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I chose the sleeve over band for a few reasons - these are my personal opinions, worth what you paid for them, and not meant as a bash on the band, I am not a Doctor nor do I play one on TV: 1) The band is a mechanism, manmade, it can break. My cousin had the band and it helped to her lose 100 lbs, but then it broke. She revised to Gastric By Pass (RNY). 2) I also thought that having a port, that you can feel under your skin and needing to go for adjustments was too creepy for me. 3) It is adjustable - you can have the saline removed, this may be a positive to some, but to me that was a free ticket to quits-ville. 4) It is reversible, done with the new lifestyle? Have it removed - again free ticket to quits-ville. 5) Restrictions on what you can eat - with Sleeve once you are healed there are no dietary restrictions in terms of stringy vegetables or dry goods. Some people look at the sleeve and say it seems so extreme, it is not reversible, you will have 85% of your stomach removed, that is so scary! But those are the things that appealed to me. It is just me in there, just less of my stomach, I can't decide that I want my restriction decreased, I can't decide that I want to eat "normally" again, and beleive me I know I needed the finality of this surgery. I have lost 64 lbs as this post, I feel great, I can walk again, I can be active again, I am getting rid of most of my clothes as they are now too big for me, I can keep this up, my sleeve gives me the tools I need to be succesful. There you go - my thoughts - and 100% discount from the normal 2 cent price :-D

As always, this board is an amazing source of inspiration! I always get so excited looking through the new photos. I'm currently past my goal and in the process of firming up and maybe losing just a few more. Also preparing for a port revision, as my flat-ish tummy now makes my port look like a large golfball growing under my skin. Not so pretty. On a side note, I can't believe how few photos I have at my heaviest... Ahh, the world of digital photography; I look fat in that photo? DELETE! lol So I have some slim pickings from my preop weight. I haven't seemed to lose my love of black tank tops though, hmm...

I had my revision to bypass June 23. Im having no issues recovering. The thing is im having issues losing all of a sudden. Lost 25 then ive stopped last 5 days. I dont get it. Im tracking everything. So frustrated.

Dear Blessed Beyond Measure: i am blessed beyond measure too...God made awa y fo rm to have revision surgery ---lapband this time. u go girl, Jesus is the way. i am asking for alot of prayer for my preop diet and reduction in appetite.and that i will survive the surgery---i have too much scar tissue for a laporoscopic procedure so am hvaing open surgery and will be psending 2-3 days in thtehospital,i hope u will stayi in touch with me. i need spiritual support too. thanks

Hello everyone... I will be having my gastric sleeve done by Dr. John Alexander at Forest Park Medical Center. So far his office staff has been absolutely AMAZING! I went in on 1-23-14 for my consult... sweet guy... very funny to see him in scrubs and cowboy boots though.... did my endoscopy on 1-27-14 and got my approval/surgery date on 1-28-14. I am due to have my sleeve done on 2-10-14. I have a million things running through my mind right now.. first of all.. this is a revision from a Gastric Bypass from 2005...so I wasn't expecting the insurance company to approve it... I lost close to about 80 lbs and have gained all but about 15-20 pounds back. At any rate... the first procedure wasn't performed correctly have had some issues/complications so Dr. Alexander suggested the sleeve. I also like the fact that the portion of the stomach that produces ghrelin will be removed. Haven't gotten excited yet... still can't believe that I got approved.. :-)

A question for any of Dr. Kim's patients.. Did you have to do a sleep study? I am looking to have a revision and have a consult with him next week. I have limited time off and 2 small kids so really don't want to have to do a sleep study too. Thx!!

I will have my band to sleeve revision on Aug 11 with Dr. Carlton at the Nicholson Clinic in Dallas. I live in Frisco.

Hi! I'd love to be your buddy! It sounds like we are in a similar boat. I was also banded, was successful, and then had complications... My revision to RNY is next Monday, July 20 I am curious to hear about how the surgery went for you? How does the healing compare to the recovery from band surgery? Be well! I'm right behind you!

