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My insurance has declined my sleeve, so now I have given the choice of either a band or the RNY. I'm just really not sure of either one. I've heard all the horror stories of the band slipping and erroding (sp) and one of my friends had the RNY several years ago and had major complications and ended up having her's reversed. I just really wanted the sleeve; it seemed to me like the safest and most logical choice, but now what? I'm just asking for eveyones experiences (if any) with the band/RNY. I can't seem to find on the internet a non-biased opinion of the complications of either. Of course on the RNY forums they bash bands and the band forums bash the RNY. I want a solution to my weight problem, but I don't want to end up worse off or having to have a second surgery on down the line. Please help, if you can. Thanks!:biggrin2:

I am beginning my journey into the possibility of having WLS and I am trying to decide which one to have. I know that I don't want the RNY - for sure! I am torn between the band and the sleeve. I like the idea of having the band incase something goes wrong and I can have it "reversed", but am not excited about all of the trips to have the injections, etc. What scares me about the sleeve is that is it "un-reversable", and wonder if something happens. (I'm a 'what if' kinda girl) Can someone please helpo me with comparisions of the two, i.e. pre-op diet, follow-up appts., etc. Thanks in advance for your help! :001_tongue:

Thank you so much, you have given me hope! I have Tricare Prime (South) and my husband is active duty. Tricare referred me to another facility other than the Military Hospital near us, so I am assuming they don't perform the surgery.

Thanks! I'm Tricare Prime South. I have my consultation with the Nurse Practitioner and Dietitian on 9/8. I will ask them about the appeal. Tricare referred me to this sugery center instead of the Military Hospital, so I am assuming ours doesn't do the surgery. I pray that they will approve the sleeve.

I will try the appeal for sure! I just figured if they won't pay, they won't pay; didn't know that I had that option. I have Tricare and as you all know, that's the 'Government", so who knows if we will be able to change their minds/policy. I know that I do not want the bypass; a friend of my had that and she has had really bad nutritional problems even with the Vitamins and supplements that she was taking. She has ended up having it reversed completely. (She travels often for work and was out of town and was found of the floor of her hotel room completely unresponsive due to complications from her bypass.) That scares me to death!! I'm just not sure if I am ready for the complications from the band either, so I am trying to decide whether to just forget the whole thing until my insurance company updates it's policy. I am in NO condition to be a cash pay patient. My prayers are that we can appeal and I can get the sleeve as I have decided. Just frustrated and disappointed now!

I just found out that my insurance will not pay for the sleeve, only the band or the bypass. Now I'm undecided whether to have the band done or just wait and see if my insurance will cover it "one day". Ugh!

Congrats! Hope all goes well. I can't wait to get there....one day.

The added expense and the travel time of the fills/refill/unfills are what have me thinking that is way too much trouble. Not to mention that I'm not that crazy about the needles, slippage and complications that go along with the band.:smile1:

Thank you all for your help! I do have a habit of "over thinking" things. I just want to know all that I can. Diamondhead (anywhere in Hancock County, by the way) is a great place to live! I'm wondering if anyone has used the Surgical Specialist of Louisiana, and if so which physician did they use? What were your experiences with the group/staff?

Thank you all for your input. I didn't mean to sound as if I wanted the band to be "reversible", but sometimes it seems to me "if it's gonna happen, it will happen to me", and I was thinking that if something did happen atleast that could be reversed. Like most of you have said, you have to have the state of mind that it is FOREVER, and that is my outlook. I have begun to think that the sleeve is the surgery for me, but I guess that will be left up to my insurance company. I am not sure if they will approve any and all WLS procedures. I am interested in specific items that have been on your "pre-op" diets, and if it would be wise if I try to start that early? Or will I be sick of it by the time the Surgeon tells me to begin it? Is it high Protein, low calorie? And is it only liquids? I just want to be as prepared as I can be. Thanks again!

I'm so glad you are doing better! Thank you for all your help. The more I find out the more I am considering the sleeve. Dr. Thomas Lavin is my surgeon and he is one of the more experienced ones in my area. He certifies other surgeons to perform the surgeries. He spoke at a seminar I went to last week and says that they do 3 rows of staples and then sutures on top of that. Thanks again for your help and I hope your sleeve continues to work for you!

Thank you for your quick reply. I have other questions too, if you don't mind? How long will I have to wait to go back to work? I am a secretary, so not much moving, lifting, etc. I was hoping that I could have the surgery on a Thursday and be back to work on Monday. I've had all kinds of lap surgeries and I'm hoping this will compare to them. Pre-op and post-op diets are pretty much just liquids? What kind of follow-up to you have with the sleeve? Has anybody experienced any leaks where the incision in your stomach was made? (not the lap holes but the actual stomach) Sorry to be asking so many questions, but I am trying to figure out all I can. I have my first visit to see the Nurse Practitioner, Dietitian and have the pysch eval on the 25th.