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I just had my revision surgery on 10/5 and my first week I lost 7.7 pounds. My bmi was 37.5.

Hello, I am having revision to sleeve. I am slated to have surgury 28 December in Mexico. Good luck to all of us Santa Sleevers:)

Hi All, surgery went great, had some issues about 4 days out with rapid heart beat, sweating, feeling faint for several days. After a visit to the ER today and lot of tests, I was told that I was dehydrated. Even though I drink 64 oz a day I can't seem to drink enough. But that aside I am happy. One week out and I have lost 7.7 pounds. Nice!

I am a revision from Band. I really researched both the Sleeve and Bypass before making a choice. You need to do the same and see which one you are comfortable with. Both are effective, it really comes down to your preference... unless your Dr says you arent a candidate for one or the other. No one should have to talk you into either. Do some research and make an informed decision. Have you consulted a surgeon? That first consultation would be a good place to start.

Hello, I decided to share with others my journey and hoping for support back. I decided to have revision to sleeve after my lapband slipped after running a marathon last year. I was in the worst pain and was vomiting every 15 minutes. As a result I caught a taxi to hospital because I was out of town. I was in hospital for 2 days with tube down nose. Having revision to sleeve in December. Weight has stayed the same.

Well I don't know how tall you are but I am 5'3 and 280 pounds with 140 to lose and I am getting the sleeve its my first and hopefully last wls my insurance only allows one per lifetime. So we're not to far off weight wise. I would check out the band revision boards they have a better perspective

Hello, I am flying to Mexico in December. Will be there 6 days before flying back to Virginia. I was lapbanded there and I was fine flying back home. Praying the revision to sleeve works out in my favor. Good luck. Keep in touch on journey if you like.

Hi All, Trevor here from Australia I had Lapland surgery in early 2010, I had good success with weight loss, but had lots of band complications, so I had a mini gastric bypass one week ago yesterday, currently I am not too heavy, I am weighing in at 112kgs (247lbs) just before the surgery last week, I had been down to 92 kgs (203lbs), I was at 104 kgs (224lbs) before the band was removed 3 months ago I am looking forward to continuing the journey but with a different route Registered here to listen to others experiences

I know how u feel. I'm worried too! I had band in 2010 and then 2 kids 2 yrs apart. My reflux is terrible. I'm not sure if when I pushed during delivery that something slipped but I am in the process of having revision. I know that even though I LOVE food I will b able to control myself and eat in moderation as I'm supposed to and I will be exercising more and will enjoy my new lease on life!!!!!! Probably due to pregnancy. Both my sister and I had band problems and removals after each having 2 kids.

Hello, I also had my lapband slip last year after running a marathon:( I was in the hospital for 2 days miserable with a tube down my throat. I pulled out of this years marathon for fear it would slip again. I decided to have revision to sleeve this coming December and it can not come faster. I went to lapband Doctor and had gained 4 lbs. I thought I gained 40 when the doctor said you gained weight after 6 months check up. I weigh 210 lbs. and I cycle and run and I am frustrated with my weight. I am doing a 100 mile bike ride this month and shutting down hard workouts until after being sleeved. Good for you getting sleeved. I know how you felt with this foreign object inside. I think I may have scar tissue as a result. Wish you the best:)

I know how u feel. I'm worried too! I had band in 2010 and then 2 kids 2 yrs apart. My reflux is terrible. I'm not sure if when I pushed during delivery that something slipped but I am in the process of having revision. I know that even though I LOVE food I will b able to control myself and eat in moderation as I'm supposed to and I will be exercising more and will enjoy my new lease on life!!!!!!

