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I'm a lapband revision. BCBS Fed approved my lapband in 2/2011, port replacement in 3/2013, and lapband removal 11/2013. I just got approved to have the sleeve (surgery scheduled for March 14!!). However, I did have to go through the 3 month supervised diet, psych eval, and all pre-op tests again. I just got my surgery date!! March 14. . Any news, NewLife? Sent from my VS980 4G using the BariatricPal App

I'm looking at a revision from sleeve to DS loop too. How are things going now? Also, you mentioned you were self pay - do you mind sharing the cost? I'm looking into insurance but might end up being self pay too. Thanks and I hope you are doing great!

Money is real tight for me so I want to get the least expensive revision of band to sleeve that I can SAFELY get. Who are the lowest price surgeons that you've used and had a great experience with? You can respond here or to my private email, whichever you prefer. Thank you all, Sara keenanbeagles@att.net

Hey, March 7th. I'm having 2nd revision now going to a bypass due to severe reflux

User name.....................# of minutes...................# of days per week 4jin....................................30............................ .......5............. patticNJ..............................20.............................. .....5............. becca.................................20.............................. .....3............. abeaher..............................15............................... ....4.............. aliwatt................................30............................. ......4............. Rhapsody............................30................................ ....6............. Angie4b1g...........................30................................ .....5............. Marathinner.......................45-60....................................4............. DancingBelly.......................15................................. ......5............ mhazelrigg...........................30............................... jaunderwood 20 5 joyaddison...........................45-60.................................4.............. jlobyxmas............................30............................... .......4+ StLouisGal............................30.............................. .........6 OK . . . I needed to revise my exercise plan, my weight loss seemed to slow down and stop . . . so I'm now doing 30 mins of "fat burn" walking on my treadmill . . . I really feel great doing it! I lost another pound today, so it seems to be working! Keep up with the great job all! :thumbdown:

And so do I. Tell me where I have been nonsupportive of the band? My band did it's job-my body didn't want it in me. I explained why *I* revised to a DS. I don't think I've ever been called aggressive...and I still recommend the band. Like you said~my choice isn't a personal statement about me or anyone else. So don't take it personal, OK? Why shouldn't I tell my story? Should I not be here because I no longer have a band? You don't have to answer. I can probably guess what your answers are. At any rate, I wish you the best with your surgery.

Hey Fab, I was very sorry to read your story. But I have to tell you that I am jealous that you're scheduled for revision and I'm not. I can't wait to get mine out and no telling when I'm going to be able to afford to have it done. There is a patient in my doc's office whom I've befriended who had the same symptoms that you have. She had a revision to a sleeve and she is one happy camper!! I hope that everything goes well for you and this is the answer to your problems.

How interesting...my surgeon is Dr. Garth Davis! I am sorry to hear that you are having a similar experience. I only received one fill, and from the moment I got that fill, the hell started. My surgery was June 12, and with the exception of vomiting that kept me in the hospital overnight, I was fine. The first month was great--I lost steadily and had no problems with eating. I started having problems keeping food down soon after my fill in July, which caused them to remove 2 of the 3 CCs they put in. I continued to get worse, so in September, they completely unfilled me. You would think that I would be able to eat, but instead, I developed severe reflux and vomiting. Most days, if I can get a half-cup of Soup down without vomiting, that's an achievement. Dr. Garth wanted to put me in the hospital Thanksgiving Day, but I held him off by going on all Protein shakes until my scope procedure on Tuesday. He suspects that I am suffering from "band intolerance"--apparently my body isn't liking this band at all. He wants to revise to RNY, but that scares the crap outta me! I keep trying to tell myself that this isn't my fault, but it's really hard to accept that the one method that has actually worked in my weight loss battle may be making me very sick. I appreciate the feedback everyone, and I'm glad to know that I'm not alone, particularly in my saga with the Davis Clinic.

Mind telling me what your allotted calories and carbs are each day? I am also a revision patient and have a bigger pouch. I didn't get any guidelines as to what that should look like other than 5 small meals a day.

