Going from band to sleeve?
Hi all,
My name is Danielle and I was banded back in 2008. The thing has basically never worked for me and has only made me miserable. In the past four years I've tried all kinds of diets and exercises with no success. I finally left my doctor because his only answer to my problems was that I had a disease and I needed to "stop eating pizza and burgers everyday". Needless to say, that's NOT what I was doing. Now I've found a great doctor at NYU who is on my side and is willing to do a new surgery on me. I'm considering the sleeve and the bypass but I am leaning more toward the sleeve for lots of reasons. I'm just trying to do a lot of prelim research so I don't make the same mistake twice.
Can anyone offer advice? Has anyone had the lapband and gone to sleeve? Can anyone recommend some online support groups to find further information on the sleeve and life after the sleeve? Any info would help.
Thanks,
Danielle
My name is Danielle and I was banded back in 2008. The thing has basically never worked for me and has only made me miserable. In the past four years I've tried all kinds of diets and exercises with no success. I finally left my doctor because his only answer to my problems was that I had a disease and I needed to "stop eating pizza and burgers everyday". Needless to say, that's NOT what I was doing. Now I've found a great doctor at NYU who is on my side and is willing to do a new surgery on me. I'm considering the sleeve and the bypass but I am leaning more toward the sleeve for lots of reasons. I'm just trying to do a lot of prelim research so I don't make the same mistake twice.
Can anyone offer advice? Has anyone had the lapband and gone to sleeve? Can anyone recommend some online support groups to find further information on the sleeve and life after the sleeve? Any info would help.
Thanks,
Danielle
I am a sleeve conversion and the band never worked for me. I have yet to feel like I did with the sleeve and though I have had my doubts I believe this is the tool for me. I really feel like its finally starting to work for me. It's work but it's nothing like the band. Good luck with your decision
Jill 
I also had MANY problems with the band. I had mine removed and was sleeved (in the same surgery). So far so good. It's only been a month but I am MUCH happier than I ever was with the band. I still have to 'work' though. I could eat ice cream and chips all day (as it slides through the sleeve) but I don't!!!
My band had also caused a hiatial hernia which was repaired duing my surgery. The worst part of the recovery was the incision where they took the port out. Youch!
I went back and forth between RNY and sleeve too - but I didn't want to change my digestive track. Sleeve allows me to still function like I normally would and not have to worry about any deficiencies.
Good luck with your decision!
My band had also caused a hiatial hernia which was repaired duing my surgery. The worst part of the recovery was the incision where they took the port out. Youch!
I went back and forth between RNY and sleeve too - but I didn't want to change my digestive track. Sleeve allows me to still function like I normally would and not have to worry about any deficiencies.
Good luck with your decision!
SW with band: 270
Reached with band: 200
Gained back/day of VSG surgery on 3/27/12: 229
Current weight: 192.6
Height 5'10"
Goal: 170
Reached with band: 200
Gained back/day of VSG surgery on 3/27/12: 229
Current weight: 192.6
Height 5'10"
Goal: 170
Have friends and family that are "banded" so from what I saw it was never an option. The RNY bypass scares me for a lot of reasons, but the sleeve is a excellent option I am glad to have had done
http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/vsg/4497254/Why-VSG-and-on-Roux-en-Y/
check out this link for a lot of helpful info about RNY VS sleeve. My wife had an RNY 4 years ago, but after I was sleeved she said if it had been an option then (still to new for a lot of insurance co's) she would have been sleeved.
Good luck.
http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/vsg/4497254/Why-VSG-and-on-Roux-en-Y/
check out this link for a lot of helpful info about RNY VS sleeve. My wife had an RNY 4 years ago, but after I was sleeved she said if it had been an option then (still to new for a lot of insurance co's) she would have been sleeved.
Good luck.
Remember it's bariactric surgery, not brain surgery! You need to get your head in the game!!!! 
