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Good luck 3 weeks is long time- I was just advised I will need 2 week Pre-Op diet due to revision and need to reduce liver as much as possible. Luckily I like shakes (At least for now-That may change after 2 solid weeks of them), and I will be on diet from May 3 thru 3-17, so not during any major holiday.

Ok, I know this will be kind of long, but I am going to include as much info as I can about my slippage. Hopefully it will answer a question or two, or maybe help someone avoid a slip. To start, I was 209lbs, 5'2", not super overweight my BMI was 38 I think. My insurance stinks, so they wouldn't cover the surgery. I have no other medical problems or comorbidies. I was banded 2-8-08 by Dr Corvala in Tijuana, Mex. The surgery cost me $8,000, plus $350 airfare. My surgery went soo smoothly. No problems at all. I did have the regular gas pains, but I was up and walking the halls and outside the next morning. I found a local Bariatric Surgery hospital that accepted Mexico banded patients. I chose to go through them for my aftercare and fills. My first visit with the local doc was on 3-21-08 (6wks post-op). I met the doc, gave her all the info I had from Mexico. Did almost an hour consultation on the aftercare process. Then went into the x-ray room for my first fill. The fill doctor was super nice and explained the fills process. The contrast was gross, but oh well. I was filled 1.8cc. This initial visit and fill cost me $550. I was told to wait about 2 weeks and come back for another fill. I had no restriction, and my doc does not require any after fill diet. My 2nd appt was 4-10-08. I did not see the actual doctor, just the fill doctor. I was given 1.4cc and told to come back in 2 weeks. This visit cost me $385. I had no restriction still. My 3rd appt was 6-6-08. Again, just the fill doc. I was first given 1.6cc and could not swallow the contrast. He took out 1cc and I was fine. So, I was increased .6cc. Again, 2 weeks and come back. After my 3rd fill, I was restricted and loving it. I could eat right at 4oz of food and be very satisfied. If I tried to eat more, I would PB it. I was in heaven! Losing weight steadily and really with not much strenuous exercise. Just walking and playing with my kids a bunch. Then, on about 9-16-08 (7mo post-op), I started noticing that I couldn't eat or drink anything. I would drink and it would come right back up. I knew this wasn't good. I remember waking up on 9-17 and getting a drink of water and pb'ng a bite of food from dinner the night before (12 hrs later). I thought that I had just ate something that got stuck and it wasn't coming up or going down. I hoped it would clear up on its own, so I waited, and waited. At night when I was sleeping I would get woke up by my body pb'ng on its own. I had some heartburn, BUT NEVER ANY PAINS. Then found myself Friday morning (9-19-08) calling the doctor. I explained to them that I though I had something stuck and have been pb'ng for almost 4 days. The nurse very scheduled me for a "look and see" check. I went in about 3 hours later. When I got there the fill doc had me drink the contrast and said "uh-oh". My heart sunk. He said that I had a band slippage. Then he proceeded to accuse me of overeating. I told him that I was very set on keeping my portions to the 4 oz or less and I did not abuse the band by eating 'cheat' foods or such. When I defended myself with the 4oz comment, HE FREAKED OUT. He said that I should never eat 4oz, that is waay too much. He said that my meal size should be 1-2 oz and up to 5 meals a day. I was like "WHAT?!?!?" Finally he admitted that I probably did have something stuck in my band since I was borderline too tight. And that all of the pb'ng caused part of my stomach to come up through the band and enlarged the pouch. It is called a band slippage, but in reality unless a stitch is busted, it is really just the stomach moving up or down the band. The band didn't move on me, it was my stomach tissue. So, the fill doc took 3cc out of my 3.8cc fill. He advised me that I will come back in 2 weeks to see if the stomach tissue has went back down where it should be. I asked him about liquids or anything to help fix it. He said no liquids, that won't help pull the tissue back down. Just eat normal foods like chicken and steak, and keep the meals to 1-2oz, NO MORE. He also stated to me that if the unfill does fix it, we can SLOWLY proceed with very small fills and to be super vigilant on my eating because I will be more prone to slips from now on. If this doesn't fix the slip, I would need a revision. This visit cost me another $385. Then I get home, very depressed and upset thinking that I had done exactly as told and this crap happens. I came on LBT to see what info I could find about slippage and see what hope I have. I am very confused about different doctors having different directions and ideas on how to fix a slip. My doc says liquids won't help at all.... Oh, and I also found out when I got back home that all along I thought I had a 10cc band, when really I have a 4cc (10cm) band. So, I thougth I was lucky and got restriction with 3.8cc, when I was really very full and didn't know it. DAMN THE LUCK. So, now I am waiting, hungry all the time, I have 4 more days until I go back to see if the unfill helped fix my band slip. The good news, if there is any, is that I have lost 50lbs in 7.5 months. Only 34 more to go until I reach my goal of 125lbs!!!!!!!!!!!! I think that is everything, at least for now...:thumbup:

