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Thanks, everyone! I am not viewing this as a quickfix for sure. I have researched wls for over 5 years and did not like all the complications with rny and lapband. The sleeve seems like a good fit for me and I am tired of not being able to do it myself. I guess having gotten this big is like not cleaning your house til it looks like one of those on hoarders: you don't know where to start, so you start small and end up getting one room looking beautiful. You feel proud of your accomplishment (for me it was when I lost 90 lbs in 09-10). However, YOU and everyone else sees all the other rooms and you feel let down because there is so much left to do. And 90% of people judge you on what's left, and not that one accomplishment you have already achieved. It's a struggle and I am grateful I found this site!

It sure sounds like your body is trying to get rid of your port, and if it also goes to work on your band, your complications will get even worse. Like Carolinagirl, my life is more important than my weight loss surgery, and I'd go to the emergency room and call my bariatric surgeon immediately. Please don't think that your only choices are to live skinny with open abdominal wounds or live fat without your port and/or band. Once the port complications are dealt with, you may be able to revise to a different bariatric surgery procedure that doesn't involve implants. Good luck! Jean

https://obesitynewstoday.com/bariatric-surgery-reversibility/ "In addition to reducing the size of the stomach, the gastric bypass also rearranges the digestive system, which is why it is usually not reversible." https://www.realself.com/question/gastric-bypass-reversible "Gastric Bypass surgery is considered a permanent operation but can be reversed for medical problems only. The risks of a reversal are extremely high." So, "potentially" reversible, but reversing is almost never done due to complications. The band can be removed, the sleeve, your pouch can and will stretch out, but the bypass, the restriction plus the rerouting of your intestines, this surgery should not be considered "reversible" as a justification for getting it.

The VSG surgery is not new. VSGs used to be done years ago as the first surgical procedure for very heavy patients who needed a gastric bypass, but weren't good medical risks for the more complicated gastric bypass operation. Doctors went in and did a sleeve, which helped a heavier patient lose enough weight and get healthy enough that he/she could qualify (medically) for a bypass. And lo and behold, many of the patients did so well on the sleeve alone that they didn't need / want a bypass. After all, the sleeve doesn't have the big malabsorptive issues that bypasses do. And remember that bypasses are considered "the gold standard" of all WLS surgeries. And thus "the sleeve" was added to the menu of WLS surgeries. (There are now nearly a dozen different WLS procedures, including mini-bypass, duodenal switch, etc. Google is your friend if you want to learn about all of the WLS procedures.) And decades before all of this, VSG surgery was performed on people who had stomach illnesses that required removal of most of their stomachs due to terrible ulcers, stomach cancer, and other ailments. There's tons of research on those patients. Again, Google is your friend. In fact, Google is always your friend. While you're there, check out all the more recent long-term studies of VSG success. As you alluded to in your OP, the lapband has turned out to be problematic for many patients. The deal is that the lap band was never intended to become a permanent installation. If you know anything about medical devices, you know that foreign objects in the body often fail and cause problems. Again, Google is your friend. I think that a good medical analogy for VSG surgery are surgeries done to remove tumors, bone spurs, cancers, gall bladders, appendix(es?), ovaries/uteruses, tonsils, etc. Although we may need to monitor the body thereafter or take some supplements, nothing artificial or mechanical is put into the body to replace those organs. I also think that any sleeved patients who don't bother taking all their prescribed supplemental Vitamins, minerals, antacids, etc. or who don't get their annual blood panels done after having VSG surgery are not taking responsibility for their health.

A surgeon discussed this at our last support group meeting. He said that while by-passes are "technically" reversible, it's still another major surgery, it can have complications just like any other, and there may be a lot of scar tissue on the portions of the stomach that you'd like to rejoin. It is a very major undertaking and really shouldn't be considered one of the "pros" of bypass.

