Banded in 05

Banded in 2005.  Worked great for years, got to weight and health goals.  Alas, we are no longer good together and will soon be separated. 

 I am leaving the Band for the Sleeve.  Tired of spitting, sliming, puking.  Had my fill of fills/unfills. Years of them.... sometimes a fill and unfill in the same week.  I still would encourage others to get the band, but I have had too many issues these last few years.  I was unfilled in 08 due to band bulimia, and have regained every single pound.  My personal experience is that I need a permanent option. 

I DO know the band works, and works wonders.  I am looking for a lifelong health solution, and for me it will be a revision surgery. 

Hi Lianna,

I remember you from years back, we got our bands around the same time. Just want you to know if you still have the old 4cc band, MOST have issues with them long term, that is why 4cc bands are no longer used in the US, they were more prone to slippage, pouch dilations and esophageal dilations due being higher pressure. My new surgeons says that the older 4cc band is not safe long term, and most have to get it removed, but MANY still have them and are doing fine as long as they don't keep it very tight.

I got my old 4cc band removed about 14 months ago, and I will tell you there is a HUGE difference with my new band than the old band. First, when I got my old 4cc band, I had a hiatal hernia, and surgeons were not routinely repairing hernia's with the band back then in 2005, as a result, I suffered from heartburn and reflux MY ENTIRE TIME with my old 4cc band (over 7 years) , it was manageable with acid reducers like prevacid and protonix, but long term use of Protonix and acid reducers started to make me feel ill (and can cause bone lose long term), also I had a history of GERD which was caused by a hiatal hernia when I was obese.

I found a great surgeon to fix me, my old surgeon sadly was not skilled enough or cared enough and was not a lap band fan, so he could not fix my hernia and replace my band, many surgeons SHOWED their true colors and jumped on the Sleeve wagon and stopped doing lap bands, because they no longer wanted to deal with lap band "issues", the Sleeve is great for surgeons, they can just remove your stomach and you never have to see them again, and if you have any stomach "issues" they can be managed by other doctors and gastroenterologists, etc, but the lap band issues can't be dumped off on other doctors since it is a specialty.

I have to say that if you more prone to vomiting with your band, then I would not recommend getting a second one placed because you may find yourself wanting to get rid of your food, which can end up damaging your body, and esophagus and cause repeated issues.

For ME, I've never really had issues with vomiting daily, however with my old 4cc band I remember many lap band "whippings" ......I remember getting food stuck for hours, I went to the ER once because I had a pill stuck, I thought I was going to die. One time when I was at work about 3 years ago, I had a luncheon with my boss and we ate Thai food and that was the worse experience of my life, I vomited repeatedly, had to go home early because the food was stuck so bad, I jump out of my car on the side of the road and had to sit and slime until all the food came up, horrible situations, I've had about 5 incidents like that with my old 4cc band, but overall I did not vomit often, when I did have a vomit/stuck episode it was horrible.

Now with my new Allergan 10cc band, (knock on wood) I have not vomited once -- yet. I've been stuck a few times if I eat too fast, but the only thing I've done was slime, and that is rare maybe once a month or two. I have NO heartburn, NO reflux and that means a lot to me, I LOVE my new band, I have NO issues whatsoever.  My new surgeon fixed me and I am grateful for that.

I was in the same place as you back in 2012, I started to have band issues with my old 4cc band, I had back/chest pain, painful eating, but I did not have frequent vomiting, which was triggered when I got my last fill, me and hubby was out eating at a restaurant and I ate lots of salsa and chips and the burning started, and DID NOT STOP, I took Protonix, etc and had Upper GI, CAT scans, Endoscopy's etc, I had a lot of tests, but I did not have slippage.

But I DO want to point out that back in 2006 my pouch got dilated when I was filled too tight, and IT WAS NEVER FIXED, but I lived with that pouch dilation for 6 years (it was manageable as long as I took acid reducers, and did not eat too much often and keep the band loose) and I believe that with all the fills/unfills and the pouch dilation caused my hiatal hernia to get inflamed over the years since it was never repaired with the band so this is what caused my lap band issue, plus my new surgeon says that the older 4cc bands had a very hard surface which made it harder on the esophagus and I believe it since I've had NO issue with my new band.