I had the sleeve on 1/26/2012. I did lose 90 lbs. within the first year. I had absolutely NO dumping and no reflux. I figured out really quick that I could eat all the same foods as before but only less. I convinced myself that now I was "normal" and could eat what I wanted because of my restricted stomach size. WRONG!! I started regaining a couple of years out and all the weight came back quickly. I have no restriction and can eat a full size plate with no problem. I am now scheduled for a sleeve to bypass revision at the end of October. Everybody has to do what is best for them, but I have since learned after the sleeve that there are quite a few others that are also gaining back after about year two. I am beyond blessed that I get a second "second chance" with bypass. I will not mess it up this time! Stay afraid of the foods that caused the gain in the first place!!

It is good that you are asking this question! Many people simply decide that they want the Lap Band because they hear that it's "easy", "less invasive" than some of the other types of WLS etc, etc. But the truth is that it's NOT easy....most people here will tell you that. In specific answer to your question, yes, people HAVE lost 100+ pounds with the Lap Band. But you need to thoroughly research ALL the WLS procdures to make sure that you choose the one that is right for YOU. Many people think the varous forms of surgeries are all interchangeable, that they are simply "different methods", and you just need to pick one. Not True. You need to pick the one that fits your physical and emotional makeup. And that's not a decision that you are going to reach by reading a few articles and visiting some internet forums. I myself have had two Weight Loss Surgeries....Lap band (disaster for me) and Gastric Bypass (Success!). You will also find a growing community here on LBT that have had their bands removed and revised to a "sleeve" with great success. So, there are many options....but only one is the RIGHT one for you. Take your time, talk to as many Drs and patients as you can, do a LOT of research. Make the right choice the FIRST time so that you don't have to go through multiple surgeries like I (and other here) have. Good Luck! HH

I had the band 5 1/2 years ago, lost 85 lbs, my band slipped and I had it redone 18 mths out 2nd band was not a succes. I really didnt loose too much more. I had fills then unfills, then fills. I stopped loosing weight and really had to rely on ME now, which I did. I walked 2 miles at least 3 times a week, ate semi- right. I pushed the envelope sometimes but not most of the time. I went back for a fill because no weight loss, even a few gained. So I thought maybe I need a fill, Guess what the band had slipped again. I am not telling you this do sway you from the band...The band is GREAT - remember I lost 85 lbs, However I think it just was not enough for me. 5 1/2 years ago..it was the ONLY choice for me, RYN was a dirty word.....I would have never considered something that invasive. Now since my band has slipped that is exactly what My Dr will be doing - a revision to either the RYN or the Sleeve. Would I have the band again, you betcha!! For me at the time it was the best choice. Do your homework, research and read about all of the WLS options. Read how each one is performed, what the risks are, what the % of weight loss is, then YOU decide, it is your body and you know it best. Best of luck to you!

