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I had the SIPS/LOOPS/SA-DI DS on 8/8. I can't give you specifics on success or not just yet. I am however down to 192 from my HW of 242 (SW of 226). This was a revision surgery for me from the lapband so I'm predisposed to being a slower loser. Good luck to you though

I posted this in the general thread and then found this area that I feel like is more appropriate... I feel like I have to start from the beginning. I was banded back in 2008. I did fine for the first few years but needless to say over time I started developing reflux. I had my gallbladder removed because they felt like it was the problem. It ended up being my band. So I developed severe GERD and my band slipped. I had revision done March 3rd this year. First week was great, 7 days in my heart rate jumped to 160 and my BP dropped to 78/40. They checked me for a leak...no leak. WELL-- when I advanced my foods per my schedule I started to get fatigued after I eat...it went away until this past weekend. Friday I was going to the gym I think my blood sugar dropped because I felt clammy, numb, jittery. I felt better after I had eaten. I got a glucometer and about a hour after eating sugar (1/2 cooking Peanut Butter and teaspoon of sugar) my sugar was only 78 so I am not really sure how low it had gotten. before the sleeve I always had trouble with constipation. Not any more. And I thought I saw blood in my stool last week so this week I tested it and it is positive for blood. I got anxious after eating yesterday and I feel like all this crap is just causing me to be paranoid. I feel like its starting to cause me to have anxiety attacks because Im just afraid something is going to be wrong. I may even be getting depressed. I have felt ok since Saturday but Im just nervous...nervous that something is wrong. Maybe its my mind and I need to talk with a counselor or something but Im not sure what avenue to take at this point. Im probably over worrying because I was so afraid to have this surgery from the beginning just something about having part of your stomach removed. I have never had health issues like this. I have never had the feeling of impending doom like I did 7 days post op. I don't ever want to have that feeling again. Right now Im just thankful to have a forum I can kind of share my feelings with. My friends and family just get aggravated with me because I didn't tell them I was feeling bad sooner. I'm losing weight and I am happy about that but at the same point 2 1/2 months post op and I am regretting having this procedure.

Hi Carrie, I did not have revision, just a vanilla VSG, but the surgery pain after was not that bad. And I have had labour with twins ending in epidural and forceps delivery. My reasons for doing the surgery were mainly to try to ensure I lived long enough to see grandchildren and be able to be an active grandma. The way I was going I would have died young and probably required a mobility scooter beforehand, the horror. The good thing about VSG is you get it done, follow a few simple rules and voila, you get to live a normal life!! Jane x

I did not need the 6 month managed weight loss period and revised from a band to a sleeve. My insurance is UHC. My doctor's office said just having the band was enough for their in-house requirements. I also had a BMI above 35 with a co-morbid condition. good luck

Can somebody help me please if they have advise. My current weight is 338lbs with a BMI of 45. I have decided on the Lap Band because I am mortified of having my stomach permanently cut. However, most people have advised a sleeve operation instead of a band. As it is now, True Results has advised me of a $2100 cost with BCBS insurance. I don't know what to do but I know I need to lose weight. Can anyone advise? What is the protocol to follow for a lap band to sleeve revision if I feel the band is not working? Will BCBS pay for a revision? What are the conditions? Should I just go for the sleeve? I have a friend who has had the band and after losing an initial 23 lbs has gained 6 of it back in 4 months and this is not encouraging at all. I need to make the best decision. Please help!!!!

@@Jane1979 - if you are considering the Band, I would check the band to sleeve revision forums on this site. It has a lot of good info from people who had the band and ended up taking it out. I originally went in for the band but my surgeon practically refused to do it and said he even wrote a letter to the FDA about why it should be taken off the market. I'm not saying that people aren't successful with it but just do your research. Some people like the idea of it not being permanent but a lot of people end up with permanent issues from it.

