Considering Revision to the Sleeve from the Band

Hi All, 

It has been a while since I was on this board and the last time I was so so hopeful - before I got my band in December of 2010.  I still have it but it just didn't work for me.  I never got the restriction or "green zone" everyone was talking about.  I was always hungry.  And its hard to eat the foods that are good for me.  

I lost 42 lbs and then gained 20 back.  Today I have an appointment to talk about a revision to the sleeve.  Very nervous.  I really want to do it but am so afraid of failure again.  I am also scared my surgeon is going to recommend the bypass surgery instead.  

For all of you who have revised would be very interested in how you feel the sleeve is different from the band.  

Thanks so much, 

Susan

All I can say is that there are many band to sleeve revisions on this board.  If you use the search function for this forum and use the word "band" or "revision" you will probably get a lot of hits.

I revised last year and I've never been happier.  I'm the lowest weight I've been since high school and the sleeve does everything the band was SUPPOSED to do.  Even with a slight regain, I know that I can get it off by working my sleeve the right way.  It is hard to change your lifestyle once the band is out though so make the most of your first 6 months post op where you can't eat a lot of foods.  Slider foods were my best friend when I had the band and that is a hard habit to break.

good luck!

I revised 6 months ago. I did have decent success with the band, but had regain following developing esophageal dilation. I'm lucky that I was still about 50 lbs below my starting weight at the time of revision. I have found that losing seems to be slower the second time around.

I understand your fear of failure. The band works well for some people, but it can be quite finicky and some people never do reach a good "zone" and really struggle.

I can say that I have found the appetite suppression effect better with the sleeve (though mine apparently is not half as good as some people experience) and the volume limiting aspect of it is more reliable and gentler than it was with the band.

Similar to the band, it is still easy to make bad choices, eat slider foods, and indulge in liquid calories. Although for me, I have found that I have an almost dumping like effect if I eat certain high sugar things, so that little bit of behavior modification does help me as well. On the plus side as well, I have no food texture intolerances - I don't ever get "stuck" anymore or slime. I can even take some fairly large pills now.

I recently revised from band to sleeve (12/30). I had the band from 2005, and like you never achieved the "green" zone...and was frequently in a beyond red zone, where I couldn't function and couldn't swallow my own saliva. It was a nightmare...I was often "stuck" and so avoided the foods I should have been eating (protein, veggies) and went with sliders that didn't give me grief. I HATED my band and was so glad to get rid of it!

I don't know what my future holds with the sleeve, but I know that I hold high hopes :) I'm doing pretty well so far - I am down about 17 pounds from surgery date 2 weeks ago, but I'm still only on liquids.

I've seen lots of revisions, and everyone seems to be much happier with the sleeve than they were with the band. 

Good luck making a decision! And remember, the surgeon can make a suggestion, but it's your body and you need to be comfortable with the surgery you choose & what your life will be like afterwards!