Revision with United Health Care
Hello all, So I had lapband in 2005 and it almost killed me, in 2009 they removed it and revised it to a sleeve, When my sleeve was done it took over 4 hours because I was given a faulty band and it had caused so much internal damage. Well fast forward to now and just having my gallbladder removed. I met a wonderful doctor who has been so patient and advised me that many times going from a Band to a sleeve does not have a high success rate but he wanted to check things out and had me do an upper GI. Well it turns out my sleeve was basically done backwards and now we are looking into a revision. Has anyone had luck with united health care ? Its been years since I had the sleeve and insurance has changed so much. Any insight is greatly appreciated.
You will have to contact your insurance because every policy is different and some are now limiting to one surgery per lifetime. Also some do not do revisions but only a virgin surgery so the only way to know for sure is to talk with your own company and find out if there is coverage and what if any requirements there are. Good luck!
I had labpand done in 2011, and I too am thinking about a revision to the g.bypass. My new primary care NP thinks I should be thinner and I have had a lot of problems with my band. I have a 14cc band and I do not know if I will ever get to full fill. being to tight sucks beyond words then there is not being able to swallow your own spit at 9cc. Then there is getting to tight when you are on your period, that just sucks. From the research that I have done on the history of the lapband it was orig. part of a two step procedure and it was not intended to be a perminant implant inside of the body. Some peoples bodies just reject it while other folks do just fine, I guess everyone is different.
I do not know yet what I'm going to do but going to the doctor every two weeks for a jab with a needle has it's limits. Not to mention the lack of availability from my surgon due to my spouses ****ty work schedule. (sorry someone has to work to afford the insurance to pay your practice...sorry dude).
My advice would be go some labwork by your primary care, is your thyroid function ok? are you nutritionally vitamin and mineral defficent? then get some xrays done make sure the band IS ok (no leaks, port issues, slippage, erosion ect). assess you dietary intake log your food in a journal are you eating right? If everything on that end is ok then if you feel you want your band out then talk to your surgon and then talk to your insurance agent. Sometimes things don't work out the way we thought they would and that sucks when we are the human guinea pigs.
I know for me this has been a pice of hell and the weight gain has been awful. I deffinately want to think about a true revision . I'm tired of the stalling out it has been only weight gain for the alst two years and I don't think I can hadle it anymore. I should have gone with gastricbypass in the first place. but I was to chicken to even entertain a 8in. incision down my belly. but I know know better and maybe bypass is the way to go. Do your research they say that the sleve does not yield as good of results with a revision as the bypass procedures. Talk to your surgon, get names of other practices that do bypass talk to some doctors then take it from there.