I don't mind. I developed a heart arrythmia (atrial fibrillation) around 18 months post op. The band surrounds the vagus nerve which controls, among other things, heart rhythm. I ended up in ER with my heart completely out of rhythm, beating at a rate that was close to having me have a stroke, and blood pressure also sky high. It took seven hours to bring everything around using medication, and now I'm on medication for life. I had my band's restriction loosened so as not to touch on the vagus nerve and just went back in last month to get a bit of fill as I'm gaining weight and hungry all the time. Immediately following the small fill, I went back into atrial fibrillation. That's pretty conclusive evidence that there is a correlation, at least with my particular anatomy. If you google gastric band, or lap band + atrial fibrillation, you will see a lot of people who have now experienced this. There are several on this forum right here. So yes, I regret what I did. Living with a-fib is no picnic, and the side effects of the three medicines I now have to take have greatly compromised my quality of life: extreme fatigue, memory loss, inability to do any sports that might raise my heartrate...wish I had chosen a different path. Would a sleeve revision correct the afib? Unfortunately, no. Once you have afib, you have afib. In fact, afib begets afib. In other words, once the electricity in your heart becomes chaotic (which is basically what afib is), it will constantly create new "bad" pathways in your heart. According to my cardiologist, it is unlikely that even removing the band will make the afib disappear, as the band has already done its damage. All I can do is keep it loose and off the vagus nerve, and continue with my meds (or, in the future, ablation or pacemaker if the afib worsens). I would not do another WLS in any case. I'm out of the game. For me, these are "Flowers for Algernon" situations. When I was doing my research, I was convinced WLS was the gold standard for permanent weight loss. Now my thoughts are different, especially concerning the lapband (since I had a bad experience with it) but also with other surgeries. There really is no tinkering with major body parts that is going to come out ok in the longterm, imho. We are seeing wonderful transformations in the short term, yes...but my sense is longterm we are going to see some health-complications from all WLS that have yet to reveal themselves. I would not even consider going under the knife again. I'm sorry it's been such a bad experience. One of the reasons I went with the sleeve is, while it's newly used in WLS, it actually has a huge amount of long term info as it's the same surgery used for stomach cancer and perforated ulcers and has been for probably over half a century at this point so long term effects are well and truly known. I agree that this is not a decision to make lightly. I hope you have a really good cardiologist. My dad has afib and my brother (an MD) did a bunch of research into meds to control it and found one that has stopped it completely - though this drug has serious complications potentially itself and should only be used for about a year as side effects become more prevalent at that point - should it come back it will require that they zap the heart tissues to stop it... PM me if you'd like me to share the names of the meds he researched so you can ask your cardiologist about them. I'm really glad you shared this. Most of the people on this site are very enthusiastic about their experience and I think it's important to have a balanced view. The numbers do support surgery as being the gold standard, but I also think it should be the last resort because if you can do it without then that is infinitely better health-wise. I've had a harder experience than many but nothing to yours and I am still glad I made this decision. I'm currently struggling with serious Iron absorption and anemia problems probably made worse if not caused by the omeprozole which can inhibit iron absorption but I've been a little anemic for years so it's not the sole issue and can't be laid at the feet of the surgery etc entirely. However all my iron stats have dropped 40-50% in less than 2 months and I will be seeing a hematologist to discuss IV iron transfusions next week. I do hope that this is going to be a non-issue once I can go without the omeprozole but in the meantime I am lucky to be able to work from home as I need to be lying down most of the time or my heart starts racing and I get dizzy. I'm also lucky as this is a manageable issue even if it does require long term IV iron transfusions instead of just a couple to get me back to the normal range until I can get off of the antacids. Further I'm intensely grateful that I went with a program that includes 2 years of follow up with nutrition, fitness and psych as this wouldn't have been caught for another 2 months without the nutritionist pushing me to follow up with my PCP as my numbers hadn't gone up even though I'd been on high levels of iron for over six months starting long before my surgery. It was at that visit that the drop was caught and while they would have found it at my next post surgery follow up that isn't for another 2.5 months and I could have landed in the hospital in serious trouble long before then if it continued to progress at the pace it has been going. Worth every flipping penny of the extra money staying here and going with that program instead of heading to Mexico imo.

My surgeon said there was a 50/50 chance that he would be able to do the revision in one surgery. In my case, once he got in there to remove the band there was too much adhesion and scar tissue for him to feel comfortable doing the sleeve at that time. He cleaned out as much as he could and did band removal. He advised waiting several months to let my stomach recover a more normal shape, and to let me heal, and then we did the sleeve 5 months later. I would have preferred to have it done all in one surgery... but in this instance I valued his medical expertise and opinion more than my own convenience!

Hi All... Got this text from my hubby today. So fun after so much hard work and years of failed diets and challenges...and I've just gotten started after WLS revision a month ago. Just thought I'd share to inspire all of us as we search to change and get healthy and to realize the positive effects on those around us. Let's go do all those things we couldn't do before and include family and friends in the journey. "I cannot tell you how excited I am right now about our journey and path forward. From our house and life at home to your health and our family's health. Being more active and moving our center of focus from eating to doing... It's great! It's an adjustment but a good one. It will open so much for us. We can do ski trips and hike and swim and snorkel and bike and ... On and on for fun getaways or around our neighborhood. Just think, you will be able to walk up the mountain with me in Aspen or where ever. Then at home, we are able to work on the house together... I love that. Before, it was daunting, but yesterday showed me how great it will be now. Tackling a closet or a room is nothing. We can organize and decorate together. It will make our house so extra warm (it already was, but now it will be even more so). THANK YOU for tackling this health monster. I'm so proud of you. I will do the same in my life. You're inspiring. Thank you. Love you." Question: What are you doing or going to do that may drive you and possibly inspire your loved ones? (Me-I've now joined a gym. Your turn...)