Hi Coco, My issue with the aftercare isnt with the doctor or surgeon, its the cost of the hospital. Just becase the surgeon will do the fills ... and do the port revision surgery as part of the aftercare doesnt impact that the hospital has charges from the or, anesthesia, etc. So, thats where the money comes in. the Surgeons fees are cheap compared to that. allison

Wow...I logged back in to this platform as my journey continued and forgot this thread was here. I can’t believe I’ve been in this band nightmare for over 12 years!!! In 2007 I finally got the port removed. My doctor very nonchalantly said “it tested positive for MRSA infection”. I had NO idea the implications. He handed me a card for an Infectious Disease doctor and told me to go across the street to their office. Again, NO idea what was ahead. Suddenly I had a nightmare of a PICC line (took 2 excruciating days to insert) for Vancomycin and a wound vac system. I had both of these for weeks, my home was a virtual hospital. I even took that show to work a few times. Crazy. That was over 10 years ago. In those 10 years I had just the band. I’d never been able to get it removed because it wasn’t presenting obvious negative effects and my insurance wouldn’t cover it. After a decade I finally started the path to revision to a sleeve. I had the band removed on 10/26. It was very complicated. My outpatient procedure turned into 6 days in the hospital. The band had eroded into my stomach (common) but also had RAVAGED my small intestines. The new surgeon said he had never seen anything like it. He had to get the band out of several spots in the intestines and do a lot of repair work. While recovering, about 24 hrs after surgery, things went south. BP low, breathing shallow, heart rate up, fever...ugh. Many tests later and we determined that my chronic Diverticulitis had flared up and was causing the additional pain and infection. It was a very long 6 days, and the fevers kept coming. After being released and on a better coarse of oral antibiotics, things are finally better. It’s been 3 weeks and I am almost not in pain. It was a miracle I didn’t have a blockage, or major infections with that band. I now think my bowel perforations and infections may be related to the band. I had no idea and I guess the band was never visible in the CT scans. Anyway... I wanted to finish my 12 year saga. I’m almost second guessing the sleeve surgery. I feel like I am 4/4 with bad surgery issues...but the reality is that a lot of things (if not all) were caused by that awful band. I may have the surgery, but it will be after the New Year. That bums me out because it will very VERY expensive with out of pocket costs...but realistically I need more time to heal...and I am unable to miss a wedding on Dec 29th. Not sure anyone will read this...but that’s where I am. Xx

I'm a basket of anxiety on any given day, but I had band removal and revision to gastric sleeve this past Thursday and I am doing awesome. You just have to put your fears aside and give it to God. I finally decided that I couldn't go on living overweight and miserable with a messed up lapband, so basically either way, having procedure & passing or living miserably with the band/extra weight, was a risk with death as consequence each day. You have a reason to be a little scared - it's a serious surgery- but as long as you've researched and found a good surgical group with whom you feel comfortable, you will be fine. I'm in my early 30's too and can relate to some of what you have mentioned. Don't stop now. You will have a forum of supporters, along with all those family members and friends you wrote letters to, AND your physician group. Go get 'em Jacob. You've got this!!

Wow! That's awesome Sarah!! Were you a revision patient or just regular sleever?

March 30 revision any other revisions here Sent from my SM-G920T using the BariatricPal App

I think it's so insane that one little post upset so many as it wasn't intended to. First of all I commend a doctor who doesn't take anyone's money to do this surgery. It shows he has some scruples. It's not only doctors who have strict criteria it's the insurance companies that are dictating who gets this surgery and it's very common for an insurance company to expect you to have a BMI of 40 or have a BMI of 35+ with multiple comorbs. Mine did and I'm sure there are plenty others. I met that criteria without a problem. I admit there was information I was lacking before getting the lap band and it didn't work out for me as planned. Mistake made. Lap banding may not seem as drastic or invasive as RNY etc... but it's still surgery and there are still many risks and there are still chances it may not work or eventually you'll have complications and have to have it removed anyway, possibly struggle with weight gain again and consider revision surgery. I feel bad for self pay people also because I can't imagine what happens when you have complications and have to pay for that down the road. Anyway it was a simple poll posted by Froggi and possibly made people think about what they were doing especially with such low BMIs. Maybe a bit of work on learning to love ourselves at a heavier weight is more important and constantly struggling to be a certain size dictated by our society and shoved in our faces constantly. And having surgery for that purpose might be a bit extreme even if it is only a lap band. Just a thought Nancy.:smile:

The sleeve price is 5500.00 everything included but airfare. the revision price is 6000 and you need to have a endoscopy. you can pay with visa. Talk to Trish wls she is great. Dr. Ponce also works out of several hospitals if you have a preference. Im having my sleeve done the 23

Im sorry you had to revise...I was originally going for the band & my surgeon advised against it in regards to long term results. I then went with sleeve but my reflux is too bad (after EGD). Now I've accepted bypass. Thanks much for your input & heads up on insurance!

Under the right care, with the right education and with an ethical doctor I could see this being beneficial. But some quack could open a clinic in LA and advertise this device to hungry women with a little pudge promising a thin, taut body while being able to eat as much cake and ice cream as they'd like. I guess you could argue the same thing for bariatric surgery, but there's just something that seems off about this type of procedure. To me, it's the moral wrongness of consuming more food than you need to purge it later. Certainly, I'm guilty myself of eating more food than I need which is why I got fat in the first place. But I had the sense to feel terrible about it later just because I felt like I was feeding my hedonistic pleasure centers rather than nourishing my body (partially why I sought a restrictive procedure in the first place). I still don't understand how this would effect long-term change as well. If I had to take my lap band out I'd do a revision at the same time because I know if I don't have my band I will go back to my old ways. This seems similar to the balloon in that sense (though the balloon doesn't cause food waste). I'm not sold on it but I could see its applications being beneficial in certain cases. I just worry about abuse because even though there are safeguards in place, I'm sure someone out there could tamper with it and turn it into an efficient bulimia device, market it to people who shouldn't have it, and make a bunch of money.

I had a band to sleeve revision 3 weeks ago at Hospital Mi with Dr Lopez. Not having US follow up after surgery is a HUGE disadvantage now. Lots of questions and concerns go unanswered. If I could do it over....

Glad you are here. Hope you find the support you are looking for. I am having a revision from a band to RNY. No problem getting approved for the removal....awaiting approval on the RNY now (denied the first request). Had to re-do classes, psych eval, etc. But, my letter was just sent to the insurance company again yesterday. Hang in there and know you are doing the right thing to have a healthier you!

Our @Matt Z is, unfortunately, very knowledgeable about this complication. "The Band had become totally encapsulated in scar tissue, it took my surgeon and her team more than 3 times longer to remove the band than what's normal. My 3-4 hour surgery, lasted over 6 hours. Who knows what would have happened if I didn't revise. The band is gone. My insides have been rearranged. And I'm working my way down to my goal. One day at a time. " --https://www.bariatricpal.com/profile/120901-matt-z/

Sue, When I posted there, in 10/08 I had just gone through a frustrating 14 months of living with the band and having issues the main one never losing weight with it. It just wasn't the right procedure for me. I had it removed and lost a bit of weight at first because I could eat normal foods which included healthier ones. Since then I gained a lot of weight as my stomach went back to its old size again and I have since revised to RNY on 6/11. This time it's working and after about a week post-op the weight just started coming off. I can't eat like I used to and can't eat through the RNY like you can with the band. Once you're full, you're full! I know no WLS is perfect and they aren't always as effective as they were in the beginning but at least I can say I'm losing this time! Anyway good luck to you, you will make the decision that is right for you whether you're band-free and doing it on your own or you decide to revise to another procedure. Take care, Nancy.

