Re: Considering Lap Band with Dr Aceves...Your Thoughs?

January 4, 2011

The only input I have is not to have the lap band but to have the sleeve.. I am 3 months post op and have lost just over 70 lbs..Do your research, lap bands are alot of work and may cause you many problems down the road I would not recommend as I originally was going to have the band done and I am so Thankful I had the sleeve and not the band.

From: bugwitch <bugwitch@...> Sent: Tue, January 4, 2011 12:29:57 PMSubject: Considering Lap Band with Dr Aceves...Your Thoughs?

Hey there, I am planning on having the Lap Band surgery and am considering Dr Aceves as my potential surgeon. Do you have any thoughts, recommendations, etc?Thanks so much!

January 4, 2011

Hi

DO NOT HAVE THE LAPBAND. Please read some of the past post about all the issues and problems people have had and ended up having them removed and revised to a sleeve. So many of us have the VSG (sleeve) and love it. No after care, NO costly fills and unfills of the lapband. Once your sleeve surgery is done you are on a life changing journey of losing the weight you want to lose. With the lapband so many people have such medical problems, not being able to swallow their food--because their band is too tight then they have to pay $300.00 or more to have it unfilled--then as time goes on they have to pay $300 - $500 to have it filled again, they always feeling hungry. With the sleeve I never feel hungry, I feel great and life is good.

Hey everyone if you have had a revision from a lapband to the sleeve. Please post your story so she will understand all the problems and the issues.

The sleeve cost a few more $$$ but is 20 times safer and better. You are picking the right doctor. He is fabulous and wonderful. You are in the right place, but NOT the right Weight Loss Surgery.

Suzanne

Sleeved 10/21/2008

Start Goal Now

225 125 120

In a message dated 1/4/2011 1:05:20 P.M. Pacific Standard Time, bugwitch@... writes:

Hey there, I am planning on having the Lap Band surgery and am considering Dr Aceves as my potential surgeon. Do you have any thoughts, recommendations, etc?Thanks so much!

January 4, 2011

Please think long and hard about banding. I had one and it was without a

doubt the longest 18 months of my life. I ended up revising to a sleeve.

Banding provides the slowest weight loss, the least weight loss, the highest

regain, and the most mechanical problems. When they talk about banding

being the safest surgery that is true, the surgery itself is less than 1%

safer than a sleeve. But long term it has as many risks and complications

as bypass, it's just that th risks and complications are different.

Banding is probably one of the most expensive WLS types around LONG TERM.

Please, think long and hard.

..

> In a message dated 1/4/2011 1:05:20 P.M. Pacific Standard Time,

> bugwitch@... writes:

>

> Hey there, I am planning on having the Lap Band surgery and am considering

> Dr Aceves as my potential surgeon. Do you have any thoughts,

> recommendations, etc?

>

> Thanks so much!

>

January 4, 2011

Hi Everyone,

Here's my story. I have the lap band and still love it. I have had it three

years.

I do not know what the future will bring, but so far, I have only had one slight

" issue. "

I got stuck on pasta at a party (wasn't thinking about chewing) and had a week

of PBing, which was annoying. I had a complete unfill and expereinced immediate

relief.

I am currently living with a loose and unfilled band and seeing if I can manage

my eating habits. . . So far, I am doing okay, but not great. I have gained 7

pounds in four months. The good news is that I know what I have to do and if I

need to, I can get another slight fill.

I wouldn't rule the band out, but I would also seriously consider the sleeve.

It's hard to dismiss all the positive reports. Either way, you are headed in the

right direction. : )

Dr. A and his team are the best. We all deserve the help we need to live life

more fully. I am forever grateful for my " tool. " It was worth every penny and

more.

Here's to good health and freedom! Cheers!

January 4, 2011

I totally agree with the advice and would like to add that as far as surgeons go, you can't get any better than Dr. Aceves and his team .... you will love them!!!

Dawn

AZ

Sleeved 1 month ago

Considering Lap Band with Dr Aceves...Your Thoughs?

Hey there, I am planning on having the Lap Band surgery and am considering Dr Aceves as my potential surgeon. Do you have any thoughts, recommendations, etc?

Thanks so much!

January 5, 2011

Hey Bipley,

Thanks so very much for posting this. You are the one person I know that has experienced this and knows exactly how much better the sleeve really is.

You are great, thanks for posting this.

