surgeon reluctant to deband me and sleeve me

Hi Garfield,

It's great to hear you can get your operations! You just be super excited!! I noticed you said their is doctor in Sydney who does the band removal and sleeve at the same time. Most surgeons don't do this because it's far too risky. I think what you are doing by waiting is far safer then having it done the same time. It gives your body time to heal itself. I saw a great quote online about lap bands that said "put a rubber band around your finger and see what that looks like in 10 years time". I haven't had either but I'm opting for the sleeve on 20th June (no way I would get a band). Good luck with the operations!!!!

Hi Kazbo,
My initial surgeon decided I had lost enough weight with the band and refused point blank to do the sleeve despite all the complications I was having.
He did however take some fill out to relieve the reflux and within 2wks my weight gain zoomed right up!! In total I have lost 5.5kgs in 9 months. Not worth it!!


So I investigated some other surgeons and found several that would do the surgery. I have chosen one because he was so understanding and caring despite and understood my struggles. I am booked to get the band out in 20 days and the sleeve 3 months after.

I am using my Super (just found out yesterday it has been released) so I am very excited right now I could shout
LOL

I do know of a Dr in Sydney that does the Band to Sleeve in one op which would be my preference so let me know if you want his name.

Good luck and keep persisting on doing what is right for you!!

absolutely you can feel that the band isnt in your body any more and its like a tumour has been removed... you feel so much better instantly even with the effect of the sugery.

I remember waking up in my room feeling like a weight had been litterally lifted off my chest. Like they had removed a brick from my sternum yet I had not noticed this feeling when it was in.

Best thing I ever did was getting it out... it did me well I lost 70 kilos with it but by goodness it was a hard and painful slog... sliming, pain in the chest, reflux couldnt eat healthy weight reducing foods...

For what its worth I say give it a go and see if you can make it work for a few more months then in your mind you know you have given it your all...if its not working for you and your doc is still unresponcive...find another doctor. I know its very difficult to change docs mid stream but its your body and your health and your burning days and months when you could be getting slim a healthier and more liveable way.

good luck with your battle.

Trish

Bands are a pain in the ASS - I've got one and it was fine for about a year then it started leaking from where the port joins the band, its since been repaired and is leaking again.

I struggled to get the band to work right, it was either too tight or not tight enough, I was in getting it adjusted every 2wks or so. Consequently I didn't loose weight in the end I gained everything I lost and them some!

My band is coming out on Tuesday - at to say that I'm happy about it would be an understatement!! Good riddens to the bloody thing. I will have to wait around 3mths to get the Sleeve done but It will be worth it.

I spoke to a lady yesterday who had the Gastic Bypass done and she's over the moon with it, couldn't be happier, she can eat whatever she likes (still small portions like the sleeve) and best of all she can eat meat again. She said bread was still an issue - she also had a band that was a PITA and was glad to get it out. She actually said she can feel that the band isn't in her body anymore.

I hope everything goes well with your band (yes you must eat right for them to work even the sleeve) so I guess work on your diet more as the doc suggested.

Good luck

I saw the surgeon yesterday, he gave me a 1/2 ml. I told him I still haven't dismissed the sleeve thing...he was quite dismissive of me which shit me. He said he wanted to be sure that my diet was good and that I was doing everything possible to loose weight before we go down the sleeve route. i told him that if getting to the green zone meant I had to live with pain and suffering he could take it out.

Anyways, i was booked in to see the dietitian straight after. i showed him my food diary and it made me realise that my diet isn't THAT great (lots of snacks, I've been doing chips & dip, cheese and crackers more than necessary). Yes, I admit there is a bit of denial going on :)

So I made a commitment to myself that once I am satisfied that my diet is good (consistently) and I exercise regularly then I will drop the sleeve thing until I am convinced that my band is not for me.

Sheesh! Who would have thought this funny old world could be so damned fickle!!

Thank you Val and Shirley for your responses! I see the surgeon on Friday so will talk about it more...if I don't get a fair hearing I will make an appt in Sydney with someone there :)

The biggest issue I have at the moment is that I have no leave (I just started a new job) so if I do decide to get the band out, I'll have to wait a while to accrue some leave anyway.

Hi Kazbo

Another Ex Bandit here.

I had my Gastric Band in November 2009, the first 6 months of my life with the band I lost 23 kgs. After that no matter how I tried more fill less fill I never achieved any more weight loss.

Hey my qualtiy of life was at zero, could not go out dinner, could not eat a variety of healthy foods, Oh and the worst was the vomiting - some days it would go on for hours. After reading heaps of information on this site I took the Bull by the horns and made an appointment with my Baratric Surgeon.

I think sometimes you have to be point blank with your Surgeon, I just told him my quality of life was shit, and I wanted my band out and wanted it replaced by the Sleeve. Just remember it is their DUTY OF CARE.

