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Hey Typo - 1st step - you are here. 2nd step - you realize what you did in error, and are willing to change. 3rd step - Let's try and keep motivated - I was banded 2 years ago, just had a revision, and want to start losing again too. I need to plan out my food, keep the crap (slider foods) out of the house, and get to the gym at least 3x's a week. I am commited to it. Brenda:thumbup:

In March it will be 7yrs. for my lapband. Had dilatation, and doc put another fill in last yr. Now, having stomach problems, and gained 20lbs. (total 80 loss). Now doc says to work with the "tool", and would love to do a revision. I am ready to get the band out, can't eat meat, bread, pasta..mostly soft foods and soups, and I am just getting bummed out! I have appt. with gastro doc on Monday, and see if it is the band giving me problems or gall bladder.. Band doc said get it checked out and he could take my gallbladder out, if it is that...i will say get the band out, so i can just eat salad's/meat's/veggies again!!

Thank you Jini, Three days at this point seems so great for me to hear. I have been through 21 surgeries so far. so the surgery part is not a problem, it is the change in my life and the challanges. But...i am such a trouper once it all takes place. I miss my estrogen, off for another month, 52 and no uterus. No celebrex and i am achey...But with you and others who are close by I know my answers are going to be heard. My husband just poped in and said" I guess I will need to be of help the next week or so, huh,? Yikes, is he just not listening. So the list will come out. since it is a holiday this week, I want to make sure I have all I need. I believe I do, but tomorrow I shall call the Dr's office and if I need meds to come home with, it won't be until Wed evening that I am home, Thanksgiving everything is closed. My family is used to me being recovering from many major surgeries, and in a way they think, I believe it is just another surgery and I will be the same. Maybe I will, I shall plan on it, but I have been disabled for 6 years with 7 knee surgeries and revisions from my replacements. so much pain, meds, and wheelchairs etc. Last surgery was March 30th. A major revision. so here I am again, but this one is for "ME" not my knee, foot,thyroid,toe joint...... That is the difference, and it all will make the other necessary surgeries stay healing and without the weight so much better. Scared, mostly right before I go in the operating room. I am a retired surgical nurse.....I tell them all the drugs nd amounts it takes me to be comfortable. No shaking afterwards. They usually are great, I have had so much experience in the room for surgery and assisting in it! so there I am on a roll, guesss it is coming out, as it should. Thanks so much, I am keeping close by, even with things to do today to be prepared... Debra

Hello... No thank you, I don't care to go the Sleeve route, if I develop another hernia in 7 years, my surgeon can just unbuckle this band and fix it. The older 4cc band that I had could not unbuckle...so I had to get my band replaced.... As long as my band keep my weight down, without horrible complications I will keep it or replace it.... Regarding the Sleeve what are YOUR plans when it stretches back out in the next 1-3 years? Do you have a PLAN B? So.....you can redirect that Band revision link to someone else that's interested....Okay?

I don't want to burst your bubble...but YOUR only options are to go Bypass or Sleeve, YOU CANNOT get a lap band over what's left of your stomach.... Now a few surgeons are putting another type of band on Sleeves...because IT WILL stretch...Band to Sleeve revisions have a VERY LOW success rate... http://www.bariatricnews.net/?q=feature/11395/banding-sleeve-gastrectomy-%E2%80%9Cjust-makes-sense%E2%80%9D

Having had my band and port removed, the thing I would watch for is a hernia. I developed a hernia from the port site, and had a second surgery to fix it, and its back. I am revising to bypass, so once my weight goes down, the surgeon will repair the hernia, hopefully for the last time! Hope you are feeling well!

Normally my PS charges for any revisions. But because of the wound issues I had, My Dr I guess feels bad for me and told me no charge. Now because we have both opted to do this in a surgery center instead of his office, I will be paying $827.00 for that.