Suzanne

In a message dated 1/5/2011 9:35:38 A.M. Pacific Standard Time, Bipley@... writes:

Please think long and hard about banding. I had one and it was without adoubt the longest 18 months of my life. I ended up revising to a sleeve.Banding provides the slowest weight loss, the least weight loss, the highestregain, and the most mechanical problems. When they talk about bandingbeing the safest surgery that is true, the surgery itself is less than 1%safer than a sleeve. But long term it has as many risks and complicationsas bypass, it's just that th risks and complications are different.Banding is probably one of the most expensive WLS types around LONG TERM.Please, think long and hard..> In a message dated 1/4/2011 1:05:20 P.M. Pacific Standard Time,> bugwitch@... writes:>>>> Hey there, I am planning on having the Lap Band surgery and am considering> Dr Aceves as my potential surgeon. Do you have any thoughts,> recommendations, etc?>> Thanks so much!>> >------------------------------------

January 5, 2011

Thank you for your responses everyone. I appreciate it.

As for those who are saying to get the sleeve instead...yes, I am researching

that as an option, but the idea of having someone off 60% of my stomach and then

stapling it together (with the potential for leakage of stomach fluids,etc) it

just sounds like more than I want to do to my body. On top of that, the stomach

is quite malleable and can stretch in the long term.

Anyway, I am still looking into it and have not ruled it out.

Thanks again and keep your info coming, please.

D

January 5, 2011

D- while you are considering your options you might also consider that the band is not without potential complications including esophogial erosion. This is one of the reasons that I chose VSG over banding. Also while the stomach is somewhat malleable, the part that is the most so is the part that they remove. An added benefit is that the part they remove has the greatest production of the hunger hormone and that is gone afterwards (although some people say it comes back) is a nice bonus initially while you are retraining yourself to eat differently. :-) Good luck on your Journey Sharon

From: bugwitch@...Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2011 21:50:18 +0000Subject: Re: Considering Lap Band with Dr Aceves...Your Thoughs?

Thank you for your responses everyone. I appreciate it.As for those who are saying to get the sleeve instead...yes, I am researching that as an option, but the idea of having someone off 60% of my stomach and then stapling it together (with the potential for leakage of stomach fluids,etc) it just sounds like more than I want to do to my body. On top of that, the stomach is quite malleable and can stretch in the long term.Anyway, I am still looking into it and have not ruled it out.Thanks again and keep your info coming, please.D

January 5, 2011

I know exactly how you are thinking - when I was researching in 2003 I felt the

exact same way about stomach cutting, rearranging, etc. At that time the

options were RnY, Deudonal Switch, and LapBand. My sister had the RnY, lost a

ton of weight, and regained it all back. The switch sounded waaaay too extreme

for my consideration, with it's higher surgical risk, the foul gas and possible

bowel accidents, even though its stats were the best long term. I never came

across any information about the sleeve back then, but I suspect that I would

have considered it too drastic. Oh, how I would love to be able to go back now

and change my mind!

I was banded Jan 23, 2003 at 303lbs. I am 5'6 " , female, and at the time I was

nearly 42 years old. I self-payed $10,000 in Mexico (not Dr. Aceves). I had a

fantastic surgical experience, recovery was great, the band was everything I

expected and hoped it would be. My online support group and I considered the

band the " thinking person's WLS " . Ah, such elitists! lol We just couldn't

understand anyone choosing to mutilate their innards, PERMANENTLY, when the

lapband was the obvious choice. Adjustable, low risk, reversable... What's not

to love?

My band and I were best buddies. I was extremely compliant, rarely PB'd, lost

weight at a completely acceptable pace. I had never been happier. I FINALLY

felt " normal " around food. My hunger was in check, I could eat just about

anything I wanted in small quantities, I lost weight and never felt deprived.

Twice in the 18 months of being banded I was frustrated not to be able to eat

eat eat, but at the same time it was so freeing not to be able to gorge myself

on huge quantities of food. I never had fill/unfill problems like so many

people report. I never had heartburn or reflux. I very ocassionally would get

" stuck " , maybe PB'd 5 times in 18 months. Perfect.

In June 2003 I was reaching into the backseat of my car for something just out

of reach - I was in the driver's seat and twisted to the right and back. Oh, it

was soooo close - just a hair out of reach. I did that little " bounce " to go

that extra distance, and all of a sudden I felt like 1000 bees had stung me in

my port. Whoooeeeee!! Gosh, that smarted! Turned out I had torn some of the

sutures used to anchor my port - but not all of them. my port was now turned on

its side, and nothing I could do could make it lay flat again. Ow ow ow. No

time to get it fixed, as I was on my way back East for a two week vacation. I

sucked down so much liquid Tylenol I'm surprised I didn't have liver failure

during that time. When I got back to CA I went to see my surgeon and get a

fill. I showed him my port, and he said it was fine - I was like, " No way!! It

hurts like a $#!@#$@ " So we scheduled my repair surgery, which was done over

the 4th of July weekend on an outpatient basis. I forget now how much that was

- at least $1,700.

