Lap-Band with TriCare

Hey everyone! I've come here to kind of get some advice and just to learn about others stories when trying to receive lap-band surgery through Tricare (specifically TriWest).

I am a 21 year old girl, currently enrolled in college at K-State (Go Cats!), and hoping to receive weight loss surgery so I can actually be my age. My BMI is 37 and I have recently been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea which I know to be one of the comorbidities. I gained about 90 pounds when I transferred to K-State and gained it in about a 6 month period. I've worked with weigh****chers twice, have followed multiple diets and just can't get rid of the weight. I've been stuck at about 230 for the past year and a half.

In August, I went on the Nuva Ring for birth control and I had used this back when I was in high school and had no side effects. At the end of August, I had to go to the ER for shortness of breath which is when they found that I had bilateral pulmonary embolisms. They were filling my lungs and I have now been on Xarelto for almost 3 months and the embolisms are still there. My doctor said they should have been gone by now and believes that I now have pulmonary hypertension which is another comorbidity. I've also been told that obesity is a risk factor for pulmonary embolisms and since I had no adverse effects on Nuva Ring before, I have to believe that my weight must have played a factor in why I have them now and why it's taking so long for it to go away.

I have an appointment with my PCP tomorrow and will be speaking to her about bariatric surgery, specifically the lap band. I've met with a nutritionist on post as well as a doctor previously who both told me it may be a good idea to look into surgery so, I've done a lot of research but I was hoping to hear some feedback from people who have been in my position with Tricare.

I'd appreciate any feedback!

I would be remiss if I didn't warn you about the lap band, it is a terrible surgery and I recently read where only 25% of people with the band will lose to their goal weight, which pretty much coincides with what I see here. It is the least effective weight loss surgery and comes with very easy regain. According to manufacturer's info it is only supposed to be good for 10 years so eventually it will need to be removed. It requires many fills and unfills over the years which can be at you cost if your insurance changes. Not to mention that the slippage and erosion into your stomache rates are much higher than previously thought. I and many others I know have permanent damage from the band and live with constant pain even when the band is removed. So I would suggest you research all the surgeries and read on all the 4 main forums, this one, the VSG, the RNY and the DS forums and see what each surgery is really like on a daily basis before you make a final decision. Many insurance companies only cover one surgery per lifetime so make sure you make the best choice there is.

The sleeve is not covered by Tricare and there is no way that I could afford it out of pocket. I've looked into RNY but when I spoke to my mother, she told me she's known two people that have died as a result of that. I'm speaking to my PCP tomorrow so maybe she can give me more insight into what I should do. I've done a lot of research on all of these surgeries.

Everyone seems to have a story about "someone who died" after WLS.  I wouldn't put too much weight to those claims.  

The death rate is higher for RNY than any other WLS.  IT's a known fact that RNY carries the highest complication rate.

All of my research has shown me that the Lap Band has the highest complication rate.  

I went with my BF to speak to a surgeon about his options.   He needs to lose about 200 lbs.  The surgeon in Dallas told us that Lapbands aren't being done without long discussions with the patients that THIS WILL BE A TEMPORARY WEIGHT LOSS TOOL.  He said that these people agree to get the Lapband knowing that it's not a forever tool and may need to be removed.  *he said 94% of all his patients have revised to the Sleeve or RNY or DS by the 5th year.  He went on to say that those who agree to get the Lapband and understand it's a temporary tool do much better than those who get it "thinking it's going to be forever."  He said, they get in and get the weight off.  They lose as much as they can in the first year and then go into maintenance.  He said he even loosens the band to take the pressure off the stomach, which in turn, he believes will lessen the chance of scar tissue build up.  He was honest and open about it. I appreciated that conversation.

Hi there, Hslady, my friend!   I keep on looking but have never been able to find the place where the manufacturers say the band needs to be removed after 10 years. Can you send me the link? 

I'll check I thought I read it in one of my failed band groups but then again I may be repeating gossip!

Thanks!  It's one ofthose things which keeps on being stated and I am not saying that it isn't true (that ALlergan say that, I mean). I Just can't find it and my own doctor laughed when I mentioned it and said no-one had told him!