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I was a band to sleeve revision done in 2 surgeries. I didn't completely follow your questions... Where is the pain? Mine was the hole left by the port removal, it was sore, left an empty spot that reminded me of my failure. When you say the pain is deep, do you mean it is intense or? Some women are triggered to start a period by surgery. I wouldn't overly stress on that. I have no idea what you mean about the Water going through...through what? I set baby water goals those early days....little sips at a time. This is the hardest thing at first, but it gets better.

I had my revision from band to sleeve on 17 Dec night- the pain is in the band area of the pouch. I'm day four almost and my pain is deep. I also see some virginal bleeding with mocus- is that Normal? I'm also worried about my fluid intake I seem to be sipping normally little by little but it goes through?

I have a 38 BMI .I feel miserable and really fat.I am seeking a revision from failed lapband to bypass.I have organ damage from the band and my stomach is a mess .No one is cutting 85% of it out.Its been through hell already.bypass.

There must be another dr.but I am going to tell you that you must be patient.I had to wait 6 weeks to see my surgeon because I was a first time patient transferring my records to him(revision from lapband to bypass). At this time it is beyond busy.I doubt surgeons are even seeing new patients because there are so many people seeking to have surgery before the end of the year.I have a pre op appointment...if I miss that then they are too busy and I will not have surgery.I am scheduled for ne date...There are so many people it's maddening. There must be another surgeon as names were given.No matter who you call now it is going to be crazy...in the meantime you should connect with your primary and all doctors you currently see and get them to write letters of recommendation for WLS.It will help with the insurance approval down the road.Also see your PCP and have him/her start to document your weight and diet attempts on a month to month basis because some insurances want a record of attempted weight loss.Get yourself ready....insurance approvals are not a piece of cake these days. I can imagine you won't see a doctor until January 2016.In the meantime be proactive.

Please keep in mind .You want to make the best decision....no one who has had only the sleeve can tell you what bypass is like.The most informative posts in my opinion is the people who have had revisions.They can tell you what the deal is from both perspectives and personal experience not just tell you cookie cutter remarks. I have a friend who had the sleeve in August.Their were some complications and she vomits and have been to the ER.Also developed GERD.Hervdaughter had the same sleeve surgery and she is doing fantastic no problems whatsoever. I have lived in misery for far too long with the lapband .I am revising to bypass.I originally was going with the sleeve until I did more research.I have damage from the band to my esophagus and stomach.Soncutting 85% of my stomach out is not going to happen.I am a breast cancer survivor and I am not worried about malabsorption.What I am worried about is seeking a revision down the road to bypass because I made the wrong decision yet again.If you down the road find that you need a second surgery to bypass it is tough to get insurance to pay for a second procedure. Think about it long and hard and make sure you have a very experienced physician.I had a surgeon who was only able to perform lapbands and sleeve so you know what that meant....I changed to a more experienced Doctor in the same practice who can really advise me from all perspectives. I am revising to the bypass once and for all because I cannot go through a 3rd surgery.I am making the correct decision finally.The gold standard .I got too much weight to lose to play games.

Hey group! Just came across this thread - great to see you all doing so well! I am currently banded but in the process of going through all the hoops to get it revised to a sleeve. Thought it was going to be done this month but due to insurance stuff looks like it won't be until February or March. Minimally Invasive Surgical Hospital did my band in 2008 and will do my revision. So looking forward to getting on with the sleeve! And looking forward to hearing more about your journeys!!

Have had 15 years of failure and misery with the band.I had the choice between bypass and lapband...I wanted the band because I thought it would be less invasive...boy did I make a mistake...fast forward.I have PCOS,hypoglycemia,post breast cancer,high cholesterol ,a screwed up esophagus and tortured stomach....why would I want to cut 85% of it out? I originally considered the sleeve which is the "new" it procedure like the lapband was back in 2004.I am going with the best surgery with the most study and proven research because...I chose incorrectly the first time....this is it..."The gold standard for me.....bypass....do your research and see the amount of sleepers looking for revision to bypass and ask yourself..." How come the bypass patients are not looking for revision to the sleeve?Check out how many sleepers are looking for revisions to bypass...Trust me if you want a revision from the sleeve to bypass down the road you will jump through hoops and may not be able to get approved ....

I am pre revision surgery from lap miserable band to bypass!(gold standard because no one is cutting 85% of my stomach out)and I have GERD. I have PCOS..metformin 850 mugs twice daily and statin for high cholesterol.....can't wait to get surgery and never have to take these pills another day!!!!

I have a low BMI (27) and was approved by insurance, But I had the lap-band which failed, so i had what they call revision sugary. I can tell you I did have trouble finding a doctor to do the sleeve with a low BMI..... It was not as easy as I thought it would be

Very real! Revision to bypass Descember 28

People a lot younger than us get sleeve and bypass. It based on BMI and co-morbidities not age. I think he is a surgeon just not comfortable with sleeve but wants to keep your business. Get a second opinion. Most surgeons are moving away from band. Many of the sleeves done are lapband revisions because they are failing.

