10 Years Ou t- 80 lb Regain - Best Way to Qualify for Revision from RNY?
Sorry in advance that this is so long, but the background is important to the questions I have...
I had a proximal RNY with Dr. Gagner in New York on March 1, 2001, at the age of 44. I went from 310 to 180 - a loss of 130 pounds in about 9 months. Started regaining rather quickly shortly after that and went back to Dr. Gagner.
On December 13, 2003, he converted me to a distal RNY and tightened my pouch, and discovered during the surgery that I had a fistula. He said that was a huge part of why I regained about 50 pounds in a short period of time.
I lost down to 180 again and was thrilled that all seemed to be going well. In July and October of 2004 I had plastic surgery with a wonderful surgeon in Washington, DC - lower body lift, tummy, thighs, arms, and breasts. Needless to say, this was a huge deal for me, extremely painful, but ultimately a wonderful thing. I will never forget the feeling of being weighed in the surgeons office about a week after my first surgery and seeing that I weighed 156 pounds - I had not been anywhere near that weight since high school! I was in shock!
That was a low dip and I maintained a consistent weight of about 170-175 pounds for a few years. I felt fantastic at this weight - wearing size 10-12 - and was exercising like crazy (mostly biking everywhere). I felt so great and never felt like anything was "different" about my insides, so I was very bad about taking my vitamins. In the spring of 2007, I became severely anemic and was also gaining weight. I had gotten married and moved out of NYC in February of 2007 and moved to New Hampshire where I was no longer biking or exercising at all. No doubt, the stress of a major move, a new marriage, a new full-time job, and instant step-children, contributed to my starting to gain weight again. I went to the local hospital because they have a weight loss surgery program, but it turns out they are nothing like the programs in New York City. I can’t even find a good weight loss program of any kind here – they just don’t exist! They were helpful in getting my anemia under control and I am doing great with all my blood work now, but their attitude towards regain and revisions are very backwards. They do no revisions at all here and only do open RNYs part-time. They think I am very unusual in having regained so much weight, telling me that “we’ve just never seen anyone like you before. No one here ever regains." Yeah, right – I’m sure it’s just that they do so few surgeries and the ones *****gain just don’t come back. Even my primary doctor told me that there just aren’t that many overweight people here! If I were still in NYC, I know the doctors there would be seeing lots of people just like me and I would have no problem getting a referral for another surgery, but here that is just not the case. This area is very "crunchy granola", if you know what I mean, and they just don't see many former opera singer types who have had a life-long struggle with this. Here, everyone (including the doctors) hikes and bikes and skis and runs – which is great, but it sure doesn’t help me with getting good medical help for this problem.
My weight has gone consistently up each year since then - in spite of trying over and over to lose weight - and I am now at 254 pounds. I have tried Atkins, Jenny Craig, Adipex, HMR shakes, etc., but I can't seem to maintain anything. I feel like I am so close to where I started - only 50 pounds away from my first surgery weight of 310. I am devastated because I put myself through so much - especially with the plastic surgeries - and it is all totally undone. I feel huge, flabby, and horrid - and hopeless when it comes to being able to lose weight again. I even saw an eating disorder psychologist for a few months who tried to get me to just give up on losing weight and accept myself with the body I have! I understand what she was trying to do, but I can never accept being fat - never!
I am now 54 years old and desperate to do something before my weight goes even higher. I'm not sure how to approach getting my insurance to approve the revision with Dr. Gagner, so after all of this writing, what I am asking is if anyone has had success with getting insurance to pay for a revision with a similar background to me. Also, if your revision itself was actually successful in helping you get your weight off. The nurse practitioner in the program here told me that you can "fool the body once, but usually not twice, and definitely not three times!"
Of course, I have thought many times about the possibility of having a revision from the RNY to DS, but I sure don't want to have another surgery and end up in the same place I am now. I would only consider doing this with Dr. Gagner, but he is now in Canada and insurance would be an issue. If I can show my insurance that it is medically necessary for me to have the revision, I could at least have the surgery with him as an out-of-network doctor.
If I have to accept being fat for the rest of my life, I guess I will eventually try to do that, but I'm not there yet. I want to explore every possible option before I give myself up to a life of obesity and frustration. Oh, and by the way, the rest of my life is wonderful - great husband and kids, great friends, good career - it's just this darned eating and weight issue that seems to be the thing I can't do anything about.
You might see this post on other message boards because I really need to move forward quickly because my insurance will be ending in December due to a layoff. Thank you in advance for any suggestions or thoughts you may have! Jeannine
I had a proximal RNY with Dr. Gagner in New York on March 1, 2001, at the age of 44. I went from 310 to 180 - a loss of 130 pounds in about 9 months. Started regaining rather quickly shortly after that and went back to Dr. Gagner.
On December 13, 2003, he converted me to a distal RNY and tightened my pouch, and discovered during the surgery that I had a fistula. He said that was a huge part of why I regained about 50 pounds in a short period of time.
I lost down to 180 again and was thrilled that all seemed to be going well. In July and October of 2004 I had plastic surgery with a wonderful surgeon in Washington, DC - lower body lift, tummy, thighs, arms, and breasts. Needless to say, this was a huge deal for me, extremely painful, but ultimately a wonderful thing. I will never forget the feeling of being weighed in the surgeons office about a week after my first surgery and seeing that I weighed 156 pounds - I had not been anywhere near that weight since high school! I was in shock!
