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I don't understand what he means by too many side effects if he did the revision to RNY. Do you mean he was worried that you may lose too much weight? I was told that if I had the revision all my side effects will go away, not make more. After my revision, every issue (bowel, gerd, esophagitis... Etc. went away) as I was told. I had put it off for a long time though. He had suggested the revision as soon as I first got gerd but I resisted and thought medication will be fine. I was wrong, he was right.

Were you down to 160 at the time of your revision surgery? My surgeon was originally recommending conversion to bypass. He decided that bypass might have too many side effects since I have already lost a significant amount of weight. He opted to repair my hernia and place a mesh to see if that gets rid of the GERD. He said we still have bypass as a backup option. I’m almost 4 weeks post op and it’s been a tough recovery. I haven’t had any reflux or had to take meds since surgery. Hoping this works!

I think it is really individual. I had very little pain with my band surgery, and less with my revision. I used 1 dose from my PCA, and never filled my Rx for oxycodone. I did get toradol and IV Tylenol in the hospital. I stayed 1 night. HTH.

I am so glad to have came across you post!! I am in the same boat. Had sleeve done in 11/2013. Started at 290 and I am 5’5. I got down to 208.. then started going up. Almost 4 years later I am at 27 and 246lbs now. I met with a surgeon about 2 months ago, she mentioned possibly doing a revision to bypass but that’s not what I wanted... I had an upper GI done, and she pulled he OP report from my previous surgeon and it showed that they didn’t take enough out. She said she is optimistic that she can revise the current sleeve and take what should have been taken from day 1. So I was sent for approval yesterday 10/24. I have Aetna POS II. They do not require a 3 or 6 month diet like the first time. So everything was sent... I will say that my surgeon told me she has never done a revision before. She said that if I won’t let her do the bypass then she will go in there, she if/what she can take out of my stomach, and if she can’t she will close me up and tell me I’m SOL. Kind of frustrating but I feel like she wouldn’t have sent me into surgery unless she WAS going to take more of my stomach. Sigh... lol I guess I will keep you posted!

So I didn’t have a good experience with communication with my surgical team. And I thought I was getting “resleeved” when I had my SIPs revision but my stomach wasn’t touched just the malabsorption piece was done. I’m kind of bummed because I really wanted a do-over and I’m not sure how successful just the malabsorption piece is. so back story I had sleeve done in 2014 day of surgery weight 265 I got down to 170 but it didn’t last long I started gaining weight and once covid hit I gained about 45lb in 2020 alone. I got up to 268 on the day of my revision (went all the way to 280 before I started liquid diet presurgery.) I’m about 2 weeks post and yes I’ve lost 11 lbs but I feel it has to do with the fact I’m still on liquid. What happens when I start eating solids again? Has anyone had experience with SIPs malabsorption piece only so many years post sleeve? Is it still successful? preop liquid diet 4/21 280lbs Revision surgery 4/26 268lbs Two weeks post 5/10 258 lbs

Hello! I just scheduled my surgery for Dr. Alvarez at Endobariatrics. I will be having a lap band revision to a sleeve. to say I am nervous is an understatement. I had always had "thoughts" previously about having surgery in Mexico but after a ton of research I feel good about my decision. Did anyone else have surgery with them? How did it go?

Crap! Are you going to have it ruff!! But, all is not lost. Did your doctor give you a diet to follow? What is revision surgery? Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using the BariatricPal App

I am having my revision surgery on Jan 3rd, making my pre Op Diet starting on Christmas Eve day. Any suggestions on what I will be able to eat over the holidays. 3 big meals for me to get through. Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Years Eve. All suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you. Sent from my SM-N910T using the BariatricPal App

Just off Lap band to Gastric By-Pass revision - surgery 3/5/18, discharged 3/7/18, and have been sleeping many hours in the day, but not for long periods. Take 3-4 naps during day and then only sleep for a couple of hours during the night - have others experienced something similar? I have been walking, and I tried just to stay up all day and then sleep at night, but can't focus on anything and am pretty irritable. My temp's been @96.1. No aches or pains otherwise normal scarring but get sleepy all the time.

