So happy with my decision to revise from the band to the sleeve!
Hi there,
I just wanted to share my experience of my revision, as I know there are many out there with lapband problems. I am posting this to give hope to those of you who are struggling with the lapband.
Here are the issues I had with my band:
1. Only worked in the morning, no restrtiction in the evening.
2. Lost ALL restriction at one year due to a broken tubing.
3. Fill tubing broke in half and started poking me in the side causing extreme pain.
4. I had a slip and I started having trouble swallowing.
Now I am sleeved and I feel great! If you have any questions, let me know. My revision went very well and I am so excited to finally have my hunger turned off! I feel so great not having carbs control my life. The sleeve does what the band "said" it would do, but never did.
I just wanted to echo your issues with the band. I had the band done in Nov of 2006. I also had poor results, only about 30 lbs lost, abdominal pain at and around the port, the band slipped twice and horrible acid reflux for over two years and causing a hiatal hernia. I kept trying to "diet" because I felt that it was my fault that I was still hungry and that I had issues with food. I finally decided last summer to investigate the RNY Gastric Bypass. At the informational meeting I was in tears seeing the success of so many people and mad at myself for not researching this too as an option for WLS. My husband and I agreed that I needed to pursue a revision and have the RNY done. I just had the revision done two 1/2 weeks ago and am so happy that I had that stupid band removed. What I can't believe is that I have absolutly no hunger, no cravings....it is so different than the band. The kicker is that I heard the band just got their required BMI lowered because of low weight loss. Hind sight is 20/20 I guess....I'm just excited to see what is to come for me in this new year!
Wow! Thanks so much for your post. I'm deciding between plication and sleeve
and I love hearing from people who've had the band and revised successfully.
My band doctor is pretty negative about the sleeve so I'm going to be interviewing
another doctor closer to my house who also does sleeves. My friend had RNY with
him before the sleeve became available and she has great things to say about his
office, his bedside manner and her surgical experience. I went to a support group
meeting at his facility and really liked it. My insurance denied my band replacement
so I'm using this as an opportunity to research the sleeve and plication.
thanks for your post.
good luck
genepha
I'm so glad you're doing well. I decided to go full speed with my band to sleeve revision also. All my insurance paperwork is in and I should know by the end of January if I'm approved although I called my insurance company and they said it is an approved procedure and there are no restrictions or limitations on WLS on my policy (I have Federal BCBS), so I'm hoping to be sleeved in February.
My original surgeon is a big band doc so I decided to get a second opinion, thanks to so many people here and on the VSG board and I'm using that doctor, one many of my friends have used. I'm still scared but hearing that you and so many others are happy with their decision makes me feel so much better.
Congratulations!
