How many of us have had to/need to be revised from the "Band"?
Thanks Phyllis! It was getting so bad that I could not even tie my own shoelaces b/c I could not get my fingers to work properly! I remember crying when I got home with the baby b/c I felt like my hands where not working properly and no one would listen, I thought for sure something was really wrong with me and it was just getting progressivly worse as the days went on.
Today, I was able to PIN his diapers on with no fear that I was going to poke him or stick him LOL I feel so much better, and I am excited about what is coming up for me in the next few months!
Today, I was able to PIN his diapers on with no fear that I was going to poke him or stick him LOL I feel so much better, and I am excited about what is coming up for me in the next few months!
Courtney - Lap band to VSG revision
were you able to get insurance approval for the sleeve?
i have to have my band removed due to problems. i was banded over 4 years ago, unsuccessfully.
but i was hoping to be sleeved at the time of removal but the surgeon already said the ins prob will not approve the second surgery. i am distraught. any advice you can give would be greatly appreciated.
i have to have my band removed due to problems. i was banded over 4 years ago, unsuccessfully.
but i was hoping to be sleeved at the time of removal but the surgeon already said the ins prob will not approve the second surgery. i am distraught. any advice you can give would be greatly appreciated.
Because of the slip, my insurance approved me immediatly. I did not choose to have my band out, I had to have it out because of complications from the slip so they did not have a probelm covering either a new band or a revision to a sleeve.
Call your insurance company and see what they have to say, don't just take the doctors word for it (I have had doctors offices lie to me in the past about insurance issues!).
Good luck.
Call your insurance company and see what they have to say, don't just take the doctors word for it (I have had doctors offices lie to me in the past about insurance issues!).
Good luck.
Courtney - Lap band to VSG revision
See if there is a clause in your policy that will allow the revision if there are "medical complications" or something of that sort.
I cannot afford it but am going to have to for a year- I went onto the Healthcare Marketplace and bought a BCBS policy . They will only cover 50% but it is a "first time" for them. My insurance I already have will revise with medical complications but they wont approve the sleeve so I am hoping they will pay for the take down of the band and the new insurance can pay 50% of the new sleeve. Somehow I just have to come up with the rest.
I revised to RNY on 05/23/11 from the band that was placed on 09/08/08. I had two slips and horrible side effects. I initially lost 42 pounds in 7ms with the band, but then had my first slip and the re-gain started and really never stopped! I was the same weight when I went in for my RNY that I was when I had my band placed back in 08. I am so thankful I revised!! 
*and at my 6 wk checkup, I was down 36 pounds!
*and at my 6 wk checkup, I was down 36 pounds!
I'll get in on this one, I did just like most did, I was all about the band. I thought I had found the answer to my problems.
Just sad when you can be so brainwashed into believing that eating the way you eat with the band is actually healthy or even normal. Or eating a pencil eraser sized bite of food and chew 30-35 times is normal. Or believing that eating 1/2 cup of food per meal is normal.
I had surgery for the lap band in Jan. 2007.
Right from the start I had left shoulder pain, port pain and a constant dull ache in my left side below my ribcage, the surgeon at first told me it was from the gas they use at surgery.
Later it was because I was probably eating to much.
The first year I lost about 70 pounds and even though I vomited or got food stuck at least 3-4 times a week, because dense protein always had a way of getting stuck, I stuck with the rules. I went for a fill about every 6-8 weeks and I always ended up telling the doctor I felt no restriction, he'd just tell me this fill will probably do it for me.
Well, it never happened.
The second year my weight started to creep back up on me. Still, never had restriction but always had those pains, so naturally I got more and more discouraged as time went by.
By the end of my 2 year mark I had gained all but 10 pounds back. I finally was able to convince the surgeon to do a flouro while I was being filled. That was done by a tech in the hospital, there I found out I had 0 fill in my band.
When I saw the surgeon and I tried to have him explain to me
why I had nothing in my band, he just talked over me like I just didn't know what I was talking about. That there was nothing wrong with my band and just needed another fill, that I just have to stick with the eating rules, because he was just sure I was not following his guidelines. That's when I told him that was it, I had enough, I wanted my records and I was leaving.
When I later received my records from his office I added up all the fills I had
and it came to 12 fills with supposedly about 11cc of fluids in my band and I had never been unfilled for any reason. Which is amazing because I only had a 4cc band.
I started research in earnest about another option and decided on the DS.
When the surgeon took out the lap band my stomach was a mess, a lot of adhesions and scartissue.
