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I've lost 70 bands and plan to "pimp" those first 6 months to the max! I had a lot of pain at the port site from the banding and am hoping the sleeve revision is not as hard to recover from.

Hi All.... I am a band (2008) to sleeve scheduled for the 13th at 7:30am! Pre band weight 366 lowest weight with band 255 1st visit for revision 331 current 325 Looking forward to having a permanent tool. I work so hard with the band, only to have issues after 2 years and had an infill and backslid something horrible. All that is behind me, I am going to work just as hard this time too and stick with making healthy choices from here on out!!! I start my pre-op liquid diet tomorrow!!!! Good luck to us!!!

Just had a sleeve revision February 27th water and ice pops is pretty much all I can consume. Broth makes me nausea (and I love soups!) good part down 10 lbs

Hi, I’m new to the journey. I’m in the middle of assessment for revision surgery. I had a lapband in 2007 and had great success until it slipped in 2012. After losing 120 lbs I’ve now gained back 80. I’m now looking into either a VGS or RNY. Any advice on which one would be helpful. I suffer from mild heartburn infrequently so I’m concerned about reflux with the VGS. surgery won’t be until May or so due to my work schedule, but want to decide soon. The doctors are open to either for me.

Actually, my surgeon says he'll do an extended tummy tuck for me. But he says that I'll need a revision after I get to goal. I am okay with that. In my mind, it's just to get the lower stomach removed. I'm also having my arms done. My arms are over 30 inches around. The more I lose, the bigger they get from the hanging skin. My insurance absolutely will not cover anything plastic surgery related, regardless if I have horrible rashes and severe backaches. I have tried, but there is no way. I found a surgeon who will do both my extended TT and my brachioplasty for less than $9K. I have several friends who have had plastics in the last couple of months and what you describe is what they are dealing with too. Severe swelling is very normal up to months and months post-op. I bet you will be much happier with your results after all your swelling is gone. Here is my email address: Sljjsd@yahoo.com. I am willing to send you my before pics when I take them. Thanks Kathy!!! take care, dee~

You need to find another Dr.... I went threw a very similar situation, so I know what your talking about. I did a post on here titled I want this piece of Garbage taken out ! After I posted it, a Hospital called me up, and said we are going to accept you as a patient, and have a appointment for you For a Fill done under Fluoroscope, or Revision surgery if necessary. It turned out all the problems with the band were do to bad aftercare. There was nothing wrong with the band, and I was stuck too, all the time. They filled me to my fill line, and it works ! So you have to have your records, and your Post Op Notes (these are very important!) Also make copies, because a lot of Doctors will say that they will not touch someone else's mistake ! THAT"S EXPECTED ! It will take you some time, but eventually someone will take you in, and check you out, and straighten you out. You asked for help ! That's the best help that I know of. So Good Luck with your research, and I wish you well. Shirley.

Sometimes you feel like your the only one that “didn’t do it right” because you see all these success stories online but there are many of us in this boat otherwise revisions wouldn’t be needed. My doctor told me not to expect too much but I’m going to work hard on this. Im determined. We got this

I had my rny in January. Only a couple months later I started to develop ulcers. Last week I went to the ER with increased pain to find that even with treatment I had one ulcer that had perforated. I had to have an emergency revision. I can totally relate as I dropped 10 lbs in one week and the pain has definitely been more intense. I also had some constipation issues so they gave me magnesium citrate which helped. This has been hard because I was just feeling like a normal human after 6 months and I literally am starting over 😂 I hope you have a speedy recovery!

Just a quick update on my flat stomach quest! I had a port revision last week, and am hopeful for the results :-) I'm still swollen and bruised, but I can't feel my port anymore! I've been taking some photos, and will post progress pics after the swelling goes down....

