What revision did you have?

I'm preop and looking for info...still trying to decide which surgery to have. What was your original surgery type and what did you revised to? Why? What have your results been and what would you say to a preop that you didn't know ahead of time? TIA!

My original surgery type was VBG back in /87 and I went from 260 lbs. down to 113 lbs. in just under 2 years.  In /06 I had a revision to the Lap Band and went from 251 lbs. down to my goal of 125 lbs. in 20 months.  I am now below goal at 121.6 lbs and love my band!   My advice is to research all the wls available and choose a doctor who is the best in the type of weight loss surgery you opt for with excellent aftercare also.

Congrats on your success Donna! That's awesome. I like your point about surgeon & surgery...thank you!

Well, I havent had my revision yet but I am going from lap band to RNY. If you love sweets like ice cream and candy, the band might not be right for you. With me, I could never find the perfect fill. Either too tight or too loose. Good foods like scrambled egg whites, chicken breast and veggies would get stuck but all the sweets went down fine. I had lots of vomiting and even reflux. And never lost much weight. Of the weight I did lose, it was mainly because everything I ate, I threw up. But after all the saline was taken out of my band, I gained back all my weight.

Or bands MUST be related!!!   LOL

So, how did you decided on the RNY vs. DS as your revision surgery of choice, or was it surgeon recommended?

Hi there!  I had the lapband placed in December of 2005.  I did well with it at first, however, over time (as the fills made the band tighter) I got to a point to where I couldn't tolerate water.  Protein and "healthy" things have always gotten stuck.  It was awful to be in a public bathroom at work trying to dislodge something that was stuck.  Some people say it doesn't hurt, like a "golfball" feeling, but it has been truly painful for me.  Anyways, after about 6 months of fills and unfills, I said to "he**" with it and tried to go at it alone.  That of course didn't work, and I gained back everything I had lost.  I have 100% faith that my surgeon was excellent (he removed the majority of my father's stomach due to cancer) but the band just didn't work for me. I am looking into the RNY and DS.  I am not even considering surgery again until end of the year, as I need to be eligible for FMLA with my insurance. Good luck!

Oh wow, I'm so sorry you have had to go through all of that but you are going to be a really great resource one day for someone who may experience this similar thing. Is there a time period after removing the band to let the tummy heal before a revision surgery?

I had Proximal RNY in 2001. Lost 135 pounds in 1.5 years. Was extremely happy with the procedure. However, I have gained some back over the last 2 years. I am seeking a revision to ERNY. This is where they leave the pouch intact and shorten the common channel even further then what a distal RNY has. This will provide more malabsorption. The shorter common channel is what helps the DSers with their long term weight loss success. I considered revising to a DS but since they take down of the original pouch and reconstruction of the stomach for the DS is at a much higher risk I decided for the ERNY. Also, I did not want to have a portion of my stomach permanently removed. You never know about the future. ;-)

 There is a 5 day pouch test online that you can posibly shrink your pouch.... though you might want to know... I tried to paste the address... but it won't let me paste it.... You might try typing  www.5daypouchtest.com