I can only tell you what I have been told from those that have gone from a band to a sleeve. I am yet to meet a single one who doesn't think it was the best thing they ever did. Life with the sleeve is just in their words so much easier. the only restriction with a sleeve is the volume of food you can eat so attaining a wide healthy diet or just grabbing half a sandwich when out is never a problem for a sleever once they have fully healed.
I have heard rumors of a few late regains, but out of the now thousands of sleevers I have spoken to never found one. In all that time I have come across ONE failed sleeve. It was not done by Dr Padavan. I have heard of nothing but success from this man. Like all weight loss surgery getting it done right is the key. If the surgeon does it wrong there may be problems. But the reality with the sleeve is any and all problems should come to light within the first week or two after surgery, as in a leak or a bleed. After this time I have never heard of anything going wrong beyond the very occasional I think less than half a dozen people having a day procedure to dilate their sleeve. Even with this it is done within a few weeks of surgery. You do not have the worries of slips etc occuring months or years later that you have with the band. I have also heard of one person who had a mess made with scaring from the band that went onto a bi-pass, again not Padavan this was in the east and and another person who started at well over 250kg who went onto a bi-pass.
Never let anybody play down the risks of a leak they are serious and can mean months in hospital. But if you choose your surgeon with care, such as Dr Padavan you can reduce that risk to close to nil. I think I can say what I do without being biased as he was not my surgeon. I mean I LOVE my surgeon to bits but after more than 2 years now talking to people getting sleeves a lot here in Perth I know for sure if it was me knowing the risks with leaks it would have to be Padavan all the way.
applesauce
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, August 12, 2009 2:05 PM
Subject: [awls] Re: New Member looking for Sleeve Advice
Thanks Applesauce,
The surgeon I spoke too also said I would have to remove band first and wait the three month period before a sleeve could be done. It seems band to sleeve conversions happen alot in the States but not so sure about here.
So Dr Padavan does conversions? great news, its alot of money to dish out yet again but it would be worth every cent if it works, do you know anyone who had surgery through him who is not getting the weightloss results for whatever reason?
I guess my biggest fear with the sleeve is leaks and bleeding. Nobody knows yet whether 10/15+yrs after sleeve whether problems occur.Lapbands are definitely not all their cracked up to be longterm.
Nancci
--- In awls@yahoogroups.com, "kas123au" <kas123au@...> wrote:
>
> 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 -----
> From: nancci_111
> To: awls@yahoogroups.com
> 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.
>
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