WAS THINKING BAND and NOW VSG?? HELP!!

[TDELYTE 0]

Tiffykins you READ MY MIND!! I had JUST finished those threads up and had already sent them a PM- hopefully they answer. THANK YOU for taking the time to find all those threads, there was some good info in there so still helpful

There was someone who got their band in Turkey and I had contacted them a week ago regarding their surgery here- I guess I won't be going that route anymore (Thank Goodness you all convinced me!!)

I guess I'll continue to follow this board on a daily basis (my husband thinks I am OBSESSED NOW!! Just when he thought I was done with the BAND I now found this site- lucky for him!!)

Thanks again everyone, I can't wait to follow everybodies progress on here and *hopefully* be a part of it all :-)

I look forward to seeing more motivational stories- they really put a smile on my face and make me feel like there is hope and this does really work (IF WE MAKE IT WORK OF COURSE)

xo

[cwalck 1]

Research research research. I was so close to the band and switched mid stream. Have only 1 more test and the psych eval. I have been to 4 different seminars. This is a good place to learn and help make the decision. I have been reading for hours this morning. I did not think the sleeve was covered by my insurance but since January 2010 it is and I think it is the best way to go. Certainly not as much actual maintenance as with the band. You can gain the weight back no matter what surgery you choose, I have seem them all. But the fact that they do them laproscopically now makes all the difference. I am so comfortable with my new decision.

[Jackie27 0]

Hi

I considered the band too but couldn't be bothered with band fills due to a hectic lifestyle! I have my op in April, the cost here in the UK is normally ?10950 the same price as a Bypass but I'm getting mine done for ?9650. We don't have medical cover here so it's either private or NHS, I've waited for almost a year on the NHS, some people have to wait almost 3 years or longer as the NHS keep moving the goal posts and there is no guarantee of NHS funding at the end of the wait! The main procedures here in the UK are the Band and the Bypass. I can't tell you how pleased I was to find a surgoen here in the UK that does the Sleeve, there are only a few surgeons that carry out this procedure in the UK. The only thing I'm not looking forward to is the pre op diet but the diet here is 800 calories a day and you get to eat so I guess I shouldn't complain when I hear other people are having liquid diets.

Good luck with your decision.

Jackie

Hi there everyone! Well I have spent the better half of this month on the BAND board (was going to schedule a surgery date soon) and happened to come across the acronym VSG, VSG, VSG quite a few times on the other band board. I have been looking into banding for months and decided I would self pay and change my life....well as I mentioned I saw VSG and looked into these three magical letters- Low and behold I'M HERE!

I am sooo glad I found this board but at the same time I am upset I found this board- WHY? Because I was DEADSET on the BAND and now I am thinking "WHAT WAS I THINKING??"....I have been reading this board from top to bottom and have pretty much learned about the pros/cons. All the reasons I wanted the band to begin with have now turned into all the reasons I DON'T want it...weird, I know :-)

So I have read a bunch of 'reviews' post surgery, all the hardships, all the NEW lifestyle changes and am feeling VERY positive about it all.....

So to be honest I am now 50/50 between the LAP BAND and VSG....never thought I would ever doubt the band but I am.

So my next issue: I am originally from Canada and am NOT living there now. I am living in istanbul, Turkey (yes, it REALLY is the most beautiful historical place on earth!!) and I have been looking into self pay here. I am unaware of the prices in various countries (except I can see its priced really well in Mexico which is not an option at this point). The pricing here is about $8000-$8500 CAD ($7500-$8000 USD) ALL IN- meaning everything which includes 3 nights hospital stay (is that enough time to recover?)....does that sound like an alright price to you all? the surgeon here is very well known in europe and the facilities are all top notch. I guess I am looking for someone to fully push me over to the VSG side....lol

any advice? is this price too much?

thank you and I cant wait to be apart of all this

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

There is nothing good about the band. It sounds good at first, but going for fills and unfills, and puking because cetain foods will not go through the band, is MISERABLE!

I love the sleeve and I wish I had known about it first. The band is sitting on my dresser.

It's a 10 grand mistake and really I don't know what I was thinking, putting that thing around my stomach.

I wouldn't leave a rubber band around my finger for YEARS!

