Hello from a newbie considering LB > VSG revision

Hi Everyone! This is my first post, although I've been reading so many of your stories for a while. I had Lap-Band surgery in 2010 and was a the model patient for a while. I lost 60+ pounds and then left my job because I found my dream job but unfortunately, the medical insurance did not cover weight loss and I couldn't afford to keep up with my monthly maintenance. Around the same time, my ex and I got back together and along with that came the eating out, cooking dinner for him, etc. that goes along with a new relationship. The combination of these things caused me to start gaining some of my weight back. I would go back to my surgeon sporadically to get a fill but still wasn't able to keep up on a monthly basis. The fills would work for a while but after a few weeks, I wasn't feeling as satiated as I should.

Fast forward to February of this year, February 1st to be exact - I got laid off and lost my insurance completely. My mom helped me out by paying for my medical needs and told me to go ahead and go back to the surgeon because I hadn't been back in about 6 months. He checked the fluid in my band and said that it was very low so he did a fluoroscopy the following week but didn't find a leak so I was relieved. He did a fill that day, it worked great, after 2 weeks my satiety had subsided again and when I went back 2 weeks later, he checked my fluid again and I had lost almost all of it. He stated that meant the port was probably bad (since the fluoro didn't show a leak). I was devastated to say the least since I had no way to pay for another surgery. On top of that, he was getting ready to retire from WLS and another surgeon was in the process of taking over his patients.

Fast forward a couple months to yesterday...I have insurance again now that covers WLS so I went in to see the surgeon who took over my former surgeon's patients. I liked him a lot and my former surgeon's office manager works for him now so she's familiar with my situation and I've been talking to her over the past couple weeks in preparation of my appointment. During the appointment yesterday the surgeon said that he would not just change the port but would take out the whole system and replace it with a new one and he said another option would be to do the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy but I told him I didn't think my insurance would cover that and brushed it off. I was scheduled for surgery November 13th and talked to the office manager on my way out. She had Lap-Band surgery 2 weeks after I did and has also had complications. Unfortunately, she's unable to have surgery right now to fix it due to some other health problems but she told me that if she could, she'd get the sleeve instead in a heart beat and asked if I might seriously consider it if my insurance covered it. I told her I didn't know much about it but that I'd do some research and in the meantime, she's going to contact my insurance company to see what exactly they will cover in this situation since either way, I need to have surgery.

Sorry this has turned out to be so long but thanks to all who have hung in there with me so far!

The good news is I got engaged last month and I'm planning a wedding for May 10, 2014. Whichever way I go, I want to get back on track and feel beautiful and confident on my wedding day. I'm wondering what others here have experienced as far as the Lap-Band vs VSG.

Thanks again! I look forward to getting to know all of you. 

Ask the same question on the VSG - sleeve forum... I think there are a lot of LB to Sleeve people there .. You may get great response..

Thank you...I'm getting great responses in both threads. Much appreciated for pointing me in that direction.

I would do it in a heart Beat and did!  It is the best thing I every did.  If you go to the failed band group here you will see you are among many in the same situation and most that get a second band don't do as well as the first and most, yes, over 50% now are getting their bands out for complication.  If you look thu the threads here I c would guess as high as 90% are band revision.  The sleeve is doing what I thought the band would do for me and didn't.  I am loving my sleeve.  Just go and join these groups and start researching.  Search this board using: "band sleeve" and read away.  Many here have revised from band to sleeve.

http://www.obesityhelp.com/group/failed_lap_bands/

http://www.obesityhelp.com/group/Band2Sleeve/

Thank you so much for your reply. When the surgeon first mentioned it yesterday, I brushed it off thinking 1) my insurance wouldn't cover it and 2) I  didn't feel comfortable with something that seemed more invasive and permanent. After researching this literally ALL day, it seems that so many people have done this revision with much success along with people who went with the sleeve to begin with. (As a side note, I'm not really sure why the permanence scared me when I want my weight loss to be permanent.) I checked my insurance tonight and the sleeve is now covered so hopefully it will be covered for me to do the revision without jumping through all the hoops that were initially required, especially considering I'm getting married in 7 months.