I'm not sure how much direct help I can be, as our metabolisms are likely quite different (between a 5'10 man and a 5' woman) but I'm stable at around 2000 calories per day, give or take depending upon how routinely active I am, typically split up between about five meals per day. I do about an hour of dedicated exercise per day, usually split between a half hour or so of running the dogs woods or canyon in the morning (they run, I hike) and a half hour or so of swimming or strength training in the afternoon. I don't keep track of the fluids anymore, but it is at or above the typical 64 oz recommendation (I down a 1.5 liter bottle of water per day, plus ice and whatever other incidental fluids I have - iced tea or milk products; more if I am doing something specifically dehydrating during the day. There is a series of videos from one doc that has some relevance - I'm not entirely up with everything in his program, but he is one of the few that I have seen that discusses the increasing meal volume that we typically see over time, and offers a way to handle it. I do something similar in that I have a fairly vegetable rich diet, and do more of his "veg first" approach rather than the traditional protein first that we see in the bariatric world. It does make some sense in that veg is typically high bulk, high nutrition and low calorie, so does a good job of filling that extra capacity that we develop over time in a way that minimizes the caloric load that leads to regain. The more typical low carb (and worse, low carb, high fat) diets that are all the rage today have some weight gain built into them as they are typically higher caloric density which can lead to regain if one doesn't keep on top of the overall caloric load. So, that is something to consider if that can fit with your dietary personality (something that you can stick with long term.) He has some other vids on related topics that may also be useful. He seems fairly down on revisions as a solution, which fits my experience as there seems little that can be done to a bypass that isn't just a short term fix; a revision to a DS seems to offer the best results but is a very complex procedure that few surgeons can perform, so that tends to be a last resort.

Regarding getting to goal weight with the sleeve - I had the band for 3.5 years. I lost all the weight I would with the band within the first 3 months of getting it. The rest of the time I just maintained. Revised to the sleeve in January and am now within 10/lbs of goal. I had the same surgeon who did my band do my sleeve. I was self-pay both times. My revision was just $5000. I also had my gall bladder removed, which insurance paid for. So my lower price was most likely based on having insurance pay for the OR, anesthia, hospital stay, etc.

Hey Crosby...believe me, I am right there with you on sugar!!! I had my revision 18 months ago; I've only lost 76 pounds, but I'm sure a LOT of it has to do with me still eating "sugar", of sorts. I just am not willing to go 100% sugar-free...the idea of living my life without any sugar is just too overwhelming and unpleasant psychologically. Many (if not most) of the bypass folks I know eat WAY more sugar than I do...they CONSTANTLY sip soda (carbonation...bad too!) and/or "graze" on sugary foods all day long. I guess I am sorta guilty of the latter, because I fix myself a (Starbucks-like) White chocolate Mocha and drink through the day!!! 1. DO NOT eat m sugar IMMEDIATELY after surgery...more than likely, it will make you feel very sick (and, remember, with bypass you can rarely throw up, so you just have to be in misery until it passes) 2. Once you are healed/accustomed to what YOUR body can tolerate...eat only VERY SMALL portions when you just MUST have sweets. For example...I used to EASILY eat a 6-pak of "doughnettes" all at once. Now, if I am just CRAVING for that time of thing...I can eat ONE little do-nette and be okay. However, for me, it is best to eat it with very little "other" food in my stomach and DEFINITELY not with any other sweet (like a drink or whatever) I also try to drink some Water with it, so sorta "dilute" the sugar! 3. For me, I can eat "most" things that are 15g CARB/<=9 sugar carbs and do okay. Above that, I have to really choose my environment (at home vs. out in public) as to whether the "risk" is worth it. 4. I use a substance called Whey-Low (www.wheylow.com, I think)...it is a sugar that is of a higher glcemic index (originally designed for diabetics) and it seems to be more tolerable than table sugar. (PS-I cannot use ANY artificial sweeteners; they make me turn red and swell up!) 5. I think, for the most part, AFTER you completely heal from surgery...you may be able to tolerate honey on a VERY SMALL scale. I am fortunate...I rarely have any dumping...could just be my "lucky" metabolism...but I still misjudge sometimes and get the "bellyache so bad I wish I could throw up" and I just have to sit back and wait for it to pass. It's actually a good behavior modification thing, because it put that mental image in me of what I will feel like if I overdo it. That has been my experience; I am STILL a sugar addict...but, I have still been pretty successful in losing weight and keeping it off long-term. I know I COULD do even better, but I haven't reached that "a-ha" moment where I can embrace living totally sugar-free....I'm still weak to my addiction. Sorry to ramble, but I remember pre-surgery thinking like you...how will "life go on" with any pleasure if I have to give up all sugar/sweets????!!!!! For me, it has been great because I can enjoy my sugary things from time to time, but only 2-3 bites satisfies me and fills me up...and I still think 2 bites of a tiny doughnette is MUCH improved over a 6-pack (or two) a couple times a day!!! (BTW...I can now keep a small bag of M&M's in my fridge...eat 1-2 here and there....and that will stay in my fridge for a month!!! I used to eat several of those in one sitting!!!!! Best Wishes on your journey...maybe you will be better on conquering your addiction than I have been!! Either way, I believe you will still be successful with surgery and weight loss. Keep us posted, okay?

