Lap Band Warning!!
I am a lap band to VSG revision person and someone posted a question on the VSG site asking people who had revisions from lap band why they were unhappy with the band. I posted my reply and another person responded to my post asking that I post it here, so that those people thinking about the lap band could hear about a very common problem with it. So I cut and pasted my other reply (to someone with a lap band considering a revision to VSG) below with some additional information added in. I hope it helps with your decision making process. Best wishes and Good Luck!
Post Date: 1/11/11 10:41 pm
Wow! You could have been describing me when I had the band! The tight/uncomfortable/painful feeling way high up in the chest, nearly in the throat was a killer. I would often wait forever (by forever, I mean an hour or even longer) for the feeling to pass and it wouldn't pass until after I finally went and made myself throw up! And I too, was unable to eat any veg (except corn) and very few fruits; also I couldn't eat eggs, beef (except ground beef), chicken or pork and was mostly stuck with fish as my protein. (Thank God I like fish!) I was miserable and also reverted to making bad food choices, just to find things that would go down without pain, and so of course, I started to gain back what little weight I had lost.
For me the worst part of all was the impact it had on my social life. I always seemed to have worse problems when I was eating out at restaurants. I would get that painful stuck feeling in my chest and then spend most of the evening in the restroom, instead of at the table enjoying the good conversation with my friends. It got to the point that I stopped accepting the invitations to go out to eat and saddest of all, my friends eventually even stopped inviting me. (They had good intentions, as they knew I would decline because of my band and they didn't want me to fee bad about declining, but in the end it actually made me feel worse, and caused me to have depression that didn't exist prior to being banded!) However, now that I've gotten the band out, I can eat out at restaurants again! In fact, just 3 weeks post-op, on New Year's Eve I went out with friends and was able to stay at the table and eat (just a small amount) and enjoy the conversation, instead of spending the evening in the bathroom afraid I was going to throw up!
I got the lap band on October 13, 2007 and revised to VSG on December 6, 2010. I originally got the band because it was less invasive and I was afraid of "real" surgery. However, the band surgery actually was more painful for me than the VSG surgery. (For a week after the band surgery I felt like I had been punched in the stomach and it was a week before I could sleep on my side and 2 weeks before I could sleep on my stomach. However, with the VSG surgery, I literally had zero pain and only minimal nausea. I was sleeping on my side within 3 days and on my stomach within 5 days!) Also, the band was significantly more expensive than VSG. Not only was the actual surgery more expensive, despite being outpatient; I also ended up paying lots of money for fills and unfills and more fills and unfills at $150 each fill & unfill. Between lap band surgery and all the fills/unfills, I probably ended up paying around $5,000. The VSG surgery cost me $800 and since there are no fills, etc., there are no follow-up costs, that is it! (Post-op follow-ups with the surgeon and meeting with the nutritionist are part of the program and don't cost extra.)
Now, I have been told that people who are band to sleeve revisions tend to lose the weight slower than a weight loss surgery virgin. (I don't know if that is true, but I know I have been losing slower than some other people, but I don't know if that is because I was a revision person or if it is because I'm a lower BMI person...or some of both?) However, I already feel like the revision was the best choice I ever made and the only regret I have is that I didn't do the VSG the first time!
Post Date: 1/11/11 10:41 pm
Wow! You could have been describing me when I had the band! The tight/uncomfortable/painful feeling way high up in the chest, nearly in the throat was a killer. I would often wait forever (by forever, I mean an hour or even longer) for the feeling to pass and it wouldn't pass until after I finally went and made myself throw up! And I too, was unable to eat any veg (except corn) and very few fruits; also I couldn't eat eggs, beef (except ground beef), chicken or pork and was mostly stuck with fish as my protein. (Thank God I like fish!) I was miserable and also reverted to making bad food choices, just to find things that would go down without pain, and so of course, I started to gain back what little weight I had lost.
For me the worst part of all was the impact it had on my social life. I always seemed to have worse problems when I was eating out at restaurants. I would get that painful stuck feeling in my chest and then spend most of the evening in the restroom, instead of at the table enjoying the good conversation with my friends. It got to the point that I stopped accepting the invitations to go out to eat and saddest of all, my friends eventually even stopped inviting me. (They had good intentions, as they knew I would decline because of my band and they didn't want me to fee bad about declining, but in the end it actually made me feel worse, and caused me to have depression that didn't exist prior to being banded!) However, now that I've gotten the band out, I can eat out at restaurants again! In fact, just 3 weeks post-op, on New Year's Eve I went out with friends and was able to stay at the table and eat (just a small amount) and enjoy the conversation, instead of spending the evening in the bathroom afraid I was going to throw up!
I got the lap band on October 13, 2007 and revised to VSG on December 6, 2010. I originally got the band because it was less invasive and I was afraid of "real" surgery. However, the band surgery actually was more painful for me than the VSG surgery. (For a week after the band surgery I felt like I had been punched in the stomach and it was a week before I could sleep on my side and 2 weeks before I could sleep on my stomach. However, with the VSG surgery, I literally had zero pain and only minimal nausea. I was sleeping on my side within 3 days and on my stomach within 5 days!) Also, the band was significantly more expensive than VSG. Not only was the actual surgery more expensive, despite being outpatient; I also ended up paying lots of money for fills and unfills and more fills and unfills at $150 each fill & unfill. Between lap band surgery and all the fills/unfills, I probably ended up paying around $5,000. The VSG surgery cost me $800 and since there are no fills, etc., there are no follow-up costs, that is it! (Post-op follow-ups with the surgeon and meeting with the nutritionist are part of the program and don't cost extra.)