I was told also that my surgery was almost 2 hours longer
because of all the cleanup had to be done from the band before the sleeve could be made.
I'm just glad it's over and done with.
My shoulder pain is mostly gone and the pain I felt from the port and tubing was gone after the DS surgery.
Inge
Just sad when you can be so brainwashed into believing that eating the way you eat with the band is actually healthy or even normal. Or eating a pencil eraser sized bite of food and chew 30-35 times is normal. Or believing that eating 1/2 cup of food per meal is normal.
I had surgery for the lap band in Jan. 2007.
Right from the start I had left shoulder pain, port pain and a constant dull ache in my left side below my ribcage, the surgeon at first told me it was from the gas they use at surgery.
Later it was because I was probably eating to much.
The first year I lost about 70 pounds and even though I vomited or got food stuck at least 3-4 times a week, because dense protein always had a way of getting stuck, I stuck with the rules. I went for a fill about every 6-8 weeks and I always ended up telling the doctor I felt no restriction, he'd just tell me this fill will probably do it for me.
Well, it never happened.
The second year my weight started to creep back up on me. Still, never had restriction but always had those pains, so naturally I got more and more discouraged as time went by.
By the end of my 2 year mark I had gained all but 10 pounds back. I finally was able to convince the surgeon to do a flouro while I was being filled. That was done by a tech in the hospital, there I found out I had 0 fill in my band.
When I saw the surgeon and I tried to have him explain to me
why I had nothing in my band, he just talked over me like I just didn't know what I was talking about. That there was nothing wrong with my band and just needed another fill, that I just have to stick with the eating rules, because he was just sure I was not following his guidelines. That's when I told him that was it, I had enough, I wanted my records and I was leaving.
When I later received my records from his office I added up all the fills I had
and it came to 12 fills with supposedly about 11cc of fluids in my band and I had never been unfilled for any reason. Which is amazing because I only had a 4cc band.
I started research in earnest about another option and decided on the DS.
When the surgeon took out the lap band my stomach was a mess, a lot of adhesions and scartissue.
I was told also that my surgery was almost 2 hours longer
because of all the cleanup had to be done from the band before the sleeve could be made.
I'm just glad it's over and done with.
My shoulder pain is mostly gone and the pain I felt from the port and tubing was gone after the DS surgery.
Inge
*raises hand*
Me!! I was banded in June 08, had it filled in October 08, started in with horrible reflux that intensified with the next fill, got an emergency unfill January 09, refill in Feb 09, emergency unfill next day and removed March 09.
Revised to RNY in April 09, and couldn't be happier!
The band is a piece of crap that has worked for only a couple of people I know of; the rest have had revisions.
ETA - I only lost about 15 to 20 pounds in that 8 months, most of which was during the liquid phase. I didn't "out-eat" the band, I couldn't eat because I would vomit when I ate anything that wasn't liquid. I never found that elusive "sweet spot" so many speak of but few find....
Me!! I was banded in June 08, had it filled in October 08, started in with horrible reflux that intensified with the next fill, got an emergency unfill January 09, refill in Feb 09, emergency unfill next day and removed March 09.
Revised to RNY in April 09, and couldn't be happier!
The band is a piece of crap that has worked for only a couple of people I know of; the rest have had revisions.
ETA - I only lost about 15 to 20 pounds in that 8 months, most of which was during the liquid phase. I didn't "out-eat" the band, I couldn't eat because I would vomit when I ate anything that wasn't liquid. I never found that elusive "sweet spot" so many speak of but few find....
My band came out 2 days ago. Since the band caused so much scar tissue, I need to wait 6 wks for the sleeve.
Bottom line the band sucks. I have never puked so much in my life even though I was too loose. My heartburn was so bad I would lay in bed in agony. I also had left side,under rib pain. These 2.5 yrs have been hell.
I only lost 30 lb. The band didn't help as I lost it all on the pre/post op diet before I had restriction (which I never really found a happy medium).
Bottom line the band sucks. I have never puked so much in my life even though I was too loose. My heartburn was so bad I would lay in bed in agony. I also had left side,under rib pain. These 2.5 yrs have been hell.
I only lost 30 lb. The band didn't help as I lost it all on the pre/post op diet before I had restriction (which I never really found a happy medium).
I hope you feel better now. Within a week of having my band removed I felt like a million bucks. Take excellent care of yourself to prepare you for your sleeve surgery. It is going to be a whole new experience. You won't believe the difference in how you will be able to eat.
Phyllis
"Me agreeing with you doesn't preclude you from being a deviant."
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