Ive been taking pics of pksts that have been helpful to me in preoaration for my revision to sleeve surgery on July 26 so i thought I wouldnshare with all. Pack for Hospital: Pillows Heating pad Charger Earbuds Houseshoes Book Chapstick/lip balm Face wipes Book Lotion **biotine (for dry mouth). Heard this is a life saver Helpful suggestions im considering for after surgery: Premiere Protein shakes Ice tray to freeze broth etc since portions so small sugar free popsicles Fill prescriptions Clean sheets on bed Miralax Milk of magnesia Stool softeners Calcium citrate chewables Alive liquid Vitamin Balanced essentials liquid vitamins- tropical and berry flavor- heard very tasty. Heaven sent naturals can find at vitamin world Via tiv chewable calcium Centrum flavor bursts - tropical flavor Nutriwise- can purchase at amazon To help woth acid pain put 3-4 drops of organic lemon juice in Water per 8 oz Protein20- type of water at grocery store tasty- tropical coconut flavor is yummy Centrum vitamints Cup- My hydrate Hope this is helpful. Im soooooo excited!!!!! July 26 cant get here soon enough. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Did u go through this? How do u feel. Are you able to eat? I'm so scared of hairloss too... Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using the BariatricPal App No, I haven't but I have seen and talked to a lot of people who has gone through it. When I went to my check up at my bariatric center, I spoke to one girl who said she cried every day since her revision, poor thing . Yeah, I'm worried about hairloss too. I didn't go through it with my band because the weightloss wasn't as drastic, a normal 2-3 lbs a week or slower... So I'm a little worried this time around because our calories are sooo much lower.I have only loss 15 pounds in six weeks so my weightloss is not to drastic but they said it would happen because of the stomach hormones loss. Yea I cry alot and I don't know what to do to make it better. How far was the girl in the group post op? I don't know why this is so hard. Thanks for listening Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using the BariatricPal App No problem at all. Anytime. I didn't know about the hormones and hair, I only knew about the Vitamin deficiency and too fast weight loss by being anorexic when I was young. Sent from my SM-N910V using the BariatricPal App Neon anorexia?? Yea they say at 2 yrs a person with a sleeve should be able to get enough Vitamins through there food. Yea I try really hard with vitamins .. I even take extra Biotin for my hair 20,000 mcg a day plus b12 plus zinc.. zinc is a hair vitamin... but u have to be careful if u get to much u could get sick. I even bought nioxion shampoos to help with the loss. I am blonde and don't have tons of hair so who knows how much I will have.. they say it starts at 3 to 4 months. I myself am already shedding a little more than normal.. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using the BariatricPal App Neon was because my stupid autocorrect, which is never correct lol. I edited it... Hehe I'm on biotin too and you're right, too much is often not a good thing. Sent from my SM-N910V using the BariatricPal App I had bulimia for years.. I think I'm scared to because I want another baby and im worried how much this is all taking a toll on my body with my first son I had gestational diabetes and other things so I wanted to be healthy Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using the BariatricPal App I met a lot of bulemics at OA meetings back in the day. After my anorexia, I swapped seats on the titanic and gained 100 lbs. So I still value OA meetings online from time to time since I have a tendency to switch back and forth. Well, I think you did the right thing. Being overweight is just too risky for us. I'm happy that at least you don't have any serious issues with your sleeve. The risk factors are so low now since it's become a common surgery, thank goodness. Sent from my SM-N910V using the BariatricPal App Where do you find the Overeaters Anonymous online meetings?

