Before a bariatric surgery, a patient will weigh their options, most often lap band vs. gastric sleeve. Ideally, this would be the end of the line for surgeries for the patients, who would see dramatic and life-changing weight loss. However, many bariatric patients will come see Dr. Feiz following a lap band procedure with another doctor that didn't work out as expected. In these cases, Dr. Feiz can either remove the lap band procedure or offer a band to sleeve revision, which converts the stomach into the sleeve gastrectomy while removing the lap band.

It's unfortunate but true; sometimes a patient will not have success with the lap band. This can happen for a wide range of reasons, including but not limited to:

• Improper placement from another physician
• Body does not react well to the foreign object
• Band slippage or erosion
• Patient can only eat unhealthy foods that don't upset their stomachs, leading to a lack of weight loss
• Issues with the port, where injections are placed to fill or deflate the lap band
• Any scenario where a patient doesn't lose sufficient weight or actually gains weight

A sleeve gastrectomy after lap band is an incredibly delicate procedure and needs the expert touch and experience that Dr. Feiz provides. In this operation, Dr. Feiz must navigate scar tissue from the first surgery as well as remove and scarring that developed around the lap band. He then must remove most of the stomach in order to convert it into the vertical gastric sleeve. Dr. Feiz is a skilled surgeon, however, and has particular expertise in both weight loss surgery and minimally invasive laparoscopic surgical techniques.