I've had both. I had the sleeve for 5 years and revise to a bypass just recently. The urgent diarrhea happened with the sleeve too, and some of them dump. I dumped with it, unfortunately. This is just for me... But if I had to do it all over again, I would skip the gastric sleeve and go RNY. Post-op sleeved, I was hungry from the beginning and not too long after I develop Gerd. I'm post-op RNY now and I don't feel hungry at all. The VSG surgery and RNY was basically the same pain level. Having said that, they are both good choices. Not everyone develops Gerd from the sleeve.

Deciding which surgery to have is not straight forward & it’s a good idea to ask for real life experiences to help you decide. Some factors will direct you more to one or the other more easily. Like some surgeons recommend bypass over sleeve if you have a larger amount of weight to lose. If you have reflux/gerd already the sleeve really isn’t for you. Then it becomes lifestyle choices, existing medical conditions, weight loss history, etc. that will influence your decision. I had sleeve surgery even though I had occasional reflux. I experience it more now but it manifests differently. One of the reasons I chose the sleeve was because it would change my digestion the least but also because I could revise to a bypass if I needed in the future. My tummy has always been a sensitive (lactose, spice esp chilli, fatty or oily foods, etc.) because of the reflux, a parasite in my gut, an acid tummy & just me. Consequently, I thought I’d be more likely to end up with additional food limitations with a bypass. 27 months on & I’m happy with my sleeve. There are odd foods I’m not good with. Bread, pasta, rice, potatoes sit like a weight in my tummy. Dry meat & vegetables like char grilled ones cause the foamies & gagging. Oily fish upset me more now than before surgery. But this is very individual & you can’t predict it. Amusingly I’m way better with dairy than I was before - tossed that parasite with most of my tummy. I find it harder to find non spicy & non chilli food than foods I eat with my sleeve. Foods you struggle to eat in the first couple of months after surgery may be fine later on. Your tummy can be sensitive to begin & you might have episodes of diarrhoea, vomiting, dumping, foamies. It can help if you introduce foods back into your diet slowly. Most of this is temporary or only if you eat a specific food & I just try to avoid those I know upset me. Some people, though, seem to have no issues with food at all. These experiences seem to be similar across the surgeries. I remember my mother lamenting she didn’t know what food to buy when I visited her. The reality was she didn’t have to buy different foods or cook differently (mind you I’d always do the shopping & cooking when I’m there). I just bought my own yoghurt & protein bar snacks but otherwise we ate the same foods except she has dessert & slightly larger portions. You may choose to make a lot of changes to your long term maintenance diet (I have - rarely have sweet cakes, biscuits or desserts, no fast foods, etc.). You may chose to go the moderation path & still include the odd take away, sweet treat, etc. Doesn’t matter what form your maintenance diet takes it just has to be sustainable for you & how you want to live your life. Good luck with which ever surgery you choose.

I've struggled with my weight all my life. I turned 40 and was still overweight after saying I didn't want to be overweight when I hit 40. Finally had enough with high blood pressure meds and getting even bigger but so afraid of re-routing my organs. I remember seeing the commercials for it and I kept saying if there were something less evasive I would go for it...then saw an add for lapband. I went for it just before my 42 birthday. Well 6 years and a revision to a bigger band, a really bad prolaps and emergency surgery to take the band out...I was done and figured I was going to be overweight but, at least feel good. Well the big 50 is around the corner, the weight started coming back on again because the band was gone and I finally said....I just need to do this. The medical world has gained 6 more years of experience performing the RNY surgery and taking care of patients and it's become so much safer - I'M GOING FOR IT! I need help to help me stick to eating right and getting healthier. So......I want to be healthier for my 50th birthday! Started the process back up last year with the same surgeon that did my lapband but, discovered that was part of the problem...he didn't listen to me. So after going through hoops and being left on my own with them, I changed bariatric centers and started again. TOTALLY different experience and I couldn't be happier with my surgeon and the bariatric center she works in. I'm down over 40 pounds - it's coming off slow but, I know that's how my body works but, at least it's coming off and coming off healthily because I'm following the rules. The best part is I'm no longer gaining so to me that's worth it all!

