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My band was removed after 2.5/years. I had a slippage, revision and nothing but pain, bloating, and trapped gas after the the slippage and revision. Finally, it was removed. I am still ,3;years later, experiencing really bad gas and bloating. Before removal surgery, the doctor said i had developed too much Scar tissue and in fact, a band of Scar tissue was around the base of the band causing all these problems. He wanted me to go from band to another surgery in same time but I would not take the chance. After surgery, when the doctor comes to talk to me, his story has changed. There was not much Scar tissue and he labeled it band intolerance. WTF???? Now, 3/years later, even as I type this, I am still having trapped gas and bloating. It's a yucky feeling. How could it be band interlorence when everything was good the first year and up until slippage. Also, during barium swallow, the person giving test told me that stuff was barely moving through my system. The nurse at the doctors office, also showed .me the narrowing. Well, today, there is a lump look to my Scar. Left side has a bulge. I think I was lied to and he left Scar tissue in there since I wasnt going to do another surgery at the time. Am I crazy?

YAAAASSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!! I couldn't eat anything healthy with the band, but Cookies were no problem. WTF?? Now I can eat veggies to my heart's content without getting stuck. I had this weird dance I'd do in my seat to try to get stuff to go down, and I'd always have my hands over my head because it felt better to be stretched out...but it looked ridiculous!! I can eat more than a typical bypass patient, but I can eat very normally with other people and not have to make a quick escape to get something dislodged. And sleep is wonderful now. I have several band friends and most of them are jealous of my revision. We all had our surgeries around the same time. One made it past goal, three are still struggling through it, and I'm now revised. So it does work for some people (though the one who made it past goal did it by being so tight all she could eat was soup and she takes Nexium twice daily and still has issues, but she's willing to put up with it.....I wasn't). I wish I'd had the foresight to know I wouldn't be one of them. I had the same issue! Any junk food was no problem but give me a salad and I'd throw up!

I'm 32 and I too have PCOS and have struggled with infertility. I'm getting a band to sleeve revision with Dr. Altimarano on Sept 11th. My bmi is now shooting towards 60 after failed lap band. I'm hoping this is my savior. Dr. Altimarano is amazing. I can't wait.

I'm getting a band to sleeve revision with Dr. Altamirano on Sept 11th. I did a ton of research and it all lead back to him. After my FaceTime consult with him it sealed the deal. I've never had a Dr. that I can Facebook message and will reply back to me almost instantly even at midnight. He's amazing.

I'll be getting a band to sleeve revision on Sept 11 in Tijuana with Dr. Altamirano. I'm so excited!

I also just did a revision. I wanted to ask you have you been feeling hungry? I can't tell if I'm hungry or full. I was also embarrassed about me having to get a revision, I told everyone I was having a hernia repair. I really thought something was wrong with because I've seen people lose 100+lbs with the sleeve and I didn't, it's so embarrassing, I even gained weight with it. I'm praying this time that everything goes as planned.

I would love to hear more about your experience. I am having sleeve to bypass revision and I am nervous too. Much more than I was for the sleeve.

Hi I'm new on here. But I too had the VSG surgery in December 2011 and I got pregnant a year after and my pouch dilated a lot and I didn't eat bad things nor did I over eat. My surgeon doesn't want to revise me. So iam about to see another surgeon about doing revision. I'm morbidly obese I'm over 400lbs I have high blood pressure bad joint pains and my weight is crushing my lungs so it's hard for me to breath. My insurance said they could cover it cause my primary is referring it. But I'm afraid the other surgeon may not want to do it either

Gotta get this revision from band to bypass...how are you doing with the bypass?

I understand, Julie. I am three months out from a band-to-bypass revision and I can eat more than I thought I would be able to. I ordered an entree salad with grilled chicken the other night and was able to eat the whole thing....but I read others who say they can take a few bites and be full. Part of me thinks my stomach pouch is very stretchy from years of the band below that area, but I can't be sure. My surgeon says he isn't too concerned about it, people are different. I'm not the best at following the diet rules. I try to make the best decisions I can but stray some....like I get a broth-based chicken Soup at a Mexican restaurant but will splurge on some chips. I'm just not willing to do zero carbs, but I try to make the best decisions I can without fully sabotaging myself. Changing is HARD, and it's no secret that even trim people enjoy eating. You can do it!

YAAAASSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!! I couldn't eat anything healthy with the band, but Cookies were no problem. WTF?? Now I can eat veggies to my heart's content without getting stuck. I had this weird dance I'd do in my seat to try to get stuff to go down, and I'd always have my hands over my head because it felt better to be stretched out...but it looked ridiculous!! I can eat more than a typical bypass patient, but I can eat very normally with other people and not have to make a quick escape to get something dislodged. And sleep is wonderful now. I have several band friends and most of them are jealous of my revision. We all had our surgeries around the same time. One made it past goal, three are still struggling through it, and I'm now revised. So it does work for some people (though the one who made it past goal did it by being so tight all she could eat was Soup and she takes Nexium twice daily and still has issues, but she's willing to put up with it.....I wasn't). I wish I'd had the foresight to know I wouldn't be one of them.

Yes, I did experience similiar feelings. I started my journey with an on line class that my bariatric center of excellence offered. Of course I had more questions so I went to an in person class that one of the nurses who had bariatric surgery conducted. I had decided that the sleeve was the right surgery for me. Then I met with my new bariatrician. After taking a full medical history she made the recommendation that I have RNY due to my severe Gerd. I was devastated and shared with her my fears of RNY. Mostly I thought for some reason RNY was more radical, I was afraid of malabsorption and I was terrified of dumping syndrome. She spent a lot of time with me helping me understand that RNY is no more radical than sleeve after all they actually remove 85 percent of your stomach with the sleeve. Malabsorption helps you to lose weight and both surgeries require Vitamins for life and labs to ensure you are properly nourished. As long as I had my labs drawn at designated times and follow ups with my doctors I would do well. In terms of dumping, she said not everyone gets it and you learn what to eat and what not to eat. I was pretty convinced at that point but knew I should get a second opinion and was encouraged to do so. I went to see my gastroenterologist. He was very concerned about going the sleeve route for me because I had severe Gerd and was already taking the most powerful drug and the max dose twice per day. He said if I had the sleeve and my Gerd got worse there would be no way to treat it without having a revision to RNY anyway. I decided I wanted to go through this once and went with the RNY. I have never had a single episode of Gerd and have been off that medication since 30 days post op. I also never had an episode of dumping syndrome. All my co morbitities have been resolved and I feel fantastic. I did do a ton of on line research as well and learned that many people end up with revisions to RNY. I decided to put my trust in the experts and stopped worrying about what could happen or might happen. I knew I could lose the weight on my own but I also knew I would never keep it off and I was sick. Having RNY was the best thing I have ever done for myself. I hope that you are able to get all of your questions answered and find the right surgery for you. My only advice is you have to get comfortable with the surgeon you are using and if you are, then you have to trust them to make the decision that is best for you. If you are not comfortable with your surgeon get one that you are. I would be very careful to not use one that will tell you what you want to hear but one that answers the questions you have until you are satisfied. You also have to be open to all of your options and make a joint decision. Good luck to you!

@@SunflowerGal I'm the same way! I lost about 90 lbs and yep... I got a lift and implants them gained that back PLUS! They still look awesome. I'm only 2 weeks post op from a revision but I'm worried! THAT was NOT a fun surgery. It's been about ten years for me as well soooo I know some type of plastics will be in my future. So glad I'm not the only who did this! @ NO! You're not the only one who has done that... while mine don't look as good as they looked 10 years ago, they still look decent! My surgery was very easy -- my sister was with me for a week and I didn't have to lift an arm. Virtually no pain either. I am still early in this game so I don't know about plastics... but, as mentioned, I'd definitely consider a re-lift!!

I'm 2 weeks post op from a revision. Band to bypass but I had a drain (just while in the hospital) and also staples. I was really nervous too. The staples were no problem. I pictured some horrendous huge staples but they're not. It was easy. The drain was just weird. It didn't hurt but just a weird sensation. You'll be fine. It's good to be on this side now isn't it? Best of luck and hope it all goes smoothly!

