Surgery on Wednesday the 28th

I am scheduled for revisional surgery next wednesday.  I had RNY 6 years ago and now have gained 100 pounds back.  I visited a surgeon and he said I am a good candidate for a revision.  I am going to have the lap band over the RNY.  My question....am I making a misteak?  I went to get a second opinion today (my insurance required it) and that doc said my pouch and stoma are fine!! My pouch is 3cm by 5cm and my stoma is 2cm wide.  He said that is normal.  Help!!!  Are those dimensions normal???

I cant tell you if that is normal or not, Im just excited for you and still waiting for my surgery to be approved. And anyway we are always the one asking you questions. Your very informative and I know you know what you want to do or you wouldn't have gone thru the process, SO GO FOR IT.

Okay, you and I are in the same boat.  I had RNY May of 2003 and have gained back 80 pounds.  I had the tests that revealed my pouch was stretched they didn't tell me the particulars how big, but it is big enough to have lap band surgery on 6/19/08.  I did not have any staple line disruptions or a fistula. Dr Nick, said I will have a harder time losing this time than before.  It will be possible of course by returning to the life style changes that I started back in 2003 from the original bypass. I am determined to lose it and keep it off.  I am so grateful for a second chance at success.  I realize now that I really do have a food addiction that I must contend with daily.  Sometimes hourly and minute by minute. I say if you are ready to make the needed changes then I say go for it and I will meet you on the losing side in June 2008! Oh, by the way, I am self pay this time.  I have BCBS Federal Plan and they will not pre-certifiy for out patient surgeries.  So I pray that after the surgery I can submit the forms to them and they will approve the surgery and I can get personally reimbursed.  Oh, I hope so! Barbara Brewer

Wow - you gained 100lbs and you had RNY? And now you want the band? And there are so many of us who want to go the other way - band to RNY...I am hoping to do that as my band weight loss was minimal...45 lbs only with a regain of 20 - so 5 years out a loss of only 25 lbs...Maybe the DS would be better or the sleeve? 

If the lap band is the only type of revision your doctor does, its the only revision you can get from him. this is the case with a lot of doctors. did the doctor who did the second opinion do different types of revisions? You need to see someone who does.

Maybe I'm missing the obvious here, and that could be because I am not overly familiar with RNY but ... who cares what size everything is in there.  You have gained 100#.  Does it matter what size everything is?  You still gained far too much weight to take off on your own.

I am with you on this one....why should size matter when the person has gained back so much weight???!!!

Well, an inch is approx 2.5cm, so try and picture 2cm in your mind do you think that's too big, just right?  Personally, I think it's too big, the stoma should be about 1cm . Before the RESTORe trial my stoma was 2.5cm I believe and they got it down to around 1cm.  Did they mention how many cc's your pouch is?  I know at the pratice I am familar with they make the RNY pouches mostly 15cc's sometimes 30cc's. The band will give you back your restriction once you get to your sweet spot with the fills and I think you should go for it...I don't get how 2 doctor's can see such different things...How does the second doc think you gained your weight back   DO NOT let him blame you by saying everything is a-ok. Did both surgeons do testing?  An endoscope and upper GI series?  Were there any testing requirements for insurance? Do you have a PCP who could help you sort through the tests and what the surgeons are saying?  Sometimes getting an explaination in layman's terms helps. Good luck

I know you weren't talking to me, but I definitely wanted to say to read up on the DS. Depending on how much weight you want to lose and how you like to eat, the DS may definitely be the better choice. That or an Extended RNY.

HI, just wanted to let you know that I also had RNY back in 2003, and will be  having a lapband placed over it on june 24, I did also check into the DS, but I don't think I am quite ready for that extreme of a procedure. my original surgeon is going to do it for me, I just feel like I am ready for this, please let us know how it is going, I don't really write much on the boards, but will be keeping track of you and am wishing you the best!    Hang in there!  and good luck!