Thanks everyone! This is some great info here. I'm def leaning more toward sleeve because of not wanting to change my digestive system as well. I've gone through enough with the band and "sliming" and getting food stuck so I really don't want to deal with the dumping syndrome and malabsorption issues that come along with bypass.
hi danielle,
i too am researching the same as you. I was banded back in 2006. i ended up having a prolapse a year later, had a new band put in during the revision surgery and about a year later had another prolapse(slip). i had my band removed in 2008 and my dr said my only option would possibly be a sleeve but he felt that i could keep my 65lb weight loss off. well here i am 4 yrs later and the weight crept back on. i am just hating myself over this. this is my life long battle. im wondering if the sleev has any of the side effectsthat i had with the band, such as the stuck feeling or the reflux etc
i too am researching the same as you. I was banded back in 2006. i ended up having a prolapse a year later, had a new band put in during the revision surgery and about a year later had another prolapse(slip). i had my band removed in 2008 and my dr said my only option would possibly be a sleeve but he felt that i could keep my 65lb weight loss off. well here i am 4 yrs later and the weight crept back on. i am just hating myself over this. this is my life long battle. im wondering if the sleev has any of the side effectsthat i had with the band, such as the stuck feeling or the reflux etc
Hi girliegirlgirl,
Most of the research I've found with the sleeve is that you don't have a lot of the same problems as the band because there is no "pouch". However, I'm postive that you may have discomfort if you gobble your food too fast (which is always a problem for me) or drink something two quickly. Take a look at that link that was posted here. The woman in that post had a LOT of great information in her post comparing RnY with sleeve.
Lastly, is your doctor supportive of you? Like I said, my original doctor was not supportive at all when I was not losing with my band. He told me basically I was the problem. This new doctor I have is extremely supportive and wants me to succeed in my weight loss goals. I'd say talk to you doctor and just be upfront. I was always afraid of saying "I hate my band" "I hate getting stuck" "this isn't right for me" to the doctors. Once I finally said something along those lines to my new doctor, he immediately said well let's try something else!
Good luck and feel free to keep in touch with me with regards to sleeve research.
Best,
Danielle
Most of the research I've found with the sleeve is that you don't have a lot of the same problems as the band because there is no "pouch". However, I'm postive that you may have discomfort if you gobble your food too fast (which is always a problem for me) or drink something two quickly. Take a look at that link that was posted here. The woman in that post had a LOT of great information in her post comparing RnY with sleeve.
Lastly, is your doctor supportive of you? Like I said, my original doctor was not supportive at all when I was not losing with my band. He told me basically I was the problem. This new doctor I have is extremely supportive and wants me to succeed in my weight loss goals. I'd say talk to you doctor and just be upfront. I was always afraid of saying "I hate my band" "I hate getting stuck" "this isn't right for me" to the doctors. Once I finally said something along those lines to my new doctor, he immediately said well let's try something else!
Good luck and feel free to keep in touch with me with regards to sleeve research.
Best,
Danielle
The Lap-Band ended up being hellish with me. Towards the end of having my band my stomach developed scar tissue and made it impossible for me to eat solid foods most of the time. I also had problems sleeping (even sitting up) because of stomach acid.
I've had my sleeve now for about a year. The way the sleeve works is so much better than a band. You used to be able to eat past the band and I never really felt "full" with a band I felt stuck. With the sleeve you will get a full feeling.
With the band I also had to limit my diet to things that wouldn't get stuck and I tended to lean towards foods that wouldn't give me a problem. With the VSG I can eat anything I want and I can even eat it dry if I want to. I can eat a small steak with notning on it and not have to worry about slime. The only time I have felt "stuck" with my VSG is if I eat too fast and the stuck feeling lasts about 30 seconds to a minute where with the band if I got stuck it was at least an hour of misery.
I've had my sleeve now for about a year. The way the sleeve works is so much better than a band. You used to be able to eat past the band and I never really felt "full" with a band I felt stuck. With the sleeve you will get a full feeling.
With the band I also had to limit my diet to things that wouldn't get stuck and I tended to lean towards foods that wouldn't give me a problem. With the VSG I can eat anything I want and I can even eat it dry if I want to. I can eat a small steak with notning on it and not have to worry about slime. The only time I have felt "stuck" with my VSG is if I eat too fast and the stuck feeling lasts about 30 seconds to a minute where with the band if I got stuck it was at least an hour of misery.
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