I agree with @Tomo. I think your surgeon may have been thinking the liquid diet would be a good way to do a pouch reset. There's a lot of sites that recommend doing it at least a week, followed by a week for each stage of the "just had surgery" food diet to get your pouch and mind back on track. Given the vitamin deficiencies and possible thyroid issues, I'm not surprised at all that he isn't considering a revision right now. I would follow through with a full reset, definitely see your pcp for more tests, and then once you have the full picture, go from there. I would also track what I'm eating (I use MyFitnessPal) and be mindful of snacking, grazing, portion size, slider foods, etc.

I realize that most people will probably gloss over this topic...because for most 1 surgery works and is enough and if you fall into this category, please know how fortunate you are. This is not my story I am 5'8. In 2007 I was 273lb's and miserable! I got a Band. Following 13 fills and unfills the best I lost was 60lb's, I never achieved restriction, and unfilled to have 2 kids. All weight returned. In an unrelated accident my port flipped, and in 2015 at 265lb's I was revised to a Gastric Sleeve (Also had my gallbladder taken out, a Haital hernia repaired and the band removed). I lost 60lb's in the first 4 months and then...stopped loosing. At 205lb's I would have been happy with my results, but then, I felt no restriction and started to regain! Fast forward almost 3 years to today...I have developed GERD pretty bad and I've regained most of what I lost back! My stomach feels hungry every hour or two, I could always eat WAY more than my sleeved friends, and once I got myself full, it would not take long for the deep primal hunger to return. I have no relief from hunger. Especially at night, I'm ravenous! I became a grazer! I felt that the Ghrelin was back with an Army to fight me! A 80% international traveling job plus unlimited access to food in the best restaurants around the globe did not help. I have felt dejected, humiliated, like a failure, angry, frustrated and the list goes on for miles, if you are still reading, you probably know how I feel. And indeed, It's not just about how I look...it's about how I feel. Horrible!! My weight is pressing, intrusive and pervasive. There is no time that I am not aware of it. I have sleep Apnea, I can't keep up with my 6 and 7 year old's and the simple things in life are hard again. Completely demoralizing... After almost 3 years, I finally said "Enough" and went back to a new Surgeon. An Endoscopy revealed it has not all been my fault. My Sleeve was cut too big to begin with! My new surgeon reveled he knows the work of the previous surgeon who apparently was not very skilled at the time and making sleeves too big to be successful. A Bougie 42 was was too big to begin with but in my case, even that was very loosely cut. To top it off, my Sleeve was mis-shapen to begin with as well, setting me up for failure and I have a Stricture in the middle, causing me to have an Hourglass shape. Top fills up, stretches, bottom is hungry, then food goes to the bottom and is still there, top is hungry, in short...a hot mess! Miraculously given the Haital Hernia, GERD, Stricture and botched initial surgery, my insurance (that does not cover Bariatrics) has approved a revision to Bypass on Aug 22nd. I've been combing the internet for Sleeve to RNY revision but such information is not as readily available as 1st timers. I am so nervous...so frightened to go through with this. Scared of Anesthesia, scared how I would do, scared of the 3 week post op liquid only phase. Scared that I will fail again, that this will not work. Some Surgeons (like the Pound of Cure guy say you can only expect to loose 10 - 25lbs on a Sleeve to RNY revision, woa?? ) But I have to try...I want to live a full and vibrant life and not just exist like an Amoeba! This is truly Project last chance. My husband is supportive, but my friends, judgmental and not supportive. and if ever I needed some advice, encouragement, support etc...it's now... Nervous but cautiously hopeful, and very much in need of your support... Ellie

EGD is a standard test needed. It allows the doc to get a good look at your band and the overall condition of your stomach pouch. This result will help determine the type of revision you need. Take this as a good thing to have, and be glad the dr is being thorough. Good luck! Ronda Just got a call from my surgeon's office. My insurance apparently requires an EGD. The lady called me on my cell, which gets horrible reception, so I didn't hear everything and didn't have much opportunity to ask. I'm going to call her back as soon as I have a chance. I don't know if the EGS is required for the band removal part, or the revision part. Or if it's required b/c my chief symptom from my slip was reflux. Or if it's standard to check for hiatal hernias when doing a sleeve-type procedure. Or... who knows. Just curious if it was "standard" for band -> sleeve revisions. Hope to have more info soon.

