Recovery from Band Removal vs. Sleeve Surgery?

[Bndtoslv 292]

Recovery from the band removal was a breeze. Less than a week and I was 99% ok. Was expecting more pain/discomfort. Just a bit of gas and pain where the port was removed. For those of you who did surgery in 2 parts how did recovery from the band removal compare to the sleeve surgery? I am guessing there is lot more fatigue with the sleeve surgery because the food afterwards is quite restricted.

[liannatx 897]

I also found the band removal super easy to recover from. I didn't even have any gas pains from it, just the soreness.

I didnt think that the Sleeve surgery was any worse recovery for me than the Band was. I had surgery on a Monday and went back to work the following Monday. It helped me greatly that I was able to meet my Fluid and Protein goals starting from the 3rd day post-op. I really felt pretty good overall, just the soreness and a little bloated feeling. I did find that I was pretty tired at the end of the day, but I expected that. I think I had a bit of a "been there, done that" feeling going into this surgery.... I pretty much knew what to expect as after effects of laproscopic surgery, and knew what to expect on the phases reintroducing solid foods.

Edited May 8, 2015 by liannatx

[Bndtoslv 292]

This is what I was hoping to hear! I think I was pretty shocked by surgery in general and much more prepared for the removal.

[GutBgone 16]

My band was removed in 2010 and my sleeve surgery was 5 days ago. Wound recovery is about the same as the last times (maybe quicker), but I'm in pain from stomach inflammation. I'm just now up to 48oz of fluids per day. Every swallow is accompanied by a gas pain. My doctors reviewed me and said that I don't have a stricture, just a lot of inflammation.

I was in my early 40s when I got my band, but now I'm almost 50, so that's probably a major contributor.

So right now, I'm miserable from a week-long upset stomach, but today I'm getting my first feelings of hunger. After my upper GI on Tuesday I'm going to try a scrambled egg, but until then, I'm still on liquids. Counting the 2-week pre-op diet, I haven't had solid food in three weeks.

[LSF 264]

My recovery from revision surgery was very easy. I was I was 45 when I got the band - 52 for revision. It was done in 1 surgery and I did not have the gas pain like I did with the band surgery. I was expecting the recovery to be long & painful and was pleasantly surprised how easy it was

[phatfatgirl 100]

Great to hear about easy recoveries. I dont have a surgery date yet and not sure yet if I'll have to have one or two procedures for my revision from band to bypass. Hope it's one though.

[Want2surf 22]

Got the band at age 47. Came out of anesthesia with mild problems (I was freezing and had to be treated with space heaters and warm blankets) but recovery was super quick. I literally had surgery at 9 pm, was released at 11 am and was out shopping that same afternoon. I never used any of the pain medication.

A week ago, I had the band to sleeve conversion, including a repaired hernia. It's been a lot harder. I'm now aged 54. I was hospitalized for 2.5 days. I have a stomach drain for 15 days. I spent the first 3 days using maximum pain med dosage and struggling to get Protein and fluids down. Stopped the pain meds on day 5 and got more active. Day 7 woke up with severe sore throat and bilateral ear aches. Spent all day Sunday trying internet remedies to help ear pain. Took surgery pain meds so I could sleep. Today emailed surgeon and was told to see PMD. Got a late appointment and was given Flonase. Ear pain still worse than surgery pain was so I've just taken pain meds again so I can sleep after sitting up all night with warm compresses on ears. I think I picked up an infection from the hospital but they don't like to give antibiotics so I'm using the Flonase and hoping for relief. This is day 8. I have no abdominal pain. I have good mobility. Other than ear aches my biggest difficulty is staying on top of Fluid and Protein consumption. My surgeon requires 1 ounce spread over 15 minutes. This takes all day and all night. I keep falling asleep and losing time.

I thought it would be easier. I premade cute food logs. I got my phone alarm app ready to go. I haven't met my intake or exercise goals at all. I think I got this virus or infection at the hospital and it has me feeling tired and out of it. Ear aches are the worst. No wonder little kids cry so much when they have them. I think if I didn't have this side issue going on I would be out walking and doing better with Fluid intake, so I'm guessing for a low BMI conversion you can be fairly recovered in a week's time. Wash hands often while hospitalized and don't allow a nurse to reinsert a nasal cannula that was dragged across the floor as I did!