Things were going great. I was down 103 lbs " effortlessly " - seriously, I was

not working at this - I was just living and making mindful food choices, but

nothing was off limits.

Then one day at work I felt as though I was having a gallbladder attack. I know

what the feel like, 'cause I had my gallbladder removed several years before.

So, it couldn't be a gallbladder attack... I was over due for my one year

recommened scope - never felt the need to go in, since everything was so

perfect. Good restriction, no food intolorences, nothing. LOVED my band!!

But, since I was at the 18 month mark, I decided I'd go get scoped to rule out

any band problems before I saw my PCP - I didn't want them trying to blame this

weird attack on my beloved band.

So I go get scoped. My band is 40% eroded. WTF?!?! Erosions are supposed to

be like a 1-3% risk! How on earth did this happen to me? I was a model

bandster! There is, of course, no way to fix this but to remove the band and

let the stomach heal - 'cause, you know, there is now a HOLE in my stomach. So

in I go for my removal - again, I forget how much, but I think it was at least

$5,000. At this point I realize that I did not WANT my band to be reversable!

I needed it! How could it leave me? I KNEW that without its help reducing my

hunger and making me feel full on a small amount of food my weight would all

return, inspite of all the good head work I had done on managing my overeating

issues. After my erosion at least fiver other people on my support group also

lost their bands to erosion - all within about a six month period. It was

freaky. And it did NOT make me feel better - I knew what a loss it was.

Between my removal in 2004 and Aug 2009 I had regained those 103 pounds plus

another 30. I could literally feel myself dying with every breath. EVERYTHING

was difficult - walking, personal hygiene, fastening seatbelts. I honestly did

not know what to do, since re-erosion rates are even higher on rebanding. I

knew I still could not stomach the RnY. The switch was looking like my only

option. I found a group called Eroded Bandsters, and I joined. The gal

who had started the group was banded twice, and eroded twice. She finally got a

" sleeve " - I didn't even know what that was. So when I got to the end of my

rope I started researching. Suddenly, after all I had been through - the glow

of hope with the success of my band, the crushing defeat of it's loss - the

thought of permanently changing my stomach into a smaller version of itself did

not sound so drastic or crazy! I thought, if this is anything like the band, I

am SO in. I loved my band - it worked perfectly for me for 18 months. I knew I

could be perfectly happy on reduced portions if I wasn't hungry after eating

them. I like the fact that the pyloric valve was preserved, and that my stomach

was basically going to function the exact same way, just smaller. I liked the

fact that it WASN'T reversable! I knew if it worked, then it would work

permanently. I liked that there was no " window " for success like with the RnY -

since there is no malabsorbtion to help speed things along the first 18-24

months that eventually gets compensated for, I knew my weightloss would be

maintainable if I continued doing whatever it was I was doing to loose it. I

also liked the fact that this is the first step of the switch - so if I DID end

up having to do something more drastic, the switch would be the next step.

So I went in for my sleeve with Dr. Aceves. Another self-pay. My surgery took

3.5 hours because of all the scarring from my erosion. The stapler would not

fire at the top of my stomach due to all the scar tissue, so Dr. Aceves had to

finish the sleeve with sutures by hand.

My recovery was great. I felt like a million bucks! Nothing tasted

particularly good, and everything was too sweet, but I was not hungry

whatsoever, so who cared?

After my first 30 days I went to solid foods and did really well for the first

week or so, and then one day I vomited severely after eating something that had

been no problem before, and passed out. I passed out again the next day for no

good reason. My stomach felt very sore, and I wondered if it had gotten twisted

with the severe vomiting the day before.

I went back to Dr. Aceves and they did a fluoro test, and saw that I had a self

contained leak at the top of my sleeve. NOTE: I was NOT leaking into my

abdominal cavity. Everything was still contained in my stomach, but the first

line of defense had been breached. They placed an NJ tube (not NG - this tube

went down through my stomach into the top part of my intestine to totally bypass

my stomach), and I was sent home with instructions on how to feed myself through

this tube down my nose. I will be completely honest - this was one of the most

horrible experiences of my life. :-) The placing of the tube, and then having

that tube down my throat - I have never been so miserable. Plus I'm a singer -

no way I could do that with this apparatus in there (plus I was a scary sight

with this tube taped to the side of my face!). Thank God I could work from home

during that time.

