Search the Community

Endoscopy confirmed the doctor's suspicion...I have a big sleeve, it's also dilated w/ a bulge, he said it's not my fault, but it could be revised...now the waiting begins.

My new surgeon to be, did my endoscopy yesterday and said my sleeve is dilated and has a bulge, he said it's not my fault, the sleeve was too big to begin with..causing weight loss failure. He advised that it could be revised with no issues. Now I have to wait and find out if my insurance will approve, since I have no bariatric benefits. I am so frustrated...

I just had my band out a month ago and going for sleeve surgery on October 8th. My doctor said my stomach needs two months to heal before he could do the revision to the sleeve surgery. I've been nervous lately about leaks, has anyone had a revision to the sleeve and then had a leak?Tyia

@@jesslla I just wanted to say welcome and congratulations for taking steps to get healthy! I had a lot of comorbitities when I had my surgery last Sept. I had type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, severe acid reflux, sleep apnea and stage 3 kidney disease. I was removed from diabetes meds before I left the hospital. Within 4 weeks post surgery I no longer had high blood pressure, acid reflux, diabetes. Within 60 days my stage 3 kidney disease was in remission and my cholesterols were normal. I chose bypass specifically because I had severe reflux and the sleeve can make that disease worse. I was already taking the strongest reflux meds at the maximum dose of twice per day. Had I had the sleeve and had trouble there would be no way to treat it other that to revise to a bypass. I chose to have WLS one time only. I wish you the best on your research journey. Make sure to be thorough and reach out if you have questions. This group is amazing and very supportive. I am excited for you!

Meley24 Get a revision...get the lap band out... I'd really love to have an skype consult with you. It's free and I'm going to explain the metabolic aspects of weight loss surgery and why the sleeve or bypass are much definitive options thsn the lap band. If prople and even surgeons keep thinking about restriction as the main mechanism for weight loss they are going to fail in understanding the problen and of course, to fight it. Please check the videos on my website (undestanding obesity) at www.doctoraltamirano.com or send me an email to dra@bariatricpal.com to shcedule an appointment. Greetings Well said coming from someone who knows!

Oh no! Sorry to hear that. Yeah, I decided on gastric bypass from the beginning, it was my doctor's recommendation since I have such a high BMI. Good luck on your revision surgery, I'm sending good vibes your way that this is the last time you have to deal with it.

Your going for a bypass right?, this is my 3rd surgery, first was gastric band and achieved goal weight, but after a few years had problems so I went for a revision to a gastric sleeve, felt hunger from start, almost back to starting weight now, so now mini gastric bypass scheduled In October, I wish someone had told me from the beginning, goodluck

Phentermine?????This is the solution??? a pill with all kinds of side effects???You need a revision to sleeve or bypass!!!!What is the deal???Get a new doctor or a second opinion before you start another drug....ridiculous.

I don't have dumping syndrome. I had one episode of reactive hypoglycemia, which is considered late dumping, and I had that before revising to bypass. I've also thrown up once but I didn't have the sweats or shaking, so I think it was more related to eating too much. I think the current way they do the surgery actually minimizes dumping, so don't count on it. But the good news is that it still makes it difficult to eat too much of the bad stuff and doesn't allow full absorption. So you still need to make good choices, but it's very possible to still enjoy bits of indulgences.

@@dhrguru Ketosis is something I did not think about! I woke up this morning with the worst taste in my mouth and couldn't figure out for the life of me what the heck it was - I brushed my teeth before bed! Ketosis explains it! Thank you for bringing that to my attention @@kevmasci Hi! Welcome to BP and good luck on your revision! I don't know if you're allowed pudding on your diet, but sugar free rice pudding (Jell-O Brand) saves me on my pre-op diet! I though it would be gross but I was dead wrong and it has been one of my favorite things about this diet, and the unsweetened applesauce! My surgery is next week and I am full of nerves, but I know that the rewards outweigh the risks so I start thinking positive and remind myself that I'm choosing to save my life and I calm down. I trust my surgeon, I trust his staff and I know I'm going to be ok. Keep your head up and know that we're all here for you xo

Thank you everyone for your responses! For some reason I lost this thread and glad I found it again I have been approved for my revision and I am very nervous. I am taking 3 weeks off from work then returning to a sedentary job. Do you think that will be enough? I am also going on a short cruise (3 nights) at 5 weeks out of surgery. Anyone think it will be an issue? Thank you all for sharing. I sometimes feel very alone in this whole thing and your words mean a lot to me

How is everyone doing after revision? I have been banded for almost 14 years and revising next month. Was wondering how long before you went to work if you don't mind sharing. I am planning on taking 3 weeks off. I have a sedentary job. I also have a 3 night cruise booked for 5 weeks after. Think I will be ok? Many thanks!

Welcome and good luck on your upcoming revision surgery! I personally think the pre op diet is the hardest part but after the 3rd day I didn't even care anymore. Really good salty chicken broth is what carried me through. I remember feeling so excited the days leading up to my surgery. When I would get those little butterflies I would mostly do other things to take my mind off of it. What worked the best to relax me was to take a hot sudsy bath while I put my favorite music on and spent a good 30 minutes practicing deep breathing excercises. It would literally calm me down in minutes. I also spent as much time as I could reading. Good luck to you! I am sure you will do well!