@@jessicabell620 I agree with winklie 110%! I had surgery at Mayo and went in wanting the sleeve and after hearing both sides of the story, opted for RNY. I didn't have GERD but had been a type II diabetic for 10+ years. I was told RNY would give me an 85% chance of sending my diabetes into remission. That's the route I chose and off the all my meds I came immediately after surgery. That included my high blood pressure meds as well. Mayo doesn't even do the band surgery anymore because their research found that merely restricting calories did not prove to last long term. While they do perform the sleeve procedure, they fear it may have the same results. I was just in my aftercare meeting last night and it broke my heart to hear one of the men, who had the sleeve only 2 months ago, say that he told his fellow firefighters to just cook like they always do and he'd just eat smaller portions. Last month he even stated he ate half of a Subway sandwich and felt no discomfort. Was so proud he only eaten half. I winced. This surgery is a tool to give us a once in a lifetime chance to change our food choices, not to just eat less of the crap we ate before we had it. They remind us each month at our meetings "This isn't brain surgery, it's gut surgery!" Once our cravings come back, in a year or so, then what?! If you haven't made those life changing choices, you'll gradually increase your portions, begin snacking and you will regain the weight. So many people do!!!! I encourage you to do as much research as you possibly can and make the best choice for yourself. I see so many people, on here especially, do a "revision" from band to RYN or "sleeve" to RNY and for me I wanted it to be One and Done! FYI - I had RNY at 8 a.m. on a Tuesday and was home at 6 p.m. the next day. Took 2 pain pills as a precaution the day after and then I was done. Felt wonderful from that point on. Best of Luck to you

I'm 13 days post op revision to rny and I'm having the same problem. The only shakes I like are Herbalife and they don't have enough protein and are higher in carbs than I'm supposed to have right now. I'm really struggling because I don't like the protein waters either. Nothing tastes right.

This happened to me after revision as well. The premier shakes that I loved before revision no longer taste good and do not stay down for me. The powdered syntrax and the slimfast high protein premade are the only ones that work for me now.

I paid $18,500 for lapband in 2008 and then just paid $28,800 for lapband removal and revision to rny bypass on May 21, 2014. In Connecticut.

Slippage is aroung 3-5 % and is usually resolved with either "unfilling" the band for a time then starting over, or revision surgery. Erosion occurs in about 1% of all cases. (at least per this web site I found) www.wlshelp.com

I was curious what the thoughts are of people with the lap-band or anyone really, but what you all think about the lap-band and the big likely hood of having to have a revision or it just plan removed. Basically the fact that it does not seem to last forever. Did you know this when you made your decision or did you find out later? Would you do the same thing or would you do it differently? Do you have any advice for someone contemplating the band? So far I've decided to go with the band anyway, my insurance will cover having it taken out if there is a complication. I'm going to bring it up to the Dr. though. I'm just tossing around the idea of whether or not my thinking is right. I'm thinking I don't want my insides re-routed or cut up and I like the fact that it can be adjusted as you need, although I would do plication but they don't offer it, I'm looking at that possibility of it happening anyway in the future, but I'm thinking they'll maybe know more by then, and there will be different options. What do ya'll think? ~~~Stephanie

