Lapband with plication added last week

[Flylovesong 24]

Hello, my name is Holly, I am not really sure where to post this, feel free to move this post to a more appropriate area of the forum.

I am nearly four years out from my original lapband surgery. I have had a few physical problems with my band starting with my port falling seven months after my surgery. Then again three months later. And very slow weight loss. Finally things seemed well and I lost 87 lbs (started out at 249 and got down to 162) after about two years post op.

Last summer I had a full abdominoplasty and my weight loss surgeon did that procedure. He fitted me with a new low profile port while he was in there and I kissed him after my surgery because I was so happy with how much he has changed my life. Fast forward to this past spring. The area where my port was located had been bulging and tender. We thought for sure it fell or flipped again. Scheduled my surgery for May 3rd. When I woke up from my surgery I had bad news given to me. There was an abscess around my port and he had to remove the port. I would have to come in again for surgery to replace my port once the abscess had healed. At my two week follow up to the abscess surgery he walked in the room and said he wanted to take the band out because he thinks my body does t like the port and he is running out of places to put the port. I was all ears, however the insurance coordinator burst my bubble by saying that even though I had gained some weight back, my BMI wasn't enough and my insurance doesn't care if the band is killing me, they won't convert me unless I meet criteria.

I went in this past Monday for my port replacement surgery and I had made a comment to my surgeon about how I was very defeated as I felt like I was starting out back at square one. He contemplated what I said and gave me a reassuring squeeze on my arm and said he'd see me in the OR. Now a little back story in regards to my surgeon and myself. I work for the health system that I had my surgery done at. I gather surgical costs for surgeons when they are performing new and sometimes trial procedures. I work closely with my surgeon on a professional level and we know each other very well. So that being said, when I came out of surgery from having my port reinserted, it wasn't a surprise to me at all that he informed me that he reinserted my port, this time in the sternum area to avoid it falling again. And that he performed a Plication and that he is confident it is exactly what I need to give me the desired weight loss I want in a more rapid timeframe than I had before. I was very happy he made that choice for me. So far I am 6 days out and I am 6 lbs down. I had no pain from the plication, more discomfort from the sternum placement of the port than anything. I am hoping that the plication plus the lapband will compliment each other for the course of my weight loss journey.

I wanted to post this so that others who have had slow weightloss and are stuck or have started to gain weight back, know that there is another option out there that they could consider adding to their lapband. Good luck to you all!

[dgoertz1 120]

The plication is the best way to go!

[dawalsh 919]

I'm glad you were able to resolve your previous complications. Had I known about Lapband with plication I may have opted for it. I'm not sure my insurance would cover it as they still consider it experimental. My weight loss has slowed down but I've been unable to exercise for the last few days due to my arthritis. I used to take aspirin for the pain but aspirin is a no no with the Lapband.

[Lady VS 1,147]

What an incredible story. I'm glad you have what you needed to get back on track. Congratulations.