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I just had surgery with Dr. Halmi. Revision from sleeve to bypass. I had the upmost confidence in him. He made me feel so comfortable and confident about the surgery outcome. His whole staff is fantastic.

Oh my gosh, a feeding tube? Oh no! How long will it be in place? Im sure the hope is to eat soon right? How much weight did you loose after your revision? Didnt you take your vitamins? How did it get this far? Sorry for the questions but im genuinely curious!

@@Jerziegirl, @@chasingpolaris321,@, @@ausmith Hi everyone...sorry I've been absent. I have had numerous complications and procedures done in the last couple of months. I'm interested to hear whether the person with GERD working overseas has had the revision from sleeve to bypass and how she is. There has been so much going on and so much has happened it would be easier to answer questions than to tell it all but for now I am on a feeding tube 20hours a day 7 days a week and my GERD and reflux are back in full force.

@@Pea523 No polyps that they could see. Just a little inflammation. In other words, they don't really know why I regurgitate my food. I've done it all my life. Maybe someday I'll have them delve a little deeper, or look into a revision if it starts causing problems with my esophagus.

Hey all I was sleeved in Mexico tuesdsy no pain much just realllly out of breath I have a goal l163 which is 200 pounds for me when i went lots of people lost some and gained all back and revising to gastric by pass so wanting to know if anyone is like me and achieved 200lbs¿

Hi fellow Kentuckians. I'm 38, live south of Louisville, and having my band to sleeve revision surgery next Friday at Norton Suburban.

Hi, I was banded last Saturday - so I'm only 6 days out. I did a LOT or research ahead of my op and decided on a band mainly because of the lower risk associated to it at the surgery stage. But now that I am a fully fledged, post op, bandit, I am engaging in a more real way with the lap band comunity and unfortunately this is leading me to believe that I have made a mistake. I have joined some face book groups which are fully of awful stories of day to day difficulties. Pain and bringing food back seems to be a daily occurrence for many. I knew that I would not be able to eat Pasta,Rice Bread with a band (Good!) - but eggs chicken and prawns - a big part of my post op diet plan, also seem to be a problem and in lots of cases a complete no-no for some. Add to this the frequency of stories about slippage and being constantly in the red zone AND some reading on the BP group Lapband revision to sleeve - and I have just got myself into the mindset that I have made a terrible mistake and that I should actually have gone for a Gastric Sleeve. I think I need to hear some positivity about the band! I want to be able to eat healthy foods (as I pretty much did pre-op) but much less of them. I want my weight loss to be 2lbs a week at the start - not excessively fast. I want to be able to live life day-to-day knowing I have a restriction -working with it, but not being a slave to it. Is this possible? It would help a lot to hear some positive stories from fellow banistas. People who have a good life with the band and who can still eat (20/20/20!!!) chicken, eggs, prawn etc etc. Sorry for such a panic post - but I have got myself into something of a tis - it would be great to get your opinions/advice - even if it is to confirm that maybe sleeves are better. Thanks

Nice to hear from you! I will be 4 years post revision to sleeve and am so happy with my results! I think alot of us would agree that the crap that surfaces post weight loss is sometimes the real challenge! Congratulations on your ongoing success and getting a peaceful life back too!

I had BCBS Fed Basic but my BMI was higher than that and I was also a revision from band. I wrote a two page letter explaining my issues and advocating for myself. You might want to try to do that. I would note that your weight has been climbing steadily and that you don't want to see that keep happening. According to your notes you met the 35 BMI requirement in October of 2014, correct? If they turn you down you can always try again in October. Since it is open season right now you might want to check into the other options available and see if one of them might have different guidelines and switch for the year. I love my Fed Basic though. There are several of us on here that have been approved by Fepblue, you might want to do a search and look at those threads. Good luck!

You will revise eventually...the band has caused me misery for over 15 years.Lots of damage....I am revising to bypass...

Revision June 23rd and have lost 60 pounds so far. It has changed my life!

I love that analogy! Thanks for sharing!! And good luck to you on your revision surgery in 3 weeks. YES we can do this!!!

Congrats on a successful revision!

You didn't fail, the band did!! When you try to use a hammer to take out a screw, it's not that your a bad carpenter, you are just using the wrong tool!! I am also having revision surgery. I had my band removed in 2013, I also lost a lot of weight initially but mostly because I was sick all of the time! I weigh more now than I ever have in my life, and I am looking forward to getting healthy! My surgery is in three weeks!!! We can do this!

I was offered both options, and I went with bypass from the beginning. My reasons were because I have reflux and nausea on my own (the sleeve can make this worse), and there has been years and years of long term studies done on the bypass, but not the same for sleeve. Years ago, people thought lap band was the way to go, but we're now learning that it doesn't work all that well and there have been many complications, and lot of revisions. I'm not saying that the sleeve will turn out to be the same "fad" surgery, but the research just isn't there for it like the bypass is. Also, there have been studies that show the bypass is actually more effective at long term weight loss than the sleeve. I'm 5'2 230 pounds, so I qualify for both surgeries, but I'm not so big that I need more drastic measures, I just want to have only one surgery, done right the first time. I don't want to be sleeved and then have to do revision surgery later because it's not as effective as bypass. As far as the dumping goes, I actually WANT that as a tool to keep me, and my weight, in check. I feel like my weight is a big enough problem in my life to have surgery for it, so I'm going to go all-in, and get the bypass. My surgery is scheduled for December 29th. SO excited!!

