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Alcohol ended up becoming a major obstacle to my loss. My social life involved regular beer drinking. After getting sleeved I knew I was not supposed to drink carbonated beverages, however my desire to hang out with my friends caused me to learn how to overcome that obstacle and drink beer. I think this is the major reason I never hit my weight loss goal and then gained some back. What worked for me recently was to use a time restricted feeding program along with a Keto based diet. I ate mostly Keto and only had two meals, lunch at Noon and dinner around 5-6pm. This came from, the insulin control diet programs recommended by Dr. Jason Fung. Given that my sleeve kept me from feeling really hungry it worked well and I dropped the 20 pounds I gained during the pandemic restrictions. Now I have major issues with hiatal hernia and GERD, so a revision to RNY is scheduled for tomorrow. I've decided since I have been given a second chance I am going to make the most of it. I have determined that alcohol no longer has a place in my life, and neither do snacks and slider foods.

I'm set up for surgery the day after yours. However, mine is a revision so I went through the process of having a sleeve in 2015. I too was concerned about complications. I have a family member who works at the bariatric practice and sees patients every day both before and after their surgeries. She was 100% supportive of both my decision for initial surgery and the revision which was comforting to me. I also realized that the horror stories we read online are a tiny percentage of all who have these surgeries. I believe the vast majority go smoothly and once they get past the initial discomfort of the early healing process most folks are glad to have done it.

Oh I haven't had the bypass yet, that's what I'm in the process of doing. Revising from lap band (it's removed) and now hopefully I will have the bypass in the next couple of months. We're hoping that it cures the acid issues. I'm hopeful! And thank you, catwoman!

I got lap band in 2013, and had it removed in 2021 due to developing horrible reflux. I'm in the process of revising to gastric bypass now. Lap band and sleeve are both high pressure systems that are known to cause reflux for a good amount of people. Unfortunately I wasn't aware of this when I was banded. Are you taking any PPI's to reduce stomach acid? That's fairly common after these procedures. I'd make contact with your surgeon to make them aware of what's happening.

Your body is in shock. I am 5 month post op a revision for ulcers and weight gain with my pregnancy (totally my fault). After both surgeries I didn’t really lose more than a few pounds the first month and then it just falls off. I am down 72 pounds at 5 months post op. didn’t get the not caring about food effect I did the first surgery which I like more actually because I can still eat within my diet and still lose weight. I’ve been through several stalls and I just put the scale away for a week or two, do what I am supposed too and keep losing weight :)

No, I always recommend the bypass over the sleeve because there is less gastric reflux. Also, if you follow the surgeons/dietitians instructions you will do great. I get nauseous if I eat meat without chewing thoroughly or eat too much. Or if I eat too much sugar/fat I’ll get an upset tummy. But the meat thing goes away the longer you are post surgery. I had a revision (weight gain totally my fault) and I am 5 months post op and can eat tender chicken, steak, and feel great. Just even as you can eat more don’t try to eat past being full and comfortable :)

What made you decide to get a revision?

I began my WLS journey in 2015 with gastric sleeve surgery in September. My starting weight was 301, which I had managed to diet down to 285 by the time I was approved for surgery. Surgery weight was 277. Surgery was uneventful and I was back at my normal activities within a couple days. My goal weight was 185, but I only managed to lose down to 210. I believe this was because I made the mistake of continuing to drink alcohol after surgery (although less than before) and still ate too many snacks and slider type foods. Over the next several years my weight gradually increased until it settled in at about 230-235. Then the pandemic occurred and that added 20 pounds, so I was back to 255. This is when I learned what I felt was a good method to handle regain - I combined time restricted feeding with keto dieting... I only ate between Noon and 6pm, and strictly limited carbs. Doing this for a couple of months I was able to drop from 255 back to 235. I had issues with reflux before the surgery, and they continued after. They seemed to worsen as time passed. I learned not to eat at least 3 hours before bedtime, and still sometimes I'd end up sleeping in the recliner for several hours when the reflux was particularly bad. I also had developed a hiatal hernia (which a CT report said was small). Then in January of this year something changed. I started having issues where I could only eat a couple ounces of food without feeling severely overstuffed. This plus some bouts with chest pain prompted a couple of ER visits for cardiac workups. Finding no cardiac issues my doctors determined the pain was likely the hernia that had expanded. I also started experiencing symptoms that seem to be consistent with "silent reflux", such as throat, ear tube and sinus issues. I scheduled an EGD with my bariatric surgeon who found a 3cm hiatal hernia. He is going to repair it this coming Tuesday, and to prevent recurrence of the hernia as well as to resolve the GERD issues is doing a revision to RNY. I'm not happy about having to start over with the healing process, but am excited to finally lose the excess weight, correct the hernia and GERD, and get a chance to do things right the second time. So, here are some lessons learned along the way. If they can help someone else then this post is worth making: 1. Listen to your surgeon. If they recommend one procedure over another, there is a reason why. I probably should have done the RNY in the beginning but opted for the sleeve even though I had existing reflux issues. 2. Follow the dietary guidelines. They are there to assure the most successful weight loss. Unfortunately I 'taught myself' how to overcome the carbonation in beer and continued to drink it after recovery, which is a large part of the reason for lack of loss and regain. I wasn't addicted to either, but both were present in my social environment. I have now determined that alcohol and junk food are poison to my system and have resolved to be diligent in avoiding them. 3. If you do experience regain, get on it quickly. I found that time restricted feeding along with a keto eating plan worked wonders for me. I was essentially following the insulin control program established by Dr. Jason Fung. I quickly dropped close to 20 lbs using my sleeve along with this plan. 4. The sleeve, or bypass, is a tool that is given to you for life. You have a great window of opportunity the first year to lose weight and correct health problems. Make the most of it. Even though the tool is still there in later years, it becomes more difficult to lose weight after your system is fully healed and settled into normal life. It's possible, but harder. Make the most of the "one year honeymoon" window!