I have been reading studies in JAMA and elsewhere for well over a year, looking at all kinds of statistics. Initially my research was to determine which bariatric surgery was the best choice. Even after attending an informational seminar, where my surgeon went on to call the BNY GB the “Gold Standard” I had more reading to do. As it turns out for me, as someone who has taken medication to avoid GERD for the last 20 years, and my GERD evolved to the point that I now have Barrett’s esophagus, however it has not spread nor is there any signs of dysplasia so that is okay, but it ruled out the Sleeve for me. The band is no longer actively pushed, in fact the number of revisions from band to GB in 2014 actually was higher than the number of people getting the band for the first time. My surgeon said that in his opinion in 10 years the band will be considered a historical procedure and no longer done, or if still done, only on a very small segment of the bariatric group as a whole. So why do we fail to continue succeeding? Let’s start by defining failure, in the context of this post. The failure I am talking about is, having surgery, getting to your goal weight, then after a year (or more significantly at three and five years out) gaining back a larger percentage of weight than is expected. The current system wide average, is that it is expected that all patients will gain back about 10% of the weight lost. It is less in the GB group then the sleeve, and the band is worst of them all. Now understanding what I mean by failure to continue succeeding, here is the bad news. No one has done any respectable studies looking at WHY we fail to continue to succeed, the studies mostly compare success rates between the various surgeries and things like additional surgery, readmission rates, complication etc. I think I can explain why some people fail to continue to succeed, and when you think about it makes sense. It is actually the opposite of a positive new thinking called the “Aggregation of Marginal Gains” look at this link to read about it. It is a way to live life. To break it down, simply stated, you improve everything within your sphere of influence by 1%, the sum of all those increases can be, and if done correctly, quite significant. But you have to fully embrace the concept for it to work. When I say EVERYTHING within your sphere of influence I mean everything. A great example, when I used to cross the road going for my morning walk, I waited until an opening in traffic then I took a diagonal path across the road. This represented the easiest way to cross. Now I refuse to turn unless making a 90 degree turn. I improved my step count crossing roads by 1%. Nothing Earth shaking, but it adds up. Park 1% further away from the door. Walk upstairs instead of the elevator. Which I already did, however now I walk ½ a flight further than I need to go and them go down. 1%. Grasp the concept as a whole, and just imagine, improving everything by 1%, and not just once. Taking the stair example, I started off walking up just a couple additional steps. Now it’s a ½ a flight plus a couple extra steps. Soon I’ll be up to a full additional flight of stairs. Continue to push for 1% changes. So now that this great concept is out there, you are probably asking yourself, what this long winded tool is getting at. We fail to continue succeeding, that is regain more weight than expected, in the exact opposite way we succeed. 1% at a time. You’re at your goal, your weight fluctuates up and down 2 pounds. It’s been a long time since surgery and you are not as sensitive to sugar as you were initially. So you are at a party and say what the heck and you have a small piece of cake. You don’t dump, in fact you have no ill effects at all. This is the start of the end. One piece of cake leads to two, which leads to other things you would not eat, but you’ve become tired of all the cooking, and a quick meal, is temping. Then it happens. You get on the scale and you are up three or four or even five pounds. Knowing you lost the weight before, you think no biggie, I’ll just make sure I eat right. Some do some don’t. Some become in their own mind failures at that point and fail to see the reason to continue with the program. *(Note the title of this post is not why we fail, NEVER think of yourself as a failure, EVER!! Look back at old pictures and remember you are a success!! Do not let the negative thoughts become reality, do not set yourself up for failure. Remember the old adage, “If you are not planning to succeed, you are planning to fail) They stop going to the gym, start old eating habits back up, and sure enough as they expected, the weight comes back as well. So why do I post this now, and post it here? Because this post seeks to reinforce that which should have been taught to you in whatever mental health process your surgical group had you go through. The understanding that you are making a LIFELONG LIFESTYLE CHANGE emphasis is justified. I don’t have any cute puns or. gifs to attach. This post, I hope will help those approaching goal, those at goal and those who are new or even still pre-surgery, to understand, these changes never go away. When you remove something from your diet, it’s removed. I think of the things I choose not to eat as things I am allergic too. I choose a bit more extreme diet than many, I do not eat corn, potatoes, rice, flour, Pasta, sugar, fructose or anything processed. If there is something on the label I cannot pronounce, it’s processed, and I refuse to eat it. There are exceptions. I am going to see Star Wars Saturday evening, and I will probably cough up $50 for a small popcorn and a bottle of Water. This to me is acceptable. I Choose not to eat certain foods, but I can also eat them with the understanding that it is limited. So if you read this whole post, congratulations on your tenacity. Hopefully it will enlighten you. Hopefully it will help you affect positive changes in your life. The Aggregation of Marginal Gains is a simple concept to employ, but life altering. And lastly always remember this, if nothing else from this post, put up a sticky note on your fridge or inside your car, or the side of a computer monitor, anywhere where you will see it every day, and remember this “I attained success 1% at a time, that is slowly, I will stop being successful in the same way, 1% at a time, or slowly. I must always be consciously aware of what I am eating and continue to plan to succeed” Happy Holidays to all, and to those in your lives!!!

