My band to sleeve story (so far!)

[jessicaanders29 17]

Hello All! So glad I'm coming across these boards, I love reading your stories, triumphs and pitfalls! Here's my story. I was banded in March of 2007 and just had the band removed on Dec. 24 2012, due to years of vomiting issues, complete obstruction, and slipped band. Starting weight then 272, I'm 5'9 and 1/2 and lost about 40lbs initially. I was stalled and what broke me out of my stall was going back to Protein Shakes etc. I was able to get down to 190 at my lowest- was happy with the weight loss but miserable. I was scared to eat anything for fear of having to throw it up! Not sure if I lost the additional weight from throwing up so much or from not hardly eating at all, probably a bit of both. I got pregnant in Jan 2010 and that's when things really went downhill. The acid reflux was horrible! I went up to 255 with the pregnancy and got down to 217 afterwards. I'm think breastfeeding contributed to my loss after pregnancy to be honest. My weight ups and downs have been a rollercoaster- currently I'm about to the top of that coaster weighing in at 268! I gained about 50 lbs in about 9 months. Its devastating. My surgeon explained to me that I became a maladaptive eater (basically eating crap that I know my band would tolerate) I guestimate that I forced myself to vomit an average of once a day since March of 07. Not fun at all. For some reason I was ok with all the crap the band threw at me for years because I was at a much healthier weight, but now that I gained all of it back I was no longer ok with that tool implanted inside of me any longer. After a radiologist visit on Dec 24th it was determined that I needed to have the band out pronto. I had it taken out that day and well, now here I am almost a month later and I had my revision consult with the same surgeon who took my band out. We discussed the sleeve and I had been researching the sleeve for a month now and I was really leaning towards getting it done, until my surgeon mentions the fact that I have GERD and that sleevers experience an increase years down the road with acid reflux and that he is a big proponent of the sleeve just not so much in my case. He recommended the RNY. I wasn't even considering that procedure!! I don't think I can consider that procedure. Can't the acid be controlled with medication? Also, when I'm at a healthier weight my reflux is almost non existent! I understand that the sleeve shape and size is what creates more acid over time. Does anyone have experience with the acid issues? I'm really not sure what to do at this point. I feel like if I decide on the sleeve anyway my surgeon will do the procedure. I guess I just didn't like him recommending something I don't want! lol I trust him completely though. Oh and I have to get an endoscopy to see if I have any damage from my GERD issues and my surgeon will be doing that procedure as well. I'm thinking that if there are no issues to report after the endoscopy I'd like to go ahead with the sleeve. Ugh, so many questions so few answers. It's times like these I wish I had a crystal ball and could predict the future so I would know what decision to make!! Thanks for reading my ramble, I've never written my story down before with stats. It was good to get off my chest. Thanks! Jessica

[want2B150 1]

I am a 5 week post op sleever that converted from a 6 year old band. My surgeon was Dr. Scott Cunneen at Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. I lost 65 lbs with the band and then gained it all back after it slipped and had to be replaced. My sleeve recovery has been hard in my opinion as compared to the recovery from the band. I have had a hard time with gastric reflux. Initially reflux would happen after every morsel of food, and even when I didn't eat. It is worse at night when it comes up and chokes me and sometimes even gets in my sinuses. I am on anti-reflux meds twice a day and have been put back on liquids for 2 more weeks. I need to know if anyone else has had reflux this bad and if it will ever go away. I only recall a few occurrences of it with the band. Because I can barely keep food down without refluxing and vomiting, I have lost a total of 26 lbs in the first 4 weeks after surgery. That combined with the 10 lbs I lost before surgery to prepare for the surgery, I have lost a total of 36 lbs. I am no way eating enough food, which is typical of the sleeve, but the reflux is problematic and real.

