Lap Band Revision with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Hello, I am hoping someone here has had some experiences they would be willing to share with me.   I had Lap Band surgery in 2007 because I was on Prednisone, Ibuprofen, Methotrexate and Orencia for my RA, and the doctor wouldn't allow me to have Roux-en-y because of those meds.   The Lap Band was a fantastical failure.  I haven't lost any weight at all.   I want to get it removed and either stop taking some of those meds and get the Roux-en-y or get the gastric sleeve.    I'm worried the sleeve will be the same as the band, where I am confident the bypass would work.    Does anyone else have any advice or experiences with this same issue?

I have a friend who has rheumatoid arthritis and she did have the bypass. I know she still takes some kind of meds but not sure what they are. I have osteoarthritis which is currently treated with dicoflenac and was told I would have to stop taking that after surgery (hopefully in Sept. coming up). I am hoping the surgery will help the ease arthritis so that I don't need medication any longer. Because I have osteoarthristis I can have joint replacement, which I have already done with one knee. Once I've had wls and lost about 50 lbs I intend to get one of my hips replaced. It is not required to lose weight before the surgery, which I did not do with my knee, but I think it will make the recuperation time shorter and the PT easier if I do get some weight off first before the hip replacement, so that's my game plan. Not sure how I will manage the arthritic pain between the time I have the wls and the time I get the hip replaced - I know it will take at least a few months to lose that 50 lbs.

I too had a lap band that was a nightmare. In 2010 I started the process for wls, and wanted a bypass. Turned out the only surgery my insurance would cover was lapband - I did not want it and my doc did not want to put one in because of the failure rate with them, but it was the only option I had at the time. After a year of constant pain, vomiting and very little weight loss, it slipped and I had to have it removed. I was glad to get it out of me. I now have better insurance that will cover bypass or sleeve so I am once again in the pre-op stage for bypass. I returned to the same program/surgeon I had in 2010 and he told me they don't even do lap bands at all anymore because so many failed and had to be taken out. I have done a lot of research and at first was leaning toward a sleeve. I attended several support groups and there were several people there getting revisions from sleeves to bypass because the sleeve failed them too. I know 5 people who have all had bypass and all have had wonderful success with no complications or regain. I know 3 who have had sleeves. One has had great success, one has had little to no loss and is not happy at all, and the other lost about 1/2 of what he hoped to lose and then gained it all back. This will be the second surgery for me and I am not looking to have a third - after all the reading, on-line research, support groups and info gained from personal acquaintances, I have decided to have a bypass. It really is the gold standard of wls and I have decided to go for the gold! This is also at the recommendation of both my surgeon and PCP. Which ever you decide, good luck to you.

Oh my goodness, thank you so much!!    I sincerely appreciate this response, it was just what I was looking for.   I went to an info session for WLS and spoke to one of their patient care nurses, and she said that I should go with the sleeve due to the meds I am taking, but I am afraid that the sleeve will be a failure like the Lap Band was.   I really want to have the bypass and get OFF the meds I am on for the RA.   I've been taking prednisone for years and it's given me moon face (bad double ***** and it's just so depressing.   I want to have the bypass and KEEP the weight off.  I'm afraid the sleeve will allow me to cheat, where the bypass won't.

Keep me posted on how your surgery goes, and thanks again for the info!

Amy

NSAIDs are not allowed with either sleeve or bypass.  That is probably why your doctor didn't want you to have it in the first place.  

Research has shown that the sleeve has very good stats, almost equal to the RNY years after surgery.  You could gain all of your weight back, or never lose any in the first place, if you don't do all the right things after the surgery.  The surgery is a tool that will help you to lose weight, but it is up to you how you use that tool.  If you do everything you are supposed to do, you will be successful with either surgery.