Unfortunately, after two weeks I started to feel worse and worse, and could not

get comfortable. I finally let my family convince me it was time for an ER

visit. I don't know what diagnosis they gave me at the ER, but when they heard

my story they decided to ship me up to Harbor City and let their sleeve surgeons

take care of me (I'm with Kaiser, and at the time had been told that Kaiser

didn't do sleeves, so needless to say this was surprising news to me! But

that's another story...) My surgeon was not nice when he found out I'd have my

sleeve done in Mexico. He had a patient there who'd been in the hospital for 6

months (!!!) who had been sleeved in Mexico. I'm sorry for him that he had this

bias - I did not argue with him, but I knew in my heart that this had nothing to

do with Dr. Aceves, but was a result of the complications from my banding. I

felt so relieved that I had an expert like Dr. Aceves do my surgery, and would

hate to know how bad my complications would have been with a lesser surgeon.

Anyway, I was in the hospital for a month. They did everything that Dr. Aceves

and Dr. Campos had explained to me when they first diagnosed me if I did not

heal with the help of the NJ tube alone. I was tube fed for a total of five

weeks. Then they placed a stent in my stomach to seal the stomach wall and

removed that nasty NJ tube - heaven! After a week with the stent I was sent

home for a week or two, and then back I went to have the stent removed and to be

retested, spending another week in the hospital. I cried tears of joy when my

test showed that I was HEALED!! Whoo hoo! I could not get out of that hospital

fast enough! That was the second week of December.

The next few months I had severe nausea, mostly as a result of moving. I

couldn't do my exercise walks with my Mom without having to find a garbage can

to vomit in short order. Bumpy car rides, walking, singing, just about anything

could bring the nausea to a head. I never went anywhere without my little

receptacle. By March I had had enough, so I complained to my Kaiser surgeon, and

he referred me to a GE here in town. I was afraid I would have to have my

sleeve stretched, or that something bad was wrong...

Luckily, the GE felt that while my sleeve was narrow, it was more likely the

sharp angle at the top of my sleeve that was causing the problems. He

straightened it out some by leveraging the scope in there, and miracle of

miracles I was cured! I could not believe it. Within a week my nausea was

virtually non-existent, and within a month I was no longer carrying around a

little " just in case " receptacle. That miracle day was in April 2010.

I have now been sleeved nearly 17 months. I am down 135 pounds - I hover just

under 200lbs most days. MIRACLE!! I still have about 65 pounds to go to get to

my " fantasy " goal of 135, but I could happily exist at this weight for the rest

of my life, and feel it was all worth it.

I don't feel as though my hunger is as well controlled as it was with the band -

I'm hungry about every two hours, and can eat more at one time than with my

filled band, but I still am able to STOP eating, which I was not able to do

without a band/sleeve. Although I could eat pretty much anything with my band,

there were things that I tended to avoid because they were just too much work,

and too hard to eat - lots of bread was a problem, and I just didn't eat buns.

The sleeve is easier in this way - I don't have the same problem with bread

(which is slightly unfortunate, in a way... haha). And I don't have to be

quite as careful with my chewing/swallowing, but I still get stuck now and then,

and things have to come back up. I do have some heartburn now if I don't take

my OTC Prilosec in the morning. I burp a lot (happened with the band, too), but

all in all I am absolutely THRILLED with my sleeve.

I know this has been a long story, so if you're still reading, here's the whole

point. I am convinced (rightly or wrongly) that if I had been sleeved to begin

with, I would have skipped three surgeries, five weeks of misery with an NJ

tube, avoided five weeks in the hospital, AND saved about $18,000.

If I could go back and do it all over again, I would be sleeved the first time

around.

I'm not sure how anyone would have convinced me back then that having 80% of my

stomach removed was better than being banded - I was so sure that I did not want

to do anything so " drastic " . In hindsight, I can see that my life would have

been a lot less drastic if I had done this to begin with.

I don't know what the stats are for my old band buddies on lapbandtalk.com from

2003-2004 - but I know that a LOT have them have lost their bands. I don't know

how many still have theirs without any re-operations. I rarely go there

anymore, as that site has become like all they others - they chase off anyone

who tries to warn people of the reality of the band. The erosion stats are WAY

under-reported in my opinion - and there are many more slips, and even more

intolerences. I loved my band, but I would NEVER get another one. Never.

Good luck in your decision!

Donali

>

> Thank you for your responses everyone. I appreciate it.

>

> As for those who are saying to get the sleeve instead...yes, I am researching

that as an option, but the idea of having someone off 60% of my stomach and then

stapling it together (with the potential for leakage of stomach fluids,etc) it

just sounds like more than I want to do to my body. On top of that, the stomach

is quite malleable and can stretch in the long term.

>

> Anyway, I am still looking into it and have not ruled it out.

>

> Thanks again and keep your info coming, please.

>

> D

>

January 5, 2011

What is sad is that I am not the only one. ( There are many just like me. I do not want to see a newbie go down the same path I did. i want people to learn from my mistakes, not make the same mistakes.