Nana, I noticed you are on your second band? When you are finished with that one there is a great sub forum we have on the sleeve site. http://www.bariatricpal.com/forum/394-band-to-gastric-sleeve-revisions/ I think there might be some serious erosion issues going on..

AZDee, I've read so many of your posts that I feel like I know you. I agree with your comments about scaring. That's initially one of the reasons I looked at Gutierrez -- his micro-surgical expertise. But now I'm trying to look at the big picture thanks to all of the honest, open feedback provided by you and others. I'm definitely concerned about scaring, technique (sculpting skills), infection rate and of course price. Because I need multiple procedures, pricing is a concern but doesn't trump the other considerations. I hate, hate, hate general anesthesia and really think twilight is a better option. But that's not enough to make me have the procedure performed in MX. Initially I too thought that affordability was only an option outside of the US, but I'm seeing more and more affordable options. I know the look I'm going for. As the girls on realself.com say, "I want to get snatched!" But..... I'm trying to be realistic about what is possible for my body type. I find that a lot of the drs. here (even in FL) give tummy tucks with a boxy shape. I'm in love with the curvy hour glass sculpting done in MX and DR. So I still have a lot more work to do. I really wanted to chat with you about your experience with Gutierrez since you're having some revision work done in TX. I read a review from someone else that wasn't thrilled with their work. Sigh..... Ally

Congratulations on this round. Glad you like what you see. I am getting a revision in April to my TT, I am looking forward to it on one hand and scared to death on the other. But will be very glad when it's all done and I can look in the mirror and be happy with what I see. Again thanks for sharing with us.

