having my lapband removed next week and considering the sleeve.....

Any input at all??  

After 18 months of throwing up I have decided to have the band removed.  I asked the surgeon if I should give it more time and try to fill it again and try it again.  He clearly stated that i've tried and the band  has failed.  I feel like I have failed  because I know others have had great success with banding. Since day 1 I have been having problems.  Even totally empty ( he removed everything 2 weeks ago) ....I am still getting food stuck and throwing up.  So frustrating.

He has been able to get me in 3 weeks later for the band removal but I need to wait approximately 3 months for the revision surgery ( to allow the stomach to heal). 

I am considering the sleeve ......anyone else gone from lapband to sleeve??  How is it?  What is better?  Are you finding success? What is the recovery from the sleeve surgery like?

Any feedback I would appreciate so much.

krista

First your surgeon is correct the band failed you! Trust me many many many folks have had their bands fail for them. My surgeon said at least 1/4 of their patients end up revising because the band just doesn't work. It is the least effective of all the surgeries, so don't blame yourself.

I plan to revise to the sleeve when I can join medicare in a few years because I can't get a fill without getting heartburn. There are literally hundreds who have revised to the sleeve, it is an excellent surgery and far more successful than the band. They all say the same thing that the sleeve works like we were told the band would but didn't. Nearly everyone I know that has revised has lost either all their excess weight or very close to it. I would suggest you visit the Vertical sleeve forum here and see what people are saying about it and you can ask any questions you may have. Good luck to you!

Thank you so much for your feedback!   I will visit the Sleeve forum ....thank you for the suggestion.  :)

Sometimes I feel  mislead by what was told to me regarding the effectiveness of the lapband and how it works.  I know for me that no matter what I ate,  how long I chewed it, etc....    -  I always ended up bringing it back up.   As well,  I have NEVER felt restriction ....I have always been either  horribly hungry, despite the fact that they said that 1/2 - 1 cup of food should fill me for 3-4 hours   or miserably choking on the food I ate.   They always talked about the "sweet spot" ....but I don't think mine even existed!  I have nothing in my band right now and I am still having problems with food getting "stuck".

Alas,  it's coming out next week and I will look at my options after that.

A little discouraged lately but not giving up totally.  :(

Thanks for your reply.  I appreciate it very much.

krista

I know the feelings I never did find a "sweet spot" I think they are like unicorns for some of us. I never felt full or even satisfied I could eat and an hour later I was hungry again or still and it wasn't head hunger it was stomach growling hunger. I have an awesome surgeon and he even apologized that my hadn't worked and said alot of their patients have revised to the sleeve in fact they really try to talk patients out of the band now. I truely believe he was just telling me what the manufacturers told him and they LIED big time and are now changing alot of what they said about the band. Like when I got mine it was supposed to be good for a lifetime, niow they say oh it should come out in 5-10 yrs! Really thanks alot I'm at year five and had it emptied over a year ago so now what am I to do but revise? Except for one tiny issue, my insurance doesn't cover bariatrics so here we are stuck and with no way to fix it. There are so many in this position and unless we become independently wealthy we are screwed! I think the manufacturers should pay but that won't happen in time for me because that would take lawsuits and all that. So lots of us are in a whole lot of bad positions. I think you will be very happy with a sleeve, be aware the first few weeks are very rough but it gets better fast! Good luck to you!!

We are right there with you!  Ditto your whole story.  I had mine out 9/4 and am waiting for a surgery date.  Join the failed band group.  There a hundreds right there with you.  Come read my story and others.  Also there is a new group called band to sleeve.  Lots of info on both.

http://www.obesityhelp.com/group/failed_lap_bands/

http://www.obesityhelp.com/group/Band2Sleeve/