Did u go through this? How do u feel. Are you able to eat? I'm so scared of hairloss too... Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using the BariatricPal App No, I haven't but I have seen and talked to a lot of people who has gone through it. When I went to my check up at my bariatric center, I spoke to one girl who said she cried every day since her revision, poor thing . Yeah, I'm worried about hairloss too. I didn't go through it with my band because the weightloss wasn't as drastic, a normal 2-3 lbs a week or slower... So I'm a little worried this time around because our calories are sooo much lower.I have only loss 15 pounds in six weeks so my weightloss is not to drastic but they said it would happen because of the stomach hormones loss. Yea I cry alot and I don't know what to do to make it better. How far was the girl in the group post op? I don't know why this is so hard. Thanks for listening Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using the BariatricPal App No problem at all. Anytime. I didn't know about the hormones and hair, I only knew about the Vitamin deficiency and too fast weight loss by being anorexic when I was young. Sent from my SM-N910V using the BariatricPal App Neon anorexia?? Yea they say at 2 yrs a person with a sleeve should be able to get enough Vitamins through there food. Yea I try really hard with vitamins .. I even take extra Biotin for my hair 20,000 mcg a day plus b12 plus zinc.. zinc is a hair vitamin... but u have to be careful if u get to much u could get sick. I even bought nioxion shampoos to help with the loss. I am blonde and don't have tons of hair so who knows how much I will have.. they say it starts at 3 to 4 months. I myself am already shedding a little more than normal.. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using the BariatricPal App Neon was because my stupid autocorrect, which is never correct lol. I edited it... Hehe I'm on biotin too and you're right, too much is often not a good thing. Sent from my SM-N910V using the BariatricPal App

That's great!! At least you were losing with the band. I was slowly gaining but that was after an up fill for 8 months before I had the revision. I am three weeks post op and I can already tell that it's way better!!

Did u go through this? How do u feel. Are you able to eat? I'm so scared of hairloss too... Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using the BariatricPal App No, I haven't but I have seen and talked to a lot of people who has gone through it. When I went to my check up at my bariatric center, I spoke to one girl who said she cried every day since her revision, poor thing . Yeah, I'm worried about hairloss too. I didn't go through it with my band because the weightloss wasn't as drastic, a normal 2-3 lbs a week or slower... So I'm a little worried this time around because our calories are sooo much lower.I have only loss 15 pounds in six weeks so my weightloss is not to drastic but they said it would happen because of the stomach hormones loss. Yea I cry alot and I don't know what to do to make it better. How far was the girl in the group post op? I don't know why this is so hard. Thanks for listening Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using the BariatricPal App She was a little over a month. She said she was warned that she may feel more depressed/anxious too by her nurse, and said there are a lot of things on the net about these types of feelings so she knows they are normal but she says the crying episodes won't stop. Sent from my SM-N910V using the BariatricPal App Yea I completely understand with her. I wasn't even sure if anyone would respond. I appreciate that you did. I will see my dr tomorrow and go over a few things. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using the BariatricPal App

I'm also revising from the band, which I had for 5 1/2 years. I lost 60 lbs. but am now having trouble with reflux, nausea, etc. Apparently my esophagus looks like "ground beef." So the band needs to come out but I'm having trouble deciding between the sleeve and the bypass. How did you make that decision, Vicki and Johnny?

First a little background. Got my band almost exactly five years ago. Discovered a couple of months ago that it has since eroded and will need to be removed. I am wanting to do a revision to the sleeve once I have healed from the removal surgery. I have met with the surgeon and they have submitted the paperwork to my insurance for the removal which I fully anticipate will be approved. I downloaded and printed out the entire bariatric policy from the BCBS-AL site. Below is the verbiage specific to my situation: V. Revisions - Effective for dates of service on or after March 15, 2010: Gastric Surgery Adjustable Gastric Restrictive Devices Revision or removal of adjustable gastric restrictive device meets Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama's medical criteria for coverage for the following indications: Band erosion or slippage; OR Infections around the port site Repeat surgery for morbid obesity for other than the stated surgical complications does not meet Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama's criteria for coverage. I am hoping that I am reading the last part correctly in that it seems to state that repeat surgery should be approved as long as it is as a result of erosion, slippage or infection. Does anyone else have experience dealing with this specific insurance and/or issue?