@@SunflowerGal I'm the same way! I lost about 90 lbs and yep... I got a lift and implants them gained that back PLUS! They still look awesome. I'm only 2 weeks post op from a revision but I'm worried! THAT was NOT a fun surgery. It's been about ten years for me as well soooo I know some type of plastics will be in my future. So glad I'm not the only who did this! ????

Dr.Altamarino will be doing my revision. Removing the band and sleeving me at the same time.

I am losing slowly but pretty steadily, and always have lost slowly in the past. I expect I will be down 50 lbs at 6 months... but that is halfway to goal for me, and I am Very happy with the results so far. I have no doubt I will reach my goal, it is just going at a slower pace for me. I understand that you are just looking for a rough goal to shoot for, but is impossible to compare different peoples results. For reference I am 5' 4" also, 48, menopausal, PCOS, and (HAD) Insulin Resistance, I am also a band to sleeve revision... I don't expect anyone else to have the same metabolism I do, although I know there are many that do. Some lucky people are able to drop 15-20 lbs a month and reach goal by 6 months. I think the majority fall somewhere in between. Good Luck! It has been a great, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

I am a revision from band to sleeve. I got the band in 2012 and everything was fine for the first 2 years. I lost about 80 lbs. Then in mid-2014 I started throwing up everything including liquids. We tried adjusting the band for about 6 months and never could get it right. So I decided I wanted the sleeve instead. I had a hiatal hernia repair at the same time I had my band surgery which got rid of my GERD. I had the surgery June 1st to have the band removed and the sleeve done. My surgeon did it all in one surgery. I had no complications. The worst part was the really uncomfortable hospital bed and the drain I had in the hospital. I only had 2 doses of pain meds in the hospital and one was for a headache. I needed no pain meds at home. I do not miss that band at all. I do not miss throwing up. I'm very happy with the sleeve. I have a little larger than normal sleeve because I had some scar tissue around the esophagus and he lined up the sleeve with that so I would have less of a risk for leaks. I don't miss the port at all. I don't miss the fills and the needles. I eat about 4-5 oz of Protein and a serving of veggies at each meal. I've eaten more veggies in the past 3 months than I had in the previous 8 years. My tastes changed too. I can't stand ice cream now and sweets don't bother me. I can eat chicken again - I never could with the band no matter how it was prepared. I'm 52. And today my PCP took me off my BP medication because my BP readings for the past 3 days have been really low - average of 109/63 and I was getting light headed.

I was all set to request a revision from this miserable band to sleeve...after research ...the Gold Standard of WLS...the data is there...no more "flavor of the month procedures...this lapband is pure misery