I now have been sleeved for 1 week an honestly this is a million times better than the Band. If you are still not happy go back and see your Surgeon voice your opinion this is your life not theres.

I only had to pay for the Anethitist as my Surgeon Bulked billed.

Good luck my love

Val

Hi Kazbo

I have now been sleeved since 06 FEb this year, and let me tell you that it is sooooo much better than a silly band.

I was banded in 2006 and had great success for about 2&1/2 years, and then everything went weird. I really thought that this was me, as I couldn't eat anything but custards/soups/jellys anything that went down quickly!!

But since I have been reading on this forum, I realise that there is so many ppl like me, and had a terrible time with the band.
I had only 0.25ml in my band and still couldn't eat anything!!

It took a lot to talk my surgeon into the sleeve, as I think at first he was thinking that ppl wanted to change fromt he band to sleeve, as people were hearing the success stories.

I have now lost 20 kilos on the sleeve, and the difference is that you can eat most foods, haven't tried bread yet, as a bit early, but you get the full feeling, but not that horrible feeling of something that is stuck and then have to head off to the toliet!!

I think that maybe you should research into another surgeon that can help you, I know that Richard Harrison isn't doing any more bands, as they just can't get them right.

So I am loving my sleeve, I had the band taken out in April last year and then Feb I was sleeved, I think they normally leave about 3 months for your tummy to heal.

I didn't have much pain after the first day, and feeling fine ever since. I do remember when I had the band out I had more pain than when it went in.

Good luck on your journey
Cheers Shirley

Catapult wrote:

My DH is adamant I don't get a sleeve so I have to learn to live with this band. Loosing weight is all mind games for me as it isn't giving me early or prolonged satiety. I am currently on the zone diet.

Good luck Kazbo.

The sleeve surgeon I consulted said that he has a satisfaction rate of 90% with the sleeve, and less than 50% of band patients are satisfied.

Cat.

Those are interesting statistics. My partner doesn't want me to have any more surgery either...but he is also getting annoyed and frustrated at my band problems!

My DH is adamant I don't get a sleeve so I have to learn to live with this band. Loosing weight is all mind games for me as it isn't giving me early or prolonged satiety. I am currently on the zone diet.

Good luck Kazbo.

The sleeve surgeon I consulted said that he has a satisfaction rate of 90% with the sleeve, and less than 50% of band patients are satisfied.

Cat.

I must admit I was pretty pissed when he suggested that my problems with the band (throat closing, food stuck) was 'all in my head' and I just needed to learn to live with restriction. My arse! I told him I wanted to be able to eat small protions with no pain, no reflux, no throat closing feeling and just enjoy life!

I will keep you all posted re: my appt on Friday when I will revisit. He at least admitted that I wasn't enjoying good quality of life with the band.

Catapult wrote:

Hi Kazbo

I know of you from another forum. I also am banded. I have never reached the green zone. Even now my band is loose, it periodically and unpredictably tightens, so that I could wake up in the morning and be unable to swallow water one day. The next day be able to eat white bread! SOme days I can eat my tuna for lunch, other days it gets stuck on the first bite. There is no rhyme or reason to this fickle wench.

I asked my band surgeon about sleeve surgery but she didn't want to do it, and instead topped my band up higher, so I was even tighter and had to get an unfill a week later. Cruel.

I have now consulted a dedicated sleeve surgeon and am getting my band out in a few months (have to get time off work). I will be sleeved 6 months after getting the band out, he has found he has zero leaks since making his patients wait 6 months after the band is out.

I suggest you seek an alternative opinion. See a good sleeve surgeon. Put a post or read in the Surgeons page for good sleeve surgeons in your area.

Good luck.

Cat.

Hey catapult! OMG You and I are having exactly the same problems! I can't find my green zone and every day is different. Yesterday I could eat toast, today - forget it! If I go tighter i get problems, if I stay loose I eat too much. I can;t win! There are 2 surgeons in Canberra both in the sme clinic...but if I need to I will go to sydney or melbourne for a sleeve if I can't get satisfaction at home :

Thank you all for your feedback, I will enjoy reading your posts :)

I would definitely find a surgeon who is willing to at least rationally discuss your band problems with you. It all boils down to the fact that it is your body and you alone decide what you want or don't want in it. Through my fathers heart transplant and in later years a 5 year battle with ill health we have dealt with a lot of doctors and mostly they are great and willing to discuss options. Sometimes however you really have to put your foot down and tell them what you want. You are paying them and they do not have control over your body. As I said above if your current surgeon won't discuss the sleeve or take your band out find one that will. More and more surgeons are doing sleeve surgery over bands for a very good reason. Good luck.

Kate

I suffered with a band for six hellish months. Yes, I lost weight but only because I became a miserable spew machine. I honestly hated it.

