Flylovesong

Photo didn't attach. Trying again....

My photos don't seem to want to be attached, I'll try this again...

The left is me in May of 09' which was three months before my surgery. I had however been 25 lbs down from my original band starting point due to the whole pre-op dieting and insurance requirement rigamarole. On the right is me in August of 12' and at the same place I am currently) down 89 pounds, 8 dress sizes, and much, much happier!

I have had no issues since my plication. Had my surgeon not even told me he did that, I wouldn't have known. I am down 25lbs since June and am grateful he made the decision for me. Good luck!

Yes and no, I had abdominoplasty last July and my port was switched out for a low profile port and moved. Any type of bacteria could have been introduced at that time. I was hospitalized for a week because I had a bacterial infection in my blood right after the abdominoplasty. Of course, it took 9 months to find out I had an abscess. My lapband journey has been quite the adventure.

I was banded four years ago. This past may I had an abscess around my port and had to have my port removed until I healed. Went back in to the OR in July to have it put back in. Basically it was like starting all over again in terms of fills. I had no restriction for two + months and could eat anything. After four years I took advantage of it slightly and of course out on about 7 lbs. now I'm back to trying to find my green zone and I have been working my ass off to lose those 7 lbs. all I can say is that it wasn't worth it at all to indulge in things like bread and rice. I'm kicking myself for it, lol

We use quinoa pasta here. Spartan stores sell a different brand but here is a website with some nutritional info. We really like these noodles. http://www.quinoa.net/145/163.html

Those codes are what a surgical center would bill for. Any supplies would go out under the procedure code. Every supply has its own revenue or supply code based on supplier/manufacturer or even the facilities warehouse. A CPT (Current Procedural Terminology code) is a standard code for particular procedures across the board in terms of facility (surgical center/facility/hospital/ etc...). If I were a surgical center/facility, and you had a panniculectomy, the CPT code would be the primary procedure performed. Everything that gets used such as sponges, sutures, clamps, etc... Along with lab work, medications and whatever else, would get billed along with the code. It's very hard to determine all the supplies that would be used because supplies are a patient by patient variable. Either way, supplies do not have CPT codes. The health system that I work for uses different supplies for different hospitals within the system. One site might use guardian brand sponges while another site might use Covidien sponges.

My body is hyper sensitive to fills. I cannot get anything more than .25 at a time or I will be so tight that I can't even get saliva down. Go to the doc and have your fill taken out then go gradual from there on out. Good luck!

I love the premier nutrition protein shakes from Costco. They have vanilla and chocolate. I've tried a lot of shakes being 4 years out and they are by far the best tasting ones.

I have had many problems with my port placements. From falling to tearing to becoming encompassed in an abscess. I'm the poster child for lap band failure, lol. Hopefully your wife is ok. I have a love hate relationship with my lapband. It has help change my life but my body and it do not get along at all and every day it's a battle.

I've never heard of an insurance authorizing a thigh lift. My girlfriend had it done and she is so happy she did it but it looked so painful. I have some loose skin but it tightens up nicely when I run (which I can't do because of my surgeries that I've had recently)

Tara-U Unfortunately no. Insurance will pay for the tummy because it causes rashes which many times lead to infections. They will also pay for breast lifts if cellulitis or other major skin infections happen. However, you may find that elective surgery for thighs and arms is pretty affordable if done in conjunction with a medically necessary procedure like a tummy. The hospital that I work at, it would cost approx $1200 (facility, surgeon and anesthesia) for the thighs when performed in conjunction.

Insurance provides coverage for Abdominoplasty/Panniculectomy when it is medically indicated to correct or relieve: • a panniculus that hangs below the level of the pubis; AND • the panniculus causes uncontrolled intertriginous dermatitis, skin ulceration, or necrosis that persists despite a documented 6 (six) month trial of conservative treatment under the direction of a qualified physician; AND • The patient has a Body Mass Index (BMI) of less than 30. To calculate BMI, refer to: www.intmed.mcw.edu/clincalc/body.html. If the weight loss is the result of bariatric surgery, abdominoplasty or panniculectomy should not be performed until at least 18 months after the bariatric surgery. Limitations • Abdominoplasty or Panniculectomy for the purpose of minimizing the risk of hernia formation or recurrence is considered experimental and investigational and therefore, not a covered benefit. • The procedure is limited to one procedure per member per lifetime. Required Medical Record Documentation •Medical record documentation of the indications for surgery including, but not limited to, weight, weight stability, conservative treatment of skin conditions, etc. •Physician oversight must be performed by a physician other than the physician performing the surgical procedure, such as the member’s treating physician.

I can post the standard qualifying criteria for an abdominoplasty. This is the standard for many of the big insurers (Medicare, Medicaid, BCBS, Hap, etc...) give me a few minutes to get it together. Many of you will be surprised at how easy it is to have some reconstructive procedures covered.