Taking control ready to find me again!!! My story...After giving birth to my 2nd child I put on weight reaching 254 at my highest weight. Along came my chronic back pains, depression and post partum depression.. I decided to go with the lap band I was banded in February 2009. Things were going smooth I was dieting and exercising I got to about 180 and was looking and feeling great. I didn't have much restrictions or complications but I couldn't eat hot dogs and I couldn't eat reheated meats.. I started to notice I'd also get the "stuck" feeling , it hurt. I'd throw up a lot and had to have relieve myself asap or I'd feel like I was going to die. As time went on and after a few adjustments and some tests my band had slipped. I had put the weight back on and was set up and re banded in March 2011 along with a hernia repair and the removal of my gall bladder. The 2nd time around things were slower with my weight loss I was really discouraged. The weight finally started to come back off right when I got pregnant with my 3rd child in March 2013. I had a healthy pregnancy and was actually loosing some weight I was in the 190's I got to 220 by the end of my pregnancy my band was still full and in place I might of had just 1 adjustment. Even though I gained it was almost all pregnancy weight. After I gave birth I fit back into my clothes and was like finally my band worked!! Unfortunately after really bad post partum depression and regular depression I started to regain weight and my energy level was extremely.. I just wasn't where I wanted to be in life for me. I couldn't take it no more. I wanted my normal "thick" but not plus size body back. I missed feeling energized and good about myself. I started looking into something else I was determined... In order for the insurance to reconsider I had to gain more weight to get approved for a revision or other wls surgery. I jumped through all the hoops and did all my tests went to all my appointments regained the weight and now I'm finally here again August 2015 on day 3 of my liquid diet. I had to decide between the bypass and the sleeve and I never wanted to go through the bypass I didn't want the skin. I felt I wasn't that big. After looking through you tube videos and talking to people and just all over the place researching. I decided to go with VGS. Yes I'm afraid of the loose skin ,loosing what i have left of my boobs, and my big booty that I've always had.. But the thought of having more energy and wanting to socialize again and knowing that I can and will be happier and healthier I'm willing to take the risk . My concern is, like any surgery ,is being put under I have 3 kids who need me and I question is this all worth it if my kids loose me?? being that the Doctor told me that this surgery is more risky being that its my 3rd wls and my 4th to my abdomen I could have lots of scar tissue from before so that makes it harder for the surgeon and riskier for me. I know I shouldn't think so negative and think that I'm doing this for them how great it'll be to have a healthier happier mom. So with that being said. I'm currently on day 3 of my 4 day liquid diet. Last weight at pre op appointment 8/20/15 was 251.. I started Saturday the 22nd and today I woke up feeling weak with a headache. Todays weight 243..I have to really try to get some protein into me maybe that will help.. I call tomorrow for my exact surgery time but from my understanding I'll be the first case of the day and the doctor put me in a longer time spot. I bought my new scale yesterday (my new best friend) I'm excited and can't wait to see my journey through... I get sleeved August 26, 2015... I want my life back! #HappyHealthyMe #iwantmySEXYback #funmom #happywife #happylife

Taking control ready to find me again!!! My story...After giving birth to my 2nd child I put on weight reaching 254 at my highest weight. Along came my chronic back pains, depression and post partum depression.. I decided to go with the lap band I was banded in February 2009. Things were going smooth I was dieting and exercising I got to about 180 and was looking and feeling great. I didn't have much restrictions or complications but I couldn't eat hot dogs and I couldn't eat reheated meats.. I started to notice I'd also get the "stuck" feeling , it hurt. I'd throw up a lot and had to have relieve myself asap or I'd feel like I was going to die. As time went on and after a few adjustments and some tests my band had slipped. I had put the weight back on and was set up and re banded in March 2011 along with a hernia repair and the removal of my gall bladder. The 2nd time around things were slower with my weight loss I was really discouraged. The weight finally started to come back off right when I got pregnant with my 3rd child in March 2013. I had a healthy pregnancy and was actually loosing some weight I was in the 190's I got to 220 by the end of my pregnancy my band was still full and in place I might of had just 1 adjustment. Even though I gained it was almost all pregnancy weight. After I gave birth I fit back into my clothes and was like finally my band worked!! Unfortunately after really bad post partum depression and regular depression I started to regain weight and my energy level was extremely.. I just wasn't where I wanted to be in life for me. I couldn't take it no more. I wanted my normal "thick" but not plus size body back. I missed feeling energized and good about myself. I started looking into something else I was determined... In order for the insurance to reconsider I had to gain more weight to get approved for a revision or other wls surgery. I jumped through all the hoops and did all my tests went to all my appointments regained the weight and now I'm finally here again August 2015 on day 3 of my liquid diet. I had to decide between the bypass and the sleeve and I never wanted to go through the bypass I didn't want the skin. I felt I wasn't that big. After looking through you tube videos and talking to people and just all over the place researching. I decided to go with VGS. Yes I'm afraid of the loose skin ,loosing what i have left of my boobs, and my big booty that I've always had.. But the thought of having more energy and wanting to socialize again and knowing that I can and will be happier and healthier I'm willing to take the risk . My concern is, like any surgery ,is being put under I have 3 kids who need me and I question is this all worth it if my kids loose me?? being that the Doctor told me that this surgery is more risky being that its my 3rd wls and my 4th to my abdomen I could have lots of scar tissue from before so that makes it harder for the surgeon and riskier for me. I know I shouldn't think so negative and think that I'm doing this for them how great it'll be to have a healthier happier mom. So with that being said. I'm currently on day 3 of my 4 day liquid diet. Last weight at pre op appointment 8/20/15 was 251.. I started Saturday the 22nd and today I woke up feeling weak with a headache. Todays weight 243..I have to really try to get some protein into me maybe that will help.. I call tomorrow for my exact surgery time but from my understanding I'll be the first case of the day and the doctor put me in a longer time spot. I bought my new scale yesterday (my new best friend) I'm excited and can't wait to see my journey through... I get sleeved August 26, 2015... I want my life back! #HappyHealthyMe #iwantmySEXYback #funmom #happywife #happylife