I was banded in October 2008. It was awesome for the first two years, then still good for a number of years after that. I went from 433 to 178 pounds. But the last few years have been quite difficult and depressing. GERD, vomiting, foam in my mouth, food getting stuck, and poor eating habits developed by thinking "what is my body able to tolerate now?" rather than "what is healthy to eat?". Gained nearly 100 pounds back of the 250 I lost. I'm done with this band. Ready to have it removed and revise to RNY as quickly as my doctor will let me, looks like 3 months. Doctor appointment to kick off the process is tomorrow. I think I may have to go through the usual pre-surgery hoops.

I told just two people I was getting banded and then told those same two that I was revising to the sleeve. Nobody else knows and I like it that way. I'm losing weight for me and don't want to answer to anyone but me.

Add me to the list. I had no band problems for 2 years. The first 2 years were great. I lost weight and I was happy. Then the complications started in, and I knew they would just keep coming. I revised to the sleeve because I knew I would just gain the weight back and I could not be happier.

I'm in inner NE (laurelhurst)...had band to sleeve revision on 12/29 at OHSU where i work. Dr Deveney was wonderful. Everyone was great. He told me to expect 2 days in the hospital but I went home the next day. I was banded at good Sam 6 years ago...my surgeon then is no longer in the practice but I had a lot of follow up with Emma Patterson. She is wonderful and I would have gone back to her but our insurance wouldn't cover it. My experience at OHSU was great, even though I was nervous about having this kind of surgery as staff.

The sleeve procedure scared me more than having RNY. For one I have horrible GERD, which is amplified when having sleeve surgery. The second reason was, RNY can be reversed if absolutely medically necessary, sleeve cannot. The third reason was, many, many ladies in my program were having revisions from sleeve to RNY. Their reasons were all the same; never got to goal weight, had too many issues with heartburn and many of their comorbidities were still present. I don't think there is a general pros. vs cons. for either surgery, it all comes down to personal goals and current health situations. I am three months post-op. Down 65 pounds, three pant sizes, 4 dress/blouse sizes, off all my heartburn, blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes medicine. I am so very, very, very happy with my decision to have RNY.

because when I talked with a local surgeon he seriously discouraged the band eventhough he would give me one if I wanted. because if you look around this board you will see many who have had the band and are now having to have it removed and have revision surgery to the sleeve because either their band slipped, or stopped working for them and they gained some (or all) of their weight back. because I don't have time to go have the required maintenance on it (filling, etc) because the thought of that foreign object in my body gives me the heebiegeebies..

Not getting any support from my husband about getting my sleeve revision to gastric Bypass,he thinks this is a stupid idea and is very negative about everything. Tomorrow is my surgery and I have to be there at 5:30 am and he’s even complaining about that because God forbid he loses his precious sleep.

Wow, what an inspiration you are! I had to call my daughter over to see your pics. Thank you for posting your story, especially about your decision to be rebanded. Often we only here of the people who had slips and decide to revise to something else. Thanks again!

Prior to surgery I went out to eat 3-4 times a week. After surgery I didn't feel comfortable eating in restaurants so I stayed home. When I do go out to restaurants I tell the person that I'm with to order two entrees. I'll eat what I want from the second order and they can take home the rest. It seems to work fine with everybody. Ask hubby to order another entree and eat what you want. He can take the rest home and have something he likes for lunch the next day. Let's also keep in mind that you went down the WLS road once before. What made you do a revision? Was it for medical reasons or did you fail at losing and maintaining the weight loss from the sleeve? If it's the former, what has changed to give you a better shot at long term success? Did your husband sabotage the weight loss from your sleeve as well or was it something that you did? If it was you, what did you change to be successful this time around?

