Lap-Band with Gastric Plication in one surgery

[janet1173 0]

I had it done on April 16 and including the pre op diet, I've lost 51 pounds already. I'm very happy with the results and I didn't need a fill on the 6 week follow up appt

Yayyyy Curt, thanks for sharing your success! :party: :success1:

[bazookadoe 0]

Curt, how many of your 51 pounds are post-op? So far, it looks like you're the only one who's already had this done! Keep us up to date all you can, O Great One.

[janet1173 0]

i am also not a self pay patient and didn't think it would be covered but when they called to say surgery was approved I asked if it was lapband with plication and they said yes...we'll if it's a different story when bills come....

I just left a message for the person who gets insurance authorization. I was told it added ten minutes to the surgery time, so maybe it's not billed as a totally separate procedure, or that it's covered under a research code since they want to collect data, or if they were teaching other surgeons, it wouldn't be billed to the insurance. I will let you know what I find out.

[sassyfrass 24]

Hi, is your consultation at NYU? I am going on the 28th for my consultation @ NYU and will let you know what they say. I have Oxford, which insurance do you have? Some previous lapbanders have had to have a revision because of slippage and the doctors have had to do the plication to hold it in place. This is what i gathered from gathering info from diff forums. Also because its a revision the insurance will cover it... im wondering if when the doctor puts the band in and feels the band might slip and he does the plication will it then be covered for first time banding, just a thought.

Hi. I am in NC. I actually have not got a scheduled date for my consult yet. I was trying to wait until Sept to see what BCBS plan I will have through my work. It will change so I need all the out of pocket to applied in the same plan year. Starts Sept. I hope to pick a better plan because the one I have now would put me paying $6000 total in out of pocket, with deduct and co-ins. I hope all works for yours. Yes, please do let me know. I am really curious. Thank you.

[bazookadoe 0]

I just left a message for the person who gets insurance authorization. I was told it added ten minutes to the surgery time, so maybe it's not billed as a totally separate procedure, or that it's covered under a research code since they want to collect data, or if they were teaching other surgeons, it wouldn't be billed to the insurance. I will let you know what I find out.

That's good to hear. Portenier said whenever he does banded plication he has a second surgeon there to observe. Sounds like edumacation to me. If we're being used to collect data, can we see that data when their project is complete? I'd love to but I'm not bettin' the farm they'll show us. If it's a formal study, it will eventually be released. WebMD is a good place to look. You have to pay for full reports but they post summaries for all to see.

[OKCurt 0]

Bazookadoe, At my first consult, I was 354. On my surgery date, they weighed me at 336, so I had lost 18lbs on the pre op diet. 336 and now I'm 303. So actual weight lost from surgery date of 4/16/11 is 33lbs. Good luck to all who have the band and plication. I'm real happy with it so far.

[aliamah1998 0]

Yayyy OKCurt sounds wonderful, keep up the good work. How did you feel the first few days and when did you go back to work? Im trying to figure out my work schedule I'm going to be taking vacation time and I'm hoping I don't need more than 7-10 days. Thanks for posting.

I had it done on April 16 and including the pre op diet, I've lost 51 pounds already. I'm very happy with the results and I didn't need a fill on the 6 week follow up appt

[bazookadoe 0]

I just found another nice nugget on band with plication. The following was released on March 22, 2011, just three months ago:

At the summit today, the preliminary data from a Band with Plication study was presented by Dr Dana Portenier. This is a combined study by Duke University and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. The current study involves 45 patients with a mean age of 43 years. They have a mean starting weight of 255lbs, and BMI of 42. The majority of the patients had a Band with Plication procedure done, although 9 had a Plication done in combination with a band revision. Early results show 37% EWL (Excess Weight Loss) at 18 weeks.

Proponents of this new procedure think that compared with standard gastric banding it

may

: provide faster and more durable weight loss, and might require fewer band adjustments and reduce complications such as slips or erosions. Another proposed benefit compared to a gastric plications without banding is that it may allow a less tight plication which would decrease suture line leaks and ischemia. (see

http://doctorsofweightloss.com/2011/03/band-summit-band-with-plication/

)

This and the other studies I've found put to rest my own skepticism and I'm glad to have been assigned Portenier. (Still a little peeved after not being informed of this option when I should have been, but that's another story.) Punching my own numbers, I can expect to lose 62 pounds by Christmas. HOOOO wah!

There are people with whom I want to share my adventure and others with whom I do not, a few of which I'll probably see over the holidays. If asked how I've lost so much weight so quickly, I think I'll quote Lois Griffin - "Meth is a hell of a drug." That oughtta take care of it. (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvxWdnu9iDE)

[sassyfrass 24]

The plication just sounds better all the time. Is the recovery time much longer/ if any?

