MARIA F.’s Posts
Actually I think it was 6 weeks for the first fill and then generally 4 weeks in between.
Did you call to set up your appt. for your first fill prior to that??? First fills are generally at about 6 weeks out, and then usually 6 weeks between fills if more are needed (which they generally are!) It is very rare for one to need only a single fill. I had like 15 or 17 my first year. Not trying to be rude here, but it would really be beneficial to you if you did some research! Good luck.
Unfortunately slips are extremely common as is esophageal damage. Be very careful! You don't want permanent damage like Steph!!!
Steph that is an awesome post. No matter what anyone's experience here is with the band, bad, or good..............you have to admit that you all have seen tons of band complications and early removals. It really is very unfair to encourage a pre-op to get the band b/c you might have done well with it even though you can clearly see the extremely high complication/removal rate of the band. So can you all just put your pride aside in an effort to prevent the pre-ops from getting what in all likelyhood will be only a temporary "fix", and encourage them to research and so they can choose a much more effective and long term WLS? Seriously..........you wouln't recommend the band to your daughter or son would you? So please stop encouraging people to bet them just because they are strangers to you and you want to prove your point!
You revised to the Sleeve right? Why arent' you concerned about all the ppl who are now getting esophageal damage and cancer from all the horrible reflux the Sleeve is now causing in many long term Sleevers? At least with the band it can be removed.
If you posted about both how the Sleeve and the band can cause esophageal problems, then your lies would be a bit more credible.
The research that I've done indicates that if someone "chooses" to keep their lap band too tight for long periods of time, or have other pre-existing esophageal issues, if the band causes issues, the band can be removed and the esophagus goes back to normal.
Reflux can be a problem with the VSG, however it's almost always controlled with meds. I would assume that she is not posting info about reflux with VSG b/c this is the LAPBAND forum and the OP was asking regarding Lapband. Makes sense, right?
As far as your "research" someone choosing to keep the band too tight can cause esophageal problems. Most do not choose to keep their bands too tight though. Those that do choose to keep their bands too tight generally do so b/c it's the only way they are losing weight with the band. Also I will add that some bandsters are still too tight with an empty band b/c of all the scar tissue the their band has caused. So this blame the bandster attitude if really NOT fair and very counter-productive! :-(
Now as far as your statement "if the band causes issues, the band can be removed and the esophagus goes back to normal." Well that is true *sometimes*. For many the damage is permanent. Ask some of the bandsters that have to have stents put in just to be able to get liquids down, or now have permanent feeding tubes for nutrition.
It was not a good experience. I was lied to by their staff about the band being a lifetime product and about how extremely rare that band complications occur with "the new band". They were not very ethical at all!!!
You can probably catch them on the VSG, RNY or DS forums. Most have revised already, or at least had a band removal.
Yep it's a band mill. I had my surgery at the one in Atl. and then they went out of business here right after my 6 week check up! STAY AWAY FROM T.R.!!!!!!!!!!!
I agree with Pineview. If you are paying insurance and fills are covered then they need to damn well fix the problem and cover it. Now that being said.......are you sure that you want to take a chance on that again since your band complications have started???
I have battled with a slipped band for three years. I have had zero fluid in my band, but symptoms of a too tight fill. Vomiting and regurgitation hhave been AARP of everyday living. Upper gi three years ago showed no slippage, and moved on to other causes. I have been to cardiologist, pulmonologist, to try and figure out what was causing my problems, I finally had my removal approved after six months of fighting with insurance, upon removal the surgeon said I did in fact have a slippage. I am so thankful this band is out and I feel better after surgery than I have the last three years of my life. I know slippage is not a huge risk, but it was enough for me to spread the word to everyone I know to not get the lap-band..,,,it is not worth the risk. So thankful to be alive and on the mend.
So glad you got it removed! Are you revising to a more effective WLS now?
Pumpkin! Don't leave us again!!! 
I do have a suggestion: RUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yeah I just read that. So sad! Makes you wonder just how many deaths are the result of the lapband? :-(
Congrats Elina! So glad u were able to revise!!!
