Sleeve after gastric band

Hi.  I had the Realize Band surgery two years ago.  23 pounds later, here I still am.  My insurance has approved the removal of the band and the sleeve surgery.  Are there many others on here who have gone from band to sleeve?  Sorry if this has been covered before.  I'd appreciate hearing anything good, bad or ugly.  Thanks.

I'm not sure how much help I can be to this conversation, but I am going from band to sleeve on Monday.  Mine isn't beacuse of bad weight loss because I am down almost 100lbs from the band.  However, my band is slipped and getting to 100lbs lost has been a MISERABLE journey.  I have problems where I can usually only do solid food once or twice a week after "calming" it down with mushies and liquids for a while.

From all of the band to sleeve people I have talked to they all say this is the best decision they have ever made. No more stuck!! 

One thing I will tell you that my surgeon told me on Wednesday is that the operation to go to sleeve is a bit harder once you already have had the band.  So instead of a 30 minute band removal added to a one hour sleeve surgery it now can be a 3 hour long surgery because of all the scar tissue from the band. 

theres tons of revisions from band to sleeve on here, I was banded in 2007, sleeved on 3/15, best decision ever made!

Did your band give you restriction/was it a "working band"?  If it was and you were only able to lose 23 lbs, you might want to consider a procedure with malabsorbtion.  The Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy with Duodenal Switch.  It is a fantastic surgery if you are willing to commit to taking full care of yourself.

Some of us do not lose with restriction alone or we don't lose enough.  Usually we have some underlying metabolic  issue like PCOS.

Please go over to the Duodenal Switch forum just to check things out.  There are some of us who have not lost too much revising from Band to Sleeve.

Good Luck,
Leila

I had the Realize band out and revised to the sleeve 02/21/2011. Dr Schram is my surgeon also.  The surgeon and the hospital were great.  Dr. Schram is wonderful.  I worried and still do because I do not feel like I have the restriction that all others are stating they have.  Dr. Schram could not make a perfect sleeve,due to where the band was and probable leaks.  So I have a pouch at the top of my sleeve.

I am going from band to sleeve.  I did loose almost 80 pounds with the band, but like a pp said, it was a hard journey.  Once I reached a certain fill level, which I needed for proper restriction, I had nothing but stuck issues.  I couldn't eat the protein that was so essential to weight loss. 
My surgeon takes out the band (mine was removed 3/22) and requires at least 8 weeks for the stomach to heal.  I wish I could find the research that I located that states this, but I did find that most Dr.s recommend the waiting period.  I think it takes the pouch being at the top of the sleeve issue away.  Also, I felt like it would give him a chance to check out what kind of scar tissue was going on--he said everything looked really good.  The research also showed that the waiting period helped with greater weight loss as well.  So I am ok with it. 
I go in 5/23 to get my sleeve.  I am nervous and excited.  I was told that the risks are higher, but I think that having two surgeries might have helped that out.
Jenn

Jenn, are you keeping the weight off since having your band removed?  For me, I had almost a complete unfil since May 2010 and then Band removal Dec 20, 2010.  I have gained lots and lots of weight despite trying not to .

My paperwork will be submitted shortly to Oxford - still waiting on psychologist to submit a written psych report.

I hope you are right about healing after the Band.  I was stuck feeling "I wish I would have revised during removal" for a long time.  Everything happens in life during the time it is supposed to happen for a reason.

Best,
Leila

Honestly, no.  I have gained about 20 pounds.  I was very loose since 12/10 until surgery 3/22.  I gained about 15 pounds then.  Since the removal, I have kind of a devil may care attitude since I know I am having surgery.  I have to do a preop diet, so I am pretty sure I will loose some of it.  If I didn't think I was having another surgery, I would have been much more careful about keeping weight off. 
Jenn

I say RUN RUN RUN and get the sleeve. I don't think you need a malabsorption surgery to be sucessful. Believe me I went from band to sleeve 2 months ago with no complications and I am feeling good. Should have done this the 1st go around. You will not be hungary with the sleeve, I cant eat much at all. I have lost about 30 in 8wks so not too bad, but everyone loses weight at different rates. I LOVE MY SLEEVE. I lost about 40lbs with the band in a year....gained a little then deceided on the sleeve.