Allergan, maker of the Lap-Band® and many other medical devices, made the bariatric headlines on October 30, 2012, when a news article (click the link below to read it) revealed that they’re considering selling the Lap-Band® part of their business. I don’t have all the details behind the story, but I do have plenty of opinions about it, so I’m sharing those opinions with you in this article. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSL3E8LU46K20121030 BIG NEWS IN THE BAND WORLD On October 30, 2012, a Reuters article revealed that Allergan is considering selling the Lap-Band® to another medical device company due to declining sales of the band. Not surprisingly, this news has caused some excitement in the bariatric surgery community. When I first read the article, my immediate thought was that I don't have enough information to make it the subject of an article of my own. I'm still missing a lot of information, but have plenty of opinions about it (which can come as no surprise to you), so I've decided to give you my opinions with you in this article from today’s special edition of the Bandwagon® on the Road e-newsletter. ALLERGAN PEDDLES THE BAND I have a hard time drawing any conclusions (pro or con) about the band itself based on the Reuters report. The decline in Lap-Band® sales could be the result of management or other business problems rather than due to a problem with the band itself. It's highly unlikely that Allergan will ever reveal the whole story to anyone but their team of attorneys and board of directors. So, what could this hot news story mean? As you read on, please remember: these are only personal opinions from an ex-bandster who’s fairly well-informed but not a medical professional and in no way associated with Allergan or any other medical device or other company in the world of bariatric surgery. For what it’s worth, here’s my take on the story. The US economy is in tough shape, the popularity of bariatric surgery in general is leveling off, and insurance coverage for bariatric surgery is still a challenge. Allergan is not alone in this - Johnson & Johnson must face the same challenge in marketing the Realize™ Band. The story of what's really behind all this is clouded by the reactions of the media and of band-bashers who sing the "I told you so" song because they assume (without any credible basis at this point) that Allergan's decision is related to the safety and/or efficacy of the band. SO, WHAT’S THE REAL STORY? All the other bariatric surgery procedures now performed in the USA can have serious complications and failure rates, but it's easier to point the finger of blame at a single manufacturer of a medical device than it is to blame the thousands of surgeons who are doing bariatric procedures that don't happen to use a medical device. The FDA isn't looking over the shoulders of all those surgeons the way it scrutinizes Allergan or Johnson & Johnson. When Dr. John Doe stops doing bariatric surgery and goes back to yanking out gall bladders, no one leads a parade down Main Street waving banners about the dangers of the procedures Dr. Doe was doing. Except in rare cases (such as the sad story of my original surgeon), nobody's even discussing Dr. Doe's surgical expertise or behavior. It's an example of what I call the David & Goliath Syndrome. A big company like Allergan is an easy target thanks to its size and visibility. The general public may step on Dr. Doe's fingers but otherwise will kick him to the curb in eagerness to throw rocks at Allergan. One of the hurdles facing any manufacturer of an adjustable gastric band is that it is (in my opinion) the bariatric procedure that requires the most patient education, aftercare, and support. In the 5 years since I was banded, I have encountered plenty of evidence of bariatric clinics doing a great job of that, but I've also encountered clinics that are failing at it, to the detriment of their patients. Not because they're doing something wrong, per se, but because they're directed by a surgeon (or team of surgeons) who was trained to think of surgery of any nature as an in-and-out deal. They're used to seeing the patient 3 times: a pre-op visit; in the operating room (with an unconscious patient); one post-op visit; and never again unless the patient experiences a complication that requires more surgery. That's fine when the surgery involves removing a gall bladder or a mole or a wisdom tooth, but it's a set-up for failure with band patients. The bariatric surgeon who vetted Bandwagon told me several years ago that the band manufacturers make few demands on the surgeons or clinics that buy their products because they don't want to marginalize the customers who don't follow the manufacturer's advice but have acceptable patient outcomes. Avoiding marginalization of customers is a smart business decision but a poor medical decision, and I think it's a mistake for us to view surgeons only as super-wealthy, super-powered medical demi-gods anointed by a Supreme Being and the ASMBS. They're also customers, and just like you and me when we're shopping for a new car, they're looking for a product that has reliable quality and performance at a price they can live with. They are business people who want to make money (to pay their staff, their malpractice insurance premiums, their colossal student loans, and their kids' college funds). Sure they want to practice the art (and science) of medicine, but they can't do that very well if they can't pay their bills. Finally, keep in mind that someone, somewhere is going to end up with the Lap-Band in some form. It is highly unlikely that Lap-Band® research & development, its technology and FDA approval, to say nothing of the existing customer base, will drop to the bottom of the bariatric pond and never be seen again. Both Allergan and the new owner will legally and ethically have to stand behind their product, with the details of that worked out to the last detail by teams of expensive attorneys and insurance companies. Even surgeons who stop doing band surgery to concentrate on other procedures will still have the basic skill and knowledge to provide fills and other aftercare to their band patients. Although I lost my beloved band in April 2012, I do not regret having Lap-Band® surgery and if I were starting my WLS journey today, I would ask my surgeon's opinion about the Allergan decision and also ask how (or if) it will affect his/her practice. The answers to those questions would be towards the top of a long list of questions I'd be asking before deciding to have surgery. And if I still had my band, I'd be asking my surgeon the same questions so that I could go forward with some degree of comfort (if not 100% satisfaction) that I'd have someone to turn to should I need band help in the future. I most certainly would not be rushing off to make an appointment with the Speedy Weight Loss Surgery Revision Center, or at least not until I'd done plenty of homework on the procedures offered by the quacks at Speedy. Trading in a car just because it's 2 years old has never made sense to me, and if it isn’t broke, why fix it? Although my journey from Lap-Band® to vertical sleeve gastrectomy ended up taking 6 months, I'm still nagged about it by a little doubting voice, especially when my sleeve is giving me trouble. Should I have chosen the sleeve, or not? Should I have risked the return to morbid obesity, or gamble on more surgery? There are no easy answers to questions like that. If there were a cure for obesity, I'd be first in line for it, but until that cure is invented, I'm making the best of what I've got.