It all depends on how much weight you have to lose. If you are in the higher weight ranges, the RNY might be better. The Sleeve is a bit easier but then it's easier to cheat which could cause you from losing all the weight you need to lose. I had the Sleeve 2 1/2 years ago and I love it. I still have restriction and it's just so easy. The bad thing is that I have horrible gastric reflux and meds are not helping. I am scheduled for a revision to a RNY bypass in August. They are both tools, they both work but the RNY is malabsorbtive, which could cause dumping and there is the issue of taking Vitamins the rest of my life. Ah well.... Good luck to you.Great points....my BMI IS 51, I have 160 pounds to lose....so that clearly points to RNY. But I have a real fear of playing with my intestines, since they already seem rumbly and mildly unhappy 4 days a week....maybe I have chronically inflammation and have just always lived with it? But even more worrisome, my mother had her intestines resectioned in one place during a cancer surgery, and she never healed right, had bowel obstructions, developed a fistula from her intestines through to her belly button, it was awful. And I am afraid maybe I would heal like that? Your GERD must be awful to "leave it" for an RNY....it really is unbearable? It must be, if you are willing to through all this again. The sleeve seems like so much less trauma to my body. But maybe I am underestimating myself, and maybe I could handle the extra trauma of the RNY. Another plus for RNY....I only have 1 chance to do this with my insurance. So maybe I just go for the RNY, if I might wind up there one day anyway? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App Hi Gina. I have to say I absolutely love my sleeve. It's awesome. After all this time I still have restriction. Maybe not as much as I did but I can still only eat small meals. I've had GERD for years but the surgery did make it worse. I've tried so many pills and though sometimes the meds help for awhile, nothing cures it or gets rid of it. My esophagus is inflamed, I have erosive esophagitis now because of the reflux. If I don't convert to the RNY I could end up with cancer, not to mention that the meds for reflux damage your bones. If you don't have the problems I do, you will love the sleeve. If you are truly afraid of the malabsorption issues then don't put yourself through the stress, just go with the sleeve. It's a much easier surgery. I was off work one week, went back to work and managed fine. At 5 months I traveled out of the country and did great. They are both wonderful surgeries. I prefer the sleeve and hate to have to change but my health requires it now. Good luck to you and get ready for some really big changes in your life. You are going to LOVE LOVE LOVE IT. Oh, btw, don't go overboard buying clothes during your weight loss. Shop second hand and thrift stores. You can't buy a new wardrobe every month for the new size you are. :-)

Aetna has updated their site: This CPB has been revised to state that sleeve gastrectomy is considered medically necessary when criteria are met.

Are you on the verge of giving up on your dream? Are you just about to let all your hopes and dreams slip through your fingers? Has the thought crossed your mind? Are you despairing because things are not working out the way you expected? Are you wondering how you will ever accomplish your goal or even whether you really have what it takes to achieve them? If you are already feeling the familiar feeling of despair that accompanies the fear that your dreams and hopes might go down the drain: DO NOT GIVE UP! Get up and fight for your dream. Fight for what you believe in. Here are 8 tips to help you hang on and not give up: 1. Take charge of your life. When you give up, quit, lose hope or abandon your dream or goal, you give both yourself and other external circumstances permission to sabotage your efforts. Don't give in to self-defeating, self-sabotaging and dream choking thoughts. No matter how bumpy the ride is, don't abandon your dream. Get on the drivers seat of your life, wear your seat belt and drive to your destination. It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it. ~ Douglas MacArthur~ 2. Reconnect with your vision. Before you decide to throw it all away, ask yourself why you had the initial desire to achieve that goal/dream. What compelled and stirred your heart toward that vision? Why was it so important to you? As you reflect on your answers, allow the passion for your vision to give you the strength to carry on. When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight. ~ Kahlil Gibran~ 3. Focus on your big picture. When things go wrong, don't betray the plan. Don't let short-term obstacles snuff the life out of your long-term goal. Work on overcoming whatever is momentarily standing in the way of your dream. Bear in mind that achieving the goal is the big picture and not the obstacle in your path to your big picture. Stick to the plan for your life. The race is only over when you reach the finish line. Honor you desire to achieve your goal. Run the race of your life and until you get to the end. The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. ~Stephen Covey ~ 4. Believe in yourself. Having your hopes dashed can damage your self-confidence. No matter how bad the situation seems, believe in yourself and in your ability to succeed. The fact that you thought about your idea, worked on it and turned it into reality counts for something and is evidence enough that you can do it! With ordinary talent and extraordinary perseverance, all things are attainable. ~Thomas Foxwell Buxton ~ 5. Persevere The journey to success is usually filled with many obstacles. Dealing with obstacles aren't only time consuming but can also drain your energy, motivation and drive as you struggle to overcome them. Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did. ~Newt Gingrich 6. Be resilient. Resilience is an ability to bounce back and stand on your feet after a hard knock out punch. Simple thoughts such as "I will survive" and "I will try again" are enough to get your hopes high again and to set you rolling and in motion again. When the world says, "Give up," Hope whispers, "Try it one more time." ~Author Unknown~ 7. Change your perspective. Perhaps you just need to see things from a different perspective in order to understand how you can do it better. You may have to rethink your strategy, revise a few things or be creative. The saying goes that "It is hard to see the picture when you are in the frame" Perhaps it would help if you got out of the frame and really looked at the Big Picture! Problems are not stop signs; they are guidelines. ~Robert Schuller~ 8. Hang on! There is no better way of saying this. This quote sums it all up: Hang on! Don't give up! There is surely something in that dream or goal that's worth holding on to. Find it and hang on to it. When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. Whatever it is that you aspire to achieve: Never, ever give up! ~Franklin D. Roosevelt~ by Caroline Jalango