Guys I think I'm going to revise my goal weight. 30 more pounds might be too much more to loose, especially if my neck starts to look drawn. I know that this weight is still obese in fact morbidly obese but Id need to loose 40 more bls to be correct weight and even my doctor said thats probably too much. I vow not to get carried away with this weightloss thing though. Next thing you know I'll have to start looking for a plastic surgeon ! -106 lbs

I had a lot of regrets for 2 weeks after surgery. I am so glad I had it done. I was a revision from the lapband. I'm down 45 pounds from March and am so happy. People tell me all the time not to lose anymore weight that I'm too skinny now. I love it. For the first time in my life I'm happy with the results. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

My surgeon tries hard to convince his patients to go directly with the gastric bypass because of it's long term success and proven history. It's been around longer than any other WLS procedure. That's what convinced me. I only wanted to do this once. The fact that people that never before had a problem with GERD started suffering with it after the sleeve and had to revise to RNY was another thing that helped me decide. I went back and forth for awhile because there does seem to be pros and cons with both surgeries. Good luck with your choice.

My name is Belinda. I am a RN. Worked in NICU,Peds, and Geriatrics. Started out as a CNA working in LTC for 10 plus years before graduating from nursing school. Excited about going to Mexico for lapband to sleeve revision. I have not set a date yet. I look forward to sharing my journey with you.

Hey scaredoftheunknown!! Sorry we've missed u! But boy, you are doing so WELL!!! Im only 24 lbs down total and wishing I was more. Im a lapband revision so I realize its a process and everyone is different so I dont trip :-) but sounds like ur doing well. No problems tolersting any foods either?

Several people have mentioned that at this point 800 cal/day is too low, your body is probably in starvation mode. Try to increase to 1000 cal/day, same type of food but slightly larger portions. This will help you feel fuller while hopefully kickstarting your metabolism again. Drink a LOT between meals to fill up your stomach too (but wait at least 30 minutes after eating before drinking anything). I personally hate drinking water so I drink lots and lots of crystal light lemonade. It has almost no calories and is still 99.99% water. Try supplementing your breakfast with a protein shake. That will help you reach your protein goals while also filling you up. I drink one Premier Protein every single morning after breakfast (Chocolate flavor!) It feels like I'm treating myself and I'm adding 30 grams of protein every day. That usually keeps me satisfied until lunch. You said you're logging now - are you also weighing your foods? If not, you are likely grossly underestimating your portion sizes. My wife made a chicken stir-fry for dinner tonight and I decided to have some - I weighed out 4.5 oz into a bowl and it looked like a VERY small portion - she was shocked when I told her how much it was, it was actually a little more than I've been eating lately (3-4 oz per meal). It was actually really filling though, but if I just eyeballed it I almost definitely would have eaten too much and not even realized it. The "surgery is a tool" can mean several things. For some (most?) it provides an automatic restriction so that you physically can't eat as much as you used to without getting sick. For those who had gastric bypass, it also provides an incentive for what you're eating to be healthy in order to avoid dumping syndrome. Bypass patients also get the benefit of malabsorption. For others, it's the knowledge that you underwent major permanent surgery as a last ditch effort to get healthy and that can help change your mindset about eating. I'm in the position to have gone through both major weight loss surgeries. I had the sleeve in December 2016 and lost about 120 pounds in about six months. I was a regular on the forums here, I tracked every single bite (my personal recommendation is My Fitness Pal - I also weighed myself every morning (which is not always recommended) and took a full body photo with the app once a week to see my progress), Then I had some personal/profession issues which screwed up my schedule and my mindset and slowly began to gain weight back. I stopped tracking, stopped eating healthy, and all of a sudden a few years later I realized I had regained almost all of the pre-surgery weight. I was depressed, upset, embarrassed, ashamed, but I decided to do something about it and I went back to my doctor (I had stopped going to appointments too) and he said I was a good candidate for revision surgery to gastric bypass. It's been just over 4 weeks since that surgery and I'm down 36 pounds so far - not losing as quickly as the first surgery, but still losing. I still track religiously, and follow the meal plan exactly the way it was given to me (first month, soft high-protein foods with no fruits and veggies, no sugar, no bread, pasta, etc.), just starting my second month by adding some veggies to every meal. I had a couple of brief stalls but I kept with the program and they went away. I've been slowly increasing my daily calories and that has helped as well (still below 1000 most days but I've gone as high as 1200). In order to feel like I'm not depriving myself of sweets, I have one or sometimes two containers of sugar-free chocolate and vanilla swirl Jello every day. Last time after a few months I added a small portion of Halo Top ice cream as a daily dessert - very low calories, low or no carbs, and delicious. It's important not to feel that you're depriving yourself. Another thing to look at is your sleep - are you getting enough sleep? When I get a good night's sleep I lose about a pound over night. The times when I don't get enough sleep are the days I notice a stall or even a slight increase in weight. Given your starting weight is there a chance you have sleep apnea? I was diagnosed with sleep apnea several years ago and started using a CPAP, my sleeping improved dramatically. Ultimately, the surgery is not a magic bullet, although when things are going well it can seem like magic, but that happens when you put in the work. It's not bullshit, or useless, it has helped many many people who have tried everything else (myself included). You said you lost 30 lbs so far, that's great! That's 30 lbs you probably wouldn't have lost without the surgery. Now you have to figure out how to kickstart the rest of your journey. To summarize, here's what I would do if I were in your place: 1 - Increase your calories - same healthy foods for larger portions 2 - Increase your protein - add a protein shake after breakfast if necessary (wait 30 minutes after eating first) 3 - Increase your liquid intake - drink water if you enjoy it, or mix up some crystal light lemonade or something similar, drink ALL THE TIME 4 - Get a good night's sleep 5 - Keep tracking everything - make sure you WEIGH everything you eat, never eyeball. You can get a basic food scale for 10 bucks 6 - Don't give up! I know it's frustrating but based on your posts you're in a tough headspace right now. If you keep going on about how the surgery is bullshit, useless, etc. it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Good luck!

