scared and looking for similar stories
Long story short, I was banded in 2005 and did have 100 weight loss. However, I had nothing but trouble with the band and gained all the weight back. Either it was too tight or not tight enough. I was never able to achieve that "sweet spot. In addition, I was vomiting/regurgitating daily, sometimes multiple times per day.
I finally got a different doctor who opted to take out all of the fluid in my band ~ which was about .25 of a cc. Then we started talking about a revision and I opted to revise to the gastric sleeve. Honestly, I thought the approval from insurance would be easy because I had so many issues. A Upper GI showed esophogeal dysmotility. However, Insurance denied it. We appealed and Insurance will pay for the sleeve gastrectomy but not the removal of the band (how insane is that?)
Surgery is set for November 27th and I'm scared of this surgery not working or having problems with it. I have a significant amount of weight to lose (like 165 pounds). I just don't want to be unsuccessful a 2nd time.
Any advice/stories to share?
Please don't feel like a failure, this has happened to so many of us who got the crap band! I know of many, many others who have revised to sleeve and RNY and done extremely well. They say the sleeve works the way we were told the band would but didn't. I only know of 1 person who isn't that happy with their sleeve so those are pretty good odds. I also know RNYers who have done great since revising from the band. You should do well as long as you change the way you eat and stick with a high protein, lower carb type diet.
If the RNY didn't work the first time, why have another? Go with the DS---it has the very best long-term stats, period. It also offers a wonderful post-op quality of life.
You didn't fail, the BAND failed! I was banded in 2008 and had some success but then never could find the sweet spot like you were talking about. Come to find out I had developed scar tissue around where the band was so the scar tissue was restricting me not the band. I had my revision to RNY done on 9/6. I still am having some issues due to the scar tissue build up. I had my lapband removed and the RNY all in the same surgery. I think if I had it to do over, I would have had it done in two different surgeries so that my stomach could heal- hindsight is 20/20 right! I have not heard of one single person that wasn't thrilled to get the CrapBand out! As far as which surgery to go with, that's totally up to you and what you think your body needs to help you be successful in your weight loss surgery. It does seem strange that the insurance wouldn't cover the removal of a failed band- but then who knows what insurance companies are thinking these days..oh wait, for them it's all about the $$ right. Good luck and keep us posted. This is a great site to share your victories, concerns and even whine. All of us have been there.
I am a 42 year old mother of 3 who is 5 feet tall and trying to beat the odds of my inherited medical history. Taking things one day at a time. Banded in 2008, revised to RNY 2013
on 11/7/13 8:40 am
It took a lot of reading for me to realize it was the crap band, and not all my fault. If you do a medical literature search, you will find that we are the norm. The band stinks. I am opting for RNY. No more surgeries for me. This is it. I can't wait to get rid of this band. I have tossed in linen napkins in restaurants, once ....wait, are you ready for this? I had to empty the bread basket in a restaurant and yp, you guessed. I carry puke bags in my car, and the poor janitor that empties the trash at work.
My surgery will not be until February, due to a 6 month insurance approval program.
We will both be better off once we get rid of these bands. best of luck!
I had the band in 2004 and had revision to DS in 2008. I spent 3 years plus throwing up and complaining about my band and no one believed I was having problems. I also ended up having my gall bladder removed but that did not stop the throwing up either. I had scars all around my band and it was choking off my stomach. I had lost about 60 pounds with the band and have lost 100 with the DS. The really odd part for me is that I regained a TON of weight at the same time I was throwing up. I can't explain that except I also quit smoking. My would still like to get more weight off but honest I am okay with where I am right now and at least all my throwing up problems went away when the band went away. Good luck with your surgery!
Sadly, it is not just the band that causes some of us to gain the weight back. I had a RNY in 2006 and went from 283 to around 185. Not thin, but I was healthier. I started picking up a few pounds a year as I could eat more things, eat a greater quantity and life became really stressfull. It was my fault. All of a sudden, I was hungry all the time and weight just really came back on. I went back to the surgeon at about 230 lbs.and asked for help getting back on track. To make a long story short, there is no bottom on the pouch any more. Food just goes straight down the tube. Once I found that out, I felt even more hungry, I''m not happy at all with the surgeons office- I am terrified to have such an uncaring,greedy group working on me. I have conflicting or no information about the procedure even though it is set for less than 2 weeks away. But, every time I go in there, they demand huge sums of money. If I had know that I would have no information about my specific procedure, how much it would cost and the timing of the requirements, I would have gone elsewhere. I sort of feel like they know that I failed before, so they think I will again- so why bother to even give me information. Now it is too late. I spend about $2000 so far and have no idea if they are going to ask for more. My employer is changing insurance vendors in January, so I would have to take it up with another insurance company. I am afraid that I will go through all of this grief and money, and won't be any better off., maybe even worse.