I had my revision on Dec 14th. At first I thought it had definitely worked but the past few weeks the reflux is back with a vengeance. I’m at a loss as to why it’s still happening too. 🙄

I am with you on this. I love my band and have had success with it until about two months ago when I noticed I could eat more and was gaining weight. I had not seen my Dr. in years and finally went to see him when I gained 15 lbs and had no restriction. Guess what? My esophagus was stretched and I had created a new pouch in it to hold my food. The Dr. also discovered that my port had flipped. He was able to empty out the port (after several attempts) and wanted to give my esophagus time to relax and go back to normal. Today I had a port revision. I will start the fill process all over again after my incision heals. At least I only have 20 lbs to go instead of the 80 I had when I first had the surgery. I will never go a long period of time without seeing my Dr. again.

hi i dont have any experience with a revision but wanted to wish you luck!

I am having revision surgery in October. Going in to have my pouch made smaller and the hole made smaller. I’m super nervous because I’m hungry ALL THE TIME. I have no idea how I am going to make the pre op liquid diet for two weeks. Does anyone have any tips? Has anyone had success with a gastric bypass revision?

Hi: I've been hanging out on the ObesityHelp VSG forum for over two years now. There are tons of Lap-Band to VSG revisions there... I know of at least 30. The only one I know who is not happy was a Lap-Band to VSG revision at goal... and so her surgeon made her sleeve larger than normal, and she regained. People who have a standard sleeve (32-34 French) seem to be quite happy. They also do not have the food intolerances that many lap-banders with good restriction face. Just ask on the VSG forum.. and people will chime in. (Or search!) Good luck, FFG aka Sami on the VSG forums

Your life will be forever changed. Not that this is a bad thing. The hard work is that you have to make the proper choices of food. Take your Vitamins. You can never eat brainlessly again, you have to chew, chew, chew, and be aware of every bite that you put in your mouth. You must exercise. There are some foods to which you will say goodbye forever. For me, white meat chicken, bagels, high fat content ground beef...not a big deal. Other foods will continue to go down very easily. Highly processed junk goes down GREAT. Dorritos, chips, Cookies, etc. go down very nicely. Whole foods take more effort, but these are the foods we need to choose. You have to do the work, the band does not make the choices for you. It helps tremendously, don't get me wrong. I'd have never lost this amount of weight and kept it off this long without it. But I make the choice of what goes in my mouth. I cut it up small enough, and chew it well enough that it won't get stuck. Weight loss and new eating habits affect not only you but those around you. Your relationships will change and grow, some may deteriorate and even end. Some people will support your decision, others you thought would support you will turn very negative. Eating with people you don't know well can be stressful. I was on a jury. I went out with my fellow jurors. Ordered my food and got stuck a few bites in. I had to excuse myself and could not finish my meal. Of course there were questions of "are you OK?" I am very open, so I told them, but for someone who prefers to not tell the world their business, this can be a tough situation. I had another episode during that trial where I was stuck and sliming in the jury box. It was a high profile case here, lots of people in the courtroom, including TV cameras, no they didn't show the jurors, but still. I felt like the eyes of San Diego were on me. I've had other issues like this in public settings. It's not always moonbeams and roses. I guess I sort of drifted off the "hard work" part of it, but these are things that I did not consider, because I didn't know of them. Would I do it again in a heartbeat? You betcha. I am off high blood pressure meds, cholesterol meds, and my pre-diabetes hasn't progressed. If I have problems with my band and need to have it removed what would I do? I'd want another band or a revision to a different procedure. I'd never want to go back to my previous state. And I have no doubt that I would return to my previous state without surgical intervention. Ok, enough rambling, I hope this answers your question! :biggrin:

I am a revision. I have been able to drink any fluids very very easily since about 3-4 days post-op. That is no indication of restriction. You probably won't really feel true restriction until you are on softs or solids, because liquids go through pretty fast. While I can drink a bottle of Water pretty much "normal", I am just now (at 3 months) able to eat more than 2 oz of dense solids at a time... I have noticed this past week or two that I can eat about 2.5 oz of chicken or meat. I cant imagine why the restriction would be any less on a revision... that tiny tummy is still made just as tiny as a "virgin" tummy.

My understanding from talking to revision patients is that "restriction" feels very different with a sleeve. I am nervous about this too.. keep us updated.

Thanks!! I am glad to hear from someone else with a revision. Thinking about it after reading your post I do realize that I am comparing the two restrictions.... With my lap band I could hardly get water down much less food and with the sleeve it is different. I started soft foods today and can totally feel the restriction now.... And I must say I love it! So much better then the band!! Thanks for your post! ????