Hey there! Just had a revision from sleeve to bypass on February 3. I'm very curious about dumping and what one's body will and won't tolerate after surgery. What happens if you eat a few French fries? A bite of a burger? Bacon? A fat-laden keto meal? A few spoons of ice cream? A bite of pasta? An onion ring? Do you immediately feel ill and nauseous? Can you handle any fat in your diet? Any sugar? Please do share your experiences with me. I know everyone's different but also want to imagine what lies ahead. Thank you!

I'm not a revision patient - I had a "virgin" bypass - but I didn't feel restriction until I started eating solid food. That's not at all uncommon. So there's definitely a chance you might start feeling it soon...

I’m having a revision from VSG to MGB. How long should it be for optimum success?

On 1/28 I had revision surgery going from VSG to a bypass due to feeling like I did not reach the goal that I wanted and was actually starting to regain. I am 13 days post op and feel no restriction. I mean none. When I first had the vsg surgery I felt restriction immediately even during the liquid phase but now it’s so different. I’ve even tried some solids maybe to see if I’m over reacting but still nothing. Anyone else has been through this ? I’m starting to worry.

Mine was a revision, the band had apparently slipped so it was a 4 hour surgery. I had a catheter anyway but never knew it. I woke up in my own hospital bed. Felt a bit bad but could quickly get up and hobble about to the bathroom and whatever, holding onto my IV. Home the next day. Pretty awful 3 days, walk walk walk, gas exiting noisily. Day 4, the clouds parted and sunlight came through. Day 5 I felt elated and went on a 2 hour walk. Since then (I'm on day 15) it's fine. You're young and healthy so it's as certain as it can possibly be you'll be fine and it'll work well for you. WALK!

To follow up on this topic, I had my EGD today and the surgeon said he saw about a 3cm hiatal hernia. He went ahead and scheduled me for hernia repair and revision to RNY next week. I'm looking forward to resolving the hernia issues and also the GERD.

I had GERD since 2010 and took omeprazole daily. 2016 I got the sleeve, didn't affect the GERD one way or the other. 2021 revised to bypass and my Doctor had me take the meds for 30 days post-surgery and then stop - my side-effects after I stopped and the GERD is gone.

Hi everyone! I had a lapband in 2012, and have gained everything back plus...... So I have some questions and need some info- would a revision to a gastric sleeve be successful (of course I have to do my part). My insurance does not cover anything, unfortunately, so it will be pricy if I decide to do it.....please just give me some pros and cons and things to consider......thank you so much!

I had revision surgery 10 days ago to resolve my problems with GERD. My surgeon said that, without converting from the sleeve to by-pass, my hiatal hernia would return within 6 months. Despite the adjustments required for the by-pass, it’s been wonderful waking up each day without feeling that I have a bonfire burning inside me!

I had a positive COVID test over a month ago! I have lost 18 pounds. I am so happy with the weight-loss. I still need to lose more. Revision was my goal. Does not look like that is going to happen! COVID sucks. Some people die or never fully recover. With my sleeve and after COVID the only thing I can eat is fish, over cooked veggies and a little rice. I don't know how to set a weight-loss goal on something that might Plateau at any moment! Has anyone experienced having COVID and been sleeved? Can you write about your experience? Thanks [emoji3059] Sent from my SM-G996U1 using BariatricPal mobile app

Hi - I also had my surgery on 2/3 and it took longer because of a hiatal Hernia. My sleeve (done in 2013had also stretched out a lot. Interesting for anyone who may be on the fence about revision). I was on clear liquids for the first 3 days and today I start shakes. I’ll PM you.

