Am I a candidate for revision?

I got my lapband in Oct 2007. I did everything I was told to do and had a perfect lapband experience (as perfect as those get anyway) for about 10 months, and all together I lost 133 pounds. I held a perfect fill for about 6 months before the horrible reflux started. I had to have a small unfill, then the weight loss stopped. I was fine where I was at, although still a few pound from goal. Then the reflux started again out of nowhere. Horrible reflux. I couldn't sleep at night for the acid shooting into my nasal cavity. Nothing can go down my esophogus without it burning.

Doctor did a complete unfill and said it just needed to relax awhile. I let it 'relax' for six months (because that's how long it took me to save up the money to start having fills again). I got two or three small fills, and boom the reflux started again. I wasn't even at a point with my band where it was doing a damn bit of good, but it was causing reflux and I was unable to swallow without pain. In July 2009 I found out I was pregnant. I tried to ride the band out the way it was, but by the time I was six months along I couldn't even drink fruit juice without horrible pain. I went into my doctor and he acted like I was making it all up so I could get unfilled and eat more. He said "Well now you're just going to gain". I really didn't give a damn, I was more worried about my baby. He told me to come back and have an upper GI when she was born. That was 9 months ago and I haven't been back. Mostly because of the money issue. Due to my insurance, it costs me as much to get one fill as it would to do a revision ($100 a pop either way).

So here I sit, 3 years later and only 11 pounds under where I was when I went in for my pre-op appointment. Mostly I just wanted to gripe, but I am wondering, is acid reflux alone enough of a reason to get a revision? My husband tells me that I gained my weight back because we stopped eating right and exercising (he also has a band, but has never had proper restriction). I know WHY I gained my weight back, I'm not going to blame the band for my crappy eating, but if I could've lost weight without surgery I would've never bothered in the first place!

Thoughts? Opinions? Would getting a sleeve even help with the reflux?

Wow! I'm sorry to hear about your struggle. I can't believe your doctor was such a jerk about unfilling you while you're pregnant. All of the literature I had said that if you got pregnant they would have to unfill you so you could get all of the nutrients you need anyway. What's it matter to him? I had a daughter nine months ago, but I never got unfilled.....I never had much restriction anyway. In my opinion, it definitely sounds like you are a good candidate for revision. Actually, since having restriction worked so well (minus the reflux) for you, it sounds like VSG would be a good way to go. Have you looked into that option? What insurance do you have? Usually it will say something about what the requirements are for revision in their medical policy for bariatric surgery.

I too had nothing but reflux with my band, and I currently sit 10 pounds higher than I was when I had the band placed. I am going RNY, as I've never lost much with the band.

Teri

I agree with Amanda, you have already shown that you do well with restriction alone so consider the sleeve. Tons of banded people are revising to a sleeve.

Oh, and in all honesty I would find a new doc.

Do you know if your ins covers sleeves? Do you know if you will qualify for WLS again? Do you know if your ins will pay for more than 1 surgery in a lifetime?