I was just talking to my co worker about this yesterday. I can't sleep at night, thinking about the surgery..I have read stories of revision patients coming out with just the band removed, having to wait months for the bypass..I'm doing revision, so I am very nervous that this may happen....omg!!!

hi there question, so you had the sleeve, then they did the REVISION to the BYPASS?

if any approve it for weight regain, I'd think they're few and far between. I haven't heard of that, but you may be right. I know some will approve it for medical reasons, though - like GERD or other complications that can't be "fixed" through more conventional means. And many won't cover revisions AT ALL (like mine...luckily, I haven't needed one). I have a friend who's suffered horribly for the last couple of years from a 10-year-old lapband. It worked fine for a few years, but not anymore. Her insurance company won't budge. I feel horrible for her.

Thought I would chime in for those considering Mexico and Dr. Sauceda and plastic surgery in general. I had the following procedures done in July 2014: -Breast Lift and Augmentation (before 38D; after 36DD) -Arm lift -Lower Body Lift (360) with autologous butt flap implant -Neck lift (aka lower face lift) My reasons for choosing Dr S were many including cost, ability to have multiple procedures at the same time, recovery support, his experience with former morbidly obese patients (please consider putting this high on your list for any doc!), former patient support group, and twilight sedation. All these reasons ended up being why I was so happy with my experience plus a few additional good surprises. The costs were significantly less than what I would pay in the states. Costs can vary significantly, so get a quote from the doc. Ability to have multiple procedures. I didn't want to have to spread this out over a year. I own a business and can't afford to be out of commission for that long. Docs in the US use general anesthesia and can only do a certain number of surgeries at a time. Twilight lets you stay under for longer. I had two surgeries while in Mexico. Body on one day and face a few days later. Recovery support was really important to me. In the US they send you home after outpatient surgery. I was in the surgical clinic with full nurse support and doc visiting every day for 5 days and then in a hotel nearby for the next 8 days with a nurse and the doc visiting every day. I also had two surgery sisters that I had met on Facebook that were having surgery at the same time. They helped tremendously to pass the time and for general commiseration. I went alone so it was nice having new friends there. Experience with former morbidly obese patients. Our skin is thinner and our lymph systems are different. Don't go to a doc that just does mommy makeovers! Former patient support group. There is an extremely thorough board on ObesityHelp for Dr S patients with photos, help documents, and patient stories. There's also a private Facebook group with past patients and those with booked surgeries for support before, during and after surgery. Twilight sedation with epidural pain block. After my 10+ hour surgery I felt like I'd had the best night sleep of my life and woke up in little to no pain. I have had so many issues with general anesthesia (vomiting, grogginess, difficulty waking up, long term fogginess). Wonderful surprises. I'd heard what a wonderful Doctor Dr S is but nothing prepared me for how humble and kind he was as well as what an artist he is in sculpting the human body. He never promises perfection (and run away from any doc that does) but he does promise to do his best. I was 100% comfortable with him as my surgeon. Words can't begin to describe Dr S's nurse Paty. Of all the reasons, she was one of the highlights. She has pure magic in her hands. She truly cares about you. I hated leaving and being without her to help change my bandages and compression garments. Pain and recovery. I had a lot of work done! My pain was mainly from the uncomfortableness of the compression garment and an existing issue I have with the nerves in my elbows. If not for this, I could have done it without anything but tramadol and OTC pain meds. I had itchiness that drove me nuts. Exhaustion for at least 6 weeks and would get tired easily up to 6 months