[GutBgone 16]

Update: after 5 days my Fluid intake went up. As of yesterday I'm hungry. The pain from the incisions isn't too bad now and should be gone by next week.

I actually don't hurt at all right now.

[GutBgone 16]

Got the band at age 47. Came out of anesthesia with mild problems (I was freezing and had to be treated with space heaters and warm blankets) but recovery was super quick. I literally had surgery at 9 pm, was released at 11 am and was out shopping that same afternoon. I never used any of the pain medication.

A week ago, I had the band to sleeve conversion, including a repaired hernia. It's been a lot harder. I'm now aged 54. I was hospitalized for 2.5 days. I have a stomach drain for 15 days. I spent the first 3 days using maximum pain med dosage and struggling to get Protein and fluids down. Stopped the pain meds on day 5 and got more active. Day 7 woke up with severe sore throat and bilateral ear aches. Spent all day Sunday trying internet remedies to help ear pain. Took surgery pain meds so I could sleep. Today emailed surgeon and was told to see PMD. Got a late appointment and was given Flonase. Ear pain still worse than surgery pain was so I've just taken pain meds again so I can sleep after sitting up all night with warm compresses on ears. I think I picked up an infection from the hospital but they don't like to give antibiotics so I'm using the Flonase and hoping for relief. This is day 8. I have no abdominal pain. I have good mobility. Other than ear aches my biggest difficulty is staying on top of Fluid and Protein consumption. My surgeon requires 1 ounce spread over 15 minutes. This takes all day and all night. I keep falling asleep and losing time.

I thought it would be easier. I premade cute food logs. I got my phone alarm app ready to go. I haven't met my intake or exercise goals at all. I think I got this virus or infection at the hospital and it has me feeling tired and out of it. Ear aches are the worst. No wonder little kids cry so much when they have them. I think if I didn't have this side issue going on I would be out walking and doing better with Fluid intake, so I'm guessing for a low BMI conversion you can be fairly recovered in a week's time. Wash hands often while hospitalized and don't allow a nurse to reinsert a nasal cannula that was dragged across the floor as I did!

Hang in there. It will get better. Your infection is bad timing, but it'll pass. I was only up to 3oz / hour after 2 days, but all of a sudden, the inflammation in the stomach dropped and I shot up to 10oz at day 5.

[borntothepurple 0]

My band was removed in 2010 and my sleeve surgery was 5 days ago. Wound recovery is about the same as the last times (maybe quicker), but I'm in pain from stomach inflammation. I'm just now up to 48oz of fluids per day. Every swallow is accompanied by a gas pain. My doctors reviewed me and said that I don't have a stricture, just a lot of inflammation.

I was in my early 40s when I got my band, but now I'm almost 50, so that's probably a major contributor.

So right now, I'm miserable from a week-long upset stomach, but today I'm getting my first feelings of hunger. After my upper GI on Tuesday I'm going to try a scrambled egg, but until then, I'm still on liquids. Counting the 2-week pre-op diet, I haven't had solid food in three weeks.

Hi there,

I had the lap band put in in 2001 and removed in 2010 due to 2 port disconnects. I am now looking into getting the sleeve. Did your insurance cover the sleeve? What it difficult to meet the qualifications?

Thank you.

Edited May 15, 2015 by borntothepurple

[GutBgone 16]

Hi there,

I had the lap band put in in 2001 and removed in 2010 due to 2 port disconnects. I am not looking into getting the sleeve. Did your insurance cover the sleeve? What it difficult to meet the qualifications?

Thank you.

I have different insurance now, but they covered it as if it was my first time. 6 month diet history, yada-yada. My BMI was 45 so I was approved.

My doctor is particular, and she doesn't do revisions (or people who continue to smoke or who don't lose wait while getting ready for surgery). The only reason they performed my surgery (and I'm now at higher risk because I'm older) was that I had lost about 70% of my excess body weight on the band - in other words, it worked very well for me, AND I only had it taken out because it was medically necessary.

Counting my 2 week pre-op liquid diet, I'm down 35 lbs already. BMI 40.5

[Want2surf 22]

My band was removed in 2010 and my sleeve surgery was 5 days ago. Wound recovery is about the same as the last times (maybe quicker), but I'm in pain from stomach inflammation. I'm just now up to 48oz of fluids per day. Every swallow is accompanied by a gas pain. My doctors reviewed me and said that I don't have a stricture, just a lot of inflammation.

I was in my early 40s when I got my band, but now I'm almost 50, so that's probably a major contributor.

So right now, I'm miserable from a week-long upset stomach, but today I'm getting my first feelings of hunger. After my upper GI on Tuesday I'm going to try a scrambled egg, but until then, I'm still on liquids. Counting the 2-week pre-op diet, I haven't had solid food in three weeks.

Hi there,

I had the lap band put in in 2001 and removed in 2010 due to 2 port disconnects. I am not looking into getting the sleeve. Did your insurance cover the sleeve? What it difficult to meet the qualifications?

Thank you.

I was very lucky that my Kaiser insurance covered the conversion from band to sleeve. I didn't think they would. I had a very old band done in Mexico. I've had Kaiser for 40 years but I did the band in Mexico because Kaiser didn't do them back them. I did have to go through their 8 weeks of informational classes, around of medical test and psyche testing even though I was within 15 pounds of goal weight. The classes were helpful. I made friends and they helped prep me mentally for the sleeve process. I didn't think I needed that but I really did. Having had the band in for 8 years, I'd developed a very limited scope of what I could eat and not throw up. I'd forgotten how to eat like a normal person.

It wasn't difficult to ask for the band removal. I just told them I throw up constantly and basically had been living on popcorn and tea for years. The conversion part took more convincing but not that much because I'm pretty shy and passive and yet here I am, 12 days about from my revision surgery.

[Want2surf 22]

I had the revision done 5/4. My wounds are healing really well. Bruising around wounds has diminished to almost zero. Today i get the drain removed from my abdomen. The drain is a bit of a pain because you have to try to hide if you want to go anyplace but it doesn't hurt and it's actually kind of interesting seeing and tracking what comes out through it.

I had my first touch of reflux yesterday and today (days 11 and 12). I'm staying at my folks' house because I was told not to drive and I hadn't expected that. So...I don't have all the foods here that I had gotten ahead of time. While here I've been doing 2 costco Protein shakes a day, 1 small can of V-8 (just because it tastes good and feels like real food), 1/2 cup of chicken broth (some days) and Water (sometimes Isopure Protein Water). I haven't felt hungry. I have felt extremely thirsty but my surgeon requires you to pour all intake into a one ounce medical cup and drink it over 15 minutes. I think I have the reflux because I got impatient yesterday and drank too much Soup too quickly.

Sorry to be so wordy! I've been cooped up in my parents' house for 11 days and trying not to drive them crazy.

As I related in an earlier post, I have a nasty virus or infection giving me earaches, sore throat, sore jaw, sore teeth. Something I got at the hospital and it isn't getting better so it skews my perception of this healing process a bit.

There is definitely no comparison between band recovery and band to sleeve revision recovery. By this time after banding I was back at work and I was a firefighter. My surgeon this time around doesn't allow weight lifting until 4-6 weeks out, driving and stuff like vacuuming the floor until 2 weeks out.

[GutBgone 16]

There is definitely no comparison between band recovery and band to sleeve revision recovery. By this time after banding I was back at work and I was a firefighter. My surgeon this time around doesn't allow weight lifting until 4-6 weeks out, driving and stuff like vacuuming the floor until 2 weeks out.

Take their advice. I had mine 5/5 and two days ago I overdid it by moving a chair. I feel like I have a knife sticking out of my biggest incision and I'm back on my day-3 pain meds. The doctor said "don't do that".

Take it easy. I felt great a couple days ago.

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

I was depressed after my band removal. Makes no sense as I had long since admitted defeat. My port site hurt , I felt feverish and had headaches. .but it really was nothing.

Sleeve is hard because at first you can't hydrate well but I was armed with knowledge and positive energy so it was fine! I expected much suffering but really it was not as bad as you might think.

Important part is 3.5 years down the road and I am so happy with my body that I never experienced with band!