I had my revision surgery on May 22, 2018 from sleeve to bypass. It has been very difficult regarding food intake. I am not hungry and eat only when hungry. I stay away from all the bad food but my spouse is not supportive. Prior to surgery we went out to eat on a regular basis. He still wants us to continue to go out to eat and expects me to eat the way I used to prior to the surgery. He gets upset when I tell him I am not hungry or order something small. I sometimes just ask for an extra plate and eat off his plate but he ends up serving me a large amount off his plate. He always makes hurtful comments regarding my food intake. I remind myself that I did the initial surgery for myself and for health reasons. This revision surgery was done for medical reasons and he does not seem to understand that. He eats unhealthy foods and likes to go to restaurants where I really don't care to eat in. I don't know what to do anymore. I don't want to hurt myself and be back where I was before.

I am having my band to sleeve revision on Monday! Positive thoughts and well wishes of quick healing to you!!!!!

Banded 11 months Started at 205. Currently at 141.4. Wanted to lose 75 pounds. Revised to 70 pounds Have lost 63.6 pounds. 27 of that was pre-op. Rating of 10. I love the way I look, the way I feel. But biggest difference is in the bloodwork. Triglyceride count from 399 to 133. Overall cholesterol normal. Hga1c is 5.0 from being a type 2 diabetic. Pretty awesome. Did I mention I'm hot now??

Hello I am going through the SAME EXACT situation. Dr unfilled me to allow stomach to recover, and I am SO HUNGRY. I return to Dr on 6/13/14 to check for improvement. Uggghhh When I got my band in 2010 I was self pay, because my insurance sucked. Now I have good insurance that will pay for a revision. I just dont know what to do.

Just an update....the dr and I have decided that I will have the revision to the RNY. During this process, I have gained around 40 lbs, which is so discouraging. Hopefully surgery will be scheduled end of November/Early December!

Positive thoughts flowing your way. Try to believe for the best - if you have to have a revision surgery, we're going to believe now that your insurance will cover it and you'll have even better results than you did with the band. Hugs

Congrats brother, I hope that I can come close to your success. I get sleeved next week on the 29th. I would love to be down a hundred by May 18th, it is my 38th BDay and I want to go home and show off to my Grandma. She is getting up there in the years and I want to show her my healthier self. She is always so worried about me being so heavy. I figure 5 months will to be down a 100 is a good goal, but now I think I will revise that and shoot for 4 months. Bill

Since I posted this on the complications forum, my intended audience is those having complications and perhaps looking into revision. The links I posted have some very relevant information for people like myself who are contemplating which surgery to revise to. This was in no way intended for those of you who are currently banded and having no problems. I think the absolute intolerance of this sort of post is ridiculously immature. Dr Keshishian is one of, if not the most respected revision surgeon in the country. Context is important here...I posted on the COMPLICATIONS forum.

I’m planning a revision from the sleeve. I look forward to keeping up with everyone’s journey

I could be you , I had a band in 2009 lost all my excess weight, kept it off for ages and then it stopped working. I had a band to bypass revision in Jan and haven’t looked back. All my excess weight has come off - I now sit around 49kg and my diet is so much healthier. I can eat steak and chops and salads and there are no stuck episodes. I no longer waste nights out in restaurant loos because my first bite of food got stuck. To me my RNY does what the band was marketed to do. I know when i’ve had enough, I don’t get stuck, full is in my stomach not my throat and I can eat small amounts of healthy food and be satisfied. Sugar causes me issues if I’m not careful but that is a good thing. Good luck with whatever you decide to do but when deciding don’t write off the RNY, it is so much better than the band.

I came back home after 5 days in the hospital for my duodenal switch revision. I weighed 23 lbs. more than when I left! I literally ate nothing during those 5 days. I had as little of the liquid diet components as possible. This weight was all IV fluids. I was on IV everyday for 5 days. I had IV infiltration due to a poor IV placement. I dropped 5 lbs. per day for 5 days. Don't gauge progress day by day. It is best to track your weight and look at the month to month change. You may even stall for a full month, but overall, you'll progress fine if you follow your diet.