Lap-band has to be replaced

Hello I have to have my band replaced I am meeting with my dr tomorrow.  Does anyone know if it's medically nec. if the Dr. did a sleeve revision that they would cover it.  My dr's office said that insurance company won't give problems with the lap band replacement I had surgery 8 years ago and so much has changed.  The lap band worked gained a lil back but probably my own fault and the band keeps slipping.  Any ideas and has anyone thik the recovery is easier the 2nd time around thanks!!!

If your band has slipped more than once DO NOT let them replace it! The more slips the worse the band will work again, it will just continue to slip. Many insurance companies will indeed do a sleeve instead of a band, especially if it has slipped. The best thing to do is contact your insurance co. and find out if they cover revisions and be sure to tell them that your band continues to slip. I learned early on in this game that the docs know little to nothing about insurance coverage because each persons coverage is a little different depending on who the employer is. If your doc has little or no experience with sleeves he won't want to do one. The sleeve used to be considered experimental but since last year, when Medicare started covering them, most insurance companies now consider them a good weight loss surgery. I haven't had the revision because of other health issues but if I were to revise the sleeve is what I would get. It may be a bit more involved recovering from the sleeve but most sleevers say it was worth it.

Please dont get   anew band get a  revision.         

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17593435

I just has my band readjusted. I tried to get the sleeve but was declined twice. I really do love my band so am just as happy to keep it. 

I am in the process of deciding if I want to revise because I am having trouble with my band.  A lot of stuck episodes and no weight loss.  My insurance will cover but I have to do a nutritionist supervised weight loss program for at least 3 months.  I'm in my 2nd month now.  I can't decide what I want to do.  I don't want to trade one problem for another.  I definitely won't have the band replaced.  It is also tough because they have to remove it and let my stomach heal for a while.  2 surgeries and lots of time out of work.  Not something I will look forward to.

Best thing to do is talk to your doc about if he knows if insurance will cover. 

Good luck

I'm surprised they are saying they have to do it as two surgeries. Did they say why? In the absence of any known problem, I would think they could do both at the same time - that's how mine was done.

I had to do the whole 6 month thing and everything else to get the sleeve but, it so was worth it.  I too had it done in two surgeries.  Most surgeons to require a 2 to 6 month wait in between for the stomach to heal.  This is the recommendation from the ASMBS.  They have found that most of the complications from band revisions occur when done in one surgery.  That isn't to say that many having the revision in one surgery don't have a single problem, just that those that do have the surgery done as a single surgery have a higher risk of complications.  I too was very upset at the time they wanted me to wait until I found out the reasons why and am now so glad they did.