Why is everyone converting from band to sleeve?

[moe1983 3]

@ I had the same issue, my esophagus is not working anymore and I converted to sleeve, yet my esophagus is not working and still have to do endoscopy twice a year . What's your status now ?

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[this sucks 557]

@ I had the same issue, my esophagus is not working anymore and I converted to sleeve, yet my esophagus is not working and still have to do endoscopy twice a year . What's your status now ?

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I'm doing okay. I'm 2 1/2 weeks post op and so far, so good. I am not having any trouble with the move to puréed foods but am anxious to see how "real" food feels. I don't know how that's going to work with the esophagus already being damaged.

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[carley0303 4]

I had by band put in March of 2013. I lost 48lbs no problem. But as I continued to get filled, I started getting reflux bad, my food kept getting stuck even slider foods. I slime all the time. My doctor doesn't even put the bands in anymore. I still don't eat much and can not eat meat at all since being banded. I go in to have the band removed at the end of this month. Then will be sleeved 8 weeks after.

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[ludyborgella 6]

Just got the band done and I also know a lot of successful people with a band, why the drastic change? Does the band stop working after so many years, even if you stay on top of your fills?! Just curious.

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I had the band too and I'm doing fine. I'm loosing the weight slowly that's all. I'm able to eat everything in small portion.

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[My4Brownies 283]

Good ??? Because I have read a lot of people doing so...My surgeon did not even mention the band to me only the sleeve and bypass..with my choice

.I have IBS and the thought of rerouting my intestimes was not appealing to me with my bowel issues already????

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[tamirn 90]

My surgeon do not do bands anymore because the success rate is not as high as he would like.. He recommend the sleeve for me.

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[Christina.Rose 287]

I hated getting fills that didn't work at all and then going back in and getting overfilled and not being able to even swallow spit searching for my mythological green zone. I hated eating a too big bite or a bite too much and immediately vomiting. I hated The pressure and pain of getting stuck. I HATED GETTING USELESS REPETITIOUS FILLS.....I am getting sleeved in December and my band has slipped. I also had to move out of state for a job soon after I was banded and could not find a doctor who would take "someone else's" patient so I feel like even though I lost about 50lbs (that I gained back) with the band, that I never got the full benefits from it. Years later I started getting the fills again and I cant stand the lack of precision for finding the green zone. I am fed up. Good luck for your journey! I recommend REALLY staying on top of those fills. They suck but if you have to get that green zone or you are wasting your time and energy.

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[susanh14 6]

because of all the fills that never got me to the green area, no significant weight loss and still being hungry. now have the sleeve, and my hunger is much less, and I've had significant weight loss 60 lbs in 6 months.

[Travelher 915]

I revised to rny...mine worked for 4 years and then misbehaved after pregnancy and then just broke completely at 11 years.

[hermione53 157]

Hi, this is my first post. I'm almost 4 weeks post my sleeve surgery and so happy that I made the switch. Short version: I was banded 12/99 and loved it at first, but I didn't stick with the exercise and eating regimen as well as I was supposed to. Lost about 32 pounds. Gained about 20 back. Lost it again... Didn't realize it for years, but the band had slipped and I had a hiatal hernia. Lots of acid reflux. My pain wasn't as bad as others. Got to my lowest weight b/c I couldn't get much down. Was rebanded 9/07 and had no success. Even with a very tight fill I could eat quite a lot. Not a plate of pancakes or anything, but a lot. Would lose on Weight Watchers, gain again... blamed myself. Felt like a failure. My PCP asked me early in 2016 if I wanted a referral to a different surgeon. I was about 50/50 regarding doing a conversion because I didn't think I was having any problems and I could feel some restriction so knew it was doing me some good. I got a lot of support from the whole team, though, and decided to go for the conversion. Had my band removed 10/16. Sleeve done two months later. Winds up that I had another hiatal hernia. Who knew? All I know is that after both bands I experienced lots of hunger and was fighting with myself from day one. With the sleeve I feel almost no hunger. I know things will change as time goes on, but for now I'm very grateful.

[feliciadawn 22]

I've had my band in for about 5 years. Initially I lost about 70 lbs, but then my life became stressful and I started eating more. It was my fault, but I gained the weight back. My band is fine except when I eat, almost everything gets stuck and I have to sit and wait...and wait...and wait for it to go down. Had a barium swallow and the band is fine. My problems started when I went to get a fill, woke up the next morning, and couldn't even swallow Water. I had to go back to the dr. to get the Fluid taken out of the band. I didn't want to go through it again, so I never went back for another fill.

Flash forward a few years and the weight is back. I went to a great doctor near where I live and he said the band is crap and he doesn't do it anymore. He said many people are in my situation where they can't tolerate fills. The problem is many people, especially women, retain water often. The body swells as do the internal organs including the stomach. When this happens, your band is tighter and it's harder to eat. I can't tolerate fills because I have a lot of water retention in my body naturally, especially during "that time of the month" and my band is already so tight that everything gets stuck which leads me to reach for junk food which slides right through. I am switching to the sleeve because I know at some point, this band is going to have complications and I'd rather be proactive. I also want something more permanent that isn't an artificial implant in my body. I think the sleeve is going to allow me to eat more healthy without the "stuck" feelings of the band, and I hope to get to my goal weight this time around (about 100 lbs)

[hmm33502 187]

I personally couldn't get used to the fact that I couldn't eat healthy foods with the band. Things like salads, some vegetables and lean meats were the hardest for me to get down. I had all my fill taken out about 4 years ago and up until last week (when I was sleeved) I would still vomit up certain foods. I hated it.
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Yes!!! Me too! I was sleeved in December and haven't looked back! The band has its limitations, but worked decently well for me. When I would near my TOM, my stomach would swell and everything would get stuck. Absolutely NO eating anything healthy. I would eat only slider foods. My teeth were eroding due to vomiting. Acid ruled my life and I would have a panic attack thinking about how many times I would need to run to the restroom when I would go out to dinner with anyone who didn't know the "situation." Since being sleeved in December, I have vomited twice. Once was because I ate too much and one was because I ate rice and it expanded. I only stick to riceless sushi now!


Banded 2010. Sleeved Dec 2016
122 lbs lost

[hermione53 157]

I was maintaining a good weight loss with my first lap band but also had a lot of trouble getting down healthy foods. The reflux was very bad due to slippage and I was maintaining the loss because I couldn't get much down. When I had a replacement band installed, I felt very little restriction even with a max fill. By that point I was used to slider foods so I rapidly gained weight. I should have made a point of going back to meats and vegetables, but I was so freaked out by the lack of restriction that I gave up. The sleeve feels so much healthier to me.

[Jadeskys 13]

Long story short my band slipped out of place, causing pain. My sleeve will be done May 1st,2017

[Sunnymommy 14]

I hope your surgery went well today. My revision is the 17th


Lap band 2009
Sw 200/lw 161/cw 214
Sleeve revision booked 17 May