I had my band placed April 2010. Lost a total of 150 lbs. I was 355 when I had my band done. Then I went in for a fill and one thing lead to another and they discovered that I had problems with my esophagus. It was not functioning. Up until this point I was throwing up EVERYTHING. I just thought that it was par for the course. I actually didn't even care. I was losing weight. I didn't know it was a problem. So anyway, I just found out that they are gonna take the band out bc the surgeon feels the band is the cause of all of this.
He basically said the band failed me. WHY? well when they realized my esophagus problem, they removed all the fluid. THis was the First of February. Since then, I have gained 50 lbs.
We guestimate that I will be having the band removed and getting the sleeve in early May. I am seriously depressed bc everyone is either giving me the {PITY} look or telling me to stop eating everything under the sun!!!!!
Non of my clothes fit, I was in a 12/14 when this complication started. Now I am in a tight 16. 18 if I want to be comfy.
Just wondering how others have dealt with the transition. How much weight did you lose? Differences in BAND eating vs SLEEVE eating! THanks for any input

Hey there, I could have written your post for you. It is the same experience that I had. Since my revision to sleeve in December I am on the losing side again, slowly but surely, but life is amazing. Food still gets stuck but I have my life back n am so happy. You will not look back. I didn't tell anyone that I had either surgery but I gave myself the bullying don't worry.
At the end of the day, the sleeve is just a tool like the band but is more friendly in my experience.
Let us know how u get on.

hi,
My husband had that same problem. he was throwing up all the time and it really discussed me..
they took out the band and he was eating regular foods in no time.. of course I thought he went to fast.
he is back on the losing side.. he knows when he eats to much, and he knows right away if the food he just ate doesn't agree with him.. .. He didn't know these things when he the band

again can't stress this enough, it is only a tool.. if you aren't willing to do the work then it won't help no matter what you have.
eat in moderation and get your nutrition.
Good luck.

I had the band in 2006, I lost about 50 lbs. I started vomiting alot and could only hold slider foods ( high carbs ) protien would not stay down. They say it's just a tool but it's a terrible tool for me. I have had numerous fills and adjustments but it just was not going to work. I am having a revision to the sleeve done in four weeks and can't wait to get this out. The doctor did say the band is not reversable it is removable but not reversable. He said there is alot of scaring after a band and for doctors to tell you that it is reversable is decieving. I will be glad to remove it. Best of luck to you as well.

Fel...please let us know how things go. I hope to have surgery the end of May...so I am right there with you. I do not know how much scaring I have. I hope very little, but I was not told either way. I am sure there is some there. I am nervous with the thought of the sleeve being a forever thing. But so is my battle...best to have a tool to help me through. If I could have done it on my own I would have....I have only tried to lose weight 1000 times. Please keep us informed on your process. I will too. I need the support and encouragement.

Had my Lap Band removed a couple of months ago and I'm having revision surgery next week. If you've already had your sleeve surgery, I'd love to hear from you.

Hey fam!
I have my date. I am scheduled on the 9th. I am very nervous. I will keep you all informed. Good luck to those of you that are transitioning as well. We can do it guys

I got my lapband in 2007 lost a total of 130 lbs, then my doctor told me my stomach had stretched. UGH! I got the sleeve on March 6, 2013. Of course while having no fluid in my band I gained 40 lbs. I have only been able to get off 35, which I did easily in a 5 week period. Now I'm at a stall with the sleeve. I've been walking a lot, taking Zumba and will start step aerobics next week. It is frustrated and at times I miss my band. I was a 4 soda drinker a day. YES COKES! and ate what I wanted with the band. I have not had a junk, sodas, breads, pastas or anything, and this darn weight won't move past 200!. Anyone else out there struggling???

I had the same problem. Had my band placed in August 2010. I lost 25 lbs pre-surgery (on the lovely diet) and 30 lbs with the band. Same thing happened to me, I was only dilated to 4 cc's of saline in my band, and was at the point where I got stuck at almost every meal. 3 months post-op we tried to tell my dr about it, to no avail. I wound up in the er once with a piece of pork stuck. That dr left town, and I started seeing a new one. He ordered a barium swallow test and said the band was placed too high, I had no pouch (which is why I was hungry all the time), and the band was crushing my esophagus. That's why I couldn't swallow food. He immediately emptied the band and told me they would not place a new band. That's when I found my current dr. I am scheduled to have my band and port removed, and have the sleeve on May 20. I am soooooo looking forward to it!! But right now I am hungry......I hate the pre-op diet!!

Had my revision on 5/20/13. My dr said there was a lot of scar tissue and a lot of stitches around my band. Actually, he was just going to remove the band and the port and wait for another day to do the sleeve, it was so bad. And yes, I had no pouch. But he pushed through, removed the band and port, and did my sleeve. I was in the hospital until Wednesday. I feel pretty good! The only real pain I have is where the port was. It was a larger incision. It kinda sucks, cuz it was located right under my bra line on my left side. So I can't wear a bra, ewwww. Other than being tired because I am still taking pain pills, I feel pretty good. I can't sleep laying down yet, and can only eat about 2 oz of puréed protein at a time.but I feel good, and that's what is important. I walk a lot, too. Keep us posted on you progress!!

I am amazed at how common this problem is with the band. I wish I had just gone with the sleeve in the first place but I guess the band served its purpose to a certain degree having lost 155lbs. But gain gaining 50 back. As far as progress, it's been a month and I'm still dealing with not being able to swallow very well due to esophagus issues. I'm still hungry at times. Ready to see the lbs fly off like everyone says will happen.

Hello everyone....I am amazed at how much I am hearing the same thing I am going through with the band. I have friends I had worked with that were banded a long with me, well a few months apart, and they have done terrific. But me not so lucky. I got down to about 165 at one point but because the band was too tight and I left it that way since I was losing the weight. But once it got to the point I could no longer even hold fluid I had some saline removed. Now I am back up to 200 lbs and my starting weight before band was 228. It seems with me either it gets too tight or not enough no matter what we do. I asked the Dr. about the possibility of having the sleeve done. I am tired of fills and unfills and the food getting stuck and me vomiting. I felt like it was just me and that I was the failure. I seriously want the madness to end. So Dr. wants to wait another 8 to 10 weeks to see if we can get this right yet. If nothing changes then hopefully he will listen to me and see what we can do about getting sleeve approved through insurance.

These posts sound so much like what I have been going through. I am meeting with Dr next week to discuss options on removing my band and revising to sleeve. I'm hoping he will do it all in one surgery. My band has been empty since Feb and I have gained 30 odd lbs and I am so depressed but i can actually drink water now and eat yogurt and it stays down. I am anxious to get back to losing and get back into my clothes.

Hello to All, I was banded in 2005 and have had complications my band doesn't restrict once I get a fill it takes a day or two- now in 2013 I've developed terrible acid reflux which I believe is from the band. I'm in the beginning phase of getting a revision to the sleeve. Trying to decide if I want to go thru this wls thing again or can I be strong enough mentally to conquer it with exercise and eating right. Lot of decisions to be made....

I'm happy I won't have to go through all those trips to the doctor's office to fill/unfill. I went through about 6 months of that, having never gotten it just right. So even with no saline, I still get things stuck, esp dense carbs like bagels and English muffins. And yes, I know I probably shouldn't eat those things, even with no saline in my band. Oddly enough, boiled eggs ended up being the worst thing for getting stuck (twice to the ER for emergent saline removal). Looking forward to my Sept 11 surgery!