Band to Sleeve Advice Needed!

 After 2 band slippages in 9 months, I am converting to VSG in 1 week.  I feel pretty well-read on the topic, but reading does not replace real-life experience.  

Anyone out there with a sleeve, can you please tell me about your experience?  Anyone regret their choice of sleeve?  Is there anything I can do to make the process easier?  Anyone more than a year post-op with stories to share?

I've been stalled since September despite being partially obstructed.  Do you think the VSG will fix that?  Did other band-to-sleeve people experience continued weight loss after converting?  How much of your extra weight did you lose once you converted vs. how much you lost with the band?

Any and all advice is appreciated.  See you all on the flip-side
Natalie

Hi Natalie

I was revised to DS almost a year ago, part of which is having a sleeve. I haven't regretted it for a minute - I lost 20lbs in two years with the band, compared to over 80 in a year with the DS. I can't tell which pounds are from the sleeve and which from the DS bit though, but I don't really mind as long as it works!

I think banding is good training for the sleeve - we already know how to eat small bites and how to chew - you might remember how long this took to learn first time round! But I still had to learn again when I was 'full' because I didn't get the same signal as with the band.

My weight loss is slowing down now, but I haven't felt that it was any slower than other DSers to be honest - no complaints there. I hope it all goes well for you, good luck!

I'm a band to sleeve revision and I LOVE being sleeved!  It's like having a band that actually works.  You know how when you get banded feeling "full" feels different?  You never get that satisfied feeling, you are either hungry or barfing.  With a sleeve you get your "full" feeling back.  Full feels like it did before you ever had any type of WLS.

The worst part of the whole recovery process for me was where my port was.  That hurt like hell.  That lasted a good two weeks. 

With the sleeve you get your life back.  No more sliming, foaming like a rabid dog, stoma spewing and barfing in ways we never dreamed.  There is no stoma so you don't have to chew your water., ;o)  Just a small stomach that fills up quickly.

One suggestion, talk to other patients that were sleeved by YOUR doctor, not just anyones doctor but your doctor.  I have a 32F stomach.  There are three people posting on the sleeve boards right now and they have a 32F stomach, they had the same surgeon, I had a different doctor.  One girl is three weeks out and she can eat an entire chicken breast and her stomach hasn't stretched out yet.  Another quit losing after a couple of months because she can eat a huge quantity of food.  I am 9 months out and I can eat 2oz of solid protein. If I tried to eat an entire chicken breast I would barf repeatedly.  It's a matter of surgical technique, how tight the stomach is pulled over the bougie.  Some leave more slack than others.  So before surgery make very sure you talk to at least 4-5 people that went to whatever doctor you are going to and ask them how far out they are and how much solid protein they can eat in one sitting.  You don't want a 3rd surgery. ;o)

 Hi Midwestern Girl!

It sounds like you understand exactly what I've been dealing with for these last 8 or 9 months!  Wish I'd met you sooner!  Thanks for the encouragement, and I look forward to no longer having to chew my water!  

Natalie

Aloha Natalie- You should post on the VSG board if you haven't already- I can think of many others besides MWG who have also revised from Band to Sleeve. There are also longer term sleevers on there- I'm not out a year yet, only 9 months. I have absolutely no regrets and have done really well- but again I was a virgin VSG, not a revision, and I follow all my doctors & nutritionists recommendations. Protein firs****er and votes in, exercise, no bread/rice.pasta/refined carbs during the losing phase. I'm not sure another restrictive procedure will break your stall - I haven't really stalled, had one week where I lost only a pound but that was it. PM me and I will bore you with the details on my sleeve! XoLori

Hi Natalie,

I am a revision from band to sleeve and more than one year out on VSG. Had a band for 5 years, but regained some of my losses due to band related complications. THese are my stats:

Banded: June 2003
highest weight334-340
lowest band weight: 180
Revision: March 11th 2008
start weight: 242
Present weight: 168 and still losing

So I lost 74 pounds with the sleeve and 93 with the band for a total lost of 167 pounds so far. Trying to lose a little more, but if I didnt, I feel pretty good right now.

Babs

 Wow, Barbara, you're really doing great!  I hope for just a fraction of your success.  Thank you to everyone for your kind words of encouragement!  You are an inspiration to me, and I hope to soon be following your examples of success

It'll be a done deal on Monday!
Natalie

I think the main thing to meditate on is how the vertical/sleeve induces a different kind of restriction than the band. With banding, as long as the food can get past the "restricter plate" it passes to a huge distal resevoir (your unmodified, uncutn stomach). Any soft-calorie dysfunctional eating with banding is a recipe for failure for this reason. With slow band slippages, dysfunctional eating and subsequent weight gain is common. With vertical/sleeve, the ingested food - which passes through a normal stomach inlet - has no large downstream resevoir to go into, as the stomach is reduced in size along its entire length. Dysfunctional eating, therefore, doesn't really get you anywhere in the over-eating department because this small stomach will not empty until the pylorus allows it to empty. This is in contrast to RNY as well, because the pylorus is left out of the loop with RNY, where it is left in the plumbing with a vertical/sleeve.

Please forgive me if the NASCAR "restricter plate" analogy sounds redneck; I do live in Kentucky, after all.

John D Husted, MD
Forum Contributor

 Thank you for the advice, Dr. Husted. Everything I've read, and everything I've been told by people who have actually had this procedure done have convinced me that this is the right choice for me.  I am getting sleeved Monday & looking forward to getting my life back!

Natalie

LOVE, LOVE the "Restrictor Plate" Analogy. As a past Nascar Busch Race Car, Team Coordinator...When you talk Race Talk, I really begin to understand!!!!!!!

Thanks Again,

JRolfson