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You know I sorta forgot how...odd...I felt having to have WLS. I mean not just Frankenstein due to the incisions but freakish for having a lapband. I often even denied it..like...lapband wasn't "real" bariatric surgery. Queen of DeNile! !! Life has gone better for me once I recognized that I had a serious illness (obesity), it was getting worse and worse in spite of my treatments (weight watchers, medically supervised diets, Optifast, nutrisystems, lapband etc) and the complications (arthritis, constant pain, sleep apnea, decreased mobility) were sucking the joy out of my life. Once I faced how much it sucked, my level of focus toward making the bariatric surgery ( sleeve) work for me increased expontially... shifted focus away from worrying about scars, lose skin and missing food to worries about saving my life. I am not saving band to sleeve revision is right for everyone but I am saying...don't give up. I failed alot before finding this success. I have many "battles" ahead (maintenance) myself.

My doctors office just called to tell me that my insurance approved my revision surgery to gastric bypass. I'm so happy and extremely nervous at the same time. My surgery is set for March 15th. I can't believe it's finally gonna happen. I've been waiting so long to be rid of this horrible band and feel relief pain wise. Anyone else having surgery in March?? Sent from my SM-J700T using the BariatricPal App

Hi, I too was banded in January 2009. Did well at first then i plateaued @ about 205. I could not get below 200 for months. then i finally came down below 200lbs. I always had problems with certain foods, vomiting, hicuping and needing soda the push the air out so i can eat. About 18months ago I had bilateral knee replacements and I ate 3meals and 2 Snacks while i was rehabing, i was as low as 185lbs. last year I had to get a upper gi because i was having pain in my chest and burning in my esophgus most times i eat. Doctor found that my band was very restrictive and causing my esophgus to work harded and swell. Fluid was removed and i felt better but still did not fell full, causing me to eat more then I should. I had anoth GI study last month, which was better, but my esophgus is still a little swollen. I asked my doctor for a revision, found out this week I was aproved and my surgery is June 2nd band to gastric sleeve. I am now 238lb, 7lbs more the last week

Get ready to be motivated and inspired. Join us at the 1st SouthEast VSG 2 day Conference in Atlanta, Georgia on June 12th & 13th at the Wyndham Galleria Hotel. You will Celebrate your pre or post-operative weight loss surgery. No matter what point you are at on this journey come and get the tools needed to continue to get the weight off or maintain it for a lifetime. We have an awesome lineup of presenters and fun activities that are prepared to help you along the way and make the journey easier. We’ll discuss topics on behavioral changes, revisions, importance of exercise & nutrition and beauty tips. We’ll also talk about rebuilding self- esteem, have a live cooking demonstration, body contouring and a Zumba session. Fun activities include Meet & Greet, Fashion Show made up by attendees, mini concert, vendors as well as fabulous door prizes. We will end the conference with a themed dinner/dance with a live DJ (Hollywood Glam is the theme) on Saturday night. You’ll also get to meet your fellow SouthEast Face Book members and make new friends. All this for only $100.00 for the entire weekend and access to all speakers, sessions and 4 meals. The keynote speaker is Dr. Guillermo Alvarez of www.Endobariatrics.com and you can also meet CEO Alex Brecher of Bariatricpal.com up close and personal. Pay and register at www.southeastvsg.webs.com until May 15th after that prices go up to $120.00 and you can purchase a one day ticket for $60.00 but space is limited. See the website for a list of other awesome presenters and hotel information. The goal is to give you knowledge, motivation and inspiration to help make the rest of your life, the best of your life. southeast vsg logo.docx

You people are cracking me up! Jenn, I have more experience with ports than anybody I know, and I don't even have one! All our bodies are different. Some people aren't bothered by the port, while it bugs the heck out of other people. But as you lose weight, the port will probably readjust itself. Is your port hot, red, inflamed, itchy? Does it appear infected? If it is infected, you'll need to see a doctor - quick. But if it's not infected, you may just want to make an appointment to discuss it with your doctor. They do "port revisions" all the time. If it bugs you that bad, they can easily move it somewhere else. I wonder if we got extra tubing since we are so tall... my tube actually came right out of my body.

