Revision from Lap Band to Sleeve

[RavenDW17 0]

Hello, I'm 5 years post op with band and looking to get a revision to the sleeve. I need something that has long term success. I'm just very nervous about the surgery. How was the surgery? Your recovery process? I'm honestly looking for first hand accounts of patients who have gone through revision surgery. I want to hear the good/bad/ugly. I'm doing all my research in my spare time but with that I want to hear stories from people who have already gone through it. Thank you!

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[hermione53 157]

Hi, I've been through a band to sleeve conversion after an initial band and then a revision. My band removal and sleeve surgery were done 8 weeks apart. I had my sleeve surgery 6 weeks ago. The surgery went really well even though I had to have an unexpected second hiatal hernia repair. Apparently the surgery took longer than expected. I didn't have much in the way of gas pains. My pain meds worked well and I went home day 2. The recovery was more painful than I'd anticipated so I stayed on narcotics over 2 weeks. I'd heard sleeve surgery is easier than a gallbladder removal. I'd say it was the same as my gallbladder removal. More painful than band surgery, but I'm 18 years older now so that may have something to do with it. It was really hard to bend over for a while and then voila about 2 1/2 weeks in it got a lot better. sleeping was tough bc I'm a side sleeper and I had to sleep on my back for a while. I took four weeks off from work and I'm so glad I did because I needed the time to get my energy back. Now I'm feeling great and am SO happy to have made this change. It's such a different experience physically and emotionally. Good luck to you!

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[Luce587 48]

Hi! I'm 3 weeks post revision band to sleeve. My surgeon was able to remove my band and give me a sleeve in the one operation. The surgery itself took longer than expected as my band had quite a bit of scar tissue around the band and a pouch. Thankfully she was able to perform the sleeve.

Recovery wise, I've had a lot of nausea. I stayed an extra night in hospital to get it under control, but still get some rolling nausea now. It's getting better every day- I'm just one of the unlucky ones. I have no interest in food- in fact, I have to set an alarm on my phone to remind me to eat.

Pain was managable- I kept up my meds until the prescribed ones were gone (mainly used at night) and took paracetamol to assist with pain and inflammation. I'd say it was a little more uncomfortable than the band, but still managable. I took 4 weeks off work and go back Monday.

My scars are healing beautifully and I'm down 20 pounds from pre-op.

[seattle12 1]

I had my band removed 5 years ago due to an infection attaching to my band and the only way to get rid of was to remove. Gained weight back that I had lost with band and got the sleeve I November. Minimal pain, and gas less than with band. I was back to work, from home in 2 days and office in a week. Surgery took a bit longer due to scar tissue but certainly doable. Works great, little hunger and you can just eat about half a cup, which in creases the longer you have it

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[hmm33502 187]

Oh my goodness! Do it! I had my band removed and sleeve performed in one surgery just 5 weeks ago. It is completely different and so much better! My surgery took longer than expected due to scar tissue, but recovery was so easy as compared to the band recovery. I stayed 1 night in the hospital and was completely off of pain meds in 3 days. I had so many gas issues with gas trying to escape from my stomach and hitting the brick wall of the band. I don't have the same problems with eating healthy foods like I did with the band. I'm amazed that I don't really get hungry or crave food. Following the diet plan by my dr has been super easy. I don't really eat sugar or carbs. Just LOTS of Protein. I drink 80 oz of Water daily. It is wonderful! I was back to doing cardio in week 2 and had no energy issues past the first week. Once I was cleared to eat (week 2 for my dr. No purée phase) I was back at work and back to life as usual. The best advice I can give is to follow the doctors orders to a T. Don't think that you can do anything or not do anything that you did with the band. It is so different. I'm down 23 lbs in 5 weeks and workout at least 5 days per week for 1-2 hours. I'm adding strength training after I get the approval at my 6 week appt next week. I'm very strict about my eating, but it is so much easier now. Good luck!

Banded 2010 weight:327

Sleeved 12/28/16 weight:253

CW: 230 GW: 155

Heather in Texas

[hmm33502 187]

Warning: you will stall! I had a 2 week stall in there (at 1 week) where I lost NOTHING!! Just keep going and power through it!!