I did a huge amount of research before making my decision and one of the main reasons I went for a gastric bypass is that if you get complications you can reverse the operation as nothing is taken away. With a sleeve you remove most of the stomach so once it’s done it’s done. I found very few advantages to the sleeve and the Acid Reflux is a major reason why it soon became a no go for me. Another big factor is if you have diabetes a sleeve doesn’t really change that much, where a bypass can reduce it hugely or in some cases eliminate it completely. That is a huge reason to seriously consider a bypass over a sleeve. I am not trying to say that everyone should have a bypass, but every day I read more and more people who say Sleeve to bypass for me. Something seems wrong about that. I think you are right James, it seems to be on trend right now, which is extremely worrying. I get the feeling that most people get told what to have, rather than make there own decision based on evidence. I bet if the patients are told with a sleeve is final or with a bypass it’s reversible if you have complications, most would go for a bypass. Anyway rant over 🤣🤣

Dr, Alvarez is a wonderful surgeon and I would choose him again over anyone. I never had any issues at all and his staff treated us like royalty. No complications at all.

I'm not hearing anything that is making me change my mind. R.E. Preeclampsia.. had it with my first pregnancy, when I became pregnant when I was 169lbs. I did make it full term, but induced when I started dropping protein in my urine. Baby and Mom were fine. My next 3 pregnancies all went fine with no complications, with starting weights at 180lbs, 225lbs, 245lbs. I gained 40lbs with each one, except #2 where I gained 65! Do you see a trend? After each pregnancy, I did drop the pregnancy weight gain each time, but some of that weight always made its way back after weaning, in time for the next pregnancy. I didn't develop gestational diabetes, but 10 years after the last pregnancy, I became prediabetic. What the surgery does is clean up old metabolic issues and gives you a clean slate. (At least, that's the hope.. works for some, but it's not guaranteed). What you do with that clean slate is up to you. After you get surgery, you really have to be on a "diet" the rest of your life. You can always gain weight back, the same as anyone. But, the surgery is a one-time opportunity.. and I'm SOOOOO glad my family was complete before considering going under the knife, so my clean slate can remain that way. Maybe you can talk with your doc about how risky they believe a pregnancy will be (before or after surgery).. a lone voice on the internet shouldn't necessarily sway you one way or the other, but I urge you to get as much information from your own network as possible. Many people here get the surgery so they CAN get pregnant. Without it, they are infertile. For those people, they only have one choice if they want to be parents, and I wholeheartedly support them. For you, it sounds like you have options. And if slow weight loss is discouraging enough to stop your diet attempts... it's a bit concerning to me, since postop it is nothing but dieting. What I would love to see you do, is try one of the diets again (and I can give you one if you like), work on your mind game and nutritional status.. drop a few pounds, and when you're ready, get pregnant, have your baby, and after a couple years get the surgery. Sure, you'll be a few years older, but you'll use those years to learn more about the surgery and practice healthful eating, so when you do get the operation, you'll be completely ready.

I was in your shoes last week, I was still skeptical but went with it. I am just so happy now that I did. The diet sounds way may complicated than it turns out to be. As for me I just make sure I get everything in and it is working out well. You will find your routine as the post above stated and it really is actually fun....sort of... to watch yourself develop a new eating pattern with really very little stress and a ton of happiness. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

It will be so much cheaper to see your surgeon once or twice than to have major complications that could put you into the hospital! I know when your not insured or insurance doesn't cover doctors visits a lot of us tend to stop seeing our doctor. However, I think this could be the difference between being successful with the band or not! I hope all goes well with you and there is an easy solution to your problem! please let us know how it turns out!!

In Tyler Texas. I'm not sure who around here could do a second opinion. I could go to dallas I guess. He was like well you have has a complication so that slows things down. I hate to do surgery again and it leave more scar tissue You just never know what could happen when you go in for multiple surgeries. I think if I could increase my calories my body would move out of starvation mode and lose weight. I've been saying that for 3 months though. My scale hasn't budged since end of march first of April. And it was we can stretch ur esophagus again but that's ur call. Let's see how ur feeling. Really? I'm pissed cause I spent all this money and efforts and for this?? How do I think I feel? I was told my strictures were caused from scar tissue from my large hernia. He said it was quite large. Digestive guy says cut the tissue out. WL guy says let's we what happens ?

