Has anyone been sleeved twice?

[nessa87 14]

Hi everyone, I was sleeved November 2011, after having my first child 2 years ago I gained all my weight back. I was wondering if anyone has been sleeved twice? I'm contemplating the idea, but of course I will have to talk to my Dr about it. I've tried the 5 day pouch test and didn't work for me.

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[Berry78 4,261]

If you want another surgery, you probably want to consider a bypass or duodenal switch. The sleeve can be converted to either of these.

[Treadmillwalker 486]

What do you think will change with another surgery? Before doing another surgery perhaps you should see someone about food addiction. You currently have only 20% of your stomach and you are still overeating and making poor food choices. Surgery won't sew your mouth closed or lock the cabinets and stop you from buying fast food. The issue is not a failed surgery, but instead the will to sacrifice and make the healthy changes you need to. Another surgery is expensive and not guaranteed to work if you haven't changed your eating and exercise after having 80% of your stomach already removed. Look deeper at yourself--what do you need to internally change?

Lap-banded and love it!

[Middus 491]

I don't think many doctors will sleeve you twice. Too much room for complications. They will most likely tell you to try dieting, then probably attempt a different type of weight loss surgery..

[RickM 1,747]

The first thing that you need to determine is whether the sleeve is a problem or your usage of the sleeve. Sleeves can be defective, particularly when the surgeon is new to doing them as most were 5-7 years ago; sometimes they are mis-shapen with too much of the stretchy fundus left behind (often in conjunction with a stricture, but not necessarily. Some imaging tests can determine how things are doing in there. If the sleeve is nominally shaped and a fairly normal capacity for a mature sleeve, there is little benefit to re-doing it as it will be back to this same condition within a couple of years.

It is no surprise that the pouch test didn't do anything, as they don't typically do anything (even for those who do have a pouch, which we don't.) A better test is your capacity to eat meats - how much steak or chicken, by itself, can you comfortably eat? That is much more telling than those liquid/sloppy pouch tests fad diets.

Have you fallen back to old habits, eating more high calorie junk food that slides on thru your sleeve, drinking calories, etc. or is your diet still largely compliant with standard WLS recommendations?

If the sleeve is defective, it can be resleeved, either on its own or as part of a DS, though I would think carefully about letting the original surgeon do the job - if his experience was marginal for doing sleeves five years ago, he may be doing consistently serviceable sleeves by now, but probably hasn't yet developed the skills to competently repair them.

[Joy889 11]

My surgery is in 2 weeks, I got approved by both my insurance and my doctors... i know i will not make the same mistakes I made before...don't let anyone judge or talk you out of it.... everyone journey is different

[nessa87 14]

The first thing that you need to determine is whether the sleeve is a problem or your usage of the sleeve. Sleeves can be defective, particularly when the surgeon is new to doing them as most were 5-7 years ago; sometimes they are mis-shapen with too much of the stretchy fundus left behind (often in conjunction with a stricture, but not necessarily. Some imaging tests can determine how things are doing in there. If the sleeve is nominally shaped and a fairly normal capacity for a mature sleeve, there is little benefit to re-doing it as it will be back to this same condition within a couple of years.
It is no surprise that the pouch test didn't do anything, as they don't typically do anything (even for those who do have a pouch, which we don't.) A better test is your capacity to eat meats - how much steak or chicken, by itself, can you comfortably eat? That is much more telling than those liquid/sloppy pouch tests fad diets.
Have you fallen back to old habits, eating more high calorie junk food that slides on thru your sleeve, drinking calories, etc. or is your diet still largely compliant with standard WLS recommendations?
If the sleeve is defective, it can be resleeved, either on its own or as part of a DS, though I would think carefully about letting the original surgeon do the job - if his experience was marginal for doing sleeves five years ago, he may be doing consistently serviceable sleeves by now, but probably hasn't yet developed the skills to competently repair them.

I will be honest, I believe my sleeve worked and I still do feel restriction, but I can eat a lot more than I used too. I get hungry frequently and I was eating a lot of carbs, I get full a lot quicker when I have Protein first.


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[Pam_2-06-2017 375]

Carbs and sugar, especially breads and fried foods do not satisfy you nutritionally. Your hunger is your body saying "Feed me nutrition!" :-). Whether we are sleeved or not those foods cause additional hunger. Think about time you were first sleeved and how devoted to doing it right you were. Whether you feel you've "stretched" your sleeve or not you still have restrictiveness. Take advantage of your restriction and feed it good stuff. Remember? Protein, veggies and if you have room then a few carbs. Back to basics[emoji173]. You still have the tool. You still have 80% of your tummy gone and the nasty grelin hormone producers aren't there. When your hungry think of it as you body crying out for something clean and healthy. You can do this. You've done it before.

Use this support board to come to when you just don't feel you can do it.

Take care

[nessa87 14]

Carbs and sugar, especially breads and fried foods do not satisfy you nutritionally. Your hunger is your body saying "Feed me nutrition!" :-). Whether we are sleeved or not those foods cause additional hunger. Think about time you were first sleeved and how devoted to doing it right you were. Whether you feel you've "stretched" your sleeve or not you still have restrictiveness. Take advantage of your restriction and feed it good stuff. Remember? Protein, veggies and if you have room then a few carbs. Back to basics[emoji173]. You still have the tool. You still have 80% of your tummy gone and the nasty grelin hormone producers aren't there. When your hungry think of it as you body crying out for something clean and healthy. You can do this. You've done it before.

Use this support board to come to when you just don't feel you can do it.

Take care

Thank you for the encouragement[emoji4] I started carb cycling which limits carbs to 50g per day so I'm eating Protein first and all day lol it's not easy cause I'm craving sweets especially bread and [emoji515], but I'm trying my best to stick to it.

Thank you[emoji171]


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[RickM 1,747]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_aahPETzH0

This is a vid that we have been discussing on another forum that relates to what you are experiencing. Basically, the doc is discussing how our stomach will increase in capacity over time (as in years, not just the few months post-op), and we need to expect and accommodate that. His main solution is loading up with more veg, which isn't far off from what I have been doing these past few years - I have a decent sized salad most every day for lunch and while it only has a couple ounces of meat in it, it is still very satisfying most all afternoon. It may not be for you, but it is a good way to accommodate increased capacity with minimal calories to avoid regain.