Anyone with a Failed RNY

Has anyone ever had any complications or failures due to RNY Surgery, I am seriously considering RNY and would like to know your experiences  whether good or bad?  My insurance is only giving me the choice between the Realize Band and RNY and I am seriously considering the RNY.  So therefore I would like to know the cons of RNY.  Thanks in advance.

 
Well, 1 in 4 fail banding and 1 in 5 fail bypass.

Are you aware that you can likely appeal your ins for a more modern and more effective surgery type?

Thank you for the response.  I was not aware that I could file for an appeal for a different surgery.  After reading my benefits booklet and information packet from my insurance company I was under the impression that they considered some the other newer procedures as still in the experimental stages.  Being that they are still considered experimental they will not cover those procedures.  I would love to have the DS but unfortunately it wasn't an option for me based on insurance coverage.  

I am going to discuss possibly appealing my insurance with our insurance coordinator Dawn with my WLS Clinic. Thank you for your advice I really appreciate it.

 
Does your surgeon do the DS?  If not, they don't want to lose your business and they will give you some line about your ins not covering it so there is nothing you can do.  They also won't help you appeal a surgery that they don't do.

Post on the DS board and they will show you how to appeal.  There is even a lawyer there that helps with appeals for DS pro bono.  She usually gets her way! ;o)

No the surgeon that was selected for me specializes in the Realize band, RNY, and most recently VSG.  Initially when I was referred to the Surgical Weight Loss Clinic I was referred for a band.  However, I do not want a band what so ever.   The band was recommended to me because of my age, my desire to have more children, and my ability to follow and be successful with the pre-op diet.  I am actually scheduled to meet with my surgeon on January 7th to finalize my decision on a procedure and schedule surgery.  I will definitely heed your advice and check out the DS forum.  We have two other Surgeons at my weight loss clinic that specialize in other procedures, so I will definitely reach out to the clinic to gather more information before I meet with my surgeon.

Thanks again.

 
You can have a safe pregnancy with any of the 4 main surgery types but I'll grant you, with malabsorption it does indeed take more effort.  But it can be done and many babies have been born to Moms with WLS and malabsorption.

Actually studies show your baby stands a better chance at being healthy coming from a Mom with malabsorption vs. a morbid obese mom.  Babies born to a MO mom will typically battle obesity throughout their lives.  But if you get to a normal BMI they don't have the same risks of being MO throughout their own lives.

Yes, appeal appeal appeal!  Let the DS forum help you, with the exception of Medicaid and Tricare, you should be able to appeal and get a more modern and effective surgery type.

I thought the DS was very similar to the RNY?  (Extreme)

Going further:  The Sleeve is the 1st part of the DS (right)?  

I have not had surgery, not an expert only asking because I don't want the Lap-Band or RNY?  I am trying to find any loophole that I can. 

Thanks

 
Just appeal to your ins co.  Go ahead and submit for the surgery type you want.  Then when they send you a denial they will say why they aren't approving a sleeve.  Typically they will claim it is still investigational.  You resubmit proving it is not investigational and that usually works.

It will not work for medicaid, medicare, or Tricare.

Are you familiar with appealing an insurance denial for a revision to DS with a BMI limit? My insurance has a BMI limit of 50 or more for a DS. . . mine is only 41 after a RNY. It's BCBS.

I am not familiar with the above quoted "failure" rates.  Be sure to make sure what you are being told is actually facts.  I suspect different doctors have different failure rates, in part due to the support program in place.  Does your surgeon also provide nutritional, behavioral, and exercise counseling?  If so, you will have a greater likelihood of success regardless of your surgery type.  Attending support groups and journaling are two other success related behaviors. 

You need to ask your surgeon his/her reasons for suggesting one over the other.  Depending on where you live, you may not have as many surgery options.  My surgeon does not do the DS or VGB.  No one in the area does.  For me, having the support of a local program for the RNY outweighed the potentially different benefits of a different surgery.

So many different factors come into play as to which surgery will be best for you--age, length of time overweight, how much weight you have to lose, etc.  Take your time, learn what you can through research--not opinion, and take your questions to your surgeon.  Any of the surgeries require a life long change, but they all are still just tools.  You will have to change how you eat, regardless.

I had the RNY in Nov. 2005, lost 240 lbs. and in five years have regained 20 lbs.  Still at over 80% of my excess weight lost--and regained the weight from not being compliant (i.e. eating sweets and junk food) not from any surgical failure.