[cwalck 1]

Once I learned about the sleeve, I was all the way in! No doubts at all for me. It just felt right. I give all of you tremendous credit for paying out of pocket. Not so sure I would do it if I had to pay all the expenses myself. Go for it Jackie. My surgeon said 3 days in the hospital, 2 nites. He promised I would not die and he said there is very little risk of infection. The bandis out for me. Your price sounds very good and if the surgeon comes recommended and the facilities are top notch, absolutely! they wanted to schedule for March 1 but my husband is off a week in April so I am waiting. I tried to explain to people in the waiting room "I have been fat all my 60 years. I am used to this body. I have been the same weight 225 for 5 years. It's not like I am going to wake up thin the day after surgery. What's a month more?" Carol

[Jaffa 5]

I have a band and my wife a sleeve.

One day, I will revise to the sleeve. It is so much easier, so much less worry, and long term so much cheaper.

This is a no brainer for anyone that can get the sleeve, they should get it. For people who have insurance that won't pay for the sleeve, but will pay for the band.....I would tell them, to figure out a way to self pay for the sleeve....it is that much better and worth that much more.

[cwalck 1]

My doctor said no problem getting the sleeve paid for although after hearing all of you I am a little worried. He said Medicare will pay for it under his orders. He has had other patients do it. he has done about 100 of them so far, mostly Medicare paid for. I know for sure other insurance companies don't. I am hoping because of my medical history they will see the light. All I have left to do is my stress test and we were planning on April so i guess they are working on it. I will feel better once I get approval.

[mountain_lover 3]

I started a year ago wanting to have the Band and ONLY the band. But after going to Dr. Husted's seminar I was not so sure that I wanted to go through all those fills ect... and being stuck with a needle. Then when I got on ObesityHelp.com and on this forum and read alot of the postings I started leaning towards the other procedure that Medicaid would cover called the Duodenal Switch. When I went to my first Doctor appointment on April 1 of last year, Dr. Husted told me that He thought the procedure that would be best for me would be the Sleeve (which is the first part of the Duodenal Switch---without having the intestines cut or rearranged.) But Medicaid did not cover the Sleeve at that time, but he encouraged me that it would possibly be covered in the near future. I found out in November that Medicaid finally would cover the Sleeve and I got the approval and two weeks after my pre-op diet I had my Sleeve done on Dec.2, 2009. Also right before I was to have the surgery done, he told me that he was doing the surgery with only one 2 inch incision instead of the normal 5 incisions. I was his 2nd patient that he performed the new way of doing the sleeve. I did not feel any pain at the incision site, the only pain I had was gas pains from the anethesia and I had bad nausea for 1 week. I have no regrets having the sleeve done. Especially after reading all the posting of so many having a revision done from the Band to the Sleeve. Now I don't have that to worry about. I thank God for working out everything to fall in place for me to have the Sleeve instead of the Band and for leading me to such a great surgeon as Dr. Husted. I am thankful that I had a Doctor with a good reputation and lots of experience with different procedures. I wish all the best to you, whatever decision you make. You are doing what you need to do by researching the different procedures and finding out what your insurance will cover and what it will not.

[cwalck 1]

My decison has been made. Just waitng for Medicare. I had switched doctors midstream and the first doctor did not do the sleeve and i did not even know about it until i went to the hospital at Univ. of Pennsyvania and he talked about it in his seminar and i knew that moment it was the surgery for me. So your post gives me great relief that it WILL be covered. I am very comfortable with that decision. All I need is the stress test and approval and i am good to go week of April 5! I am wishing and hoping.

[Stacy160 201]

GOOD FOR YOU!! I'm so glad you decided to go with the VSG. I read soooooo many negative posts about the band (by bandsters), it seems like almost all of them have problems... it's getting to the point where, when I see someone excited about being scheduled for the band, or newly post-of from being banded, I actually feel sorry for them knowing that all that time and energy, and probably expense will likely have been for nothing. I know there are a few success stories here and there, but.... sure as heck not very many.

I'm 12 days out now from being sleeved and I already feel qualified to tell you, you're gonna love it. :thumbup1:

[cwalck 1]

happy to know that 12 days out and you feel good. I want ot get back to my life immediately. I walk my dog 3 times a day and probably a total of 2 miles.

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

I really feel bad for those people too who are so excited about getting the band. I wish they would take the band off the market.

The doctors are making a fortune off the fills and unfills and the band can completely ruin the stomach to the point that a person can't even get a sleeve later if they want to!