You nailed it about the “mind hunger.” I didn’t have it as much with the original bypass, probably because those no-no foods felt uncomfortable and/or I dumped, always out the back way. It took almost 2 years to be able to eat the bad stuff. After what turns out to be Part 1 of my revision surgery, it took a lot less, plus I don’t dump. I spoke with my surgeon to say that I wasn’t sure the Argon zapping was working, and she told me that the revision process takes several surgeries and that I should have been contacted by their obesity management team and scheduled for the next procedure. They’re working on scheduling that for August, and I’m in contact with the team. She also suggested calorie counting, as well as some of those online weight management sites like Noom. It’s as much about how you think of food and realizing why you overeat. I was getting therapy, but it was once a month, and I don’t think it really helped.

I experienced the weight stall and constipation. However, the weight that I have lost took a big load off my back, and I’m not in as much pain from that. I actually ended up in the ER because I was so constipated. I had tried to get it out the natural way, but it got stuck, and I was in so much pain and didn’t know what to do (this was the first time I had ever been constipated), so I called 911. Now it’s something I have to watch out for. I have Miralax and Lactulose on hand if it gets really bad. Try the Miralax first. Get incontinence pads, like Tena, and place them in pairs in the usual place and behind those (you’re going to leak). Also get disposable incontinence Chuks for wherever you sleep, because you’ll leak there, too. Have disposable gloves on hand and be prepared to glove up and get it out manually when it gets stuck, and you can’t push it out without feeling like you’re going to split in half. I know it’s gross, but I lost 6 pounds in about 5 days. I spoke with my surgeon, and she told me that stalls and constipation are to be expected with revision surgery. Talk to your surgeon about your concerns, and ask if there are other options that you can do. I learned that the Argon Coagulation surgery I had was only the first of several to expect.

