Lap band removed want RNY

Good luck! I hope you will love your revision as much as I do! My RNY is the best thing I ever did.

 I hope so too - you may be getting lots of questions from me!!

No problem. You can ask me anything you need to know.

Good luck Jen,

I ended up gaining after the preop diet so that was definitely an ego boost!

Good luck to you too!!

I struggled with banding for pretty much ten years. I too had miserable reflux to such an extent that I had my first band removed and a different brand installed - this after five years with the first one.

I lost my excess weight with my first band after 14 months going from 322 pounds to 147 pounds, however I could not achieve this without living on nothing but soup. End result I had to have some fluid removed and as soon as I had a looser band I started regaining. I hovered around 160 pounds for a while which was OK but still had awful reflux at night and still could not really eat healthily, plus I had an inexplicable pain in my left hand side which was really unpleasant.

I had no alternative but to remove most of the fluid in the band to get relief from the reflux and from the pain. Obviously, this resulted in weight gain. Finally I reached 240 pounds and in desperation spent out on my second band. Luckily the pain in my left side more or less went but I was still a victim of reflux. I got down to around 200 pounds but really with any appreciable amount of fluid in my band I always suffered with reflux.

During all this I moved to France (where I'd had both bands installed). I was now under the French health system so I made an appointment to see my surgeon and he offered me either a sleeve gastrectomy or an RNY. I chose the RNY which I had almost ten years after my first band in December 2008.  Luckily the French are a lot more understanding when it comes to funding this type of surgery so there was no necessity for me to pay for it this time. The State picked up most of the cost and my top-up insurance the rest.

I was pretty apprehensive about the surgery as I always felt nervous about having a procedure that should be considered permanent. However, I have no regrets. I haven't suffered any side-effects, I don't have reflux anymore, I don't get the horrible sensation that I've swallowed a golf ball and am about to vomit. I can eat pretty much anything, though I avoid sugar and alcohol. I am not losing weight at a furious rate but I put a lot of that down to the fact that I have seriously messed up my metabolism after ten years of eating a poor diet. I am losing though which is the main thing and I feel really happy in my skin now. I have lost a little over 30 pounds and have around 50 pounds or so to lose to feel comfortable.

On a technical note, I didn't have my band removed and my RNY done in the same procedure, I had the band removed first and all the adesions etc tidied up. After two months when I had healed I had the RNY done lap. I healed pretty quickly afterwards and as I said, so far I've suffered no ill effects.

Sorry this has been a bit long and I wish you luck with whatever you decide.

Wow, that was nice that they paid for the RNY Go France!  I'm still hoping that my insuranced will cover the second surgery.  I would have been happy getting down from 250 to 200lbs but that never happened on the band but I'm going to have to think positively even though I felt like a failure of sorts.

My daughter is 20 and had the RNY last May and has lost over 140 lbs and looks and feels wonderful.  Just a few comps but so far so good.  I'm hoping if/when I get the RNY that recovery will be easier for me since I've had many a surgery before, c-sections to WLS.

I don't know if I could live in France and not eat a croissant though, lol but I wish you continued health and thanks for all the info,  brandyII.

I have had a Lap Band for about 4 1/2 years and lost about 75 lbs. About a year and a half ago, I started getting really bad reflux. I ignored it and self medicated with OTC Zantac and Pepcid for about a year. Finally went and had a scope done and I had severe esphagitis. Doc took most of saline out of band and I proceeded with insurance approval for RNY. My insurance did not pay for my band, but now currently covers WLS. I just got approved Monday and am having my surgery on March 9. I am so excited and lucky to be getting a second chance. I am planning on having the band removed and the RNY at the same time. I have also gained about 25-30 pounds back in the mean time.

Good luck with your surgery, that's a long time to suffer with the band.

Brandyll, have you looked into the DS? There is not just the RNY after a failed band. Statistically, people loose more weight with the DS; while having the same complication rate, and the regain rate is much lower then with the RNY. Many people do great with the RNY, but the pouch will strech, so that you won`t have that much restriction after 2+ years, and the intestines will adapt so that after that period, not much calories are malabsorbed. The DS gives greater and lasting malabsorbation and that helps greatly to keep the weight off in long-term. Just check this site how many people are seeking revision from the RNY because of weight regain... there are other advantages, you`ll find much more info on the DS site.

I`m not intending to say that the DS is the only right surgery choice, but after having suffered through ONE failed WLS, make sure you consider all options this time and pick the right one for you!