Now, I have been told that people who are band to sleeve revisions tend to lose the weight slower than a weight loss surgery virgin. (I don't know if that is true, but I know I have been losing slower than some other people, but I don't know if that is because I was a revision person or if it is because I'm a lower BMI person...or some of both?) However, I already feel like the revision was the best choice I ever made and the only regret I have is that I didn't do the VSG the first time!
Thanks for sharing - I am also very happy that I had my revision to VSG - and yes, I am also losing much more slowly than a virgin sleever would but after 5 years of food intolerance and "PBing" I'm just happy to be able to eat like a normal person. Good luck!!
Lynn C ~
Banded 9/12/2005 ~ Revision to VSG on 9/7/2010 ~ Losing again with a Keto lifestyle
I agree, it's nice to eat like a "normal" person again, after 3 years-2 months of food intolerance for me! Although it's slower weight loss (and even if that also possibly means a little less weight loss than a virgin WLS person), I'm still grateful for having had the revision! Good luck to you too! 
Hi Maria! It was because your posting, encouraged some of us revision people on the VSG board to post here, that I did this posting. I just hadn't thought about it before, I simply thought I was a VSG person now, so I belonged on the VSG boards. But, you're right, it's a good idea for us to post here too, in order to help those thinking about the band to have all the information (not that they shouldn't go with the band as it may be the right choice for them, but just so they have all the information before they decide). So lots of pre-op lap band people owe you a big thank you, for encouraging us revision folks to post our experiences here! Best Wishes and Good Luck to you Maria!!
I think it is especially important for former bansters to post here in support of people who are struggling and not getting the support they need from people who are doing OK.
It is very hard for some people to put themselves in someone elses shoes It is hard to understand someone else's pain unless you have experienced it yourself.
At some point there comes a realization that the band is not going to work no matter how often you are encouraged to "follow the rules." People need to know that there is a way out. I felt like a million bucks one week after my VSG. I was glowing with health and vitality for the first time in over two years.
It is very hard for some people to put themselves in someone elses shoes It is hard to understand someone else's pain unless you have experienced it yourself.
At some point there comes a realization that the band is not going to work no matter how often you are encouraged to "follow the rules." People need to know that there is a way out. I felt like a million bucks one week after my VSG. I was glowing with health and vitality for the first time in over two years.
Phyllis
"Me agreeing with you doesn't preclude you from being a deviant."
Yes those bandsters that are struggling NEED to hear stories like ours. I have gotten PM's thanking me for posting and saying they felt like they were the only ones going through this.
The band forum really can be a SUPPORT forum for ALL bandsters, and I would like to see that happen!!!
So glad your doing so well with your VSG!
You are lucky your VSG surgery only cost you $800. I am self pay and to revise isn't really an option. I fooled myself into thinking I would be ok with slapping it on a CC... but since I am still paying off my lap band, it really isn't an option.
"The tight/uncomfortable/painful feeling way high up in the chest, nearly in the throat was a killer. I would often wait forever (by forever, I mean an hour or even longer) for the feeling to pass and it wouldn't pass until after I finally went and made myself throw up! And I too, was unable to eat any veg (except corn) and very few fruits; also I couldn't eat eggs, beef (except ground beef), chicken or pork and was mostly stuck with fish as my protein. (Thank God I like fish!) I was miserable and also reverted to making bad food choices, just to find things that would go down without pain, and so of course, I started to gain back what little weight I had lost."
That describes my experience to a T. I really really hope after my port replacememnt I can find a consistent restriction and learn to work with it. I plan on keeping the restriction a little on the loose side and hope that takes care of above mentioned issues I was having.
I wish I would have seen more stories like this before my surgery... I would have seriously considered VSG. But honestly, I don't know if I would have made a different choice at THAT time.
Now, without a doubt, I would revise. Anyone want to chip in a buck to my revision fund? Ha ha.
"The tight/uncomfortable/painful feeling way high up in the chest, nearly in the throat was a killer. I would often wait forever (by forever, I mean an hour or even longer) for the feeling to pass and it wouldn't pass until after I finally went and made myself throw up! And I too, was unable to eat any veg (except corn) and very few fruits; also I couldn't eat eggs, beef (except ground beef), chicken or pork and was mostly stuck with fish as my protein. (Thank God I like fish!) I was miserable and also reverted to making bad food choices, just to find things that would go down without pain, and so of course, I started to gain back what little weight I had lost."
That describes my experience to a T. I really really hope after my port replacememnt I can find a consistent restriction and learn to work with it. I plan on keeping the restriction a little on the loose side and hope that takes care of above mentioned issues I was having.
I wish I would have seen more stories like this before my surgery... I would have seriously considered VSG. But honestly, I don't know if I would have made a different choice at THAT time.
Now, without a doubt, I would revise. Anyone want to chip in a buck to my revision fund? Ha ha.
01|17|08 lap band 08|12|08 gallbladder 01|17|11 port replacement
07|09|12 hiatal hernia repair & band repositioning
That makes me so sad that you are still paying off the band that didn't really work for you. When there are band issues it is bad enough when insurance has paid for it.............but for those of us that pay all that money out of pocket for it not to work or just cause problems..........well that just kind of adds insult to injury! :-(
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