And how is the baby doing? :-)
Appeal! Ask around and you can find some files on ins. appeal for revision. Good luck!!!
Sorry I wasn't more specific with what my complications were.
LisaO.
You probably just need to change Drs. From what I understand, Nana was told that she couldn't be rebanded also. But she believed in her band and found a Dr. that would do it and now she is doing AWESOME! So see........problem solved. Just get another band! :-)
Just call your ins. company and ask if revisions are covered. If they are, and you are serious about getting it then I would suggest you do it as soon as possible since many ins. companies are now going with a "one WLS per lifetime" claus.
Oh one thing I forgot to mention! Many insurance companies have now implemented a "one WLS per lifetime", so choose carefully!!!
Haven't seen either one of them in quite awhile and just wondered how they are doing? If you are in touch with either one of them tell them to stop by and say hi!
I'm trying to be fair as well. I have never claimed that VSG and RNY don't have complications. Hell even a little tonsillectomy can have complications, lol.
~At least if the pouch stretches with the band you can either get it surgically fixed, or a brand new band, or revise to another procedure~
Yeah ask Steph how that's working out for her!
Maria...the thing is if she goes to the Revision board..she may see JUST AS MANY ASKING FOR HELP with a revision from RNY and the Sleeve 
....it is MUCH easier to get the band removed than revise from the Sleeve or RNY.....the Sleeve is the only surgery that is NOT reversible, many just add the bypass or DS portion of malabsorption to help out.
So PLEASE don't use the Revision board as a reason for not getting the band...LOL...No surgery is complication free, or problem free. And ALL OF THEM REQUIRES A LIFESTYLE CHANGE, AND NONE ARE MAGIC WANDS AND ALL ARE TOOLS.
So in other words is it much easier for a patient to dump a lap band than a Sleeve or RNY person to get a revision, but despite all of this MANY bypass and Sleeve patients are still seeking as many revisions as a lap banders......and the Sleeve is still pretty new. And many wish they could get a band over their Sleeve or Bypass based on what my surgeon says...when their pouch/stomach stretches out
!.it is MUCH easier to get the band removed than revise from the Sleeve or RNY~
Nana you all act like it's no big deal getting the band removed. Yes. It can be removed, but that doesn't mean that all the damage it has caused can be removed. Ask Steph and Nicci about that one.
No the sleeve is not reversable, but who wants a temporary WLS? I got the band b/c I was told at the time that it was meant to last a lifetime. I did NOT want something temporary.
~So PLEASE don't use the Revision board as a reason for not getting the band...LOL...No surgery is complication free, or problem free.~
Of course no surgery is complication free. Having tonsils removed is not complication free. Things happen occasionally even with that. But if that had a 50% complication rate at 6 years then ppl would stop having tonsils out , just like ppl are not having the band implanted very often now. And I stand by my statement. She should look on the revision forum. Not just to get a realistic view of the band, but to get a realistic view of ALL WLS's! She can look on there and see which WLS's are having the most complications, and which ones have the most patients wanting to revise FROM them. Right?
~ ALL OF THEM REQUIRES A LIFESTYLE CHANGE~
Well of course! No one is saying that that is not required.
~ NONE ARE MAGIC WANDS AND ALL ARE TOOLS.~
Half right. There is no such thing as a magic wand of course. We are not talking fairy tales here, lol. But not all WLS's are tools. That varies greatly. With the band, some of the bandsters do get a tool..........others are not so lucky. :-(
~ MANY bypass and Sleeve patients are still seeking as many revisions as a lap banders~
Really? Could you go on the revision forum and do a quick assessment and give me the stats on that. Now granted, I have not been on there recently, but whenever I have in the past those wishing to revise from their current WLS's are in this order:
Band
RNY
VSG
I don't recall every seeing a DS'er that wanted to revise. RNY revisions are generally due to the stoma stretching. VSG revisions are generally due to not losing or maintaining a sufficient amount of weight and needing the malabsorption component. Bandstetrs seeking revisions are mostly due to severe complications that the band has caused.
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