Why I chose the Sleeve--better late than never!

[Vampyrvet 1]

Hi everyone!

Looks like I'm the first one here. So let me be the first to welcome you all and invite any questions or comments you may have.

Here is my story, in all it's revolting detail:

I was banded (Realize) in June 2008 and received my first fill in July. (3cc's). I followed my post-op diet to the letter, but began vomiting shortly after my fill. *I thought it was my fault for overeating/under-chewing, etc. I tried to change my eating habits & put up with the vomiting. I was always hungry, and never had that "early and prolonged feeling of satiety" that I was promised. When I tried to eat anything it didn't matter how slowly and carefully I chewed, I went from being hungry to being in agonizing pain with no warning whatsoever. The vomiting would follow anywhere from 45 minutes to 3 hours later. *When this didn't get better, I got the band completely deflated, but that only helped for a couple of weeks. *By September, my stomach had herniated up through the center of the band and I was fully obstructed. This required an emergency 2nd surgery to reposition & re-secure the band. *I decided to give the band another try because my surgeon told me he had never heard of anyone slipping twice, and I felt that I had come through too much to give up yet. * I had my first fill (3 cc's again) in November '08 and began vomiting again in early February '09. I ran to my surgeon to get deflated, got re x-rayed and he informed me that my band had slipped AGAIN. Time for surgery #3. *

For the majority of the time that I had my band, I walked around with some degree of obstruction, and my diet was limited to liquids & puddings. *I had to go out of town one weekend & tried to eat a small sandwich & ended up vomiting so hard that there was blood in it. *I was deeply concerned about the damage that I was doing to my stomach, esophagus, and teeth. *I lived in constant fear of choking on my own stomach acid as I refluxed in my sleep. (There are documented cases of band patients actually dying from this!) *I had to buy a wedge-shaped pillow to elevate my torso, but it didn't work all the time. In the last 6 months that I had my band, I did not lose a single pound despite all the vomiting. *This is because I couldn't eat anything but Protein Shakes, some kinds of soft cheeses, and pudding. *The port never stopped hurting, for the entire time I had it. I couldn't wear jeans or shorts with a firm waistband, because it felt like I was being jabbed in the guts with a broom handle. Whenever I tried to exercise, I could feel it ripping into my muscles and I would be sore in that spot for days after. I felt like I had a knife sticking out of my gut for 10 months. For a weight-loss procedure to actually REDUCE your ability to exercise is unacceptable.* For a band to slip TWICE in only 7 months is unacceptable.* I don't think I could ever recommend the band to anyone.* I regret my decision immensely, not just because it was a miserable experience, but also because it ended up costing me nearly $50,000 for 3 surgeries, all of which came out of pocket since I am self-pay. I had to beg & scrape for the $13,500 for the first band surgery, and this ordeal has pushed me to the brink of bankruptcy.

In March '09, I finally got my band removed and converted to a sleeve. What an amazing difference! I can now eat real, healthy food again. I am hardly ever hungry. I eat 3 or 4 bites of something and I am full for hours. I am no longer in pain from the port digging & ripping into my abdominal wall. I am not vomiting anymore. I can sleep lying down like a normal person. I no longer need to have a bucket in my car or on my nightstand. I can exercise as hard as I want and wear anything that I want. I have lost 17 lbs in the 2 months since I was sleeved, because I can finally eat healthy & nutritious food instead of Protein shakes all the time.

I am a veterinarian, not an MD. *But I have enough medical knowledge to draw the following conclusions about the band. *This is only my personal opinion.

1: There is no real way for the surgeon to secure a band to prevent it from slipping. *It cannot be sutured to your stomach. *Really it's just friction, gravity, and/or prayer that holds it in place.

2: The band sits so high up on your stomach that it is practically wrapped around your lower esophagus. *This essentially forces any solid food you eat to back up into your esophagus, causing pain, vomiting, and reflux. *Enough exposure to your stomach acid will cause ulcers in your esophagus. *This can lead to scar tissue formation, which will cause PERMANENT narrowing and/or obstruction of your esophagus. *In the medical community, this is what we call "a bad thing".*

3: The stretch receptors in your stomach that tell you you're full are located in the bottom part of the stomach. (called the Pylorus). *Because of the band, these receptors never get stretched. *Therefore you have to rely on other signals to tell you to stop eating. *Like the searing pain in your esophagus. *In my case, the first twinge of discomfort that I felt while eating meant that it was already too late and I could expect to be vomiting within the hour.

4: The purpose of any weight loss surgery is to help you lose weight. *This depends on you eating a healthful diet. *In my experience, the band actually FORCED me to eat high-calorie "slider" foods. *I could not eat rice, Pasta, bread, vegetables, meat, fruits with skin, or anything with Fiber. *One does not lose much weight on a diet of protein shakes and ice cream, but that is pretty much all I could swallow without puking.