I had GERD for years before my sleeve (2016), the surgery didn't change anything, the GERD was the same (not better or worse), I lost a lot of weight quickly but put most of it back on. In mid-November last year I had revision surgery to change the sleeve to a bypass and am losing a lot of the weight again (not as quickly but it's still coming off), and the GERD is gone! My doctor had me take another 30 days worth of esomeprazole but then that was it. You should have your doctor do an endoscopy to confirm whether you have GERD before doing anything else.

I went with the sleeve because, fundamentally it does the same thing as an RNY - amount of weight loss, regain resistance, etc., but "costs" less in terms of trade offs and potential problems. The sleeve is predisposed toward GERD problems (that simply means that more people in that population will suffer from that problem than in the genera; population. In contrast, the RNY is predisposed to marginal ulcers, dumping and reactive hypoglycemia.. It is also fussier in supplement need - you can get into more trouble if you are lazy about your supplements with an RNY, while a sleeve can be closer to that ideal of getting all of your nutrition from your food, if one is so inclined (and your natural body cooperates.) Even with all the supplements in line, there is still a greater risk of iron issues or osteoporosis with the RNY as its malabsorption is focused on minerals. And, the marginal ulcer risk makes it more limited with some medications (it is the origin of the "no NSAID" rule in bariatrics - the sleeve based procedures are more tolerant in that area. If I need something stronger than the VSG, then the DS is readily available, as it starts with a sleeve and adds a stronger malabsorbing component than the RNY offers, so there is better weight loss and most importantly, regain resistance provided there if needed. Finally, there is the "Plan B" factor of what if it doesn't work for me and I have/want to revise? The sleeve is readily revisable to either the RNY or the stronger DS, while the RNY is something of a dead end procedure which is very difficult to revise (it can be done, but there are few surgeons around who are qualified to do so.) Overall, that is why I would start with the VSG and move up later if needed (or if I was starting from a very high BMI or otherwise challenging metabolic situation, I would go straight to the DS and avoid the risk of having to revise the bypass if it wasn't strong enough.)

I was open for either but my surgeon chose sleeve for me. The reasoning was that if I didn't lose enough or had issues, I would still have the option for a revision to lose more if I needed whereas bypass is a one shot deal. Also I'm an athlete and the malabsorption issues might have caused a problem with a high activity level. I think sleeve was the right choice for me and while my loss has been slower than some I've been able to maintain muscle mass which I don't think I could have done with the bypass.

I have PCOS and slow metabolism but I wanted something that had better stats in the long run and RYN has that. Not to say sleeve doesn't since many have been successful on it as well. But personally given my medical history and plethora of PCOS related side effects, I opted for bypass. Plus chances of revision is also high with sleeve because of reflux issue. And I didn't want take the route of having to have a second surgery if revision was needed. "ONE surgery and that should be the end of it" was my thought process. Hence even after being confused, I finally opted for bypass. I know many prefer sleeve because of less chances of dumping and malnutrition, so it depends if those look tempting for you. Though there are 70% of by-passers who also don't dump, myself including. I always wanted a weight loss route that didn't restrict my diet (reason why I hated Keto and other carbs restrictive diets, my binge eating always worsened with them). Even then I took my chance with bypass thinking I shall see when I cross the bridge. And fortunately, I don't dump (at least with some of the sugary and fatty foods I have tried till now). So give consideration to your medical history, your metabolism, stats and pros and cons of each and go with your gut feeling. That's what I did and so far I haven't regretted it *fingers crossed*

acid reflux is the most common complication of sleeve. It happens to about 30% of people. And yes - it can definitely happen that far out from surgery. Usually it can be controlled through medication (like PPI's), but for some people, revision to bypass is the best way to improve or resolve it. And yes - there are some people on here who have done this - hopefully some will chime in...

February 2nd was my day. So far, minimal pain. Nothing needed more than Tylenol. I’m surprised. I had the revision from the sleeve to the roux-en-y. Best decision I’ve made ever for myself. This is definitely different in feelings for food-not hungry even the slightest and still cooked breakfast for my Mr with no nausea or desire for a bite. I’ll be full liquid diet for 2 weeks. After the sleeve I kept saying I was hungry and they called it head hunger, I tried to convince myself that’s what it was, lol, but no-i was genuinely hungry. Now working on 64 ounces of water a day and taking my needed meds throughout the day so I can get them all in. Need 60-80 grams protein but not there yet. 10 grams is all I’ve gotten in since surgery. Have been reads it this is only temporary and I’ll be able to drink more of the protein drink eventually. I’ll be honest, the stings from the shots to prevent blood clots is worse than my belly pain. I’ll do those for two weeks twice a day. Done in Iowa and so excited. Oh and I’m in a wheelchair because of fractures in my pelvis. Got an upright walker and am able to start taking steps!! It’s all so new, I’m loving the excitement this has brought with it. Good luck everyone!!!