Band reversal near buff,ny? Cost?

I have had the lap band for almost 3 years. I am very unhappy with it. I am so upset that I picked the band over bypass.
I have a few questions

Were can I get a reversal near buffalo ny?
How much would it cost (my bmi is 29) so insurance won't pay I'm sure.
Can the band be removed and DS done?
I am willing to pay out of pocket and take out loans if need be.

Please help with any info!

 
Shoot, do what I did and go to Mexico.  Most self pay sleeves do it.  If you want totally ineffective, that's your band.  Safest surgery long term is the sleeve.  Bypass is great for those with uncontrolled reflux.  DS is the most effective surgery.  You could revise to any of them.

I don't know what the cost is for RNY in MX but a revision from band to sleeve is $10,500, I believe, and that includes everything and 3 nights in the hospital.

For a revision from band to bypass in the states you are probably looking at $20K and up.

See why so many of us go to MX?  ;o)  You have to do some serious research but it's totally worth it.

Can you recommend any surgeons in mexico?

 
There are only three I would personally go to.

Aceves in Mexicali, Rumbaut in Monterrey, and Ungson in a city I cannot spell.  Hermisillo or something like that.

The gov't is not warning people about the entire country being dangerous, they are warning about specific cities.  Monterrey was recently added as one of the cities to avoid and honestly, I don't know why.  The two cities you want to avoid like the plague are Tijuana and Juarez.

Don't go through a medical tourism agency, they are horrible and just jack up the price.  They will contract with any doctor that owns a scalpel and can sign his name on the contract.  That goes for US and MX surgeons.  Contact the doctors directly.  If someone has a list of a bunch of doctors they work with, run the other direction, it's a medical tourism type company.

My blog link is in my sig, it tells you HOW to research a doctor. 

I would suggest posting your question to the duodenal switch board.  there are quite a few of band to DS and self payers too.  the link below is a question just posted recently....

http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/ds/4351394/Question-for-th ose-who-were-self-pay/

A lot of people have been approved to have a revision from the band to something else...my surgery date is April 12th.  The insurance company did not give me any problem.  My BMI is not 29 but it is 36...I was considered a technical failure and not a clinical failure.  Even if I were a clinical failure they would consider the surgery but I would have to go through all the other stuff I went through the first time before they would approve it.  Check with your insurance company and go see a good doctor...they know how to word things to the insurance companies. 

Go see Dr. Hoffman @ BGH (Buffalo General Hospital) he can help you get revised from Band to sleeve or an RNY... They do not do DS. They work with many Insurance Companies to do revision.... If you Insurance covered your band they will cover the revision or find the way to get covered.......

Since your BMI is 29, I'd recommend a Sleeve over a DS---and I'm a dyed-in-the-wool DS fan. (*grin*) Unless you have diabetes or sky-high cholesterol, I think the DS might be over-kill at your BMI.