That was a low dip and I maintained a consistent weight of about 170-175 pounds for a few years. I felt fantastic at this weight - wearing size 10-12 - and was exercising like crazy (mostly biking everywhere). I felt so great and never felt like anything was "different" about my insides, so I was very bad about taking my vitamins. In the spring of 2007, I became severely anemic and was also gaining weight. I had gotten married and moved out of NYC in February of 2007 and moved to New Hampshire where I was no longer biking or exercising at all. No doubt, the stress of a major move, a new marriage, a new full-time job, and instant step-children, contributed to my starting to gain weight again. I went to the local hospital because they have a weight loss surgery program, but it turns out they are nothing like the programs in New York City. I can’t even find a good weight loss program of any kind here – they just don’t exist! They were helpful in getting my anemia under control and I am doing great with all my blood work now, but their attitude towards regain and revisions are very backwards. They do no revisions at all here and only do open RNYs part-time. They think I am very unusual in having regained so much weight, telling me that “we’ve just never seen anyone like you before. No one here ever regains." Yeah, right – I’m sure it’s just that they do so few surgeries and the ones *****gain just don’t come back. Even my primary doctor told me that there just aren’t that many overweight people here! If I were still in NYC, I know the doctors there would be seeing lots of people just like me and I would have no problem getting a referral for another surgery, but here that is just not the case. This area is very "crunchy granola", if you know what I mean, and they just don't see many former opera singer types who have had a life-long struggle with this. Here, everyone (including the doctors) hikes and bikes and skis and runs – which is great, but it sure doesn’t help me with getting good medical help for this problem.
My weight has gone consistently up each year since then - in spite of trying over and over to lose weight - and I am now at 254 pounds. I have tried Atkins, Jenny Craig, Adipex, HMR shakes, etc., but I can't seem to maintain anything. I feel like I am so close to where I started - only 50 pounds away from my first surgery weight of 310. I am devastated because I put myself through so much - especially with the plastic surgeries - and it is all totally undone. I feel huge, flabby, and horrid - and hopeless when it comes to being able to lose weight again. I even saw an eating disorder psychologist for a few months who tried to get me to just give up on losing weight and accept myself with the body I have! I understand what she was trying to do, but I can never accept being fat - never!
I am now 54 years old and desperate to do something before my weight goes even higher. I'm not sure how to approach getting my insurance to approve the revision with Dr. Gagner, so after all of this writing, what I am asking is if anyone has had success with getting insurance to pay for a revision with a similar background to me. Also, if your revision itself was actually successful in helping you get your weight off. The nurse practitioner in the program here told me that you can "fool the body once, but usually not twice, and definitely not three times!"
Of course, I have thought many times about the possibility of having a revision from the RNY to DS, but I sure don't want to have another surgery and end up in the same place I am now. I would only consider doing this with Dr. Gagner, but he is now in Canada and insurance would be an issue. If I can show my insurance that it is medically necessary for me to have the revision, I could at least have the surgery with him as an out-of-network doctor.
If I have to accept being fat for the rest of my life, I guess I will eventually try to do that, but I'm not there yet. I want to explore every possible option before I give myself up to a life of obesity and frustration. Oh, and by the way, the rest of my life is wonderful - great husband and kids, great friends, good career - it's just this darned eating and weight issue that seems to be the thing I can't do anything about.
You might see this post on other message boards because I really need to move forward quickly because my insurance will be ending in December due to a layoff. Thank you in advance for any suggestions or thoughts you may have! Jeannine
Wow you had a lot to say but I can understand and feel your pain. I haven't had my revision surgery as of yet but praying to have it soon I am still waiting on insurance approval. The first thing is to find out what your insurance requires of you to have a revision surgery, so make the phone call and find out. Secondly find a good surgeon that can do which every surgery you choose ( I am choosing the DS because of the research I have done.) Then after all of that just jump through the hoops until you are there.
Sorry I couldn't be of much help just in the middle of the process myself but I am sure you will get some good responses.
Sophia
Sorry I couldn't be of much help just in the middle of the process myself but I am sure you will get some good responses.
Sophia
See my post on this forum. I found a doctor who even gets revision from RNY to ds approved thru medicare he is kind and his office is very understanding. He is located in LA which is a ways for me being in Ohio however he is highly recommended and he already got it approoved through my insurence just needs my rest results so he can get a plan together for the malnutritions section and set up consult and surgery . I just messaged office one week ago and he already has it approved. WOW that is fast.
If you want his info let me know. Good luck.
If you want his info let me know. Good luck.
MamaMary 1974 
Wow, I live in NH and A. we are not all earthy crunchy and B. I have a great surgeon at a center for excellence in Northern MA. My concern is that you are going for a third weight loss surgery...have you changed your habits? Becasue believe me I know if you don't break that habits that got you fat in the first place you can have 10 surgeries and you will still get fat.
Candice 
Revision to RNY 7/12/10
Wife to David
Mom to Lindsay and Zackary and Lauren
Revision to RNY 7/12/10Wife to David
Mom to Lindsay and Zackary and Lauren
Most Active
Recent Topics
