What is the success rate on removing a lap band and having a gastric sleeve?

hello. interesting question, the results are excellent in weight loss when you do a conversion from the gastric band to sleeve gastrectomy or  sleeve gastrectomy to gastric bypass  but the risk of complication  are higher that in primary bariatric  surgery.

Removal of a LapBAND is a fairly easy procedure.  Conversion to another operation is not.  The complication rate with conversion to sleeve gastrectomy is significantly higher than doing a sleeve gastrectomy on a previously un-operated stomach.  Some surgeons recommend staging the procedure; removing the Band at one operation, then coming back some months later for the sleeve gastrectomy.Many surgeons, myself included, do the whole thing in one procedure.  It isn't that much more difficult, and it saves the patient from having to undergo two separate expensive operations, not to mention the recovery time for the two procedures.Studies have been published documenting the validity of both approaches, so it is up to your surgeon to choose for you based on his/her experience.