I am having revision from band to sleeve January 5th. Is it better to get the band out first?

There are so many mitigating factors by individual that it is difficult to answer your question. In my own experience, and the amazing group of women I still keep in contact with that I met on this forum, there are very individualized long term results. My experience is knowledge to recognize the better part of long term success with maintaining weight loss is how well you have internalized your needed changes in your relationship with food and eating. The psychology behind the how and why must be dealt with to maintain weight loss long term. It is much more difficult to maintain weight loss than lose the weight. Self awareness of what and how much you eat and exercise are mandatory. If you are not monitoring your thinking and food related behaviors you risk gaining weight, because your previous unhealthy behaviors easily return. This journey is a daily one...the surgery gives you a tool to change your eating, but does nothing to revise faulty thinking in your behaviors relating to food. Most of us have regained a portion of weight we lost, perhaps original goals were not healthy weights. No one has "given up", but some have relaxed self discipline to a realistic level. Some continue to lose weight at their own slower pace. Some continue to work on their faulty thinking. All are still committed and thankful for their healthier lives and lifestyle. Many of the veterans chose to move on with their lives, and were aware of an ongoing resistance of newer members asking questions, not liking the veteran response, and feeling that it was not worth the time and effort to try to help others who did not really seem to want help. I lost my band to medical complications nearly 2 years ago. I successfully kept most of my weight off, however weight comes back, in my opinion because it is quite difficult to manage on the unrealistic small portions long term. I am scheduled to have a different surgery next month to give me the tool I feel I need long term for better health. My doctors and I do not consider myself a failure, many banded patients long term require a different surgery to help them maintain their healthy weight. I addressed my faulty thinking a few years ago and am moving forward with continuing motivation and new tools for continuing success.

Not trying to change your mind, but if you get the sleeve and don't get GERD, then yes it doesn't matter about being irreversible. However, if you get GERD or, worst case, really bad GERD, then the sleeve being irreversible is going to mean a whole lot. There are people who get a revision from sleeve to RNY. And if you develop GERD that will be one of the very choices you have to remedy that GERD.

Happy to know that I am not along. I was banded 7/31/2009. My original weight was 293 and I got down to 205 in 2013. I didn't see my doctor for 2 years and decided to go for a fill in February of this year. I immediately began to lose weight and by July I was down to 152 until I fainted a work, hitting my head in the process, therefore i received 5 stitches. I was hospitalized for a week and unfilled.. I have been eating like a cow and now weigh 187.. When I went for a full last week, I was told my port had flipped and need revision.. This is frustrating!!! I can not afford to gain another pound......

Same here. Had port revision on 9/30. New port is in basically the same place and definitely doesn't stick out as much. I'm still waiting for some swelling to go down to see the final result.

Just saw the month I had surgery on June 22nd feeling amazing I am down 60.5lbs I am a revision from lap band after I went through cancer treatments hope everyone is doing good

Thank you everyone for the insight into your weigh loss journey with the sleeve. I'm a low BMIer 28.5 getting a revision from band to sleeve on Oct 16 - so ready to stop dealing with a temperamental band and give myself a chance to finally hit goal with the sleeve ????

I need my surgery date to get here before I talk myself out of this. I watched surgery videos on YouTube and other peoples stores after surgery. Especially this woman with a failed sleeve. Apparently they made her sleeve too big or something and she lost like 40 lbs in a year so she had a revision to by pass. I feel like all surgery revisions end up to a by pass. Should I just get the by pass instead of the sleeve? I was really interested and excited about the sleeve and the lack of malabsorption etc. but now I'm not so sure.

It took more than 100 lbs off of me to see the port they way you do now. I actually just had it revised a couple of weeks ago to a lower profile and the surgeon tucked it under the muscle so it wouldn't be seen. I would check with your surgeon just to make sure it's not too close to the surface. If it's that noticeable now, I wonder what it will look like after a significant weight loss. Good luck...keep us posted.

I had gastric bypass in 2003 and kept weight off for about 7 years. Due to medications etc unexpected weight gain resulted. After working with doctor and nutritionist for about 2 years -- having revision surgery next week.

Hello fellow Minnesotans! I live in the Twin Ports area and I am scheduled for my revision from lap band to sleeve on October 29th. Been steadily gaining weight since January despite not changing my eating habits or exercise routine. After several fills and unfills to check my fill levels, and a fluoroscopy in July, it was discovered that my band had sprung a leak and so will no longer hold fills. Went through the revision progress and I was approved on September 15th. Looking forward to surgery and being able to lose the 50lbs that I have gained. I will be having my surgery at Essentia Health in Duluth with Dr. Bettendorf.