I don't want her to get a band, I want her to be safe instead.On Wed, Jan 5, 2011 at 11:58 AM, <SuzanneSH@...> wrote:

Hey Bipley,

Thanks so very much for posting this. You are the one person I know that has experienced this and knows exactly how much better the sleeve really is.

You are great, thanks for posting this.

Suzanne

January 5, 2011

Bugwitch,

You aren't going to get a lot of support here for the lap band but let me just

say this:

Everyone is different.

Everyone has a different journey and everyone has something different that best

fits their personal needs.

I, personally, decided against the lap band after a lot of research. I also

decided against the RNY and DS. Totally a personal decision based on my

knowledge of ME and my research.

However, I also personally know a couple of ladies who have had great success

with the band.

That being said, WHATEVER you decide is best for you, go with Dr. Aceves. He is

the best bariatric surgeon this side of the Atlantic Ocean and I would never

hesitate to recommend him. I only wish he would practice cardiac medicine so I

could go to him for my heart problems.

Best of luck to you, and God Bless You on your journey to a healthy weight.

Please keep us posted on your decision and your progress. Yes, we all have

strong opinions, but ultimately, we are here to help you along the path to a

healthier life.

Let me know if I can share anything else with you. I'm going to make room on

the loser's bench for you!

Cheryl*

January 5, 2011

You have some incorrect information. Dr. Aceves does not have any leaks, so I promise you that will never happen to you. He runs you through 2 test before you leave to make sure that everything is working ok.

Second, they take out 80 to 85 % of your stomach out. What is wrong with that? Having a big stomach is just what got me fat and I NEVER WANT TO BE FAT again in my life. The new 6 to 8 oz stomach will NOT stretch out and that is JUST what you want. It sounds like you have your information confused with bypass surgery where their pouch will stretch out. I am so glad you posted what you knew because we can all tell you that what we have is permanent and that is what we all want when it comes to weight loss.

Please go to Obesity.com and read and talk with the people on that site about how they feel about their sleeves. This was the best thing I have ever done for myself and I know without a doubt it was the best and healthiest surgery I could have had.

Please consider this sleeve after educating yourself a little more and getting all the correct information.

Hugs,

Suzanne

In a message dated 1/5/2011 2:47:33 P.M. Pacific Standard Time, bugwitch@... writes:

Thank you for your responses everyone. I appreciate it.As for those who are saying to get the sleeve instead...yes, I am researching that as an option, but the idea of having someone off 60% of my stomach and then stapling it together (with the potential for leakage of stomach fluids,etc) it just sounds like more than I want to do to my body. On top of that, the stomach is quite malleable and can stretch in the long term.Anyway, I am still looking into it and have not ruled it out.Thanks again and keep your info coming, please.D

January 5, 2011

Hi D,I hope you continue to research the sleeve. I also considered the band initially and had the same concerns about the sleeve as you did. I ultimately chose the sleeve and here were some of my reasons for your/our concerns: Through my research, I learned that the part of the stomach removed is the fundus...which is the stretchy part and the remaining is much tougher and not easily stretched. If you talk to people who are years out from surgery, they still have great restriction. Even if it were true that the stomach stretched...the band isn't forever either. It errodes, slips, etcAs far as removing a large part of your stomach, this worried me the most because I could never get it back. I trusted the experiences and testimonies of the hundreds of people I ran across on this board, OH, VST, blogs, etc and took the chance.

I've learned since surgery that I didn't even need it. That extra stomach is what got me in trouble in the first place! I have had my moments of "missing" the rest of my tummy, but that is my addiction talking....it is just much easier to shut-up now with my tiny tummy!As for the potential of leaks...yes, there is. But that is why I chose Dr. Aceves who has no leaks and knows how to do the surgery correctly.Surgery in general does not come without risks. Having the lap band did not preclude me/you from surgical risks and whereas the sleeve may propose the most risk initially after surgery, the band CONTINUES to remain a risk for as long as it is there. I followed the post-op (as tough as it was) to prevent leaks and voilÃ ! The amount of people who have problems months after surgery when everything has healed is a sliver of those who have continuing problems with the band on an ongoing

basis from what I have seen...Best of luck in your decision! Sent from my iPhoneOn Jan 5, 2011, at 4:50 PM, "bugwitch" <bugwitch@...> wrote:

Thank you for your responses everyone. I appreciate it.

As for those who are saying to get the sleeve instead...yes, I am researching that as an option, but the idea of having someone off 60% of my stomach and then stapling it together (with the potential for leakage of stomach fluids,etc) it just sounds like more than I want to do to my body. On top of that, the stomach is quite malleable and can stretch in the long term.

