The best sleeve surgeon in Perth is Dr Padavan. It is about $2500 gap from memory. You would need to check that amount. He has NEVER had a leak, and does conversions all the time. He is the most experienced wls in the state if not the country and did extensive training in the US before working here.
do understand that I doubt even he will do a band to sleeve in one surgery. He will just about guarantee make you wait at least 3 months between band removal and sleeve being done. This is for your own benefit and no amount of "reasons" you can come up with why any surgeon should do it all in one seems to ever work.
Mr no gap scares the c r a p out of all his patients *LOL*
Just so there is NO confusion and you understand this advise is coming from somebody with a sleeve who has never had a band.
applesauce
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, August 12, 2009 11:53 AM
Subject: [awls] New Member looking for Sleeve Advice
Hi Everyone,
My name is Nancci and I'm from Perth and have been looking for an Australian support group for a little while now that wasn't just a lapband site and that some members had in fact had gastric sleeves and *fingers crossed* maybe even conversions.
I had lapband surgery in 2005 weighing in at 127kg which I lost about 60kgs but endured much trauma in the onset in way of vomiting, too tight, then later dehydration (ended up in hospital too find out the band had slipped and was then rebanded with a Vanguard band in 2006.
I've had no success with band No 2, no restriction yet, gained 20kgs back and just recently found out that alot who have this band (info off on a couple of different lapband forums) have similar issues regarding restriction. It appears my previous surgeon didnt know much about that band either as at my 7ml fill (6 months after rebanding) he told me off! as I was continually gaining weight and told me "dont come back until you've lost some weight!".
I havent gone back, in fact I decided too never go back again after my mum suggested a few months back I find someone else closer to home. I found out recently on some American sites many with a vanguard start to get restriction at 9.5/10ml.
I have thankfully started with a new surgeon who is closer to home and have had further fills (currently 8.5) but still no restriction. This Surgeon has me now doing a barium/meal and gastroscopy to double check if all is ok. I plan to give him a link to the sites that I got the information on the VG band at my next appointment. Anyway I feel I've lost hope with Lapbands and it's longterm appeal is waning considerably. I don't know if I can hack the extreme side effects. I am looking at the sleeve as another option as it appears more managable.
I recently saw another surgeon (no 3) whose name I got off a gastric sleeve forum, he came highly recommended but he said everything he could to try turning me off having the sleeve, telling me there's an incredibly high death rate for conversions and suggested I get rebanded if it appears the band has slipped again and to come and see him after I find out.
Im having a gastroscopy on the 19th to see whether there's a prob with band (through surgeon No 2) but now after coming across that info on the net I'm wondering whether I only need more fills to make it work better. Regardless I have had a couple of moments of restriction at 8.5 but never any sense of fullness/saitey because both those times I had food stuck that lead to barfing and feeling hungry after and then 98% of the rest of the time I can eat as though there is no band. I'm currently dieting and struggling, surgeon No 2 has suggested I have only a hot drink in the morning, a tin of tuna for lunch and nothing till dinner (fish/salad or vege). I'll be honest this is making me more hungrier than ever and leading me towards bingeing after several days of this diet.
The sleeve surgeon admitted he has never done conversions (lapband to sleeve) and this was another of his main concerns, felt it was too risky also regarding scar tissue but he is happy to reband me at "no gap" if it actually appears it has slipped or refer me to someone else for sleeve if I insisted on it. The current surgeon (no 2) who does my fills is way too expensive for rebanding surgery if that became necessary No 3 surgeon does both sleeve's and lapbands for "no gap".
I guess I'm not sure what I should do and whether anyone has been down a similar path or can recommend a good Perth Sleeve Surgeon who has done conversions who maybe a bit more confident. I really would like the band to work but yet to find that elusive "sweet spot" and wondering whether "some" just never do.
Having problems with message search?
Fill out this form to ensure your group is one of the first to be migrated to the new message search system.
Offline 
Send Email