Had to have my Lap-Band removed...trying to decide if I want another WLS?
Hi everyone,
I had lap band surgery in June 2008, lost a total of 56lbs. But two weeks ago I underwent emergency surgery to remove the band due to a prolapsed stomach and hernia. It has absolutely devestated me. I had adjusted to my new life with the band and was so thrilled with the new me! Now it's gone. The doctor told me I have to wait about 2 months for my stomach to heal and then we can discuss either the sleeve or gastric bypass. The truth is after such a bad experience with the band I'm a littel scared to undergo another surgery. I am currently 171lbs, which is not a bad weight for me. So I'm worried that the gastric bypass might be a overkill seeing how I only need to lose about 20-25 more pounds. But my insurance will not cover the sleeve, so if I want another surgery it will have to be bypass. I'm just scared of having a body altering surgery.
Could anyone share their bypass experience with me to help me decide? I would appreciate it!
Sorry this got kind of long, thanks to all who hung around to read it.
Amy
I had lap band surgery in June 2008, lost a total of 56lbs. But two weeks ago I underwent emergency surgery to remove the band due to a prolapsed stomach and hernia. It has absolutely devestated me. I had adjusted to my new life with the band and was so thrilled with the new me! Now it's gone. The doctor told me I have to wait about 2 months for my stomach to heal and then we can discuss either the sleeve or gastric bypass. The truth is after such a bad experience with the band I'm a littel scared to undergo another surgery. I am currently 171lbs, which is not a bad weight for me. So I'm worried that the gastric bypass might be a overkill seeing how I only need to lose about 20-25 more pounds. But my insurance will not cover the sleeve, so if I want another surgery it will have to be bypass. I'm just scared of having a body altering surgery.
Could anyone share their bypass experience with me to help me decide? I would appreciate it!
Sorry this got kind of long, thanks to all who hung around to read it.
Amy
On April 9, 2009 at 6:16 PM Pacific Time, amypat wrote:
Hi everyone,I had lap band surgery in June 2008, lost a total of 56lbs. But two weeks ago I underwent emergency surgery to remove the band due to a prolapsed stomach and hernia. It has absolutely devestated me. I had adjusted to my new life with the band and was so thrilled with the new me! Now it's gone. The doctor told me I have to wait about 2 months for my stomach to heal and then we can discuss either the sleeve or gastric bypass. The truth is after such a bad experience with the band I'm a littel scared to undergo another surgery. I am currently 171lbs, which is not a bad weight for me. So I'm worried that the gastric bypass might be a overkill seeing how I only need to lose about 20-25 more pounds. But my insurance will not cover the sleeve, so if I want another surgery it will have to be bypass. I'm just scared of having a body altering surgery.
Could anyone share their bypass experience with me to help me decide? I would appreciate it!
Sorry this got kind of long, thanks to all who hung around to read it.
Amy
The band is enough to scare any person half to death of WLS.
I doubt Insurance is going to pay for Bypass when you are so close to goal. I also doubt any surgeon is going to do bypass for the same reason. I have a hunch if you want revision surgery about your only option is a sleeve via self pay.
The sleeve is like a band that actually works without all the complications and problems. Just a small stomach. You clearly do well with restriction alone. If you get a sleeve and 10 years from now you find it doesn't work you can revise to DS.
It seems as though the trends are changing. Instead of bands and bypass bariatrics is moving to sleeves and DS.
Firstly welcome to the board, and so sorry you've had to go through such trauma with the band, it sounded horrible.
I wouldn't rush into making any decisions just yet, until you've got over your last surgery and healed. Then you might have to see how you cope over those two months (or longer) - the weight you've already lost might make it easier to lose the rest yourself (being more mobile etc).
For me it was the opposite - I had the band out and went a bit wild eating things that hadn't stayed down in the previous two years! I put on about 10lbs over the four months bandless, which convinced me I couldn't lose weight on my own!
Then the research comes about which surgery to have - sleeve is one part of DS but is quite different (and better in my opinion) than the band. RNY is a different operation which has its own good and bad points, and DS is for people like me who are useless with anything less!
I wouldnt let insurance policy dictate what you have - insurers have been overturned many times in the past from what you read on here, so if you decide on one surgery post on that board about insurance questions as well.
I wouldn't rush into making any decisions just yet, until you've got over your last surgery and healed. Then you might have to see how you cope over those two months (or longer) - the weight you've already lost might make it easier to lose the rest yourself (being more mobile etc).
For me it was the opposite - I had the band out and went a bit wild eating things that hadn't stayed down in the previous two years! I put on about 10lbs over the four months bandless, which convinced me I couldn't lose weight on my own!
Then the research comes about which surgery to have - sleeve is one part of DS but is quite different (and better in my opinion) than the band. RNY is a different operation which has its own good and bad points, and DS is for people like me who are useless with anything less!
I wouldnt let insurance policy dictate what you have - insurers have been overturned many times in the past from what you read on here, so if you decide on one surgery post on that board about insurance questions as well.
DS revision from failed lapband
My removal was not nearly as traumatic as yours but it took me six months before I could even face another WLS again! We all come with different fears and feelings about it and once you have it removed you need time to heal physically and really soul search what would be right for you. I myself lost "faith" for a while with WLS and why it took so long to come back around. But I finally decided after soul searching and trying to see if I could live my life as I am now and be happy/satisfied with my life and I decided I couldn't and was willing to give it another shot and since my daughter had the RNY last May and seems to be doing well and my surgeon does that one I'm now in the process of getting approved for that surgery. I didn't join any forums on WLS until after I started having problems with the band and now feel more prepared to face RNY.
I don't know much about insurance and it's coverage I am told mine will be covered but I'm also as big as I was before I got the lap band. But I do think with time you will figure out what to do. WLS and it's expectations to me once they go awry are like a death and you go through many emotional stages before you can proceed with life again. So good luck to you and I wish you better health soon!
I don't know much about insurance and it's coverage I am told mine will be covered but I'm also as big as I was before I got the lap band. But I do think with time you will figure out what to do. WLS and it's expectations to me once they go awry are like a death and you go through many emotional stages before you can proceed with life again. So good luck to you and I wish you better health soon!
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