I had to wait about four months for my revision to be approved so I totally understand. Use the time to read the forums and study up on the sleeve. Youtube videos are great to watch too. I was so at peace with my decision and felt so ready when the time came for my surgery. It is a long wait, but we will be here to get you through it!

Hey June friends!!! I had my revision surgery on Friday and am doing well. This morning I wasn't able to get more than a sip of water down, but this evening I am able to drink a tiny bit more and it took me 3 hours to eat (drink) a SF JELLO. I am not going to weight myself for a while due to swelling and healing. So happy I am done and on the mend. Hubby said it may be time to wash my hair. So that will be my first big task in the morning. The liquid hydrocodone works very quickly and puts me to sleep in about 15 minutes. I also use a heating pad on low and that helps a ton. Seems to being textbook for me. Good luck to everyone. I will keep you posted. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Had my revision April 27th. My band was done around 10 years ago. Lost around 80lbs but all of a sudden couldn't eat at all. Got terrible reflux , couldn't get it adjusted right . Had it replaced but it was never right. Threw up everyday day for the next ten years. Had to loosen it and started to slowly gain weight, eventually gaining it all back while continuing to throw up. After a couple of really bad days of throwing up and chocking to the point I couldn't breathe I went to the surgeon and he recommended bypass. I was terrified, I also read the horror stories. The night of the surgery I was able to start walking and next day drinking liquids. When I first started to eat, I was waiting to feel the food going down and the tightness from the band but it never happened. It's been around 6 weeks and I am truly grateful to my surgeon for recommending this. I can go out with my friends and family without the embarrassment and pain of the band . I eat slowly and small portions. You get very full from small amounts of food which is what you want. If you eat a little too much you feel "very full" and a little uncomfortable but I haven't experienced dumping or pain...I also haven't eaten anything with sugar, no Desserts or white breads or Pasta. Non of the torture of the band. I've lost almost 40 lbs and have around 30 or 40 to go but I have hope. Good luck with your journey! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Looking for VSG friends! I am just starting the process so I wont be actually going through revision until Feburary 2013, I made a Facebook page, I'm in need of advice, encouragement and reassurance that the sleeve and revision is the right choice! I feel it is but don't want to regret it! You can't get that stomach back! :-/ feel free to add me to your Facebook, my user name is Rxtine Vsg Hope to meet some cool people and feel better soon!! <3

Well, compared to the "Big Likelihood of dying from a heart attack if I remain fat, or the big likelihood of major complications from from the VS or GB, the band is a walk in the park. The problem is Steph you made an assumption in your question. That assumption is that there is "a big likely hood of having to have a revision or it just plan removed" when there is simply no hard data to support that. Are there risks? Yup, are the risks much less than other forms of WLS? Yup. Would I do it again in a heartbeat? Yup. I have nothing against other forms of WLS, but they simply aren't for me. I am willing to take the band, with it's track record of lower, slower loss and fewer complications over the higher loss rate and higher complication rate of the other WLS.

Revised my thoughts from yesterday.

I was run off of another site years ago when I started complaining about my band not working and sharing my frustration. Some of the happy campers there didn't want to hear anything but good news. Truth is, no WLS fits everybody. I started feeling like I didn't belong there and left that site and stayed away for years. I returned only recently to learn more about a revision .I wish I had hung in there and not let my voice be silenced. Maybe I wouldn't have waited so long to revise and maybe my story could have helped someone else.