Anyway, I am still looking into it and have not ruled it out.

Thanks again and keep your info coming, please.

D

January 5, 2011

Hi Donali,

I read the entire story and I find you to be an amazing person. I have to say this has to be one of the most interesting WLS stories I have ever read--and I read it ALL! I thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to tell the WHOLE story and trying to let people see just the problems and issues with a lap bands. You know the story better than most people.

I can only speak from having a sleeve, and at first I also thought I wanted a lap band, because that is all I ever saw and heard about. Fortunately for me I got on this board and listened to what people were saying about a sleeve.

I hope that more people that are considering having a lap band read the ENTIRE story. You are such a brave and wonderful person. I am thrilled that you are enjoying a healthy life right now.

Many hugs to you,

Suzanne

January 6, 2011

Wow Donali,

Your story was honest and scary!! So glad you are doing well!

I am sked for revision on the 18th of Jan. and a nervous wreck.

Glad you are well and hope I will be okay, just hope and pray

that I don't have too much scarring from the band. Can't wait

to meet some new friends and hope that Bipley will come and visit

us in the hospital, have tons of questions for you girl! I would

love to finally meet ya! and all the others that are starting their

new wonderful life and be a part of your journey. I now take

Omeprazole 20mg once day and was wondering if I should stop before

surgery? Just wanting to be the best I can be for surgery. Gosh,

I'm nervous, but know Dr. Aceves is the best and that calms me some!

I have unjury for when I get home and hope I like it.

Please forgive my ramblings..just nervous! Thanks again Donali for

your candid account of your story~wishing you only the best of luck

and great health from now on.

Deb

THRILLED with my sleeve.

> If I could go back and do it all over again, I would be sleeved the first time

around.

> Good luck in your decision!

>

> Donali

>

January 6, 2011

Hi Donali:

Just get a ruberband and put in one of your finger not to tie but not too lose and watch what happen over time: necrosis called in lapband EROSION every surgery has a good face and a bad face not everybody respond the same to a similar procedure. I was thinking about lapband too untill I found dr A and started looking all the comments in this forum and finale I decided for the sleeve

which I will be going next week on January 14

Best regards

From: paleobait <donali.peter@...> Sent: Wed, January 5, 2011 7:52:02 PMSubject: Re: Considering Lap Band with Dr Aceves...Your Thoughs?

I know exactly how you are thinking - when I was researching in 2003 I felt the exact same way about stomach cutting, rearranging, etc. At that time the options were RnY, Deudonal Switch, and LapBand. My sister had the RnY, lost a ton of weight, and regained it all back. The switch sounded waaaay too extreme for my consideration, with it's higher surgical risk, the foul gas and possible bowel accidents, even though its stats were the best long term. I never came across any information about the sleeve back then, but I suspect that I would have considered it too drastic. Oh, how I would love to be able to go back now and change my mind!I was banded Jan 23, 2003 at 303lbs. I am 5'6", female, and at the time I was nearly 42 years old. I self-payed $10,000 in Mexico (not Dr. Aceves). I had a fantastic surgical experience, recovery was great, the band was everything I expected and hoped it would be. My online support group and I considered the band

the "thinking person's WLS". Ah, such elitists! lol We just couldn't understand anyone choosing to mutilate their innards, PERMANENTLY, when the lapband was the obvious choice. Adjustable, low risk, reversable... What's not to love?My band and I were best buddies. I was extremely compliant, rarely PB'd, lost weight at a completely acceptable pace. I had never been happier. I FINALLY felt "normal" around food. My hunger was in check, I could eat just about anything I wanted in small quantities, I lost weight and never felt deprived. Twice in the 18 months of being banded I was frustrated not to be able to eat eat eat, but at the same time it was so freeing not to be able to gorge myself on huge quantities of food. I never had fill/unfill problems like so many people report. I never had heartburn or reflux. I very ocassionally would get "stuck", maybe PB'd 5 times in 18 months. Perfect.In June 2003 I was reaching into the backseat of my

car for something just out of reach - I was in the driver's seat and twisted to the right and back. Oh, it was soooo close - just a hair out of reach. I did that little "bounce" to go that extra distance, and all of a sudden I felt like 1000 bees had stung me in my port. Whoooeeeee!! Gosh, that smarted! Turned out I had torn some of the sutures used to anchor my port - but not all of them. my port was now turned on its side, and nothing I could do could make it lay flat again. Ow ow ow. No time to get it fixed, as I was on my way back East for a two week vacation. I sucked down so much liquid Tylenol I'm surprised I didn't have liver failure during that time. When I got back to CA I went to see my surgeon and get a fill. I showed him my port, and he said it was fine - I was like, "No way!! It hurts like a $#!@#$@" So we scheduled my repair surgery, which was done over the 4th of July weekend on an outpatient basis. I forget now how much that was - at

