Thinking about lapband to VSG revision. Any complications?

Hey all! I have had my band for almost 5 1/2 years. Two years ago I had to have my port replaced. Turned out the tubing had cracked in half where it joins the port. After the port revision, I had pretty good restriction and decided to get my head straight before I got any more fills. I really wanted to make the band icing on the cake so to speak. Well, I am now up 20 lbs over my heaviest (before banding). I decided 2 weeks ago to get a fill because I needed to do something and wasn't going to do it on my own. End result: no fill...the port is inverted. I can't help but think this is my body's way of telling me it's time to get this thing out. I have developed very swollen lower legs and feet over the past 2 years. And, have just not felt right. I am wondering if my body has been trying to reject the band or new port or both. Has anyone had anything like this happen to them? 

I am posting on this board because I know the band has not worked for me. I am attending an information seminar on VSG and bypass next week. I wanted to see if anyone else has had a similar experience or if this is all in my head. I feel like a failure at this and am angry at myself for letting this go so long. Thanks for listening. :)

Just had a band to RNY revision on 9/6.  My band failed, slipped and created scar tissue that caused it impossible to find that sweet spot you are supposed to find with the band.  So imagine the band slipping so pouch is large enough to eat big meals but then also that terrible stuck feeling only not immediately.    Double whammy on this was that my lapband surgeon moved to a different state and when it comes to this kind of thing well, no one wants to deal with anyone else's patients. 

During my research I found that the band has an overwhelming fail rate.  Do your RESEARCH and start the process is my advice.  One Doc I saw said she did 10 too many bands last year, so I am suspecting that this wonder weight loss tool is being phased out quickly. 

As I sit here recovering I can tell you for me the revision hasn't been a walk in the park but that's due to several issue with me.  I had a lot of scar tissue that needed to be removed and my poor stomach was really swollen (internally).  I had to stay an extra night in the hospital because I didn't pass my upper GI due to swelling.  Pain from surgery is minimal in my opinion but then again, I've already had 3 c-sections, my gallbladder removed and then the lapband.  There is the who gas pain thing but as long as you get up and walk walk walk walk you'll be ok.  The hard thing for me at this point in time is weakness.  Because of the restricted liquid diet post surgery (this would probably be the same for VSG) it's hard to get calories.   

Good news is that I've lost 15 lbs since RNY!  Best of luck in your decision making process. 

Thank you for replying to my post. The one thing I have decided for sure is that the band has to come out. Whether I get a sleeve at the same time or not, I am still not sure. When I had restriction and was focused, I did quite well. I am just so afraid of doing something else and then still failing. Thank you again for the advice. And good luck to you in your journey! 

I had my band placed 2/25/09 and removed 9/4/12.  My port had tipped and encased itself in a pseudo capsule of scare tissue.  I had pain ever time I picked something up or exerted in any way.  Yes, my body was trying to reject the port.  Also I was tightening up and the last nine months they did a un-fill, it would tighten again and I would get another un-fill.  They ended up totally unfilling the band and than removing it.  The band was trying to reject the band too.

I was sleeved on 1/22 of this year and I am so happy I did.  I am 40 pounds lower than I was with the band at 7 months and 30 pounds lower than I had as my goal for this surgery.  This is how I thought the band would be.

Thanks for replying. It makes me feel a little better to know it's not totally all in my head. May I ask how eating is different with the sleeve than compared to the band? I am inspired by your weight loss. You've done awesome! To have that kind of success seems like a mere dream to me. I can't even imagine. Thank you again for sharing and any advice you can offer I'd greatly appreciate. 

You can eat the foods you need to lose weight and feel FULL.  With the band I was in not in pain and hungry or in pain and hungry.  I never felt FULL just in discomfort to pain when I had eaten.  Now I feel full and the only hungry I have is head/habit.  I can eat small amounts of solid protein, couldn't with the band, and am full.  Now when I first had the surgery, even though I knew better, I was sure I had failed at this and wondered if they even did surgery.  This is common as your stomach has been cut and so have the nerve endings.  So you are really feeling nothing rather than full.  Some come out with no hunger at all and lots of us come out not "feeling".  It is very important to measure your food so you don't over fill you sleeve and hurt it.  Oh and the ONLY time I threw up was shortly after I went to reg foods and ate on the run and didn't measure and ate more than I thought of a food I wasn't ready to have so much of, Turkey and Turkey sticks.

This surgery makes it much easier to eat for success.  As with ALL WLS you can eat around them if you want.  I could eat chips all day and not lose, which is what I had ended up doing with the band as that was about all I could get down.

PM me if you have more questions.

Hi, I have a lapband and am wanting a revision to either the sleeve or DS(DS seems to have a higher rate of success) from what I have read anyways, however I see lots of ppl with the sleeve and be 100 percent successfull. I am curious, what was the deciding factor in switching to the sleeve as opposed to another form of WLS?         Thanks, Debbie

My sister has a DS.  She had it in '06 and has kept off her healthy weight loss.  She was losing too much at one time.  They wanted to revise her back to a sleeve or less DS.  She didn't educate herself on her surgery like she should of and so made a choice on misinformation to just stretch the sleeve.  

The DS does have the highest success rate.  It also has the highest malnutrition issues requiring the highest supplementation and deficiencies issues.  So if you go that route remember you have to committee to a ridged supplementation and lab work program, FOR LIFE.

This is one reason why I choice the band in the first place.  I didn't want to have her issues.  As I am a research nut I, don't believe I would have all the problems she has but, I have trouble getting in what I need for a sleeve.

I did well with the restriction only for the short times I would have it right.  I felt I could do it with the restriction only.  I also didn't choose the RNY for some of the same reasons as the DS.  And on top of the malnutrition issues I found that the body adjust to the by-pass as far as mal-absorption of calories after 18 mo-2 years but, mal-absorbs nutrition FOR LIFE!  Also with the RNY it is the hardest to revise to another surgery.  Very few surgeons are qualified/experienced in taken down the RNY.  Many here have gone from band to RNY.  Many RNY'ers are here on the revision boards after about the same amount of time as Band but, usually for regain as opposed to complications.  Also keep in mind a lot of people go band to RNY as their surgeon don't do other WLS.

So for the best results with the less long term problems, I choose the Sleeve/VSG.  I feel this is right for ME. I could get the 2nd stage DS surgery (the VSG is the first stage of a DS) for cash pay down the road if I needed more help.  Only you can figure out what is right for you.  Do your research!  

Check out failed band GROUP.  Check out the surgery boards also.