisions, check statistics, and talk to people that have had the band and both love it and hate it. Cause even those that love their band as I did have to admit it took awhile to work, and they may have other issues such as the reflux and regurgitation. whatever you decide I wish you the best. Just please do your research, as you seem to be doing, so you can feel what you choose was best for you with no regrets, even if you end up doing a revision later on. And you will if that becomes your option, because you are going to love being smaller and healthier. Best of luck to you and always happy to chat about my experience.

I was extremely happy with my lapband results...until it slipped and had to be removed. I just think the person who wrote the post should read some of the lapband to sleeve stories and see the many many reasons why people had to switch. If they find that they still want the lapband that is up to them. My surgeon doesn't put in lap bands anymore because of the plethora of problems with them and the constantly having to do revisions. The statistics on lapbands are getting worse, not better. It may save them some money and aggravation, and time if they just go with a different procedure to begin with, as I wish I had done. My Dr. is among the best and by the best I mean he doesn't lose patients and is safe and cautious with his procedures. I selected my Dr because he has many years of experience, over 20 of those my friend worked for him and knows the statistics for him and for the different procedures. I choose the lap band at the time because I thought of it as not as invasive, easy to adjust (not) and not as permanent of a choice. Well now I am years down the road, had to have the band removed due to slip (as I was warned), lots of $$$ gone, and gaining fast while I wait to have my sleeve done. I spent hours researching the sleeve and I see both good and bad results, but mostly good. I suggested she go to that forum and read because there are many opinions about the band and the sleeve in addition to mine and I know that my surgery experience is not the only experience that someone should consider. Considering not just my Dr but many Dr's are no longer doing the lap band should also be a warning sign of things to come. Additionally the lap band is not permanent and even with the best success with it eventually it will have to be removed. It is costly to have fills after fill and takes a great deal of time to get it to the sweet spot...and then your body changes and you have to fill it up or down again. Many of us suffered vomiting, phlem balls, indigestion to the point you sleep sitting up, things getting stuck in the band, pain at the port site, etc etc. You may not want to even choose a doctor that still chooses to do lapbands after looking through the forum and doing research on the success and failure of the band. So that is why I responded as I did. It is important to do research on your procedure choice and look at both the success and failures of your option before you spend money and risk your body. The band was great when I was able to hit my sweet spot, but I threw up almost every day during that time and then discovered it had slipped which required removal of the band. It was my choice at the time, but now there is so much more information, so many more people have lapbands, and more statistics to show the issues with the band. I am sure she/he will make the best choice for their own situation if they do research. As far as finding a doctor do your research, check their statistics, talk to people that had surgery done by that Doctor, google the Dr. How long have they been doing each procedure that you are considering. Talk to people that had that procedure done and done by him/her. Talk to people that had different procedures done by the Dr you are considering. What are their statistics for losing patients (this is reality, not always Dr fault, but still don't you want to know?) How many times have they performed each procedure? What hospital is used? What is the cost to use that provider? Check the bariatricpal forums for the procedure you want, read both success and failures. Check the forums for having revisions from the surgeries you are considering in case it doesn't work out for you (lapband to sleeve revision forum). Choosing your Dr often times is a matter of what insurance you have and the providers that take that insurance. Advocate for yourself and research everything. And just to be clear I do not regret having the band. It was my choice at the time, but it didn't end as well as I had hoped. @@catfish87

The liver shrinking thing is something of a debatable point within the bariatric community these days, with the current concensus being that no diet of a couple weeks makes a notable difference in the size of a diseased liver. What can be improved is the reduction of a slime coat that forms on the surface of a fatty liver, making it easier to handle for some. The normal protocol for this is a low carbohydrate diet, typically consisting of leaner meats and non-starchy vegetables. Some programs will substitute a meal or two per day with a protein shake to get patients used to them for their post-op world, but an all liquid diet provides no real benefit toward this goal. The surgeons who impose these all liquid diets seem to have something else in mind, but I have never found any good reference to it. It might be a belief in it helping get patients ready for weeks of post-op liquids that some use or may simply be a legacy of past practices ("that's the way we've always done it.") My experience has been that the surgeons who routinely do some of the most complex bariatric procedures and revisions generally don't need their patients to do these diets, even the very heaviest, implying that they're bringing tools and experiences to the table that negate the need for such pre-op treatment. These docs also tend to have more rapid post-op progressions as well, often starting with soft foods in the hospital or after only a few days of liquids rather than weeks; our info binder states that their experience has been that patients tend to do better the sooner they move from the supplements/shakes into real food. This is why I tend to look a program's pre- and post-op dietary practices as a window (one of several) on their skills and experiences. Congrats on your routine surgery and recovery, and keep up the sip,sip,sipping and the walkies! thanks, i can see your point....guess my research has not been that extensive, my dr. did tell me that they can tell by looking at the liver whether a person follows the diet or not and that many do not....but obviously the surgery still happened..for me doing the shakes before surgery, allowed me time for learning and experimenting what i liked and didnt....got so good at it, i can make a Protein Drink taste just as good as Mcdonalds shake and healthier...between a combo of unsweetened almond milk, ice, no sugar, no fat choco pudding (homemade w/ skim milk), nonfat, plain greek yogurt, vanilla protein powder...course right now, 6 days after surgery, i have omitted a few of these ingredients temporarily. Sent from my SM-S820L using the BariatricPal App

Good point. I just checked the email, and my quote was from Endobariatrics - Dr. Alvarez. These were the prices, and they had to be 2 surgeries, 5 months apart. Lap-band removal only $5,000 Revision after healing to VSG $10,500

I don't remember what Dr. Aceves price for revision from band to sleeve is. I am positive it's less than $15,000 though. I am thinking it's $11,000. You would have to call the number to the right of the screen. They were running specials during the summer because it's so hot in Mexicali this time of year. If you want, I have a big long email with all of Dr. Aceves credentials on it that could ease the mind of your family.

I received word today, I've been approved for band to sleeve revision ! Pre-op testing to begin next week. This will be a 2 step procedure for me so band removal first. Very excited and anxious/ nervous at the same time. The process was quicker and smoother than anticipated....thankfully!

Same here....no post op care. Rude! I am revising on 6/25 due to complications though

I would be inclined to go with the DS, as it's the more straightforward revision (at least to a DS surgeon, where it is basically completing the DS) and it offers the best shot at countering the metabolic damage that you have suffered. With the RNY, the caloric malabsorption dissipates after a couple of years, so it may help you get the weight back off in the short run, but in the longer run you will be back where you are now, trying to get by on 1100 calories. Another thing to consider is that with the VSG, the revision to the DS is straightforward, and something that most any qualified DS surgeon can handle. However, if the RNY doesn't work out and you ultimately need to revise that to the DS, that's something for which only a handful of surgeons in the US are really qualified (maybe a half dozen.) That assumes that the RNY doesn't permanently screw up the sleeved stomach in making the pouch - I know quite a few who have had the RNY/DS revision (and even a couple who started with a band, revised to RNY, revised to DS) but don't know any who have gone the VSG/RNY/DS route yet.