Naomi - a question for you

The 3rd won't be a lifer either. The minute I get any fill I get esophageal spasms so I have to stay defilled all the time.  Some days I have restriction from allergies but otherwise I am wide open.  Realize band is really no different than lap-band so no if I decide to get this one out it's no more bands for me and I would revise to a VSG.  I loved how the band worked and from everything I have read, the VSG is similar so it would be my surgery of choice should I need to revise.  The only way I would ever attempt a 4th band is if my surgeon could find a VG but even then I'd really think about it.  Apparently Allergan shipped them all to Mexico when they introduced the AP ones.

I don't regret my time with the band at all but I do regret having my VG removed at the time of the repair.  Hindsight truly is 20/20.  I was so apprehensive to agree to it that I know I should have listened to my gut and just left well enough alone.

but you do understand that even if you had your old VG band (it really was not that great for you, you developed a hernia).  We build scar tissue and with time that makes the band shift, tighten and makes all sorts of stuff happen.    A 4th revision would be " iffy" for you no matter what surgery you attempted to get.  Unfortunately, we just don't have the same anatomy that we started out with.

Actually I had the hernia before the band was implanted in 2005.  Back then my surgeon was not checking for hernias at the time of surgery so it wasn't the band that caused the hernia, it was present just not repaired.  A year after I had my band placed, all the surgeons in my province started checking for hernias at the time of banding and were reparing them at the same time. 

I have already spoken to a surgeon who does revisions and he sees no problem removing the band and doing a VSG if that is what I want.  I am still on the fence as this band is in me and not slipped or eroded but not really useful since I can't get fills.  

It seems everyone that had band surgery around 2005 are having issues.  I see you revised to a VSG, are you happy with it?  Do you find it works similar to the band without the hassle of fills/defills?

The odds of me going for a 4th band are less than 1% so it's likely a moot point in that respect.  I had 4 great years with my band and 3 ****ty years with 2 new bands. I think if I do revise it won't be to a band.

I love my stomach sleeved and have absolutely no adverse reactions.  I feel absolutely normal, my stomach just has a bottom - thank God!  My doc said my quality of life would be much better, he said that now I'll just be like my other girlfriends, he said now you have the stomach that you wish that you were born with.  This is all 100% true!

The thing is all sleeved stomachs are not created equal.  I think of myself as being very lucky and especially so as a revision. 

I have no discomfort at all and sometimes I need a spanking .  Ya know I knew that there were just some things I could not do with my band and get away with - like eat at night)  Now I can eat when I lay down and do all kinds of circus tricks with food in my little tummy.  That could get me in trouble .   I also told my surgeon to make me a little bigger - he said "I will not" but I believe he did and that is part of the reason why I thank God do not have issues like heartburn and such.  I am still however struggling to lose the last weight.  I love to have to work at it though and that is true.  I never wanted a free ride just an even playing field and that is what I have.

I wish you the best with everything.

It sounds like things are going very well for you.  That is all any of us truly want.

I am still on the fence as to what to do but have been talking to bandsters that went to VSG and the more I talk to them, the more I feel comfortable with that choice should I make it.  Thanks so much for replying to me.

Don't know about Naomi's situation, but when I was banded there was a question that day of if they would actually be able to do it. My radiology report said I had a "small 5cc HH". The bariatric surgeon said not possible. If it's 5cc, it's not small. So it was either one or the other. We didn't know at that point. He said if it was 5cc that he wouldn't be able to band me, but if it was a small one, that he would repair the HH and band me.

 
Maria:

There is a difference between fixing a hiatal hernia AND banding someone in the same procedure vs. fixing a hernia when someone is already banded.  If someone has a seriously huge, dangerously huge hernia to repair you don't want to do both procedures at once.  You repair the hernia and do WLS at a later time.  99% of the time that is not a problem, you repair the hernia at the same time you do WLS.

But someone can  have a mega huge hernia and if they are already banded it is a non issue.  You leave the band alone and fix the hernia.

Hope all goes well for you Naomi. Keep us posted.

Bette, love the new photo!

 Thanks. I think I "clean up real good."  

I just had surgery on Tuesday for a slip with my band to have repositioned. It was suppose to be an hour and a half surgery but took 4 hours due to having a HH when got in there. I guess it was a huge hernia and I did have one repaired with original placing of the band. He did reband me. I am thinking new band and port because port area is sooo tender but never found out. Plan to find out on my follow up appointment this week. Good Luck!!