Hey there! New to the forum, not new to the WLS world. Having an EGD tomorrow to check the status of my anasthemosis and to see if a revision is in order. (Truth: I am HOPING for a revision.) I am currently doing <1200 cals; +65 protein; <25 sugar; standard vitamins and calcium citrate. Anyone have a RnY revision ? Any EGD advice? I had one previously but it was during another (bigger) procedure so I don't know what the after was like. Thanks a million! Looking forward to getting to know you all. Tina

I had a revision on 1/11 and I am going back on 2/1 , so 3 weeks with no lifting required job. I wanted 2 but Md said no, and I'm glad because I still get tired. Sent from my SM-G965U using BariatricPal mobile app

Hi Puddy, Are you only wanting to get together with other bandsters who were banded in April 2007? I was banded in April 2006, so am I not wanted? Let me know, either way that's okay! Donna VBG/87 Revised To Lapband/06 By Dr. Cobourn 251/145/125 goal

Hi All, The luncheon is on Saturday, July 28th, at noon, the reservations will probably be under bandsters if not just tell them you are here for a group reserved at noon and should be easy to find it! You can try Mapquest for directions or take the 401 hwy to Mississauga Rd. exit. Go south and it turns into Erin Mills Parkway, don't follow the signs where Mississauga Rd. veers off. On the July luncheon thread I posted the email address of Laurie who you should email so she has an idea of how many seats she needs to reserve. Or feel free to private message me your name, no. attending and I will pass the info on to her. Donna VBG/87 Revised To Lapband/06 By Dr. Cobourn 251/145/125 goal

So here is the short version of my story. Banded 2007 did great lost weight kept it off, decided to revise to sleeve in 2013 because of how "great" everyone said it was and also honestly I was tired of feeling stuck for 6 years and just wanted to feel full for once. Since my revision Iv gained 10lbs, Iv felt hungrier (physically) than I ever did with the band (my stomach actually growls now !) and I can eat very large portions. Iv checked my X-rays and I know my sleeve is much larger than it should be and that my doc used a 42 Bougie and went very liberal at that. Iv obsessively researched options for revising the sleeve and Iv found a surgeon who is very experienced with this and who I feel good about. The question is, Iv had 2 prior surgeries with zero complications, is it crazy to risk it a third time ?? What would you do ?

I have a close friend who felt like she did not have enough restriction and who was always hungry. She actually works for the bariatric surgery center. There are two surgeons in the practice. She had the surgeon who didn't do her surgery order a scan to check her stomach size. That surgeon said her stomach was too big and it looked like the other surgeon hadn't taken enough off. He told her it looked almost normal. He did a sleeve revision on her and she recovered quickly and is now at her goal weight and has been for almost two years. So I think it can be safely revised, but it is a personal decision.

Thanks guys ! I'm scheduled to revise to MGB on 4/23.

I'm currently in Mexico recovering from revision surgery on Monday. In comparison I'm getting significant more care here and it was over 12k less. My doc who did my band in southern california was going to be over 21k Doc here in mexico has Surgeon of Excellence credentials and Is an International Center of Excellence with a lot of respect among the entire international bariatric community. These are not little back-ally facilities.

I am 2 weeks post op, band to sleeve revision, I paid $5,600 in Mexico. It covered 3 nights in hotel and 2 nights in hospital. Also, transportation to and from San Diego. Good luck to you! Jana, sleeved 1/31/13

Sorry to hear about your problems. I had a RNY 11 months ago. I choose this method because it had the lowest rate of revisions. If I undergo surgery once, I do not want to repeat this process ever again. In my Support Group meetings, I have meet several people who had lap bands that then underwent RNY revisions. In one case, the individual sustained damage to his stomach because the band moved back and forth and eventually started to wear away his stomach. In another case, the woman had the band installed too high, which caused her to be unable to eat even the smallest portion of foods. This then lead to all of her teeth falling out due to lack of nutrition.

