Hello, I have been reading all your comments and there is some great info here! Thanks!
I was banded in Sydney in 2009 and had issues from the start with reflux and horrid shoulder tip pain. It didn't improve and I only lost 25kg despite excercising 5 times a week. I was 135kg when banded, and got down to about 110kg and that was after a bad gastro virus.
I moved to Geelong and got married and it was all downhill from there.
I had no fill in the band from 2012-2013 but still had really bad reflux and would get blockages so bad I would be hospitalised for dehydration. They couldn't find a slip but I was in public hospital as I couldn't afford private cover at that stage. Eventually after fronti to Emergency a few times with really bad blockages, they removed the band by emergency surgery (and boy did I have to fight to get that as Geelong Public Hospital refuse to touch bariatric patients!). When I asked what the problem was, they said there was a lot of scar tissue around the band that probably constricted stomach like I had too much fill in there.
Forward to 2015 I have put back on my 25kg plus a bit more thanks to a sit on your butt a lot job and daily commute to melbourne that see's my working week to be about 50 hours leaving me exhausted and not motivated to excercise and with a lot of pain.
I am desperate to try surgery again, with the sleeve in preference as I have an autoimmune disease and malabsorption issues would exaserbate that. I could go back to Sydney to have the surgery (Dr Oliver Florica at Sydney Adventist Hospital in Wahroonga) who would charge me less but he was quite negative about doing the sleeve or bypass. Mr Darrin Goodall-Wilson in Geelong has a wait of months just to get an appointment to discuss but I have seen him before when I had the band and I know he would be supportive.
What are people's experience? Anyone had the revision surgery with Darrin in Geelong that has an opinion and what your out of pockets were?
Thanks peeps, I so need this as I really hate myself being so fat right now.