I had my original bypass surgery in 2008 and a revision in 2012. Both surgeries I was back to work after a week. Yes, there are your food restrictions, but overall I was fine.

Hi August People! Had my band to bypass revision on 08/11. Doing good! I remember coming home and I was so tired but kept myself awake to stay hydrated. I was mad that I couldn't rest or I'd be back in the hospital being treated for dehydration. Noooo thanks! I was nervous for a bit because it seemed that I wasn't feeling full but... I am now! The hard thing is that my stomach is full and I know exactly when to stop but.....my head says "Ohh I just want to finish this". Just one more bite. Luckily, I stop due to all the horror stories. Anyway, just my two cents and good luck to everyone! I hope you are all doing well and just flowing with the changes of this new life style. My word to myself is RELAX (it's all working out). ????

Omg I better not gain a pound If I get a revision to bypass...I would wire my jaw shut!!!I mean seriously...ugh...

Leroy Mann This is absolutely how I feel.I already chose a half ass lapband that Has caused me pure misery since 2004 not to mention .my teeth and gums are screwed and I have severe acid reflux and port pain...and...I am the vomit queen!!!!!The biggest reason is that I only initially lost about 40 pounds and have really struggled.....I am as fat ass as ever and miserable...seeking a revision to what I should have done in the first place!!!bypass!!!!and for anyone who wants to raise the ...."re routing invasive euphemism"...spare me...my esophagus is screwed up and my stomach is beat up and the amount of slime and vomit is sickening...port pain...please...I would be crazy to subject my very lapband abused stomach to cutting 85% out....I am lapband miserable and in pain as I type....mmm....silicone...,should of thought about that before I developed breast cancer....just saying.....,,silicone...ok..

From someone who knows: Yes, over eating WILL stretch the pouch. It will stretch over time anyway and if you keep doing it, by grazing or over eating at a meal, it can and will stretch more. Yes, you can eat more, but the hope is that you've learned to eat only what you need; which is less than what we ate before. But if you're silly, like me, you over eat and end up having a revision. It's a tool; not a cure. An upper GI will show the pouch size, as would an endoscopy. You'd have to have a medical reason and Dr. order for either of these and it wouldn't be done solely to see the size.

My paperwork should be submitted by the 1st week if Sept. I am hoping for an October date. I am sleeve to RNY revision. I had my 1st surgery 10/1/12...

One thing I would caution you about regarding the sleeve - it is not less invasive, even though that seems to be a big reason some people choose it. Yes, your intestines are not re-routed, but hey, most of your stomach is actually removed for good! you can't get that back if there are problems. With GB, everything is still there and can theoretically be revised back to normal (I think I've seen it called a takedown) For me, I'm not a huge volume eater; it's more about eating the junk - the fast food, the carbs, etc. I can stick to low carb for awhile but then go off-track and lose my momentum, get all the cravings back, etc. So I have chosen bypass b/c I need the possibility of dumping to keep me straight, at least long enough for me to learn better longterm habits. Just my 2 cents.

I happen to run across this on my surgeon's website and wanted to share. This is for people who have had weight regain after bypass. It appears that this is less invasive than another revision surgery, but can reduce the size of pouch and outlet. Hopefully, we all will have ZERO problems forever and be compliant, and never have to go this route, but... it can happen and we need to know what options are out there for help if it does. Read on There is also a great animation video on the right to see how it can fix this problem. http://apolloendo.com/procedures/outlet-pouch-reduction/

I was banded may 2013. My first year went like textbook. i lost a total of 81 lbs and felt great. But than problems started and july of 2014 my band was emptied and stayed empty for a year. My surgeon didn't want to put any fill in do to the complications i had. We discussed revision and on july 31,2015 i was revised to a gastric bypass. Surgery was difficult due to adhesions and scar tissue. When the band was placed i had gone to surgery to have a bypass but that surgeon couldn't do it do to the scarring. When i was in the recovery room the first words out of my mouth were ,what type of surgery? if he couldnt do the bypass i signed papers for a sleeve. but he was successful. I was so happy. post surgery i have had no complications. Have lost 27 lbs in 26 days. and am doing well with my new way of eating.