Hockeyfan7 you had revision? That's awesome! I would love to lose 36 pounds in 3 months! Keep us posted!

I developed aspiration pneumonia from the lap band...I was very successful with it...lost almost 80 pounds and kept it off for 6 years, I was put into the hospital and as a side to the pneumonia I was told I had to have my band removed, That was April 20 and I have gained upwards of 40 pounds with no end in sight, I am very seriously considering having the surgery for the gastric sleeve. I have sent many folks to Mexico where I had my surgery and they all got the sleeve and are doing very well. One person I know is not doing well....,after she got home she had appendicitis, after that surgery she had to have a hernia removed and is not losing weight. She is trying to talk me out of it saying that it is different if it is revision as opposed to being the first bariatric surgery one has, She also has terrible GERD but had that prior to the sleeve surgery, I am hoping I can find someone(s) who have had the sleeve as a revision and find out how it went so that I can be an informed patient. I am 5 months out from the removal of the band,,,do not have gerd, never had it, I am 64 years old and finally in good health...a few minor issues but nothing to prevent my having the surgery. Thanks in advance to your help. Lois

I have revised to Sleeve. I had major amounts of scar tissue, which he cleaned out when he removed the band. It is my understanding that he also removed some scar tissue when he did the Sleeve surgery. My recovery was effortless. I was off pain meds in 2 days and back at work on the 7th day post op. The heartburn/reflux is a valid point. I do get heartburn and take Prilosec daily. Prilosec controls it completely, so it isn't an issue at all unless I skip them for more than a day or two. I know that others choose Bypass over the possibility of acid issues, but honestly adding an acid blocker to your daily Vitamins and pills is not an issue. I do agree with a previous poster that says a higher BMI person might want to choose Bypass over Sleeve. The weight loss is initially faster, which is such an improvement in overall health. And the malabsorbtion aspect might help with a larger amount to lose. It will boil to your personal choice, or your surgeons recommendation. Do your research on medical sites that offer statistics on long term results and possible complications. Most of us that offer personal opinions are biased towards the surgery we have LOL!

I had lap band for 4 years, and developed prolapse then 9 months later a slip with horrible heartburn and reflux. I have had it removed, and initially wanted the sleeve but my surgeon said that a sleeve would make the reflux worse due to the high pressure a sleeve causes. Banding is a restrictive procedure and so is sleeve. He told me weight loss would be slower with sleeve going from restrictive to a restrictive. He also said sleeve would be more risky after banding and would put me at greatest risks for leaks and it would be a more complicated procedure. Plus once they remove your stomach, it is gone forever. With bypass, you can keep your stomach and it is reversible, not easily and not done often but it can be done. After doing research, I found out he was right. He told me that RNY has been performed since the 1970's and there is alot of research. He also said that I could do the sleeve and run the risk of heartburn and possible 75 pounds loss with diet compliance and exercise, and if the heartburn gets to be too much to revise to RNY......no thx, don't want heartburn, and don't want to keep having surgeries. He said I could lose about 100 more pounds with RNY and weight loss would be a bit easier with diet and exercise. I am choosing RNY and in the process of meeting insurance requirements, for bypass in late October or early November. As far as making a choice, this choice should be yours because it will be happening to your body. Do more research on both procedures. These forums are great for all opinions, but everyone is different and what may work for some, may not for others. Get 2nd or 3rd opinions, and gather as much info to help you feel comfortable in your choice. I truly wish you the best in whichever you decide.