Revision from Lap Band to ???? How to appraoch my surgeon and looking for experiences

I have wanted for sometime a revision surgery from Lap Band to something else. I wa sthinking RNY but unsure for sure what is still out there. I have approached the nurse before and she kinds shoved it to the side. Well this is it i let the nurse know when i made my appointment for this time and was very clear this was what i wanted to talk about and get the paperwork started.  SO i ask this... How do i approach my surgeon Tuesday?

Any Experiences with revision from Lap Band to something more drastic is apprecaited as im in limbo as to what i want to do here. Im so tired of failure and feeling misrable and helpless for almost 3 years since my lap band and have only gone down 23 pounds and my health is getting worse not better so something has to happen.

 

Thanks In Advance

 

I had a revision this past September from LapBand to RNY.  I could not be happier!  I no longer have constant reflux and I am losing weight. Now I have lost a total of 110 pounds!  PM me if yo have any questions.  Good luck!

Since I had the band for 14 months and was still going to my surgeon all that time he knew I was having issues and eventually due to reflux it was removed and I waited about 5 months before I was ready to even consider WLS again.

I decided the lap band was the wrong choice for me from the beginning and due to the fact my daughter had the RNY a year ago and was very successful and as I was gaining weight with the band and a lot after it's removal it was time to choose something that would work for me and I had the RNY 6/11.  It's getting easier and easier every day and I've dropped quite a bit of weigth just since then!  I feel like I've made the right choice for me now and hope you can make the right one for you.  Good luck Nancy!

Hi Nancy,

I never understood why the lapband is considered as "least drastic" and "least invasive", because it causes way more and more serious complications then, for example, the sleeve, and often requires a new surgery. And all the scar tissue caused by the band will make a revision more complicated and risky.

I`m sorry it didn`t work for you, but at your weight (your profile says you had a BMI of 60, is that correct?), the lapband is very rarely sucessful. It`s not your fault. Have you looked into the DS? The RNY is much more common and it`s certainly way easier to find a surgeon, but for people with a BMI of over 50, the RNY has a failure rate of 35 - 50 %!! And that means failure (not loosing 50% of the excess weight). The number of people who are not happy with their loss because they got nowhere near to goal but are still considered a medical sucess is even higher. and after a failed lapband and a failed RNY, another revision will probably not be possible or very, very risky.
The DS has the very best longterm results, especially for patients with a BMI over 50. And 15 year studies prove that it is NOT riskier then the RNY!

You can find a lot of people who had band to DS revisions on the DS board.

Good luck!

With your BMI, you should take a look at the DS. It has the best weight loss, and maintenance of that loss of the WLS's, as well as the best resolution rate for type 2 diabetes (up to 98%), most normal post op lifestyle, and you can take NSAIDS. Lots of other pro's to it, but those were biggies for me.

Fewer surgeons perform it, so it's best to find a surgeon to does all surgery types first (REALLY does all of them, not just list it on the website, then tries to switch you to a different surgery they actually perform after you go in) and discuss things with them.

There are many on the DS board who have been revised from both the band, and RNY that are very open about their experiences.

With your BMI, I'd get the big gun.  Why risk another failed WLS.  You'd be best off with a VSG/DS.

 

Good Luck