I'm thinking about going to Mexico for a revision, Band to Sleeve, if things don't work out insurance wise. I'm wondering how hard it was to get on a plane and fly home post op? Sounds pretty awful. Which doctors are the most experienced in revisions? Also, how long did it take once you made the decision to get in for surgery?

I'm not sure if you have to, but I did - a few years ago. At the time I was having major issues with the band and was actually hoping to find something that would provide a rationale for the insurance company to cover a revision. As above poster mentioned - it's really not bad. You sleep through it all. They did insist that I get a ride home afterwards. I think I took off the rest of the day just cause I was feeling a little woozy, but many people go right back to work.

That is so strange. I have never had any trouble having my PCP order tests. They even fax my results to my Bariatric Center. I know that people always say that DR.'s don't or won't take on another Dr's patients. I guess we live in an awesome area because I fired my Surgeon and went thru another Bariatric center. In fact, my hubby had a failed revision from Lap-Band to RNY and our PCP ask a fellow Dr to do the surgery to put in his Wound Vac. Great DR too. How much trouble can it be? Just check the darn box!! LOL

I'm a month out and in the same predicament. Mine wasn't a revision, so I'm really discouraged. At two weeks the scale hadn't moved at all. The last two and a half weeks I've been going to the gym three times a week and I'm on soft Proteins. That's when the ten pounds have come off. Then again, I'm having issues with my gallbladder now, so... Sent from my SM-G900P using the BariatricPal App

I understand but at the same time will be quick to bite back if I think they are just being mean and assinine. I don't do nosiness and rude. I have a co worker who had the lapband then revised to the sleeve. She got it as an easy fix and did lose the weight and is gaining it back because she eats all the wrong foods. The first thing she said to me when my weight loss became quite evident was "Oh you will gain it back!" My off the cuff and filterless response was "I doubt it. I know what I need to do to keep it off..Do you?"...she got quiet really quick and has never made catty remarks again. I believe that the majority of the folks who make a rude comment, are jealous of our fight and will say whatever to make us just as miserable as they are. Don't let them. You all are awesome and do so enjoy this journey.

So here is my story....looking for advice, shoulders to cry on, etc... My band was placed in December of 2004. Since that time, I had a slow weight loss but managed to take off about 50 lbs. I moved to another state last fall and even though I needed a fill, was unable to get anyone to see me since I had my surgery elsewhere...in Seattle. In February of this year, I started getting really bad reflux, PBing, pain etc. I was not able to keep anything down, including Water. Thus began my fight to get seen by someone, anyone, here in Southern CA. I got an emergency appointment with Dr. Billy in Ventura...an hour and a half drive from home, who said that he could revise my band for me after an UGI showed that I have a Slipped Band. Got an unfill, which has made it easier, but still have a bit of restriction/discomfort. We have a POS insurance plan which means that I have to have a referral for specialty care and they said that I had to first see a general surgeon within their network before going to a Bariatric Surgeon...now this was told to me before I took it upon myself to go to Ventura to take care of the immediate problem of starving to death! In the meantime, the surgeon that they had referred to me had no appointments for me to even see him until May. They also were one of the offices that I had called on my own to be seen emergently...they refused to see me since I did not have my surgery there. So anyway, it is now two months later....I called to get a new referral and saw the surgeon today. He HATES the lapband...will not even touch it except to take it out. He thinks I should convert to a bypass, which I have to say is scary, but some of the things he is saying makes sense since I have seen so many problems with the Band lately from other patients. My first concern was the irreversibility of bypass and some of the nutritional problems I have seen in earlier GBP patients. My starting BMI was 39.6....now it is around 33. I know that it would go back up if I do not do something. I am really hoping to find someone here that has been there and done that, and would like to share their thoughts and experiences to help me make a decision. I have seen two doctors with two very different oppinions and my head is spinning. I think I got most of the details in here, but let me know if I need to explain anything further....Thanks for your responses! Lisa Kay