[jessicaanders29 17]

Thank you for sharing your story. Did you have a lot of acid reflux prior to surgery? I have my whole adult life, but I also know my triggers- caffeine, chocolate, orange juice, even a completely empty stomach causes the acid reflux. I should also mention I have prescriptions for it, but for some reason I never take them! If it gets really annoying I usually just pop some tums and hope for the best. I hope you're able to figure out what works best for your situation, and soon! Thanks again

[want2B150 1]

No, I didn't really have a problem with gastric reflux with the Band. I can only remember it occuring only about maybe 3-4 times over the course of the 6 years that I had the band. Now with the sleeve, it is an everyday occurance, which wakes me up constantly through the night. I take prevacid 2-3 times a day, but still it is a problem.

[reshiapooh96 31]

@ WANT2BE, THE ACID REFLUX IS WHAT I WAS EXPERIENCING WITH THE BAND, AND I DO MEAN BAD. EVERY NIGHT FOR 5 WKS B/C I WAS TRYING TO TOLERATE IT. BUT I COULDN'T. I'M STILL BANDED BUT LOOKING INTO THE SLEEVE. I KNOW WHAT THE HORRIBLE REFLUX FEELS LIKE AND I WISH YOU THE BEST AND HOPE IT GETS TAKEN CARE OF SOON. I JUST MAY HAVE TO RESEARCH ANOTHER METHOD FOR FEAR OF THE REFLUX I HAD ONLY AT BEDTIME. MINE WAS DUE TO BEING TOO TIGHT. THE FILL IS OUT AND I DO FEEL MUCH BETTER, BUT I'M GAINING. GOOD LUCK TO YOU!

[want2B150 1]

Good to hear from you reshiapooh96. I was told by my doctor that Reflux is a common complication of the sleeve and the the Gastric Bypass is a "fix for reflux" because of the bypass part of the surgery, the patient will not have reflux. Had I known this upfront, I would have rethought the bypass. Even though I didn't want the entire rerouting of my large intestine, it would have been a relief not having the reflux that I am experiencing now.

[crystal525 26]

I had reflux with my band. But that's because it caused another hiatal hernia from my constant throwing up and dilated pouch. I had my band in in November 2008 and out in April 2012. I lost almost 80 pounds with the band over 3 years, almost entirely from throwing up and/or just not eating. Once my pouch dilated and had to be totally unfilled I gained 40 pounds in about 4 months. After removal I gained another 35 pounds. After being comfortable in my skin, going back to my pre-band weight has been devastating emotionally and physically.

Now...even with having my band out 9 months before having my sleeve, my surgery was very extensive. My doc said my scar tissue was terrible. So, in addition to having to clean up scar tissue, fix my hernia, and sleeve me, my surgery was 5 hours long. My doc never does band to sleeve revisions in one surgery, and he said I was a perfect example of why. He does not do it for fear of the increased chances of a leak. For added security, he sews completely over the staple line, which made me feel more secure. My leak test went well and I've been able to get my fluids in. I actually ate a tablespoon of scrambled eggs and cheese last night (a couple days early...my surgeon requires 2 weeks Clear Liquids, 1 week full liquids then mushies for 6 MORE WEEKS!!! ugh). I feel perfectly back to normal today (19 days post op) and have lost 22.5 pounds as of this morning.

[want2B150 1]

Thank you so much for sharing your story. I too gained back all my weight loss (65 lbs) originally from the 2 bands that I had (the 1st one and then another 2nd one due to the 1st one slipping), but I had not reflux. Now I have to get a stent because in the area where the band was had so much scar tissue during my sleeve surgery, which was 12/14/13, that now that it is healing that area is closing up and has caused a strickture in the top of the sleeve. This has to be done next Friday and I am so scared. I asked my surgeon, if we should've done as your doctor did, remove the band 1st, let it heal then do the sleave in a separate procedure to avoid the possibility of this happening, and now based on your story it seems as if that would have been better for me. What do you mean by your doctor sews completely over the staple line? To my knowledge, my sleeve is not leaking, it only has this strickture due to the weakened area where the band was trying to heal and in doing so, it has narrowed, which causes all of my food to get stuck and reflux to occur. Because of that, I am basically losing so much weight, just like you described with your band, due to throwing up or just not eating because of the reflux.