In hindsight, I really wish I had gone with the VSG to begin with. *I didn't because I was afraid of actually cutting my stomach, and the adjustability of the band appealed to me. *I thought it was the least risky of the options. *Sadly, it has turned out to be the least effective. *The more I research, the more I find droves of banded people with similar stories as mine. *Prior to receiving my band, I was told that the rate of band slippage was something around 5%. *Since then, numerous studies have been published documenting that it is more like 25-35%. *That means 1/4 to 1/3 of banded people will experience a complication requiring a 2nd surgery at some point. *A device with such a high rate of failure/complication has no business being on the market. Had I known this, I never would have chosen the band.

In considering my options for revision surgery, I chose the VSG for the following reasons:

1: there is no re-routing of the intestines and hence no malabsorption. (translation = no nutritional deficiencies). *Since my family has a history of osteoporosis, the last thing I want to do is limit my ability to absorb Calcium. *Also, menstruating women will frequently develop life-threatening Iron deficiencies with malabsorptive procedures. *Also not appealing. With a bypass or the duodenal switch, you MUST take your Vitamins religiously or YOU CAN DIE.

2: With the sleeve there is little to no risk of obstruction because your pyloric sphincter remains intact

3: the stretch receptors that tell you you're full are located in the pyloric area of your stomach, and they are stimulated quickly with a long/narrow stomach pouch

4: the part of the stomach that is removed is the part that secretes the hormone "ghrelin", which is the hormone that makes you hungry. *So there is better appetite suppression than with the band even though the stomach capacity is similar.

5: there is no foreign device implanted in your body to slip, erode, or cause pain.

6: this procedure carries the least risk of bleeding & leakage compared to the bypass or duodenal switch.

There is no way I could maintain the weight I lost if I*just had the band removed, either. *As soon as I was deflated, my appetite came back with a vengeance. *Even so, I could still feel that my stomach was being pinched off and I was constantly at risk for progressing to a complete obstruction, or heaven-forbid a band erosion. *

If there is anyone out there who's had a gastric band for 5+ years, and isn't having problems, I'd love to hear from you.

I do NOT feel like I failed the band. The band failed me. It did not do what it was supposed to, which is make me feel full and stop eating sooner. All it did was slice up my stomach, shred my esophagus, burn the enamel off my teeth, and give me a constant sharp pain in my abs. And since all I could keep down was protein shakes, I didn't even lose that much weight. And if you are one who thinks it won't happen to you because you are a model patient who follows all the rules, then think of me. I am a doctor. I researched the crap out of the band & thought I could make it work. I followed all the instructions to the letter, and my band slipped anyway. TWICE. So my advice to you is, don't be afraid of cutting your stomach. Think of it as getting a new & improved stomach that actually works the way it's supposed to, like a normal person's.

I wish you the best of luck. This is a decision that only you can make. I'm sure there are some people out there who have gotten banded and are enjoying good success. I am not one of them, and I am not alone. Educate yourself and learn all you can. *If there is anything else I can do for you, I'm happy to try.

Be well,

Natalie

[Elisabethsew 50]

Hi Natalie,

Thank you so much for sharing your story. Too many of us can relate to the horrors we experienced with the band even though we followed the rules. I'm very glad that the bad times are behind you. Thank you for being the "first" to share your story.

[Malaika 50]

WOW Natalie - that is a horrible ordeal you went through -- I am so glad the sleeve is working for you. After reading your story and so many others, I am so glad I found this site (well the VSG forum of LBT) before I finished my research and made a firm decision between the band and the sleeve.

[Vampyrvet 1]

WOW Natalie - that is a horrible ordeal you went through -- I am so glad the sleeve is working for you. After reading your story and so many others, I am so glad I found this site (well the VSG forum of LBT) before I finished my research and made a firm decision between the band and the sleeve.

I'm glad you are taking the time & trouble to educate yourself before making a decision. If my experiences can save even ONE person from making a bad decision, then it wasn't for nothingll! As bad as my run was, it wasn't nearly as bad as some others I've read... permanent lung damage or death from aspiration, weeks in the ICU and near-death experiences from band erosions & perforated stomachs... it's amazing to me that bands are still legal, IMHO.

Good luck to you

Natalie

[Vampyrvet 1]

Too many of us can relate to the horrors we experienced with the band even though we followed the rules. I'm very glad that the bad times are behind you.

Wow, you are freshly post-op yourself! And it took all of ONE day to cure your gastric reflux, imagine that! How are you feeling now with your sleeve?

[Elisabethsew 50]

Wow, you are freshly post-op yourself! And it took all of ONE day to cure your gastric reflux, imagine that! How are you feeling now with your sleeve?