Banded 2010 weight:327

Sleeved 12/28/16 weight:253

CW: 230 GW: 155

Heather in Texas

[Lady VS 1,147]

Hello, I'm 5 years post op with band and looking to get a revision to the sleeve. I need something that has long term success. I'm just very nervous about the surgery. How was the surgery? Your recovery process? I'm honestly looking for first hand accounts of patients who have gone through revision surgery. I want to hear the good/bad/ugly. I'm doing all my research in my spare time but with that I want to hear stories from people who have already gone through it. Thank you!

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If I May ask, what happened that your band stopped working after only 5 years?

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[Tami_819 17]

Hi, Had my band in 2010 and my revision to a sleeve 1/23/17. I can tell you so far so good. Surgery went well per the doc. Was in the hosptial over night & home the next afternoon. I'm allergic to pretty much all narcordics so i was in a bit more pain than probably should've been. Still it wasn't that unbearable. Biggest thing i've learned this time around is that i'm truly not hungry, even before the surgery. I think it was the premeir Protein shakes, they did their job. I realized though that we just eat out of habit at home. My biggest struggle right now is getting the 64 oz fluids in and i believe that's because i wasn't taking my time sipping. I've slowed down and things have gotten better. On the pureed food as of yesterday. I down 26 lbs as of this morning and plan on getting back into the gym next week and on full gym routine by the start of March.

[BigUtahMan 207]

I was banded in 2004, removed in 2012 from complications that nearly killed me. Gained all the weight back.

Sleeved in November, the easiest surgery I have done. Love it!

[RavenDW17 0]

I was banded in 2004, removed in 2012 from complications that nearly killed me. Gained all the weight back.
Sleeved in November, the easiest surgery I have done. Love it!

Would you mind sharing with me what your complications were? I ask because Saturday I had a mini stuck episode with my band. It's felt tender ever since. I'm not eating much due to lack of appetite but I am eating just fine when I do eat. I'm curious what I need to look out for. I'm looking to have the revision surgery this summer. I'm very nervous of the potential complications though.

[RavenDW17 0]

If I May ask, what happened that your band stopped working after only 5 years?
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Nothing particularly happened with my band. I've had zero complications thus far. In the first 2 years I was very successful. However, in my third year I started gaining weight back. I figured it was due to me trying to conceive. Here I am 5.5 years out and still struggling to get to my pre baby weight. I learned that due to my pre existing endocrine issues that the lap band had the reverse effect on my metabolism. It started really slowing down. I had to have my band emptied. I'm now in the prep stage of getting my sleeve done for this summer.

[BigUtahMan 207]

Sure,

Reader's digest version. - One of the side effects of the band is that it can affect the esophagus. Mind did after several years which means my esophagus muscles wouldn't function correctly and would not loosen. Thus blocking some of my food from reaching the stomach and staying in the esophagus. Then when I slept at night, this food and drink would then enter my lungs.

Eventually, this caused me to have walking pneumonia. Not knowing I had this condition it went unnoticed, and my chest cavity began to fill up with the disease. Eventually the disease grew to the point it collapsed my lung when i was on a business trip. (Still not knowing I had an issue, because it presented itself as all back pain. So I ignorantly assumed I pinched a nerve or slipped a disc in my back. (I flew home, then flew to NYC, both flights could have killed me in that condition.) While in NYC I went to the emergency room as it was difficult to breath, where I had a resting heart rate of 233!

Worse, the disease is now RAGING in my body and my whole body is septic. (They said had I not gone to the hospital when I did, I would have died a few hours later. I spent the next two weeks in ICU.

A couple months later I removed the band and my esophagus returned to normal! Yay!

But then I started to gain a lot of weight, as I did not have insurance and I went through BK because of it. Fast forward 5 years later and I just got sleeved. I wish I didn't have the attributes that make me addicted to food, but I do. So I am grateful for both surgeries. But I wouldn't fear the sleeve.

Hope this helps- B