later. Seromas are very common with patients that have lost a lot of weight. I had one in my abdomen mainly from losing my drain earlier than I should have (busted the stitch that holds it in while I was asleep). Added extra compression and it resolved in a few weeks. Under or over? I have gummy bear implants over the muscle. I think they look extremely natural for my age (50). My boyfriend agrees! I'm not a fan of the way gummies look under the muscle. It also adds to the pain and discomfort afterward. Look at a lot of pictures with similar body types to decide. Definitely take the advice of your doctor and what they think is best for you, the amount of skin that you have, how big you're going, and the look that you want. I am tall (5'10"+), muscular, and curvy, so all of that impacted my decision. Autologous butt flap implants! Whew, that was a decision that went down to the wire. The doc takes the layer of fat that is removed from above the butt area in the lower body lift and implants it into the butt to round out that area. It took the longest to adjust to of all my surgery. It felt weird when I would run (I ran half marathons before). It zinged when I would hit it on something. It was uncomfortable when laying on my back. Even with all of this I am happy that I did it. My butt is not flat and looks good in jeans and a bikini. It is not as big, nor does it have the issues that a Brazilian butt lift would have. Running. I ran half marathons before surgery. I was back running about 10 weeks after surgery. I started back with couch to 5K but progressed quickly through it, skipping days. Ran a 5K after a month (14 weeks after surgery). Ran a half about 5.5 months after surgery. The butt was the biggest holdup on the running. It just felt weird. Some people will tell you to take it slower. Listen to your body! Lower face lift or neck lift. So very happy with this. It looks completely natural. Took the longest to heal. The nerves in the face take a long time to come back and some may never return. I had lumps in my cheek that were not noticeable to others but I could feel them. It also "jiggled" when I ran so it took some getting use to. Scars. All of my scars are fading. The least noticeable are the breast lift (lollipop, so no under boob scar) and the tummy tuck portion of the LBL. Most noticeable is the back portion of the LBL. I had some hypertrophic scarring in that area. This is genetic and nothing could have been done to prevent. I may go and have a scar revision done at some point but my bikini covers it and my boyfriend doesn't mind it (and neither do I)! I used coconut oil pretty religiously. I tried silicone scar tape but I have a sensitivity to adhesives so it didn't work very well. I used scar lotion on occasion but didn't notice that it helped. I used vit e oil and I think it helped. I had SilkPeel Dermalinfusion on my back scar and although it helped, probably not enough for the cost of it. Work. I have a job where I work on a computer sitting down 99% of the time. I also work from home. I was able to continue working immediately after surgery (I even did some work within hours of coming out of surgery). I wouldn't recommend it though! I had deadlines that had to be met so had no choice. Plan for at least 6 weeks off if you can. Weight loss from plastics. Don't expect it unless you're getting a lot of lipo. I didn't lose any but I was at my goal weight (175 and didn't get any lipo). I do think that plastics helps me psychologically to keep the weight off. It's like it finished the transition for me. I haven't had any regain and I haven't struggled with my diet (very lucky). Fibromyalgia. I haven't seen anything posted about this from other plastics patients. I have fibro that was controlled with cymbalta. I think the plastics and stress of it caused a flare up so I had to add gabapentin to deal with nerve pain. I'm finally feeling like its dying down but be aware that if you have other medical issues you may need to manage them more closely for a while. I am 1.5 years out from surgery and if I had to do it all over again I would in the exact same way. I absolutely love my new body and feel like I've been given a second chance to live fully. Feel free to PM me with any messages. I'm not on here as much as I used to be but will respond as quickly as I can.