Thanks for sharing your story. I have my band to sleeve revision next Friday and have been worried about that. You helped ease some of my anxiety, so thank you!

Awesome news and congrats!!! I will be having my band to sleeve revision next Friday.

Congrats! How did your surgery go? I am very nervous to have the revision. I am 230 and want to make sure I am making the right decision! I don't regret it one bit, as for me, this was a million times better. Surgery was two hours with no complications. I love feeling full and satisfied after eating, something that never happened with the band.I wish you luck.

@sassyfrass23 First of all Congrats on making this life changing decision at such a young age! Being 54, I wish I'd have done this 25 years ago. So here goes my story ... I had surgery at Mayo and went in wanting the sleeve and after hearing both sides of the story, opted for RNY. You see, I too have a family history of heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and type II diabetes. I had gestational diabetes when pregnant with my son and then diagnosed with type II only a year later. I'd been a type II diabetic for 10+ years and because I'd "gotten busy with life" and not been taking care of myself, I had a stroke at age 52. At that point my A1C was 11.2 and my blood pressure was 195/112! When I was told RNY would give me an 85% chance of sending my diabetes into remission, I needed to hear no more. That's the route I chose and off all my meds I came immediately after surgery. That included my high blood pressure meds as well. Mayo doesn't 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 in the long term. The sleeve procedure has only been around 10 years so the research isn't there like RNY which has been around 50+ years. In an aftercare meeting 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. He went on to explain all the "unhealthy" foods they normally prepare - yuck! 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 make the best decision for YOU! I see so many people, on here especially, do a "revision" from band to RNY 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. I've never had dumping syndrome but I follow my Mayo eating plan and am so happy that at less than 7 months post-op, I've lost 90 lbs. Not bad for an old gal! Best of Luck to you P.S. Take "Before" pics. They weren't easy for me to do but glad I did because it's nice to look back and remember where I started. Here's a pic at my HW 285 SW 257 6monthW 175

I'm on my way to hopefully getting the band out and converting to sleeve. I have to do the program at my surgeon's office - the assessment, the mental health eval, nutritionist, etc. Then hopefully insurance will cover the revision. I have to do all that before they even say yes or no. Which kinda stinks because that's all out of pocket for me (the program stuff is about $300). It makes me nervous but I really think it's going to be the best thing for me if I can get the band out and convert to sleeve. After this couple of weeks and the pain I've been having when I try to eat and at the port site. I'm about to call now and have the band emptied I guess. Or at least most of the Fluid out. I had to go twice for an unfill last week and I still think it's not enough

@@longjohs ME TOO--- "emotionally" attached to some of my old big clothes. Made me smile. I really like some of my big girl clothes AND I have some fond memories of places I went in them. I'm keeping a few. But to the topic of weight gain after WLS. I had a lap-band in 2006, lost 75 pounds and over 6 years slowly gained it all back and then 15 more pounds. I had a terrible time with the lap-band, had it replaced early on after a erosion, hurt all the time, finally had to have a total unfill and it still hurt. I could only eat soft foods. A piece of chicken would send me into serious stomach pains all day. Jump to Jan 2015-lap band revision to sleeve. The sleeve is a much better WLS for me. I am not in constant pain. I'm 10 pounds below my lowest with Lapband. I'm 64 yrs old and I know this is my last chance. I am very serious about changing my eating habits and way of life. So I am following the food plans pretty much to a tee. I don't eat sweets and rarely bread/potatoes/starchy stuff. My worst slip-somedays-I eat 2 apples instead of one and an extra piece of cheese. This is my new way of life. I plan to keep this weight off no matter what it takes. It's life or death. At age 64, it's real.

Lap band failure...... Onto Gastric Sleeve journey. I have been to my information session, one support group, and to see the dietician. In a week & half I see the surgeon. Since I am a revision my insurance only requires a three month period of appointments with dietician and docs. I am looking forward to my sleeve being in February. Any of you have a slipped lap band then have a revision? I would like to know how your weight loss is going. I have heard a second surgery it is harder to lose weight.

Congrats! How did your surgery go? I am very nervous to have the revision. I am 230 and want to make sure I am making the right decision!

December 7th - Lap-Band revision to Bypass. Can't get here soon enough. Good luck everyone!

Thank you for your response. I agree that my weight is not ok for keeping up with my littles. I guess it was just hearing all his talk about leaks that had me mortified to be honest. He is the head surgeon of Barriatrics and has done NUMEROUS sleeves. When I asked how many revisions, he said he has done half a dozen. His track record is amazing, but that number is also low for me to consider....