[crystal525 26]

Leaks can be more common sure to the staple line at the scar tissue area not holding well. So my doc actually sews completely over the staples to reinforce it. Strictures because of the same thing (lots of scar tissue) makes sense too. Good luck to you. Hope you are able to keep stuff down soon. I've done beyer than I expected...no problems with liquids so far. Some mushies are now making me nauseous tho...hope thats just related to sensitivity.

Keep me posted!

[want2B150 1]

Thanks crysta525 for the encouragement. I am so nervous about the placement of the stent this Friday. I am worried about the pressure that the Dr. indicated I will feel and the reflux that I will have during the time that the stent is in. Once it is out, the goal is no more reflux and hopefully I can keep food down, but I still have to start over with the liquids again and gradually move to soft foods and then to solids over another 6 week period.

[popsicle_20721 27]

Wow. I wish I read this post before being sleeved. I went from band to sleeve on 12/26. I did not have much success with the band; I was either always filled to tight or not at all due to constant vomiting Even when I did have some restriction with the band, I would often eat slider foods, because I just got tired of vomiting up everything I ate. Immediately following sleeve, I began to have problems with vomiting; couldn't keep anything down - not even Water. Doc determined that I had stricture and conducted 2nd surgery to address this problem. The vomiting got a little better, but now almost 7 weeks out, its started to come back again. This time with a friend e.g. reflux. I take meds for the reflux which seem to help out seem, but immediately following eating, I spend at least 15-20 minutes fighting to keep what I ate from coming up. Most times I loose the battle. This makes it extremely difficult to get the necessary fluids and Protein in. Overall I continue to feel weak and have begun to look at eating as a chore, cause I know what comes with it e.g. reflux, vomiting, heaving and general sense of being sick.

I'm beginning to wonder whether folks who switch from band to sleeve have more complications than those who just start with the sleeve first.

[crystal525 26]

Wow. I wish I read this post before being sleeved. I went from band to sleeve on 12/26. I did not have much success with the band; I was either always filled to tight or not at all due to constant vomiting Even when I did have some restriction with the band, I would often eat slider foods, because I just got tired of vomiting up everything I ate. Immediately following sleeve, I began to have problems with vomiting; couldn't keep anything down - not even Water. Doc determined that I had stricture and conducted 2nd surgery to address this problem. The vomiting got a little better, but now almost 7 weeks out, its started to come back again. This time with a friend e.g. reflux. I take meds for the reflux which seem to help out seem, but immediately following eating, I spend at least 15-20 minutes fighting to keep what I ate from coming up. Most times I loose the battle. This makes it extremely difficult to get the necessary fluids and Protein in. Overall I continue to feel weak and have begun to look at eating as a chore, cause I know what comes with it e.g. reflux, vomiting, heaving and general sense of being sick.

I'm beginning to wonder whether folks who switch from band to sleeve have more complications than those who just start with the sleeve first.

I was warned that reflux can be worse with the sleeve so I was concerned I might have issues also. My surgeon did tell me that sometimes if reflux is a problem before surgery that he prefers to do the bypass...that this can fix reflux problems. That being said, I was hopeful that my hernia was the cause of my reflux before because it was the cause pre-band. I do know that I have a tendency to reflux if I don't take my omeprazole (40 mg) daily and my chewable prevacid. If I miss one dose I feel it coming on, especially at night. Supposedly this will reduce after some time.

Do you take nausea meds and reflux meds? Sometimes you have to try different ones to see what works.

Re complications being more prevalent in band to sleeves...I'm not sure. I think there are probably more issues because of previous scarring/issues that the band created that may not be present in virgin sleevers...Just my opinion though.