I'm having a revision from a Lap-Band I had done ~13 years ago to gastric bypass on 12/09. Two week pre-op diet of 5 protein shakes, 2/fruitv& 2/veggies per day has been tolerable. Nerves are starting to get to me...trying to stay occupied. Have to be at the hospital at 5 AM on Monday, bright and early.

Hi all, Well the new Dr office called and they are submitting my paperwork for the band to sleeve revision for June 28th. I am a total basket case now. I don't know why, I loved my band when it was working. My major problem is that I can eat everything now, and I do, and I LOVE it. I love having bagels for Breakfast again, and bread with my Pasta, and my hot dogs on buns! Oh and that nice COLD beer when it was 95 degrees out on Saturday! What is wrong with me? I feel like a kid in a candy store, going crazy because I think that when the sleeve is done, it will be like the band again. Please tell me I am CRAZY!!! I know i have to watch my carbs and follow the rules, but for real, why am I thinking this is the end of the world. I do have one major concern, since my band is totally empty, and I have a huge appetite, what is the pre-op diet like, if there is one for band to sleeve revisions? I know when I have to I can do this, but I just want to get a jump start on the Protein, and no carbs, any advice? Thanks, Patti

Hi there! I am 2.5 months out from band to bypass and I am 62lbs down total! 270-208lbs right now. Still have long ways to go! the revision was the best decision of my life!

I know exactly that feeling ! I have decided to go with bypass because of the reflux issues I have and I have Esophagitis as well , I had initially wanted to revise to sleeve but after getting my Esophagitis diagnosis from my gastroenterologist, and with the research I did , it didn’t make sense to me to go with the sleeve . It took a lot of research , talking with a counselor about me weighing my options to have made the decision to go with bypass . I am having surgery on 8/13/2020 . I am looking forward to this new step in my journey . But I’m fully committed and ready for it !

i already have the revision to the sleeve; but i am not losing weight. i am not a big person. date of surgery i was 170lbs and as of today 156lbs but it been almost 7 months since surgery. i should be al goal right now but thats not the case!!! Sent from my iPhone using VST

Ah, That was actually the best attempt yet to kill this thread. Make a deliberate and snide "for real" attack. Bravo. I say that now we just charge on madly and ignore that snide-aside and try and kill this thread in a much more entertaining fashion. *steps up to the plate* I recommend RNY Revisions for everyone!!

Well the revision is done and now have all the answers I sought for years as to why my rny was not a full success. Come to find out intestine (rou limb) was left too long. That is now fixed. My common Channel shortened to 85cm and long limbs now the appropriate length. 3 hernias repaired that caused me so much pain. A second chance and will remember each day where I started.

I agree, I think if I was the kind of person who might say 'oh unfill me so I can eat more" I wouldn't have gone the band. But the band has been great in that when I started losing too much, I was able to keep it a little loose so I felt hunger, and if I gain a bit too much, I have it filled and I'm back on track. I have maintained my weight, even with the complication of the leak, to within a normal range for over 5 years now. When my band was leaking and I had the option to revise to sleeve or band last year, I chose the band again, because it works for me. I think you do need to have more patience and self control with the band, it's very easy to cheat the band and yourself. My doctor still advocates the band over sleeve because it has longer term, mostly positive stats and in Australia, is actually quite a successful procedure, I suspect, in part to the fact that our aftercare is cheap and accessible. And it can be successful, as I'm testament too. Lapband surgery is like pregnancy, everyone has a horror story but you don't often hear about the successes. And there are plenty. People like me, for whom it wasn't hard at all. So do your research and choose what is best FOR YOU, not what was best for everyone else.

Hi Barbara, I'm hoping to come down that week or the one after that... Will be getting in touch with Nina to see if that's doable. Unfortunately, my work schedule won't allow for me to come the same day as you, but if I have my way, perhaps we will cross paths. Dr. Aceves is a great person and doc, and the team is great. I had my band removed by them last March, but due to erosion complications, I was not able to revise to a sleeve at that time. Had to wait a bit, so now I'm getting ready. Are they having you on a pre-op diet or anything like that? Congrats, and here's to a great experience for you! -- :thumbup: