Banded in 2001. Questions about converting to Sleeve. Scared.

[VDLT 244]

Hello all, sorry for the long post. I am new here and was hoping for some feedback. I was banded in 2001 and initially did very well and loved my band. Started having bad shoulder pain about 5 years in and saw three different band doctors who all told me there was no way it was band related. I was on a forum back in the day in which several banded folks related the same pain.

Around 2008 I started vomiting a lot and had several fills with a doctor who is very aggressive in his fills. I would often leave the office spitting up and had to turn around on two occasions to have some fill removed. He was not too pleased so I stopped my follow up. Developed heartburn and imaging studies in 2011 revealed esophagitis, gastritis, and a hiatal hernia. I had a complete unfill in either 2011 or 2013 and just gave up and have gained most of my originally lost weight back.

I am now considering switching to sleeve. I keep putting it off because I am terrified of any surgery and also about how bad the band might be in there. I went back to my original band surgeon two months ago who in no uncertain terms told me the band has to come out. He has not done any more bands since 2004. I will most likely be self pay and I am very worried about complications, how I will feel, and not losing.

Can anyone tell me how it feels to have sleeve restriction versus band restriction?

Do you vomit with the sleeve or slime up?

Do you still have GERD if you developed it with the band?

Thank you all in advance for any responses and for all the information you have posted in this forum. I look forward to reading the other posts and getting to know you all

[AvalonNeeCee 127]

Good Morning. I am in the process of going from Band to Sleeve. I had my band removed for many of the same reasons you described in May and it had slipped. I get my sleeve July 14th. I am told that the sleeve is much better and am excited to get it and get back on track with my weight. I gained my weight back pretty fast after having the band loosened and then removed. The removal process was pretty simple, I did have some gas pain but other than that simple removal surgery. My surgeon makes you wait about 2-3 months before he does the sleeve because the risk is much much lower for the sleeve surgery and because it allows stuff to heal in between making the sleeves more successful. It sounds like that healing time would be important for you in your situation.

I have done a ton of research and on here there is a band to sleeve forum where you can read about everything and anything. My band had slipped and that is the cause of a lot of my vomiting, but with the sleeve you do not want to vomit. It is not good to do that, unless you have the flu or something. From what I have read you are more likely to be in pain than to vomit anyway. No slime vomit either with the sleeve. Some people report a period of GERD that eventually goes away and can be treated with pills from Dr or store. I can't yet speak from experience but please friend me and read about my surgery. I know everyone has a different experience with their surgery but almost everyone I read about with the sleeve is happy and would not go back to the band for anything. I wish you lots of success with the sleeve.

[jane13 2,256]

@@AvalonNeeCee - I read your reply and you were great to respond to her questions. I almost did the band for my adult daughter. I am SOOO glad I changed my mind and went with my original plan - sleeve. Love my sleeve. I haven't had any major issues.

[ProudGrammy 8,322]

oooops

[hockeyfan7 249]

Hello all, sorry for the long post. I am new here and was hoping for some feedback. I was banded in 2001 and initially did very well and loved my band. Started having bad shoulder pain about 5 years in and saw three different band doctors who all told me there was no way it was band related. I was on a forum back in the day in which several banded folks related the same pain.

Around 2008 I started vomiting a lot and had several fills with a doctor who is very aggressive in his fills. I would often leave the office spitting up and had to turn around on two occasions to have some fill removed. He was not too pleased so I stopped my follow up. Developed heartburn and imaging studies in 2011 revealed esophagitis, gastritis, and a hiatal hernia. I had a complete unfill in either 2011 or 2013 and just gave up and have gained most of my originally lost weight back.

I am now considering switching to sleeve. I keep putting it off because I am terrified of any surgery and also about how bad the band might be in there. I went back to my original band surgeon two months ago who in no uncertain terms told me the band has to come out. He has not done any more bands since 2004. I will most likely be self pay and I am very worried about complications, how I will feel, and not losing.

Can anyone tell me how it feels to have sleeve restriction versus band restriction?

Do you vomit with the sleeve or slime up?

Do you still have GERD if you developed it with the band?

Thank you all in advance for any responses and for all the information you have posted in this forum. I look forward to reading the other posts and getting to know you all

I had a band in 2012. I also had a hiatal hernia repair at the same time which totally got rid of my GERD. Starting in 2014 I was throwing up pretty much everything I ate. We kept playing around with the fill levels but were never able to find the green zone. I was getting really frustrated - I was even throwing up things like ice cream.

After talking with my surgeon I opted to have the band removed and a sleeve done. They completely unfilled my band in April and I had the sleeve done all in one surgery on June 1st. I don't regret it at all.

I have not yet thrown up or slimed or had any stomach issues at all. I can eat pretty much everything. I'm eating some steak and salad right now. I still have restriction and get full after a reasonable amount but it stays down. And I can eat chicken again. I could never eat chicken after my band no matter how it was cooked or what part of the chicken it was.

My surgeon did tell me that he only removed about 70% of my stomach instead of the normal 80% because he wanted to align with the scar tissue at the top where the esophagus and stomach meet so I wouldn't run a risk of leaks.

I'm very happy so far with the change. And it's nice not to have that port in there which would hit a nerve and really hurt sometimes.

[VDLT 244]

@AvalonNeeCee thank you so much for your response and for sharing your experience. Our stats seem very similar. I am 5 ft tall and am currently around 193 pounds which was about what I weighed when I got the band 14 years ago. My lowest was about 150 and I was in that range for several years. I then got stuck somewhere in the 165 range and was still ok with it but now in the 190s with being so short is really difficult.

@@proudgrammy thank you for your response and for addressing my question regarding GERD. I am hoping it improves when the band is removed.

@@jane13 thanks for sharing. Glad you love your sleeve

@@hockeyfan7 thank you for sharing your experience. I am hoping fixing the hernia does the trick for me as well. My port is flipped and not only is it very difficult to access, even under fluoro, but it hurts quite a bit at least once or twice a week.

[Tazwella 39]

I had the band in 2006 and for 8 years I fought with it. When I finally thought I was in the green zone last year it really had slipped. That was the last straw. My surgeon won't do the surgery to remove band and do sleeve at the same time. He said the rate of leaks is a lot higher. So I had my band out in May and am having the sleeve surgery August 3rd. I'm nervous since I've been through so much with the band. But I've read so many posts here from people who love the sleeve. I hope that having already dealt with the restriction of the band will help us with the sleeve.

[metawnny 8]

I was also a band patient that fought with my band for 7 years. I had severe acid reflux, could never get to the sweet spot with my fills, and ultimately had the band slip. I had it removed in March 2014 and was converted to sleeve on June 1, 2015. I did gain all my weight back after band removal but GERD was instantly gone! Since, I was a self pay, I had to wait for a year to save up and have the sleeve performed. I ended up going to OCC in Tijuana and it was the best medical care I have ever received.

Since getting the sleeve a month ago, I have not had any sliming/vomiting episodes or acid reflux. The pressure is way different. With the band, I always felt like I was choking when I would eat. I have thrown up in so my public restrooms, I could not even begin to count. Now with the sleeve, I just full. Much better then choking.

[Tazwella 39]

Metawnny, do you think you can eat more than you should be able to? I've read a lot of revision patients that say their sleeve is larger because of having had the band. I wonder if having the surgeries a few months apart helps with that.

[metawnny 8]

Hi Tazwella,

I have not done much research on revision patients and I had never heard that band revisions could be larger. In my case (and again, it has only been a month with the sleeve) I really don't think I can eat more then I should. The main reason I think that is because my husband got the sleeve the same day as I did. He had no previous WLS and I know that I eat either same or usually less then him at each meal. Prior to getting my sleeve, I hate to admit it because it isn't very lady like but prior to getting the sleeve I could keep up with his large appetite without any problems.

I am not sure if the wait between unbanding and sleeve surgery helped or not but it makes sense to me that it could. I know my doctor still called it a revision because he said he would have to clear out the scar tissue left over from the band before doing the sleeve procedure. In any case, so far I love my sleeve.

[VDLT 244]

@@Tazwella thank you for sharing. I have had the band for almost 14 years and haven't found anyone being converted this far out. I am also hoping that having the band will lessen the learning curve.

@@metawnny so glad to hear the restriction is different. I hated being stuck and in pain yet still hungry.

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

I was banded in mar 2001

Removed Sept 2011 - 11 years of unpleasantness

Sleeved Dec 2011

Lost 150# and hit goal Feb 2013

July 2015...still doing good!

[VDLT 244]

@@CowgirlJane Thank you so much! Your stats are impressive!

[ReaderGirl 17]

HI VDLT,

Just a summary, I was banded in Sept. of 2003. Have had my band for 12 years. I am 5'3, I get you on the short thing! Would do anything to be 3 inches taller! anyway, I just read your post and I totally get you. I was 241 when I had my lapband, I did at one point make it to 185 after going thru a very bad divorce, which will make anyone loose weight and then put more weight on. I have been filled and unfilled so many times it was unreal. I felt like just give it to me I can do my own fill, that's how many I had. I never got the "sweet spot" I just threw up everything thing that went in my mouth, good , bad or ugly for the last 10 years. 2 years ago I went to my doctor(actually a new doctor, my doctor had moved away and referred us to a nearby doctor, which now I see was a good thing.)anyway I had him take all my Fluid out. I was having a surgery and wanted to be able to swallow pills and eat. The new doctor said you just need this out , it doesnt work you need the sleeve. I went home and said nope I can deal with this. so I did that. at that point I was up to 225, after 2 years of unfill I gained 5 pounds up to 230.i was throwing up less, still unable to eat beef pork or white meat chicken. and still getting sick about once a week, well that was better than I was used to. so I dealt with it.

I was actually thinking I can do this without surgery, I tried for 6 months, doctor approved diet etc etc. well 6 months later I weigh 231. I said that's it. I went back to the surgeon's office in April of this year and said. I want this. I am ready. and he had no problem at all. after the scope he found, I had a hitatial hernia, he can't prove but pretty sure it is from the band. I had gastritis, I also had the infection called h pylori. my throat and stomach was bright red, it was not pretty.so I went thru everything he wanted, test , talked with the NUT's and all the test. I did the 2 week pre op diet. I had surgery on July 1st .... 9 days ago. he removed the band, fixed the hernia and did the sleeve. all at one time.

he said I had some scar tissue but it wasn't bad , and was glad I got the band out. He is very sure that I will do great , his office and staff are a great support system and are very encouraging and want you to come back and if you have problems they are there.

I also was cash paying! my insurance paid a little bit for the hernia to be repaired. but honestly I paid 14,362.00 for my surgery. and that is ok. I am worth it. My health is worth it. save the money, take a loan do what you have to do. you will not regret it.

the first 2 days were hard, and I got nervous, but I did what they told me and now I am 9 days out. and I am actually at work right now on my lunch break. today was my first day back to a desk job. but you can do it. and should do it.

I do not regret this! and you will not either.

my best friend and I were banded together me in 2003 and her in 2004.

she did her sleeve July 2014 (all one surgery too, she used a different doctor than me. she actually used DR Garth from my 600# life the tv show) and I did mine this July 2015. and we both do not regret it at all.

there is no reason to live like that with the band. I am not sure where you are located, I am near Houston Texas and we have great doctors here. I have seen people talk about doctors not doing this at one time. unless you have a lot of other problems I don't get it. it was easy and things went smoothly.

Find a doctor you like, and do it. you won't regret it. The band worked for some but not for everyone, I recently read some where on this board a link to a medical report that said the band had a 80% failure rate. its not you its the band, get something that works. and talk with a good doctor, and get your health back!

hope this helps at least a little bit!!!!

[judyd 6]

I had really bad esophagitis at the end with the band. It had slipped and all that pain is the main reason I had it removed in 2012. My doctor told me since I haven't had GERD since removal that I am at no greater risk with the sleeve. I sure hope so!