 (As a side note, I'm not really sure why the permanence scared me when I want my weight loss to be permanent.)

Doesn't that say it all!  

Even after I won to be able to get the sleeve, I had to jump thru all the hoops.  I even had to do more than the first time as our center requires additional psych counseling.  Even they won't admit it is the band failing and not us, one surgeon admitted to 30%.  But, I know from OH that some have gone to other centers for removal so aren't counted in there numbers.  Hopefully you won't have to but many of us are being made to.

My band began to fail 1 year after it was installed. The surgeon said it was most likely leaking and it would be another 2000.00 to fix it. I was a self pay and was not going to trust this guy again. That was 5 years ago, gained back the 80 pounds I lost. This time I spent the time to find a good surgeon. I am having gastric bypass on 10/15 and going to make this work. My lap band will be removed at that time. My new surgeon has told me he would have never recommend the lap band to me. Good luck to you!

Many surgeons aren't recommending the band any more.  The mayo clinic stopped doing them, and one here has reported the Army will no longer place a band.

 

Hey KLuv  (funny, hubby calls me that)

 

 

First of all, congrats on the engagement! That’s fabulous.

 

 

 

I have a similar story. I had my band in 2006 and lost 124lbs. I was a model bandster. About 3 years after I got my band, I was laid off and lost my insurance. At that time, it was fine because I had lost all my excess weight and didn’t need a fill or anything. Slowly but surely I started having problems. At first it was heartburn every so often followed by HORRIBLE acid reflux where I would wake up choking with it coming out my nose and into my lungs. But I had no insurance so I just took tums like once every hour plus omeprazole. When I finally got insurance, my first priority was seeing a bariatric surgeon. That was April of this year and by that time I had put on 75lbs.

 

 

 

As luck would have it, I ended up in the ER in May because I couldn’t even swallow saliva. At that time, they did an unfill under fluoroscopy and diagnosed my slip. I paid cash to go see my original surgeon and he said my options were to have my band replaced or to convert to another type of surgery. HE said replacing the band would only give me about a 50% chance of losing the weight I gained and the chances were also high that I would have a slip again in the near future.

 

 

 

I was heartbroken. I LOVED my band. IT was then that I started coming to forums like this one and saw just how many people were having issues like mine with the band. I was amazed to say the least. I had NO idea that it was so problematic. I then started researching the sleeve and gastric bypass on the off chance that I would be able to get approved by insurance. At my initial consult, I had a BMI of 34 and they said I would not be approved by insurance. But since I was recently unfilled, I ended up gaining another 15 lbs and my BMI was 35.6 when they submitted me for band removal and conversion. I had to provide a diet log for the past 3 months but other than that, approval was quick and easy. I was surprised. I got approved for RNY and then the Sleeve within 5 days. My surgery is scheduled for 11/5 and I had my band out on 9/12

 

 

 

After knowing what I know about the band, there is no way in heck that I would do that again and I’d advise anyone against it. I do not know 1 person that has not had a band complication of some type.

 

 

 

How long have you had your current insurance? You might have to wait until January when they do away with the “pre-existing” conditions clause that a lot of insurance companies have.  If you are interested in doing a revision, you should contact your insurance company or look into your policy and make sure that bariatric surgeries are covered and if so, find out what the criteria is to qualify. At this point, Im sure your Dr will agree that you have a “failed lap band” and getting approval for removal shouldn’t be an issue.  And based on what I’ve heard, a revision is probably your best bet for being at your goal weight on your wedding day! = )

 

 

 

Good luck to you whatever you choose.

 

 

 

Kayla

 

 

Just got a call from my surgeon's office and my insurance company approved my revision surgery! I'm still on for November 13th as scheduled. Whew...big relief!