Revision from Lap Band to I don't know what yet. Please share your input!

I went to Mexico in 2/2006 & had a lap band. I have never reached goal but lost 45 pounds. I had to go to another state for fills which NEVER seemed to get it right. I have periods of throwing up & the being stuck with all the sliming etc, you get the picture. I am now feeling a pressure with times of reflux which concerns me about erosion in throat area. I have tried NUMEROUS diets & still work out darn near EVERY day. I am worried the pouch has stretched out because I can eat a lot of food at times but other times foods will plug & I have to throw up. I KNOW I can lose weight without the band but KEEPING it off is a different story. Also being 58 years old my metabolism has slowed down even more. I am going back to Mexico to get this band removed & be revised to "something". Just don't know WHAT yet!! I BEG you (& I THANK YOU) for information on what you chose & ALL the GOODS & BADS of that choice!

I have VSG, but was not a revision. The general recommendation on OH is that VSG is fine if there is no GERD and no diabetes. I had mild GERD, was pre-diabetic but also had a hiatal hernia which my surgeon felt was causing the GERD (corrected during surgery). She would have done either, but I decided on the VSG because I felt there was less chance of complications. I've been thrilled with it so far (no GERD, off all meds except 1 low dose HBP med). My weight stats are in my signature.

Sometimes I wonder if RNY would have been better in the long run, but I won't know until many years from now (LOL). So far it has exceeded my expectations. I am 62 btw.

AWESOME job Liz!!!! I'm so glad things are working for you. Do you follow an exercise program along with a strict food regime? I'm really worried about the strict food because from my past history of dieting I have FAILED that EVERY time. I can exercise like none other but staying "true" to a diet plan I just can't after a period of time. I have an athletic build from YEARS of fitness & I have always eaten more because of that but with age & constant dieting I have slowed my metabolism to where I lose then it comes back (along with a friend or two LOL).

You wonder about the RNY being maybe better in the long run. Please explain that to me.

Did your surgeries all take place in the US?

I am worried about scar tissue build up on the sleeve to where it will cause a block & NOTHING will go down & I also have read where VSG will have GERD problems too. My reflux is NOT bad right now (just at times) & I surely do NOT want to live on an antacid for the rest of my life.

Thanks for your reply & may your day be blessed!

exercise is great for general health. It really has nothing to do with weight loss and keeping it off.

weight loss/gain had to do with what and how much we put in our mouths. We control that. I lost 122#, with NO exercise, and have maintained the loss for 7 years.

unless you get your food issues under control, no revision is going to help you lose weight and maintain the loss.

@hollykim, Oh yes I truly agree! I was in the 190's when I had the lap band surgery. (done in Mexico) I have struggled with my weight my WHOLE life!! I do LOVE fitness & working out but with being 58 my body is starting to break down so I'd LOVE to lose weight WITHOUT working out so hard. And yes I agree that if your mind isn't in it a person is going to fail. That applies to sooo many things in life! What type of surgery (or maybe you didn't) did you use as your tool to lose 122# & how long did it take you. That is an AWESOME amount of weight to lose, excellent job!!!

I had the VSG in 2010. Added the switch part in 2014. It took me about a year to lose the first 100 then ,I couldn't lose any more, even being really well on plan,eating high protein and less than 20 carbs a day.

After adding the switch I, thought I needed to lose another50# to reach "goal" of weighting 100#. I am very short,4'11""so that weight was I. The middle of normal BMI for me.

After losing the next 22 #, I decided I was done losing,and went on for plastics.

What revision did you do after your VSG?

I converted to the ds duodenal switch.

I agree with HollyKim about exercising- it is truly important for many reasons but not to control weight directly. My most constant exercise is daily walking. In the winter I do go to the gym once or twice a week and in the summer I swim.

The only reason I said that about RNY vs VSG in the long run is the risk of GERD returning. However I think there is less risk of some other issues with VSG, so I personally am extremely happy with my decision. You have to weigh the pros and cons yourself, discuss it with your surgeon, then make the decision that you feel most comfortable with.

I originally had the lap band and it was done in Mexico in 2003. I went from 315lbs to 195lbs and was good for a few years. Then the getting stuck episodes started happening more and more frequently to the point that I had all the fill in my band removed. Unfortunately with no fill I ate more and gained some weight back, but about a year or so after having all the fill removed I started having stuck episodes again and reflux. It got to the point where even if I wanted to eat a piece of steak I couldn't because no matter how much I chewed it, it still got stuck and came back up. I ended up gaining more weight back because the foods that would stay down were nothing but crap.

So I went to my follow-up surgeon here in the states and we talked about a revision. After much research I chose the RNY because I had been dealing with reflux for 3 years and eating tums like they were tic tacs daily the sleeve would have been a bad choice for me. After a year long fight with my insurance they finally approve my band removal and the revision to the bypass. It was the best decision I could have made.

I am a bit over 2 years out from my band to bypass revision and I am so happy about it. Almost immediately after surgery my reflux was gone and never came back.

My advice is if you have any type of GERD, reflux or heartburn the sleeve may not be the best choice. Now I'm not saying that the sleeve is a bad WLS because there are tons of very successful folks, what I am saying is that it is a very good possibility that it could cause any reflux to get worse. There are folks on here that have had to revise from the sleeve to the bypass due to the reflux.

Best of luck to you.