least $1,700.Things were going great. I was down 103 lbs "effortlessly" - seriously, I was not working at this - I was just living and making mindful food choices, but nothing was off limits.Then one day at work I felt as though I was having a gallbladder attack. I know what the feel like, 'cause I had my gallbladder removed several years before. So, it couldn't be a gallbladder attack... I was over due for my one year recommened scope - never felt the need to go in, since everything was so perfect. Good restriction, no food intolorences, nothing. LOVED my band!! But, since I was at the 18 month mark, I decided I'd go get scoped to rule out any band problems before I saw my PCP - I didn't want them trying to blame this weird attack on my beloved band.So I go get scoped. My band is 40% eroded. WTF?!?! Erosions are supposed to be like a 1-3% risk! How on earth did this happen to me? I was a model bandster! There is, of course, no

way to fix this but to remove the band and let the stomach heal - 'cause, you know, there is now a HOLE in my stomach. So in I go for my removal - again, I forget how much, but I think it was at least $5,000. At this point I realize that I did not WANT my band to be reversable! I needed it! How could it leave me? I KNEW that without its help reducing my hunger and making me feel full on a small amount of food my weight would all return, inspite of all the good head work I had done on managing my overeating issues. After my erosion at least fiver other people on my support group also lost their bands to erosion - all within about a six month period. It was freaky. And it did NOT make me feel better - I knew what a loss it was.Between my removal in 2004 and Aug 2009 I had regained those 103 pounds plus another 30. I could literally feel myself dying with every breath. EVERYTHING was difficult - walking, personal hygiene, fastening seatbelts. I

honestly did not know what to do, since re-erosion rates are even higher on rebanding. I knew I still could not stomach the RnY. The switch was looking like my only option. I found a group called Eroded Bandsters, and I joined. The gal who had started the group was banded twice, and eroded twice. She finally got a "sleeve" - I didn't even know what that was. So when I got to the end of my rope I started researching. Suddenly, after all I had been through - the glow of hope with the success of my band, the crushing defeat of it's loss - the thought of permanently changing my stomach into a smaller version of itself did not sound so drastic or crazy! I thought, if this is anything like the band, I am SO in. I loved my band - it worked perfectly for me for 18 months. I knew I could be perfectly happy on reduced portions if I wasn't hungry after eating them. I like the fact that the pyloric valve was preserved, and that my stomach was basically going

to function the exact same way, just smaller. I liked the fact that it WASN'T reversable! I knew if it worked, then it would work permanently. I liked that there was no "window" for success like with the RnY - since there is no malabsorbtion to help speed things along the first 18-24 months that eventually gets compensated for, I knew my weightloss would be maintainable if I continued doing whatever it was I was doing to loose it. I also liked the fact that this is the first step of the switch - so if I DID end up having to do something more drastic, the switch would be the next step.So I went in for my sleeve with Dr. Aceves. Another self-pay. My surgery took 3.5 hours because of all the scarring from my erosion. The stapler would not fire at the top of my stomach due to all the scar tissue, so Dr. Aceves had to finish the sleeve with sutures by hand.My recovery was great. I felt like a million bucks! Nothing tasted particularly good,

and everything was too sweet, but I was not hungry whatsoever, so who cared?After my first 30 days I went to solid foods and did really well for the first week or so, and then one day I vomited severely after eating something that had been no problem before, and passed out. I passed out again the next day for no good reason. My stomach felt very sore, and I wondered if it had gotten twisted with the severe vomiting the day before.I went back to Dr. Aceves and they did a fluoro test, and saw that I had a self contained leak at the top of my sleeve. NOTE: I was NOT leaking into my abdominal cavity. Everything was still contained in my stomach, but the first line of defense had been breached. They placed an NJ tube (not NG - this tube went down through my stomach into the top part of my intestine to totally bypass my stomach), and I was sent home with instructions on how to feed myself through this tube down my nose. I will be completely

honest - this was one of the most horrible experiences of my life. :-) The placing of the tube, and then having that tube down my throat - I have never been so miserable. Plus I'm a singer - no way I could do that with this apparatus in there (plus I was a scary sight with this tube taped to the side of my face!). Thank God I could work from home during that time.Unfortunately, after two weeks I started to feel worse and worse, and could not get comfortable. I finally let my family convince me it was time for an ER visit. I don't know what diagnosis they gave me at the ER, but when they heard my story they decided to ship me up to Harbor City and let their sleeve surgeons take care of me (I'm with Kaiser, and at the time had been told that Kaiser didn't do sleeves, so needless to say this was surprising news to me! But that's another story...) My surgeon was not nice when he found out I'd have my sleeve done in Mexico. He had a patient there