I once was very active on the lapband forum and over time life happened and it kind of fizzled away. Over the last few months I have been thinking about revision options and have been lurking, reading posts and relating to others journey. I have a long standing love/hate relationship with my band. I was banded in 2006 and was very "successful" with loss and maintenance, lost more than my goal and hovered within 20lbs through 2012. I loved that my band helped me lose weight, I hated that my band basically made me involuntarily anorexic/bulimic. I often wonder how many band patients have the same problem. I never see anyone discuss it, but I can't be the only one. I don't think I can recall a time where I was ever at the "sweet spot" always too tight or too loose. I either wouldn't eat because I feared I would get sick or I would eat knowing I would get sick. This routine would get old, fast and then I'd get an unfill. That ultimately would lead to gain as my body had been starved and the cycle continued. For reasons unknown to me today, I was ok with this until September of 2012 when I became pregnant. My pregnancy was a rough one, I was very sick. I had what I thought was a complete unfill at 10 weeks. I continued to have mourning sickness 24/7, frequently vomitting and had signs of a really tight or slipped band. I went back to my after care dr (was banded in Mexico) who refused to do a fluro but was willing to take the band out. That logic still doesn't make any sense to me. I was in agony, couldn't eat, barely drink and didn't want to have surgery unless it was absolutely necessary. I turned to my OBGYN, my baby's health was the most important thing to me and she referred me to a close friend who locally is a very well known bariatric surgeon. This was a true blessing. I was quickly moved into the schedule, a fluro was done and found out I had a small slip. The band was also not unfilled completely. I have a 4cc band and 1.2cc was pulled out that day, 3 months after my "complete unfill". No surgery, my baby was safe and I was ordered on full liquids for several days to let everything rest. Although I was never back to "normal" I was able to eat enough softer foods to get the nutrition I needed to support a healthy pregnancy. The hope was after my daughter was born, everything would settle and go back to normal. It never did. June 2013 my daughter was born. August 2013 I went in for a potential band removal. My new bariatric dr knew how distraught I was over losing it and revised it instead of ripping it out. I was thankful in the beginning but then as the fills started, history started repeating itself except this time without weightloss. My second chance turned into a let down. I have faithfully gone to all my follow up appointments and over the last few we have discussed revision options. My Dr and PA believe RNY is the best option for me. I have done a lot of midnight reading as I obsess over the decision. My insurance does cover bariatric but I may not meet the criteria. I have a lot of fear with RNY, biggest one is failure. I failed the band and I know more than one person who failed RNY who have congratulated me on my band success citing they wish they had gone band or had that option at that time. I don't want to fail again. Today I have an appointment with my Dr and give her the decision... RNY or sleeve or Stick with the band. I am torn. Id love any insight on how others reached their decision! Miri

Nobody says you shouldn't ask. Leaks are a real complication risk for sleeve...1-2% of people get it; even higher for revisions. What we are all asking is evidence of leaks occurring way later. None of us know about that and would like to see your information on it otherwise it does sound kind of strange. Leaks happen in the early weeks. Some are not detected right away but they are not something that just shows up years down the road, unless you have evidence and info none of us have seen.

Congratulations!! I too just got approved for my Lap revision with Dr.Higa. My surgery is Feb. 10th. I was super happy they got me scheduled so fast. You are in amazing hands with Doc Higa. He has been my doc for six years and consider yourself fortunate to have one of the world's best Bariatric surgeons to do your revision. I wouldn't let anyone else touch me. He has been a wonderful doc with the band and very sincere after gaining back 69lbs. He gets it that the band fails after the initial weight loss.

I will be having it all done in one surgery. That is the way my surgeon prefers to do it. He specializes in revisions so I am confident all will go smoothly. I am trying to get myself in the mindset already and lose what I can before hand to give it a head start.

Reading how each person's journey is going has been encouraging for me. @Sanvsan73 Loosing 40 pounds is awesome @SleeveToBypass2023 15 pounds in a month...that's terrific as well. My revision is scheduled for Aug 28th - I will be happy with relief from GERD as mine causes me to bring foods back up sometimes hours after I've eaten and in bed sleep. Acid reflux was bad at the dentist office when they laid me back. I found myself bringing up stomach acid in the sink in the exam room 😕 This surgery will be critical for me to avaoid even more damge long term. Of course as most of you I would love to drop 40-50 lbs I gained after 2020. My sleeve surgery was in 2017 (Feb). All of your weight loss no matter how small or big is encouraging. Issue today I am having a hard time drinking these prep-op shakes! They are sitting heavy on my stomach.

Hello everyone! Not luck with my insurance. WLS is an express exclusion (regardless of co-morbidities) and they even refused to pay for a primary care visit because I discussed weight loss at an office visit. Really? Yes, sadly...really. I am self paying and after seeing two doctors in the US, decided to go with the most experienced revision (I am a lap band to VSG) surgeon I could find, Dr. Aceves.