I am having my revision to bypass December 28 yay!

I found out today that tricare denied the revision request they say it would qualify for revision but the Dr that took the lap band out did not show medical necessity for removal. I have ask his office to review his notes and see if they can correct or add to my reason for removal because it was a necessity... bummed I still have hope a little

While specific insurance policies may differ, typically the industry standards of 40BMI (or 35 with co-morbidities such as hypertension or sleep apnea) still apply. I have seen some that cover the revision with lower BMI if there was a mechanical problem with the band - slippage, erosion, etc. Any chance that you have developed any of those co-morbidities since your last surgery? It would be a shame and counterproductive to have to gain weight to qualify to lose weight, but that is sometimes how the game has to be played (ankle weights, anyone?) The psych evaluation is pretty much a standard provision, though the requirements for nutritional and exercise programs vary widely. Somebody in the process (the hospital or surgeon's practice typically) will usually want the deductible up front and sometimes an estimate of the copay as well.

I know your pain..,he lapband is the worse.I am scheduled for revision at the end of this month.

I am finally approved ...revision surgery at 51!!!!! December 28th is the date.....yay!!!!

Hi! This is my first post so I'm sorry If I'm posting this in the wrong area but I didn't see anything like this in the insurance area. I just went to my surgeon today. I'm 5 years out with my lap band and have gain almost 50 of the 85 lbs I had lost from the band back. I'm very frustrated. My dr asked me if I'd thought about revising to the sleeve. It had crossed my mind but I just wasn't sure. They are supposed to be sending the information over the United Health Care to see what my requirements will be. But I am curious if any of you may know. Right now my BMI is 38. Will it need to be over 40 like it was when I had the lap band done? Or will they take into consideration that it was over 40 before? To be at 40 I would need to gain 8 lbs. I can do it if I need to, but thats kind of defeating the purpose. lol. I'm also curious if I'll have to do the psych visit, nutrional counseling and exercise class again. I'm fine with the two week liquid diet. It sucks, but I can do it. Thoughts?? Also I'm wondering if I will need to pay my whole deductible up front? I'm sure I wont be able to get it done before the end of the year so I know my deductible will start over. My individual deductible is $1500 I think. I know my family deductible is $2800 with $3000 max out of pocket per person, $6k max out of pocket for the family. Thank you for any insights!

I am revising from the band...pure misery ..Gerd and reflux so bypass for me.

Great topic! I am in the hospital right now with a bypass revision from the sleeve. The recovery, thus far, is a Little rough! Thanks for posting questions.!

I am just over 2 years out from my vertical sleeve. I've lost a total of 140 pounds and have been maintaining for the past 12 months. I had a stricture at the top of my sleeve approximately 16 months ago and had an EGD with dilation that helped. I have started to have the same issues again - inability to eat or drink, severe pain, nausea, dehydration - and saw my surgeon again yesterday. She has scheduled another EGD and dilation but mentioned that I may need to have a revision to an RNY bypass due to the stricture. Basically, the stricture makes my sleeve the same size that the pouch would be if I had a bypass. I have also struggled with gastritis on an ongoing basis so I've been kept on 40 mg of omeprazole twice per day. I don't feel reflux but that's not to say it isn't silent. I'm wondering if there are any other members out there who have had to do the bypass revision from the sleeve due to stricture and not necessarily reflux? I'm just really concerned about the side effects of the bypass revision. I am wondering about your experience with additional weight loss after the revision. I would be okay losing maybe 15 pounds more, but would not want to go any further than that. I'd really appreciate hearing about your experiences to help me know what to expect. Thank you!

No. I am not symptomatic. In the past year I recall discomfort once and that was after drinking several mimosas that were mostly orange juice on one day during the summer. I am seeing my doctor on Monday and am scheduled for lap band revision to sleeve on Tuesday December 29. I'm praying for no surprises. I reached out to my surgeon after seeing my results and now she wants to see me.

I have a hiatal hernia that will be fixed during my sleeve surgery. My surgeon said I may have to have a revision later if it gets worse. They should do an EDG to check the health of your esophagus and severity of your GErd. He will know for sure what direction to go on then.

Thank you. I don't have any symptoms, which frustrates me. I really wanted to have the sleeve. I have an appt with my surgeon Monday and I'm mentally preparing myself that she's going to want to do bypass instead. My BMI is 35.2 now. I'm really afraid of the absorption issues and complications. I'm tempted to not have the revision and just get the band removed.

I had severe reflux. The moment I found out RNY would literally cure it and the sleeve could make it worse, I switched to RNY. I have been off all medications since 30 days post op and have never had a single episode of reflux or even simple heartburn. RNY is the choice if you don't want to go through another possible revision. My two cents.....