I feel that way, too. I'm very underwhelmed with my sleeve's restriction at two years out. While heavy, dense foods are definitely restricted, calorie dense, slider like foods aren't. Only lost about 50 lbs of the 150 lbs or so I needed to lose to be at goal weight so I'm considering revision. I agree with your sentiment...if we could have been this conscientious about our diet before, surgery would be unnecessary if it weren't for the metabolic changes it has which greatly improves diabetes for those of us that had it.

I haven't had any issues, but I've heard of many people have. It's definitely not the right solution for every single person. Are you going to revise to the sleeve? Or just take it out and be done with the whole thing?

I can honestly say I never made it to the "green zone". You can read about my back story in my blog(Ravenclaw779). I'm now at the pre-decision part of out-v-revision. I was actually going along at a respectable rate despite not being in the green zone. Combining Weight Watchers with working out and the modest restriction of the band I was down to 216 and losing about a pound a week. About six months ago I started having problems including not being able to eat sitting down or wearing a bra, fitted pants, not being able to eat more than a few small bites before vomiting, not being able to get a meal down in less than 40 minutes, and a growing list of foods I should've been able to eat, but couldn't. A couple of embarassing episodes during business lunches and I now no longer eat out. My weight loss stopped and I now hover around the same weight(223) give or take 5 pounds. I'm not eating enough of the right foods(can't get them down) to feel satisfied or to provide the right fuel for my day. You'd think I'd be losing big time but it appears my body's locked into a preservation mode. Couple of weeks ago I experimented with just Slimfast for two meals and a Lean Cusine for a week and nothing changed. This will sound like a complete cop out - in a crunch, before going into a meeting, when my stomach is growing and roiling so loudly everyone can hear and will immediately try to push a pastry on me(ya know that ain't goin' down), I will bolt a candy bar. It helps - especially when that 4th or 5th cup of coffee isn't giving me enough energy to power through. Most days I need a 2hr nap when I get home to be able to get through the rest of day...bills, laundry, housework... Right now my safe foods are Protein shakes, yogurt, oatmeal, mashed potatoes - think the diet of an 90 year old with no teeth. Recent Upper GI appeared normal; yesterday's endscopy show inflammation of the esophagus, duodenum and stomach and a possible band slip which of course won't be definitive until I have a laproscopy. As we all know, that the same procedure used to place the band. My husband has had enough of my bolting from the table after three bites or having to cover for me a family dinners when I have to excuse myself to quietly barf up my big tablespoon of dinner. My dentist has commented on some minor(for now) damage to my teeth. My oncologist is lecturing me as this is not healthy nutrition for a cancer survivor and the fact that an inflammed digestive tract can lead to other types of cancer. When I started having problems I shouldv'e gone in to see my WLS, but I kept making excuses and blaming myself - surely it was because I just wasn't trying hard enough! That said, I haven't felt normal since my surgery. Even if it weren't for the vomiting and digestive issues, the port, which at first was barely noticable, now feels like scar tissue has encapsulated it. I was so proud when my weight loss meant I could wear a more fitted sweater. Can't do that anymore as it looks like half of my abdomen is pushing forward and you can see it in anything close fitting. Push on it with a bag of groceries, a stack of books - my exercise ball and it's a wave of nausea. I laughingly told a friend I was pretty sure there was an Alicia Keys song title, "My Port Is FIRE!" I know my surgeon is going to want to go in and I'm going to need to decide on taking it out, repair/replacement or going for something like a sleeve. Could I keep the weight off? continue to lose without the band? Am I doomed to be a thin girl in fat gir's body? Ultimately, I have to make a choice on what's going to be the healthiest option and given my history it's more like trying to juggle eggs!

stcyt I'm almost 3 months out from my revision and my scars are very minimal. I had the lap band done one year ago, so I have double the scars. But they are all just little silver lines. Some of them are no bigger than my pinky nail. I'm 50 years old and I will probably wear a 2 piece swimming suit again!!! Good luck, and happy losing!

I am still pre-op and would be considered a lower BMI, but your story could be my story... there's a huge amount of food/eating disordered history there in terms of your relationship with food and that's the part of you that needs the revision now - you have had your stomach size revised surgically, but you need to work on your head, too. I am constantly wondering how my own habits will have to change post-op b/c I COULD still eat a lot, just more often, and I COULD still eat lots of sweets/junk, but I will go into the procedure knowing that the fight is far from over... the sleeve is just your new secret weapon! There are some superb suggestions in this thread from veteran sleevers who know what to do to "work the sleeve" and I do believe you have to learn how to work it... you are still learning and maybe this time of sadness is bubbling your real issues to the surface so that you can face them and fight them both with your head and your sleeve so that you can be successful finally. I believe you CAN do it... you just need some direction and this is a wonderful place to get guidance.

16k and lifetime free fills...no charge for revision or complications

There's several of us band to bypass folks lurking around . I unfortunately had to have an urgent band removal secondary to prolapse in August, he was going to revise to RNY but when I woke up from surgery mom had the horrible job of telling me I had to much damage and inflammation from my damn band to do the revision and I had to wait 6 months for my RNY....that sucked!!!! But I'll be a week post op tomorrow so it all works out!!!! Glad you joined our group!!!!! HW 312, pre-op (lap-band) 294, pre-op (RNY) 255, surgery date 2/11/13, goal weight 154, current weight 240