Thinking about revision have Healthnet - Please Help!

Hello All, I started my weight loss journey 2-1-07 with the lap-band.  I chose this surgery because at work I saw more than 15 people have the gastric bypass and they all looked so sickly and had so many complications. I needed something to help me lose weight yet nonivasive.  I was 317 day of surgery I am now 268.  I have had a dialated pouch which has been resolved early this year and think I have another.  I find that if I am upset I can not eat and if I do I slime or throw up.  I am upset all the time because my job is stressful (I work for the phone company as a customer service rep).  I take Lexapro and Atenolol and restroril to help me sleep. My anxiety is not under control and though the band has been a god send I still need to lose more weight.  My doctor is awesome but I would like to get feedback from those of you that converted to a bypass or a gastric sleeve and tell me of your journey.  Also anyone with healthnet for insurance if you could tell me what hoops they made you go through it would be very helpful. I love my band but I realize it may be time to part with it.  It has been the first time that worked for me despite years of dieting and pills.  I am saddened over this and anxious about what is to come. Thank you for your help. Norma

Check out the DS board (duodenal switch) - many of them have had success with this surgery when other surgery's have failed them.

We're in essentially the same boat.  I had my lap band placed in 1/07 and lost 50 pounds right out of the starting gate then never lost another pound after the first 4 months.  I'm revising to a bypass next month.  I have pain with eating at almost every meal and never have early or prolonged satiety.  I started at 283 and now weigh 233.  I have another 70 pounds to lose just to be at a normal BMI.  The band was a big disappointment to me.  What surgeries are you considering?

Hi,

I am a revision from lapband to sleeve. I had the band for almost 5 years, was very successful going from a 54 BMI to 27.8 but my body was rejecting it for 3 years with problems like dysphagia, band slip, esophageal dilation, pouch dilation etc. I got to the point where I could not swallow properly at all and food would be stuck for 3-4 hours cause my esophagus wasnt functioning properly resulting in regain from washing food through the band in order to be able to eat properly.

The sleeve is great. In many ways since it is purely restrictive, it is much like banding without fills. I get full with very little. The ghrelin production is non existant. I almost never think about food and lately I am drinking protein shakes to supplement my protein since I am not really hungry at all which is truly a great thing that I have never experienced.

My insurance paid for my revision due to banding complications for the removal and they also approved me for the revision reluctantly. I did not have to go to an appeals process thankfully. PM me if you want more information.

Babs

I currently have a band (since 2004) and am in the process of a revision to RNY. I have had a lot of problems with my band. When I had enough restriction, I had terrible reflux and would wake up choking several times a night. That was very scary. I stretched out my esophagus and had to have all the saline taken out. Gained back the 40 lbs I had lost. When I had restriction,Good foods got stuck, bad foods went down easy. Pain when swallowing......Never had a flipped port or slipped band, just restriction issues. I am ready to have this band out.

 I am going to see my surgeon tomorrow. I believe that something may have slipped as I have been having terrible reflux everynight and can't sleep laying down. I had my surgery in 11/06 and to date I am only down about 85lbs. Although I am pleased with having lost anything at all, I still need to lose at least 100lbs. and I just don't think that the band is going to cut it. I either have no restriction and eat everything and anything or I vomit. There is no happy medium.  I am not sure that my surgeon will perform an RNY on me or that my insurance will cover but I am certainly going to try.  I too suffer from severe anxiety and although it is mostly under control I always have that "edgy" feeling and I am sure that this will never change.