Revision from VBG to RNY with no weight regain

So 13 years ago I had a VGB which was pretty successful in my opinion I went from 280's to 155lbs with a fluctuation of 4-5lbs here and there.  A few years ago I started having problems eating and the Gastro Dr. went in and tried to stretch the opening a little which he did I was find for about a year and started having trouble eating again.  

I went back in Dec to find that I had a really bad ulcer in the opening.  They gave me meds to heal it and last week did another scope and saw that the band has eroded and is currently inside my stomach.  

I've been living with restrictive eating for 13yrs.. I'm curious if anyone else has had a revision with no weight regain from their original surgery.  The Bariatric Doc is calling it a reconstruction of my stomach as opposed to a revision.  

I'm trying to find out what the differences are in the eating.  I'm not a big eater and not a fan of fast foods but without the restriction I still worry that I might regain weight.  

The Doctor told me I would probably lose a few lbs but nothing major after the revision which i'm fine with I just want to make sure I maintain the weight loss I've had to date. 

Thank you in advance :) 

Marisol 

I hope other people will chime in. And hopefully you'll take my opinion for what it's worth to you, as I mean to help. 

I didn't even know they were still doing VBG in 2003/2004, if that's when you had yours.
 
My rny was done in 2001 and due to complications I was reversed almost 9 years post rny and I did have regain issues. Even bad regain issues before my reversal, which is a long story. But I managed to gain almost all my weight back, due to meds, even though I couldn't keep things down, starting in late 2007. I do bounce now the last almost 6 1/2 years and I do realize that might not something you want to think of (I'm on average of a size 12/14, at my thinnest 2/4 on average, some 6's, heaviest after rny, I was back in a size 24 by late 2009) 

And yes, you are the ONLY person I know of to have VBG and kept their weight off, with or without major complications!!!

Even with major complications and regain, my surgeon refused to revise me at my heaviest which I was back in a size 24 again, by late 2009, which is where I started in 2001. And by the time I had a reversal to save my life, I didn't care anymore, even though I had lost quite a bit of regain starting in February2010 (8 months before my reversal, when I was taken off all those meds). I still was one of the almost heaviest people (I was about a size 14 at the time of my reversal in 9/2010) to have one but I needed them because I had a lot of pesky gi bleeds for years before my reversal. 

Most surgeons that I have heard who even do unbanding  because of serious complicaitons and revise to rny in heavy people, aren't necessarily in a hurry to do them in the same surgery, as hoping you'd heal first. 

The concern that I have for you, is that being at a normal weight already, what's to say you may not lose more weight and have more issues health wise if you convert to a rny. 

In my case, doing what I do, trying to support wls peeps whether they had an optimal to catastrophic experience, I do see those who had rny had major complications were starving to death and yes, it's normal to worry about regain, as no one wants to have bariatric surgery and regain all their weight back, but at this present time, it isn't an issue for you. 

I say what I do with a disclaimer that these kind of decisions should be made with medical professionals, obviously including input from a bariatric surgeron. I do see though there are some surgeons who do believe and it's at risk of their patients health, especially if they are normal weight or underweight of not wanting to undo a bariatric surgery and /or not want to risk their patients becoming Obese again, even though that has happened to so many people I know who had VBG and ended up revising to a rny with mixed results. 

What about getting unbanded and seeing what happens? And decide if you get past a certain amount of weight, of then maybe making that big of a risk. Or what about if you really are terrified of gaining weight not having a bariatric surgery intact, of revising to a sleeve, or suggesting that to your surgeon that if you and them are on board about unbanding and revising, if going the sleeve route in one procedure, if that has to happen. 

I don't know what you have in the realm of support for wls matters both online and off of here, but hopefully I've given you something to think about. I'd rather say something that's worthy of really trying to evaluate what is going to be in the best interest of your health, even if you HATE what I'm saying right now. And it won't matter if you get unbanded and revise to a rny, where you may retain your weight loss or even get thinner, if you're going to be at a major risk for getting even more complications and have little to no quality of life. 

And unfortunately I do know a lot of people who get revisions being at a normal or under weight and the more times they are surgical revised for complication only issues, makes them that more at risk, should you have a rny, need a reversal, it could become impossible to undo that and a sleeve complications aren't as drastic in the few I've heard about them, but when they are, they are just as bad as any severe complication could be, in ANY wls and sleeves aren't reversible. 

I'm honestly not anti-wls. I'm just hoping you can find a resolution that works best for you and I think that it's worth evaluating on seeing how you do after you get unbanded before revising to any other surgery. Because the truth is, while bariatric surgery can be a wonderful tool, usually when you are as far out as you are, a lot of the credit goes more to you for keeping the weight off than it does to any of the bariatric surgeries, so it's really worth doing a lot of soul searching.  

Keep me/us posted.. Wishing you the best of luck... Hugs, Lisa 

Thank you so much for the information.  So it turns out that the area where the band eroded is severely damaged which means they have to take out a large section of my stomach.  We originally thought of doing the unbanding and letting it go for a few months but between the surgeon and my gastro they came to the conclusion that is not a good idea and my stomach has to basically be reconstructed. 

Now what's happening is that the insurance wants me to do a 6 month nutritional program... mind you all I can eat right now is broth and baby food without vomiting which has resulted in my red blood cells to go down to 3.4.  I don't get how the insurance can expect me to wait 6 months without being able to eat.  So we are currently trying to fight that.  My doctors have all basically told me the same thing they have never had to handle a situation like mine, so they are working together to get the approval and get me taken care of before the end of the month.  

I'm totally stressed out and if the insurance denies this I might have to take myself to the ER forcing them to do the surgery as an emergency and then still have to pay the entire thing out of pocket.  

Part of me wishes I could just unband without all the rest of the drama because I have really worked hard all these years to keep the weight off or just not have to do anything but it's been 2 months of eating nothing but broths, watered down apple juice and baby food which although it's come a long way is still pretty gross. 

Thanks again you've given me lots to think about, I really do appreciate all the input. 

I had a re-sleeve with only 20 lbs regain. I was 161 lbs the day of my revision surgery and 145 at my lowest weight. My insurance approved it and covered it 100%.

I am glad I went through with the revision, and followed my surgeon's advice. My sleeve had enlarged over the years, and the volume of what I was able to eat had increased substantially. It doesn't matter if you are eating healthy foods, if you are eating a lot more of them, you will gain weight. It's basic math. I am happy that my surgeon recognized it, did not make me feel bad, shame me, etc., and got my revision approved. Now I am back on track with my second chance, and I am going to be more careful this time around.....i.e., not force myself to take that last bite of food, drink liquids while eating, etc. Ultimately, my surgeon says there is no way of knowing for sure what caused the sleeve to enlarge, but I will use it as a "wake up call" and reinforce all of the positive habits that I see folks (including myself!) drift away from as the years go by.

I value the support of all the people on the board, but most of us are patients, not doctors. I think it's critical that you follow the advice of a reputable surgeon that you trust, who has experience with revision surgeries. Best of luck and feel free to message me if you have any more questions!

Thank you so much for the info.  My insurance is currently giving me a hard time they want me to do a 6 month nutritional program but I can't keep anything but broth and baby food/mush in without vomting.  not sure if I can last 6 months like this, but they are fighting the insurance and hopefully things will work out. 

Thank you again. :)