[OKCurt 0]

The recovery was much like everyone else who has posted after getting banded. Gas pains the first couple days and some sorness etc. I was in the hospital overnight, but I know of others who were strickly oupatient. I only needed pain medicine the first couple days. I was required to give myself lovenox injections for 10 days to prevent help prevent clotting which was a breeze. I continued to breathe in the lung exercise device they gave me, and walked at least 5 minutes 6 times a day. Every doctor is different so your post op instrutions may differ somewhat. I was comfortable knowing my doctor had the "center of excellence" rating.

I took two weeks off work, but could've easily returned after 1 week. For the most part, I stayed the course with the post op diet because I didn't want any issues. For me it was 3 days of Clear liquids followed by 2 weeks of full liquids (Protein shakes etc). Then to mushies, soft food, etc. At my 6 week follow up, the doctor told me I could move to solid food a week earlier than my diet plan stated. I think those that are getting the combination will be happy with the result. I'm guessing I was around patient #20 or so that he has done this procedure on, with many more scheduled.

[bazookadoe 0]

Oops. Not that it means anthing, but I meant to say 44 pounds by Christmas. Which brings up another topic. I really don't know what goal I should set. I love that banding with plication so far shows faster and greater weight loss than banding alone, but what should I aim for? One of my signature lines is 'always expect the worst in life, that way you're never disappointed.' And yes, I'm very sarcastic. I never liked hearing that the band typically leads to losing 40-60% of excess weight. I did that and kept it off for ten years by diet alone - how could this do no better?! I now see the stats on banding with plication, which show weight loss along the lines of RNY. I wear women's size 24. My cautious hope before was 14 misses but I'll happily settle for size 16. The secret wish, of course, was size 12 but it would take more than 60% of my EW to get there. Okay, should I consider size 12 a reasonable goal now? I'm afraid to hope for too much and wind up disappointed (see mantra cited above), but by all indications so far, I could get there if not farther. If I look like Marilyn Monroe when she sang Happy Birthday to JFK, I'm happy. Which I say largely in jest. I don't think I'll go that far. BTW, did you know that Marilyn Monroe would be considered a plus size model by today's standards? What a world.

[ttny007 29]

Hi

I had this done at Duke on June 10 2011 and so far I love it. I feel good, I have restriction and I have no pain. the first few days I had gas and no desire for anything with a sweet taste but that was about it. I have had one craving in two weeks and that is for a hard boiled egg lol. My husband being a professional chef thought this was very funny. I was told I might not need a fill for awhile which is fine by me. I got this because I was told it was better preventing slipping. I was told I could lose the weight faster and that it is reversable if needed.

I got for my 3 week follow up this Friday I will let everyone know what he says.

[sassyfrass 24]

BTW, did you know that Marilyn Monroe would be considered a plus size model by today's standards? What a world.

Sad world we live in, huh? The models look very anorexic and there is nothing about that look, that's flattering, to me. Too skinny. I would be happy at this point, to be back in a 14 ( I haven't seen that since, geez....., about 23 years ago, or more. And even then, I thought I was sooooo overweight. I'll take that now, any day compared to this size 20 I have crept back up to..

I'm not sure what is a realistic goal, but as I've been a Weight Watcher follower so so so long now, I just gave myself mini goals, such as focusing on ten pounds at a time. It seemed so much for reachable than the overall BIG picture.

I wish you well. I will look forward to seeing more of your posts, especially with the plication also. The more I read about that,t he better, safer it seems.

[sassyfrass 24]

Hi

I had this done at Duke on June 10 2011 and so far I love it. I feel good, I have restriction and I have no pain. the first few days I had gas and no desire for anything with a sweet taste but that was about it. I have had one craving in two weeks and that is for a hard boiled egg lol. My husband being a professional chef thought this was very funny. I was told I might not need a fill for awhile which is fine by me. I got this because I was told it was better preventing slipping. I was told I could lose the weight faster and that it is reversable if needed.

I got for my 3 week follow up this Friday I will let everyone know what he says.

Wow, I can only hope that a boiled egg is all I'll crave.

I look forward to hearing more about the plications bandsters' journey. I wish you welll and I'll be looking forward to your posts. Hopefully I'll be telling my own story in a few months.

[sassyfrass 24]

The recovery was much like everyone else who has posted after getting banded. Gas pains the first couple days and some sorness etc. I was in the hospital overnight, but I know of others who were strickly oupatient. I only needed pain medicine the first couple days. I was required to give myself lovenox injections for 10 days to prevent help prevent clotting which was a breeze. I continued to breathe in the lung exercise device they gave me, and walked at least 5 minutes 6 times a day. Every doctor is different so your post op instrutions may differ somewhat. I was comfortable knowing my doctor had the "center of excellence" rating.

I took two weeks off work, but could've easily returned after 1 week. For the most part, I stayed the course with the post op diet because I didn't want any issues. For me it was 3 days of Clear Liquids followed by 2 weeks of full liquids (Protein shakes etc). Then to mushies, soft food, etc. At my 6 week follow up, the doctor told me I could move to solid food a week earlier than my diet plan stated. I think those that are getting the combination will be happy with the result. I'm guessing I was around patient #20 or so that he has done this procedure on, with many more scheduled.