Same story here although I really do miss my band, slip or no slip. It did provide restriction for me and now that I don't have it, I have regained about 30 lbs :crying:. Anyway....I have Aetna, so I'm hoping that they revise their policy this month to include the VSG, it was scheduled to be reviewed starting yesterday. If not, I may just ask to be rebanded :lol0:

I posted this question over on the general discussion section, but thought I would pose it here since you guys have specific experience in this area--- Hello everyone. I have been lurking for a while but this is my first time posting. Sorry kinda lengthy!! I have a question and wanted to see if anyone could give my any insight. To give you a little bit of history-I was banded 2 years ago. I initially lost about 55 lbs. over the first 4-5 months. I then got an adjustment that resulted in me being too tight, learning to drink with my food just to get it to go down, then drinking all my food down. I maintained my weight loss for several months, but eventually over the last year have gained back about 30 of the 55 lbs. After researching VSG, I am very impressed with both how happy people are with their sleeves and the amount of weight that is being lost. My main question is this, over the last 5-6 weeks I have been trying to lose the weight that I had gained back on my own. I have been eating the band/sleeve/low carb way, with mainly Protein and occasionally some vegetables with one of my meals. I have eaten between 900 and 1200 calories and exercise on the elliptical for approx 50 mins 3-5 times per week. I lost 10 lbs in the first week and a half and nothing since. I am worried that through all the years of yo-yo dieting and then the band that I have made myself weight loss resistant! Has anyone had extreme trouble losing weight on their own or with a band and then had success with the sleeve. I don't want to go through the risks etc of another surgery just to fail again?!?!?

Yes. All I am waiting on now is insurance. I had to switch programs because of my insurance. New doctor is great and very supportive of my history and revision. My band is currently unfilled due to the issues I have had with it. My new doc doesn't place bands at all and my old one said he will be stopping.

For those that have had revision surgery, what did the timeline look like for you - from reaching out to your Bariatric program to surgery? I have Kaiser insurance and reached out to my bariatrics program last week. I had my band removed last year by their doctors, but no other tool placed. On my call, They said they would check if I needed to start at the beginning of their program or not. Then they got back to me with a date for a phone appointment with the doctor that took out my band last year. I trying to wrap my head around when I may be scheduled for the surgery and what they'll make me do prior to surgery.

Are you having straight VSG or a revision from lap-band? I agree that we have made a great choice. There are docs here in my city that couldve done it (for a lot more) but even if insurance would've covered it I feel better knowing that I am going to someone who is as good as he is with revisions.

So everyone, I posted a few weeks ago about the posterior body lift and most of you said you were very happy with your results. Today was my last consult before my surgery (posterior body lift and revision on thigh lift) and I told my doctor I was concerned about having a flat butt. I am very white girl no butt shaped and while it didn't bother me before, once all of the skin is removed and lifted, my backside will look like a flat board. So, my doctor isn't a fan of implants, so first we discussed taking some fat from lipo and placing it into the buttox, which much to my delight he pinched me in a few places and said I don't have anywhere near enough fat for that procedure (YAY!, lol). So, the other option is auto augmentation, more specifically it's called autologous gluteal augmentation, where essentially they put part of what they would have removed into the upper pole of your butt, so that you end up with a rounder bum and avoid the totally flat problem I would have had. The thing is..I don't see a lot of people who have had this procedure done and there isn't a ton of information online about it. My question is...did anyone have the auto augmentation done on their butt and if so, do you like your results? Thank-you!

Hello Everyone! I was revised from lapband to sleeve on 1/25, so today I am one week out. I have lost 5 lbs since the day of surgery. I know everyone is different, but I feel like it's a very low amount. Especially because I lost those 5lbs. within the first 4 days. I dont see anymore coming off before my 2 week post op appt on Friday. (That's would be 5lbs. for the first 2 weeks) Anyone lose a small amount their first 2 weeks... I am 27 yrs old. 5,5" and currently 210lbs Thanks