As with all weight loss surgery options, one size does not fit all. The same holds true with the gastric band – it is not the right operation for all patients. Due to several reasons, including physical complications and unsatisfactory results, patients decide to opt for band removal and convert to a sleeve gastrectomy. In addition to side effects, gastric banding requires frequent adjustments and follow-up appointments, making it undesirable for some bariatric patients.
It is important to educate yourself and explore all of the bariatric surgery options available to you, before deciding on which procedure is right for you. If you are looking for a surgeon to perform band removal surgery in Los Angeles, our surgeons at the Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence can help you through the process.
Why Do Patients Choose Band Removal in Los Angeles?
The main complaints of gastric band patients are physical in nature. Gastric band patients who decide to undergo a sleeve conversion experience:
- Failure to lose weight after a gastric band.
- Chronic nausea or vomiting with solids or liquids.
- Need for multiple fills and un-fills without weight loss.
- Nonresolution of medical problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, etc
- Chronic pain around the port site.
- Heart palpitations/anxiety related to the gastric band. How about : Chronic anxiety related to having a large foreign body inside of them
- Unhappiness with their Lap-Band or Realize band.
In order to avoid subsequent weight gain after removing the band, patients must decide whether they want to consider another weight loss surgery option. A band-to-sleeve conversion allows a patient to continue their weight loss journey with the goal of long-term success.
Why Convert from an Adjustable Gastric Band to the Gastric Sleeve?
- Excellent results. More than 70% excess weight loss even in patients who have only lost minimal amounts of weight with the Lap-Band.
- Much better sense of fullness (satiety) than in band patients due to reduction in the size and capacity of the stomach.
- Superior appetite suppression due to the near elimination of the hunger hormone, Ghrelin (portion of the stomach that is removed produces this hormone).
- Minimally invasive approach.
- No intestinal bypass or malabsorption, therefore little chance of vitamin or nutritional deficiency.
Los Angeles Band Removal and Sleeve Conversion
The gastric band-to-sleeve or bypass conversion is a revisional bariatric operation where the gastric band and port are removed and the gastric sleeve operation is performed. This can be done in one setting or through two separate operations. The conversion usually takes about 2-3 hours and patients stay in the hospital for 1-2 days following the surgery. After discharge from the hospital, patients are on a liquid diet for 2 weeks after the surgery.
Is the Band to Sleeve Conversion Right for Me?
The decision to proceed with a conversion is not one to take lightly and needs to be discussed in a one-on-one consultation with one of our bariatric surgeons at the Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence. During your consultation, the doctor will get your medical history and experience with the gastric band. A decision can then be made regarding whether a conversion is right for you and whether its best to be done in one setting or two.
Contact a Los Angeles Weight Loss Surgeon
Our bariatric surgeons have extensive experience band-to-gastric sleeve conversions. To see if you are a candidate for a Lap Band or Realize band removal in Beverly Hills, contact us today at (888) 391-0182 for your initial consultation at the Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence.
Next, read about body contouring after weight loss.