Has anyone had a revision from the sleeve??

I had the sleeve gastrectomy on 2/2006, originally lost 39 lbs. only!  I have recently gained 13 since I stopped smoking.... I am considering having either a lap-band or the RNY. Any advice is welcome!

HI virginia! I'm pretty sure you can have either of those surgeries you mentioned.  The sleeve is often used as a first stage DS, have you thought about that route?  I wonder why you didn't lose anymore then you did...? Do you have PCOS? Look into those issues as well so you can make a more educated decision about which surgery to convert too. Good Luck!

Virginia, the sleeve is the top half, so to speak of the DS. If yuo want the full DS you would just need to have the "switch" portion on the small intestine.If you are interested in learning more about the DS come on over to the DS board. You will find lots of well informed folks who will gladly answer any questions about life with the DS. It has the best statistics for amount of excess weight loss, maintaining that weight loss, and resolution of comorbidities of any WLS (though of course there are people who do well and are very happy with other operations).     Don't let the malabsorption scare you off - that's what keeps the weight off and it's very manageable. You do need to take vitamins and supplements and get regular lab work. This is not optional and it is for life, but really very doable.  Come learn more about it! You can also pm me with any questions.

Just wanted to add that you need to take supplements and get lab work with an RNY too.  And you should be doing the same with your sleeve (B12 sublingual, calcium, Vit D, magnesium, and iron if still menstruating). :)

Virginia: You may want to contact Dr. Michel Gagner who is now at Mt. Sinai in Miami Beach.  I'm sure he could steer you in the right direction regarding a revision as he's one of the best in the world.  I would avoid a Lap-Band over your sleeve at all costs... Lap-Bands have too high of a failure rate, IMHO. Your sleeve could be easily converted to an RNY or DS.  Good luck :)

Hi Virginia,

I am a revision from lapband to sleeve. I wouldnt go the restrictive route because you already had a restrictive procedure that did not work well for you. It would seem that you need the malabsorption as well and the RNY might be a better option for you.

Just my two cents: I think it is important to find out why you have not lost more with the sleeve since having a revision without knowing or identifying why you havent lost much weight would be significant in deciding which surgery would be a good fit for you. As an example, if you have some medical condition that makes it difficult for you to lose weight like PCOS, insulin resistance, hyperthyroidism, some autoimmune disorder etc... I would think you would want to know this?? If the issue is compliance with a restrictive procedure, then you might want to consider a malabsorptive procedure instead like the DS or the RNY. The DS is the hardest to gain your weight back but is not as suitable for lower BMI's since it is possible to lose more than you want to. The plus side is you probably wont ever regain it no matter how hard you try since you would have to eat a whole lot to gain.
That being said,you can regain with almost any surgery or not lose if you dont comply with the the protocol.

Babs in GA

The DS is an excellent WLS choice for lightweights. As long as you qualify for WLS, you qualify for the DS. It is exceedingly rare for someone to lose too much weight with the DS and being a lightweight starting out is not an indicator that someone will have this problem. Weight loss is slowed and/or halted by increasing carb intake, taking digestive enzymes, and in the rarest of cases by lengthening the common channel. The vast majority of people see their weight loss taper off naturally as the 18-24 month "honeymoon" period ends.