Revision to the Gastric Sleeve....a bit worried please help

Hi,

I had the lap band over 3 years ago and absolutely hated every minute of it. It felt like torture every time I ate. It wouldn't matter how little the bites were, how much I chewed, what I ate, still after 3 years I had to puree everything or I'd PB, slime, gag & vomit. The worst feeling was that every bite I took would get or feel stuck. This caused me to avoid all social situations with food, family dinners, dating etc. This was not good for my mental and physical health.

I had the band removed in May 2014 and my quality of life has improved a million times over. I did not want to have a new surgery I was convinced that I can do this on my own. Since than I have gained 20lbs and after a weight management course and therapy I've decided that I do need additional help with the weight loss. I have been scheduled for gastric sleeve surgery in March this year.

My biggest concerns are that the sleeve will feel like the band. I could never live with the sleeve feeling like I'm stuck every time I have a bite of food. I'm well aware that the portions will be very small, I need to be chew a lot and restrict the types of food. This was the same for the band except it didn't matter what I did nothing helped. I stuck it out 3 years hoping that it would get better. It never did. So for anyone that had the band to the sleeve do you get the stuck feeling? Like food is sitting in your throat and chest? If so did it ever go away? Also what does eating actually feel like now that your sleeve has healed? Is it just like a normal stomach but you feel full sooner?

Thanks so much for your help in advance!

Well I can answer part of your questions but I wasn't able to go ahead and revise to the sleeve because of other health problems. I definately understand about the crap band tho, they are evil in every way!!! I did do alot of reading on here and I know many, many people who have revised and all but 2 of them love their sleeves and the two that don't are having trouble with blood sugar issues but one was already diabetic and the other has just had unbearable stress for several years and just finds it too difficult to worry about what she's eating but she is still keeping her weight off. So weight wise both have done great.

I'm told be everyone I know that the sleeve is a world totally different than the band, all say it acts like we were told the band would but didn't. They just eat normally but less of everything like you said. You are already trained with the band to take the small bites and chew well so it should be a breeze for you as far as eating. The only down thing is you can get the foamies which are like the slimes of the band where your mouth gets all full of saliva trying to get something out, but it doesn't happen all the time like with the band. It only happens if you eat too much or too fast so as long as you eat small bites and chew well you shouldn't have them more than a couple of times.

The one thing you MUST remember is that the first few months your stomach nerves are NOT working so you absolutely have to weigh or measure your amounts because you won't feel whether you are full or not and you don't want to rupture a staple line by stuffing too much in your baby sleeve! You won't have much appetite anyway because the part of the stomach that they remove is where grehlin (the hunger hormone) is and also the stretchiest part.

I think you will really like the sleeve and anything is better than the band. Plus you actually can lose weight with the sleeve!!! Imagine that, I wish you the best and I know you will like it once you get used to it!

Yes it's exactly like a normal stomach but you just get full much quicker on much less food and that's because it IS a normal stomach just smaller. 

I never experienced any of those issues with stuff feeling stuck or anything like that. I've never been nauseated and I've never vomited a single time. 

Oh, no - regular eating with the sleeve.  That whole chew, chew, chew thing - out the window.  Feeling stuck - not!   Gagging, vomiting - NOT!  Teeny tiny meals - I wish!  You will feel like a normal human being with a normal human stomach!  Now remember that not all sleeves are created equal.  I believe I am a bit bigger and looser.  Restriction relaxes as our sleeved stomachs mature.  There are some people who have very small sleeves but they tend to have acid reflux issues.  That was something that I did not want after the band. 

It is a very normal feeling.  I struggle with eating too much - snacking, grazing etc.  It is a life's work but I really love having my stomach sleeved a lot.  Why?  I have a bottom - opposed to being a bottomless pit.  My issues with hunger are nonexistent.  I have had THANK GOD no complications at all.  I feel so good and lucky in terms  of my stomach.  It has been a soft/gentle process.

All best to you.

You may want to ask your dr to send you for an esophageal manometry if you were having such severe problems with the band.  Just to be sure you don't have a compromised esophogus.

i had the band for 6 years and choked, got stuck and vomited constantly.  When I switched drs to find out about removing the band and being revised to the sleeve, my new dr insisted that I go for the manometry (it measures how strong your esophogus is)...because both the band and the sleeve create "hi pressure systems" that push up against the esophogus...and if you have a weak esophogus, you can run into issues with the sleeve.

turns out 30-50% of my swallows were ineffective...showing a weakened esophogus (could have been unmasked or caused by the band...I have no idea)...but the sleeve was not an option for me.

not many drs send their patients for the manometry...but my doctor had a very extreme case of a band to sleeve revision where they realized the patient had the esophogus issues after the fact...and she now knows to send her patients if it sounds like there could be issues.

i just wanted to share...and hope you're able to get the sleeve (that was my first choice...I've heard wonderful things about it vs the band).

I absolutely agree with the above poster because I know he patient she is speaking of and she now has NO stomach because of the band damage, not a fun life,it is pure hell for them. Definately ask your surgeon for a mannometry, it will save you from horrible experience. RNY may not be your choice but if your esophagus is damaged it may be your only choice. Good luck.