Hi Nickie- Belowis everything they identify as experimental or investigational per their policy bulletin. Here is the link to the original document: http://www.aetna.com/cpb/medical/data/100_199/0157.html It looks like band over bypass is on the list. My surgeon had suggested as one of three options to do an endoscopic suturing procedure. He said less risk, less cost, no hospital time but the results were also questionable and it had to be either/or. So if the endoscopic option didn't work, then I couldn't go back and do the laprascropic procedure later. Good news, I found out surgery was approved. Now I just need to decide whether to move forward or not. He was very keen on making sure I understand the increased risk and decreased opportunity for weight loss outcomes. Hence my full court press with counseling and weight loss meds as adjuncts. Let me know how yours turns out!!Experimental and Investigational Bariatric Surgical Procedures: AspireAssist aspiration therapy “Band over bypass” or LASGB revision of prior Roux-en-Y gastric bypass "Band over sleeve" or LASGB revision of prior sleeve gastrectomy Bariatric surgery as a treatment for idiopathic intracranial hypertension Bariatric surgery as a treatment for infertility Bariatric surgery as a treatment for type-2 diabetes in persons with a BMI less than 35 Conversion of sleeve gastrectomy to Roux-en-Y gastric bypass as a treatment of gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) Gastric bypass as a treatment for gastroparesis Gastroplasty, more commonly known as “stomach stapling” (see below for clarification from vertical band gastroplasty) Laparoscopic gastric plication (also known as laparoscopic greater curvature plication [LGCP]), with or without gastric banding LASGB, RYGB, and BPD/DS procedures not meeting the medical necessity criteria above Liposuction (suction-assisted lipectomy; ultrasonic assisted liposuction) Loop gastric bypass Mini gastric bypass Natural orifice transoral endoscopic surgery (NOTES) techniques for bariatric surgery including, but may not be limited to, the following: Gastrointestinal liners (endoscopic duodenal-jejunal bypass, endoscopic gastrointestinal bypass devices; e.g., EndoBarrier and the ValenTx Endo Bypass System); or Intragastric balloon (e.g., the ReShape Integrated Dual Balloon System); or Restorative obesity surgery, endoluminal (ROSE) procedure for the treatment of weight regain after gastric bypass surgery; or Transoral gastroplasty (TG) (vertical sutured gastroplasty; endoluminal vertical gastroplasty; endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty); or Use of any endoscopic closure device (Over the Scope clip [OTSC] system set, Apollo OverStitch endoscopic suturing system, StomaphyX endoluminal fastener and delivery system) in conjunction with NOTES; Open adjustable gastric banding Prophylactic mesh placement for prevention of incisional hernia after open bariatric surgery Roux-en-Y gastric bypass as a treatment for gastroesophageal reflux in non-obese persons Sclerotherapy for the treatment of dilated gastrojejunostomy following bariatric surgery Silastic ring vertical gastric bypass (Fobi pouch) Vagus nerve blocking (e.g., the VBLOC device, also known as the Maestro Implant or the Maestro Rechargeable System) VBG, except in limited circumstances noted above.

I started with the band 4 years ago and it was a good start but I hated every minute of it. The port hurt, I threw up a lot, had heart burn, etc. I never had a slip, but was generally very unhappy so during my last appt. with my surgeon he talked to me about the revision to the sleeve. I'm 9 days past surgery and absolutely giddy!!! I'm happy for the experience of the band because it got my eating in check. I know for a fact that I will not stretch the sleeve because I already eat less than I did before getting the band. But, with that said, if I were recommending a procedure to a friend of mine I would say get the sleeve for sure! Just be mentally ready to eat a lot less food. One thing I've found is I really have no appetite anymore which is a huge help! You came to the right place for help...Read what these wonderful people have taken the time to post. This site has helped me so much and BEST of luck to you in your decision!!

I've had both the sleeve and the band. I can tell you my horror stories with the band, but will spare you the gory details and just recommend you check out the Band to Sleeve Revision on this forum from the main page. You'll see just how many of us have to revise to the sleeve after having the band. I have a lot of information on VSG, the band and RNY in my blog, I'll post it here, but it's a long post so grab a cup of coffee and enjoy. Attached you to the information will be research links and articles pertaining to the VSG. The band has the lowest and slowest weight loss stats with the most long term complications and highest re-operation rates. I do not regret my band decision, VSG was not available when I had my band, and it taught me a lot about myself, my food issues. I love my sleeve, it's the very best decision I ever made for myself and my family. Here is a study from the band manufacturers: And then my personal reasons for VSG over RNY for my revision:

I've been on days for the last couple of years and just switched to midnights at the end of January. My revision surgery was Feb 3rd. There are not great food choices eating out in general but even less on nights. You have to really pack your lunch and healthy snacks. I live by myfitnesspal. You can even pack your food at home and enter everything in to make sure the macros are where you want them and adjust accordingly. I also personally think it's easier when your co-workers know the journey you're on so they don't try to temp you with unhealthy choices. I don't understand how people don't tell their co-workers and family what they're going through. They can either support you or get out of your way. I don't think it's any harder working nights then going to days if nights make you happy. It's all about your choices and how dedicated you are.