Hi: I go to Dr. Woodhead for my fills and very much like him. He does not have a clinic so your after care becomes part of his practise. I know some patients who belong to our support group and they feel he is OK. As for Dr. Leung, his patients either like him or dislike him. He is an excellent surgeon. He makes personal comments that can be hurtful. So if you don't like to have demeaning statements made to you by a doctor, then don't go to him. The most important thing you have to consider after picking the surgeon is the aftercare such as fills and defills. Dr. W. is young and Dr. Leung is close to retirement but I think he is training a doctor now. You should consider this aftercare will be required for the rest of your life. I am sending a copy of what questions to ask doctors/clinics prepared by a lady on the web. I think they are excellent. Hope they help. These are just a few of the questions that come to mind that are important in helping to make a decision in deciding which band surgeon and/or clinic to go with: · Is there a fee for consultation? · Are any of your staff at the clinic banded? · What other staff are available to patients such as dieticians, nutritionists, psychologists? o Is there a cost for their services? · Does the clinic have a website and a messageboard and or chatroom available for Lap Band potential patients to access? · What percentage of your bariatric clinic is devoted to lap band patients? · What is your medical education? · What experience in term of years and number of procedures do you have in lap band surgeries? · What experience do you have in performing revisions? · If you are a revision, what tests will you need to have done ahead of time to be sure you can have a lap band? · Do you have any statistics regarding your lap band practice and number of patients who have had slippages, band erosions or other complications? · What type of warranty comes with your lap band surgery? · What type of bands do they use and how do they determine the type and size? · Is there a pre-op diet you need to follow? o If so is there a cost involved? How much? · If I don't follow the pre op diet perfectly am I still allowed to get the surgery? · What tests and paperwork do I need to have done prior to being accepted for banding? o Is there any charge? How much? o What is the time span? · Is the surgery performed in the clinic or at the hospital? · In case of an emergency what is the procedure that is followed? · How soon after surgery can I go home? · What type of accreditation does your clinic have? · How do your operating rooms compare to those in a hospital if surgery is performed at the clinic? · Can you give me references from other patients I may talk to, especially those who are a revision from past weight loss surgery? · How long am I required to be in town before my surgery? · Is there a hotel that is recommended? o If so, is there a preferred rate at this hotel? o Is there a shuttle available from this hotel to clinic and back and how much does this cost? · Are my family members allowed to remain in the waiting room while I am in surgery or are they asked to leave until I am in the recovery room? · How long after I wake up can I go home? · What special medications will I need to purchase before hand? o Gas-x? liquid Calcium? chewable multi Vitamins? .... · How long would you recommend I take off work after surgery? · If I have a hernia do you fix this? o Is there an extra cost associated? · How long do I have to have a caregiver with me after surgery? · Is there someone I can hire to be my caregiver if I come alone? · Do you use latex? · Is there a deposit I have to pay to hold my surgery? o How much? o Is it refundable if I change my mind? · How must my final payment be made -- money order/visa/cheque? o Does it have to be in before my surgery or do I bring it with me on my surgery day? · If I have further questions may I contact you or your clinic with them? Even more important is follow up care: · What type of aftercare program does their clinic have? · What is covered in the cost of your surgery in regards to aftercare? · Is there an after hour phone number in case of an emergency or concern you encounter outside of normal business hours? o Is he/she available on call to answer or return your call? o Who responds to calls? · Do you have support groups available locally and in my area? · Is there a fee for any aftercare services? · How soon after surgery is your first fill usually? · What hours am I able to come in for fills and days? · How often between fills are you eligible for your next one? · How are the fills performed and are they with or without fluoroscopy? · Do you have to pay for your fills or are they covered in your surgery fee? o If they are not covered what is the fee? · If you live far away from the band clinic, do they have anyone local or closer to your home who is trained by the clinic to do your fills? o If so do you pay a fee to them and if so how much? · In case of complications post op, if you had a slippage or worse case scenario band erosion is any further surgery to remove the band covered or would you have to pay? · In case of a defective port or leak is the surgery to replace it covered in the lap band surgery cost? · In case of a defective lap band is it replaced at no cost to you the patient? · If you needed a new band for any reason such as the above or band leak, etc., is it replaced free of charge to you? o If not what type of cost would you be responsible for? · At the clinic does the surgeon do your follow up fills or fill nurses? o If nurses, what training do they have and can you meet them before committing to this surgery? · What criteria do they base your needing a fill or defill? · How long does it take when calling to book a fill does it take to get an appointment? · How much time is the fill nurse allotted to spend with you answering any questions or concerns also? · Are any of your staff at the clinic banded? · What other staff are available to help patients, i.e., dieticians, nutritionists, psychologists? o Is there a cost for their services? · Does the clinic have a website and a messageboard and or chatroom available for Lap Band patients to access? Then the obvious question is would I do it again. Yes, In a minute. The band has saved my life. Doddie

I just want to address the bolded statement. I had a leak 2 days post my revision. I also had horrible anesthesia complications during the repair, landed on life support for 4-5 days and my prognosis was grave at best. I had an extensive 3.5 month long recovery with an additional hospitalization for abscesses, was on TPN with a central pic line for over 2 weeks with nothing by mouth for over 20 days after the leak repair. My husband was deployed, and not allowed to come home during all of this even as I lay in ICU with a 10% chance of survival. I can assure you that my recovery was pure hell, but not once did I think "oh crap what have I done!". To this very day, I have absolutely ZERO regrets nor am I anything short of 100% certain that I made the right choice with VSG. I never once doubted that I made the "right" choice with VSG, and today, I'm even more certain that I made the best decision. I've said it many times here that I would endure every struggle and obstacle in my recovery to live the life I have today. I just thought I would throw out my experience to give a different perspective on complications with any surgery.

I had lap band done by Dr Ortiz in 2007. I went to him because of his reputation online. I felt his bedside manner was just so so. He was also very expensive. I just had a revision done with Dr Garcia last week. his price was great & he has an excellent & caring bedside manner. Stayed in a hospital for 2 nights & hotel for 3 nights. His nurses were also great. I felt no pain. In my opinion he Is one of the best in Tijiuana.