I chose the band because bypass and the sleeve scared me too much. Yes, you are adding something to your body, but with the other two surgeries, you are permanently altering your body. I like that if for some reason I have complications with the band, it can be taken out and I am back to how I was before. Of course, I do plan on keeping it in there forever, but I like to keep my options open. I also liked that the death rates with the band were much lower than the bypass, and also lower than the sleeve. Another thing I didn't like about bypass and the sleeve was that you must take Vitamins for the rest of your life. Of course, as a bandster I should take my vitamins, and I will. But with bypass, you must. One of the reasons for getting the band for me was because I wanted to get off my diabetes meds, and I didn't want to just have to start taking different meds. Of course, gummy vitamins are much more fun to take than pills anyways, I look forward to it, lol. I hope that helps, it's a hard decision and I wish you luck.

I went ot a siminar recently and the answer is yes. If you have complications you will have to pay out of pocket for that. What you pay out of pocket is just for the post op,surgery, and first year. Anything after that is on you. That's what the Dr. out of El Paso said. I think each Dr. is different though. Hope this helps some.

Hi everyone! I am 27 years old, married in June of 2008. I am getting banded on tuesday January 6th 2009. The reason I am having this done is so that I can be healthy enough to have a baby. It will be my first. This is where things get a bit weird. You see I am a teacher of students with special needs. I teach kids with autism, downs syndrome, cerbral palsy, etc. and I ADORE my job. However, I am naturally paranoid about having a child with a disability and want to take all precautions while I am pregnant. Has anyone heard anything about this band creating any type of birth defects or complications with the pregnancy. I know it may not be what everyone wants to talk about but I think it's important to know. Thanks for understanding. Meghan

Had my RNY on Monday August 18th in Danville PA at Geisinger. Had some unexpected complications and some annoyances which may someday actually seem funny to me and my family. First off, The Bypass surgery itself went well, the Doctors were very good and the nursing staff...heck even the cleaning staff, made the experience bearable. Now for the bad parts. surgery started at 11 AM on the nose, I was looking at the clock as I took a nice long deep breath. Approx 8 hours later I was finally groggily awake, still in the recovery room looking into the teary eyes of my grandaughter and my husband.Seems i didnt want to breath on my own, every time they turned down the respirator I forgot to breath ! I'm here now and still breathing, so I guess it could have been a lot worse. The surgeon informed me later that he found an old hernia repair which had basically disintegrated, leaving me with mesh for them to clean out and he did a quick temporary fix for the hernia. Says the surgery for that will be a walk in the Park! So onward and upward. The next and worst thing of all was the monster bed they put me in. according to my Surgeon it is the latest best bariatraic hospital bed. cost $7000. I told him, during rounds, that is was worthless. i couldnt turn over or even sit up in the bed, I was basically a turtle on my back. This was also making it hard for me to cough or breath properly.The nurses said the beds are only useful for tall people or those who need mechanical aids to move them. they found me an old short-procedure wooden recliner to sleep in and I finally was able to breathe. Was having some Fluid build up in my ankles on wed, they didnt seem too concerned and sent me home. by Friday my foot was twice normal size and red and shiny. Bumex to the rescue. Started it on my own. didnt bother call anyone for advice. Seems to have worked as my swelling is slowly subsiding. Saw my PCP today and he spent the visit asking me why they took me off various meds? How the hell do I know? He wanted me to have the procedure and now seems upset that he cant micromanage it. His problem not mine. he is normally not like that but I guess we learn something new about people every day. So I came home, took a well deserved nap and am sipping on my wylers light raspberry iced Water and dreaming of pain free days. 2 1/2 hour drive to Danville tomorrow for checkup. Fun.