who'd been in the hospital for 6 months (!!!) who had been sleeved in Mexico. I'm sorry for him that he had this bias - I did not argue with him, but I knew in my heart that this had nothing to do with Dr. Aceves, but was a result of the complications from my banding. I felt so relieved that I had an expert like Dr. Aceves do my surgery, and would hate to know how bad my complications would have been with a lesser surgeon.Anyway, I was in the hospital for a month. They did everything that Dr. Aceves and Dr. Campos had explained to me when they first diagnosed me if I did not heal with the help of the NJ tube alone. I was tube fed for a total of five weeks. Then they placed a stent in my stomach to seal the stomach wall and removed that nasty NJ tube - heaven! After a week with the stent I was sent home for a week or two, and then back I went to have the stent removed and to be retested, spending another week in the hospital. I cried tears of joy

when my test showed that I was HEALED!! Whoo hoo! I could not get out of that hospital fast enough! That was the second week of December. The next few months I had severe nausea, mostly as a result of moving. I couldn't do my exercise walks with my Mom without having to find a garbage can to vomit in short order. Bumpy car rides, walking, singing, just about anything could bring the nausea to a head. I never went anywhere without my little receptacle. By March I had had enough, so I complained to my Kaiser surgeon, and he referred me to a GE here in town. I was afraid I would have to have my sleeve stretched, or that something bad was wrong...Luckily, the GE felt that while my sleeve was narrow, it was more likely the sharp angle at the top of my sleeve that was causing the problems. He straightened it out some by leveraging the scope in there, and miracle of miracles I was cured! I could not believe it. Within a week my nausea was

virtually non-existent, and within a month I was no longer carrying around a little "just in case" receptacle. That miracle day was in April 2010.I have now been sleeved nearly 17 months. I am down 135 pounds - I hover just under 200lbs most days. MIRACLE!! I still have about 65 pounds to go to get to my "fantasy" goal of 135, but I could happily exist at this weight for the rest of my life, and feel it was all worth it.I don't feel as though my hunger is as well controlled as it was with the band - I'm hungry about every two hours, and can eat more at one time than with my filled band, but I still am able to STOP eating, which I was not able to do without a band/sleeve. Although I could eat pretty much anything with my band, there were things that I tended to avoid because they were just too much work, and too hard to eat - lots of bread was a problem, and I just didn't eat buns. The sleeve is easier in this way - I don't have the same

problem with bread (which is slightly unfortunate, in a way... haha). And I don't have to be quite as careful with my chewing/swallowing, but I still get stuck now and then, and things have to come back up. I do have some heartburn now if I don't take my OTC Prilosec in the morning. I burp a lot (happened with the band, too), but all in all I am absolutely THRILLED with my sleeve.I know this has been a long story, so if you're still reading, here's the whole point. I am convinced (rightly or wrongly) that if I had been sleeved to begin with, I would have skipped three surgeries, five weeks of misery with an NJ tube, avoided five weeks in the hospital, AND saved about $18,000.If I could go back and do it all over again, I would be sleeved the first time around.I'm not sure how anyone would have convinced me back then that having 80% of my stomach removed was better than being banded - I was so sure that I did not want to do

anything so "drastic". In hindsight, I can see that my life would have been a lot less drastic if I had done this to begin with.I don't know what the stats are for my old band buddies on lapbandtalk.com from 2003-2004 - but I know that a LOT have them have lost their bands. I don't know how many still have theirs without any re-operations. I rarely go there anymore, as that site has become like all they others - they chase off anyone who tries to warn people of the reality of the band. The erosion stats are WAY under-reported in my opinion - and there are many more slips, and even more intolerences. I loved my band, but I would NEVER get another one. Never.Good luck in your decision!Donali>> Thank you for your responses everyone. I appreciate it.> > As for those who are saying to get the sleeve instead...yes, I am researching that as an option, but the idea of having someone off 60% of my stomach and then stapling it together (with the potential for leakage of stomach fluids,etc) it just sounds like more than I want to do to my body. On top of that, the stomach is quite malleable and can stretch in the long term.> > Anyway, I am still looking into it and have not ruled it out.> > Thanks again and keep your info coming, please.> > D>

January 7, 2011

Thank you for sharing your story! I read it all and felt so bad for you. I'm glad that you are feeling better. Keep posting...can't wait to see what wonderful things happen for you next!

From: paleobait <donali.peter@...> Sent: Wed, January 5, 2011 6:52:02 PMSubject: Re: Considering Lap Band with Dr Aceves...Your Thoughs?