Expert: John Pilcher, MD - 3/31/2009

Question
banded 2 years ago only lost 32 lbs seem to have vomiting problems everytime they adjust the band next day removal of the cc.s appt on thursday to discuss changing over to the sleeve afraid of the stomach removal part any advise

Answer
Dianne,
Some patients do struggle with the Band, such that it can never be "tuned" to work well with their body.  The Band either seems too loose or too tight, with no happy medium.

Before you and your surgeon bail out on the Band, I suggest you have your adjustments done with fluoroscopy to guide the adjustment process.  This is where you swallow a small amount of Barium (x-ray dye) before and after a Band adjustment so it can be seen exactly what is happening with your Band and stomach during adjustment.

If this has already been done, and if the surgeon is as convinced as possible that there is no identifiable problem with your anatomy such as:
-hiatal hernia
-reflux with esophagitis
-pouch dilation and/or Band slip

then it does seem reasonable to decide for a gastric sleeve.

In my own practice, I have converted about 7 patients from Band to sleeve for reasons like yours and they are all much happier.  They are losing weight without having to feel sick or nauseated so much.

Best of luck!
Dr JP