I am feeling great. I went back to work in a week and have actually slept on one pillow flat on my back since coming home from Mexico. Prior to the revision, I stopped eating and drinking 6-8 hours before I went to bed in the hopes I would not wake up gagging on stomach acid. I finally took to sleeping in a chair.

[Vampyrvet 1]

I am feeling great. I went back to work in a week and have actually slept on one pillow flat on my back since coming home from Mexico. Prior to the revision, I stopped eating and drinking 6-8 hours before I went to bed in the hopes I would not wake up gagging on stomach acid. I finally took to sleeping in a chair.

It's really amazing the things we had to do to cope, and accepted it as a normal part of our lifestyles! Thank God for the Sleeve!:juggle:

[alegna242 1]

Although I am pre-op in all aspects. I am very grateful or all that have taken the time to share their stories. I have made my decision for the Sleeve after reading about all the complications and long term failure of the Band. Thank you to everyone that has shared their story here and on LBT. I am still trying to get over the thought of removing 80% of my stomach, and still paranoid about staples and leaking but that is why I am here to research but I am not going to try for the band. It's too risky.

Vampyrvet- I hope your overall success continues and best of luck to you in the future.

[Just Lora 1]

Vampyrvet-thx for sharing your story.

alegne242 took the words right out of my mouth. I am also pre-op. When I first though about WLS, I was interested in the band. After researching & talking with banders & sleevers, I realized the sleeve was the way to go. Even my surgeon (who performs both bands & sleeves) believes the sleeves are better.

[learned2bskinny 81]

Being an RN, research was the highest priority for me. And it didn't take long to see the immense benefits of the sleeve over the band. I wouldn't recommend the band to anyone. I see no long-lasting benefits and many, many dangers. It's the sleeve for me, July 10th. Thanks for sharing your story. I found many similar ones while researching.

[LAN2k 18]

Wow Natalie, I know you wrote this a while ago but I am so glad you told your story. After just a short while into researching the band, (thinking I might get a band), I saw way too many cases where people who were banded, encountered problems. Much of what I read was so awful that I actually had a nightmare one night, awoke in a sweat thinking I had the band in me. I sat straight up startled and in panic mode, before I realized (unintended pun), it was a dream. And it was then that I was certain that the Lap band was not for me. In the back of my mind I remembered reading something about a sleeve and when I looked into it, it made good sense. My surgery date for the VSG is Sept. 15. Thanks for writing this. I have passed this forward to friends and family. God bless.

[Vampyrvet 1]

Much of what I read was so awful that I actually had a nightmare one night, awoke in a sweat thinking I had the band in me. I sat straight up startled and in panic mode, before I realized (unintended pun), it was a dream. And it was then that I was certain that the Lap band was not for me.

Hi, Lan2K

I'm glad you found this forum and I'm especially glad if I had some small part in helping you decide AGAINST the Band! You will not regret the sleeve! Not only is it low-maintenance and extremely effective, in the long run you will actually lose more weight with the sleeve than you would have with the band (according to statistical averages). I am so glad that you are taking the time & trouble to educate yourself beyond just the literature provided by the various band companies! Good luck to you on your WLS journey!

Natalie

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

Natalie, I am glad you are here posting your story. So many people are so excited that they are getting their band and I just wish more of them would come and read all about how miserable the band could be.

I loved mine in the beginning, but once the problems started, I could not wait to get that thing out of me.

I love the sleeve!

[3636millie 3]

Natalie,

Thank you so much for your story. I swear to god, I thought I was reading my own story. You and Wasa are an inspiration for me. I was banded 05/08. I have $400 left to pay for my band surgery and then I will go in debt again to get the sleeve. I am so sick of being miserable. Hopefully, I will be able to get a revision before the end of the year with Dr. Aceves. He and Dr. Campos have been a god send for me in trying to make the band tolerable until I can afford to switch as I received no help from my original surgeon in Phoenix. Fortunately, I only live about an hour drive away from Dr. Aceves and can get there easilly for a "bail out" to keep me going for a time. It is too damn bad that so many people are getting sucked into the banding.

[DownInSocal 12]

Natalie,

Thank you so much for your story. I swear to god, I thought I was reading my own story. You and Wasa are an inspiration for me. I was banded 05/08. I have $400 left to pay for my band surgery and then I will go in debt again to get the sleeve. I am so sick of being miserable. Hopefully, I will be able to get a revision before the end of the year with Dr. Aceves. He and Dr. Campos have been a god send for me in trying to make the band tolerable until I can afford to switch as I received no help from my original surgeon in Phoenix. Fortunately, I only live about an hour drive away from Dr. Aceves and can get there easilly for a "bail out" to keep me going for a time. It is too damn bad that so many people are getting sucked into the banding.

Welcome! Why don't you post your whole story in a thread for people to read. It sounds like you have a lot to tell people who might be thinking of the band.