Honestly for ME, I was not ready to make the jump to the Sleeve because I researched the hell out of it, from people that I've spoke with that were HONEST about it privately told me that it was a harder recovery than the band,  MOST have worse REFLUX and heartburn and they have to permanently take acid reducers or suffer really bad, and they have hypoglycemia (dumping like syndrome, but not worse as bypass dumping) and MOST important, they can EAT TOO FREELY.  From what they told me is that the first 6 months will be your honeymoon to lose weight because your stomach will be very inflamed from most of it being removed and this will be your time to get the weight off.

Many told me that they can eat way more food than with the band, some lose their appetite with the Sleeve, but many say they still get hungry so surgeons are moving away with telling patients they will no longer be hungry with the Sleeve. So you will have to be more discipline in the long run with the Sleeve.

But  MANY lose weight more quickly with the Sleeve than with the band since you will have that tight restriction in the beginning and there is no waiting for fills to get to the green zone, so weight loss with the Sleeve is quicker for most than with the Band, but that soon will pass and it will stretch, so if you don't change your lifestyle with the Sleeve you can easily gain your weight back just like with the lap band.

So when you say permanent option, sadly A PERMANENT OPTION DO NOT EXIST FOR WEIGHT LOSS SURGERIES, even with the bypass, their honeymoon is over for MOST in about 18 months post op, AND MANY BYPASSERS are getting lap bands over their bypass. Also MANY Sleevers are seeking the Bypass now because of the horrible reflux issues and it stretching back out , and the only way to get rid of the problem is to get the bypass so THERE IS NO MAGIC FIX to obesity sadly.

If you think that sliming is bad with the band, you need to read the Grads board, where Sleevers and Bypass people are having horrible issues long term http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/wls_grads/...so sliming is nothing compared to weight regain, stomach issues, reflux, hypoglycemia, like severe dumping syndrome and other horrible issues, there is no "issue free" weight loss surgery.

This is why I am not quick to jump on any other surgery UNTIL it is improved or there are other advances in technique or medicine; I want to live my golden years as issue free as I can. Also I know too many people in REAL life that has had the Bypass and all are fat again WITH medical problems.

Also I read many studies that band to Sleeve success rate is VERY LOW, unless you become an athlete and learn to diet and do very low carb, (which can be done with the lap band also) many surgeons suggest that failed bands do better with a revision to the bypass since you will have more help with malabsorption and malabsorption can have its own issues long term if you don't follow the vitamin regimen daily forever.

I know that you are in a bad place right now and I don't blame you for wanting to get "something else" than the lap band, but I want to be honest and realistic, please be very careful when people tell you that the Sleeve is SO much better, I would take that with a grain of salt....it was one woman that posted on the revision board I read recently that she got the band in 2004, then got the Sleeve in 2009, she said it was the BEST decision of her life...HOWEVER she was on the revision board because she had regained most of her weight and had bile horrible reflux and daily burning and the only way to fix her issue was to revise to the Bypass? So how could the SLeeve be the best decision of her Life when she is in this kind of misery? This is not one incident it's MANY, this same story is all over the revision board.

So be very careful of band bashers because you will not be getting the entire truth about living with the Sleeve versus living with the band, I keep it real, the lap band CAN be a nightmare if you don't have good aftercare and a good surgeon, and if slippage occurs.

It sounds like your band has slipped if you are on empty and still sliming and vomiting, so getting your band out ASAP is critical because it can damage your body if you let this go on too long.

I am not bashing the Sleeve but I am giving you a more honest view of the SLeeve where you will not get it from most people here since most of the people that post here are band bashers and not giving the entire truth about the Sleeve, remember once you remove your stomach there is no turning back, so whatever happens you will have to live with it and accept it.

I had gained back 50 pound back in 2012 because I had to get most of the saline removed due to the issues I was having, then I found a surgeon to fix my hiatal hernia remove my old band and place a new band all in one surgery and I will tell you I am VERY HAPPY with my new band and I have lost all the regain weight, and back down in my size 10...I walk daily for about 30 minutes and with my new band I have never been too tight, I learned to go slow and ease up on my restriction, and I CAN eat every thing, but I can't eat much and I don't have a ravenous appetite so my band keep my hunger level down, I can go to a buffet and get tiny amount of all my favorite food and eat a bite of each and get satisfied quickly and get my hiccup and I am done and the waitress will say did you eat your food? I always take a doggie bag home when eating out.