Came across this article on FB today. It was exactly what I needed to see. I've gotten comfortable with the fact that I can still indulge in small amounts and not see any weight gain or experience dumping. Well, that's NOT a good thing for someone like me, because it will simply continue and then eventually I will see regain. I don't want to waste all the hard work I have put in and everything I've endured to take my health back into my own hands. Having said that, some parts of this surgery might strike chords. Please remember that I didn't write it LOL so don't attack me if something makes you feel some type of way, especially that last header/paragraph. That's a sentence we all probably will take issue with, but please try to keep things in context... http://www.bariatriceating.com/2015/05/not-what-you-want-to-hear-bariatric-nos/ Don’t eat bread! That latte has 35g sugar! No macaroni salad. NO tortillas. No rice. It won’t last without change There is no delicate way to say this. We have always set ourselves apart from other bariatric groups in that we don’t look the other way while post ops continue to eat the bad carbs. We try and bring them back to the bariatric reality. We coax you to knock off the Pasta, rice, tortillas or bread and often people get mad or try and justify it. For years we’ve watched people blow through this surgery and they all have the same story. Everyone thinks they are ‘Different’, that they can handle the bad carbs and the sugar (they don’t get sick!) and ‘because they have lost 100 pounds in 7 months they must be doing something right’. The first hundred pounds is the surgery Hate to keep making the same point, but your surgery did it, not you. Remember that you are not driving the car for the first year. Eating the same foods that grew you to 300 pounds, but in smaller amounts is not a good long term plan as eventually you will be able to eat larger portions. Ask yourself why eating the same bad carbs would be a good plan. No doctor has advised you to eat the same way post op as you did pre op. Post ops pick this up somewhere, latch on to it and defend it, often to the bitter end of a total regain. No one fights for broccoli carbs! It’s not that the bagel will kill you, it’s that these carbs make you hungry. They rapidly turn to glucose and burn… poof, gone, #Lookingformore. They don’t give you any nutrients. They don’t create a feeling of satiety or lasting fullness. The empty carbs work against what you are trying to achieve. If you were arguing for eating salad or green bean carbs, more power to you… but people are trying to hang on to foods without value. If this big argument was for VEGETABLES… well it wouldn’t be a debate as vegetables didn’t make us fat, it was those ‘other’ carbs. Did you ever meet an obese vegetarian and wonder ‘HUH?’… how’d they get obese if they are vegetarian? Same deal… its not the vegetables, its the other stuff… the carbs… the potatoes, bread, macaroni, rice, tortillas and sugar! Square peg… round hole Stop looking for slightly better substitutes for bad choices and find new healthier foods to love instead. We keep trying to force that square peg into that round hole. Stop EATING crackers and chips… don’t find ones that you can justify because they have fewer carbs. Enough with the terrible fishy shirataki tofu noodles. Learn to live without bread and pasta so it will not call your name. We aren’t changing the behavior or trend if we continue eating them, just slightly shifting it. Before long you’ve got your hand back in the Doritos bag & fork in the Mac and cheese. Look It’s Protein Cheesecake! Don’t add protein to muffins and convince yourself they’re good for you. Stop with the Starbucks Creme Brûlée Lattes because ‘they’re your one indulgence’; they have 500 calories and thin people don’t even drink them. Stay the heck out of Wendy’s. I read an article the other day touting all the ‘good choices’ in fast food restaurants. How about stay out of them. That’s the best choice of all! Why go to the place where you know there is danger. Before you know it, oops… there are fries in your bag! You know people gain back weight, right? In our first month of new Facebook Support group I have cried for new members who have gained back all their weight. I am not immune either after fourteen years, three bariatric books and knowing better. When life hit the fan, I comforted my bruises in the way I knew best and it has taken me ten months to lose fifty pounds of it. People are having revisions, a lovely sounding word for a second serious body damaging operation. What will change? Unless there is major change along with that new surgery, won’t it have the same result? Step away from the bagel! Own that there was and maybe still is something wrong with your food picker! Use surgery as an opportunity to change, not cheat. I used be bothered by the ‘word on the street’ that we were the carb or food police, but am now proud of it. If you want to promote the virtues of Everything in Moderation while eating half a Subway, there are plenty of groups that will help you do it. If you want to eat right and learn new behaviors to make the feeling of slipping on those skinny jeans last… we have a support group that’s a healthier fit. Bariatric Surgery IS the easy way out It’s a personal food cop that is always with us, that helps us push away from the table. We make it hard when we don’t live by the bariatric rules we’ve been given. There is nothing harder then gaining weight back after surgery. There is nothing better than losing it a second time. Control is empowering. If you need to pick up and start losing again… If you need to work off a regain… it’s not too late and your pouch works just fine if you choose the right foods. Clean those lethal carbs from your life and go back to Bariatric Eating – protein first and lots of fresh salad and vegetables. We’ve got the support for you to make that change!

Hi all! I'll be having surgery right about the time you all are, just waiting to do a urine contine test to make sure there is no nicotine in my system for surgery then wait for the call to schedule my date! I'm so excited, nervous & worried a bit that once I reach my goal weight that I can keep it off for good without having regain etc... I just see SO many people going in for revisions mainly because they went back to their love affair with carbs & started eating again how they used to before they had surgery and I just pray that I can keep strong and stay on track- knowing that if I start back on that slippery slope into bad eating especially after the honeymoon phase is over! For the first year or so, we are going to, without a doubt, lose weight just due to malabsorption, the weight is going to fall off no matter what! BUT afterwards, we're on our own! Long before that happens I'll be back inside the gym doing whatever it takes to keep the weight I do lose OFF for good!

I have seen a bunch of people on these boards mentioning about problems with reflux with the sleeve. Many of them end up having a revision to RNY because of it. If you already have reflux, my understanding is that the sleeve is not recommended, since it is likely to make it worse. By the way, congratulations on your approval and beginning the process.