So, I just had my blood tests and MRSA swabs in advance of surgery next week (1st March) and decided that I would detail my journey here. Partly because I want to remember to come back on here when things get tough and I need a reminder of why I am doing this, and partly because I want to have a record of what I’m doing anyway, and I figure that having one that others can read, contribute to and, maybe, learn from (if I ever get to the point of having any lessons to teach) is as good a way as any. So, my background… I’m 29, living in London. I’ve always been overweight, ever since I was a kid, but my weight has fluctuated a lot. Generally, when I move to a new place, it falls, until I discover all the good places to eat, when it rises again. About five years ago I managed to get down to about 200lbs, but since then have crept steadily up and now I am about 290lbs. I think as I get a bit older, I’m realising a bit more the impact my weight is having on me. Over the last couple of years – walking has become more of a chore, for the first time, tying a seatbelt on an airplane has become a problem, I feel less and less energy and more strain on my joints. And I simply don’t want that to get worse. I haven’t felt any motivation to lose weight since that last time in 2009, and I had to admit to myself that I never will be able to do this on my own. So I have a choice. Continue to put on weight. Face into my thirtieth birthday at nearly 300lbs, maybe my 35th at 400lbs – who knows. And continue to see my body become more and more unable to cope. Or I stop. I take action, accept that I’m not going to be able to do it alone and take measures that will force me into a position of being healthier. It’s also driven by the fact that I want to have kids. As I’m gay, the most likely way for that is to adopt, but I’m pretty sure that I wouldn’t be approved as an adopter at my current weight. And even if I was, I don’t think I could be a good dad as I just wouldn’t have the energy to be rolling around playing with a kid and giving them the attention they deserve. I decided to self-fund for the operation. I have been diagnosed with sleep Apnoea (in December) through the NHS, and since that’s technically a comorbidity, my GP did say that I could be put on the NHS waiting list. But faced with a wait of two years or more, I decided it would be better to just get it done privately. So I met with my surgeon, Ameet Patel, before Christmas. I had hoped to have it done before Christmas, but I was due to start a new job on the 12th, and he said that if I had the operation on the 3rd or 4th January, he wouldn’t recommend me going to work on the 12th. So I decided to wait until Easter when I could take some time off work. As it turned out, there were no available dates at Easter, and leaving it later brings me too close to a trip I have planned at the end of May. So I ended up plumping for 1st March. I’ve had no pre-op diet to follow, so I’ve probably been a bit naughty in what I’ve been eating since I found out my date. I know I shouldn’t but I have been seeing these last weeks as an opportunity for one last hurrah with food. Biggest Fears I was sent my consent form in the post, and seeing the risks in black and white terrified me – especially where it just bluntly lists ‘Death’ as a risk. Even though I’ve talked them through with Dr Patel, and even though I know the risks are very low, they feel very real now. I’ve started to think about things I need to do in case the worst happens, and again, I know it’s a very low risk, but my family live in a different country, so I’m making sure my partner has their number in case he needs to call them etc. The reality of that is kinda scary. I’m also scared of complications – and not knowing whether pain is normal or a sign of something more serious. But my biggest fear is that I just won’t be able to be happy when I can’t eat what I want to. I keep telling myself that being able to go shopping for clothes or go for a run or exercise without wanting to collapse will all make up for any feeling of deprivation – and that I won’t feel that deprived because I just won’t have the same appetite that I have now. But it is probably my biggest fear that I will spend the rest of my life regretting what I’ve done. To combat that I just keep reminding myself that the price of having that total freedom to eat what I want is looking and feeling like I do now – I plan to keep a photo diary of my journey to remind myself that however much I regret not being able to eat what I want when I want, it will be nothing compared to the regret I would have if I had the opportunity to get healthy but turned it down. My Hopes This is the bit that keeps me going. My main hope – what I desperately hope – is that the tales I’ve heard of your tastes changing are true. I would dearly love to wake up from the operation and be revolted by the foods I used to love and suddenly find love for the foods I used to hate. If only I could like vegetables and low fat foods more! My biggest hope is that my tastes will change, so that when I can’t pig out on chips it won’t matter to me because I don’t want to pig out on chips. The same applies – big time – to Diet Coke. I’ve never been one for full fat soft drinks, I find them syrupy. But I love diet coke, and I am really dreading not being able to have it. If I could wake up and not desire it, that would be super. I’m not claiming these hopes are realistic. More generally – like everyone – I hope this works. My thirtieth birthday is in October and I have a vision of how I will look and feel for it. I hope that vision becomes a reality. I also hope that my relationship withstands the change. My partner has been incredibly supportive. I think one of the reasons I put on weight is that he loved me and found me attractive when we first met and I was overweight (but still, I was only about 200lbs) – I think my mind went ‘yay, you found someone who’s attracted to you even when you’re fat…eat away’. But my weight gain has made me feel less attractive and so has impacted on our relationship. As I say, he’s been really supportive and I just hope that the changes don’t result in any changes to how either of us feels about the other. So, having rattled on for too long, let the journey begin…