I DO NOT do low carb, I eat what I want, but most of the time I eat healthy fish, veggies, fruit, I still eat treats on the weekends, I love my banded life and I don't want to give it up, I hope and pray I can go to my grave with my new band...

If you get the Sleeve I pray that you will do well with it, and hopefully don't get reflux, for me, I was just not ready to take that leap, my opinion is it's better to know a devil you know than a devil that you don't know...lol

Good luck to you.

Sorry it hasn't worked out for you, I was banded in 2006 and am one of the lucky ones. My band did and still does exactly  what I was promised. Never prevents me eating, very rarely causes me to bring food back, dims hunger. The old 4cc bands, which I have, get bad press but I have heard a lot of people say it can be harder to get the right level of saline with the larger ones. 

Best wishes if you get VSG. It does seem a very good surgery. Nothing is complication free for everyone, but the sleeve suits most. I do know two people who have had a really bad time with theirs but I believe them to be the exception. There are many very happy band to sleeve revisions on these boards. Check out the VSG forum.

I'm sorry but who wants to live with sliming AT ALL.  It's not worth it.  I went from band to sleeve and life has never been better.  I will be honest and say that I do know ONE person who has had difficulties transitioning from band to sleeve but guess what?  All her problems root back to her band...she's still happy she revised even though she's going through one hell of a time but like I said, it can all point back to the band and the constant vomiting, sliming, stuck episodes that come along with it.

I'm very happy with my permanent option of the sleeve.  If you are closer to your goal, it can be slow going but the best part of the sleeve is maintaining a healthy lifestyle is 100 times easier than it was with the band.  In regards to eating "freer" with the VSG, yes that is true.  NO MORE GETTING STUCK ON ANYTHING.  That, for me, makes it all the more better.  I can eat solid proteins, leafy greens, all kinds of foods and yes sometimes I cheat but my VSG makes it easy to hop right back on track.  I've even had a bit of regain that I'm working to get off and while it isn't EASY it certainly is easier than losing with the band.  Hands down. 

I'm happy for you and I hope this change works.  My recovery from VSG was also wayyyyyy better than my recovery with the band.  I hope you also have an easy recovery and weight loss journey.  Best of luck!

I too went from the issues with the band to Sleeve.  I am doing great with the sleeve.  It works for me how I thought the band would.  Reduces hunger and helps limit portions need to feel satisfied.

No more slimming and getting stuck.  I can't believe anybody would CHOOSE to keep slimming at all.  The sleeve is all the good of the band with out the bad.  People can have issues with all WLS.

Good luck with your new WL Tool!

Lianna Congrats! on YOUR DECISION!! 

I find it amusing that so often Banders want to always Blame the OLD bands. 4CC-14CC they ALL have the SAME COMPLICATIONS !! LB isn't a Specialty it's a MONEY$$$ Maker and Not LONG TERM even the manufacturers state this.  It's the ETHICAL Doctors that have decided Enough is Enough ! and Stopped placing them.

It's amusing that people that have never had a sleeve try to convince those that CHOOSE to have one talk about the Reflux, Chest pain, Stomach issues weight regain,  hypoglycemia, Regain and other horrible issues, when it sounds just like having a BAND. Except you forgot to mention EROSION and Esophageal issues that IF your UNLUCKY  to have those issues with a Band you can often forget having ANY revision at all.

CORRECT NO WLS is problem Free and DISCIPLINE is necessary for ANY WLS.

So when someone says they are Choosing to have a revision Why not just congratulate that person Or say nothing? Opinion's weren't asked for.

 Again Lianna, Congrats and sorry your post was High jacked :)

Assume that was aimed at Nana not me?!!!!

Yes, Kate as NaNA is always the FIRST to try and Discredit the Sleeve :)

True! But only newcomers listen to her! But I suppose newcomers are the ones it matters to. I know you think I am blindly pro-band but I am not - far from it. The sleeve seems an excellent surgery, 

Yes Kate and we can't quote her to show whom we are addressing as she has us blocked.