I was beginning to show very real signs of depression and total social withdrawal living with the band. I could not confidently eat anything at all in public and I vomited in every public toilet in my daily life. When I started packing zip loc spew bags into my handbag on a daily basis......I just realised that enough was enough.

I insisted the surgeon rip it out. I wanted a sleeve so badly but was prepared to have nothing than continue on with the awful band.

I had my sleeve three months later and I absolutely love it! I am almost at goal weight, only two kilos to go, and it has been so much easier than the stupid band!

Get it out pronto!

Xxxhuggybear

My Surgeon no longer does sleeve surgery, he used to do both, but he is impressed with the results that his patients get from sleeve surgery,(I have been done a year this March) and he has decided that in his experience the band has too many side effects and complications. He is taking a lot of bands OUT.

I would seek another surgeon if I were you. It's your body, and they aren't God.

Different surgeons have different rules. There are some on here that have had band removal and sleeve op in one go, but I think most have to wait.
I didn't have a band first, I went straight for the sleeve. I found out during my last visit to surgeon that at my surgery they don't even do band to sleeve, they only do band to bypass.
Good luck in finding the right thing for you.

Ok I have been banded and am about to be sleeved on tuesday.

Everytime I had experienced that feeling in the throat thing it was due to pressure on the eospigus due to pressure from the food... I ended up with a stretched pouch hence the removal.

My doc was hesitant to remove the band originally but then agreed that the sleeve is the far better option anyway. At my last visit he told me that the latest research released this year says that a band removal patient that has let the stomach rest for a minimum of 3 months has no more complication rate than a virgin sleeve.

I think your doc is just wanting you to give the band a longer run...I say dont waste your freaking time. A band has a shelf life of approx 5 years then what... are you going to keep getting it replaced each 5 years. Chances are you will get 2 to 3 years out of it before it goes arse up then the weight starts to regain.

I am anti band after my round with it and I wish I had done the sleeve in the first place. My doctor and many others are finding the band is a poor weightloss tool long term and that the sleeve is as good or better than bypass but less involved surgery wise.

At the end of the day it is your decision but I would be putting my food down, getting it out, letting it rest and sleeving. The doctor doesnt have a band and has no freaking clue how miserable it is to suffer with one and have little weightloss to show for it.

Dont back down... choose to be proactive

Hi Kazbo

I know of you from another forum. I also am banded. I have never reached the green zone. Even now my band is loose, it periodically and unpredictably tightens, so that I could wake up in the morning and be unable to swallow water one day. The next day be able to eat white bread! SOme days I can eat my tuna for lunch, other days it gets stuck on the first bite. There is no rhyme or reason to this fickle wench.

I asked my band surgeon about sleeve surgery but she didn't want to do it, and instead topped my band up higher, so I was even tighter and had to get an unfill a week later. Cruel.

I have now consulted a dedicated sleeve surgeon and am getting my band out in a few months (have to get time off work). I will be sleeved 6 months after getting the band out, he has found he has zero leaks since making his patients wait 6 months after the band is out.

I suggest you seek an alternative opinion. See a good sleeve surgeon. Put a post or read in the Surgeons page for good sleeve surgeons in your area.

Good luck.

Cat.

Dear All

I am new to this forum and I am seeking your advice and feedback.

I'm frustrated by my band. I was banded in Augus 2010 and still haven't found my green zone. It's either too tight or too loose. I'm fed up with it overall!

I spoke to my surgeon a few weeks ago about all my frustrations and lack of quality of life. He said that 'we haven't exhausted all possibilities with the band, let's not make any decisions right now'. He gave me some extra fill and sent me on my way. I returned 2 weeks later, reported I had feelings like my throat was closing up, that food was getting stuck and I was generally miserable. I had a barium swallow to make sure all was okay.

The barium swallow showed him the band was in the 'best place possible' and it was 'not tight enough'. So he gave me another 1/4 ml and suggested I was having panic attacks or anxiety when I eat, hence the difficulty...that everytime we get some restriction, I freak out and pull back. WHile I do see some logic in this, I can;t deny the very real physiological reactions I have. The additional fill made me too tight and I could barely eat and drink...so I had to have 1 ml removed.

I see the surgeon this Friday and want to reignite the discussion about removing the band and getting the sleeve. I heard through the grapevine that at this clinic, they had a patient that had dreadful complications from this so they are a little hesitant to do this, even though my surgeons preference is for sleeving as the first option.

He told me that removing the band and getting the sleeve carries greater risks and the complications much more serious than if the sleeve was done to start with. He is vey reluctant to 'hear me out' (I feel) but i am fed up and frustrated with the whole thing! Although I am prepared to try the band until I have done my dash with it.

Any feedback would be appreciated! esp from ex bandits!