I got a phone call from Surgeon to cancel my surgery earlier today. I was on day 5 of my liquid diet only 10 days away from getting my surgery. Long story short his contract with the hospital ends this and my surgery date was July 12 he said that he won't be able to preform the surgery because he won't be able to treat me if they there were to be any complications after .... This make me so mad and sad....I went through all this this for nothing!!! He said I could wait for him until he moves to his new location which will be in September or I could look for another surgeon to do my surgery and he would give them my file that I completed every single test required.... What should do? What can I do? Please someone give me advice.... Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Welcome Mom! You'll do great, I'm sure! It took me a little time to adjust to the preop diet, just continued to remind my self how important it was. My surgeon told my husband that my liver was small and looked great! I am now 10 days out, no complications and doing very well. The veterans here were/are correct with the advice of, "sip, sip, sip and walk, walk, walk". My current diet stage is full liquids and I find I feel better if I take a little walk, just after eating. Best wishes to you! I hope that you have an uneventful surgery, tolerable discomfort and a speedy recovery. Check back in and let us know how you are. ~Jane

I'm turning 63 next week and was sleeved 5 1/2 months ago. I've never thrown up once, not even nauseous. I'd say it's been surprisingly easy once you pass the three week mark. I treated the whole thing that it was my job to get Protein and fluids in, follow the plan. Stop intake when I felt full and ate very slowly. I also did my research, selected a good surgeon and a center of excellence hospital. I have no complications and no regrets Sent from my SM-N910T using the BariatricPal App

When I went to True Results everyone was getting Lap Bands. Now it seems like everyone is getting sleeves. I wasn't even offered a sleeve. It makes me nervous that I will eventually have to have my band removed. I haven't had any problems, but it still worries me. Does the sleeve have complications too? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Hi. I had a lap band and then revised to sleeve. Lost over 100 lbs with band and then 40 something more with sleeve. I have to have a revision due to gerd and other complications from my sleeve. Luckily, I did not lose any of my hair on either procedures listed above... And I know losing weight is much slower after each revision so maybe I'll be lucky again this time around. I was wondering if any of you lost your hair after revising from sleeve to bypass. Thank you in advance.

So I am scheduled for bypass in December. Recently I’ve read several things about the switch. Wondering why one opts for that or what makes you more suited for that vs the bypass. It comes down to the end of the line before final decision from my surgeon and I, but looks like my office isn’t a big pusher of the switch due to more risks and complications. Would just like to hear from real people here who have had it.

I went alone also, in fact I was there with BlackBerryJuice. The three of us who were having surgery on the same day, met as Ernesto picked us up at the San Diego airport, and became "littermates." As BBJ says, we took walks together, compared notes, went to the pharmacy together, and did quite a bit of socializing, along with people who had their surgery the days before and after we did. Since Aceves keeps his patients for three nights (which was one of the factors that helped me decide on Mexico), we had several people to keep us company. I had a friend who was willing to come down with me, but I read on these boards that a lot of people said their friend or family member didn't have a lot to do, and in fact a couple people mentioned that they were a little too focused on worrying about their companion. So I decided to go alone, and it was the right decision for me. The hospital staff was VERY attentive, Dr Aceves and Dr Campos came by several times a day, and I had zero complications or problems. If you're thinking of Aceves, I would recommend him without reservation.

Hi All, I've completed all my pre-op testing and will be getting a call this coming week for the surgery date. Problem is I might be pregnant and it's too soon to test. I don't want to go through all this just to have it canceled, I also don't want to have severe complications because my weight. I know nothing is certain yet, but I just want to make sure I have all the information I need time make an informed decision if I am preggers. Crazy as it sounds, can I still have surgery if I'm still very early on? Is there a medical weightloss program for pregnant women? Please feel free to ask me any questions if you need to.

How Many people have a slip and have to have surgery. I read that there is 88% chance of a band complication over 3 years and slips are the most common. I am scheduled for surgery in one week. I don't want to go blindly into something that could cause major problems but I want the change so bad. Has anyone else asked their dr how frequent slip rate is? I plan to do so ASAP. Please lete know about slips and if you had one if you still liked the band. Any other info as well. If u have gone yrs without a slip please post also! Trying to gauge things.