Lapband to sleeve or Remove - Austin, Texas

Hi, I m 13 year post op on my lapband. I dropped 60 and gained 50 over that time period. I have not had a fill in over three years and have just resigned myself to stay at this weight and leave the band in. However over the last several years, I have been having a lot of nausea and acid reflux which just seems to settle in the back of my throat. I had an upper gi exam about two years ago and they could not find anything and my band was still in place. This is just becoming too frequent as is the throwing up. I just want to have the band removed because I feel that in the long term this will play havoc on my esophagus and throat. Does anyone know of a bariatric doctor in Austin that would be willing to remove a band that was done by dr rumbaut in Mexico? Need advice.

I had my band placed in Mexico about 10 years ago. I too am wanting to have it removed for the same issues. I don't know of a doctor in Austin although I know several in Dallas. I am considering a revision to something other than a lapland. I am concerned about my pouch stretching out again like it did with the band. I don't know which surgery would be best for me. And Also I need to find out if my insurance will cover revision surgery. Best of luck to you.

I found one in San Antonio who will do a revision from MX lapband to a gastric sleeve, but does not take insurance - it would be 15k out of pocket. More than I can afford. Working with my pcp to find someone to do a revision and accept UHC insurance. If anyone has gone the route please let us know about your experience.

In Austin check doctor Ganta, I was also banded in Mexico and he has been my doctor in Austin since 2007. He is great and I will have my revision with him next Tuesday!!!

My band was done by Dr. Rumbaut as well - I had it in for 11 years and started experiencing the same sorts of things you're describing. Tests revealed no real issue with the band but despite only having less than 1mL in it, it was waaaaaaay tight and causing problems, thus the decision was made to remove it. It definitely should be removed because you are right....long-term the acid is going to cause big time problems...things like barrett's esophagus

I don't have any advice as to which doctor you should choose in Austin....but I will say I didn't have any issues with my surgeon here in NC, I gave them all my paperwork from Dr. Rumbaut and explained what has happened in the past 11 years with my band, and ultimately it came out in March and I was revised to a RnY last week.

I had originally been interested in a VSG revision but with my history of reflux and the fact that the band can cause potential weak spots along the line when converting to a VSG my surgeon felt that the RnY was a better surgery for me. Even converting to an RnY had some higher risk of leakage because of the band.

Good luck!

Hope everything work out with you revision :-). Thank you for the information. Did you know that dr rumbaut also had his revised. This could take a while and I will have to wait and see what they say. I am riding the fence on whether to remove it and not have any type of revision done. Good luck with your journey. ?

I didn't know that! He was such a nice Doctor - he even checked on me on his day off when I was having trouble with nausea at the hotel.

It does take a while, I ultimately wanted to have the revision done because about 4 years after getting the band my thyroid decided to be a freeloader, a year after that I was pregnant....and betwixt the two I gained back all of the weight I'd lost with the band. I went through a local bariatric excellent program here because I really wanted the support system in place - that was one of the hardest things when I returned from having my band done in Mexico....the support system wasn't the same, having to get fills through a facility that wasn't associated with my doctor, etc.

I think perhaps it is better now than it used to be...people have gotten much more accepting of patients being banded etc. elsewhere but there's still occasionally a stigma - the first program I went to wanted nothing to do with me because I'd been banded in Mexico. This was while I was still trying to salvage my band in 2015. I found a different surgeon/program after I developed the GERD in 2016.

Best of luck to you whatever you decide!

I'm in Austin and getting my 13-yr-old lapband revised to a sleeve. I had my lapband done in San Antonio. I am seeing Dr. Ganta now. I had suffered aspiration pneumonia until my surgeon in SA took my fill out, but now I gained most of my weight back. Good luck.